Defense Articles

A little controversy around the campfire isn’t a bad thing. A lively debate helps liven up the evening, exercises the mind and gets the blood flowing.

One debate I avoid is the controversy over push-feed versus controlled-round feed actions. I find it boring because most often the debate is framed in the wrong way. People want to believe reliability is a function of a particular design. Their arguments are supported by anecdotal evidence, sometimes I suspect, made up on the spot.

The weak link in the reliability chain is seldom the rifle. Most often, the weak link is the operator. I’ve seen rifles fail in the field and on the range. In my callow youth I had a couple of failures myself. I haven’t had a failure in the field for nearly 30 years, and the reason has nothing to do with the type of feeding.

Rifles fail mostly for the following reasons: poor handloads; incorrect (or non-existent) rifle maintenance; operator error in handling and failing to prepare the rifle for the environmental conditions. Almost always these problems can be easily detected and prevented by testing, practice and maintenance.

Don’t Load Your Own Problems

Modern factory ammunition is so accurate and reliable it can hardly be improved. Maybe I’m kidding myself but I still feel better with handloads. At least I know there really is a flash hole in the case, priming compound in the primer cup, and a powder charge beneath the bullet.

This isn’t intended to be a treatise on reloading. Charlie Petty has that department covered very well. My point is that in preparing hunting handloads my first priority is reliability. Yes, I want accuracy as well, but I won’t sacrifice reliability for minor accuracy increments.

My guidelines for hunting handloads are: once-fired brass, trimmed to consistent length, chamfered, beveled and full-length resized; primers untouched by contaminants or human hands; primers seated straight and to correct depth; powder charges weighed and cases inspected for powder charge before bullet seating. Each and every round will be loaded into the magazine and run through the action.

Gunk Is The Enemy

Proper rifle maintenance includes more than bore cleaning. Rust in the chamber, even seemingly insignificant amounts, greatly increases the load on the extractor during primary extraction. Carefully clean the chamber (and the locking lug recesses), and remember to dry it before using the rifle again.

Clean the bolt face to remove bits of brass, burnt powder and corruption from beneath the extractor. Check to ensure the ejector, whether plunger-type or fixed, is clean and functional. If possible dismantle the bolt and clean the firing pin channel. Using the correct screwdrivers check action and scope mount screws. Clean the magazine box, follower and follower spring, feed rails and feed ramp.

Proper maintenance also means not fixing what isn’t broken. When triggers have little screws the temptation is to start twisting them. Don’t do it. Use some spray solvent to keep the mechanism clean and let a qualified gunsmith turn the little screws.

AMERICAN RIFLE: A TREATISE, A TEXT BOOK, AND A BOOK OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE USE OF THE RIFLE represents twenty-five years of study and work from a soldier, hunter and naturalist who by the 1920s was a renowned expert on military and hunting rifles. It’s written for riflemen and any with such must have this, which covers everything from maintenance and care to shooting tactics and common mistakes. A ‘foundation’ title any weapons library must have.

David Towler, 24, of Woolsingham, Co Durham, was spending Christmas Day in hospital after accidentally shooting himself while cleaning his .22 rifle.

The Model 6046 rifle scabbard is made from heavy-oiled saddle leather and features a non-absorbent fleece lining. A zippered integral hood keeps out the elements. The scabbard fits all scoped rifles up to 46 inches.

Two new tactical rifles are now available from companies which were once known as handgun manufacturers. The first, bearing the innovative name “Tactical Rifle,” is available from Magnum Research makers of the famous Desert Eagle pistol.

The Tactical Rifle, designed by gunsmith John Roundsley, and is an off-the-shelf precision rifle that rivals many of the custom bolt-action sniper rifles currently available. Built on a Remington 700 action with an H-S Precision stock, the Tactical Rifle features a 26″ carbon fiber barrel capable of maintaining 1/2 MOA accuracy. The Tactical Rifle is available in .223, .22-250, .308 and .300 Win Magnum.

Handguns have been to the North Pole, the South Pole, and pretty much everywhere in between. Handguns rode along on the B-29 that ushered in the era of nuclear war. Butterfield’s in San Francisco recently auctioned off the Colt 1911 carried by Major “Dutch” van Kirk aboard the plane the dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

The pistol, serial number 468425, was an original 1911 model rather than the 1911A1 that was somewhat more in evidence during WWH.

Pistols And Fighting Men

No matter how powerful multi-million dollar pushbutton killing technology tends to become, war always seems to end on the ground with armed men facing one another with conventional small arms. A powerful handgun has been a source of comfort to fighting men for centuries.

There is no more high-tech field army than that of the United States in Afghanistan at the moment, yet the handgun continues to play a significant role. Field reports indicate enemy soldiers take a lot of 9mm ball rounds from the Beretta M9 before they go down (what’s new?). And generally fall to one or two hardball slugs from the .45 autos that are still in the hands of some special forces personnel, notably the Army’s Delta Force.

There is reportedly a groundswell of requests from our troops to be issued .45 caliber pistols of whatever type to replace the 9mm. Their problem is not with the Beretta pistol so much as with the 9mm FMJ round.

While allied snipers with precision rifles have taken an awesome toll of the enemy, a surprising number of up close and personal gun fights have reportedly occurred in the caves. Some of our troops have been photographed with a holster on each hip.

In Other High Places

The White House has always contained handguns, and not just the duty weapons of the Secret Service. Richard Nixon’s gun collection included two engraved specimens, a Smith & Wesson Chief Special .38 presented to him by the NRA when he was Vice President, and a Colt Government Model .45 auto given him by Elvis Presley.

President Reagan was licensed to carry a Smith & Wesson .32 revolver when he was head of the Screen Actors Guild, and years later, first lady Nancy Reagan told reporters that she habitually kept “a cute little gun” in her bedroom.

I was present at the press conference where the first President George Bush pulled a miniature .22 revolver — I couldn’t tell whether it was a North American Arms or a Freedom Arms — from his suitcoat pocket. A Texas Ranger who body guarded our second President Bush during the primaries told me that our current leader is not only pro-gun, but a very capable handler of firearms himself.

The Guns of Churchill

During the Boer war, Winston Churchill shot several enemy soldiers with his pistol, a “broomhandle” Mauser. In WWII, disgusted to learn that his chief bodyguard carried a feeble Webley .32 auto, Churchill got a Colt Government Model .45 for him.

When he discovered that the security man had gone back to his mousegun, legend has it that the Prime Minister of England snatched back the .45, racked a round into the chamber and on-safed the gun, thrusting it into the capacious pocket of his big overcoat. There it remained for the rest of the war.

Churchill also kept a Thompson submachinegun discreetly accessible in the back of his limousine. British gun expert Richard Law has found photographs of the Prime Minister in which the outline of the big Colt automatic through the fabric of Churchill’s heavy ulster is clearly visible. A few years after the war ended, Colt presented one of their first lightweight Commander .45 autos to a grateful Churchill, who reportedly kept it until his death.

America’s fascination with handguns began a few hundred years ago and became romanticized in the days of the Wild West when Sam Colt truly “made all men equal.” The handgun market has been, for the most part, growing since then.

At the same time, it’s not likely any consumer product has been so loved, hated, defended and vilified as handguns. More than 30 lawsuits filed in the last decade.

Many experts, pro- and anti-gun, believe that if even one of the lawsuits had succeeded, it would have led to the demise of the handgun industry. To date, almost all the lawsuits have been thrown out of court or won outright by the industry. A few remain in litigation.

With these victories, and the shift in the political landscape, the handgun market is experiencing a rebirth. New manufacturing processes, new technologies and new materials are making it possible to build the best handguns in history. New introductions cover the full spectrum of handguns, from small self-defense pistols to heavy-caliber revolvers (See Bonus: “Big Boomers.”)

In addition, the terrorist attacks in 2001 raised consumers’ awareness regarding self-defense, thus expanding the overall market. Yet, the handgun segment of the industry still has challenges.

The Changing Handgun Market

“The most important issue facing the firearms industry in America is the signing of the lawsuit preemption bill,” said Dwight Van Brunt, Kimber marketing and sales vice president. Congressional legislators are considering two bills that would protect the firearm industry from frivolous lawsuits.

Van Brunt also believes the future for handguns will be quite strong, with perhaps a few changes in demographics

If dealers are to survive they must be tuned into every possible way to increase sales, even in a soft market. When handguns are selling, there’s a market for handgun accessories. When handguns aren’t selling, the market is still there for handgun accessories. Shooters may not need a new handgun but they may very well be open to embellishing the handgun they already have.

Mark Shapel, a gun dealer in Idaho, points out that a dealer often makes more money on a $100 sale of accessories than from a $500 handgun sale. Dealers not stocking accessories are losing substantial profits.

What can you do to increase accessories sales? SI called dealers around the country to gather sales ideas that work. Ideas that can help you increase sales even when firearms are not selling.

In our informal survey, SI found that approximately 30 percent of dealers do not stock accessories while 50 percent indicate they do. Dealers interviewed were asked about holsters and related equipment such as padded rags and hard cases, grips, sights and compensators. We covered all parts of the country, talking with successful dealers in Idaho, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and California.

One common factor reflective of these dealerships was a combination of friendliness and enthusiasm. Such conduct costs nothing and requires no extra space but pays huge dividends.

Shapel & Sons in Boise, Idaho, is a third generation gunshop that has expanded with each generation. Through wise use of space it is able to stock more products than shops two to three times its size. It is also the type of store where one feels comfortable just dropping in for no particular reason except to see what is available.

A customer is not pounced upon, nor ignored. If one wants help it is available. Conversely, if someone simply wants to browse or just “hang out” in a friendly place for awhile, Shapel’s is the place. I have been there at least once a week for the past 30 years, and I have yet to see a customer treated disrespectfully. Nor have I ever run into the “know-it-all” attitude that can destroy a gunshop or any other business. Again, this is an attitude that costs nothing but pays huge dividends. It builds repeat business.

Shapel’s maintains a large, easy-to-see display of holsters covering approximately 72 square feet and featuring items from Brauer, Hunter, Safari-land, and Uncle Mike’s.

“If we have leather, they want nylon. If we have camo, they want black,” said Mark Shapel. “For that reason we stock over 200 packaged holsters plus maintain two large barrels of used holsters. It is difficult to stock large quantities of so many different holsters but we must. I try to sell a holster to every handgun purchaser, while having what the shooter who already owns a handgun wants.”

Shapel’s also maintains a large stock of zippered padded cases.

The market has changed dramatically for handgun grips. Instead of the unusable - call them user unfriendly - wooden grips found on many revolvers just a few years ago, most revolvers now come with entirely adequate rubber grips. This was a cost-cutting step by manufacturers which cost the dealers an important accessory sale.

However, the market is still there for quality wooden grips for revolvers and especially rubber grips for semi-automatics. Shapels maintains a large display of aftermarket grips featuring Hogue and Pachmayr models.

“We always suggest these grips to those who purchase magnums that are not equipped with rubber grips,” said Shapel

With so many types of semi-automatics available, Shapel’s maintains a full gunsmithing operation with three types of add-on adjustable sights stocked: Millett, Trijicon and Pachmayr. They do not stock compensators.

Russo’s, in Tallmadge, Ohio, gets a sizable number of walk-ins looking for holsters. The gun shop has over 100 holsters stocked and displayed. Most are Uncle Mike’s nylon, in sporting and police styles, as well as Bianchi leather.

“We especially cater to police officers and order equipment for them as well as keeping a large stock of padded hard cases and zippered rugs,” said Robert Stone.

“Wooden grips, especially those of exotic woods, are beautiful, but they are expensive and hard to move so we stock at least 100 of the rubber grips from Hogue, Pachmayr, and Uncle Mike’s,” Stone said. “Most semi-auto purchasers want Hogue or Pachmayr, so these are an easy sell.”

Smith Gun, in San Angelo, Texas, does not stock the regular line-up of holsters but specializes in one brand. Connie Smith says the “word is out” and customers know they can get an excellent concealment rig by Law Concealment Systems at Smith.

Exotic tactical weapons can’t replace the humble pistol as the weapon of choice in close-quarters, urban combat.

With the news and entertainment media featuring Special Weapons Teams, the general public has long since accepted the image of an elite group of men, clad in BDUs and body armor, carrying exotic weapons as they deal with a criminal or terrorist. Yet, that same public — and the vast majority of the shooters as well — is largely unaware that in spite of the presence of ultra-accurate precision (counter-sniper) rifles, submachine guns, gas launchers and stun grenades, the simple handgun is often the primary weapon of the men who deal “up close and personal” with violent suspects.

True, there are definitely occasions where a precision rifleman will bring the problem to a conclusion from a distance. And, without question, the submachine gun is utilized with ever-increasing frequency, especially by assault and entry less of what assigned weapon each team member carries, the entire team carries handguns.

Why? In the theoretical sense for the same reasons that handguns are used by military personnel in combat zones extra security in case of unforeseen emergencies. In the practical sense, smart SWAT commanders realize that a good handgun in skilled hands is often an excellent primary weapon, capable of dealing with many of the situations commonly encountered in SWAT operations.

Tight Quarters And Haunted Houses

Although the submachine gun is a fine choice for generalized indoor “haunted house” scenarios, the option of having several men armed with handguns is worth examination. Entry teams equipped with handguns can function well within a wider variety of circumstances.

For example, if particularly tight quarters are encountered — and make no mistake, they often are — the handgun-armed team member can take over and the submachine gun-armed members can cover him from a distance. This tactic makes sense in scenarios occurring in stairways, attics and window entries, to name but a few. In addition, the use of an unattached flashlight is better accomplished with a handgun, especially when a good Harries flashlight technique is utilized.

Though perhaps less well known, another reason for arming certain team members with handguns involves the delivery of diversionary munitions — so-called “stun grenades.” SWAT team members often tend to handle and deliver stun grenades with considerable trepidation. On many occasions, they’re so glad to get rid of the device that they get themselves tangled up in the shoulder sling of a shotgun or submachine gun.

Action Products Co.          257
Ajax Custom Grips            258
Alessi Holsters              259
AmeriGlo                     260
Aro-Tek                      261
Bianchi International        262
Blackhawk                    263
Blade-Tech                   264
Boyt                         265
Brooks Tactical              266
Brownells                    267
B-Square Co.                 268
Butler Creek                 269
CCI                          270
Chip McCormick Corp          271
Crimson Trace                272
Decal Grip                   273
DeSantis Holsters            274
DoskoSport                   275
Eagle Grips                  276
Ed Brown Products            277
Fobus U.S.A.                 278
Galco International          279
Gould & Goodrich             280
Heinie Specialty Products    281
HiViz                        282
Hogue Grips                  283
H-S Precision                284
IWI                          285
Kolpin Manufacturing         286
Kwik-Site Corp.              287
Ky-Tac                       288
Laser Devices                289
LaserMax                     290
Lyman Products               291
Mach-II                      292
Mag-na-port                  293
Mec-Gar USA                  294
Meprolight                   295
Michaels of Oregon           296
Millett Sights               297
Milt Sparks Holsters         298
Mitch Rosen                  299
Nill-Grips                   300
Novak                        301
Pachmayr Ltd.                302
PAST                         303
Pearce Grip                  304
Precision Sight              305
ProMag                       306
Ranch Products               307
Robar Co.                    308
Safariland                   309
Scherer                      310
Sidearmor                    311
SureFire                     312
Ted Blocker                  313
The Hunter Co.               314
Trijicon Inc.                315
Triple K                     316
TruGlo                       317
Walther                      318
Williams Gun Sight           319
Wilson Combat                320
XS Sight Systems             321