The 1911 .45 Auto, here in Compact form, from Rock Island Armory. This is one of the hardest hitting and toughest handguns in the world to master, but I was lucky. I learned how to handle the 1911 from a US Army Markmanship Training Unit expert. The old Sergeant Major would be proud!
Actually, it's more like four .45s, but the stars of this show are an inexpensive, sub-$500 Rock Island Armory 1911 Compact and a Performance Center Smith and Wesson Model 625 double-action revolver. Which one is the better handgun? Hey, they're both great, as you'll see in this story.
Colin D. MacManus was a US Army Captain of Infantry killed in action in Vietnam in 1967. To commemorate his life, each year a 1911 is awarded to a Rutgers ROTC cadet. In 1973, that cadet was me.
The MacManus Award in 2020 is a Springfield Mil Spec 1911 chambered in .45 ACP, a fitting award for this year's Rutgers Reserve Officers Training Corps cadet battalion commander.
How do different loads print in the Rock Island Compact, and how do they compare to factory ammo? Hey, take a look!
Springs get sprung quickly on a Compact 1911. Here's how a Wilson Combat recoil spring fixed the problem on a Rock Island Compact.
An update on some of the issues and fixes on my RIA Compact 1911. It's a great gun, but it took some doing to get it there!
Good buddy TJ went all out on this custom Colt Combat Commander. Another good friend saw TJ's work and took the plunge. This is one beautiful 1911!
Why settle for just one caliber when you can have four? Take a look at the story behind this Springfield 1911 modified to work with barrels and slides that allow shooting .45 ACP, .38 Super, 9mm, and .22 Long Rifle!
This is cool...one of TJ's customized 1911s and a slick Gear'd Hardware watch go the distance. Gear'd told us their watch was bulletproof, and we answered that challenge with a hard-hitting .45 auto!
Joe Gresh gets on the 9mm bandwagon with a zillion-round Smith and Wesson M&P automatic. Can you believe it...he won this pistol in a local raffle!
A favorite cast bullet (the 124-grain Missouri roundnose) with different loads in a Springfield 1911, an S&W 659, and a SIG P226 Scorpion. The SIG dominated!
Another TJ Custom...a .40 S&W SIG 239 with a full Level 1 action job and an unusual urban camouflage finish. This is a very slick EDC weapon!
The ultimate target semi-auto handgun: The Model 52 Smith and Wesson. This handgun, designed to shoot wadcutter .38 Special ammo, is superbly accurate!
Good buddy Bob's TJ-customized Beretta. After reading about TJ's work here on the ExNotes blog, Bob sent two Berettas to TJ and he loves the work TJ did on his guns!
Long time amigo Robby crafted an ExNotes guest blog on two impressive 9mm Hi Powers...one a World War II Nazi war trophy and the other crafted at the FN factory in 1952!
Craftsmanship and gunsmithing talent like no other...it's what you get when TJ's Custom Gunworks works over your handgun. Check out the magnificent work my good buddy TJ does!
One I always wanted...the 9mm Model 659 Smith and Wesson. This one was a police department trade-in, carried much but shot little. It's a shooter now, and it's a hoot!
The Model 59 9mm Smith and Wesson you see in the photo above is from the second year of production back in the early 1970s, and a half-century and tens of thousands of rounds later, it's still going strong. These are great handguns that can shoot with the best of them.
After 50 years, my trusted S&W Model 59 finally called it a day. Wow, was this ever disappointing, but I really can't complain!
This 200th Year Ruger Mark I, manufactured in 1976, has been sending lead downrange for more than 40 years. It is a favorite, and it is one of the guns that put Ruger on the map. Most folks think it was based on the German Luger, but it is a design based on World War II Japan's Nambu!
Good buddy and world famous moto artist Arthur Benjamins tells the story of the only two reasons he visited a small town in the UK...one involved a woman; the other involved a beautiful Browning 9mm Hi Power, one of the classiest military handguns in the world!
Two absolutely outstanding 9mm semi-auto handguns: A SIG P226 with the Scorpion finish and a brushed stainless steel Springfield Armory 1911. Both are extremely accurate!
It took some doing and a visit to TJ's Custom Gunworks to eliminate its frequent and annoying failures to eject, but I finally have my 9mm Smith and Wesson Shield working the way it should!
An inexpensive GSG clone of the indomitable 1911 chambered in .22 Long Rifle. This pistol is a lot of fun!
A brief tutorial on how to shoot a handgun well. Knowledge handed down from Command Sergeant Major Emory L. Hickman, a former US Army Marksmanship Training Unit pistolero!
A shootout between the Smith and Wesson Shield and SIG's M18, two modern 9mm combat handguns. Which would you prefer?
Doing things differnently: Leave it to the Italians to take a fresh approach to the delayed blowback design question!
Wow, talk about awesome! How about an unfired Model 1917 Colt .45 ACP revolver with elk stag grips? This is an amazing handgun wearing its original finish, with more to follow on how it shoots!
Two magnificent handguns from the Colt factory, and one of them is a magnificent 8-inch Python! The Colt Python is a premier revolver, thought by many to be the finest handgun ever made!
A storied legend resurrected in 2020, and that's a good thing. Will the new Python be as legendary as the original? We're guessing the answer is yes!
We put the new Colt Python to the test on a cold and windy day. Our conclusion: The new Python is a superbly accurate and reliable handgun!
Colt's new Python is one sweet-shooting handgun, but the single-action trigger left a lot on the table. Good buddy TJ's trigger work cured that, and the Python's trigger went from 5 1/2 lbs to 2 1/4 lbs!
The Colt Trooper was a .357 Magnum, and Colt introduced the exact same handgun in .22 Long Rifle. This is an astonishingly accurate revolver with a stunning brilliant finish!
This was awesome: A visit to the Colt factory in Connecticut, including time in the renowned Colt Custom Shop!
One of the most accurate .357 Magnum loads ever! It works well in both the Colt Python and the Ruger Blackhawk!
Taguchi design of experiments techniques optimizes designs quickly. Could it be successfully applied to load development for a Smith and Wesson .45 ACP revolver? Read on to learn about the technique and see what we found!
Actually, it's more like four .45s, but the stars of this show are an inexpensive, sub-$500 Rock Island Armory 1911 Compact and a Performance Center Smith and Wesson Model 625 double-action revolver. Which one is the better handgun? Hey, they're both great, as you'll see in this story.
Ruger's .357 stainless steel Blackhawk is a classic modern single action revolver. It's accurate and damn near indestructible. This one is a 200th year Ruger, and it is a hoot to shoot!
A review of several different .357 loads in the Ruger Blackhawk. Looking for an accuracy load for your Ruger? Here are the recipes for several proven target and full-bore .357 Magnum loads!
Ruger's .357 Magnum Blackhawk is one of the best handguns in the world. The one you see above was formerly owned by Hank Williams, Jr.
Good buddy Paul's two Old Army black powder revolvers. These classy handguns, no longer in production, are only going to go up in value!
Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya? Read all about Smith and Wesson's iconic Model 29 .44 Magnum, and the movie that made it famous!
Ruger's new Custom Shop introduced the new Super GP100, available in either 9mm or .357 Magnum. It's not available yet, but it will be soon!
Ever wonder if the Italian Colt replica Single Action Army revolvers are good guns? They sure are, as this tuned Taylor sixgun very capably demonstrates! Brass grip frame, color case hardening, and more...this gun has it all.
Reloading .45 ACP ammo for use in 1917-style revolvers has its own set of challenges. This article focuses on crafting ammo that chambers and functions reliably in the Model 25, the Model 625, and 1917 revolvers.
Good Lord! Just how high will the prices go on a vintage US Army 1917? The sky is the limit!
Indiana Jones' Smith and Wesson! $5,000,000 on Gunbroker.com and shipping is free!
Tons of muzzle blast and flash, lots of noise, little recoil, and superb accuracy define Ruger's .30 Carbine Blackhawk. This is a fun gun!
A limited edition .357 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk, with stunning birdseye maple grips. This is a beautiful handgun and its value will only go up.
Testing a Model 625 Smith & Wesson and a Rock Island Compact 1911 with Winchester's 231 propellant and Gardner's 230-grain cast roundnose bullets.
Two Uberti replica firearms...the 1873 Colt Single Action Army and the 1847 Colt Walker. These handguns are amazing!
Loads for the mighty .44 Special fired in both the Ruger Super Blackhawk and a beautiful Smith and Wesson Model 24. This is a very accurate cartridge!
Too much Zane Grey, or is there a reason to chamber a handgun and a rifle for the same cartridge? See what we found testing .44 Magnum loads in a gorgeous Turnbull revolver and a Marlin Model 1894.
Joe Gresh gets cranky and weighs in on his bull-barreled Ruger .22 Mark II target automatic and Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver handguns.
Good buddy and guest blogger Jose provides his take on Pietta and Uberti reproduction 1858 Remington black powder percussion revolvers.
A Taylor Tuned SAA replica with my favorite load make for one-hole groups at 50 feet. This is a fun gun and .45 Colt is a favorite cartridge!
Ah, if only it had the provenance its engraving claims...still, it's a beautiful and exquisitely-executed 1917 Colt.
Wow, this is cool. A vintage 1909 Colt New Service revolver chambered in the powerful .45 Colt cartridge. This is a great guest blog written by good buddy Guy Miner.
Good Lord, this is an accurate load and an accurate revolver. 6.0 grains of Unique, a 200-grain semi-wadcutter, AutoRim brass, and stellar results! Wowee!
A used Model 60 S&W Chief's Special at the right price but with a few problems? No problems, only opportunities!
A custom Smith and Wesson Model 60 with a TJ's Custom Guns Level 1 action job and selected polishing work. This is the ultimate Roscoe!
Before any load development activity, it makes sense to have a plan. This is our load development plan for the TJ Roscoe!
We tried several different loads and found one that's hard-hitting and shoots to point of aim in the Smith and Wesson Model 60.
A fun day at the range shooting at a goofy target and evaluating the effects of incomplete primer seating!
A blog for one of our favorite Facebook groups: Snubnose Noir! This Model 60 is tested against Zombieland's best with two different loads.
Too much end shake in a revolver can cause timing issues, double action reliability problems, and more. It's easily corrected with great products from TriggerShims!
As is the case with much in life, it's all about timing. Read this interesting tale about addressing an out-of-time condition in a magnificent old Model 60!
For concealed carry, snubbies are good guns. This article is about my two favorites: The .45 ACP Rock Island Armory 1911 Compact and the .38 Special Smith and Wesson Model 60.
When a double action revolver misfires, there's a six-pack of places to look for the cause. This article explores how we made a Model 60 super reliable for double action duty.
Good buddy Paul provided a bunch of Zombie targets for an informal milsurp match. This was an outing with the last one and the Model 60 snubbie.
How does the Ruger .357 Blackhawk compare to the new Colt Python? This article makes the comparison from several perspectives.
A recently-acquired Ruger New Model Blackhawk, warts and all. Get an honest assessment here.
Quality lapses notwithstanding, this recent New Model .357 Blackhawk can group superbly well.
Faux ivory, color case hardening, and the .44 Special cartridge all come together in this beautiful Uberti SAA.
The Colt Walker, the official handgun of Texas. This is an impressive story.
Colt built their Trooper chambered in .22 Long Rifle. This is an accurate revolver with a brilliant finish!
The amazing M1922 Springfield, a rifle built on a full-sized 1903-style action, but chambered in .22 Long Rifle. Lots of fun here, folks!
An early Ruger 10/22 Mannlicher with an amazing piece of walnut. You don't see 10/22s like this very often!
A Ruger Single Six from the first years of this gun's production with custom walnut grips.
The mighty .45-70 Government, first conceived as an infantry cartridge nearly 150 years ago. Ruger revived interest in this powerful old buffalo round with their No. 1 and No. 3 single-shot rifles, and Marlin joined the fun with their 1895 lever gun. All three are great shooters, and this round is a real hoot to shoot!
A rare Marlin 336, one of only 300 uncatalogued Octagon models produced in 1973. Marlin had a few octagonal barrel blanks left over after producing their Centennial Commemorative Model 336, so they decided to use the surplus on standard .30-30 Model 336 rifles to create an instant collectible!
Wow, check this out! A modern Marlin .45-70 lever gun configured to match the one that starred in the Jeremy Renner movie, Wind River! Polished stainless steel, laminated stocks, Picatinny rail, big loop, and a long-eye-relief scope complete the package for an ultra-powerful tack driver. This rifle delivers!
Think Marlin quality isn't what it used to be? Think again, as a review of this beautiful Model 336 Texan Deluxe shows that modern Marlins are as good as or better than the JM-proofed rifles!
A day on the range with a current production Marlin 1895! Do these rifles shoot as well as Marlins manufactured before Remington bought the legendary Marlin company? The answer is yes!
Too much Zane Grey, or is there a reason to chamber a handgun and a rifle for the same cartridge? See what we found testing .44 Magnum loads in a gorgeous Turnbull revolver and a Marlin Model 1894.
It's hard to imagine a more beautiful rifle than this Chiappa 1886. Incredible walnut, stunning color case hardening, and the rifle is a shooter! The steel buttplate is punishing with all but light loads, but wow, is this thing accurate!
Turnbull's color case hardening is an elegant surface treatment that reaches back more than a century. It adds class to any firearm, as you'll see here on a Smith and Wesson 1917, a Ruger Super Blackhawk, and a .45-70 1895 Marlin.
As delivered from Marlin, the sights on this gorgeous 1895 Cowboy were so far off I couldn't bring my shots in. A little math, some help from the Williams wizards, and I was on the money!
A new front sight, a couple of tried and true .45 70 loads, and the Marlin 1895 Cowboy gets a new lease on accuracy. This lever gun shoots one-hole groups right where the sights point!
One hell of a story: A chance encounter with Aldo Uberti leads to a magnificent rifle!
Crimping ammo loaded for the Ruger Mini 14 with Lee's factory crimp die improves accuracy, as our test series shows.
A decrepit Mini 14 stock purchased for a pittance, stripped, and custom refinished to better than new condition. Today, this stock is doing its job in the great state of Texas!
Good times and a funny story about hosting a group of Chinese motorcyclists for a ride across the USA. Read about our day at the rifle range and in a Bass Pro's gun department. Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?
Glass bedding, a Tech-Sights rear sight, a new gas port, and the right reloads will go a long way toward making a Mini 14 a more accurate rifle!
Folks say the Mini 14 is inaccurate. We think they just don't know how to shoot. Follow this tutorial on how to get the best out of your Mini 14 Ruger, or any rifle with iron sights!
Want to improve your Mini 14's accuracy? Here's our summary of how to tighten up your Mini's groups. Part of it is you, part of it is the rifle, and part of it is the ammo!
You know how it goes...a mashup of leftover components on the reloading bench. Here's a set of accuracy results from just such a situation with the Mini 14.
The Mini 14 and the GSR square off for a 100-yard open sight matchup!
A magnificent Ruger No. 1 in the equally impressive .300 Weatherby Magnum chambering. This rifle is hard-hitting (on both ends!) and accurate.
Less wailin' with the .35 Whelen! Cast bullet and pistol bullet loads in a Ruger No. 1 with awesome walnut make for a good time on the range.
Sometimes you just get lucky. That's what happened with this Ruger No. 1 in 6.5 Creedmoor. Superior walnut and superior accuracy...what the Ruger No. 1 is all about!
A .30 06 and a .243 set of 200th Year No. 1 Rugers, both sporting exhibition grade walnut and the superb craftsmanship that characterize the earlier No. 1 rifles!
The Ruger No. 1 single-shot rifle is one the classiest firearms ever. Styled after the elegant Scottish Farquharson rifles of old, these are beautiful rifles. This is a story about two, both chambered in 7mm Remington Magnum.
Would you take on an Alaskan bear with a single-shot rifle? Good buddy Jason did using a .338 Win Mag Ruger No. 1, and you can read all about that adventure in his guest ExNotes blog. Well done, Jason!
This is a sweet shooting No. 3 that does extremely well with cast bullets! It's a 200th Year No. 3 with unusually highly-figured walnut for an economy rifle.
Wow...the super rare and ultra-exotic .405 Winchester Ruger No. 1! Good buddy Jose walks us through this project and his favorite loads for a classic Ruger!
The mighty .458 Winchester Magnum, first fielded by Winchester in 1956, was a cartridge specifically designed to work in a bolt action rifle and take down elephants. The rifle you see above is a Ruger No. 1. There are no elephants in these parts, but if they ever show up, we'll be ready!
A follow up story on the .458 Win Mag No. 1, with chronographed velocities and an abnormally slow flyer. Shooting a .458 off the bench? You bet! If you've ever wondered about the relationship between velocity and drop for reduced .458 loads, this blog spells it out. It sure surprised me.
Roy Weatherby's favorite cartridge was the .257 Weatherby Magnum. With velocities approaching 4000 feet per second and a laser-like trajectory, the .257 Roy can really reach out. Sometimes, though, the bullets spin so fast they break up in flight, which is what happened in the photo above!
Finding the right load for a Ruger No. 1 chambered in .257 Weatherby Magnum was a challenge. Conventional quarter-bore bullets were breaking up in flight, a situation aggravated by the .257's uber-high velocity and the Ruger's 28-inch barrel!
Dropping the velocities with conventional bullets resulted in dramatically-improved accuracy with this Ruger No. 1 chambered in .257 Weatherby Magnum.
Well, sometimes things don't work out the way one might expect. The beautiful stock you see above on this Ruger No. 1 cracked. It's off to Ruger for a replacement!
A new stock, a good high velocity accuracy load, and things are looking good for the .257 Weatherby Ruger No. 1. All's well that ends well!
Originally offered as a low-cost alternative to the Ruger No. 1, Ruger No. 3 rifles have become collectibles in their own right. This one, chambered in .22 Hornet, is a hoot to shoot!
If you're looking for criticism of the 6.5 Creedmoor, you've come to the wrong place. This cartridge does well in a maple-stocked Browning X-Bolt and a Ruger No. 1!
How do powder coated pistol bullets work in the 35 Whelen? For short range low power loads, they answer the mail! Check out this article on 158 grain pistol bullets in the Ruger No. 1.
A gorgeous early Ruger No. 1 in .22-250 that shot way to the right. The fix was difficult to find and different than what you might have thought!
It doesn't get any better than this! The fanciest walnut ever on an exquisite 257 Weatherby Magnum Ruger No. 1!
Wringing out a low bucks 4x12 Bushnell scope on a .243 Winchester Ruger No. 1!
An initial attempt at getting cast bullets to perform in a 7mm Magnum Ruger No. 1!
The second time around! Getting powder coated cast bullets to perform in a 7mm Magnum Ruger No. 1!
Whoa, a brass-frame .45 70 Henry Single Shot! This is a relatively new offering from Henry in an all-time favorite caliber.
The Henry arrived at an FFL in California just as the Covid 19 lockdown began, but the 10-day waiting period is underway!
Steps involved in developing a series of .45 70 loads for the new Henry, with an explanation of the three power levels in .45 70 reloading manuals.
The plan of attack, with detailed load information for the Henry Single Shot's accuracy development program. Propellants, bullets, primers...it's all here!
A great chat with good buddy Dan, Director of Communications at Henry USA. Get the good info on the new Single Shot!
So what works best in the new Henry Single Shot? We found great loads, and this is just the start. This is a great rifle!
Not content with his Stevens Little Scout, good buddy Reeve restocked this single shot rifle in Turkish walnut. It's awesome!
They don't get much prettier than this: A single-shot Browning B78 in .30 06 with incredible walnut. This refugee from the 1970s shoots both jacketed and cast bullets well, but finding the right load for it was a challenge!
They are the finest rifles in the world, and Roy Weatherby personally helped me select this one for my father. It's a hell of story about a hell of a rifle and two of the greatest men I've ever known.
Here's a real score...a Remington Model 700 Classic chambered in 7mm Weatherby Magnum. The rifle is rare, the walnut is stunning, and the accuracy is superb! Folks, magnum rifles just don't get any better than this!
One of the best kept secrets in the high power rifle world is the Weatherby Vanguard, and this one is chambered in one of the most powerful .30-caliber cartridges ever! This first-generation Vanguard delivers 0.5-minute-of-angle accuracy, with recoil that grabs your attention!
And another lucky break...being in the right place at the right time! This impressive .30 06 Mk V Weatherby is one of the few rifles that Weatherby offers in a non-Weatherby chambering. A few coats of TruOil and this beautiful long gun was returned to as new condition!
The .300 Weatherby, and three beautiful rifles chambered for the ultimate .30-caliber magnum: Two Weatherbv rifles and a gorgeous Winchester Model 70 make for a trio of magnificent magnums!
Something you don't get to see every day...the Duke's personal .300 Weatherby Magnum! We saw this priceless rifle at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
A magnificent Ruger No. 1 in the equally impressive .300 Weatherby Magnum chambering. This rifle is hard-hitting (on both ends!) and accurate.
Weatherby only made 150 of these in .300 Weatherby Magnum, and this one is a honey. Check out this awesome Vanguard Safari!
Setting up and firing the new .300 Weatherby Magnum Vanguard Safari shows that Weatherby's accuracy claims are not idle boasts!
Tips and tricks for reloading the .300 Weatherby in a beautiful Mark V, including parallax adjustment, a recoil shoulder shield, and much more!
Cast loads for the .300 Weatherby. You might wonder why, but shooting cast bullets can be a lot of fun!
Favored cast and jacketed reloads for a Weatherby Mk V chambered in 300 Weatherby Magnum.
Folks vary in their definition of a custom rifle, but this one answers the mail. It's the story of a Howa action, an English walnut stock, and the mighty .375 Ruger cartridge!
A beautiful Winchester Model 70 Supergrade in .30 06. It proved to be a perfect rifle for pig hunting in Arizona, and wow, is this rifle accurate! The article shows the loads that work best in this quarter-inch-group tack driver.
An amazing recent score...a near-new condition, 50-year-old, Savage 340D rifle in .222 Remington with a Bushnell scope for a whopping $180. The Triple Deuce is a naturally-accurate cartridge, as our testing shows.
A lucky score back in the late 1970s in Fort Worth, Texas. It was all about being in the right place at the right time, and this Remington Custom Shop Safari Grade Model 700 chambered in the mighty .375 H&H Magnum cartridge was mine. Check out the wood on this rifle!
A fun day on the range with a .22 Hornet, a .300 Weatherby, and the mighty .416 Rigby. From rabbits to rhinos, we've got all the bases covered!
One hell of a deal on a .223 Remington 700 BDL with a bull barrel and a price too low to ignore...these early Model 700 rifles are sweet shooters!
The king of the wee ones! A classic Model 43 Winchester Deluxe, chambered in the venerable .22 Hornet. This is a fun one to shoot and the Hornet packs a pint-sized punch!
Ruger's .308 Gunsite Scout Rifle is the ultimate plinker. Hard-hitting, accurate, and impervious to bulletproof glass! Colonel Cooper got it right!
A Howa 30 06 barreled action, a Bishop cherry stock finished in the Mannlicher style, and a tack driver from back in the day emerges!
A member of the royal family (as in a safe queen) that doesn't get out too often...this nearly-50-year-old Model 77 proves it stil has what it takes!
Elegant triple-A French walnut, light weight, and the awesome .257 Bob cartridge. This Kimber 84 Select is one of the most beautiful rifles we've ever seen, and wow, it's accurate!
Reloading cast bullet ammunition for the 416 Rigby Ruger RSM with Montana Bullet Works 350-grain cast bullets. Elegant ammo for an elegant rifle!
One of the world's first belted magnum cartridges, the mighty .300 H&H is still a premier cartridge. We put it through it's paces in two magnificent bolt action rifles.
Cast bullet loads for the mighty .416 Rigby tested at 100 yards shows this old elephant cartridge is superbly accurate. Montana Bullet Works projectiles rock!
This is cool. It is a Ruger Model 77 RSC chambered in .458 Winchester Magnum that shoots 5-shot, 1-inch groups at 100 yards!
Two high end .22 rimfires...one from CZ and the other from the Remington Custom Shop! Both of these are fantastic shooting rifles.
Not satisfied with the finish on a Model 700 European, it was time for the TruOil treatment and a bedding job. Wow, can this Model 700 shoot!
This is a beauty I could not let get away. I spied it in a Colorado gun shop, and wow, does this looker shoot! I'm a believer in the 6.5 Creedmoor.
The .222 Remington is an inherently accurate cartridge, as this inexpensive rifle rescued from the used gun rack confirms.
Check this out: An unfired 200th Year Ruger Model 77, still new in the box with all its papers!
An M1 mutt Garand with a mix of parts, a tricked-out Springfield Armory M1A that can thread a needle, and a limited-edition Circassian-stocked Ruger Mini 14, all based on John C. Garand's brilliant gas-operated rotating bolt design! Read on and learn more about these three great rifles!
This is quite a story...a Civil-War-era weapon adopted to modern fighting systems. The Gatling Gun was invented in 1862, and today it is the "go to" solution wherever high-rate-of-fire gun systems are needed. Modern Gatlings are on ground, sea, and air combat systems.
Shooting milsurps is what we enjoyed most...military surplus rifles from the US, Russia, England, Germany, and more. That's one of our good buddies above showing us how it's done with his 8mm Mauser. A bunch of us get together for an informal bullseye match every month or so, and the winner gets to buy lunch!
Wow, the rifle that got the .30 06 started way back in 1906. The one you see above is a 1903A1 with a scant stock, and it looks like a brand-new rifle. Its companion for this story is the amazing M1922 Springfield, a rifle built on a full-sized 1903-style action, but chambered in .22 Long Rifle. Lots of fun here, folks!
Vasily Zaitsev, who helped turn the tide for the Allies during the Battle of Stalingrad, made famous during the conflict and then again 60 years later in Enemy at the Gates, one of the best movies ever. It's what prompted our interest in the Mosin-Nagant 91/30 rifle, and let me tell you, these puppies are accurate!
We make sniper rifles for our armed forces from the ground up, holding tight tolerances throughout. The Russians took a different tack. In their production of roughly 17 million Mosin-Nagants, they test fired every single one. If they found one that was exceptionally accurate, it was designated as a sniper rifle (like the one you see above)!
More load development work with the 7.62x54R Mosin-Nagant, this time with IMR 4166 and other new propellants.
Here's a custom 1903A1 Springfield rebarreled by the CMP Custom Shop. This rifle loves cast bullets!
One hell of a story, this is! It's the A-10's 30mm GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling, with each round having more energy than a World War II 75mm Howitzer!
An Israeli Modern Sporting Rifle, with a custom build and narrative by the poet of pew! pew! A great guest blog by good buddy Jake Lawson!
And another hell of a story, this one about finding and fixing problems in the Gator air-dispensed mine system's design. Spoiler alert: It was the Navy's fault!
30mm ammo in a shoulde-fired anti-aircraft rifle? Hey, why not? Charlie Wilson thought it was a good idea for the Afghan Mujahaddin, and it almost became a reality!
Using the 1903 Springfield's sights with both cast and jacketed loads. We found jacketed and cast loads that worked perfectly with the Springfield's rear sight!
Home on the range with my trusty Mosin, good buddy Duane's Mauser, and a couple of S&W Shields.
One for jacketed bullet loads, and the other for cast bullets: These two Mosins are great at 100 yards.
A Mosin-Nagant 91/30 and a Modelo 1909 Argentine Mauser spend a morning at the West End Gun Club.
If you're old enough, you've seen the James Bond movie posters. Here's the real story behind Sean Connery's Walther!
A long-dormant pair of Crosman look-alike CO2 revolvers mimicking Colt and Smith's best! Do they still work? We'll see...
Like the title says, this inexpensive, 40-year-old, single-shot, pneumatic Daisy 717 is a real Deusy, and wow, is it ever accurate! Take a look at this!
A full-sized 1911 CO2 air pistol chambered for the mightly .177 pellet! This gun likes the gas, but can it shoot? See what we found!
We've had several requests for a reloading tutorial, and we thought we would do so by focusing on our favorite cartridge, the .45 ACP. In this first article, we focus on equipment and components.
Part II of the .45 ACP reloading tutorial covers use of the dies, how to install the resizing die in the reloading press, case cleaning, resizing, depriming, and trimming.
Part III of our .45 ACP reloading tutorial takes us through case expanding, case mouth flaring, and priming. We'll use the Lee priming tool, our favorite for the priming operation.
Part IV wraps up the .45 ACP reloading series. In this final installment, we'll charge the prepped cases with propellent, adjust the seating die, and seat the bullets.
After posting the blog on our Model 700 Safari Grade rifle in .375 H&H, we had several requests for our load data. These loads performed well in our rifle; you'll need to work up your own! Always consult a current reloading manual, and start low and work up.
We tried the jacketed Hornady loads for the .375 H&H Remington at 100 yards, and they performed superbly. It shot a group with open sights that would be considered outstanding using a scope! The Remington Safari Grade Model 700 is a shooter!
A quick look at reloading, a quick look at using cast bullets for reduced velocity in the Mosin-Nagant rifle, and a secret sauce cast bullet 7.62x54R load that delivers minute of angle accuracy!
Cast bullets perform well in the 1903A1 Springfield, they're inexpensive, and they're easier on the barrel and the shooter. What's not to like? Read about our favorite loads here!
Shooting cast bullets in chamberings that might surprise some, this range session with a 7mm Remington Magnum Ruger No. 1, a custom-stocked 30 06 Howa 1500, and a 300 Weatherby was a hoot!
A brief tutorial on how to shoot a handgun well. Knowledge handed down from Command Sergeant Major Emory L. Hickman, a former US Army Marksmanship Training Unit pistolero!
Folks say the Mini 14 is inaccurate. We think they just don't know how to shoot. Follow this tutorial on how to get the best out of your Mini 14 Ruger, or any rifle with iron sights!
Glass bedding, a Tech-Sights rear sight, a new gas port, and the right reloads will go a long way toward making a Mini 14 a more accurate rifle!
The Savage 340 was a hell of a deal off the used gun rack, but the stock was in rough shape. We bought it as a refinishing project, and you can follow the steps here on ExNotes!
In this step, we remove all of the metal work and strip the finish. After stripping the finish, it was time to proceed to the next step, which was surface preparation.
Part III consisted of steaming out the dents and progressively-finer grades of sandpaper. We did this to ready the stock for TruOil application.
The final steps consisted of multiple applications of TruOil, reinstallation of the barreled action into the stock, and reinstalling other metal bits and pieces.
A decrepit Mini 14 stock purchased for a pittance, stripped, and custom refinished to better than new condition. Today, this stock is doing its job in the great state of Texas!
So are we a motorcycle blog or a gun blog? Take a look at some concepts for combining these two topics in future blogs!
Those targets look mighty tiny, don't they? They're rimfire metallic silhouette targets at the West End Gun Club. Metallic silhouette is the king of the shooting sports!
A startling outcome at a local range we'll never visit again. This is what happens when the rangemaster doesn't know the difference between his butt and a hot rock!
Good times and a funny story about hosting a group of Chinese motorcyclists for a ride across the USA. Read about our day at the rifle range and in a Bass Pro's gun department. Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?
A 3x9 and a straight 4X Leupold scope, and the best lifetime warranty on the planet. Nobody does it better than Leupold!
It doesn't get any better than this! The Gunny's guns go to auction!
Good buddy Jose tells us about his worst gun ever: A Cobra derringer.
If you want to protect your hearing and still be able to carry on a conversation, you might want to consider a pair of Walker Razors.
Shoemaker Holsters went out of business during the pandemic, but wow, they sure made a quality product!
Quality is certainly not Job 1 at Winchester these days! I wasted time and components attempting to get these bullets to group.
Good shooting accessories from Caldwell make each day at the range more fun.
Ease cleaning your rifle bore and prevent spilling solvents in the action!
