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Buying A Used Pistol: What To Look For In The Glock, 1911 And Beretta 9MM

By
Patrick Sweeney
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There is nothing wrong with buying a used pistol. Assuming, of course there is nothing wrong with the used gun you are buying. But how to tell?

Check out these gun-specific tips for:

The first thing to do is buy from a reputable shop, one with a clear return policy. The best chance of buying a good used gun is from a shop with a gunsmith in residence. With a ‘smith on premises, you can be pretty sure every used gun in inventory went through his hands. And any you buy can be returned for an inspection to see if the problem you are encountering is real or caused by an outside force.

The process is simple: look, feel and listen. Look for things out of place; wear that is odd, or signs of abuse. Feel for the way it functions compared to a new model or a known-good used one. Listen to the noise of the springs, the clicks, the slide cycling. They’ll all tell you something.

And ask what the owner/merchant knows about its history, previous owners, performance, or reputation? Buying a competition gun can be good, and it can be bad. Was it the backup gun of a Grand Master that spent most of its time lounging in his range bag waiting its turn? Or was it the experimental subject of an aspiring gunsmith or competitive shooter? Be careful, ask, listen, and get the return policy in writing.

Etiquette Of Buying Used

There are a few things you have to know about buying a used firearm. First of all, remember that until you hand over the money, it is someone else’s firearm you’re handling. It is entirely within the performance parameters of many handguns to be dry-fired from now until the end of time and suffer no damage. However, some people don’t believe it, and will be very grumpy if you dry-fire their handgun. Ask before you dry-fire. If they refuse, then you have to either move on or do your pre-purchase due diligence without dry-firing.

Ask before you disassemble, as again, some people just don’t like having their handgun yanked apart. They may be cranky, and they may simply have had too many bad experiences with people who didn’t know what they were doing.

Properly done, negotiation and a resulting purchase is a mutually pleasurable social event, not a dental visit.

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When buying a used firearm, look for signs of dropping. This dented barrel may not have harmed the crown, but it might have lead to the barrel being bent or the frame twisted. Look, check, and get a return guarantee if you can.

Buying A Used 1911

When you’re considering a used 1911, start with a good visual inspection. Has the exterior been abused? Hammer marks or rough file marks on the outside should make you wonder how careful the previous owner was with the inside. If the original blued surface is now gray from years of use and carry, but the owner never dropped it and fired it seldom, you have a great opportunity. The looks are likely to bring the price down, but mechanically it can be just fine. If it is a pistol used in competition, you might be able to find some answers by asking about its history with other competitors. Did the previous owner have a reputation of always shooting unreliable guns? Or were his pistols always reliable, just ugly?

But also be aware history, or rarity, might overwhelm the other factors. I was just looking at a nice 1911. It had most of its bluing. It had dents and dings and a mildly stained fingerprint on the slide. The wood grips were worn down past the checkering, where it had been exposed outside of the holster. Actually, it is worth the price of a small used car because it was made in 1912 and remains unmolested though honestly worn, and it came in a USGI holster issued with it in WWII. Age and rarity elevated the price far beyond the price-lowering variables of its condition.

After visual inspection, check operation. If you haven’t already done so, make sure the pistol is unloaded, and tell the clerk at the store you want to perform some safety checks. Cock the pistol and dry fire it. Was the trigger pull very light? A very light trigger pull will have to be made heavier to be safe and durable. Or was it very heavy? Did it feel as if it was crunching through several steps before it finished its job? A very heavy or gritty trigger pull will have to be made smoother and lighter.

Execute a “pencil test.” Cock the pistol and drop a pencil down the bore, eraser end first. Point the pistol straight up, and dry fire it. The pencil should be launched completely out of the pistol. If it isn’t, something is keeping the firing pin from its assigned duties.

You must perform a mechanical safety test. Cock the hammer again and push the thumb safety on. Holding the pistol in a firing grip, press the trigger a bit harder than you would to fire it. Seven or eight pounds of pressure is sufficient. Let go of the trigger, and push the thumb safety off. Now hold the pistol next to your ear and slowly draw the hammer back. You should not hear anything. If you hear a little “tink” when you draw back the hammer, the thumb safety is not engaging fully.

If you heard the “tink,” here’s what happened. When you pulled the trigger with the safety on, the sear moved a tiny amount until it came to a stop, bearing against the safety lug. It shouldn’t have moved at all. The hammer tension kept the sear from moving back into its start position when you pushed the safety off, leaving the sear partially bearing on the hammer hooks. When you held the pistol close to your ear and drew back the hammer, the tension on the sear was removed. The sear spring pushed the sear back in place, causing the “tink” you heard. If the hammer stayed cocked, the sear only moved a tiny amount. The fix is easy. What if you never got to the “tink?” If the hammer fell when the safety was pushed off, before you even tried to listen, the thumb safety fit is very bad and you will have to buy and fit a new safety. In the worst case, the hammer falls even when the safety is on. These also need a need thumb safety, and perhaps some other new parts inside as well. Considering the amount of work needed, and the possibility of other things being badly fit, you might just want to pass on this particular 1911.

Next test the grip safety. Cock the hammer and leave the thumb safety in the down position. Now, holding the frame so you do not depress the grip safety, pull the trigger. Release the trigger, and, now grasping the pistol so you do depress the grip safety, hold the pistol up to your ear again and draw the hammer slowly back. If you hear that “tink” again, the grip safety is barely engaging. Look at the grip safety. Because some competitive shooters don’t feel the need for one, they grind the tip of the grip safety off where it blocks the trigger. If this has been done to the 1911 you’re thinking of buying, you will need to have the tip welded back up, and fit it to the trigger. If the tip hasn’t already been ground off, or otherwise altered, you’re looking at an easy fix. It is probably just a simple misfit, which you can correct with careful peening.

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Some “problems” are cosmetic. This crack in a 1911 has been the same size for over 10 years and 5,000 rounds. There isn’t any real need to weld it up and re-finish the frame.

The last test you need to perform is a hammer/sear engagement or hammer flick test. There’s a good way and a bad way to perform this test. In the caveman days, we would lock the slide open empty. Then we would release the hold-open lever and let the slide crash home on an empty chamber. This is more abuse than test, especially since it doesn’t fairly test the hammer sear engagement. Continued “testing” this way can actually do harm to your hammer and sear and abuses the barrel, link, and slide.

In the modern, improved “flick” test, you cock the hammer, grip the pistol so the grip safety is depressed, and hold down the thumb safety. With your other hand, flick the hammer back against the grip safety, and let the hammer go forward to sear engagement. This non-destructive test can be performed until your fingers bleed, and will not harm the sear and hammer hooks. If, however, during this test the hammer falls — even once — the hammer/sear engagement will require work. You cannot depend on this pistol to stay cocked when firing. The pistol may simply require re-stoning the engagement surfaces, or it may require a new sear, or both new sear and hammer. Until you look at the engagement through a magnifier, there is no way to tell.

Buying A Used Glock

What with every police department on the planet going to the Glock (or so it seems) there are large numbers of used Glocks for sale everywhere. Every wholesaler flyer I get has used Glocks listed, sometimes pages of them. So, you’re peering through the glass at your local gun shop or cruising a gun show, and you see a used Glock offered at a good price. What to look for?

First, give it a good visual external inspection. Look to see if there are any signs of abuse, neglect and/or experimentation. External abuse would be things like the corners of the slide being chewed up and or dented from being dropped. Dropping the slide when it is off the frame can bend the recoil spring retaining tab. Neglect would be rust (rare) or a cracked slide from too many hot reloads (even rarer). Experimentation would be something like the slide being machined to take some other sight system than factory, or milled for ports other than factory. The good news is that the cracked slide might be replaced by the factory for free or at little cost. The other cosmetic problems or experimentation done by previous owners are items that Glock will likely leave you on your own to cover. Don’t worry about what sights might be on it; sights are cheap and easily replaced. At the current pricing, an armorer’s cost for a new set of sights is only $5! You can get good replacements other than Glock polymer for around $20 to $30.

A scarred and chewed-up frame can be cleaned up, but Glock won’t be replacing it just because it got scraped along a curb during a fight. Glock will replace it, regardless of condition, if it is one of the E-series Glocks that were made from September 2001 through May 2002 that they deem needs replacing. If you aren’t sure, give Glock a call. One way to tell is the serial number of the frame. The E series will be marked (as an example) EAA123US. If the frame has been recalled and replaced, the slide and barrel will still have the original serial number while the frame will be marked “1EAA123US.” The “1” indicates replacement.

With the permission of the owner, cycle the slide and dry fire it. Try firing it without depressing the trigger safety. It should not fire. Try pulling the trigger normally and then hold it back and cycle the slide. Does the trigger return? If not, it may be due to a broken/bent trigger spring or a “trigger job” gone awry. The parts don’t cost much, so bargain the price down as much as you can but don’t expect the owner to budge much.

Disassemble and inspect the slide and barrel. Is the barrel clean? Un-marred? Look down the bore. Do you see dark rings? “Smoke rings” are bulges in the barrel from lodged bullets being shot free. A new barrel costs money. At the armorers cost, a Glock barrel runs $95 to $125, with compensated barrels running up to $140. Aftermarket match barrels can run up to $200. If the barrel is bulged, bargain hard; a replacement won’t be cheap.

Look at the slide, in the breech face area. Inspect the area around the firing pin slot. In a very high-mileage 9mm, fed many rounds of +P or +P+ ammo you may find the area around the firing pin slot eroded or even peened back. The erosion comes from blown primers jetting hot gasses back at and through the firing pin slot. In those, you should check the firing pin to make sure it is in good shape. The peening comes from the high-pressure setback of the primer. The wall between the breechface and the firing pin tunnel isn’t thick (it can’t be) and the repeated hammering from a steady diet of hot loads can peen it back. The Tenifer makes the slide hard, but the substrate isn’t hard. If the area is too hard, it may break. If it is too soft, it may peen.

If a Glock with a peened or eroded breechface still works fine (you won’t know until you test-fire it) then you can use it. But the drag on an empty case from the primer expanding into the bulge or erosion can create malfunctions. Glock may or may not replace the slide. If they do, and they charge you, it can get expensive. The old armorer’s manual listed slides and frames as parts that could be ordered. The new manual does not, so I cannot look up the expected price. You will know only after you ask Glock. Aftermarket slides can cost up to $200. Check the underside of the slide for peening from impacts with the locking block. A small amount is OK, but very heavy peening indicates something is wrong. Peening happens mostly with the .40 Glocks, as they have a relatively high bullet mass/velocity ratio. 9mms rarely have it, and the 10m/.45s do not show it much at all.

Other parts of the Glock may have been stressed. Look at the front of the slide. Excessive recoil from hot loads may have stressed the front of the slide where the recoil spring assembly bears on it. A crack there is very bad and cannot be repaired. The slide must be replaced. Bargain the price down. Also, the slide is thin on the ejection port side, and a steady diet of +P or +P+ loads may have cracked it there. (If you’re lucky, a peened breechface also has a cracked slide, and Glock will likely replace it at low or no cost.)

We also face a new wrinkle these days – lead-free ammunition – but the bullets aren’t the problem; it’s the priming compound. Traditional non-corrosive primers use a compound called lead styphnate. There is also a pinch of other heavy metals in there, too. Lead is bad for you, there’s no doubt about that, but the exposure can be controlled. The problem is with the new compounds. They have a higher brisance or shattering power, so the primer gets hammered by a sharper, higher-pressure combustion. This is directed at the breechface, which is not the strongest point of Glock’s design.

Glock now tells everyday shooters not so use lead-free ammunition, but what about law enforcement shooting Glocks who are required to train with lead-free ammo?

If you have a Glock with a cracked slide, I suggest a letter and some photos first. If Glock is willing to replace the slide for free, ship it. If they want to charge you for it, find out how much. A replacement Caspian slide can be had for $140 for a G-17, and you may want to go that route if Glock will charge you more. But if they already have your pistol, and won’t ship it back without repairing it, you won’t be able to exercise the Caspian option.

Check the firing pin safety for function. Press the striker back, then try to push it forward. If it goes forward past the firing pin safety, the firing pin and its safety need inspection and replacement.

The extractor needs a look. A chipped extractor may not function 100 percent, but a replacement isn’t very much. What you may need is the armorer to replace it, as Glock needs to know the serial number and caliber to use the correct one.

used gun-1
Don’t worry about what sights might be on it; sights are cheap and easily replaced.

Look at the trigger parts. Black? Silver? Black is really old, and must be replaced, but Glock will do it for free. Check the trigger safety engagement. With the slide off, press the trigger bar forward and listen for the safety clicking in place. While still pressing forward, pull the trigger and ease the bar back. If there is a problem, it may be very dirty. Then again, it may have been polished, ground, filed or otherwise experimented on. Internal parts for Glocks are inexpensive, easy to replace, and common. At a good enough bargain price, you can replace all the guts and still be in for not much money.

Inspect the frame forward of the locking block. Gently flex the recoil spring housing right and left, up and down. Some guns, especially the major-caliber compacts and subcompacts, have been known to crack near where the serial number plate is inserted. A cracked frame will be replaced by Glock but gives you an opportunity to bargain the price down. It also gives you an opportunity to create a collector’s piece. If Glock returns the gun with a new serial number, keep the paperwork. You have a factory mis-match, and it may bring a bit of a premium at some future time.

Recoil springs on Glocks don’t give up the ghost very easily, so looking at the spring won’t tell you much. Unless you have a Glock so old that it pre-dates the switch to the captured recoil spring assembly. (It probably has the old trigger parts, too.) A new recoil spring assembly is inexpensive, so don’t worry about it, but keep bargaining.

Magazines are almost always part of a handgun purchase. Pistols don’t work very well without magazines. Inspect the magazines to make sure they are as stated. Old-style or drop-free? If they are drop-free, do they? Insert them in the Glock in question and see. Make sure they are Glock, especially if you are paying a premium for honest to goodness Glock mags. Check the feed lips to see if the polymer is still attached. We’ve been seeing more Glock magazines delaminating, that is, having the polymer separate from the steel feeds lips. Glock won’t replace magazines that have delaminated, but are still functional. The internals and base plates can easily be replaced, so your main concern is the tube itself. If it is in good shape and correct for the pistol you’re buying, then shake over a price and have fun with your new toy.

The inspection and test process is the same for all striker-fired pistols.

Buying A Used Beretta 9mm

The first thing you must be careful of are military “surplus” parts. As a relatively controlled item, there are no surplus items released from government stores. Second, it is current government policy that no useable parts are allowed out for civilian sale. Yes, that’s right, they torch everything.

Buy government-marked items with caution or not at all. A manufacturer may well have deliberately made a production over-run, to have “surplus” items for sale. Then again, they might be parts that were spirited out of government ownership.

Check a used Beretta to make sure the safety operates properly. Make sure it is unloaded. Cock the hammer. Drop a pencil (eraser first) down the bore and use the safety to drop the hammer. If the pencil does more than bounce, the safety is not blocking the firing pin. Check that the trigger returns smoothly when released after dry-firing. Check that the magazines drop free. Look down the bore for bulges. You could easily drop another $150 on a replacement barrel, so if you see a bulge, bargain the price down accordingly.

Remove the top end and look at the locking block seat. That is where the locking block cams down and ramps to a stop in the frame. The block, barrel and slide are steel. The frame is aluminum. It is not unheard-of for high-mileage frames to crack at the locking block seat.

A heavily used Beretta should have all the small springs and some parts replaced. A high-mileage Beretta may need a new locking block. If the block shows as much wear as the barrel does, and the finish on both is heavily worn, get a new block. You could even use the need for a new block as a bargaining lever. However, if you’ve already bargained down from everything else, you may find the seller is at his or her price limit.

The above process works for any other traditional DA pistol, be it Sig, S&W, Taurus, etc.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Gunsmithing Pistols & Revolvers 4th Edition, available now at GunDigestStore.com.

Modern Shooter: Behind The Scenes At Turnbull Restoration

By
Gun Digest Editors
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If you're a gun guy, you know the name Doug Turnbull. Turning out some of the most marvelous and unique creations in the firearms world today, he’s pretty much the Willy Wonka of classic firearms restoration, inimitable metal finishes and custom manufacturing.

This week, Modern Shooter goes behind the scenes where the magic happens with a visit to Turnbull Restoration and Manufacturing in upstate New York. There, Turnbull’s master craftsmen tirelessly ply their art — not to mention a dab of blood and sweat — to make peerless one-of-a-kind guns and the old new again. And boy howdy, do they pull off some miracles.

Sam Chappell gives a solid example of one such feat in the above video. The Turnbull restoration specialist goes step by step through what it takes to breathe new life into an old gun — in this case an early 1911. Stripping the pistol to its bones, smoothing every well-earned dent and pit, and applying a rock-solid new finish, the true classic is born again hard. In all honesty, it would be difficult to tell Turnbull’s project from an original that rolled off the assembly line more than a century ago. And that's Turnbull's aim with every timeless pistol, rifle and shotgun that passes across the workbenches.

Catch the rest of Turnbull’s incredible creations in this episode of Modern Shooter 10:00 p.m. EST Friday on the Pursuit Channel. The episode rebroadcasts Monday at 12 p.m. EST and Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. EST.

How To: Mastering Carbine Basics With A .22 LR AR

By
Tiger McKee
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Scale down to a .22 LR AR for mastery of the basics and cost-effective training.

How the .22 LR AR will help you master your carbine:

  • With similar ergonomics and controls, the .22 LR ARs is an ideal training tool.
  • Also, they are light on the pocketbook, as ammunition is affordable.
  • Learning requires repetition, and cheap, .22 ammo offers more trigger pulls for training.
  • Ideally, try to match a .22 version closely to your standard AR for better training.

One of the best calibers ever created is the .22 LR rimfire. It’s fun to shoot, affordable — and you can have almost any style firearm you want in .22. Every gun owner needs a good .22 LR, and the AR is one of the great firearms of all time, so pair the two with a .22 LR AR and you’ve got shooting bliss.

The .22 LR is available in a variety of types. You buy bulk ammo for plinking, and match ammo if you’re working on marksmanship. With a .22, you’ll need to experiment until finding the right ammo for your gun. 22 LR AR
The .22 LR is available in a variety of types. You buy bulk ammo for plinking, and match ammo if you’re working on marksmanship. With a .22, you’ll need to experiment until finding the right ammo for your gun.

In addition, the AR’s ergonomics are perfect, with all the controls exactly where they should be. With the variety of accessories available, the AR can be set up to fit anyone, and almost any application. Combining the .22 rimfire and the AR gives you the best of all worlds: The .22 LR AR is fun, easy to shoot and a perfect firearm for every gun owner.

Most of us learned to shoot with a .22, so we all know how it works. Walk into any store that sells ammo and you’ll be able to buy a variety of .22 ammo. (There’s only been one time in my life when .22 wasn’t readily available, and that seems to have been a fluke.)

The .22 LR is also cheap to shoot. You can buy plinking ammo by the box, brick or bucket for about eight cents a round. Match-grade ammo — for added accuracy — will cost around 45 cents a round. Regardless of the application, the cost is going to be significantly less than any other caliber. For example, 5.56 in 55-grain ball ammo is running 30 cents a round in this part of the country. This makes the .22 LR an excellent round for fun, training and practice.

Eugene Stoner was a genius. One of his greatest works is the AR-15. He made the AR easy to use for both right- and left-handed shooters. It’s lightweight, which is always a plus, and the recoil from the .223/5.56 is easily managed — another advantage of Stoner’s influence. The AR quickly rose in popularity, which created a huge surge in design and production of aftermarket accessories.

S&W’s 15-22 can be modified to suit your needs or tastes. The stock and grip are easy to swap out, and with Tacticool22’s handguard kit, you can change handguards — mounting any type of handguard you get, from factory to aftermarket. 22 LR AR

S&W’s 15-22 can be modified to suit your needs or tastes. The stock and grip are easy to swap out, and with Tacticool22’s handguard kit, you can change handguards — mounting any type of handguard you get, from factory to aftermarket.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a left- or right-handed shooter; it’s an intuitive, easy to use rifle. You can configure an AR for any application. Manufacturers took notice of the AR market and began producing models in a variety of calibers. One of the best is the .22 LR version.

A Classic Combo

The .22 LR AR versions vary according to how closely they resemble the real thing. My favorite is the S&W 15-22. Shooting and manipulating the 15-22 is very close to the full-caliber AR. The 15-22 weighs about 4½ pounds — vs. 6 pounds for my defensive carbine — the charging handle doesn’t come back as far as a “real” carbine, and the mag is shaped a little different, which isn’t a concern. Other than that, all the controls are exactly the same. This makes it a great platform for introducing new shooters to the fundamentals of safety, marksmanship and manipulations. Then it’s an easy transition from .22 to a full-size AR — which comes in an extensive variety of calibers.

The .22 LR AR is also a good idea for experienced shooters and provides an affordable option for training and practice. I’m a big believer in consistency, so I wanted a .22 AR that matched my defensive carbine, which is a Shootrite Katana, built by MHT Defense.

This meant modifying my 15-22. As .22 ARs became popular, aftermarket companies stepped up to provide accessories for them. I used a Handguard Conversion Kit from Tacticool22 to mount a PRI handguard to the 15-22, and attached a Magpul MOE adjustable stock. The front sight is a steel A2 tower — modified to fit the S&W 15-22 barrel — and the rear is a Daniel Defense A1.5 rear sight. The 15-22 has the same grip — a DuckBill Tactical Grip — same red-dot sight and the same sling as my Katana. The S&W 15-22 is almost a perfect match to my regular work carbine, except it weighs less and it’s much cheaper to shoot.

Train To Perform

Learning requires repetition, and the brain — where all the learning takes place — doesn’t know whether you’re shooting a .22 or a full-size caliber. The fundamentals are all the same. To shoot accurately, you aim, hold, press and follow through — recovering from the recoil, reacquiring the sight picture and resetting the trigger.

A .22 AR set up like your defensive carbine allows you to practice skills and tactics at a reduced cost. There are small differences — the mags are a little longer, and the gun’s charging handle doesn’t cycle back as far as a real AR — but these are minor. Remember, it takes repetition to learn, and the .22 is an affordable way to get those reps. 22 LR AR
A .22 AR set up like your defensive carbine allows you to practice skills and tactics at a reduced cost. There are small differences — the mags are a little longer, and the gun’s charging handle doesn’t cycle back as far as a real AR — but these are minor. Remember, it takes repetition to learn, and the .22 is an affordable way to get those reps.

With a .22 LR, you can get in more repetitions cheaper. The same applies to skills like moving and shooting, using cover and manipulations like reloading. “But,” you ask, “what about recoil?” Use your normal stance and mount, shoot, and then, like any other firearm, concentrate on recovering from the recoil as opposed to trying to control it. If you try to tense up in anticipation of trying to control the recoil, it’s going to affect your accuracy regardless of caliber. The .22 LR is more than ideal for new and experienced shooters.

At one time, practicing with a .22 LR meant using a weapon that was radically different from what you might normally carry or shoot. Today, you can practice with a .22 AR — which is going to be very close to what you normally use. You’re learning just as much, maybe even more, and it’s not costing you nearly as much as shooting larger calibers all day long.

The .22 LR is ideal for introducing new shooters to the AR platform. Plus, for me at least, there’s a nostalgic connection to the .22. I, like a lot of you, learned how to shoot using the .22. Today, when shooting the .22, it always takes me back to great days on the range with my dad.

The .22 is hard to beat. The AR is my favorite rifle. A .22 AR is the best of both worlds.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Tales Of Woe: Are You Making These Gunsmithing Mistakes?

By
Patrick Sweeney
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1942 Singer Gunsmithing-0014
This pistol, an original and unmolested Singer from 1942, is far too valuable to change anything. Leave it alone and find something else to practice on.

Learn from the misfortunes of others to avoid making these gunsmithing mistakes when repairing or maintaining your own firearms.

Mistakes in gunsmithing fall into two categories. There are those you can fix with money or effort, and those that require paperwork. Both happen because you didn’t apply patience. Before you tighten the vise and begin cutting, drilling and filing, or fire up the torch, think through what you’re going to do. A moment spent visualizing can save you a lot of hassle and hours, days or even weeks of work.

Don’t Work On Irreplaceable Firearms

Do not work on irreplaceable guns unless you are a pro and you’re willing and able to replace them if you screw up. If someone comes to you with a Jim Hoag or a Swensen–built 1911 and wants you to replace knarfed grip screws, go for it. Find some as close to original as possible and replace them. If they want you to refinish it, replace the barrel or checker the frame, counsel them that they are trying to irrevocably alter a historical, valuable collectible, and they shouldn’t do it … and you won’t!

Something like a pristine WWII bring-back should be cleaned, carefully, and left as-is. Some things should be left alone.

Don’t go increasing power on something. If someone approaches you at the gun club, knowing you do pistolsmithing, and wants you to take their old S&W M-28 and re-build it to a .44 magnum, turn them down. First of all, S&W won’t sell you the magnum parts. Second, there’s a reason they make new .44s, and don’t re-build old guns to new, bigger calibers.

A Union Switch & Signal 1911A1 is much more valuable as a collectible than anything you can do to make it a world-beating competition gun. In fact, the owner could sell it for enough to buy a matched pair of custom-built 1911s, and have two more-durable guns to boot.

General Considerations

Don’t make a change that can’t be reversed for a competition gun unless you’re sure it’s an allowed modification for the discipline in which you plan to shoot.

Hunting regulations matter. My .40 Super is a very good selection for deer hunting, except for a pesky part of the Michigan regulations: The handgun-allowed areas specifically disallow bottlenecked cartridges.

You may also have to take into consideration bizarre state or national laws. You may live in a state that insists on sample bullets as a requirement of sale. Changing barrels might also require a sample bullet. It may require a sample bullet from a “certified testing laboratory” or someone certified, bonded, inspected or approved. Make sure you know what is allowed.

The Loctite Episodes

Some thread-locking compounds fix quickly. One of the fastest setting is my favorite, 680 Shaft and Bearing, the dark green stuff. It fixes in the absence of oxygen and when friction stops. You can keep turning the part while 680 is on the threads and it won’t set up, but don’t stop.

Loctite wicks. Every gunsmith in the country has bonded a trigger assembly together at least once. Once it starts wicking you cannot control where it goes. Use it sparingly, and use gravity to control it. Then check everything again after the Loctite has set. I once had to chip the Loctite off a rifle trigger mechanism (and detail strip it to do so) from an errant few drops of Loctite that were meant to keep scope mounts in place.

Loctite does not work through oil. My first few scope mounting jobs came loose because I did not sufficiently degrease the threads. I thought I had, but what seemed good was not what the real world said was good. If you plan to use Loctite, degrease the threads.

Parts Is Not Parts

Keep track of what you’re doing. Work on one firearm at a time. I once had a customer come in with his fully tricked out, super-custom competition 1911 that had suddenly “lost its accuracy.” I was puzzled at first, but upon inspecting it discovered that the barrel was a loose fit. I stripped it and looked underneath, and sure enough the barrel was marked with a different serial number than the frame and slide. (Many custom gunsmiths number-match major and minor parts to each gun to make sure they don’t get misplaced.) The barrel in his custom gun was the barrel from his carry gun. The match barrel was such a tight fit in his carry gun (which he had on at the time) that it would short-stroke if fired. He had decided to clean them both the weekend before – at the same time – and mixed up the barrels upon reassembling them. Luckily, he’d gone for practice with the competition gun before he needed the carry gun at work.

If you own identical firearms and are in the habit of working on them at the same time, it might not be a bad idea to get an electric marking pencil and mark the last two, three or four digits of each of their serial numbers in unobtrusive places.

We all know about poor-quality magazines, but there are other parts that can be poor quality too. Like the fellow who invested in a cheap replacement barrel at a gun show for his 1911. Too bad the barrel was made of soft steel and the locking lugs on the barrel peened. Once they’d peened enough, they started chipping the locking lugs on the slide. The end result of “saving” $50 at the gun show was a new slide and barrel, and the labor to fit them – about six times the price.

Rare Nambu Gunsmithng-0152
This is a baby Nambu. Rare hardly begins to describe it, and it is off limits as far as gunsmithing modifications are concerned.

Milling And Drilling

Is the location you’re about to drill the real, actual, place you want that hole to be? Once drilled it is difficult to re-drill. Yes, you can tap the hole, secure a threaded plug in place and re-drill, but even then there can be problems. What if the new plug you just laboriously installed is a different hardness than the surrounding metal? The correct, offset hole may wander when drilled. The plugged hole may show after you’ve installed whatever the part is.

A gunsmith of my acquaintance once did not secure the dovetail cutter tightly enough in the chuck before proceeding to mill the dovetail slot in a slide. The force of cutting pulled the cutter down out of the collet and into the slide as it fed across. He was halfway across the slide before he noticed. Luckily the customer wanted the slide hard-chromed after all the work was to be done on his expensive and super-custom 1911. The solution was to file a piece of steel to fit in the mutant sight dovetail. Then solder it in place, machine the slide correctly, finish filing the edges of the plug to match the slide, then machining French borders to hide the plug, polish, bead-blast and plate. The customer loved it and showed all his friends the extra work he’d gotten as a make-up for the delay in delivery. The gunsmith ended up spending an extra five hours of time on the job because he failed to spend 30 seconds making sure everything was tight and correctly positioned.

Then there was my “oops.” I drilled a scope mount on a rifle and “kissed” the barrel threads. (I mis-measured the stop gauge on the drill press by .010 inch.) No problem, as the customer never intended to change the barrel. Well, you guessed it. That hunting season was a very snowy one. His muzzle ended up in the snow, he split the muzzle on firing it, and he wanted a new barrel. I had a heck of a time getting the old barrel off, what with the drilling burrs I had created. It turned out all right, but I spent an extra week soaking the threads in Kroil, and took a lot longer to clean the receiver, rosin the surface and clamp it as tight as I could make it. I crossed my fingers before going to unscrew the barrel.

Parts Is Parts

If at all possible, do your filing, stoning, fitting and other work on a cheaper or more easily replaced part. Sometimes you can’t avoid it. You must cut the frame to fit a beavertail grip safety. But if you need to fit a bushing on a 1911, fit the bushing and don’t go cutting on the barrel or slide if you can avoid it. If your trigger is too large to fit the 1911 frame, file the trigger and not the frame.

Practice fitting on old parts bought for the purpose. Improving your trigger by stoning the sear that came with it goes much easier if you practice beforehand on one bought at a gun show for a dollar. Buy a rusted or busted barrel and have it welded up to learn how to fit barrels. That’s also the way to let your welder get some practice, although don’t be surprised if he charges you for it. Unless you’re a working gunsmith you won’t have the luxury of practice guns to work on, but old parts are cheap, and bar and round steel is cheaper still. Practice takes time, and if you are working for yourself, time doesn’t matter. A pro has to bill his time, and practice is time he can’t bill (but a necessity regardless of cost). You aren’t billing your time and are working on your own handguns. Get it done right by working your mistakes out and building your skills on practice parts.

And if you do make a mistake on a “good” part, don’t be cheap. So you stoned a Chip McCormick sear to death? Or a Wilson? Spend the less-than-twenty bucks and buy a new one and learn from your mistake.

The Early Plate Job

Hold off getting your gun finished, especially if you are a competition shooter. You may find that there is a sharp edge or corner you hadn’t noticed at first. Or the safety chafes once you’ve practiced with it. Or the sights just aren’t all you’d hoped they’d be. But now the plating you so eagerly had applied has to come off before you can get the extra work done.

Most plating cannot be treated like paint, that is, “spot-sanded” and retouched. It all must come off. The plater will charge you to remove all of the old and charge you again to plate anew. If you want to shoot your new custom gun for a while before getting it plated, you can have it blued. Or you can treat it to a bake-on finish from Brownells. The finish will last long enough to let you determine that you are ready for plating. The temporary finish will also protect the surface until you can have it finish-polished and plated.

One aspect of plating you need not worry about: porting. Chrome, nickel and other metal platings are all electrically conductive. Mag-na-port will not have any problem porting your barrel (or slide) through the exterior plating. If you have a non-conducting finish like a bake-on epoxy, they can scrape enough of the finish off for the electrodes to find a conducting surface to work with, and then port through your finish. But the final finish will be better served if you port first, then finish.

Gunsmithing Mistakes-0772
This gentleman knows exactly what he's doing, so the stream of sparks is not cause for alarm. If you are getting ready to grind, cut, file or machine, remember: measure twice, cut once.

Paperwork Errors

There was a fellow who was so taken with the idea of turning his old surplus M-1917 S&W .45 ACP revolver into a snubbie that he didn’t measure the location of the serial number. Taking square-butt revolvers and turning them into round-butt revolvers was something that used to be done a lot more often. The factories had made a bazillion square-butt wheelguns, and buying a new, round-butt revo could be expensive.

He used a pair of round-butt wooden grips as his grinding template and ground the backstrap and butt to match the grips. Only when he went to have it polished for bluing did he discover he was missing a digit and a half from the serial number. Luckily for him, the serial number was also stamped on the frame in the crane cutout. However, even with a pre-existing, valid serial number in place on the gun in a different location, it is a technical violation of Federal law to alter or obscure a serial number. Learn from his lesson.

One prospective paperwork error is the crushed frame. If you attempt to clamp your pistol frame in the vise without a clamping block in place, you may crush the frame. It is very difficult to restore the interior to a size that will accept a magazine. If you are lucky, the factory will replace the frame with a new one bearing the same serial number (and destroy the old one). They will charge you dearly for it. If they cannot or will not send it back bearing the same serial number, you must then go through the paperwork process of proving the old one scrapped and then registering your “new” firearm. The simplest way to do so is to turn it over to a professional gunsmith and his Federal Firearm License. He can enter the old one on his books, then show it sent to the factory and retained by them. You then keep the work order showing the disposition of your “old” firearm. You “purchase” your “new” firearm from him, conforming to all the state requirements. All in all an expensive lesson.

The prospect of replacing a busted frame with one of the same serial number is now not as easy as it used to be. I was discussing the subject with a big manufacturer, and had the following story related to me: apparently manufactures get regular government inspections. On one of these, the ATFE agent being escorted around passed a door and asked “What’s in there?” Answer: “Oh, that’s where we keep the un-numbered frames for repairs.”

Not anymore, they don’t. Now, if that company wants to replace your frame with one of the same serial number, they have to have an employee intercept a correct frame at the serial-numbering station, pluck it out of the production stream, then walk it to the custom shop, where it is stamped with your gun’s number right after the frame of your gun is destroyed. That’s a lot more cost, and may mean the end of the courtesy of same-numbered replacements. And when it happened, it was just that, a courtesy.

Getting Hurt

Back in junior high school shop class my teacher was Mr. Braisted. One of the items on his desk was a looseleaf folder full of photographs. Some in color, most in black and white. They showed the injuries suffered by people who didn’t pay attention to safety. The one that sticks in my mind was the guy who was using a file on a lathe-turned part to polish it. He neglected to put a handle on the file and, when the file got snagged by a jaw of the chuck, it impaled his hand with the file tang.

In our own class, someone failed to take the drill press key out of the chuck, and when they turned it on the key was hurled off the chuck. It broke the chain and hurled the key across the room, narrowly missing Mr. Braisted.

Those aside, how else can you hurt yourself while pistolsmithing? One way is to forget things are hot. So, you’re soldering a pair of parts, and it slips and you go to catch it. That you’ll only do once. Ditto sharp objects. Wear sturdy shoes, and if something falls, intercept its path with the top of your shoe, to buffer its impact on the concrete.

Never forget the reason firearms exist is to hurl bullets. I was once testing a Browning A5 shotgun in 16 gauge. I chambered a round and pulled the trigger, and it failed to fire. Okay, so I went to pull the charging handle back to unload it and boom!!, off it goes.

The A5 has a safety alignment built into it that if the bolt isn’t fully closed, it won’t fire. Well, the hammer won’t go fully forward. This 16 gauge had been rebuilt from its original 2-9/16” chambering to 2-3/4” and the smith who had done the work hadn’t fully checked his work in also adjusting the hammer clearance. So, chamber a round, pull the trigger and the hammer catches on the action bar. Pull the bolt back slightly, and the hammer clears, goes forward and fires the gun. Because I was careful, the damage was limited to the heavy-duty electrical junction box where the muzzle had been pointed at that moment, and my pride.

Caustic chemicals, flammable solvents, sharp edges, these are all reasons to get in and stay in the habit of dressing for success. That means safety glasses all the time. When the time comes in our law enforcement patrol rifle classes, we tell the officers “wear the safety glasses we told you to bring.” It is amazing how many don’t have such glasses. And even those that do will not always wear them while guns and parts are in play. If you use power tools, earplugs or muffs. A work apron, to keep your clothes clean. Sturdy shoes or boots. And if you are grinding, then a face mask – paper, cloth, respirator, whatever.

Dress properly, and you’ll have a long future of happily working on guns. Fail to dress properly, and things might not be so happy.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Gunsmithing Pistols & Revolvers 4th Edition, available now at GunDigestStore.com.

New Optics: Simmons Introduces Two Scope Lines For 2018

By
Elwood Shelton
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Simmons has introduced AETEC and Whitetail Classic riflescope lines, offering shooters affordable performance.

What to know about Simmons and its new optics options:

    • Simmons has made a name for itself providing affordable performance optics.
    • The AETEC features unique aspherical lenses for a clearer picture.
    • The Whitetail Classic line includes highly affordable, traditional hunting scopes.

When it comes to firearms accessories, perhaps the No. 1 item for a shooter to invest in is an optic. For most purposes, be it hunting or target shooting, no other single piece of gear does more to bring out the accuracy of a firearm.

To the dismay of shooters and their pocketbooks, investing in glass, however, is a deal with the devil. On one side, optics bring out the most in a gun. On the other, and especially nowadays, they can run a small or even large fortune.

Simmons has always done a solid job of finding a sweet spot when it comes to performance and price, offering shooters optics that bust the bullseye, not the budget. And the economy optics maker recently released a pair of scopes, which appear to stick to Simmons’ tried-and-true formula of more bang for the buck.

AETEC Riflescopes

Simmions-First
With a unique lens design, the Simmons AETEC delivers a distortion-free image across the entire field of view. The secret is aspherical lenses — a design of which Simmons was an early adopter — which eliminates aberrations common in more traditional lens designs. The result is a flat, crystal-clear image that allows shooters to precisely place their shots.

The AETEC series are adjustable-power scopes, with the choices of 2.8-10x magnification and 4-14x. In each case, the optics come with ample 44mm objective lenses and the choice of standard or illuminated Truplex reticles. The AETEC scopes run between $200 and $300 depending on model and go on sale in May.

Whitetail Classic Riflescopes

Simmons-Second
Simmons has spiffed up and reintroduced one of its most popular hunting scope lines for 2018 — the Whitetail Classic. The time-tested design offer hunters six configurations to match their hunting style and environment and a copious view range so that next wall hanger doesn’t slip away.

Outfitted with Simmons’ simple and effective Truplex reticle, the Whitetail Classics are quick to get on target and accurate once there. Available in five adjustable-power models, shooters can have the choice of from 1-4x magnification to 6-24x. There’s even a fixed 4x powered model for those shooting to really simplify their next hunt. Best of all, the Whitetail Classics are among the most affordable hunting scopes available today, running from $49 to $119. The scopes go on sale in May.

Gunsmithing: 5 Ways To Remove Frozen Screws

By
Patrick Sweeney
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If you do your own gunsmithing long enough, you will run into screws that refuse to budge. From simple to extreme, try these five techniques to get the job done.

The five ways to remove frozen screws when gunsmithing are:

  1. Use a torch
  2. Use penetrating oil
  3. Re-cut the screw slot
  4. Drill the screw
  5. Welding

If you work on firearms long enough, you will run into screws that refuse to budge. With the correct screwdriver and the proper force, a screw should move. If it doesn’t, stop. Go through this checklist: Is the screw a properly fitting screw? When was the last time this screw was moved? Has Loctite been applied? If you don’t know, is it a screw that is likely to be locked in place? (The most common places you will run into screws locking in place will be on scope mounts. People who don’t know how to properly tighten a screw will use Loctite when it’s not needed.)

gunsmithing-screwdrivers
Buy the correct screwdrivers for the job. Using one that is “close enough” is a sure way to mangle a screw slot. You have no one to blame but yourself.

You must proceed with caution or you will mar or strip the screw slot, making a difficult job more difficult. Do not let anything slip. The screw or even the firearm will be damaged. In extreme cases, you can hurt yourself.

1. Use A Torch

Double-check you are using a properly fitting screwdriver. If the screw is locked in placed with Loctite, use a propane torch to break down the Loctite. You must be careful. The strongest grades of Loctite will withstand 400 degrees Fahrenheit. At 600 degrees you will heat-damage the bluing, but the steel itself will not be harmed.

2. Use Penetrating Oil

If the screw is frozen, but not locked in with Loctite, heat will have no effect. Put the firearm on your bench so the screw is level, and place a drop of penetrating oil, such as Liquid Wrench, on the screw head. Let the oil work into the screw for an hour, a day, or a week, if you can. Now try again with a screwdriver.

Some people prefer to work horizontally, others vertically. I’m a vertical person. I set the handgun on top of the padded vise, with the jaws open enough to let the frame fit in the droop of the padding. I hold the screwdriver vertically and place it into the slot. My chin rests against the end of the screwdriver’s handle while I use both hands to turn the screwdriver. In this way, I can exert maximum force and still feel for any movement of the screw.

A variation of this involves the drill press. Clamp the firearm to the drill press table. Put a driver bit that fits the screw in the drill press chuck. Make sure the drill press is not just turned off, but unplugged. Lower the drill press head, line the blade of the screwdriver up with the slot. Using a drill press to keep the screwdriver blade firmly in the screw slot, turn the drill chuck by hand. You can also, if there is room, get a wrench on he screwdriver shaft, for extra leverage. If the screw is completely immovable, or the screw slot has already been damaged enough that you cannot get the screwdriver to purchase, you must now resort to extreme measures.

3. Re-Cut The Screw Slot

Position a cutoff wheel in your Dremel tool. Grind the wheel down to a diameter small enough that you can re-cut the screw slot without touching the frame of the firearm or the base of the scope mount. This method works better with large screws.

4. Drill The Screw

Clamp the handgun in your drill press. DO NOT attempt this with a hand-held variable speed drill. If you simply attempt to drill, the drill will flex against the screw slot and “walk” to drill places you don’t want drilled. Clamp the handgun in your drill press. Use only a center drill. Drill the center of the screw down just far enough to drill off the head. You do not have to match the drill to the screw head diameter. So long as the drill is larger than the threaded portion of the screw, when you get down to the threads, the head will come off. This method is most useful when the firearm is plated, or the part being held by the screw is aluminum. You can now remove whatever the screw was holding on, and the screw shaft will turn out easily with a pair of pliers.

5. Welding

Take the firearm to your welder. (And for goodness sake, let him know you are coming, and why!) He can build up a post of weld on the screw, and then either weld a section of welding rod to the stub or weld a nut to the post. Either way, the screw will turn out, and it will be intact. The screw, having been welded on its head, can be turned, polished, and have a new slot cut. You won’t need to replace the screw. What you will need to do is repair anything damaged by the heat of the welding process. Any bluing or plating will be torched off around the screw. If the screw was holding down something made of aluminum, the torch would have destroyed it.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Gunsmithing Pistols & Revolvers 4th Edition, available now at GunDigestStore.com.

Video: Silent Legion Suppressors

By
Gun Digest Editors
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Along with turning to some of the most cutting-edge materials, such as titanium and Inconel, Silent Legion suppressors are designed to perform over a vast spectrum of calibers and firearms.

It was a simple lesson your mother most likely tried to instill in you at a young age — it's what's on the inside that counts. The sage advice not only proves wise when it comes to friends and significant others but also suppressors.

There are a number of cans out today that look as flashy as fireworks on the Fourth of July, but once on a muzzle prove to be just as noisy. That's because the company focused on dazzle, not dampening and didn't engineer what counts — the guts. If the baffles‘ geometry isn't correct and the stack is held to too loose tolerances, a suppressor's sound reduction will hover right around Mack Truck levels. On top of that, as it rattles around after every shot, it's going to feel like your gun is coming to pieces right in your hands.

As Luke Hartle shows in the above video, shooters don't have to stand for that level of sub-par design when there's the sure-shot choice of Silent Legion. The Gun Digest Editor-in-Chief chats with the premium suppressor manufacturer's Ed Schoppman about what his company brings to the table in the above video and, in short, it's impressive.

Along with turning to some of the most cutting-edge materials, such as titanium and Inconel, their suppressors are designed to perform over a vast spectrum of calibers and firearms. Additionally, Silent Legion has addressed the small stuff that puts their suppressors in a class of their own. One such example is the suppression retention system, which keeps all the can's components where they should be and the unit as tight as a drum.

Shooting suppressed doesn't come cheap. Silent Legion ensures that hard-earned money delivers.

Tips For Getting Your Perfect Custom 1911

By
Doug Larson
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Buying or building a custom 1911 is exactly like buying a new puppy: Take your time, weigh your options and ask the right questions.

Some things to consider when buying or having someone build a custom 1911:

Many different handgun designs have been introduced since the 1911 appeared more than 100 years ago, but the 1911 pistol is still wildly popular and is probably the most customized handgun in existence. In fact, most of the major firearms manufacturers produce a 1911 even though they make handguns of a newer design, and most of those 1911s have features that years ago were seen only on very expensive customized 1911s. Despite this, the demand for the custom 1911 remains very strong.

But don’t you dare go in blind.

Custom 1911 -3Choosing The Right Gunsmith
Because not all gunsmiths do the kind of work expected on a custom 1911, the first step in customizing one is to find the right gunsmith. Complicating the selection is that some custom shops have a stock of 1911s that have been built with certain features. We’ll call them production custom guns, and generally, they’re available on short notice or will be built once an order is received.

But each of these guns from a single shop will be the same, although some shops might allow the customer to request minor variations in features. Other gunsmiths do not make production custom guns and instead build guns only to the customer’s specifications — true customization on an a la carte basis. And then, complicating things further, some gunsmith shops provide both production custom guns and true custom guns.

ROBAR, located in Phoenix, Arizona, is a gunsmithing shop that does it all. With seven gunsmiths on staff, the shop is licensed as a manufacturer, not just a gunsmith operation, and offers true a la carte custom gunsmithing services as well as a production custom 1911 called the RC-1911. ROBAR will customize a 1911 provided by the customer or take an order for a customized 1911 and also supply all the parts including the frame, slide and barrel. ROBAR will even use parts from manufacturers specified by the customer.

Custom-1911-12Marty Enloe, head gunsmith at ROBAR, says there are several good base guns on which a custom 1911 can be built. These include Colt, Springfield, Kimber, Dan Wesson, Auto Ordnance and Ruger. He added that some aftermarket parts are not compatible with some gun makes, so the customer should listen to the gunsmith’s advice about what parts work best with a particular model of base gun.

No reputable gunsmith will build a gun that will be unsafe, and some gunsmiths will not build a gun with certain features that the gunsmith dislikes either for aesthetic or other personal reasons. So, when searching for a custom gunsmith, the customer should have in mind the types of features wanted, and then get recommendations from trusted sources and friends. The customer should also try to find out how a gunsmith handles complaints. One of the best references are professional trainers because they might see many different 1911s come through classes and develop an opinion of how well a particular gunsmith’s guns perform.

Custom 1911 -1Determine The Intended Use
There are many 1911 options and features, so when selecting which to include, first decide what the gun is going to be used for. Will it be a competition gun where accuracy is the primary concern? Will the gun be used for serious work, such as for self defense or duty?

Reliability often comes at the expense of accuracy, and an accurate gun is often less reliable. Tight tolerances on super-accurate guns make them less tolerant of dirt and debris that can cause the gun to stop working, whereas a duty or defense gun has greater tolerances, making it less sensitive. A gun that stops working in a competition might cost points, but one that stops working in a gunfight might cost lives.

Raise Your 1911 IQ:

Find out if the gunsmith has any specialties. For example, ROBAR builds very few competition or race guns and instead focuses on duty or defense guns. ROBAR’s guns will still have close tolerances, but they might not be as close as on a race gun.

Custom-1911-13And ROBAR will not build a gun with a trigger pull weight less than 4 pounds, where a race gun owner might want a lighter trigger weight. A well-made custom 1911 should have a clean, crisp trigger that breaks at the weight the customer wants. And the customer should get to decide the length of the trigger. Again, it’s personal preference and the use to which a gun is going to be put should help the customer determine the features and specifications.

Other features that should be considered include the slip resistance of the grip. Some people might have extremely sweaty hands or are concerned about having to shoot the gun in a fight where mud or blood might make the grip slippery. Others might want a gun that’s more comfortable to grasp, so they might opt for a less aggressive texturing.

Gun makers recognize this and have developed a wide variety of slip-resistant treatments for grip panels, frontstraps and mainspring housings. A good custom gunsmith can help you decide which grip treatment is right for you and help you pick out one that suits your needs.

Custom 1911 -9Inspecting The Work
Quality of work varies among gunsmiths, as it does in any business, so some guidelines can help determine if the finished custom handgun is up to the standards advertised by the gunsmith, but more importantly the standards expected by the customer.

A close visual inspection is a good place to start. Sharp edges should have been removed, and the bevels or rounding applied should be even along the entire length of the edge. Checkering should have straight lines and the points should be sharp, unless the customer has specified the points be blunt to reduce coarseness. If the gun has been polished, the manufacturer’s logo and other detail marks should still be crisp and there should be no thin spots.

The edges of the joints where the mainspring housing fits the frame should be parallel and straight, and the grips should be flush with the frame and have no high spots or gaps. The metal finish should also be evenly applied and contain absolutely no visible blemishes.

Custom-1911-8While a custom gun is expected to have a flawless appearance, more importantly — especially in a gun built for carry or duty — it must be reliable. And to get a gun to work correctly, parts such as the barrel, slide, extractor and safeties must fit properly. Feed ramp angles need to be correct. It’s nearly impossible for most 1911 owners to check all these things, but with a little work the owner can easily and quickly check the function of the gun.

To do so, the gun must first be broken in. Follow the advice of the gunsmith here, because some guns will need a longer break-in period than others. Then, using the type of ammunition that will be used when running the gun for real — this is especially important for a duty or carry gun — test fire it using every magazine that will be carried concealed or used for competition.

At least one authority says that for a duty gun, a 1911 should malfunction no more than once in every 1,000 rounds. Others say less. Make sure the safeties work, the slide stop catches the slide only when it is supposed to, and the magazine release when pressed allows magazines to drop freely whether loaded or not.

Custom-1911-2Now Comes The Wait
Once you have decided what features are wanted and have found a gunsmith you’re sure can do the job, place the order, pay the money and be prepared to wait. Sometimes the wait can be quite awhile because custom shops are in high demand and the work gets backed up. In fact, some custom shops are not currently accepting new orders because of a massive demand backlog.

And custom work is expensive. It takes time to do all of the fitting. Much is done with soot from a candle to identify high spots, and a hand file to slowly remove metal. Costs for a custom gun can range from $2,000 to much more. Add more features and the price goes up. If you want engraving, add even more to the cost and don’t be surprised at a five-figure bill for the best of the best.

Owning a customized 1911 can be a very satisfying experience. Even if all you want is a feature or two added to your gun, or the trigger pull improved, custom work enhances the joys of ownership and can be worth every penny.

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the January 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Video: Boyds Adjustable At-One Stock For Shotguns

By
Gun Digest Editors
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With Boyds At-One Stock, a custom-shotgun fit is in reach of almost every shooter.

One of the striking aspects of a custom shotgun is its fit. Length of pull, drop at comb, everything is tailored like a fine suit so when it's at the shoulder the gun becomes almost an extension of the shooter himself. It is nearly ideal in every way, allowing shotgunners to dust birds with ease or break blue rock like it's going out of style.

However, there is a major drawback to a custom shotgun — price. It typically takes a substantial investment to put a scattergun that's stock is chiseled to fit you like a glove into a gun case. Or does it?

Surprisingly, with the Boyds At-One Stock, a custom-gun fit is in reach of almost every shooter. Similar to stocks available for precision rifles, Boyds' shotgun version gives shooters complete control over LOP and drop, ensuring the gun shoulders fast and intuitively. And as Gun Digest Editor-in-Chief Luke Hartle shows in the above video, the stock is a snap to adjust. Its slip-nut retention system means it only takes a push of a button to modify its dimensions to yours. No spacers. No screwdrivers. Just more time shooting.

Additionally, the At-One Stock has interchangeable grips, forearm width inserts and comes in 11 different colors. The precision shotgun stock is available for two of the all-time popular shotguns — the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500. And best of all, at right around $200, nearly every shotgunner can work one into their budget and shoot a gun that performs like it was made just for them.

Gear: Gun Control System Maximizes Gun Storage

By
Luke Hartle
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The Gun Control System by Madhouse Design will get your guns in order.

How does the Gun Control System get your guns organized?

  • Madhouse Design’s Gun Control System is a customizable storage system.
  • Its rails, swivel bodies and pins are configurable to nearly any application.
  • Constructed with aluminum, stainless steel and rubber overmolds, the system is rugged, yet gentle on guns.
  • The only drawback is the system is non-locking, so it does not secure a gun.

As you’ve likely already noticed, we’ve been referencing our recent Gun Digest reader survey a lot lately, and for good reason — we simply want to give you what you want. Many of the responses we saw were in line with what the Gun Digest team expected. On the other hand, there were some surprises: We knew the average Gun Digest the Magazine reader owns a lot of guns, but as indicated by the survey, y’all have been busy acquiring more than expected. We’re a little surprised — and way more impressed!

Gun-Storage-First - Gun Control System

But with owning a pile of guns comes one significant problem — storage.

An Innovative Option

Boutique gun and shooting accessories companies aren’t hard to find these days — it seems like everyone has an idea and a website that’s going to “dramatically change the way we shoot.” Heard that one recently? Yeah … it’s getting old.

That said, there are a few diamonds in the rough, and we recently discovered Madhouse Design, which seems to be one such diamond. Madhouse offers a handful of unique sighting and optics mounting solutions, but of particular interest is their Gun Control System. What’s so appealing? Your ability to customize their system to your needs.

The Gun Control System allows everyone from single-gun owners to gun collectors to retail shops to mount a single pistol or multiple pistols in an efficient and organized manner that can be fully customized depending on need. The key here is three-part simplicity: a rail, a swivel body and a pin. Think of the system like Lincoln Logs for gun geeks: Build it how you want and need it.

Options For Any Modern Gunner

Single-Pistol Mount

Gun-Storage-Second - Gun Control System
If you need quick access to a gun and can imagine a place to mount it, you ought to be able to get it done with this: Under a desk, on the side of a nightstand, under you bed, in a cabinet, in your truck. And for the collector, the Single-Pistol Mount offers a low-profile means of displaying a single gun of distinction.

Multiple-Pistol Mount

Rail lengths on the Multiple-Pistol Mount are available in 1-, 2- and 4-foot increments. And because the swivel body — well, swivels — you can mount the rails vertically, horizontally or even diagonally if it suits your fancy. Mount it to the ceiling of your gun safe. In a locked display cabinet. You’ll figure it out.

Safe-Door Mount

Gun-Storage-Third - Gun Control System
In your storage solution right now, what’s the biggest waste of space? In all likelihood, it’s the door on your gun safes, right? The double-rail configuration mounts securely from the top of your gun safe door and works with any door width. This system accommodates up to 12 pistols in a versatile and compact manner without taking up valuable safe space.

Built To Your Imagination

Mounting Rails

Gun-Storage-Fifth - Gun Control System
Mounting rails are constructed of 6061 aluminum with a Mil-Spec Picatinny profile for secure mounting of firearms in any position. Four sizes are available for single- and multiple-pistol mounts, or they can be configured as a safe-door mount.

Swivel Bodies

Each swivel body locks securely in 7 positions at 30-degree increments or locks out to “free float” for easy access.

Barrel Pins

Gun-Storage-Sixth - Gun Control System
The pistol mount pin is constructed of 303 stainless-steel with a soft rubber over-mold to protect the muzzle and bore.  Interchangeable pins are available in four sizes: 22 (.22 caliber), 9MM (9mm, .357, .38 calibers), 40 (.40, 10mm calibers) and 45 (.45 caliber).

It’s fairly obvious that this system has one major drawback: it doesn’t lock your guns. However, if you’re needing organized gun storage in a locked compartment such as a gun safe or a retail display, or if you need a place to keep your gun ready while in your truck — or, if you’re in a line of work where you need to mount a gun under your desk that’s pointed at the front door … well, you’ve got a winner here.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Classic Cartridges: Is The .30-06 Springfield All You Need?

By
Philip Massaro
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More than 100 years after its introduction, the venerable .30-06 Springfield remains one of the best all-around hunting cartridges. Period.

Why is the .30-06 still king of the hill?

  • It's been in use since 1906, has fought in two World Wars and hunted every continent.
  • The .308-inch bullet diameter is versatile; bullets of 100 to 240 grains are options.
  • This makes it flexible enough to take a wide variety of game animals.
  • It will push a 180-grain bullet around 2,700 to 2,800 fps, so long-range shots are possible.
  • Its recoil is manageable for a majority of shooters.

When it comes to playing with different cartridges, I’m like a little kid on Christmas Eve; I love the subtle nuances of each different development, and to be honest, there are only a few that make me wrinkle my nose. I’ve been privileged enough to spend a considerable amount of time with more than a few of them, either through handloading ammunition for them or taking them afield, sometimes to the more remote destinations on earth. But, just as with your favorite foods or music, you’ll often come back to that which has become an old standby, the one you know will work in any situation.

Because of its popularity, you can find .30-06 loads just about anywhere. And its performance and flexibility mean the .30-06 is likely to be king of the hill for some time to come.
Because of its popularity, you can find .30-06 loads just about anywhere. And its performance and flexibility mean the .30-06 is likely to be king of the hill for some time to come.

The .30-06 Springfield is just that.

It’s been with us since 1906 and has seen two World Wars and numerous bloody conflicts just as terrible without the label. It has hunted every continent huntable and has lived through market trends that have bordered on ridiculous. Yet, in spite of a dozen or more would-be contenders to the throne, in spite of modern powders and bullets, and in spite of more than a few gun writers proclaiming its lack of modern validity, the .30-06 Springfield still wears the championship belt proudly.

Why, pray tell? Why would we still be embracing a century-plus-old cartridge design and holding its performance level as the benchmark for .30-caliber cartridges? Because it works so well that it has rendered many other would-be replacements null and void.

Let’s look at the specifications before we delve into the history.

Unparalleled Statistics

We Americans have embraced the .308-inch bullet diameter — partly due to the performance of the Springfield — with good reason. It represents what might be the most versatile caliber choice, giving the shooter a lineup of bullets weighing between 100 and 240 grains, and offering enough killing potential to take every game animal on the North American continent, as well as the greater portion of African species.

The .30-06 Springfield is highly versatile, capable of launching bullets with weights ranging from about 100 to 240 grains.
The .30-06 Springfield is highly versatile, capable of launching bullets with weights ranging from about 100 to 240 grains.

How we drive those bullets has been a source of contention and even argument for a century. Some insist they need to be moving as fast as possible, some feel that a moderate velocity is the best choice, and some others enjoy a wide variety of velocities.

Yes, I’ll agree that the 7mm bore diameter is almost as versatile, but the .30 caliber remains the darling child of American hunters. The 150- to 220-grain bullets remain the most popular for hunting applications, but modern bullet developments have produced some good choices on both ends of those limits.

One of the talking points of the .30-06 Springfield is the fact that the case capacity allows the cartridge to take advantage of the full spectrum of the .30-caliber bullets. This fact, in addition to the muzzle velocity generated, makes for a very well-balanced marriage of flat trajectory, acceptable recoil and striking power.

The .30-06 will drive a 180-grain bullet — an excellent all-around choice for the big-game hunter — to a muzzle velocity of somewhere between 2,700 and 2,800 fps. This is a very respectable speed that will shoot flat enough to make distant shots feasible by a good rifleman, and it will generate somewhere around 3,000 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy.

To touch on the recoil factor, the .30-06 can represent the top end of acceptable recoil for some big-game hunters, and that’s OK. We all have our limits, and I’d feel more comfortable with a hunter using a .30-06 to good effect than developing a flinch with a .300 Magnum. While there are good reasons to embrace the additional velocity (and correlative energy) of the larger-cased magnums, if the recoil is too severe for you to place your shots properly, the idea is defeated.

The .30-06 Springfield has probably taken just about every big-game species on the planet. It can handle North America’s largest bears, and it truly shines on game such as deer, elk and moose.
The .30-06 Springfield has probably taken just about every big-game species on the planet. It can handle North America’s largest bears, and it truly shines on game such as deer, elk and moose.

In the hunting world, the .30-06 Springfield is one of those cartridges that has probably been used to kill every species of huntable game on the planet — with varying degrees of success on the truly large and dangerous stuff. That said, even the great bears of the North can be taken with a .30-06, though there might be better choices. For deer, pronghorn, elk, moose and most other common North American species, the cartridge simply shines.

The lighter bullets — such as a good 150-grain spitzer — will leave the muzzle at more than 2,900 fps, making for an excellent deer/antelope/sheep load, and the middle-of-the-road 165-grain slugs are cruising along at just over 2,800 fps. The 150-, 165- and 180-grain bullets are the most popular and will handle the lion’s share of your hunting duties; however, if you prefer a bit more bullet weight for the larger animals, the 200- and 220-grain slugs are a sound choice. With fantastic sectional density (SD), those heavy bullets can have quite a dramatic effect and will guarantee deep penetration.

Should you wish to do a bit of varmint/predator hunting with your ’06, the 110- to 130-grain bullets will certainly do the job. However, I feel comfortable saying that using a .30-06 on a hot prairie dog town will start to get a little uncomfortable to even the most recoil insensitive.

The Amazing History

The Spanish-American War saw two important developments in American history: the rise of Theodore Roosevelt, and the unified conclusion that the 7×57 Mauser was vastly superior to our .30-40 Krag. The U.S. Army’s Ordinance Department began work on the replacement for the .30-40, and I’ve read several accounts that the .277-inch bullet diameter was considered. However, it seems that the fact that we were geared up to produce .30-caliber bullets influenced the decision to stick with that bullet diameter.

The ’06 has been a standby ever since its introduction more than 100 years ago. Shown here is a .30-06 load topped with the venerable Nosler Partition bullet.
The ’06 has been a standby ever since its introduction more than 100 years ago. Shown here is a .30-06 load topped with the venerable Nosler Partition bullet.

The rim diameter of the Mauser was adopted — at 0.473 inch — but the case was designed at 2.54 inches, or 65mm, which was considerably longer than the Mauser design. The 220-grain, round nosed bullet of the .30-40 Krag was retained, traveling at 2,300 fps, and the world was introduced to the .30-03 in the Model 1903 rifle. It was an improvement over the Krag, but the Army wasn’t quite satisfied.

Three years later, in 1906, the case was shortened to 2.494 inches, and the projectile was revised to a flat-base spitzer of 150 grains. At a muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps, this was rather revolutionary; the downrange performance was better than anything our soldiers had ever experienced. The “Cartridge, Ball, Caliber .30, Model of 1906” was on its way to glory both on the battlefield and in the hunting fields.

It was embraced by Roosevelt, Hemingway, Ruark and other writers who would influence a considerable amount of rifle purchases, and it would end up being loaded in just about every conceivable rifle action — from pump and single-shot to bolt and autoloader — ever produced. Again, it just plain works.

Fast Forward

The ’06 was replaced after the Korean War by its little brother, the .308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO, in soldiers’ hands, and it has also had some stiff competition from other .30-caliber cartridges in the hunting world. The .308 Winchester vs. .30-06 Springfield argument still rages on, but I really feel it’s a moot point; in the hunting field, their performance is so close that I really don’t feel any game animal would ever demonstrate a noticeable difference.

3006-fifth

Yes, folks rail about the shorter action being more rigid and a bit lighter, and the opposition cites the better performance of the Springfield with the heaviest bullets, but I’ve used both, and I would be equally comfortable using either. I’ve long been a fan of the .300 Win. Mag., as the rifle I have is extremely accurate and I do appreciate the additional horsepower in certain situations, but I can honestly say that any shot I’ve made with my .300 could have been made with a .30-06. The velocity and trajectory differences aren’t really all that radical.

There have been other .30-caliber cartridges that have come and gone, or are hanging on for dear life — the .30 TC, the .300 RCM, the .300 Savage and there are others — that have had a brief moment or possibly even a good run, but none have equaled the legacy of the Springfield. Even the larger magnums such as the .300 Weatherby, .300 Remington Ultra Magnum and the like have a definite following, but not like the .30-06. You can find ammunition nearly anywhere, but that is the effect of the popularity, not the cause.

The bottom line is this: In spite of its age, the Springfield design represents the penultimate balance of powder and bullet weight, in a case that can be housed in a rifle of reasonable length. I’ve never had an issue with the action length of a rifle; even the .375 H&H-length actions can be made to run very fast in the hands of an experienced rifleman. I feel, personally, that too much time is spent squabbling over a half-inch of case length, or a pound of rifle weight. That time would be much better spent learning how to properly shoot whichever cartridge/rifle combination you’ve chosen from actual field positions.

If you’ve chosen an oddball, so be it, and may it serve you well. Just please realize that among the popular medium-caliber hunting cartridges, the .30-06 is, was and shall be that against which all others are judged.

That’s saying something.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

New Gun: Smith & Wesson M&P380 Shield EZ

By
Elwood Shelton
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0

With less slide resistance, the M&P380 Shield EZ should prove to be one easy operator.

The details on Smith & Wesson's M&P380 Shield EZ:

  • The pistol’s slide requires less force to rack.
  • In turn, it is ideal for shooters with weaker hands.
  • The Shield EZ’s magazines have built-in load assist.
  • Its slide mass has been optimized to handle most .380 ACP ammunition.
  • The Shield EZ also boasts a grip safety, unique in the M&P line.

The semi-automatic pistol has dominated for some time now, whether for casual target shooting or dead-serious self-defense. And there are plenty of reasons why this style of handgun — be it hammer fired, single-action, DAO or striker-fired — has risen to the top. It just plain performs.

Sheild EZ -First

Their capacity, rate of fire, accuracy and what have you all tend to get top marks from every class of shooter. But for a select segment of the greater shooting public, the pistols aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. For those who have difficulty operating the slide, the benefits of a semi-auto can seem out of reach or not worth the effort.

Smith & Wesson has set its sights squarely on these shooters with the newest edition of its popular semi-automatic pistol line. While the M&P380 Shield EZ definitely isn’t every handgunner’s cup of tea, for those who struggle to rack a semi-auto’s slide, it has the potential of being a godsend.

Smith & Wesson has given precious few details as to how it’s engineered a slide that requires less force to operate. However, the fact that the Shield EZ is a hammer-fired gun in a traditionally striker-fired line could have something to do with it. Lighter springs — both recoil and hammer — or where the hammer is situated could be how the company created a slide with less resistance.

Shield EZ -Second

Smith & Wesson has also given shooters plenty to get a hold of to manipulate the slide. In addition to the aggressive fore and aft cocking serrations common to the M&P line, the Shield EZ also has a flared section of the slide at the very rear. Reminiscent of some aftermarket upgrades, the protrusions are no wider than the frame; however, they give more to hold onto when working the slide.

The Shield EZ’s slide, aside from being easily manipulated, is also optimized in mass to reliably feed a wide spectrum of today’s .380 ACP ammunition and has a tactile load indicator.

Furthermore, the company hasn’t turned a blind eye to another facet of semi-autos that can be a bear — the magazine. The eight-round single-stack magazine (the pistol comes with two) has a side assist to depress the follower, thus making it easier to load. This should turn out to be a nice touch, particularly for getting those last few pesky rounds in when the spring is highly compressed.

Shield EZ -Third

Blatantly obvious when the Shield EZ is viewed in profile is its grip safety. A break in the usual M&P design, this passive safety pivots at the bottom to disengage an internal hammer block, thus making the pistol fully operable. The gun is also available with or without an ambidextrous manual thumb safety.

From there, the new Shield offers features fairly common to the line. It has standard three-dot sights, recoil operation, aggressive grip texturing and a Picatinny rail. Finally, the Shield EZ has a one-piece trigger that breaks at 5 pounds. The M&P380 Shield is presently on store shelves and has an MSRP of $399.

5 Gun Debate Talking Points

By
Elwood Shelton
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0

The gun debate can be marred with myths and misconceptions, especially in the wake of a mass shooting. Don't fall prey to them: Arm yourself with knowledge. 

The talking points:

As regular as midnight, after a tragedy, there's a call for a “national conversation.” This is especially true when it comes to the gun debate. And so it is with the recent  “mass shooting” calamity in Parkland, Florida. Everyone wants to feel like their idea is the keystone to curbing the violence of young people using AR-15s or other guns in school shootings. Or nightclub shootings. Or any shooting. 

There's nothing wrong with this, given free debate is as American as the right to bear arms. But many, if not most times, the discussion is marred with a load of myths and misconceptions and catchphrases, particularly when it comes to firearms and especially among those who know little or nothing about them. Groupthink rooted in misconstrued facts, or complete lack of facts surrounding guns, the Second Amendment and mass shootings is a very dangerous force. 

The best thing gun owners can do is come fully armed to the Second Amendment discussion concerning lawful firearms with solid knowledge and statistics, and well-formed ideas about recent trends and the state of our gun-loving nation.

With this in mind, we've collected five talking points for the gun debate worth keeping in your holster. You've undoubtedly had many of these conversations the past few days, and as a passionate gun owner, you know there are more Second Amendment conversations to follow.

These gun-issue talking points are particularly focused on recent gun and crime statistics and studies, and paint a much different picture than what's breathlessly ballyhooed on cable news and social media. Be it in polite company or the Wild West of a comments section, we hope these gun debate talking points will give you the ammo to help represent your side of the debate.

Guns For Self-Defense

One of the most popular gun-control mantras is the fallacy that law-abiding citizens are more likely to be harmed by personal firearms than helped. But academic and governmental studies have shown quite the opposite.

A 1995 study led by criminologist Dr. Gary Kleck of Florida State University titled: Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense with a Gun found around 2.2 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses annually. This estimation has been further strengthened recently in a report by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council prepared for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2013 report concluded that all national surveys on the topic estimate defensive gun use each year at from 500,000 to more than 3 million.

Additionally, the report found that, “Studies that directly assessed the effect of actual defensive uses of guns (i.e., incidents in which a gun was ‘used' by the crime victim in the sense of attacking or threatening an offender) have found consistently lower injury rates among gun-using crime victims compared with victims who used other self-protective strategies.”

Declining U.S. Murder Rate

The up-to-the-minute hyperventilation with which the news is reported today, it's easy to feel like America is in the end times. But contrary to popular opinion, the nation has been enjoying one of its safest eras since the early 1960s.

Despite some recent upticks, America's murder rate is substantially lower than it was 20 to 30 years ago and way down off its peak. Consider this. There were 5.3 murders per 100,000 people in 2016, which is an astounding 48-percent decline from its apex in 1980. Additionally, the murder rate began to decline in the early 1990s and has held stable since around 2000.

More Guns Than Ever

AR-Springs-Feat
Walking hand-in-hand with the drop in the U.S. murder rate, not to mention overall violent crime, is another intriguing trend — the number of guns in the country. While a difficult number to gauge, by most estimates there are more than 300 million firearms in the nation. By Congressional Research Service's approximations, this is twice as many per capita as there were in 1968.

And Americans show no signs of slowing down in purchasing firearms. In 2017, FBI numbers show background checks for firearms purchases were triple what they were 15 years ago and firearms manufacturers continue to produce guns at record paces. Additionally, around 42-percent of the households in America have guns in them

For emphasis, these firearms statistics coincide with a precipitous drop in violent crime. This runs counter to the narrative more guns has equaled more crime.

Epidemic Of Mass Shootings?

There is a lot of hyperbole concerning mass shootings, and a lot of people are scratching their heads and wondering why mass shootings in schools keep happening. The favorite key banged in recent years is they are increasing … and many seem to believe that mass shootings are all the fault of the gun, namely the AR-15 “assault weapon.”

In 2015, a claim there was a mass shooting every day of that year floated around. The assertion was widely cited in the media, originating from a Reddit community, and was so ridiculous it was debunked in the pages of Mother Jones and the New York Times, of all places.

More recently, the breathless assertion is there have been 18 mass shootings since the beginning of 2018. This wildly misleading data point, originated by Everytown for Gun Safety, made its rounds in newspapers, television and politicians' mouths. Funnily enough, it was the Washington Post (no bastion of gun-rights advocates) that dismantled the claim.

What's the truth when it comes to these tragic events? According to James Alan Fox and Monica J. DeLateur, it's that there has been no increase. The criminologists from Northeastern University claim in a 2013 paper entitled: Mass Shootings in America: Moving Beyond Newtown the rate of mass shootings has been steady since 1976.

Furthermore, they've found few policies meant to address mass shootings that have done any good, including the 1994 federal ban on so-called “assault weapons.” Concerning this legislation they wrote, “[A] comparison of the incidence of mass shootings during the 10-year window when the assault weapon ban was in force against the time periods before implementation and after expiration shows that the legislation had virtually no effect, at least in terms of murder in an extreme form.”

Overseas Gun Bans

Typically in the wake of a tragic shooting gun-banners and their pet politicians gaze wantingly at one of two places — the U.K. or Australia. In the past quarter-century, both countries have executed gun bans, mass governmental buybacks and extremely restrictive gun ownership laws. The media — both American and overseas — herald each as success stories, claiming there is lack of crime and murder in the United Kingdoms and Oz due to the laws.

However, there's plenty to dispute about the so-called triumphs. In an extensive investigation into gun deaths, statistician Leah Libresco came to the revelation, “Neither nation experienced drops in mass shootings or other gun related-crime that could be attributed to their buybacks and bans. Mass shootings were too rare in Australia for their absence after the buyback program to be clear evidence of progress. And in both Australia and Britain, the gun restrictions had an ambiguous effect on other gun-related crimes or deaths.”

If historical numbers are investigated, it becomes fairly clear Australia was already enjoying plummeting gun homicide rates before their restrictive gun laws were put in place and the legislation appears to have done little to augment this trajectory. In the UK's case, the country went through a rather pronounced spike in its homicide rate following its bans. And more recently crime is again on the march; England a Whales have seen an 18-percent surge in violent crime over the past 12 months, including a 20-percent spike in gun and knife crimes and 26-percent rise in the homicide rate.

Another point worth considering is the abysmal failure in the enforcement of these sweeping laws, particularly in Australia's case. By the Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia estimations, there was only a 19-percent compliance rate with the government buyback. This in a country with nothing close to a Second Amendment.

Furthermore, the country's local governments aren't keen on holding the letter of the 1997 legislation. A recent report found that no state or territory has fully complied with the provisions of the national firearms agreement.

Ammo Storage and Malfunctions: Yes, They Can Be Related

By
Jorge Amselle
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0

Proper ammo storage can keep your defensive ammo effective for decades. Find out how to store and maintain your ammo to avoid malfunctions and deterioration.

Modern ammunition is made with sealants to protect against the elements, but nothing lasts forever. If ammunition is properly stored, it will remain effective for decades, but if it isn’t stored properly, its lifespan can be reduced. All ammunition should be stored in a cool, dry place away from moisture and humidity.

Ammunition you carry on a daily basis is subject to being knocked about, exposed to dust, debris, lint and sweat as well as temperature changes, etc. My recommendation is to replace your carry ammunition at least annually. Just shoot the old stuff and get a new box of the ammunition you like to carry.

ammo storage-208
Store ammunition in its original box in a cool, dry place with no moisture or humidity.

If ammunition looks old or corroded, don’t use it for carry purposes. There are plenty of gun owners who will gladly take old ammunition off your hands if you feel uncomfortable using it. If your ammunition gets dusty or dirty, you can clean in by wiping it down with a clean cloth. Do not use any solvents or oils on your ammunition, because this is much more likely to damage it. Even if you can’t see it, solvents and lubricants can get into your ammunition and compromise the chemicals that make up the powder and primer.

Three Types Of Ammo Malfunctions

Just as your gun can malfunction, so can your ammunition, especially if it has not been properly stored. There are three basic types of ammunition malfunctions:

  • Misfire
  • Hang fire
  • Squib load

Misfire is when the round simply does not go off. On the range, always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction (downrange) and wait 30 seconds before you clear the objecting round. It could be that a round simply did not exit the magazine, so there was nothing in the chamber. It could also just be a hard or bad primer.

Wait 30 seconds with the gun pointed in a safe direction in case you have the second type of malfunction, a hang fire. A hang fire is a perceptible delay in the ignition of the cartridge. It might be a function of corrupted powder and the round does not go off right away. It might take as much as 8 seconds for the round to detonate and fire.

You don’t want to be waving the gun around or looking down the barrel when that happens. You also don’t want the cartridge detonating while you’re opening the chamber, because that will create shrapnel and possibly injure you. Fortunately, hang fires are very rare. I have experienced one only once, and that was with some 50-year-old French military surplus rifle ammunition, and the delay was only a split second (but still noticeable).

ammo storage-209
Bad ammo can cause all types of malfunctions, including this stove pipe.

The last basic type of malfunction is a squib load. This is the result of an underpowered cartridge. The cartridge fires, but it will sound and feel noticeably different from a normal round. The gun will kick a lot less, and it will sound much quieter. It could be that only some of the gunpowder ignited or that there was no gunpowder in the cartridge—only the live primer.

If you experience this, cease firing immediately and inspect the barrel for any obstructions, because the cartridge might have had enough force to send a bullet halfway down the barrel and left it lodged there. If the barrel is clear, you can continue to shoot. You should never fire a gun with an obstruction in the barrel because this will damage or destroy the gun and likely cause injury to you.

Here’s another warning when it comes to ammunition. Most people who carry concealed do so with a round in the chamber. Occasionally, you will have to unload your gun—when storing or cleaning it, for example. When you reload and re-chamber a round, be conscientious of which round you are chambering. If you continually chamber the same round over and over again, the bullet will gradually and almost imperceptibly become seated deeper and deeper into the cartridge case. The result of this powder packing is that when the bullet is fired, it will generate a much higher and possibly unsafe chamber pressure. This is only a problem with semi-automatic handguns. I would not re-chamber the same round more than a couple of times. After that, use a different round.

If you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, where you have to use your concealed-carry handgun, some of these rules are significantly relaxed. If you experience a misfire under these circumstances, immediately clear the recalcitrant round and load a fresh one. With a revolver, this is much easier because all you have to do is squeeze the trigger again to rotate the cylinder and bring a fresh round in line with the barrel.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Concealed Carry.

Ammo: Black Hills Ammunition Expands HoneyBadger Line

By
Elwood Shelton
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0

Black Hills Ammunition has expanded its popular HoneyBadger line, giving shooters three new rounds loaded with monometal bullets to choose from.

What are the new HoneyBadger loads from Black Hills?

From monometal (lead) to jacketed projectiles to monometal (copper), it seems, in some respects, bullets have come full circle. But there’s plenty to be excited about, aside from nostalgia, in engineers dusting off a concept as old as the gun itself.

HoneyBadger -9mm

Through advanced designs, bullet makers have cooked up projectiles that not only match or exceed the performance of old standbys, but offer up a few advantages tried-and-true hollow points, soft-points and, of course, good ol’ lead could never imagine delivering.

This is especially true concerning the ammo with which we load our personal-protection guns. Monometal bullets don’t have hollow points that clog with thick layers of performance-impeding clothing. Monometal bullets don’t rely on expansion to produce devastating and fight-stopping wound cavities. In turn, the buggers serve up the prospect of performing every time, no matter the situation or thickness of an assailant’s garb.

Black Hills Ammunition struck gold a little while back, embracing this emerging niche in self-defense ammunition with its cutting-edge HoneyBadger line. Designed in conjunction with Lehigh Defense, the innovative ammo serves up non-deforming, non-fragmenting projectiles that are accurate in flight and do a number once they reach their target.

Black Hills has forged ahead with this early success, expanding its HoneyBadger line with three new rounds. And the wicked monomental rounds are no longer strictly a self-defense affair. With the first rifle round in the mix — a classic one at that — Black Hills has set its sights on taking the HoneyBadger afield. 

9mm 100 Grain +P HoneyBadger

A lighter companion to Black Hill’s initial subsonic 125-grain 9mm offering, the 100-grain round should prove potent and lighter recoiling. The company lists the round’s muzzle velocity at a solid 1,300 fps, fast enough to defeat nearly any barrier and penetrate deeper than conventional 9mm ammunition. In the company’s tests, the bullet's specially designed notched flutes produced a 3-inch diameter wound cavity in bare ballistic gelatin. And the bullet’s velocity produced 15 inches of penetration in the same tests. This is the first caliber Black Hills has expanded load options on in the HoneyBadger line, but others are sure to follow.

.44 Special 125 Grain HoneyBadger

HoneyBadger -44spc
The .44 Special has regained the interest of shooters in recent years, and Black Hills has loaded up a HoneyBadger round ideal for the big-bore revolver. Leaving the muzzle at an impressive 1,275 fps, the 125-grain round is manageable to shoot and produces impressive results upon reaching its target. In ballistic gelatin tests, the .44 Special round generated a nearly 3-inch diameter wound track and 17 inches of controlled penetration. This is the third traditional revolver round Black Hills has introduced in the HoneyBadger line, launching the ammunition with a 100-grain .38 Special +P option and the latter introducing a 160-grain .44 Magnum round.

.45-70 325 Grain HoneyBadger

HoneyBadger -4570
The first rifle round of the HoneyBadger line, the .45-70 is capable of tackling nearly anything a hunter sets his sights on — from elk to hogs. Pushing the 325-grain monometal bullet 1,300 fps at the muzzle, the round has ample velocity to excel within typical hunting ranges. Upon reaching its target, the bullet performs admirably, digging out a 7-inch diameter wound cavity in ballistic gelatin, and penetrating nearly a yard deep.

Honey-bal

So You Want To Buy A Gun: New Or Used?

By
Jorge Amselle
-
0

A high-quality handgun can cost hundreds of dollars, whether it’s new or used. These tips can help you make the right choice when you buy a gun.

I gave up buying new cars a while back. I like new cars, but my practical and cheap side won out and now I buy only used vehicles. Of course with a used car, your options are more limited and the car’s features might not include everything you want. Also, you don’t really know how well the previous owner maintained the car or what mechanical issues might arise.

Buying A New Gun

When you opt to buy a new handgun, you have the liberty to select exactly what you want. You can choose the size, caliber, color, sights, grips, accessories, manufacturer, etc. Most guns stores will special order anything you want if they don’t have it on hand, and you get the benefit of a manufacturer’s warranty should anything go wrong. With a new gun purchase, many gun stores will also stand behind the product and assist you in dealing with the manufacturer if you have any issues.

When you buy a new gun, you also get all of the extras the manufacturer wants you to have. This includes the original box or case. Most modern gun boxes are made from polymer and offer secure protection for your gun. Many can be locked shut with a simple padlock, making them good for transportation or even basic home security.

A trigger or cable lock will also be included for added safety, and all of the accessories will be included as well: cleaning rods, disassembly tools, spare magazines, warranty cards and, perhaps most important, the owner’s manual. Of course, buying a new gun means paying full price and for some guns that are in high demand and hard to find, you might even pay more than full price.

Buying A Used Gun

When you buy a used gun, you can save 20 or 30 percent or more from the cost of the same gun new. This is for a used gun in good working condition. However, it’s up to you to determine whether the used gun you are considering is indeed is good condition. Make sure all of the controls on the gun function as they are intended to.

For semi-automatic pistols, make sure all the safety devices are fully functional. If there’s a grip safety, squeeze the trigger without pressing it to make sure it works. If there’s a thumb safety, activate it and try to squeeze the trigger, then deactivate it and try to dry fire the gun. Take special care to note how the trigger feels. It should not be overly heavy or gritty. Make sure the gun fires in both the single-action and double-action modes if so designed. If there’s a de-cocking mechanism, try it out as well.

buy a gun-pistol
When buying a used pistol, the gun should fit together well without excessive play in any of the parts.

Check the takedown lever for proper functioning and disassemble the gun. If the gun is very dirty, it’s a good indicator that it was not properly maintained. Sometimes guns that are having issues just need a thorough cleaning, or there might be a more severe problem. If the gun is already dirty, it will be more difficult to determine the situation you’re dealing with.

You also want to check the barrel. There should be no bulges anywhere along the outside. Inspect the rifling and look for rust, pitting or uneven wear. If you see a ring inside the barrel, that’s a bad sign. Check the muzzle end of the barrel, especially where the rifling ends. It should be sharp and crisp. Look for excessive wear in this area. The gun should fit together well without excessive play in any of the parts. Check the slide to frame fit.

Most manufacturers offer a transferable lifetime warranty on their guns no matter who owns them and will repair any problems. However, if the previous owner has tampered with the gun or made gunsmithing changes, the warranty might be void.

For revolvers, the cylinder lock-up and timing is the most important consideration. Make sure the chambers are aligning properly with the barrel and there’s no play in the cylinder, especially when the revolver is cocked. Make sure the trigger is functioning properly and that you cannot push it forward once it’s cocked. Check the trigger squeeze in single- and double-action, making sure it is neither too heavy nor too light. The gun’s cosmetics can also be an indicator of proper care and maintenance.

buy a gun-revolver
For revolvers, make sure there’s no play in the cylinder, especially when the revolver is cocked.

Where To Buy A Gun

A gun store is the most obvious place to purchase a gun and where most people start. This makes sense, because a gun store will have fixed hours of operation and requires little advance planning to visit. It is a formal business that occupies a fixed physical location, so if you have concerns, questions or problems you can easily return and ask for assistance.

A gun store will generally be welcoming, well lit and well appointed, with organized and labeled merchandise. Prices are clearly displayed, and the staff will generally be knowledgeable and helpful. If you go to a gun store where this is not the case, you might want to go elsewhere.

The biggest advantage of shopping at a gun store is that the staff will have plenty of time to talk with you and answer your questions. They will have a good selection of handguns for you to hold and try out to see what you like and what works for you. They will have a full selection of ammunition, holsters and accessories to match your gun. There is simply no substitute for being able to handle a variety of guns and products before deciding which to purchase.

Many gun stores will also have an on-site gunsmith or access to one who can make repairs or adjustments or customize your gun any way you prefer. Because of the Internet, gun stores have had to adjust and become more competitive in their pricing. However, you will still generally pay a premium for the convenience and the service, but for many folks it’s money well spent.

Some gun stores will not handle transfers of guns you bought online or will charge an exorbitant fee, especially if it’s a gun they have in stock themselves. But many others will handle transfers of firearms from other sources to you for a reasonable fee.

800px-Houston_Gun_Show_at_the_George_R._Brown_Convention_Center
Gun shows are a good place to shop for new or used firearms. Photo by M. Glasgow

Gun shows are another great place to shop. There are usually dozens of dealers and vendors selling guns and everything gun-related, including holsters, clothing, ammunition, safes, cleaning kits and accessories. At some of the larger shows, there are hundreds of tables full of guns and gear, and some vendors offer on-site training and gunsmithing services, as well as making custom holsters while you wait.

The selection and opportunity to see and touch all of this equipment is unmatched by any gun store, and because there are so many dealers competing for your business, the prices are very competitive. Gun shows can be extremely entertaining to walk around and see new and interesting products. For the beginner, they can also be overwhelming.

Vendors at guns shows are usually very busy and have little time to answer questions or demonstrate their products. Some are even downright impatient, to be honest. If you want to go the gun show route for your purchase, it’s best to have done all of your homework in advance and know exactly what you want. The vendors are only there for the weekend, so if you have a problem, you are on your own.

If you want something custom or out of the ordinary, you are also unlikely to find it, since the vendors will focus on the most popular guns and won’t be around to special order anything for you. Many of these dealers also have physical locations where you can go to make a purchase or special order after the show, but they might be located far away from you.

There will be a lot of buying and selling of used guns at these shows. There’s plenty of room to haggle, and good deals can be found. But again, as with any used gun purchase, there’s no sure way to know if the gun is in good working order. If you buy a used gun from a dealer or anyone else at a gun show, they’re typically sold “as is.” The best prices will be for used guns from private sellers. Usually, there will be some folks walking around with a sign stating that they have a gun to sell, and they are open to haggling.

You can also expect to save money on new guns at gun shows. In my experience, the gun show price for new guns is generally about 10 percent less than the gun store price. This difference might not be worth it if you have a lot of questions or prefer a calmer buying experience.

The Internet is another excellent resource of information and reviews for different guns. There’s no shortage of bloggers who will tell you exactly what they think of a gun. Some are better than others and it’s best to read a variety of reviews. You can also purchase a firearm online and have it shipped to a local dealer who can then transfer it to you.

The Internet is especially helpful for locating rare or hard-to-find guns, and you can find the absolute best prices. Keep in mind that you will have to cover shipping (which on handguns has to be overnight) as well as the transfer fee your dealer charges, so you might not save as much as you think.

The Internet is also a great place to purchase holsters and accessories but again, when you buy stuff without first handling it, sometimes it doesn’t work out for you. In most places you can also order and receive ammunition directly to your door from Internet vendors.

There are several websites that host firearms auctions and sales. There are also major firearms distributors who sell customer direct from their websites and ship the gun to a dealer close to you who has already agreed to handle the transfer for them.

Know The Law

You want to do the right thing and follow the law. Ask your local licensed gun dealer and also check with the state and local police either online or by calling if you have specific questions about the laws regarding purchasing and owning a gun.

Editor’s Note: This article is an excerpt from Gun Digest Shooter’s Guide to Concealed Carry, available now at GunDigestStore.com.

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