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Hands On! Alpen Apex Binoculars Great for Duty Use

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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Vickie Gardner, vice president of Alpen Outdoor Corporation, often tells people, “If you don’t want to throw your binoculars to someone else, you paid too much for them.”

Well, Gardner has good news for those who carry binoculars in hunting trucks, police cruisers, DNR trucks and on water patrols. The Alpen APEX binos, Model 495 offer 10×42 magnification in an amazingly small and tough package and the BAK4 glass and prism design bring startling clarity for a binocular that retails for about $350.  The folks at www.binoculars.com have this to say about Alpen products: “Alpen products feature the latest ergonomic designs, finest-quality glass and optical coatings, and cutting-edge technological advancements. Add Alpen's exceptional customer service and lifetime product warranty, and it's clear why Alpen products are all the rage in sports optics.”

All the rage? That’s likely because these are compact binoculars that provide bright, clear images and take the kind of punishment people other than birdwatchers dish out to their gear. The Apex binoculars weigh in at just 24 ounces and are waterproof and fogproof. The roof-prism design makes for a slim profile and the 304-foot field of view at 1,000 yards gives you a good look at distant objects. These binoculars provide all the durability and clarity of glass that costs twice the price. They will serve your needs.

If you want to get your hands on a pair of Alpen binoculars, check out www.alpenoutdoor.com.

 

Gun Digest is the national bi-weekly source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Our in-depth editorial, exclusive price guide and new product features, brings valuable information to our high profile subscribers. Subscribe Now!

Cowboy Up: Cowboy Action Shooting Primer

By
Dave Morelli
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A brief primer on cowboy action shooting, partner. The gun writer with no name gives today's gun fighters a run for their money.

Spring is when I get the cowboy shooting stuff in order.

The cowboys around here shoot all year, but the challenges of winter wind and sub-freezing temperatures make me think about more pleasant shooting in spring. Plus, cowboy shoots have more participants as the weather warms, and people are one of the biggest pleasures of cowboy action shooting.

You will have a difficult time finding a better caliber (pun intended) of people than cowboy shooters, and I look forward to shooting with these folks as much as I like levering rounds through my favorite Winchester.

Here’s a brief primer on cowboy action shooting.

The Cowboy Scene

Cowboy action shooting is governed by the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), which has sanctioned shoots divided into many categories. Aside from various shooting styles, there’s a division between black-powder shooters and smokeless-powder participants.

According to the SASS handbook, 12th edition, smokeless categories include Traditional, Modern, Duelist and Gunfighter. Black-powder categories are Frontier Cartridge, Frontiersman and Classic Cowboy/Cowgirl.  The B Western Category is like the open division, with flashy and fancy costumes.

There are also age divisions in cowboy action shooting. Juniors are 16 or younger, and are divided into Young Guns, 14 to 16, and Buckaroos, 13 and younger. Forty-Niners are 49 and older, seniors 60 and older, and Elder Statesmen/Grand Dames are 70 and older. There are also divisions for women.

Costuming is important at a cowboy match, and competitors must wear authentic garb throughout the shoot and ceremonies. It’s unique to the sport and part of the fun. No Cordura or nylon — only natural materials like cotton and lots of leather.

Get Your Six-Guns!

To get started in cowboy action shooting, you need two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun. The pistols must be single-action six shooters, and the type of sights will decide whether you shoot traditional or modern.

According to the rulebook, pistols with adjustable sights place you in the modern category. The Traditional category requires the blade for a front sight and a notch or slit in the frame or hammer for a rear sight.

Revolvers must be centerfire from .32 to .45 caliber and in common revolver calibers. Participants in the Buckaroo Category, for the youngest shooters, can use .22 rimfire calibers.

The rulebook lists the legal revolver for each shooting category, so if you’re just getting into the sport, that can help you decide which gun to choose. I’ve always liked traditional-type revolvers, which have fixed rear sights. I shoot in the Gunfighter category, and a traditional revolver is required for that.

The main revolver emulated in cowboy matches is the Colt Peacemaker Model 1873. Many shooters use Remington or Paterson conversions, but Colts are the one. A new-model Colt will easily cost you $1,300 or more, and you need two to compete.

Most shooters rely on modern replicas for match guns. Ruger remade the single-action-type revolver in the 1950s, and in the mad rush of cowboy shooting, the gun evolved into the Vaquero. The first Vaquero — now classified as the Old Vaquero — was replaced a few years ago by the New Vaquero.

Although it looks like a Colt Single Actions, the New Vaquero is profiled more like the Colt. The biggest difference is the grip size. The New Vaquero has a narrower grip, like the original Colt. The New Vaquero comes from the factory with a smooth trigger and opens to a chamber for reload stages.

The Vaquero differs from Colts in that the flat springs have been redesigned with coil springs, and the hammer is protected with a transfer bar. I have shot two Old Model Vaqueros with 4.625-inch barrels for about 10 years, and they are still going strong.

The transfer bar makes the revolver safe for six-shot carry. SASS rules dictate that only five rounds can be loaded in the revolver, and the hammer must rest on an empty chamber. That is for safety, as some shooters use original Colts and replicas that are not safe with six rounds. You can recognize the transfer bar by the profile of the hammer, because it doesn’t have the firing pin attached. Many modern replica manufacturers are switching to the transfer bar. Examples include Taurus’ Gaucho and Beretta’s Stampede.

The Italians gave us Spaghetti Westerns and excellent-quality old West replica handguns. Uberti and Pedersoli make excellent rifles and handguns, and several companies import these guns and then add special features to them. Cimarron, EMF Co., Taylor and Sons and Navy Arms import several varieties of revolvers that mimic old Colts but are much less expensive.

They also produce Schofield-type revolvers and replicas of some early conversions. Many cap-and-ball revolvers of yesteryear were converted to cartridges so folks could use existing parts and frames to meet the new technology. You might check out replicas of those guns if you wanted to emulate that time period.

Holstering revolvers in period-correct or B-Western style is also important. Leather will make or break your look. You can find leather in all price ranges, and it doesn’t hurt to start with less-expensive stuff until you determine your style and shooting category.

If you shoot Traditional or Duelist, you might want to go with a cross-draw for your second revolver, unless you plan to use a border-shift technique (drawing your weak-hand gun with your weak hand, shifting it to your strong hand to shoot and then returning it in reverse order).

If you shoot Gunfighter events, you will likely want a right-and-left holster, with the top of the gun forward on both. When I shoot a Traditional or Duelist match, I border-shift my weak hand gun.

Rifles at the Ready

The rifle is probably the most romantic weapon of the old West. The lever gun is the symbol of the West and is still a tactically sound defensive rifle. With a little practice, you can fire a lever carbine as quickly as you can line up the next target. Some shooters are so fast that their brass lines up on the side of the rifle just like with a semiautomatic.

Rifle selection depends on the category you intend to shoot. In general, a rifle must be a lever- or slide-action manufactured about 1860 to 1899, with a tube magazine and an exposed hammer. The calibers must be a pistol caliber for main-match shooting. The .25-20 and .56-50 are exceptions. It’s wise to have your competition pistol and rifles be the same caliber. That comes in handy when reloading ammo, as all your supplies are the same.

Experienced cowboy competitors have several favorite rifles. Early Winchesters had a toggle-action operation system, which still makes for a smooth, fast lever gun. The 1860, 1866 and 1873 Henry rifles are period correct, and the lever is as fast as on newer models. I like the 1873 iron-frame. Many shooters are putting short-stroke kits in these to decrease the travel of the lever to chamber a round. They are SASS-legal within certain specifications.

The Marlin and Winchester 1894 models are great cowboy guns. Even though the Winchester is out of production, you’ll always see a few at every shoot. It has a smooth action and is a great shooter. The Marlin is still in production, and you can’t go wrong with one of the company’s cowboy series rifles.

My club has an SASS-sanctioned Black-Powder Blow Out every spring. I normally don’t shoot black powder, but I like this match. For this, I prefer toggle models, such as the 1873, because they are simple to take apart.

In black-powder matches, there’s a good chance you will have to hose out the action between stages, as it might foul up and make the lever difficult to work. Also, this makes cleaning the gun after the match easier, as complete disassembly is easy.

I shoot smokeless and black powder in my 1873, but you must not use smokeless loads with pressures that are too high. I shoot the same smokeless load in my rifle as my pistol, which produces about 750 feet per second with Hogdgon TiteGroup.

Shotguns, Too

Shotguns are also category-specific for some shooters. Generally, folks use any side-by-side or single-barrel shotgun from 1860 to 1899 without automatic ejectors. Guns can be box-lock or external-hammer guns with single or double triggers.

Lever-action, single-barrel, tube-feed exposed-hammer guns of the period are OK, but the only slide-action allowed is the 1897 Winchester original or replica. Various categories require that only certain shotguns can be used. For example, the Frontiersman category requires a side-by-side or lever-action shotgun. All guns are shot with black powder.

Until recently, you could find an original shotgun for a good price. I just found a smoking deal on GunBroker.com for an original 1897 from 1905. I had to remove a poly choke and reface the barrel, but it was well worth the time. It’s very cool to shoot matches with an original gun. (That goes for pistols and rifles, too.)

Stoeger is still a good choice for double-barreled shotguns, and the Chinese make 1897 replicas that are a less expensive option than originals. Remington markets some inexpensive doubles that are good for cowboys.

Shotguns can only be loaded with two rounds at a time. That keeps pumps equal with doubles. Also, it’s wise to have a spare shotgun, especially if you travel far to shoot. Some originals are finicky and can break down. The same goes for the newer replicas.

One thing about cowboys is there will always be folks that let you borrow a gun to finish a match, even if you shoot better than they do. It’s the cowboy way.

Cowboy Practice

I have always shot in the Gunfighter class, except when I just wanted to do something different. My mentors always told me to practice with my weak hand, and I stress this to my students, too.

Shooting as a gunfighter has made me do that. Plus, it’s cool to shoot like gunfighters in the movies. The biggest problem I had is lining up the sights. Now, no matter the type of gun I’m shooting, my scores are better with both hands because I’ve trained my eye to go from gun to gun.

I live pretty far from any practice matches, so I don’t get to practice as much as I’d like. However, Action Targets makes some high-quality steel targets suitable for cowboy shooting. Cut them in round or cowboy configurations.

DS Welding also makes targets, including the Original Bird/Can Thrower, which is a shotgun target. I missed a similar pop-up target during a match once. By practicing more, the pop-up is dead meat.

Having a few targets around keeps me in shape when I can’t make it to practice matches.
Action Target also has a new hostage target that’s a silhouette plate with a 4- or 5-inch rotating target that goes back and forth when hit in the disc of the head. That gives a cowboy shooter a big, fast, precision target. It’s a fun, challenging addition to a cowboy shoot.

All cowboy matches require all-lead bullets. You can mold your own, but with companies such as LaserCast and Meister around, I don’t bother. It gives me more time to pour lead for my buffalo gun.

Give it a Try

Cowboy shooting is one of the fastest-growing shooting sports, and it’s easy to see why. It’s more fun than a tree full of young hoot owls. Shooting guns has been a part of my work for years, and to get dressed up like a cowboy, mountain man or B-Western hero and shoot guns in old West scenarios with like-minded grown-up adolescents is just plain fun. In fact, that’s the whole idea behind cowboy shooting — having fun.

Gun Review: S&W 317 AirLite

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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1
The Smith & Wesson AirLite achieves its remarkable 9.9-oz. weight through a combination of carbon steel, aluminum and Titanium alloys. The author says the gun feels like it's made of molded styrofoam.
The Smith & Wesson AirLite achieves its remarkable 9.9-oz. weight through a combination of carbon steel, aluminum and Titanium alloys. The author says the gun feels like it's made of molded styrofoam.

Innovations in firearms — real innovations — almost seem to be a thing of the past, don’t they?

I mean, imagine for a moment this is 1910. In the past five years, you would have witnessed the introduction of the Browning Auto-5, the first successful semiauto shotgun; the Remington Model 8, the first successful semiauto high-power rifle; and the Standard Model G, the first gas-operated autoloading rifle. What’s more, the Colt Model 1911 pistol and Winchester Model 12 pump shotgun would be just around the corner.

What a great time to be a shooter. Every day, it seemed, one of the big companies came out with something truly new and extraordinary.

It’s different today, of course. Today we work ourselves into a lather about this new cartridge, that new frame alloy, this new camo pattern or that new laser sight. Nothing wrong with that; these are improvements, and we’re properly appreciative of them. But true innovations — that kind that make you go all squishy inside — are few indeed.

My last squishy moment came in Fall 1997 at the old Bristol Sporting Goods store in northern Indiana. My mother had just died, and I was looking for a little trifle to distract my father from his troubles. All of a sudden, there it was in front of me: a brand-new Smith & Wesson Model 317 AirLite .22 snubbie.

Feeling Squishy

I had heard Smith & Wesson had introduced some new super-lightweight revolver but hadn’t actually seen one yet. I suppose I was expecting something like the old 15-ounce Colt Cobra, but when the guy behind the counter handed the AirLite to me, my first reaction was, “You gotta be kidding.”

This couldn’t possibly be a real gun — it was more like those super-loud Wasp capguns we had when I was a child; the ones that took plastic caps molded in a round, red little ringlet.

That little J-frame has now passed from my father back to me. In fact, it’s sitting on my desk as I write this, and my reaction is the same as when I first laid eyes on it: You gotta be kidding. It’s an early one with a serial number lower than 2,000, and it pretty much matches its description that appeared in the catalog section of the 1999 Gun Digest:

Smith & Wesson Model 317 AirLite, 317 LadySmith Revolvers.
Caliber: .22 LR, eight-shot.
Barrel: 1-7/8 inches.
Weight: 9.9 ounces.
Length: 6-3/16 inches overall.
Stock: Dymondwood Boot or Uncle Mike’s Boot.
Sights: serrated ramp front, fixed notch rear.
Features: aluminum alloy, carbon and stainless steels, and titanium construction. Short spur hammer, smooth combat trigger. Clear Cote finish. Introduced 1997. Made in U.S. by Smith & Wesson.
Price: With Uncle Mike’s Boot grip: $451.
Price: With Dymondwood Boot grip: $484.
Price: Model 317 LadySmith (Dymondwood only, comes with display case): $505.

I still have the receipt for my Model 317, and it says I paid $449 for it — nearly full retail. I never buy guns for anything near the manufacturer's suggested retail price, so I must have been very impressed with the AirLite. I still am, come to think of it.

Remarkable Combination

Many have rightfully questioned the usefulness of an 8-shot .22 LR revolver. Aside from their effectiveness as a self-defense gun, the author sees value for the savvy collector.
Many have rightfully questioned the usefulness of an 8-shot .22 LR revolver. Aside from their effectiveness as a self-defense gun, the author sees value for the savvy collector.

Gun Digest must have been asleep at the switch in 1996 and 1997. It didn’t get around to mentioning the AirLite in print until the 1999 edition, and that was limited to a single sentence in the “Handguns Today” section by Hal Swiggett:

“[At the SHOT Show], the one that caught my eye was the Model 317 AirLite, an eight-shot .22 with 2-inch barrel, weighing only 9.9 ounces.”

In my opinion, the AirLite rated much more of a hullabaloo than that; maybe something on the order of a 72-point banner headline screaming: “S&W INTRODUCES LIGHTEST DA REVOLVER EVER!”

That’s pretty much what the AirLite was. Its most similar predecessor was the old aluminum-framed, nine-shot Hi-Standard Sentinel .22 snubby, which came in at around 16 ounces with a 2-inch barrel.

The Sentinel was a great gun (notwithstanding its tendency to shoot high at almost any distance), but compared to the AirLite, it was a bloated heavyweight.

The AirLite achieved its remarkable weight by a combination of carbon steel (barrel, hammer and trigger) and aluminum or titanium alloys (everything else), plus strategically placed milled-out areas (grip strap and trigger guard). In all, it adds up — or subtracts down — to a revolver that feels like it’s made of molded Styrofoam.

Early as it is, my M317 didn’t come from the first production run. According to Supica & Nahas in Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (Krause Publications, naturally), the earliest Model 317s carried a serial number prefix of “ULT,” which was followed quickly by the “LGT” prefix. The Model 317-1 designation was used for the still-later adjustable-sight versions and a very rare 2-inch snubby with a stainless-steel barrel manufactured in 2000. Only 120 of those were made, so it’s the rarest of the AirLites. (If you find one, buy it. Better yet, tell me where I can buy it.)

Mixed Reviews

Current opinion of the M317 AirLite is mixed. It’s one of those love-it-or-hate-it things. I love it, of course. Others find fault with its sleeved barrel; plastic-looking Clear Cote finish; short, sharp hammer spur, which makes single-action operation uncomfortable at best; and its stippled serial and model number on the crane recess and butt.

Still others say the Model 317 AirLite is a gun without a purpose.

“What good is an eight-shot, fixed-sight .22 snubby?” they ask.

That’s a pretty good question, one for which I have no ready answer. The AirLite is a descendant of the original Model 34 Kit Gun, which in my opinion is probably the finest, most gracefully economical .22 revolver ever built. The original Kit Gun, as you will recall, had an adjustable rear sight, even in its 2-inch version — quite a desirable feature if you shoot a variety of .22 ammo and really like to dial 'em in there.

Smith & Wesson must have recognized that right off the bat, because in 1998, it introduced the Model 317 AirLite Kit Gun, an adjustable-sight version of the original AirLite with a 3-inch barrel. So where does that leave the plain old M317 AirLite?

The only possible answer is that it was intended as a supremely portable self-defense bellygun. This supposition is supported by the AirLite’s combat grips and bobbed hammer spur. It even has a crosspin for a lanyard concealed in the outline of its grip frame, I suppose if you literally wanted to tie one on.

Shideler would prefer a .32, .38 or .45 ACP for personal defense, but if he had to use the S&W AirLite .22 LR he would grab some Aguila 60-grain .22 SSS, or Sniper Sub-Sonic (left).
Shideler would prefer a .32, .38 or .45 ACP for personal defense, but if he had to use the S&W AirLite .22 LR he would grab some Aguila 60-grain .22 SSS, or Sniper Sub-Sonic (left).

Regrettably, any discussion of the AirLite as a self-defense gun begins and ends with its .22 LR chambering. I’m a big believer in the .22 LR, but if I knew I’d need a defense gun in the next two minutes, I’d reach for a .38 Special or, at a minimum, a .32 ACP (and that’s assuming a .45 Colt is out of reach). The AirLite must have been intended for a consumer who prefers revolvers, believes in the stopping power of eight .22 LRs, will be shooting only at combat distances or puts light weight above any other characteristic. That’s a pretty skinny demographic.

If I were to carry the AirLite as a defense gun, I’d probably stoke it full of the Aguila 60-grain (that’s right, 60-grain) .22 SSS Sniper Sub-Sonic .22 LR ammo rather than something like a CCI stinger. I don’t really trust any of the hyper-velocity .22s to expand reliably out of a 2-inch barrel, but I’m pretty sure that Aguila’s 60-grainer would burrow in pretty deep.

Or maybe S&W introduced the AirLite just to show the world only it could build a 9.9-ounce revolver. If that was the case, well all right then. It's a good enough reason for me, but the fact remains that I don’t see many first-generation Model 317 Airlites, new or used, floating around out there. To me, that’s one earmark of a sleeper-in-waiting.

How does the AirLite shoot? Who cares? It’s a belly gun, so you’re pretty sure to hit any belly you’re aiming at, especially if that belly, like mine, resembles something that blew up in Lakehurst, N.J., in 1937. Oh, the humanity.

The Current Scene

The Model 317 AirLite still exists in the S&W lineup in the form of the original 2-inch, fixed-sight bellygun, and as an updated kit gun with a 3-inch barrel, adjustable rear sight and HI-VIZ front sight. Both versions have the now-familiar-but-nevertheless-ugly S&W safety lock just above the cylinder release. Suggested retail is $672 and $735, respectively (ouch). Street pricing runs from five to six big bills. (Ouch again.)

I’m the last person to suggest that you should run out and buy a brand-new AirLite for $500 or $600. But if you’re offered a good deal on one, you might consider it. If nothing else, it’s the finest cap gun ever made.

Hands On! AOM150 Paratrooper Model Revives a Classic

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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Who loves the M-1 Carbine?  Everyone. And for lots of different reasons.

Now, The M-1 Carbine Paratrooper Model is back. The Auto-Ordinance division of Kahr Arms began production of a M-1 Carbine replica in 2005 and thanks to consumer demand has worked diligently to recreate the Paratrooper Model. It is now ready for the public.

This .30 caliber rifle with a walnut stock and folding buttstock is as true a reproduction of the original as can be made.

With an overall open length of 35-3/4 inches and an 18-inch barrel, the AOM150 folds down to 25 ¾ inches.  It comes equipped with a blade front sight and flip-style rear sight.  The AOM150 weighs in at only 5 pounds, 6 ounces and retails for $965. Guns are shipping now.

And right, they may not be the perfect man-stopper and the folding stock means they won't be tack-drivers, but they are fun to shoot and reflect a piece of American history that should not be forgotten.

More than 5 million M-1 Carbines were made during WWII and the gun is still very popular with shooters and collectors, but prices for original model paratrooper guns have skyrocketed.

The AOM150 will fill that niche for collectors who love to shoot the little rifle and shooters who want to add an interesting piece of American history to their collections.

To get your hands on one of the great guns, check out www.tommygun.com and www.kahr.com.

 

Gun Digest is the national bi-weekly source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Our in-depth editorial, exclusive price guide and new product features, brings valuable information to our high profile subscribers. Subscribe Now!

Handgun Maintenance for Reliability

By
Dave Morelli
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0

A few years ago, I was shooting a basic pistol course at Gunsite with a Sig P 220 ST. The course lasted a week, and instructors recommended that each student bring at least 1,000 rounds of ammo. Some students actually shot more (I fired about 1,100 rounds). The Sig is an extremely reliable pistol, so I figured the course provided a good chance to see how long the gun would last without cleaning before it started to malfunction.

The test wasn’t very scientific, but about halfway through the course, I started to experience failures in extraction and the slide closing. It was nothing major — just enough to make you nervous. Actually, that was perfect, because we worked on clearing jams, and my problems provided good training. That night, a good cleaning solved all the problems.

A dirty gun will eventually start to affect reliability. Because you don’t know when you’ll need your weapon, it’s imperative to keep it cleaned and lubricated after each shooting session.

I once read that Wild Bill Hickok used to shoot the loads out of his Navy revolvers every morning, clean them and reload the guns for the day. That’s a bit paradoxical, because the only reason he had to clean the guns is because he shot them to unload them. Wild Bill believed that his equipment should be ready in case of an unexpected assault.

We must take care of our guns so they can take care of us. With modern products, that’s not a time-consuming process, and it can be done in minutes after shooting.

Break Them Down, Clean Them Up

The first thing I do with my pistols is break them down to the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning condition. That usually means removing the slide, barrel and spring from the frame. With a single-action revolver, the cylinder comes out of the frame. Of course, that’s unnecessary with a double-action revolver. I don’t dismantle the entire frame every cleaning unless something happened to warrant it, like dropping the gun in water or sand. Don’t laugh — it happens. I like the fact that you can take the barrel out of a pistol to clean it. I think that lets me do a better job.

A gun bore is extremely sensitive to mistreatment. I like to clean every bore with the same care as I would a sniper rifle. Many people use bore snakes nowadays, and those do a good job cleaning bores. I’m a bit old-fashioned and like to scrub out the bore with a brush and patches. Also, I shoot lead bullets in my .45 and 10 mm, and even though lead is really hard these days, it usually leaves some fouling you must remove. In my cowboy guns, through which I frequently shoot lead, there comes a point when accuracy goes out the window because of lead build-up. Therefore, those guns get a quality scrub after every shooting session.

My semiautos shoot copper and lead, as I shoot defensive ammo. However, I don’t depend on the copper to push out all the lead because I don’t believe it does. Besides, copper also leaves deposits that must be removed.

I give the barrel a good soaking with Shooter’s Choice, which I have been using for many years. The company makes solvents for lead and copper. Hoppe’s has been around since I can remember, and I still use No. 9 and other products. I like Bench Rest 9 copper solvent when I use jacketed bullets.

Regardless of which solvent I use, I’ll wet a patch, spread it out in the barrel and then set the barrel aside to soak. Then, I work on the frame of a pistol or cylinder of a single-action. While that’s soaking, I spread solvent on other parts that need to soak. I believe solvent works better the longer it’s on fouling.

For many years, I’ve worn surgical gloves when using solvents. These substances are notorious for permeating skin, and as much as I use the stuff, I think gloves are a wise precaution. A box of 100 gloves costs about $6 bucks and lasts a long time. The ones without powder and are a little thicker work great. They are really useful around the shop to keep junk off your hands.

I use brass brushes exclusively, even on my pistols. If fouling won’t come off with brass, it won’t come off with stainless steel. The trick is to be persistent and keep scrubbing. Brass wears easier on the bore, too. I also use brass toothbrush-type brushes on the frame and around the cylinder and forcing cone. Nylon is OK, too, but hammered-on fouling around the forcing cone of a single-action will come off faster with a brass bristle brush.

After a good scrubbing with brass, I send another wet patch down the barrel and around the frame and other areas and then brush it again. Usually, I make 10 to 15 strokes in the barrel and make sure the other spots are visibly clean. Then, I run a few dry patches down the barrel and wipe off the external spots. I look down the barrel with a light. Usually, you can see lead deposits along the edge of the rifling. Copper deposits will show up as green stains on the patches. When the green disappears, the copper is pretty much cleaned up. I repeat these steps the patch comes out of the barrel clean.

After I’m happy with the barrel and other spots, I run some JB Non-Embedding Bore Cleaning Compound down the barrel. I get it from Brownell’s, and it’s amazing stuff. Even if my patches are coming out of the bore clean, I can run some of this through the barrel on a patch, and the patch comes out black.

When selecting a cleaning rod, it’s wise to use a material that is softer than steel. Many are made of aluminum or polymers. The idea is to have something that will yield to the steel of the bore if you accidentally bump the crown. The rod should be relatively stiff so it doesn’t bend and rub the inside of the bore. Brownell’s catalog has too many bore and chamber guides to list here. Most are very inexpensive and should be used during every cleaning job.

Rifles should be cleaned from the chamber side, if possible, and a chamber guide will help you avoid damage to the throat. If you’re cleaning a lever gun or revolver you must enter through the muzzle, a cleaning rod with a guide will keep the rod lined up and protect the crown.

Make sure your other disassembly tools don’t damage gun parts. A good hollow-ground screwdriver set is a must. These sets are so inexpensive nowadays that every gun owner should have one.

The Versa Tool by Wilson Combat is one tool I always keep in my 1911 bag. It’s a pocket-sized tool kit with everything to dismantle a 1911. It’s great for quick repairs on the line or quick cleanings during a hunting trip or other mission. As a 1911 fan, I’m never without one.

Down to Parts

When it’s time to break the gun down to a pile of parts, I still clean the aforementioned parts the same way. I use solvent to clean all the small trigger parts and springs. If you don’t like the smell of solvents, you can also remove dried oil and crud with Simple Green. It does a good job but removes all the oil, so the metal will have to be relubed to avoid rust.

If you’re not familiar with the full disassembly of your pistol, take it to a good gunsmith for this cleaning. Some guns will go back together several ways, but only one will let it function.

When I take an action down completely, I clean each part and lightly oil it with Break Free oil. I rub the oil into each part so it gets into the metal, keeping it slippery and protected. I use Brownell’s Moly Paste on the sear and trigger surfaces because it’s a dry lubricant. It will not collect grime and dust like oil does, and it works its way into the metal and decreases wear to make the trigger feel better.

After I reassemble the gun, I rub a rag impregnated with Break Free over the outer surfaces. This leaves a very light protective coat on the finish of the gun but doesn’t feel oily. This is important to protect the surface of a carry gun, especially one with a blue finish. Sweat from carrying in warm climates will attack a finish like saltwater.

If you plan to store the gun, place it in a case that will protect it. Boyt makes Tactical cases that protect against corrosion. The copper-infused lining was developed to protect vehicles being shipped overseas against salty ocean winds. I have a pistol case that holds my Springfields, six magazines, a Versa Tool and some cleaning supplies. Also, I can carry it in a bigger Tactical Bag. For a SWAT operator, this is a great case for call-outs.

During warmer months, I shoot at least once a week and clean my carry pistols relatively often. Remember to keep an eye on a carry pistol you don’t shoot often. During winter, lint and dust from clothing builds up around the trigger and hammer areas. I’ve even found it in the mechanism during complete cleanings. Usually, I blow lint out with compressed air, and if I have a lot of lint, I’ll pull it down and wipe everything off. If I carry my pistol in dusty conditions in an external holster, I clean it up occasionally, even though I haven’t fired it. I was really fussy with my duty pistol and touched it up often.

There’s a faster way to clean the complex parts of a gun without tearing it apart: gun-blaster-type products. These do not replace full disassembly and cleaning, but they help you in a pinch. Hoppe’s makes one, as do Tetra and Birchwood-Casey. These have cleaning fluids in pressurized spray cans, and melt crud and blow it out of the action. When it dries, it leaves a dry action with no oil, so the action requires some lubrication. The trick is to lubricate action parts lightly, without gobbing on too much oil. Too much of even the best lubricant will attract dirt and grit and cause problems.

You can also clean handguns with a solvent tank and compressed air. At the police firearms range, we had a huge parts washer filled with Hoppes No. 9. We field-stripped our guns after qualifying and soaked them down. We had to remove the grips from the gun, but the solvent saturated all the parts. Then, we brushed out fouling with brass bore brushes and toothbrush-type brushes. Excess solvent was then blown out with compressed air and dried off with a cloth. We lightly oiled our guns, and they were ready for duty.

A small parts washer is very inexpensive. I use a tabletop model in my shop for cleaning gun parts. These can be used in lieu of spray-can blasters. Be careful where the solvent blows, and make sure there’s adequate ventilation. If vapor odor is a problem, you can fill the parts washer with Simple Green.

Shooters often forget about magazines, but they also require frequent care. Faulty magazines cause most semiauto malfunctions. Wipe mags clean of dust, and remove fouling from the feed ramp. Most magazines can be taken apart and cleaned. It’s amazing how much dust collects inside them. Be careful not to bend the feed lips when taking them apart. Occasionally, I shoot carry ammo in the magazines and replace it with fresh rounds. That gives me practice with my carry stuff and rotates ammo on which I might have to depend.

Keep Them Running

Maintenance is the key to reliability and weapon longevity. Guns are machines that are prone to malfunction. Design has relieved many flaws, but proper maintenance will keep a defensive tool running when you need it most.

Custom-1911

The Custom 1911

Learn how to ask the right questions when purchasing your 1911 pistol, and make an informed, intelligent decision with the wealth of information provided in The Custom 1911 by Bill Loëb. Because this ever-popular pistol has been produced by more companies than any other firearm in history, the available options may at first seem intimidating. Wade through the vast availability of the 1911 pistol, and grow in your understanding of the main differences between the abundance of custom shops.

Gun Review: Wilson Combat Standard Model

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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0

While there is a bit of debate concerning the role of the shotgun in police work, there is no debate about the fight-stopping power that comes through a 12-gauge bore. And if there is one universal sound that signals things are getting really serious, it is the sound of someone racking the slide on a combat shotgun.

So, with that in mind, if you need a shotgun for self-defense, police work or military operations, you want something that will never fail you. Get your hands on a Wilson Combat Standard Model.

The Standard Model incorporates the features most shooters look for in defensive shotguns. The 18-inch cylinder-bore barrel with a 3-inch magnum chamber will handle any ammunition, including less-lethal rounds if you go that route. The magazine tube holds seven rounds and comes complete with an extra-power heavy-duty stainless magazine spring for sure shell feeding in any situation, and a high-visibility, non-binding follower to indicate an empty-magazine tube at a glance. You can also get a four- or six- round receiver-mounted Sidesaddle shell carrier

For sure grip and target illumination, the Standard model offers a synthetic butt stock and fore-grip. The fore-grip includes a 6-volt SureFire Tactical Light with 11,000 candlepower. Wilson offers a standard buttstock length, with an optional shorter buttstock – or your choice of an optional Knoxx SpecOps Stock or AR collapsible stock.

Other included features are a jumbo-head safety, multi-purpose tactical sling, buttstock sling swivel and a rigid magazine tube front sling mount. Wilson's adjustable TRAK-LOCK. Ghost Ring rear sight is paired with a ramp-type front sight with a tritium self-luminous insert for fast and accurate aiming.

We started shooting this gun offhand at 25 yards, but it was so smooth and accurate, we started backing up and when it was still on target out to 200 yards, we figured that would be “acceptable combat accuracy.” The cylinder bore consistently put all the pellets from 00 buck into a 19-inch wide target and the pistol grip made control a dream.

Retail prices start in the $1200 range. To get your hands on a Wilson Combat Standard Model, check out www.wilsoncombat.com.

 

Gun Digest is the national bi-weekly source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Our in-depth editorial, exclusive price guide and new product features, brings valuable information to our high profile subscribers. Subscribe Now!

Free M-16s! A Tactical Bargain for Law Enforcement

By
Scott Wagner
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0

February 28, 1997 changed the way law enforcement officers and more importantly, their administrators, viewed the deployment of rifles in the field.

A Wake Up Call

That was the date of the Great Los Angeles Bank Robbery. Using fully automatic 7.62 x 39 caliber rifles, two heavily armored and armed robbers shot it out with members of the L.A.P.D. 200 officers responded to the robbery with 9mm pistols and 12 gauge shotguns loaded with 00 buckshot.

As we all know, the officer’s weapons were almost totally ineffective against the robbers. While awaiting the arrival of SWAT, two officers borrowed AR-15’s graciously loaned to them by an area gun shop. Unfortunately one of the officers wasn’t familiar with the AR-15 weapons system, and was unable to use the rifle. The other rifle didn’t have an effect on the final outcome, but the tactical thinking was quite correct-buckshot and handgun rounds are ineffective against armored suspects!

Prior to the LAPD incident, there was a gradual movement towards arming officers with pistol caliber carbines of either 9mm, .40 Smith and Wesson, or .45 ACP calibers. While these weapons found favor because they offered more accuracy than a handgun and reduced recoil compared to a shotgun, they offered no serious ballistic advantage.

Even if LAPD officers were armed with these carbines, they still would have been ineffective against the armor worn by the robbers. The shootout made it clear that pistol caliber carbines were not the solution to a heavily armed criminal element.

In a big ceremony and news conference after the shootout, the LAPD that received a donation of some 200 surplus M-16’s from the military. These full auto weapons were received with fanfare but not immediately deployed due to policy considerations (L.A. certainly didn’t need street officers spraying full-auto weapons around town). This was a watershed moment, because it made the M-16 an acceptable and necessary police tool, and caused it to become the pre-eminent law-enforcement rifle system.

While the AR-15 hasn’t supplanted the shotgun in the patrol car, it certainly has supplemented it. Prior to the L.A. shootout, it was thought by administrations that the 5.56 mm caliber was too powerful and penetrative for urban/suburban use. However advances in controlled-expansion ammunition and ballistic testing proved that the 9mm fired from a carbine-length barrel provided MORE risk of over-penetration than the 5.56 mm with the right bullet, eliminating liability concerns.

Not only is the AR-15 being issued in the field as a general-duty patrol rifle, but in the shortened M-4 versions, has gained favor over previously utilized entry weapons like the venerable HK-MP5.

In addition to the superiority of 5.56 mm over the 9mm, the AR-15 operating system is much more familiar to the new and welcome influx of combat veterans from Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan into the police ranks. The only thing holding most agencies back from widespread issuance of the AR system has been cost.

For the price of one quality AR-Rifle from the major manufacturers, a department can purchase two to four police shotguns, depending on make. They also could purchase two (or more) pistol-caliber carbines. In this day of ever-decreasing budgets, what can a department do to equip its officer’s with the AR-15 system for either patrol or tactical use when the cost is so high? The answer is the Department of Defense 1033 Weapons Program.

Outfitting Your Agency

The DOD through your individual state Law Enforcement Support Office, (which can be found by typing in DOD 1033 Program on an internet search engine), will provide your agency with a quantity of M-16 A1 full-auto rifles in an amount commensurate with your department’s number of sworn officers and the population of your jurisdiction.

The total cost is approximately $24 per rifle in shipping from the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. The only condition to this donation is that the M-16s remain DOD property. They cannot be sold by your agency or traded in since they are not technically yours. If your agency no longer needs them, they are required to be returned to the DOD in originally issued condition.

This doesn’t mean that you cannot modify them; it means that when you return them, they have to be in original condition.

My agency, the Union County Sheriff’s Office in Marysville, Ohio, decided to make application for a grant of M-16s. Newly elected Sheriff Rocky Nelson recognized the fact that while our patrol area is still mostly rural, our deputies are beginning to encounter urban type threats and approved the application. We applied for 15 rifles and were granted 10.

Although our policy is not complete as of this writing, we envision the rifles being deployed for both tactical team and patrol use, and converted to fire in semi-auto mode only.

The ordering process was relatively simple. The rifles were shipped directly to our office a short time after application was made. The rifles came packaged in individual cardboard boxes and were separated into their upper and lower receiver halves. Each half was wrapped in what appeared to be a Mylar type silver wrapping paper. Included in the box was a new sling and a 30-round magazine, each wrapped packaged in clear plastic.

The rifle itself is the A1 model. This means that it has the triangular Vietnam-era handguards, simple but rugged A-1 rear sight adjustable for windage only, forward assist with no case deflector, birdcage type flash suppressor, shorter than current issue buttstock (which is great for the smaller-stature officer or tactical officer wearing heavy body armor), and the original light 6.5 lb weight afforded by the skinny A-1 barrel configuration. Rate of twist is 1 in 12.

The condition of the rifle was very good to excellent for a military weapon this old. Stored since approximately 1975, there was some minor exterior rust and white aluminum oxidation on the receiver that was easily wiped off. Interior parts were in very good shape showing little sign of wear. The weapon was bone dry from lack of lubrication in storage, but showed no signs of abuse or neglect.

After the rifles arrived, the question was how can turn this basic weapon into a more modern tactical weapon in the most economical way, especially with the condition of not permanently modifying it? Also, what needed to be done to it to optimize it for patrol?

Testing the Weapons

In our opinion, all we needed to do was to add a high intensity flashlight and a red-dot type optical system. To accomplish the mounting of these systems, I turned to Troy Storch at Midwest Industries. He sent me their MCTAR-15-04 Tactical Light Mount and their MCT-A2C A2 Adjustable Cantilever Optics Mounts.

The Tactical Light Mount is a solid, well engineered system that mounts on any AR-15 with a standard front sight. The mount provides a Picatinny mounting surface on either side of the front sight, and lists at only $34.99. A Surefire G-2 Nitrolon 65 lumen light was attached by single scope ring to the mount. Using the G-2 in this position requires no separate pressure switch; it is operated with the support hand thumb. The G-2 is priced at $34.99. The Cantilever Optics Mount is billet machined from 6061aluminum and is hard coat anodized. It is adjustable and allows co-witnessing between the optics and iron sights. It mounts via a single bolt through the hole in the AR’s carry handle, and is secured by a wide, flat nut designed for easy hand tightening. Price is $116.95.

For testing purposes a personally owned Leatherwood Hi-Lux Red Dot sight from Bushmaster was mounted. This excellent red-dot sight is only $79.95. Total for this basic tactical weapons system? About $280. Of course with the myriad of options available for
AR’s these days, even more customization can be done to it if desired.

After a thorough cleaning, (which made the rifle look as good as new) by Cpl. Matt Warden, we took one of the M-16’s to the range on a very cold March morning and mounted all the hardware. We had a limited test time, and purposes of the testing were three-fold.

First, we wanted to determine the functionality and reliability of these M-16’s, second, to select the most accurate duty load for the M-16 and third, to test that load against an automobile to determine effectiveness against hard targets.

We had only limited time for all three tests. As the M-16’s would be configured to semi-auto only for issuance to deputies in the field we started with some very basic accuracy testing. Full auto fun time, er, testing, would wait until later.

Checking of basic accuracy was important because there was no way of knowing how many rounds have been sent downrange from any of these weapons. The bores look reasonably good but there are no accuracy guarantees. Speaking of bores, as I mentioned earlier, the twist rate is the old 1 in 12 inch rate rather than the 1 in 7 or 1 in 9. This means that the bore can only stabilize bullets with weights of 55 grains or less. While heavier bullet weights for police and military use seem to be a must these days, one is absolutely limited to a weight of 55 grains or less in these rifles. This lack of stabilization of heavy bullets by a 1 in 12 twist barrel was borne out when firing some 62-grain NATO green tip ammo during testing against the automobile. Out of 30 rounds fired, 10 hit the car door exactly sideways, leaving a perfect cookie-cutter outline of the bullet in the door. Not exactly what one wants in terms of accuracy or ballistic performance.

Being limited to 55-grain projectiles is really no problem. Since our law enforcement rifle engagement distances average less than 50 yards, using bullets in the heavier weight ranges that may perform well to 400 yards really aren’t necessary. Nor should our officers be firing at anyone with open-sighted rifles at those distances anyway!

We tested two of the best 55-grain duty loads available-Hornady’s TAP and Winchester’s Ballistic Silvertip, along with Winchester 55-grain FMJ rounds. Five-shot groups were fired. Accuracy of all loads tested was adequate, but not stellar. Several factors affected testing that day. Cold weather with light snow compounded firing prone unsupported. We also used plain brown IPSC cardboard targets against the same colored backstop, and it was hard to maintain a consistent point of aim. Groups ended up hovering around 2 to 3 inches at 50 yards using either the open sights or the Hi-Lux Red-Dot.

I am certain that with a sandbagged bench and better weather conditions and target, groups would improve. One other thing to keep in mind; the M-16A1 was never a tack driver. That is why the A2 was introduced, to improve accuracy at extended range. You simply cannot get sniper rifle accuracy from these rifles but you certainly will get accuracy on par with that of the Ruger Mini-14 for example, which is more than adequate for patrol or close quarters entry use.

In terms of ballistic performance the TAP and Ballistic Silvertip rounds did very well against the auto, a Pontiac Grand AM. Fired through the windshield, each round penetrated front and rear seats, and came to rest denting the inside of the trunk. They did as well on shots through the driver’s door, passing through it and into the passenger door, causing a dimple on the exterior sheet metal of the passenger door. Ideal performance, in our opinion.

This offer from the DOD is one of the best ever made to law enforcement. Every agency interested in 5.56 caliber patrol or tactical rifles should apply for these weapons.

Out of several hundred rounds of practice and duty ammo fired (much of it with FMJ ammo in full-auto mode), there was not one malfunction, even when the weapon became very hot to the touch. If you never handled an M-16 in the A1 configuration, you will be pleasantly surprised. Its light weight allows it to swing into action quickly, and we didn’t find its 4 inches of additional barrel length over the M-4 to be a hindrance in clearing rooms. It might not be quite as maneuverable as an M-4 with the stock collapsed, but is certainly is a capable performer If you choose, you can even keep it in the full-auto configuration, which after the test firing, was tempting but for us out of the question and really not necessary. Don’t miss out, contact your State Law Enforcement Support Agency today.

— Scott Wagner is a Professor and Police Academy Commander at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio. A 26-year law enforcement veteran, he is a Special Deputy at the Union County Sheriff’s Office in Marysville, Ohio where he works in patrol and training, and is a member of the SRT Team. He welcomes your comments at swagner@cscc.edu.

Resources:

Midwest Industries Inc.
833 West College Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186
Phone:(262)896-6780 Fax:(262)896-6756
https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com

Bushmaster Firearms Inc.
999 Roosevelt Trail
Windham, ME 04062
https://www.bushmaster.com

SureFire LLC
18300 Mount Baldy Circle
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Toll Free: 800-828-8809
Email: helpyou@surefire.com
https://www.surefire.com

Hornady Mfg. Co.
Box 1848
Grand Island, NE 68802-1848
1-800-338-3220
https://www.hornady.com

Winchester Ammunition
Att: Product Services
427 N. Shamrock St.
East Alton, IL 62024.
https://www.winchester.com

Hands On! Trijicon Reflex Gets You On Target, Fast

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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0
Now I'll be the first to admit that a prairie dog shoot might not be the best place to test a superfast combat style optical sight for an AR-style rifle. But when I can pick up said rifle, topped with Trijicon's Reflex optical sight and start plunking rodents at 150 yards offhand and out to 300 yards from the bench, with a standard S&W duty carbine, it might be more than just my meager shooting skills at work. 

The new Trijicon Reflex is a non-magnified, self-luminous sight engineered to provide additional light gathering capabilities. The new 42mm lens gives you the largest sight picture possible and the fiber optics technology automatically adjusts the brightness level and contrast of the aiming point to available light conditions. A tritium-phosphor lamp aiming reticle glows in low-light conditions for precise shot placement

The Reflex also offers Parallax-free sighting and enables fast, both-eyes-open target acquisition and accurate aiming and is adjustable for a full range of +/- 30 MOA (one click per inch at 100 yards).

And best of all: No batteries required.

This sight was fast, easy to use, clear and without a doubt a big part of why I was hitting the prairie dogs. With zero magnification, the sight will work fine for everything from CQB out to 300 yards. There is no clutter in the reticle, just put the dot on the target and squeeze the trigger. This is a perfect scope for police and military applications and will serve the homeowner well if a rifle is used for self-defense. As a hunting scope, mount this thing on a brush gun and you'll be shooting fast and accurate in places most hunters would have trouble walking through.

If you want to get your rounds on target quickly, get your hands on a Trijicon Reflex. Check them out at www.trijicon.com.

 

Gun Digest is the national bi-weekly source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Our in-depth editorial, exclusive price guide and new product features, brings valuable information to our high profile subscribers. Subscribe Now!

 

From Mexico, With Love

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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1

I’ve always been intrigued by the offbeat. When I was in seventh grade I had to express an interest in some sort of field for a career day event at school. The other children chose the usuals: law enforcement, medical and education. Me, I chose mortuary science, a choice that eventually paid off inasmuch as it kept me in pizza and Stroh’s while working my way through college at a series of Indiana funeral homes.

Given my penchant for the unusual, it’s no wonder that throughout my early adult years, I was intrigued by entries such as this, which appeared in the catalog section of the 1988 Gun Digest:


CABANAS MASTER BOLT ACTION RIFLE 

Caliber: 177, round ball or pellet; single shot. Barrel: 191/2 inches. Weight: 8 pounds. Length: 451/2 inches overall. Stock: Walnut target-type with Monte Carlo. Sights: Blade front, fully adjustable rear. Features: Fires round ball or pellet with .22-caliber blank cartridge. Bolt action. Imported from Mexico by Mandall Shooting Supplies. Price: $150.

Cabanas Leyre Bolt Action Rifle. Similar to Master Model except 44 inches overall, has sport target stock. Price: $134.95.

Model Mini 82 Youth (161/2-inch barrel, 33 inches overall length, 31/2 pounds) $69.95

Pony Youth (16-inch barrel, 34 inches overall length, 3.2 pounds) $79.95


Well, there was something you didn’t see every day: a BB gun that didn’t use compressed air or gas as a propellant, but a .22 blank cartridge. Obviously, there could be no practical use for such a gun — which meant, of course, that I just had to have one.

The idea of such a blank-fired BB gun wasn’t entirely original with the Cabanas company. More than a century earlier, Europeans had used similar guns for a sport called zimmerschutzen — literally, “indoor room shooting” or parlor shooting. These guns used a percussion cap to fire a tiny lead ball, usually a lead BB shot, at velocities suitable for indoor target practice.

Oddly, the great Italian maker Pedersoli makes a reproduction of a typical European zimmer pistol from the mid-1800s. Over here in the United States, Remington made about 200 Remington-Rider derringers from 1860 to 1863; this odd little duck also used a percussion cap to fire a .177 lead ball. Today, a close copy of this tiny pistol is being produced in limited numbers, again by Pedersoli.

Really now! Except for replicas, the idea of using a cap or a .22 blank to fire a lead ball must have died 100 years ago. Hadn’t it?

Apparently not, if these Cabanas really existed. I vowed that I would get my hands on one.

I am nothing if not patient. It took me nearly 20 years to own a Cabanas, but here I sit today with not just one of them, but three. Here’s how it happened: I was painfully slogging through the Standard Catalog of Firearms, which I edit, running value checks on the tens of thousands of guns listed in the book.

At the beginning of the “C” chapter, I hit on the listing for “Cabanas” — more properly known as Industrias Cabanas, S.A. of Aguilas, Mexico — and I remembered the old Gun Digest entries. Several models were listed in Standard Catalog, so I took a quick drive on the information superhighway to see if it would lead me to more information about Cabanas guns.

Lo and behold, on the Web site of one of Gun Digest the Magazine’s most prominent advertisers (hint), I found Cabanas guns up for auction at reasonable prices. I placed some bids, and the rest, as they say, is history.

So now I own a small flock of Cabanas rifles. Considering that these guns are rather scarce on this side of the Rio Grande, I suppose that makes me northern Indiana’s Cabanas king. A king, maybe, but not an expert.

Background, Origins

I can tell you that Cabanas Industrias, S.A. translates into Cabin Industries Inc. The company was in business from about 1949 to 1999, and Cabanas guns are fairly well known in Mexico’s limited shooting circles. But because of the language barrier, it’s tough for me — an aw-shucks Hoosier who barely speaks English — to research the company in depth.

For example, here is part of a Mexican internet discussion thread concerning the Cabanas R83 single-shot pistol. I translated it from the original Spanish with the help of free online software:

“In the case of this pistol, I have noticed that has certain detail in its operation, perhaps I am making the things bad, them comment since I hope to make understand me not to know the terms suitable. When wanting to load the pistol, I have only managed to make a shot, since after this, the part that is hauled backwards not is on guard to leave lists it towards the following firing, I leave a good short while it and later it is possible again to be driven. Serian so amiable to help me with this problem. Greetings from Mexico!”

Well, greetings to you, too! I have read that probably 20 times, and it still baffles me. I gather there’s a problem with this fellow’s pistol, specifically with the part that is hauled backward when it “lists it toward the following firing.” However interesting that might be, it’s not very illuminating.

I got my NIB/NOS (new-in-the-box, new old stock) Cabanas (pronounced “ka-BAN-yus”) peashooters from an exceedingly polite gentleman named Dave Guthridge of Sioux City, Iowa. Three or four years ago, Dave bought out some of the inventory of the now-defunct Mandall’s Shooting Supplies of Scottsdale, Ariz., and it included dozens of Cabanas guns and parts. Dave squirreled away these oddballs and is selling them one by one.

Although Dave couldn’t tell me much about the Cabanas company, the guns he sold me included all of the factory literature, which helped shed some light on how these guns function. But it didn’t explain why Cabanas guns were made in the first place.

The answer apparently lies in Mexico’s strict laws against civilian ownership of firearms. In Mexico, your average man in the street is forbidden from owning most cartridge-firing arms of .22 caliber and larger, a situation that varies slightly according to the whims of geography and politics. Where gun ownership is allowed, it’s limited pretty much to rimfire rifles, and the process of buying even these is layered in bureaucratic red tape.

Cabanas guns represented a clever way to let shooters bang away with something more substantial than airguns. Because Cabanas guns are .177 caliber, they evade Mexico’s .22-caliber restriction. And because they don’t fire fixed ammunition, they aren’t considered firearms.

In Mexico, that is. Here it’s a different story. Our friends at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives apparently consider the Cabanas to be a firearm, according to this definition:

“DEFINITION OF “FIREARM”: 18 USC § 921(a)(3), (4). Any weapon (including a starter gun) which will expel a projectile by means of an explosive or is designed or may be readily converted to do so.”

The fact the BATFE considers a Cabanas a firearm probably explains the guns’ lack of popularity in the United States. Who wants to go through the hassle of all that paperwork simply to own a hot-rodded BB gun?

But a Cabanas is no more a toy than is a modern air rifle. An 8.2-grain lead BB propelled at the Cabanas’ advertised muzzle velocity of 1,100 feet per second (more about that later) yields a muzzle energy of 22 foot-pounds, compared to about 35 foot-pounds for the .22 Short standard load with its much heavier bullet.

Projectiles

In attempting to learn more about the Cabanas, I learned that not all .22 blank cartridges are created equal. In Mexico, apparently, they have (or had) little plastic-cased blank ammo called Floberts that were made specifically for the Cabanas.

These cartridges may have provided the necessary “give” to let them chamber in a Cabanas, but I’ve found that American-made brass-cased .22 can be a tight fit in the chamber of these odd little guns.

CCI makes a star-crimped smokeless .22 blank that approximates the length of a .22 Short case. Winchester offers similar black-powder blanks, but I hesitate to use them since I don’t enjoy cleaning black-powder fouling. Gun Dog Supply of Starkville, Miss., offers what they call their “acorn blank;” a cute little crimped nubbin of a load that produces less noise than a standard blank. I found that the CCI blanks are a tight fit in all my Cabanas guns — a situation that improves as the gun is broken in — but the Gun Dog Supply acorn blank does all right.

It eases into the chamber like it was meant to be there.

Projectiles were another challenge. Not many manufacturers offer dimensionally-correct .177-inch lead balls for airgun use, and I wasn’t about to sit down with a 5-pound bag of lead BB shot and a micrometer.

Luckily, I discovered that Pyramyd Air of Bedford Heights, Ohio (www.pyramydair.com), offers Gamo .177-inch lead balls and assorted lead diabolo (skirted) pellets, so I ordered a representative sampling and had them on my doorstep five days later.

About using lead pellets in Cabanas guns: The hang tag that came with one of my Cabanas rifles has strict instructions about the use of other than round lead balls. Here’s what the tag says:
“Por ningun motivo introduzca mas de uno municion al efectuar su disparo. No utilice de acero ni diavolos de ningun otro tipo.”

My free online software, which I am rapidly coming to distrust, translates this as:
“By ningun reason introduces but of the one ammunition when carrying out its firing. It does not use of steel nor diavolos of ningun another type.”

That’s a big help. I never took high-school Spanish, but even I can figure out that the tag is saying something like, “Do not use steel bullets or diabolo pellets.” But maybe there’s a misplaced modifier kicking around in there. Does it mean that you can’t use steel bullets (that is, steel BBs) or steel diabolo pellets, or does it mean that you can’t use diabolo pellets at all, even lead ones? Anybody?

My Cabanas rifles range from the bottom of the line to a fairly advanced model. The most modest is the Pony. It’s about as simple a gun as you could ask for: a single-shot bolt-action rifle with straight-gripped hardwood stock. It doesn’t have a safety, and its trigger can’t be adjusted, though the rear sight is adjustable for elevation.

To fire the Pony, you open the action and drop a lead BB into the tapered chamber. Then you place a .22 blank in the chamber — not an easy task with my sausage-like fingers — and close the bolt. You then cock the striker knob at the rear of the bolt, squeeze the trigger, and bang.

To extract the empty case, you pull back on the manual extractor, a ribbed collar that surrounds the barrel just forward of the chamber. Two spring-steel prongs then pop the empty out of the chamber, and you poke it with your finger to clear it. All of the Cabanas blank guns function in this same general way.

One step up from the Pony is the Mini 82. The Mini is quite similar to the Pony but has a flared muzzle extension attached to it that looks like a suppressor but is actually a barrel weight. The Mini also has an adjustable trigger, a hooded front sight and a curved butt. If you didn’t know better, you’d think the Mini was some sort of CIA black-ops hypodermic gun or something.

Next comes the Leyre. It looks like a real gun, with its target-style stock with cheekpiece. It also has an adjustable trigger, a manual safety, a bolt that automatically cocks on closing and a receiver that’s grooved for scope mounts. With the Leyre, you also get a real buttplate; something the Pony and Mini lack.

First up was the Mini. I charged it with a Gamo lead ball and CCI blank. Pop! Two inches high and left of center. Pop! Two inches high, center. Pop! Two inches high and one inch left. Friends, that’s not much of a group. Any decent airgun could do better.

I then tried the acorn blanks; same group but not as high. I then tried some Beeman diabolo pellets (Crow Magnums) and discovered what the Spanish hang tag meant: Don’t use diabolo pellets, lead or not! The pellets keyholed and some never even found the paper. What’s worse, two pellets left their skirts in the bore (which is the first time in my life I ever objected to having an empty skirt around). Any thoughts I had about hunting with a Cabanas went flying into the woods, along with a half-pound of Gamo 177-inch round balls and a few pellets.

The results from the hour-long shooting session were disappointing. My chronograph revealed that the muzzle velocity from the acorn blanks ranged from 703 fps to 830 fps with a lead round ball. The CCI blanks were magnums by comparison, yielding an average muzzle velocity of 1,041 fps. Not bad velocity, really, but again, there are plenty of decent pellet guns that can do better.

Itemized Cabanas

I’ve assembled a partial list of Cabanas models, but it is probably incomplete. At the very least, Cabanas offered the Model 82 Mini, Pony, Leyre, Master, Espronceda IV (similar to the Leyre but with a full-length sporter stock), and Laser (similar to the Leyre but with a thumbhole stock and finger-grooved pistol grip), which might have been identical or very similar to the so-called Phaser and Taser models. (Phaser and Taser strike me as American-style marketing labels that Mandall applied to the guns rather than Cabanas factory designations.)

Rounding out the line was the Model R83 pistol, a futuristic-looking little bolt-action. (Ever the glutton, I’ve got an R83 on order from Guthridge.) All of these Cabanas guns had hardwood stocks of varying degrees of quality and finish.

Cabanas apparently went down for the third time in 1999, but before the waves closed over them, they had time to manufacture a line of more or less conventional hinged-barrel, air-powered 177-inch pellet guns called the Model 210 Sport. The Sport guns had brightly enameled stocks that certainly make them stand out in a crowd. Guthridge will be happy to tell you about these interesting Cabanas pneumatics, and you can e-mail him at deadeyedave@cableone.net for more information.

Gun Review: Taurus PT-1911 AR

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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The Taurus PT-1911 AR provides all the performance of a custom handgun in a package that won't break the bank. It's a faithful representation of the 1911 platform with a great trigger to boot.

Taurus PT-1911 AR - Gun DigestNow, if you love the 1911 platform, the PT-1911 AR is the gun for you. 

It's big and solid, with an accessory rail forged right into the dust cover. And shoot! This gun is every bit as smooth and accurate as guns costing twice as much.

The PT-1911 AR provides all the performance of a custom gun in package that won't break the bank.

The first thing I noticed right out of the box was the great trigger pull. Not too light, but very crisp.

The ambi safety is tough and the beavertail grip safety puts your hand right where it needs to be. The Novak sights are great and everything from the fit and finish to the checkering on the grip panels was outstanding.

Try as I might, I could not find anything to complain about as I looked at and fired this gun. The accuracy was all there. It functioned flawlessly with a smooth feel that said “custom gun” with every movement.

If you want to get your hands on a PT-1911 AR, check out www.taurususa.com

The Way It Was

By
Bob Ball
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After a summer going door-to-door and selling subscriptions to magazines such as Collier’s and the Saturday Evening Post, I finally collected a grand total of $10 (a fortune for a youngster in 1939), which I kept securely hidden in a cigar box in my room.

At Center School, in West Hartford, Conn., most boys were excited about collecting souvenirs from the American Revolution up to the pre-war 1930s. Two of the most popular catalogs were a Practical Jokes catalog — which featured whoopee cushions, exploding cigars and Japanese finger locks — and the most valued: Bannerman’s Antique Gun and Military Collectors Catalog.

The Good ‘Ol Days

What was Francis Bannerman Sons Co.? It was one of the oldest war-surplus houses in the United States, having been established by Bannerman, a Scottish immigrant, at the end of the Civil War, when the government had huge stocks of material to dispose of after hostilities ceased. Because of the company’s long experience, sound business practices and uniformly high-quality goods, Bannerman became the leader in surplus military goods for generations, remaining in business for about 100 years.

For weeks, I pleaded with my dad to take me to New York City so I could see Bannerman’s, the mysterious emporium of my dreams. It was at 501 Broadway. Dad finally relented, and to the envy of my male schoolmates, he and I finally boarded a dirty, cinder–coated coach on the old New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad to make the long-awaited trip to the big city. In those days, a round-trip ticket cost $5. After a subway ride to lower Broadway, we emerged from the bowels of the city and walked a short distance into the front door of Bannerman’s aged and grimy block-wide building.

The entry door was on the right, and a big display window took up the rest of the frontage. My eyes immediately locked on the row of cases that ran from the front of the sales area to the rear of the store, where there was an inviting open display section. It was the mother lode, and I was certain I’d died and gone to collector’s heaven. Then I saw the thing I had read and dreamed about: the famous One-Dollar Table. Tearing my eyes away from the display cases, and hastily deciding I could examine them later, I hurried to the table.

Without hesitation, my hands darted out and grabbed a complete but slightly rusty .50 Springfield trap-door musket. (Incidentally, when I went to Bannerman’s about a year later, I picked up a Siamese-marked Model 1871 single-shot Mauser rifle.) The next three hours were better than any Christmas morning of my life, and I spent it in a frenzy of unabashed greed. I picked up odds and ends, including a bayonet and scabbard for the trap-door rifle for less than $2. I also acquired belts, canteens and ammunition pouches for less than $1 apiece.

All that was lacking was the looks of envy I’d surely see when I told my pals at Center School about my big adventure and then showed them the spoils. If only they could have seen me. Years later, I decided that Ralphie and his BB gun in that now-famous Gene Shepherd holiday classic A Christmas Story had nothing on me.

However, I could sure understand his anticipation and the ensuing excitement when his fondest dream came true.

Bannerman's A Boy's Dream Store

But let’s get back to Bannerman’s. Presiding over the sales area was a crusty fellow named — if memory serves — Butch. If you asked Butch for something but he couldn’t find it after rummaging around for a bit, he proclaimed himself a self-appointed final arbiter and decided what you would get. That was that.

He had a powerful position and seemed to enjoy it to the utmost. I had my heart set on 50 rounds of packaged dummy .30-06 cartridges in clips. Butch searched to no avail, so I ended up with 50 rounds of 6 mm Lee Navy straight-pull cartridges in clips in 15-round boxes, which, had I known it then, were invaluable.

Although disappointed at the time, I can now send a hearty “thank you” to Butch.

Believe it or not, when I returned from overseas in 1946, I stopped at Bannerman’s for old times’ sake. Lo and behold, I saw Butch presiding over his domain, just as he had eight years earlier. Much to my surprise, many of the other faces were also familiar.

Obviously, Bannerman’s employees enjoyed working there as much as I relished participating in it — if only for a few hours. (You might wonder what I was doing returning from overseas in 1946 when I was only 9 in 1939. I was one of those underage guys who managed to enlist in the Army when only 15. But that’s a story for another day.)

In addition to Butch’s one-dollar table, Bannerman’s had an eye-catching panorama surrounded by a barrier of ropes. It featured more than 50 6 mm Lee Navy straight-pull rifles that had been recovered from the Maine. Each was covered with a discolored layer of rust, but because they were from a famous ship, they cost a whopping $40 apiece. Throwing caution to the wind, I wandered behind the rope line — and who could blame me?

I was as wide-eyed as a child with carte blanche in a candy store, and nothing could stop me. Well, that’s not quite true. I was promptly yelled at and sheepishly returned to my place behind those darned ropes.

To the right of the Maine rifles were several beautiful Gatling guns mounted on field carriages and surrounded by some World War I Vickers machine guns on tripods.

Front and center in the dazzling display was the famous old dynamite gun of Teddy Roosevelt fame from the Spanish-American War. Notoriously inaccurate, this gun used a dynamite projectile that was fired by compressed air generated by a blank cartridge. There was also a captured .45-caliber Spanish-Nordenfeldt multi-barreled “machine gun” fed by hopper, which I saw years later in the collection of a fellow Connecticut collector.

As if that wasn’t enough to keep my head reeling, hanging from the ceiling over the entire display was an early 10-foot-long compressed-air Spanish Torpedo from the Spanish-American War, complete with a warhead, air-chamber, engine propellers and rudder.

As I stood there entranced, my eyes open and mouth agape, a simple question ran through my mind: Could there ever be a more glorious display?

The Care-Free Era Ends

However, all great things must eventually end. Dad kept his eye on the time to make sure we got back to Grand Central Station for the train ride home. That had to be a strange sight. Would you believe that we carried all these newfound treasures onto the subway and through Grand Central Station? When we boarded the train, I toted a rifle down the aisle until we found seats. After we arrived at Hartford, I hoisted the treasures onto a bus that took us to the suburb of West Hartford.

When I view that journey through the prism of today’s politically correct mindset, it’s amazing that no one seemed concerned about a child carrying a rifle and bayonet loosely wrapped in paper. When finally seated on the train, I was determined to admire my haul, and Dad cautioned me not to keep taking the bayonet out of the scabbard. Nonetheless, those items didn’t represent a threat to public safety in anyone’s mind. They were simply things boys were enamored of and often collected, which even made them popular objects of show-and-tell in grade school.

Believe it or not, no one flinched later when I dragged a rifle down the sidewalks of West Hartford, flushed with pride at my latest find.
For me, that trip to Bannerman’s marked the beginning of a lifelong avocation, and it was a day I’ll never forget.

What was my tally for all those treasures? $6.55, leaving me with $3.45 to put back in the cigar box until I collected more for my next trip to the big city — and, of course, Bannerman’s.

That special trip came one year later. I was a seasoned Bannerman’s veteran by then, having saved enough for a return visit to collector’s heaven. The maiden aunt of a neighborhood buddy agreed to take two “wild Indians” to New York and Bannerman’s emporium. God bless Aunt Clara for what must have been the most stressful day of her life. I’m sure she regretted the decision before we had stepped off the train. And God bless my dad for helping to make the dreams of a child come true.

Unfortunately, we’ll never see those carefree times again. However, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been a part of them.

— Bob Ball is a U.S. Army veteran and long-time collector of military weapons, specializing in Mauser military rifles. He is also a lifelong student of military history. His book, Mauser Military Rifles of the World, currently in its fourth edition, is the leading reference on Mauser rifles and their values. He is one of the nation's leading experts on historic military firearms and their use throughout the world.

The Black Sheep of the Family? AR-15s as Collectibles

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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My mother was raised in abject poverty. So, naturally, she was always on the lookout for signs of uppity-ness and pride on my part and eagerly awaited opportunities to put me in my place.

One day when I was about 30, I was having Sunday dinner at Mom’s house. She offered me some peas. “No thanks,” I said. For some reason, Mom took that as a prideful insult and, banging down the wooden serving spoon like a gavel, hurled a stinging accusation at me: “You … pea snob!”

Even today, 15 years later, my wife calls me a pea snob when I put on airs. It’s true, I suppose — or at least it was in the past. For example, for decades I avoided military and paramilitary firearms, believing I was too good for them or that they weren’t good enough for me. Colt 1878 Double Action? Sure. Browning Auto-5? Certainly.

Winchester Model 54? Bring it on. But show me a Mauser 1898 or an M1 carbine or, God forbid, an AR-15 and I’d point my nose in the air, snort contemptuously and say, “Puh-leeeeze!”

Maybe I couldn’t make the leap from blued steel and walnut to parkerized finishes and synthetics. Maybe I didn’t want to be accused of playing G.I. Joe.

But for whatever reason, I avoided “black guns” like the devil would avoid a holy-water spritzer with a lemon twist.

Then one rainy day about 10 years ago, I took in a preban AR-15 clone on trade. Maybe I could trade it for, oh, a Model 12 Duck Gun or something actually worth having. But fate intervened in the form of a box of .223 Remington shells left over from my old Ruger No. 3 carbine.

On a whim, I loaded up the AR-15 and took it out back to the range. As I squeezed off the first round, the rain stopped, the gray clouds parted overhead, a beam of golden sunshine stretched down and kissed my brow, and an unseen angelic host burst forth with a C-major chord.

At last, I had seen the light. The gun wasn’t half-bad!

Is the AR-15 somehow beyond the pale of legitimate, serious gun collecting? I used to think so. Now, obviously, I don’t. Yet I understand — but don’t agree with — the reasons why some otherwise well-balanced gun collectors don’t pursue the AR-15.

It’s Ugly

If you think the AR-15 is ugly now, imagine how it must have looked in 1964, when the U.S. Army officially adopted the AR-15 as the XM16E1.

At the time, the short-lived M14 and the .30 M1 carbine were standard issue — and whatever their faults, at least they had walnut stocks and looked more or less like a rifle was “supposed” to look. But the AR-15! Oh my! It must have had George S. Patton spinning in his grave.

With its plastic stock, carry handle and exaggerated pistol grip, the AR-15 looked like something Flash Gordon would use to mow down Ming the Merciless. To modern eyes, the AR-15 looks, well, different, like ugly but lovable Aunt Edna.

However, in my opinion, the AR-15 looks no odder than one of those ornate mid-’50s “Shah of Iran” Weatherby rifles, which legendary stockmaker Jules LaBantchni described as looking like a Navajo blanket. Nylon 66 rifles, XP-100 pistols and yes, even the 1911 Colt automatic, all looked weird in their day. Now, they’re hot collectibles.

The AR-15 is like a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz: Both were the product of a unique era in American history. For that reason alone, the AR-15 is worth having. And I wouldn’t mind a 1959 Caddy, either!

They’re Not Accurate

When the AR-15 was designed, the concept of “massed fire” still influenced military thinking. Better known as “spray and pray,” this concept emphasized firepower over individual accuracy. Perhaps it’s not surprising that the AR-15 suffers from the general opinion that as a military gun, it can’t be very accurate.

In the words of Pepe LePew, “Au contraire, mon cher!” Several months ago, I watched as a local shooter put his AR-15 through its paces at a local public range. He had a Rock River upper decked out with an ER Shaw bull barrel with a Leopold 12X, and even I, who was raised on checkered walnut and blued steel, had to admit it looked like a formidable outfit.

As I stood there, this fellow put three consecutive shots from sandbags onto the paper with handloaded ammunition. When we arrived at the target, I found I could cover the holes with a dime.

That, friends, is 17.91 millimeters edge to edge.

That’s the best group I’ve ever seen made with an AR-15. I have no illusions that I could shoot such a group myself, but it shows what a good AR-15 can do.

I Don’t Like the 5.56 NATO Round

You don’t? Well, blame Donald Hall of the U.S. Army’s Office of Small Arms Research and Development. He suggested, way back in the mid-’50s, that a high-velocity .22 centerfire would have about the same battlefield lethality as a .30-caliber cartridge in most situations.

For those who say that the 5.56/.223 has no sporting applications, I’d like to introduce them to several groundhogs and a fox or two who would not concur. The .223 is not my first choice for a deer cartridge — although I have no doubt that a Speer 70-grain spirepoint could do the job — but as a varmint or target round, the .223 is a real performer.

Besides, AR-15s are also available in .308 Winchester and 9 mm Parabellum, so take your pick.

They’re Not Collectible

In collecting anything — whether it’s guns, cars, art pottery or guitars — the first rule is the thing must exist in sufficient variation to make collecting challenging and worthwhile. There must also be a continuing demand for the thing collected.

The AR-15 qualifies on both counts. If fact, if you wanted to collect only Colt AR-15s, you’d have your job cut out for you. Colt-produced AR-15s are classified as sporters or nonsporters. Nonsporters generally have bayonet lugs and flash-hiders and generally bear the “AR-15” designation on their upper receivers.

Collectors further distinguish between “preban” and “postban” models, the “ban” referring to the late and generally unlamented “assault weapons” ban of 1994 to 2004. Prebans generally fetch higher values than post-bans, though this isn’t always true since the lapse of the ban. For current AR-15 pricing information, see the chart below.

Take Another Look
To those who collect AR-15s in all their magnificent variation, I applaud you. To those who disdain AR-15s, I understand but respectfully suggest you take another look.

And to Mom, wherever you are, please pass the peas.

Gun Review: 10mm Kimber Stainless II

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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Sometimes you want a big, solid pistol that's designed to hit hard and get the job done. If that's what you need, get your hands on the Kimber Stainless II in 10mm. 

This would be a fine gun for hunting deer or hogs and could even serve a seasoned shooter as an excellent self-defense sidearm.

The gun is classic Kimber, built on a 1911 frame with outstanding accuracy and the fit and finish you've come to expect from this company.

What can you say? It's a 1911.

All the controls are in the right places, the grip fills the hand nicely and the little touches like an adjustable rear sight, beaver tail grip safety and super-smooth trigger elevate this gun from standard to exquisite.

And then there is the idea of shooting it. Some people don't like the 10mm. I'm not one of them. With the Kimber Stainless Target II and 155-grain loads I was launching double taps (and hitting the targets) without any trouble.

If you've got something that needs a lot of killin', step up to the 10mm and get your hands on a Kimber Stainless Target II. To get a closer look check out www.kimberamerica.com

Nobody Wants This Colt

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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Colt_Police_Positive_web.jpgThe Colt Police Positive is the Rodney Dangerfield of revolvers. It don’t get no respect.

Normally, the word “Colt” is pure magic to collectors. Put that name on a gun, and shazam! It’s an instant collectible. This rule applies not only to Pythons and Diamondbacks but to real stinkeroos like the ill-fated Model 2000 All-American 9 mm semiauto, too.

The Police Positive is the one glaring exception. I have seen buyers at gun shows pass over cherry Police Positives to fondle things like H&R Model 929s, Iver Johnson Cadets and High Standard Sentinels. These are all nice guns, but really, now. Let’s be serious.

I once had a 4-inch Police Positive .38 I could not give away. I had taken a nicer one in trade and decided to pass the old one on to someone who would appreciate it. I offered it to my brother, my son, my wife, my neighbor and my neighbor’s grandmother. All of them said thanks but no thanks. It wasn’t a dog, either, but a nice 80 percent specimen from 1923. Once, I left it in my car at a gun show along with half a bag of cold White Castle sliders. When I came out, the burgers had been stolen, but the revolver was still there. Finally, I sold it back to Phillip Peterson, who took pity on me and gave me 30 percent of what I originally paid him for it.

The Police Positive’s virtues are many: It’s rugged, stylish and just about foolproof. Its faults are that it lacks adjustable sights (except for the Target versions), and fires cartridges that are a little on the pricey side and somewhat underpowered (.32 S&W Long/.32 Colt New Police and .38 S&W/.38 Colt New Police). Still, the Police Positive gave rise to a family of collectible Colts, and by garsh, that should count for something!

Turn to the Right

The Police Positive saw the light of day in 1905, when it debuted as an improvement on the old square-butted Colt New Police double-action six-shooter introduced in 1896. The Police Positive’s name sprang from its “positive” — that is, foolproof — internal hammer-block safety, a feature that had been conspicuously absent from its predecessor. Another improvement from the old New Police was the Positive’s .38 S&W chambering, a cartridge Colt cloned under the name of .38 Colt New Police.

Built on the Colt .32 double-action frame introduced in 1893, the classic Police Positive was chambered in .32 or .38 Colt New Police (and their S&W counterparts, of course) and could be had with a 21/2-, 4-, 5- or 6-inch barrel. The finish was nickeled or blued steel, and grips were checkered walnut with a gleaming white-metal rampant colt medallion. Sights were fixed and consisted of a half-moon blade front and a hog-waller groove milled into the topstrap. Early production samples had a plain topstrap, but later ones had a matte topstrap. In all, the Police Positive made a fine-looking package.

Colt liked to talk up the accuracy of the Police Positive and emphasized that its cylinder rotated toward the frame, unlike the revolvers of a certain Springfield, Mass., gunmaker, whose cylinders rotated away from the frame. As one Colt advertisement stated: “All Colt Cylinders TURN TO THE RIGHT.”

The accuracy of any revolver is determined greatly by the method used in lining up the chambers of the cylinder with the barrel. All Colt Cylinders turn to the right — thus binding the crane tight against the frame of the revolver — guaranteeing perfect alignment of chamber and barrel and adding materially to the accuracy of the arm.

The Offspring

Judging from the frequency with which I find Police Positives on the used-gun market, Colt must have made a billion of them. Yet today, the Police Positive isn’t remembered for the gun that it was but rather for the guns it inspired. Most collectible Colt double-action revolvers of the second half of the 20th century are based to one extent or another on the Police Positive.

Here are the collectible offspring of the decidedly noncollected Colt Police Positive.

32ColtPolPos_web.jpg

Police Positive Target: This was a .32- or .22-caliber version of the Police Positive with a 6-inch barrel and adjustable front and rear sights. It was manufactured from 1905 to 1941. In today’s market, the .32 version actually seems more desirable than the .22.

Police Positive Special: This was basically a Police Positive with a 1/4-inch longer frame to accommodate the .38 Special and .32-20 cartridges (in addition to the .32 and .38 New Police and their S&W counterparts). Features include fixed sights, a square butt, and 4-, 5- or 6-inch barrel lengths. It was manufactured from 1908 to 1970 in three issues, and then reintroduced briefly in 1995.

Detective Special: This is Colt’s classic snubbie. It’s basically a round-butted Police Positive Special chambered in .32 Colt or .38 Special with a 2-inch barrel. The first issue was manufactured from 1926 to 1972 and is quite collectible. The second, made in 1993, featured a barrel shroud and neoprene grips. And the third was a stainless-steel variant called the Detective Special II, or D-SII, manufactured from 1997 to about 1999. Yet another stainless variant, the Magnum Carry, was introduced in 1998 and was chambered in .357 Magnum.

.38 SF-VI: This was basically a stainless-steel Detective Special chambered in .38 Special with a modern transfer-bar safety and a 2- or 4-inch barrel. It was manufactured from 1995 to circa 2000.

.38 SF-VI Special Lady: This was similar to the preceding gun, but with a bobbed hammer for double-action-only operation and a bright stainless finish. It was manufactured from 1996 to circa 2000.

Banker’s Special: A short-butted version of the Police Positive, this gun had a 2-inch barrel and was chambered in .22 LR and .38 Special. The gun is highly collectible, with 35,000 manufactured from 1926 to 1943.

Cobra: This was a lightweight, alloy-framed version of the Detective Special chambered in .22 LR, .32 Colt/S&W, .38 Special (first issue) and later .38 Special only (second issue). Second-issue guns had a shrouded extractor rod and ramp front sight. It was manufactured from 1950 to 1973 in both issues.

Agent: Basically a Cobra with a shortened grip frame, this gun was manufactured from 1955 to 1986 in two issues. The first, made from 1955 to 1973, had an unshrouded extractor. The second, made from 1973 to 1986, had a shrouded extractor and ramp front sight.

Courier: This was a 3-inch version of the first-issue Agent chambered in .32 Colt/S&W and .22 LR. The gun is scarce, and it was only made from 1955 to 1956.

Border Patrol: Essentially a Police Positive Special with a 4-inch bull barrel and chambered in .38 Special, this is the rarest of the Police Positive clan. Only 400 were manufactured in 1952. Beware of fakes!

Aircrewman Special: This all-aluminum Detective Special was chambered in .38 Special and made for the U.S. Air Force in 1951. It’s exceedingly rare, as most were thought to have been destroyed. Only 1,200 were produced.

Diamondback: This gun resembles a Python built on the Police Positive Special frame rather than on the big .41 Army frame. Chambered in .38 Special and .22 LR, it was manufactured from 1966 to 1986. It’s a very hot collectible.

Viper: Basically an alloy-framed version of the Police Positive Special chambered in .38 Special, this was made from 1977 to 1984.

Respect, Please

Sometimes the tree falls pretty far from the apple, I guess. The original Police Positive is doomed to languish forever in the shadow of its more desirable offspring, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. The collectibility of the Police Positive’s descendants proves, however, what a sound design the old-timer really was.

So, hey! Show a little respect.

Mauser Q&A with Bob Ball – Part 2

By
Gun Digest Staff
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The Pistols of Mauser

Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a two-part Q&A with Mauser expert Bob Ball.  Click here to read Part 1

Q: Set the scene in history for the development of the automatic pistol.

A: Although the principle of the automatic or self-loading pistol was understood in the 16th century, the first successfully marketed automatic pistol was the Austrian Schonberger, a retarded blowback pistol. The first commercially successful automatic pistol design was the Borchardt, invented by Hugo Borchardt, an immigrant American, and that gun really started the era of military automatic pistols. Unable to finance the pistol in America, Borchardt returned to Germany and was employed by Ludwig Loewe & Co. as an engineer to develop and market the pistol, which was done in 1893. Theodore Bergmann also patented the first of his series of pistols in 1893.

The story of the truly successful automatic pistol begins in 1896, with the introduction of the 7.63 mm military Mauser pistol, which had been patented in 1895. This gun used the cartridge patented by Borchardt, and DWM credits Borchardt with much of the engineering work on the Mauser pistol.

The Mauser pistol was so well designed that only minor details were subsequently changed. In his history of the Sudan campaign of 1898, Winston Churchill wrote how he had purchased one of the first Mauser pistols in England and credited it with saving his life, mentioning its efficiency and magazine capacity when he had to shoot his way out of a crowd after the charge at Omdurman.

Hiram Maxim, John Browning, Andrea Schwarzlos and Mannlicher brought automatic pistol designs to market in the 1890s, and George Luger produced the famous Luger, which was based on the Borchardt, in 1898.

Q: Can you describe the operation of the C96 Mauser pistol?

A: The Mauser pistol is unusual because it has no screws. All parts are coupled or seated by bayonet-joint assembling or mutual interlocking. To load it, you grasp the bolt wings firmly and draw them to the rear as far as possible, letting the magazine follower rise and hold the bolt open. Then, you insert a loaded clip in the clip guide in front of the rear sight. Exerting firm pressure with your thumb will strip the cartridges into the magazine. After the last cartridge is seated, withdraw the clip, which lets the bolt run forward, strip off the top cartridge and seat it in the firing chamber. Unless you’re going to fire the pistol immediately, the thumb safety is rocked forward as far as possible.

Q: Describe the pistol’s demonstration for Kaiser Wilhelm.

A: In August 1896, Paul Mauser demonstrated the Mauser C96 Pistol for the kaiser at Potsdam, and the kaiser apparently fired several shots. The kaiser was very pleased with the performance of the pistol, and it was reported he suggested that Mauser look into developing a rifle along those lines.

Q: What were some of the early Mauser pistol efforts?

A: From 1872, Paul Mauser devoted himself to the production of rifles for the German armies. However, in 1874, he also developed an original concept for a service revolver: the zig-zag revolver, or Model 1878.

This revolver is noteworthy because of its design, even though it was not accepted for service use because of its expense and complication. The cylinder was grooved in a zig-zag manner around its circumference, with the trigger operating in single- or double-action mode, indexing the cylinder for the next shot. When the trigger is cocked, a rod thrusts forward, and a stud on its top engages in the oblique cylinder grooves to rotate the cylinder through one-sixth turn to present a fresh chamber in front of the hammer.

Another unusual feature was the method of loading the pistol. The barrel and cylinder are hinged to the frame above the standing breech, double-locked by a spring catch and a positive catch. Because of ornate decoration on the grips, the pistol was uncomfortable to fire for long periods. Relatively few of these were made.

In 1910, the first pocket model pistols were introduced in 6.35 mm as the Model 1910. These were exceptionally well made, and were somewhat heavier and longer than ordinary 6.35 mm pistols. In 1912, an enlarged model of the 1910 was made, with many internal differences. The Armeepistolet was in 9 mm. It was never accepted in service, and very few were made. In 1914, the design was used to produce a similar weapon in 7.65 mm, and the only differences were in dimension to accept a larger-caliber cartridge. This culminated in the Model 1934 pistol, which saw considerable use during World War II.

As World War I wound down in 1918, Mauser saw the potential in producing a small pistol and developed the Westentaschenpistole, or vest pocket, pistol line, including the WTP1 and WPT2 in 6.35 mm.

In 1937, Mauser developed a double-action pistol called the Mauser HSC in competition with Walther’s PP and PPK models. HSC stands for Hahn Selbstspanne, or hammer-self-cocking,” with the “c” denoting the third model. An advanced design, the pistol was in production well after World War II, it appears that most of the production went to the German Navy and the Luftwaffe.

Q: What were Mauser C96 production figures and use as a substitute weapon in World War I and World War II?

A: I have no firm production numbers. During the world wars, the C96 Mauser Broomhandle Pistol and its later variants were used as substitute standard pistols for German armed forces. In World War II, the pistol was widely used by the Waffen SS. Production of the Luger Pistol ’08 and P-38 pistol was insufficient for the needs of the German armed forces.

Chronology

Paul Mauser was born June 27, 1838. His brother, Wilhelm, was born in 1834.

Paul Mauser was drafted in Spring 1859 and served as artilleryman at Ludwigsberg arsenal. He was released from service in Fall 1859.

He was employed Wurttemberg Royal Arsenal, working on a self-cocking modification of Dreyse needlefire rifles. The modifications were rejected in 1866.

Paul Mauser developed a rifle (the forerunner of the M71) using a self-contained metallic cartridge. It was rejected by Prussia and Wurttemberg. He presented it to the Austrian ambassador, and it was sent to Vienna, where is was well received but not accepted.
1867: The rifle was brought to the attention of Samuel Norris, a Remington representative for Europe. Norris convinced the Mauser brothers to have him finance development while they worked for little compensation. Norris considered the brothers talented but naive country bumpkins.

1867: The brothers moved to Liege, Belgium, while Norris tried to convince the French to convert Chasspot rifles to the metallic cartridge system based on the Mauser design. In the 1860s, Norris failed with the French and broke the contract with the brothers.

1869: Because of financial stress, Paul Mauser returned to Oberndorf, and Wilhelm follows in Spring 1870.
Concurrently, the Prussian Royal Shooting School tested Mauser-Norris rifle, and shooters were thrilled. The school requested improvements, which resulted in the Model 71 Mauser rifle being selected Dec. 2, 1871, as the replacement for the Dreyse. Final improvements led to its adoption Feb. 14, 1872. However, Prussia wanted the Royal Arsenals to produce the rifles and reduced the design-rights payment from 60,000 to 8,000 thalers.

April 1872: The brothers received a contract from Prussia to produce sights for the M71 rifle — the first order for the small firm. That led to the start of a small factory. Later in 1872, the brothers received an order for more sights from the arsenal at Amberg, Bavaria, which required larger facilities. They purchased land on the Neckar River and built a plant (Upper Works).

1874: The brothers were offered a contract to produce 100,000 rifles for the 13th Wuerttemberg Army Corps if they would agree to buy the Wuerttemberg Royal Armory for 200,000 Gulden. They accepted and purchased it in partnership with Wuerttemberg Vereins Bank of Stuttgart. The agreement was signed Feb. 5, 1874.

1878: The order for Wuerttemberg was completed. 26,000 M71 rifles were produced for China, and more M71 sights were made for Bavaria

1878 through 1881: This was a quiet, lean time for the brothers, with production and sale of the zig-zag revolver

1881: The firm signed a large contract (120,000) with Serbia for the Model 78/80 single-shot rifle.

1881 through 1882: Wilhelm Mauser experienced failing health and died Jan. 13, 1882.

April 1, 1884: Mauser became a stock company, with the name Mauser Arms Co. Paul Mauser became the plant manager and technical leader.

1884 through 1887: The company flourished under Paul Mauser, seeing the development and production of the M71/84 tubular magazine rifle.

February 1887: Mauser secured a huge order from the Turkish government for 500,000 Model 1887 rifles and 50,000 carbines in 9.5 mm. 270,000 rifles and 25,000 carbines were to be manufactured by Mauser, with the rest made by Ludwig Loewe & Co. Loewe’s share was diverted to Mauser. Clauses by the Turks included improvements by Mauser had to be incorporated into future weapons, and if Germany adopted a new rifle during the contract, Turkey could compel Mauser to complete the contract with that new rifle. The new order required a plant expansion and construction of the “Turkish building” as headquarters for Turkish officers overseeing the project.

Dec. 28,1887: The bank sold its shares of stock, including those of Paul Mauser, to Ludwig Loewe and Co. It’s not known why. Loewe then handled many contracts for Mauser military rifles and pistols. Loewe also owned more than 50 percent of the stock in Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre at Herstal, Belgium. FN was founded in 1889 to make Mauser military rifles for the Belgians.

Nov. 7, 1896: Deutsche Waffen-und-Munitionsfabriken A-G was founded by the merger of Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik A-G (German Metallic cartridge Co. Inc.), Ludwig Loewe & Co., the Rheinische-Westfaelischen Powder Co. and the Rottweil-Hamburg Powder Co. Mauser and FN became part of the deal because they were owned by Loewe. After World War II, DWM was renamed Industrie-Werke Karlsruhe A-G. and is still in charge of Mauser.

1896: The Mauser Military Model semiautomatic pistol (C96 broomhandle) was introduced.

1898: On April 5, the GEW98 (Mauser Model 98) was adopted. It was ordered by many other nations, with actions based on the 98 design, in many calibers and model designations. Employment at the firm averaged about 3,000.

May 29, 1914: Paul Mauser died.

World War I: Employment increased to 7,000, and the plant was expanded, with rifles and pistols produced throughout the war. From 1918 through the end of hostilities, the 13 mm Mauser anti-tank rifle was manufactured.

Between the wars: Because of Versailles treaty restrictions, Mauser manufactured calculators, sewing machines, precision measuring equipment and tools, and other peacetime industrial items. It attempted to produce a car but failed.

1922: The company name was changed from Waffenfabrik Mauser A-G to Mauser-Werke, A- G (Mauser Works Inc.). Times were hard for the business. Employment decreased to 750, and the outlook was bleak.

Advent of Hitler and rearmament: With rearmament, orders to Mauser were huge, and the company took over the empty buildings of DWM at Berlin-Wittenau in 1934. This Berlin plant had 4,000 to 5,000 employees and produced 98k carbines, light and heavy machine guns and machine pistols. At Oberndorf, employment increased to 7,000 in 1936, reaching 12,000 (5,000 slave laborers) by 1944. Production included 98k carbines, Lugers, P38s, Hscs, MG 34s, MG81s, 2cm. Flak 38 AA guns and MG151 automatic aircraft cannons.

April 20, 1945: The French army occupied the Mauser plant and continued production of some weapons until 1947, when the firm was liquidated. The order was lifted in 1959, and production of peacetime items resumed.

Mauser affiliated with OTNIMA, a producer of automotive items, and is now known as Mauser-Schaerer. Manufacturing rights were obtained in 1963 for a rifle developed by Walter Gehmann, and the gun is currently marketed as the Mauser Modell 66, or, as it’s known in America, the Model 660. Hsc. Lugers have been made, and sporting rifles made by Heym for Mauser. Other than the Heym rifles, commercial rifles are produced at the Oberndorf plant by the division Mauserr-jagdwaffen, G.m.b.H.

Countries that used the Mauser rifle system include Germany, China, Serbia, Turkey, Belgium, Argentina, Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Sweden, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, OVS, Transvaal, Luxembourg, Venezuela, Siam, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Austria-Hungary, Congo Free State, Montenegro, Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Japan, the United States, Portugal and Britain.

Bob Ball is a U.S. Army veteran and long-time collector of military weapons, specializing in Mauser military rifles. He is also a lifelong student of military history. His  book, Mauser Military Rifles of the World, currently in its fourth edition, is the leading reference on Mauser rifles and their values. He is one of the nation's leading experts on historic military firearms and their use throughout the world.

Gun Review: Taurus Judge

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
-
0

The Taurus Judge can be both a .410 shotgun or a .45 Colt. Is it a self-defense arm or side-kick for hunting and camping trips? You be the judge.

It's a revolver that's also a shotgun. It can shoot .410 shotshells or .45 Colt cartridges and does so with outstanding accuracy. Do you need it? You be the judge. (I just couldn't resist.)

The Taurus Judge is an interesting gun that's getting lots of attention as both a self-defense arm and an interesting kit gun to carry along on a hunt, hike or camping trip.

It is supremely versatile in that it can serve to provide camp meat and stop predators of either the two-legged or four-legged variety. I mean, you can shoot birdshot at rabbits, squirrels and, depending on your location and the law, birds.

You could also shoot buckshot, shotgun slugs or some nice Silver Tip personal defense rounds.

On the range, I found the judge to be very controllable and the accuracy with Winchester's .45 Colt Silver Tips was outstanding from 15 yards. With bird shot, all I had on hand for the test was #9 shot. That's too small for self-defense, but gave a nice pattern at 15 yards.

The Judge can be a lot of different things and that makes it worth looking at. And it's just plain fun to shoot. Do you need another reason to get your hands on one?

Check out the Judge at www.taurususa.com.

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