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Short-Barreled Pistols and New Shooters
Many shooters who obtain their pistol permit or concealed carry permit start shopping for a compact, short-barreled pistol as a first choice. While this type of firearm may ultimately be a good decision, as a training tool the short-barreled pistol may actually be doing new shooters a disservice.
Read MoreUnderstanding Shotgun Chokes
When you pull the trigger of your shotgun, a column of round shot pellets leaves the barrel and spreads out into a “pattern.” This pattern widens as the group of shot pellets gets further away from the muzzle. At some point, that pattern will be spread apart too far to hit targets at the extreme edge of the shotgun’s effective range; there will be too much space between the individual pellets in the pattern, and all that space is opportunity for a target to escape unscathed.
Read MoreVocabulary—Just What is the Difference Between Rimfire and Centerfire Ammunition?
Ammunition for the modern rifles and pistols we use fall into one of two categories, rimfire or centerfire, and it’s important to understand the differences between them.
Read MoreThe Winchester Model ’94
Winchester’s rifles are some of the most storied and beloved firearms to have ever graced the rifle range or field, and for good reason. Most in the know consider Winchester Repeating Arms is the company that “won the West” with rifles such as the Model 1866, 1873 and 1876.
Read MoreHard-Kicking Rifles: Tricks to Relieve Recoil
There are two types or recoil: real recoil, measured in foot-pounds; and perceived recoil, what you feel. Perceived recoil is affected by the makeup and design of the rifle, and it can’t really be calculated.
Read MoreYour Revolver Can Fire What?
One piece of information new handgun shooters often hear about is that they can fire .38 Special ammunition through their .357 Magnum revolver. This can be confusing, given the emphasis placed in firearms safety training on never using a cartridge in a gun that doesn’t specifically say it can use that cartridge.
Read MoreSmith & Wesson Revolvers—To The Letter
As much as I like a semi-automatic pistol such as the venerable Colt Model 1911 or the Walther PPK, at heart I am a “wheelgun” man. I thoroughly enjoy the way revolvers handle, the reliability of their design and the cartridges they fire.
Read MoreThe Remington Model 1100 Auto-loading Shotgun
The shotgun is a tool less precise than a rifle or handgun, but excellent for hitting objects that are flying or running. The single-shot shotgun has been a staple among entry-level shotgunners, but as the game birds pursued by hunters and the clay targets by competitors often present themselves in multiples, the advantage of more than one shot is easily understood.
Read MoreShooting Vocabulary: Long-Action Bolt Rifles versus Short-Action Bolt Rifles
When shopping or reading about centerfire bolt-action rifles, you’ll almost always hear the terms “long-action” or “short-action” used in the firearms’ descriptions. What do these terms mean?
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