The .41 Magnum is a useful, powerful, accurate, and well-balanced cartridge. Perhaps, it is one of the best revolver cartridges ever designed. Yet, it seems to be almost on its last leg, and far down the list in popularity compared to the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. This is understandable in some ways, but the cartridge is just too good to die.
There are few subjects as prone to create an argument as personal defense handguns and calibers. Some have a “devil may care” attitude and deploy anything, stating most are the same, while others go into great, even minute detail, in their testing and choices. Critical Defense and Critical Duty loads are not really variants of the XTP but fresh designs for a specific purpose. They have Hornady quality in common, however. These loads make the most of a handgun caliber.
Affordable and reliable, the HP25A is a minimal pistol of the type that arms many American homes. Is it useful or useless?
Whether you are a collector or an accumulator, you have an eye for a new gun you simply cannot pass up. There have always been more cheap guns than good ones, but in the ‘Old days’ we knew the difference. While they may not be the latest polymer or new take on an old design, ‘Old School’ guns still have a place the heart of many shooters.
Not long ago, the conversation turned to shotguns at the gun shop. While even the folks that are not the ones we call “gunny” know the merits of a shotgun for home defense, there are many opinions on the proper load and the best shotgun. However, the shotgun is only the launcher, it is the load that does the damage.
While hollow point or expanding bullets have been the standard for personal defense for decades, they are far from perfect. There has been a tremendous amount of development in ammunition during the past few years. Among the most interesting of these has been the advances in nonexpanding ammunition. These loads are intended to produce good wound potential for personal defense without the problems of jacketed hollow point manufacture and performance.
While Smith and Wesson has manufactured great revolvers for a long time, the 686 Plus is superior in many regards. Modern CNC machinery results in tight tolerances in the throat and chamber dimensions. This means excellent accuracy potential, which is important for some pursuits. No one has ever been sorry for carrying an accurate personal defense handgun. No one will be sorry for carrying the 686 Plus.
You have to understand the reason you want to reload, to determine the best procedures and level of detail you want to put in each load. Economy is always one reason, but that does not mean the goal of producing accurate ammunition is in any way lessoned. This means a consistent procedure is required. If you are ready to start reloading, or potentially up your reloading game, here’s how.
Pro Second Amendment gun owners need a strong showing this fall to keep, and ideally expand, pro gun control of both chambers. Please get out and do your part, and encourage others to do the same. The anti-freedom groups are motivated, organized, and well-funded. Bloomberg has pledged to spend $80 Million in house races alone.
The newest and brightest addition to the AR-15 family is a 5.56mm-diameter cartridge with more punch and long-range potential than the .223 Remington. The .224 Valkyrie is designed to remain supersonic to 1,300 yards, but design and performance are not always one in the same. The Shooter’s Log put the Valkyrie through its paces, even if we did put our thumb on the scale by using a $4,000 Wilson Combat Super Sniper.