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The .38 Super is dimensionally identical to the .38 ACP of 1900. The .38 ACP fired a 130-grain bullet at 1,100 fps. The .38 Super was a sensation, noted for its high velocity of 1300 fps and nine fast shots. Colt upped the power of the cartridge but used the same length cartridge case and chambered the .38 Super in the 1911 when it dropped production of the .38 ACP pistols. At the time, you had to know not to fire a .38 Super in older Colt 1903 pistols.
At a cursory glance, Henry’s Pump Octagon looks very much like old gallery guns—such as the 1890 and 1906 series that Winchester once produced. The overlooked Henry Pump Action Octagon may not be as romantic as the lever gun of Western lore; but it is a well made send-off to the gallery guns of the county carnival era and just as formidable of a rimfire platform now as it was then.
Walther’s CCP has generated a lot of attention. Light, attractive, and with the Walther name, the pistol was designed to compete with the Glock 43 9mm and similar sized handguns for personal defense. However, not all ammunition ran smoothly for the author. Read the full review.
In a world awash with mediocre handguns, a pistol with reliability, accuracy, and good features at a fair price is a desirable commodity. The Canik TP9SA exemplifies this concept. The Canik 55 9mm pistol is similar in outline to the Smith and Wesson SW99 and Walther P99. It is not an exact clone, but clearly, the designer was familiar with the Walther pistol. The Canik 55 is a service-size 9mm with a polymer frame, mid-size slide and 4.25-inch barrel, but how did it fare on the range and for self-defense? Read the full review to find out.
This Pitbull—like all the other models in the Pitbull series—is designed to fire a rimless, semi-automatic pistol cartridge. The unique feature of the Pitbull series is the ejector has a built in spring loaded plunger for each chamber that is depressed when a cartridge is inserted into the chamber and snaps back out into the extractor groove of the rimless cartridge case. With this system there is no need for moonclips. The chambers are also stepped, so .45 ACP cases headspace on the case mouth.
There has been a revolution in rifle making. Modern CNC machinery and technology allows the maker to build an inexpensive rifle that shoots well, is durable, and offers excellent strength. Among the most affordable rifles is the middle of the road Remington 783. This rifle is between the price leaders and the more expensive Remington 700 and offers performance that just may make it the best rifle deal on the market.
Steel-cased loads are viable and most of all affordable. Therefore, the author was very interested to see Hornady offering a Steel Match line. These are not rebranded loads but rather steel-cased cartridge cases loaded by Hornady with Hornady projectiles. That means a lot. This makes the loads viable for hunting provided they are accurate enough for this pursuit, and the powder technology addresses one of the primary concerns with steel cased ammunition—powder fouling.
Walther’s new PPS M2 is an excellent example of the refinement Walther brings to conceal carry pistols. The original PPS Classic ushered a 9mm conceal carry pistol that was thin, polymer framed with modular backstraps, and a striker fire trigger. The M2 does the Classic one better by using all the great features of the Classic and combining it with features found on the Walther PPQ series such as the ergonomic grip shape and grippy texture.
When it comes to personal defense ammunition, we all want the most for our dollar and a load that maximizes the caliber. This is especially true with the popular 9mm Luger cartridge. A number of manufacturers offer target grade loads, hunting loads, and personal defense loads. DoubleTap ammunition offers personal defense loads, and they do it as well as anyone and better than most.
Recently, Rock Island Armory (Armscor) introduced the 1911A1 .380 ACP known simply as the Baby Rock. Rock fans and shooters everywhere are going to love this handgun. Most small 1911s are more 1911-like than true 1911. The Baby Rock features a plunger tube, slide lock safety, beavertail grip safety, low bore axis and straight to the rear trigger compression. This is a true small 1911.
