Ammunition

The Rock Island 1911 and a History of the .38 Super Cartridge

By Wilburn Roberts   November 21, 2016

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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.

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Competitive Shooting

Sporting Clays: Getting Started

By CTD Blogger   November 20, 2016

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Sporting clays is quite possibly the ultimate shotgun sport, but also a discipline that a complete beginner can participate in and enjoy as much as the seasoned veteran. Although you can never master sporting clays, it is the pursuit and variation that come from one target to the next or one course to the next that keeps shotgunners hungry for more rounds that is never quite satiated.

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Ammunition

Review: Lightfield Slugs

By Bob Campbell   November 18, 2016

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I have experimented with slugs for over 30 years because I wanted to improve the performance of the police-style riot gun. These slugs are powerful, they pound the shoulder, and they get the job done. While Lightfield’s offering excel for defense, hunters are not forgotten with both light and heavy recoil loads for added knock-down power. If you are looking for maximum performance, check out Lightfield. They are sometimes overlooked but not because of accuracy and power. This specialty maker offers real performance at a fair price.

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Gear, Parts and Accessories

Holster Maintenance

By CTD Blogger   November 17, 2016

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It’s gratifying to see how conscientious the huge majority of carry permit holders are, and how seriously they take their responsibilities. Despite what the mainstream media would have you believe, these folks are not just numerous—now somewhere north of 14 million nationwide—but also astonishingly law-abiding—6 to 10 times more so than law enforcement, who are in turn 30 times more law-abiding than the general public. However, they are plagued by a few common problems.

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Gear, Parts and Accessories

Video Review: TruGlo Tru Tec Red Dot Sight with Integrated Laser

By CTD Blogger   November 13, 2016

TruGlo added an integrated laser to the Tru Tec to create a winning combination. Then, by pricing the combination under $250 it created a story worth reading—even if you’ve been burned by budget optics before.

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Gear, Parts and Accessories

Swab-Its — Simple, Cool, Reusable, and Durable

By CTD Blogger   November 11, 2016

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I first saw the Swab-Its at the 2015 SHOT Show and simply didn’t get the concept of them—hmm… disposable foam bore cleaners. Yeah, the concept was cool. However, I wondered why anyone would buy such an expensive single-use product. Like many times in life, I was wrong. I learned my lesson, even though it took me a full year. My mistake was thinking, “Swab-Its are a one trick pony.” In actuality, Swab-Its are a well made, non-damaging, bore cleaner that can be cleaned and continually reused many, many times.

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Firearms

Review: Is the Beretta A3 Ready to Be the Military’s Next Sidearm?

By Wilburn Roberts   November 11, 2016

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The military is making noises concerning a new sidearm. There is some controversy. Handguns, for whatever reason, seem to come with more emotional attachment and a sense of history than the rifle. I believe that as a close quarters combat pistol the Beretta 92 is lacking the most important attribute a sidearm should have and that is wound potential. In actuality, the Beretta A3 isn’t a new pistol but a modified Beretta M9/M92. Did it pass the author’s range test? Read the full details here.

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