Handguns and pistols, semiautomatics and revolvers
There is more to collecting than you might think; the psychological and personal benefits are many. Collecting has no time line; it may be enjoyed at any point in life, which isn’t true of sports or mountain climbing. Quite a few of us despise the idle moment and like to keep life interesting. Nothing does so like a good hobby. Jump in and get started. You will not be disappointed.
I have considerable experience with CZ pistols, from the original CZ 75 to the CZ P-01 and other variants. But nothing prepared me for the experience of handling and firing the newest CZ pistol, the CZ P10-C. It isn’t radical in design and technology, but it is different from anything CZ has done before.
Marksmanship can make up for power, but the reverse is seldom true. In a gunfight, shot placement is everything. Unfortunately, when choosing a handgun for combat, we risk becoming too interested in absolute accuracy and forget combat accuracy. A fascination with firing small groups on the target, even in combat courses, is counter intuitive to true combat practice. Are you carrying the wrong gun?
The most common question presented to trainers, writers, and the family ‘gun person’ is, “Which handgun should I purchase for personal defense?” The bottom line is dependent upon the shooter and how much or how little time, effort, and training will go into the final choice. Here are a few tips to get you on the right path.
We all may know of handguns that have been going since World War II without changing the springs, but this simply isn’t optimal performance. We purchased a high-end pistol so that we would not have to worry about reliability, true, but maintenance is part of every firearm. The question that is often asked is how often should we clean the handgun? The answer really depends upon the firearm.
It is encouraging to see so many Americans obtaining their concealed weapon permit. These new shooters are supporters of the 2nd Amendment and have taken steps to be responsible for their own safety and security. Yet, in many cases, there are people among them that are armed with a deadly weapon but unable to defend themselves well.
Some years ago, long time hunter, handloader and experimenter Tim Sundles founded Buffalo Bore Ammunition. At first he concentrated on big bore loads with the slogan Strictly Big Bore Strictly Business. Along the way Buffalo Bore’s line has expanded to include standard calibers such as the .32 ACP, .38 Special, and .38 Super. Now Buffalo Bore has offered its first quality loads in 9mm Luger and .44 Special.
State of the art is a good description. Among the most successful designs is the Ruger GP100 revolver. The Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum is easily the most accurate revolver I have fired recently. The only revolver that may exhibit superior accuracy is the Colt Python. However, the Colt, sadly, is no longer in production and terribly expensive. Thankfully, the GP100 is chock full of features with range performance worthy of a Ruger.
Today, much of the market seems to revolve around tactical gear and personal defense. That is important, nothing is more vital than taking responsibility for our own safety. However, personal defense isn’t the only reason to own a powerful and accurate handgun such as the Ruger Blackhawk. This single-action revolver is also a fine target gun and a great game getter.
I don’t like it when people tell me what to do or what I should buy either, so I created a list of the top 12 smallest, best concealable semiautomatic handguns based on reader’s choice, rather than editor’s choice. Did your favorite make the list?