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“This is the finest close quarters combat handgun ever designed.” Said my friend and fellow firearms instructor Ken Hackathorn holding up a 1911 .45 Pistol in front of a class he was teaching at RangeMaster back in the late 1990s. I could not have agreed more. Ken may have changed his mind since then, I do not know, but I haven’t changed mine.

According to 1911 authority William Goddard, the first lot of 1911s (other than test pistols and tool room samples) were assembled at the Colt plant on 28 December 1911 (barely making it into the year the pistol was christened). They were shipped the first week of January. The rest, as they say is history. The collecting of 1911s is a joy and a field all to itself. But after 100 years, the 1911 still soldiers on, and not for nothing.

My focus is on use of the 1911, not collecting, but I am a student of history and the history of the 1911 in use for what it was intended is one of sublime success. My intent here is to touch on that use as well as some personal shooting impressions. I intend to spend a good bit of time on the “real” 1911. That is to say, U.S. Military issue and Commercial Government Models made before 1924 when the transition was begun to the 1911a1. To be sure the 1911a1 has very few fleas on it, but it is a slightly different pistol in my estimation.

My first personal experience with a 1911 was not exactly an auspicious occasion. My father was an excellent shot, worked for the Army for most of his adult life and was a WW-II veteran. Like many former military men he had an abiding respect for the .45 Automatic. And so, other than an old double barreled shotgun that had belonged to his father, the only firearm that he owned was an ex military 1911 for which I believe he paid the munificent sum of $15.

At the age of five, I had my first encounter with this pistol. It did not bode well. My dad had to help me hold the gun up but I was the one to press….ah jerk…on the trigger. Ear plugs? Real men did not use earplugs in the early 1950s! So their little boys didn’t either. Eye protection you ask? Nobody thought about it.

When I touched that pistol off I thought the world had come to an end! There was noise, and recoil and I probably would have dropped the blamed thing if my Dad’s hands hadn’t been wrapped around mine. To add injury to insult the hot empty case dropped right down the neck of my shirt and stayed there!

My next one 10 years later, didn’t do anything to improve my assessment. My first centerfire handgun was not a 1911, it was a 1911a1. I saved up money from soft drink bottle deposits and at age 15 bought a surplus Remington Rand .45. I did not buy it because I wanted a .45 Automatic. I bought it because I wanted a center fire handgun and it was cheap. By accident of birth and circumstances I was able to purchase this gun legally, though the owner of the pawn shop insisted that my Mother vouch for me. Just two years later I could not even purchase ammo as the 1968 Gun Control Act started taking effect.

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The hardest thing in the world is to be the only one out there with a new product that people don’t understand. That is the challenge that Brian Hallam of Glow Ammo faces with his cold tracer, trajectory marking technology that is unlike anything else on the market.

“Most people don’t understand Glow Ammo,” explains Brian. “They think you can only see it at night like standard hot military tracers, but you can see our tracers under normal range lights, and outside at dawn and dusk, not just at dark. Our cold technology is also much less dangerous than hot tracers and ranges that won’t allow hot tracers allow Glow Ammo. ”

“We call Glow Ammo trajectory markers, not tracers, because it opens up a whole new aspect to shooters. You get to see your bullet leave the barrel and hit the target. In the video game generation this is a whole new dimension that people really enjoy. It is like a laser beam in a video game.”

“It also has a lot of practical and defensive applications as well. Only you can see the trajectory marker as the shooter. When you get more than about 15 degrees off of the bore axis you can’t see the flash of the Glow Ammo marker, and from the front, downrange, it is not visible at all. This means that your enemy can’t see your shots but you can. Whether your eyes are on your sights or not, you can see where your shots are hitting, and there is no disadvantages like you see with lasers and standard hot tracers.”

Police and Military Applications
Brian’s vision for Glow Ammo is more far reaching than a range novelty or even simple self defense, and if you think about his points, he’s kinda right. He has a long way to go before people understand and accept what he has to say, but hopefully this article will start opening people’s minds. He explains the police and military potential like this:

“Think about a classic police shootout. The first officer on scene is forced to engage in a gunfight and calls for backup. With Glow Ammo, as soon as the backup arrives on scene, they immediately see where the shots of their fellow officer are going, and the bad guy on the receiving end can’t see them. The dangers we all know that exist with lasers for the shooter, that the bad guy can see where the laser is coming from, doesn’t exist with trajectory identification technology. It is a different way to think about gunfight dynamics. ”

“It is the same thing with the military. Right now there is only red colored Glow Ammo, but soon we will have other colors. This way a team leader can carry one color marker and the team members a different color, so that in a firefight, the team sees where the team leader is directing fire, and they know it is him because of the different color. The potential is limitless for trajectory identification, and because it is a cold technology, there are no adverse side effects or potential collateral damage. It just works. ”

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When most people think of the classic deer rifle, they think of the lever action 30-30. Very few avid gunners don’t have one, yet this is a gun that is not the most powerful, not the most accurate, not the most quick shooting, and not the most reliable. For all the new gun owners, shooters and hunters that have come into the gun world over the last few years, you just have to re-ask the question, “why on earth would I ever want a lever action 30-30?” Is it just sentimental value in an old time cartridge that keeps the 30-30 going, or is there something there?

Guns are different from most things except maybe cars and guitars in that they have an “aura” about them. You won’t often see a rich businessman driving a Honda CRX “tuner” to the office, and you certainly shouldn’t play Ozzy songs on a Fender Telecaster, not that you can’t. Likewise, a lot of people feel weird stomping around the woods with an AR-15. It isn’t that the AR isn’t capable of taking a deer, a hog, or a coyote. It just doesn’t feel right.

The same thing goes for a high-powered bolt gun. In the thick woods of New England, Pennsylvania and other popular hunting grounds, you can feel like you are overdoing it with a high powered rifle. Most shots are under 100 yards and you don’t need all that power for a deer. For many hunters, a lever action 30-30 is “just right,” and it makes you feel like rough and tumble cowboy, which is always cool for a gun guy.

That is why there are literally millions of 30-30s are out there hunting this season, and one that has become very popular is the Mossberg 464. It is made in America by Americans, and we found it to be as accurate as most bolt guns for the first five shots in a cold gun. The point of balance on the 464 is right in the middle of the receiver, exactly where you want it to be for walking around the woods for hours, and right in the middle of a mounted normal length rifle scope, so it retains the balance. If you look at the 464, it looks like a Winchester Model 94, the most classic of all leverguns. But some of the features inside are much more like the Marlin 336, which is the other US made 30-30 still available today. The 464 is smoother than the 94, yet feels more like one than it does the Marlin.

Hornady revolutionized the 30-30 in 2007 with the introduction of their LeverEvolution ammunition. Prior to this, all traditional leverguns with tubular magazines had to use flat pointed bullets. Otherwise the tip of the bullet in the magazine would impact the primer of the round in front of it, setting it off inside the magazine and blowing a hole out of the side of your gun. LeverEvolution utilizes an aerodynamic spitzer type bullet with a polymer tip, so that they don’t set off the primer. They really actually work, and since the more than 4 years that have passed since their introduction, the LeverEvolution ammo has taken over the market for 30-30 deer rifles.

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As the 2012 SHOT Show approaches, one of the guns that didn’t get as much attention as it should have from this past year’s show was the Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle. If you haven’t seen this gun, it is based on a theoretical design from a shooting legend, Colonel Jeff Cooper, who started the Gunsite Academy. The premise of the gun is a “one gun solution, ” with a spec that it has to be a .30 caliber with an effective kill power on a man sized target out to the effective range of the shooter, and that is has to be short , light, and handy. This isn’t the first “Scout Rifle” design to hit the market, and Col. Cooper was involved with a Steyr project back in the day that is still sold today. But for the money, Ruger definitely has a very strong offering, and has nailed the Scout concept at an affordable price, MSRP $995.

Chambered in .308 Winchester, the 16.5″ barreled Ruger Gunsite Scout Rifle comes in at 7 lbs. empty and is 38″ long. This is basically to the spec of Col. Cooper, and this is with a wood, not plastic stock. The length of pull is adjustable with stock inserts from 12.75 inches to 14.25 inches, so it fits all sizes of shooters and can be adapted to body armor. Gunsite has a method of training shooters where length of pull is crucial, and this rifle is made to help you “settle into it.” I think that is the reasoning behind the wood composite stock as opposed to plastic. Laminated wood looks a little funny, but it is just as durable and weatherproof as plastic, and it is only about a half a pound heavier. The fine checkering on the beefy feeling forend and handgrip make you feel good with the gun, like it was made for you, and the weight distribution of the wood also just “feels right,” which is what the designers at Ruger and Gunsite were going for.

When you see the profile of this new Ruger Scout collaboration, a couple things immediately stick out. One is the ten round removable box magazine. To my knowledge there are no other bolt rifles in this price range that even have a box magazine. You are stuck with 3 or 4 rounds in the mag. The Scout also has a forward optics rail, for a special type of scope called, coincidentally, a Scout Scope. The Scout Rifle concept is 50 years old and the methodology of the Scout has been applied to experimental rifles for two generations now, using everything from standard Remington, Winchester and Ruger actions, to surplus Mosin-Nagants and Mausers. The forward mounted Scout Scope has what is called a “long eye relief.” That means you can see a full field with the scope 8 or 9 inches away from your eye. These scopes are also used on pistols to some degree by handgun hunters and long range target shooters.

The forward mounted scope allows you to take advantage of the optic, while retaining your peripheral vision for optimum situational awareness. It takes some getting used to, but most major optic companies make a Scout Scope model, and once you get used to it, the advantage is clear. In an unknown situation with nobody but you covering your back you don’t want your eye locked into a normal scope. Col. Cooper had this forward mount in his spec, long before long eye relief scopes were popular, and he was definitely on to something. The respect that his name commands in the gun world is well deserved. Most of us don’t have the ability to go out to Gunsite to train, but the expertise there has given us what amounts to the right tool for the job.

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LaserMax Guide Rod Lasers https://www.lasermax.com/ by Thoughtful Reader Let’s just get something out of the way. I’m not a “gun guy”. I don’t frequent forums and discuss the finer points of this firearm or that, nor am I concerned with the incessant caliber debates. To me, the gun I carry is just a tool, like [...]

Zombies may not be taking over America yet, but in the world of shooting sports, 3-Gun competitions for sure already are. You can’t talk about shooting these days without hearing about the popularity of 3-Gun. STAG Arms, a sponsor of the TV show 3-Gun Nation, hopes to capture the rifle part of the 3 Gun market with a new rifle created specifically for competition in 3-Gun events. It is called the STAG Arms 3G, MSRP $1,495. All of the competitors in the finals of 3-Gun Nation this year, being held in Las Vegas next week, will be shooting the STAG Arms 3G, and I am pretty sure all of the competitors are going to ask to keep them or buy them after the event. It is a really nice gun.

The 3G is an 18″ barreled AR-15 with about all the bells and whistles you could want for 3-Gun and a lot more. It comes standard with a 15″ Sampson free floating handguard, a Magpull ACS stock and MOE handgrip, and a Geissele Super 3-Gun trigger created specifically for 3-Gun competition. The gas system is the full rifle length version, not the shorter M4 version. This makes for a lot less felt recoil and very smooth controllability shot to shot. STAG also makes one of the few reliable .22 conversion kits for the AR, and it works flawlessly in this new 3G.

I guess the question is, how many people would buy a dedicated gun for 3-Gun? The STAG 3G would answer that question,” it doesn’t matter. ” The 3G is a formidable battle rifle with almost perfect balance. The twist on the gun is 1 in 8,” which is capable of stabilizing a wide range of bullet types, and the 18″ barrel turns a corner as fast as a 16″ M4, but with a better gas system and more velocity. You also couldn’t ask for a better stock and hand filling grip than the Magpull product. STAG really didn’t skimp on this rifle and they made some important add-on choices that you may not have gotten as right forced to make the choices yourself.

I personally find quad rails annoying, even with too-fat rail covers. This smart Samson handguard comes with 3 short rail sections to mount whatever you like on the gun. It makes for a comfortable, hand sized forward grip and the flexibility to add whatever you like. You can see from the pictures I like the stumpy UTG/Leapers forward vertical grip, and I was able to mount this in less than five minutes. What I like about it most is that you don’t need a special AR wrench to take the handguard off. It utilizes a collar and two Allen screws, and slides off with little or no effort. For ease of use the Samson wins hands down.

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The last time we saw the new Springfield Armory XD(M) 5.25 I was only able to try the gun for about an hour before having to send it on to the next reviewer. GunsAmerica was the first to have pics and tests of this exciting new competition pistol designed by champion shooter Rob Leatham. At the time it was only available in 9mm as well. Several of the comments that came in asked the question, when are they going to offer it in .40S&W and .45ACP? The answer is “right now.” The guns should be on your dealer shelves, and there is still some time on the 3 magazines promotion from Springfield.

For competition, Springfield Armory has upped the game on the 5.25 with these two new guns. Both calibers give you more flexibility than the 9mm in competition. They give you the ability to make what is called “major power” in USPSA and other competitive shooting rule systems, and you can make doctored loads for what is called the “power floor.” With the .45ACP you can experiment quite a lot, as you’ll see we did some, and the .40S&W just makes the floor for major power factor, and may be your best option if you want to use the gun in competition as well as self defense or duty.

Power factors are all based on published rules for what the individual competition organizations. The speed of the bullets is measured by a chronograph at the competition itself. To calculate the power factor and figure out the power floor you multiply the weight of the bullet, in grains, with the measured speed in feet per second, divided by a thousand. So for a 125 grain 9mm travelling at 1100 feet per second it works out to 135. A 230 grain 45acp at 850 feet per second is 195.

You will notice that the power factor computation is far different than the foot/pounds computation we have covered in a number of other articles. In the latter, velocity is squared before it is multiplied. In power factor it is simply multiplied. So while in foot/pounds calculations velocity is king, in power factor bullet weight has much more impact.

To “make major” in USPSA for the Open division the power factor is 160, and it is 170 for the Standard and Modified divisions. The minimum caliber to “make major” in the Standard division is .40, which gives you two XD(M) 5.25 guns to choose from. Note also that there is an absolute power floor for USPSA and other competitions of 125. So if you are concerned only with competing at the division level without shooting to make major, you can load to the absolute floor for little or no recoil, if you can get the gun to work properly with low powered loads, as I will explain a bit later.

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The Taurus Judge Public Defender Poly is a 23 ounce, five shot polymer revolver that fires .410 shotshells and .45 Colt. In our test it was comfortable to shoot all day, but the 2 inch barrel cost a lot of velocity: Winchester PDX1 averaged about 625 fps against the 750 on the box, and patterns [...]

The idea of aesthetics is a bit of a strange concept for people who think of guns solely as tools to hunt with or protect yourself. But going all the way back to Sam Colt when he introduced his first revolver, the Colt Patterson, in 1836, the way a gun looks has always been almost as important to the owner as how well it can do its job.

If you are a fan of another famous Colt, the 1911, the aesthetics and look of the gun are part of what you love. Custom grips have always been a booming side industry in the 1911 community and everyone from rock stars to presidents to Nascar drivers have commissioned custom 1911s to both treasure and carry. Crimson Trace, maker of the world’s leading lasergrips, has recognized this market for some time and we have heard for a while that a custom, high-end series of grips was on its way for this class 100 year old and still popular pistol, the 1911.

If you aren’t familiar with Crimson Trace Lasergrips, you have probably been hiding in a cave for ten years, but I guess you could also be new to guns and shooting and not have encountered them yet in your travels. The Crimson Trace system is the most unobtrusive and professional of all the handgun laser devices. A Crimson Trace replaces the factory grips of the gun, integrating a red laser on the side of the grip that is activated by your fingers around the front of the grip. Several firearm manufacturers now even offer Crimson Trace lasers standard in many of their models. Crimson Trace Lasergrips are pricey, but they are the choice of most professionals.

The Master Series from Crimson Trace, MRSP $399, was created so that you no longer have the choose between aesthetics and function with your favorite 1911. These gorgeous rosewood grips that you see here on an STI Shadow have a Crimson Trace laser in them. The two 2025 Lithium batteries for the laser fit into both sides of the replacement grips and are protected from electrical connection by plastic panels on the frame. For those who carry a 1911 this was a long time coming and it is no surprise that they are listed as “Out of Stock” on the Crimson Trace website at present. I’m sure if you look around you can find them, but you may have to wait in line.

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