Big companies that make thousands of holsters can afford perfect stamps that crank out flawless basket-weave. The hand stamp process is much more cumbersome and requires a maker to stamp each individual section of the weave. I’ve yet to see a flawless piece of hand-stamped leather, and these human touches are often the sign that it isn’t mass produced. This week we’re looking at the craftsmanship of Leather Creek Holsters, and we like their personal touch.
Sam Trisler
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Kimber Micro CDP–More than a Backup Gun
Updated: July 23, 2014Pocket pistols are not much fun to shoot. Even in .380, they are jumpy and prone to stinging your hand when fired. It’s hard to improve shooting techniques with these little guns. And most are not known for their accuracy. Yet the Kimber Micro CDP defies all of these preconceptions. It is comfortable to shoot, and the accuracy is exceptional for its diminutive size.
Nothing Traditional about Traditions’ Vortek .50
Updated: August 3, 2024The Traditions Vortek striker- fired in-line muzzleloader shoots more like a GLOCK than it does your average flintlock, yet the high-tech rifle can still be used during those extra days of hunting season when the center-fire rifles and shotguns are forbidden. But once you have the gun loaded and ready, you may not be able to tell the difference.
DIY: Slick Up a Ruger Single Action
Updated: July 2, 2014Ruger makes great revolvers. There single actions are affordable, durable, and accurate. Yet even a good revolver may need a bit of a nudge to make it great. So take it apart and slick it up. Take out the creep. Lighten the pull. It isn’t all that complicated.
The Ruger Mini Thirty, an Alternative to the AK
Updated: June 27, 2014The Mini series rifles from Ruger are nothing new. They have been in production in various forms since 1973, and the action borrows from one that dates from the 1930s. They have shown up in Hollywood too: the original A Team used them. Still, they are a bit of a curiosity. After running this Mini Thirty through its paces, my opinion on them has risen: this is a very capable rifle with a couple of quirks.
DIY Shooting Bench for Under $100
Updated: August 3, 2024I am not a bench rest shooter. I don’t have the patience for that aspect of shooting sports. But I need a shooting bench from time to time, especially when reviewing guns and getting rifles ready for hunting season. Long story short, I needed a small portable bench, and I didn’t want to spend more [...]
John Moses Browning’s Old School Humpback Auto 5s
Updated: May 14, 2014By Sam Trisler https://www.browning.com/customerservice/ownersmanuals/index.asp History There are a couple of good stories about John Moses Browning and the work it took for him to get the Auto 5 made. As with most of his long-gun designs of that era, Browning first took it to Winchester. They had a long working relationship at the time, one [...]
Mossberg Duck Commander 930—New Gun Review
Updated: April 3, 2014When I hear someone talking about a Mossberg, I think of dependable shotguns that get the job done. They might not have all of the bells and whistles of their more expensive competition, but they work. Work is the key word here. Mossberg is a workingman’s gun. Mossberg has been making the 930 auto-loading shotgun since 2005. It has proven itself as a versatile scattergun for hunting and reliable tool for defense. It also doesn’t break the bank. Though the latest 930 is dressed up in Duck Commander haute couture, this scattergun is first and foremost a Mossberg and could make a good all-around gun for turkey, ducks, or upland birds.
The New Mossberg Duck Commander Line: Duck Guns Worthy of Duck Dynasty
Updated: February 15, 2014The popularity of the A&E reality show Duck Dynasty has done wonders to increase the public’s awareness of duck hunting. Mossberg, making the most of this opportunity, announced this past summer that it had teamed up with the Duck Commander guys to create a new line of products. These interpretations of venerable Mossberg guns are starting to trickle out of the factory. We talked to Mossberg reps at SHOT Show this year and they agreed to send us a Duck Commander 930, which we had in the field before the end of duck season (just a week later). What better way to check out a gun that is designed to knock waterfowl out of the sky than to take it to the blind?