The 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.
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Closet Classic Review: Marble’s Game Getter Gun
I’ve had a lifelong fascination with oddball guns. The Marble’s Game Getter Gun, a storied gun with a long and troubled history, speaks to me. By today’s standards, the skeletal over-under is underpowered, and a bit slow. Yet the single-shot Game Getter Gun lives on in the survival-minded offerings of Springfield Armory, and Savage, and even Chiappa.
Remington R1 Carry: the EDC 1911—New Gun Review
When Remington announced its intentions to begin remaking 1911s in the centennial year of the venerable platform, no one was terribly surprised. 2011 was arguably a better year for 1911s than the original model year. Everyone was making them. The surge brought new energy to the single action, and shooters were willing to test out the cocked-and-locked philosophy. Yet most of the new pistols on the market were oddly incomplete. If you wanted to carry one for defensive purposes, you needed to make some minor changes. The one stand-out for me, the one anniversary year 1911 that felt completely thought out, is the Remington R1 Carry.
SIG SAUER P556, Short Barrel Rifle Performance from a Pistol – New Gun Review
The SIG SAUER P556 is a popular choice for people who want to register a short-barreled rifle. If you buy the pistol version and then begin the paper work, you can keep the P556 and shoot it, too, while you wait for the NFA stamp to come in. Now, thanks to SIG’s SB15 Pistol Stabilizing Arm Brace, the P556 has a much more promising life of its own. If you want a combat-capable compact rifle, this strange pistol has a lot to offer, right out of the box.
The Browning A5 Stalker—New Gun Review
With the rising popularity of hunting and multi-gun competitions, shooters are looking for anything that can give them an edge. When it comes to the shotgun, keeping the weapon fed while negotiating complex courses of fire—speed of loading—s often decisive. Surprisingly, while you almost never see one used in competition, John Moses Browning’s Auto 5 shotgun may be one of the fastest loading semi-automatic shotguns of all time. Now Browning has reintroduced the A5. From the outward appearance, it looks as though they started making it the old Humpback again, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. While the new A5 is a faithful homage to the original John Browning design, the actual function has completely changed.
Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire – Movie Review
Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire Dead Patriot Films www.deadpatriotfilms.com 3.99 – $16.60 on Amazon (Editor Note: The point of this article is playing itself out in the Elliot Rogers shooting. Please read our article on the shooting.) There are enemies among us, don’t be fooled. The problem is that many of them mean well, but [...]
John Moses Browning’s Old School Humpback Auto 5s
By 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 [...]
Prepping 101: Cheap Firepower – This is My Rifle
“This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine.” Do you remember that line from the movie Full Metal Jacket? The movie was lame but the point of that line should ring true for anyone who considers long term survival against all odds. Many gun writers have said this over the years, but something that many new shooters do not know is that there is no such thing as a powerful handgun. Even the whopping .44 Magnum pales in comparison to even a light rifle cartridge like the AK-47 round. In the game of survival, you have to at some point accept that fact that force will eventually meet force. You may be armed, but two weeks into any major disaster, everyone still standing will also be armed, and they won’t be that afraid of your .45ACP Taurus semi-auto pistola. Pop, pop, pop won’t be the sound that people fear. But a thundering BOOOM, coupled with their available cover being either seriously rocked or completely shot through, will put anyone and everyone on notice that the force they face is not worth facing, and it may be better to move on. A rifle is firepower like a handgun can never be, but the problem with rifles is that they are expensive to own and expensive to shoot. There is however one lowest common denominator with rifles, and for as little as $100, if all you own is a pistol, I strongly suggest that you go out and buy one of these powerhouse rifles today.
Taurus View – Light, Pocketable Titanium & Lexan Revolver —New Gun Review
The new Taurus View with the transparent Lexan side plate was unveiled at the January SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Since then there have been several brief but glowing reviews based on limited time with the gun at the show. We wanted to see for ourselves—is all the hype deserved? Or is it just a gimmick to sell guns? At scarcely over half a pound, with a titanium cylinder and barrel, there is hardly a gun in the market to even compete with the View at a street price of around $500. But with an extremely lightweight revolver, in the venerable .38 Special, always comes punishing recoil, which I’ll get to. The Lexan panel is nifty, and does have some actual use, but to me what makes this gun stand out is the extreme pocket-ability and light weight at a competitive price to the tiny semi-autos in the comparable 9mm. And while the gun isn’t perfect, all of these mostly positive reviews showcase a new direction for Taurus, with vastly improved quality control and customer service, at the same Taurus affordable prices. The View isn’t for everyone. She kicks pretty hard. But if an extremely lightweight and reliable revolver is on your bucket list, we found the Taurus View to be well worth your attention.
Colt M2012 Bolt Rifle – Cooper Arms of Montana
Colt’s Manufacturing has a long history of working with other gun companies for Colt-branded bolt action rifles. The Colt Sauer rifle was produced by J.P. Sauer & Son in Germany from 1973 to 1984, and the 27,189 rifles that came out of it are still highly sought after by collectors. These days, Colt has updated itsgame with an American company called Cooper Firearms of Montana. Cooper was started in 1990 by ex-Kimber employees and has beena staple in the custom rifle market for more than two decades. The first Colt/Cooper came out a couple years back, called the M2012. They still make it today, and as you can see from the picture here, it looks like what it is, a high-end tactical rifle meant to look tactical. Since the introduction of the M2012, a lot of high-end shooters, especially ex-military snipers, have said that they would love a Cooper rifle that says Colt on the side (who wouldn’t?), but that what they would have in mind was something more along the lines of a US Army issue M24 or USMC M40. Colt, and Cooper, have listened, and the result is a whole new version of the M2012 that more resembles those rifles, while sacrificing nothing in performance. These rifles aren’t cheap. Our test gun as you see it here retails for $3,195. But as you will see, it is well within the world class division when it comes to bolt guns. If you are a Colt fan who just loves to see that name on the side of your gun, like back in the old Sauer days, or you are just in the market for an extremely thoughtful and well-made long range rifle, look no further than the new Colt Model 2012.