Feature Articles

Following World War II, a group of nations were consolidated into what we referred to as Yugoslavia, ruled by a man named Tito. Not owing his ascension to power to the Soviet Union, but still being a communist, he proclaimed that Yugoslavia would go a third way, part of neither the East nor the West. The Yugoslavian military adopted the basic pattern of the Soviet AKM rifle and made some alterations to adapt it to their doctrine. Rifle grenades were thought of as a huge force multiplier by the Yugoslavians, which resulted in several of those modifications.

I am relatively new to the .17 HMR cartridge. When it debuted in 2002, I was guilty of downplaying its effectiveness. Most of my life, Uncle Sugar bought me all the centerfire rounds a growing boy could want, so I didn’t have to worry about training ammo. Now that I have to buy my own [...]

Long range shooting is an expensive endeavor. A good rifle, nice scope and ancillary gear can easily set a marksman back several thousand dollars. Shooters on a budget, or those who want to get in a lot of training repetitions, may pick up a rifle that mimics their main long-range rifle relative to weight and feel, but that uses a less expensive round.

There are few manufacturers that have a long-storied history in the defense industry as Winchester. Undoubtedly, few things are more formidable or reliable in battle than a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. Winchester’s Model 1897 has proven over time to be a reliable firearm for protection of America’s finest.

The one rifle to have if you could only have one. Ruger nailed it. Their new Gunsite Scout Rifle in .450 Bushmaster is a fantastic all-around firearm, offering the power to take down large game and the maneuverability to carry in the thickest brush.

The CZ-75 is a legendary handgun design. It is to Eastern Europe what the 1911 is to the west in many ways. The iconic design and silhouette became the ubiquitous standard image of “handgun” on the other side of the iron curtain like the Browning classic Gov’t model did over here.

The Big Five, or Dangerous Seven, or whatever you prefer to call the collective of African game animals that can easily end your life certainly gets the lion’s share (pun fully intended) of the spotlight, but the plains game, or more properly put, the antelope species, are much more abundant and affordable. Much has been written about the proper guns and cartridges for African hunting, but it seems there is still considerable confusion about what is needed to effectively hunt the lighter African game.

The VP9 is not really all that large a pistol, but it is a full duty-sized gun. And while some folks can and do carry it concealed, I prefer something much smaller for everyday carry. I don’t want my life or my wardrobe to revolve around my carry gun. So, for those of us who are average height and build, and wear normal clothing, a smaller version is much appreciated!

To port or not to port? As with selecting any pistol, there are drawbacks and benefits. For those who are recoil sensitive and like to plink on the range — Smith & Wesson has got something for you. With the release of the M&P 2.0, there is also some other relatively new expansions from the M&P line. This week I got my hands on two very impressive pieces from the Performance Center, the 9L and 40 ported.