pistol and shotgun

HANDGUNS

Handguns2022-01-26T10:48:28-08:00

Ed Brown’s Fueled M&Ps — Part 2

When I hung up my 1911a1 pistols at the end of 2011 (isn't that year an odd coincidence now?), I figured I was done with custom pistols. The custom market really wasn’t active with Glocks yet. I’m not sure anyone was thinking of work like that on the M&P. Then, last year, two people reached out to me about the Fueled M&P and an acquaintance at Ed Brown sent me one. See the first article [...]

By |April 23rd, 2024|

Twice The Ammo – MAC’s 1911-9-DS

By |March 12th, 2024|

Double-stack 1911s are currently being used by SWAT teams, fugitive task forces, and "gun-savvy" officers nationwide. The first high-profile use of the double-stack 1911 was by the F.B.I.'s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT). For several years, HRT used customized Para Ordnance P14s. Gunsmith Les Baer built those guns, and commercial copies [...]

Not Your Dad’s J Frame — Lipsey’s Ultimate Carry

By |March 5th, 2024|

Smith & Wesson's J frame revolver – if there's a ubiquitous back-up gun for uniformed officers, the J Frame is it. History The first J Frame revolvers - Chief's Specials - were produced in 1950 and have included a number of models since then. When the 442 debuted in 1993, [...]

H&K’s VP9 Certified Under NIJ’s Semi-Auto Pistol Standard

By |February 20th, 2024|

The past week, Heckler & Koch’s law enforcement division announced that their VP-9 pistol had been certified under the National Institute for Justice’s (NIJ) 0112.03 standard. Good for H&K, but what does that mean, you ask? Excellent question. Like the updated body armor standard I recently wrote about, there are [...]

Taurus 856 Ultra Lite: Always Bring It

By |January 9th, 2024|

Taurus upgraded its long-serving Model 85 small frame .38 Special revolver in 2018, most notably by expanding the cylinder diameter slightly and increasing its capacity to six rounds. Dubbed the 856, it was a no-frills snubby constructed of carbon or stainless steel with a two-inch barrel. The upgrade promoted the [...]

Ed Brown’s Fueled M&Ps — Part 1

By |January 2nd, 2024|

Custom pistols aren’t new. Factory custom pistols, while newer, are not either. Think about the number of 1911s out there that came from nationally known or local gunsmiths – one at a time. Add to that all the pistols built and shipped by the factory’s custom shops as well as [...]

A BUG From My Pocket

By |November 22nd, 2023|

While revolvers are filling a retro niche these days, they are often overlooked and unappreciated by a fair amount of law enforcement. And there are many generational and equipment reliability reasons behind that.   Reasons When I started, there were three definite reasons that backup guns (henceforth BUG) were as [...]

It’s All About Your Presentation

By |October 31st, 2023|

Most frequently, the word “presentation” describes how something is displayed, or even laid out, for others to see. Alternatively, it is about an educational event in which information is conveyed via the spoken word with graphics.   For this article, we are talking about you drawing your pistol. Before someone [...]

The Case For DA/SA Pistols

By |October 11th, 2023|

Not too long ago, the metal frame Double Action/Single Action (DA/SA) pistol was king in both the military and law enforcement. Beretta 92s, third-gen S&W's, and the Sig P-series pistols were king of the hill. The military was carrying the Beretta 92FS with untold numbers in service. Many agencies, including [...]

What’s Taught And Why

By |August 8th, 2023|

Over the weekend, I took a carry optics class from Dave Spaulding, formerly of Handgun Combatives. The “why” behind the course material is the genesis of this article. When you are developing a class, what material do you include? Why does that material matter in the context of the course? [...]

Big Window, Nice Reticles – Holosun’s 507 Comp Pistol Optic

By |July 5th, 2023|

Announced this year at SHOT, Holosun’s 507 Comp – for competition – optic made its way into mailboxes and retail stores back in May. With some time behind it, here are my thoughts so far. One of the “secrets” to shooting a pistol-mounted optic is shifting your visual attention and [...]

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