In 1985, notable sixgunner and gun scribe John Taffin joked with some shooting buddies about a week-long range trip where the participants would be limited to bringing a maximum of two firearms. It started as a fanciful notion, but the idea was too good to dismiss, so Taffin and friends soon found themselves planning the first trip, which came to be known as the “Shootists Holiday.” Continue reading “Guns of The Shootists Holiday”
The Pachmayr Aluminum Competition Speedloader
It has been quite some time since I’ve written about a new speedloader. I thought I’d just about covered everything that’s out there on the market. Turns out there are a couple of new products popping up. Today I’m going to talk about the new Pachmayr Aluminum Competition Speedloader. Continue reading “The Pachmayr Aluminum Competition Speedloader”
Fighting Leather: The Breakfront, Part II
In Part I of this series, we discussed the birth of the breakfront holster with the Berns-Martin design, as well as the development of competing designs from popular police holster makers Hoyt and Safety Speed.
We now pick up the breakfront saga where we left off . . .
Continue reading “Fighting Leather: The Breakfront, Part II”
Fighting Leather: The Breakfront, Part I
While some of the nation’s oldest uniformed police departments trace their roots back to the mid-1800s, it wasn’t until the early 20th Century that the majority of American police sidearms moved from tunic pockets to openly-carried duty holsters. The earliest rigs were generally substandard in materials and design, and it wasn’t long before the search for the perfect police duty holster occupied the minds of uniformed lawmen from coast to coast.
The Shootists Ruger Bisley
I sat down next to Peter Caroline at a big round table during breakfast in the SHOT Show media room several years ago. Peter has one of those super friendly demeanors that we often find in the gun world. We introduced ourselves and chatted as we ate. While we waited for the main show floor to open, we became aware of our shared interest in vintage firearms. Continue reading “The Shootists Ruger Bisley”
Why YOU Should Be Proficient with Double Action Revolvers
I frequently get the question, “why revolvers?” Using revolvers doesn’t make much sense to some, especially in today’s world of inexpensive, reliable, high-capacity semi-autos. However, I still contend that gun owners should be well rounded. This means that you – yeah, YOU! Over there with the HK V-whatever – should know how to operate a revolver proficiently. This post will probably mostly be preaching to the choir, but that’s OK – it might help you to answer the, “why revolvers?” question. My real hope is that you will direct the asker of that question here, so I can explain! Continue reading “Why YOU Should Be Proficient with Double Action Revolvers”
Why I Don’t Like Fiber-Optic Sights
I seem to be in a minority. A lot of shooters seem to really like fiber-optic sights, but I don’t. Not even a little, and this post will explore that a bit. The main reason I don’t like them: consistency. This really hit home with me during some shooting with the 10mm GP100. Continue reading “Why I Don’t Like Fiber-Optic Sights”
Lobo Gunleather Moon Clip Pouch
Since the 10mm GP100 came into my life I have been getting intimately acquainted with moon clips. One thing I’ve had trouble finding is a suitable field/defense carry option for loaded moon clips. If I’m going to bring the gun, I want to bring a reload or two. A reader here recommended I try the Lobo Gunleather moon clip pouch, so I ordered one. It arrived recently and I’ve had few range sessions to work with it. Continue reading “Lobo Gunleather Moon Clip Pouch”
Kimber K6s Holster: The DeSantis L-Gat Slide
I’ve always treated my snub revolvers as pocket guns, but when the time came to review the Kimber K6s DC, there was something about it that screamed for a belt holster. It was probably the 6th round that got me thinking about it as a legitimate “belt gun,” but the excellent sights and trigger helped seal the deal. Even though it’s a small-frame gun, the K6s shoots like a medium-frame snub, and it deserved a good belt rig.
Continue reading “Kimber K6s Holster: The DeSantis L-Gat Slide”
The Kimber K6s DC: Notes From The Field
The Kimber K6s revolver was introduced at the 2016 SHOT Show, and while I got to handle it in the Kimber booth, I didn’t get to shoot it until the following year’s Media Day at the Range. That first cylinder full convinced me that I was holding a very special gun, and would need to spend more time with it in the future. Continue reading “The Kimber K6s DC: Notes From The Field”