Tag: .357 Magnum

Wadcutters For Self Defense

I admit it, I’m a bullet nerd. I’ve always been fascinated by ballistics, and particularly terminal ballistics. I enjoy learning about how bullets do their work, and studying the minutiae of expansion, penetration, retained weight, permanent and temporary cavities, testing protocols, and all the numerical measures of bullet performance. Continue reading “Wadcutters For Self Defense”

Training With Light Loads

In the post-war heyday of the revolver, it was common for police and armed citizens to load a different kind of ammunition for practice than they did for duty or defense.  In the police community, for example, many officers shot their training and qualifications with soft-recoiling, 148 grain, .38 Special wadcutters, and loaded more powerful .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammunition for duty, and a legion of armed citizens without badges did the same. Continue reading “Training With Light Loads”

Field Report: The New Colt King Cobra

Revolvers hailing from Colt’s Manufacturing Company are a class of firearm for which I’ve traditionally exhibited only the faintest interest. It’s not because they aren’t fantastic guns; To the contrary, it may be because they’re too fantastic! Since going out of production, Colt’s revolvers have become collectable and priced well outside my reach. With Colt’s re-entrance into the revolver market, wheelguns bearing the Rampant Colt Pony are once again on dealer shelves. Colt’s was kind enough to loan us one, and this Field Report will detail my experiences with the new Colt King Cobra. Continue reading “Field Report: The New Colt King Cobra”

Guns of The Shootists Holiday

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 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”

The Biggest Little Roundgun: The 3-Inch Kimber K6s

It is no secret to regular readers that I have been dying to get my hands on the 3-inch Kimber K6s. Thanks once again to the hard work of Mike and Steve, I finally got my chance to test out this revolver. This field report will cover my general impressions, and shooting and carrying what I have dubbed the “biggest little roundgun!” Continue reading “The Biggest Little Roundgun: The 3-Inch Kimber K6s”

The Kimber K6s: From a Blank Sheet of Paper

I admit it. I’m a gun nut. It doesn’t matter if they revolve or cycle, or if they load from the front, the back, or the bottom. It doesn’t matter if they hold a single cartridge or half a box full. It doesn’t matter if they’re made of blue steel and wood, or Tenifered steel and plastic. If they go “bang,” I love them.

Continue reading “The Kimber K6s: From a Blank Sheet of Paper”

The Great Revolver Frame War – Part I

Back in the days before drastic, fantastic, plastic pistols ruled the day, companies like Sturm, Ruger and Smith & Wesson were locked in a battle to decide who would be crowned the King of the double action revolver market. The distinction was important, as the double action revolver represented the largest segment of the commercial and law enforcement handgun markets. Continue reading “The Great Revolver Frame War – Part I”