Home Defense

Many of us miss Winchester's Model 88. First revealed in 1955 as "a bolt action rifle with a lever," it shared few features with levered Winchesters made up to that time. It had no external hammer, no side-loading tubular magazine limited to flat-nosed rounds, and no rear breech lock-up. It had a full-length stock to dampen barrel vibrations, a removable box magazine that allowed hunters to take advantage of better ballistics pointed bullets provided, and combined lever/trigger assemblies, which eliminated the pinched fingers and snagged gloves known so well to lever gunners. The 88's biggest departure from Winchester's lever-action tradition, however, was its rotary bolt head incorporating a trio of locking lugs that was very close to Mauser's design of the late 1880s.

One of the major reasons hunters choose a 20 gauge over a 12 gauge is the former's smaller frame, weight, and recoil. Though they may already own a 12, many field sportsmen wind up reaching for their 20s because the smaller gun is just easier to handle, and there are just a few hunting situations—layback goose hunting and spring turkey hunting, to name two—in which the bigger payload might make a difference.

The Remington Sportsman line has two 12s and three 20s. The 12s come in 26- and 28-inch barrels and weigh 8.1 pounds and 8.25 pounds respectively, compared to the weight of our test 28-inch-barrel gun, about a full pound lighter.

GunReports.com video from Crimson Trace: Conquering Low Light with Ken Hackathorn. Ken shows how the use of white light and laser sights can make you a better shooter in conditions most common in personal defense situations.

According to the manufacturer, the Glock pistol was the first "industrially manufactured handgun with high-tech polymer grips." The barrels and slides are coated with what Glock describes as a "high-tech surface refinement" that they call Tenifer. The benefits of this "carbonitriding" coating are not only corrosion resistance and reduced glare but also resistance to abrasion. Tenifer coating is highly rated on the Rockwell Cone hardness scale at 64 HRC.

Some Glock pistols are available with different color frames, but our G34 was basic black. The defining feature of the G34 was its long 5.3-inch barrel with polygonal rifling, covered by a slide that included a gaping hole just to the rear of the front sight. This relief measured approximately 1.75 inches long by 0.75 inches wide. Glock says that this serves to reduce stress on the frame. The dustcover beneath the slide was also longer, making room for a healthy sized accessory rail, which was molded into place. The schematic breakdown of the Glock pistol with magazine lists only 34 separate parts, 36 if you count the magazine insert at the base plate (part 32a), and the front sight blade, part number 16a.

The Mil Spec model is in some ways a commemorative pistol without getting gaudy or expensive. It has classic styling including a basic military style grip safety and solid hammer tang.

Our Bushmaster Patrolman’s Carbine was yet another interpretation of the flat-top AR. The base price of this model was $1230 including the Fiberite Six Position adjustable stock and A2 front sight. But we picked several options to bring it into spec with our other carbines. A 4 Rail Free-Floater Forend (YHM-9479) was in place plus an Ergo Sure Grip (ARG- KIT). With another Ergo Sure Grip clamped to the bottom forend rail (ARG-FWD), we thought we were seeing double.

The forend grip could be placed anywhere along the bottom rail as long as it was far enough forward to clear the magazine. A large knob with a coin or screwdriver slot and knurled edges held the grip in place. With two pistol style grips in place, our stance took on a narrower profile. This would be especially advantageous when traveling down a hallway or taking cover in a tight space. The forend itself appeared to be fatter. This was because the rails were covered with slip-on Sure Grip rail covers featuring the Bushmaster logo, (SCH-6L). The rail covers created a smooth, rounded feel to the forend and increased its overall width by about 0.3 inches.

Before self-defense training can begin, you must mentally prepare yourself for combative situations. This series is a collection of self-defense tips with career law enforcement officer Dave Spaulding designed to help individuals learn proper skills and techniques to defend themselves.

(GunReports.com) -- Matt Carmel, president of Constitution Arms, said the company has received its first working prototype of the Palm Pistol and that the pistol is undergoing endurance testing.

The Marlin Model 9 is compact, light in weight, and more accurate than a 9mm duty pistol at longer ranges. It's able to fire the same service-pistol ammunition at a higher velocity, and it recoils far less than a 12-gauge shotgun. These factors have contributed to the growing popularity of the Model 9 as a law-enforcement and home-defense weapon. Here's how to fix it.

On GunReports.com, this Ruger video covers the essentials. Learning grip and body position are crucial to controlling your firearm's recoil. Dave Spaulding puts special emphasis on trigger control for managing your gun, as well as other essentials like grip and body position.

(GunReports.com) -- Four similar and equally matched 9mm pistols turned in a tightly fought battle in the August 2010 issue of Gun Tests, says its editor, and the magazine’s test team had trouble picking a winner. Tested: Glock 19, Springfield Armory XDM 3.8, CZ USA 75D PCR Compact, and the new Ruger SR9C.

GunReports.com finds that the LaserLyte rear sight laser fits all Ruger SR9 and SR9 Compact pistols. The only laser for the Ruger SR9 pistols that you can fit in any holster. MSRP $200.