Recreational

Laser sights on pistols are not a novelty anymore. They can be useful to aim a pistol that might not or cannot be aimed using open sights, like shooting from the ground, through small openings, or most any other situation where the iron sights cannot be aligned between the shooter or the target. Scan the used-handgun case at a gun shop, and more than likely you’ll find a rig that the former owner customized with a laser sight. In the new-pistol case, you will also see factory-fitted laser sights on handguns. Gun Tests magazine's shooters were interested in how factory-fitted lasersights would affect their judgment of three previously tested 380 ACP pistols, the Ruger LCP, SIG’s P238, and Walther’s PK380. The Ruger earned an A- grade in the June 2008, and the SIG notched an A- in the June 2010 issue, and the Walther got a B-, also in the June 2010 issue.

To see if today’s rifle shooters really are being treated to superior accuracy at a bargain price, Gun Tests evaluated two synthetic-stocked rifles from Ruger and Mossberg in 243 Winchester in the February 2013 issue. The test rifles were the $449 Ruger American and the $471 Mossberg 4X4. Both rifles are lightweight hunting models fitted with black synthetic stocks, matching blued barrels with recessed crowns, pre-mounted two-piece scope bases, sling attachments front and rear, rubber buttpads, and removable box magazines.

For a test of vintage bolt-action 22 rifles in the February 2013 issue, Gun Tests had the loan of two old-timers, a Remington Nylon 12 and a Winchester Model 69A. Are these old rifles worth looking into?

Benelli’s super-lightweight shotguns, the Ultralight line, are touted as being the lightest semi-automatic shotguns in production. Because a lighter gun does not always leave a shooter happy after a long day in the field or an afternoon shooting sporting clays, there are good reasons why shooters would prefer a heavier classic model, such as a favorite of many shooters, the Remington Model 1100. The Model 1100 was first manufactured in 1963, and with more than 50 years of production under its belt, it has earned seniority over newcomers like the Ultralight. But, because age is just a number and the new challenges the old every day, Gun Tests’ shooters wanted to see for themselves which gun they would buy. So, for a test in the February 2013 issue, Winkle’s Great Guns supplied a Benelli Ultralight Model No. 10802 12 Gauge, $1649; and Remington Model 1100 Sporting No. 25315, $1211, for this showdown. Here’s what Gun Tests found.

A good polishing job can save a gun from the junk heap, but a bad job can send it there. Here's how the professional does it.

A fired 12-gauge shotgun shell unleashes a column of shot from a shotgun barrel at about 1,200 feet per second – too fast for the human eye to see the pellets in flight. This can make it extremely difficult to master the correct lead on flying clay targets or game birds. What if that changed? What if it was possible to track the flight of the shot string? Thanks to Winchester Ammunition, it’s happening in 2013.

Leica Sport Optics new Geovid HD-B laser rangefinder binoculars contain advanced ballistics technology enabling users to add/create their own custom ballistics info for individual rifles as well as ranging abilities.

Uberti introduced several new handguns at the just-concluded SHOT Show 2013: the 1873 Horseman, 1873 Cattleman 12-Shot 22 LR, and two new models of 1873 Cattleman 22 LRs six shooters.

Rock Island Armory debuted the TCM 22 centerfire rifle at SHOT Show 2013. The new rifle is chambered for the Armscor TCM .22 cartridge exclusive to Armscor.

For 2013, Browning is expanding its current line of X-Bolts to include the Hunter Full Line Dealer model.

In the opinion of many experienced shooters, the 45 Auto is the caliber of choice in self-defensive pistols. However, most of these guns, like the classic 1911 Colt, are big and heavy. Therefore, they often get left behind for a lighter piece, which generally is of lower power. If you still want the power of a 45, why not go to a smaller and lighter gun? Some of us had come to believe the Colt CCO was the finest 45 available. However, the last version of it, called the Gunsite number O9840CGP, is now discontinued. But fear not, the SIG Sauer 1911 C3 is here, and is an even better, more refined version of the CCO. And it's cheaper.

The results of my tests showed that the Ruger Super Redhawk was a fine piece. But, I wasn't impressed with the supplied grip in terms of soaking up recoil.