Shotguns

The often fierce debate over the Second Amendment has centered on whether it was intended to protect the rights of all Americans to own guns, or only those who are members of state militia groups. The poll makes it clear which side Americans come down on. Gun owners (roughly one-third of the U.S. adult population) are nearly universal in endorsing the view that the Second Amendment guarantees their right to own guns. Non-owners are less likely to view the amendment this way, but a majority still do.

Smith & Wesson Corp., announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the online training company 3point5.com to provide retail sales training support for the Company’s Smith & Wesson, Walther and Thompson/Center Arms products.

Young sporting clay shooters from across Arizona earned state titles at last weekend’s Scholastic Clay Target Program Commissioner’s Cup Sporting Clays State Championship.

This gun is billed as the fastest semiautomatic on the market, capable of cycling 12 shots in 1.442 seconds. According to Winchester officials,...

Here are some different views of the Heller arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court:

The quest for a used shotgun that will meet the all-round needs of a hunter and target shooter can often require some lengthy rack time looking over a number of selections. Toss in some specific needs and that search becomes even more complicated. We set out with a goal of finding a small-gauge shotgun that had to meet a number of requirements:

-A length of pull suitable for a youngster or small-stature shooter.

-Reduced recoil to keep a novice shooter from experiencing shell shock and possibly giving up the sport.

-An action that could be worked by either a right-handed or left-handed shooter.

-Simple function and a shell ejection system that did not sling spent shells all over the countryside.

What we finally brought to the test table were two pump-action shotguns that have been providing hunters across the country with a quality field gun for quite some time. Our pair of pumps that met our special needs were the Browning BPS Special Steel Field Model and the Ithaca Ultra Featherlight Model 37.

Both of the shotguns featured short barrels and were more suited to field use than clay target busting; and both offered qualities that have built a good fan base for the veteran firearms.

One of the key features of both shotguns is the bottom ejection system that helps a shooter retrieve fired hulls by keeping them close to your feet, rather than flinging them into the next county. This feature is particularly welcomed by dove hunters who don't want to irritate landowners by leaving spent shells all over the county or by those shooters who like to retrieve their hulls for reloading.

The bottom-ejection system, which worked well with both of our test shotguns, also eliminates the problem of spent shells flying across the field of vision of left-handed shooters, which can happen with a right-hand port of a standard pump shotgun.

While prices and conditions of representative models of the two shotguns might vary by quite a stretch depending upon where the purchaser picks up his prize, we were pleased to find both of our models carried price tags of around $400. As a beginner shooting tool or a reliable back-up shotgun, any quality scattergun costing about four Benjamin Franklins is normally a bargain. As our testing was limited by the parameters of our specific needs, we decided to focus on some standard 2 3/4-inch field and target loads for our test ammunition. The loads included Winchester Super Speed Xtra Game Loads with 2.5 dram equivalent of powder and 7/8 ounces of No. 8 shot with a muzzle velocity of 1,275 fps; Estate Super Sport Competition Target Loads packing 2.5 dram equivalent of powder and 7/8 ounces of No. 7.5 shot with a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps; and Winchester Super Sport Sporting Clays with 2.5 dram equivalent of powder and 7/8 ounces of No. 7.5 shot with a muzzle velocity of 1,300 fps.

Patterning performance with all the ammunition in each of the shotguns was satisfactory. The loads all produced a 50-50 pattern (50 percent of the shot below and target center and 50 percent below) at 30 yards. That is an ideal pattern for a field gun. Here's our test report:

Browning has expanded its gun accessory line of products for 2008 to include three new series of shooting bags, shell pouches and shell carriers

Browning Citori® and BT-99™ shotguns are gaining a wide range of popularity the world over as experienced shooters tell others about their phenomenal performance.

The Morgan, Utah based makers of Winchester rifles and shotguns have announced the historic return to the original name given the brand nearly 150 years ago.

In a year of many milestones in the legendary history of Winchester firearms, Winchester Repeating Arms is excited to announce the return of the new Speed Pump shotgun to the company's product line for 2008.

Las Vegas, Nevada – Most serious shooters know that the Shooting and Outdoor Sports Trade Show, SHOT by any other name, is the annual showcase for new guns, ammunition, accessories and more. But for a select few gun writers, editors, TV producers and hosts, the day before the SHOT Show is a chance to not just look, but also shoot, the latest and greatest from gun makers from around the world.

Kathy Adkins moved from target to target, using a .38 revolver and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol with deadly efficiency, putting holes in the dead center of paper targets meant to look like people. Adkins, 48, owns a real estate firm in Jackson and has been taking firearms training since March. Instructor Cliff Cargill said he has had many new students since the Legislature passed a bill last year giving residents expanded legal rights to protect…