Firing Line: 02/05
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Tactical Shotgun Choice
Re January 2005, 20-Gauge Youth Shotguns: Are They Effective For Self Defense?:
As a longtime subscriber, Ive learned to trust your advice, and I need some now. I recently attended a tactical shotgun course taught by two police instructors at our local club. I discovered that under stress, the shotgun that I thought was ideal as a home-defense weapon was not the gun I needed. I took the course with my Remington 870, and it was a disaster.
The gun performed flawlessly, but I did not. I repeatedly for...
Firing Line: 01/05
Made in America
Re Short Shots, November 2004:
Thanks for the mention of SIGs DHS contract on page 5. However, I am a little concerned about the impertinent question. Is Gun Tests magazine implying that the pistols are not made in the U.S.? Because if that is so, thats news to us. As you can see from the press release and the article in the local paper, we are building the guns here in Exeter, New Hampshire, which, if nothing has changed since the last time I looked, is located in America. We explained in the release that we increased our production capacity by 25 percent with a very large investment in new equipment - six Okuma CNC machines to be exact.
If your i...
Firing Line: 11/04
Good Barrel Needed
Re September 2004, Mil-Spec .30-06 Bolt Guns: 03 Springfield Vs. 17 Enfield:
I just finished reading your Springfield versus Enfield article. It is too bad that you did not have an Enfield with a good barrel. I have owned both the 03 and 17 in .30-06 cal. for 30-plus years and have found them to be excellent shooters. The 17 made by Winchester has been the one that I have shot the longest distance. Some years ago I hit a target with my first shot at 950 yards. The sight had been changed to a Lyman 1000-yard open sight, so even though it was not military, it was a similar peep sight. Please dont sell either one of these weapons short. They will bo...
Firing Line: 10/04
12-Gauge Defense Shotguns
Re January 2004, 12-Gauge Home-Defense Shotguns: Benelli Nova Tactical Pump and the Mossberg Model 500 Pump:
I was catching up on my reading and finally got to a comparison of the Benelli Nova Tactical Pump and the Mossberg Model 500 Pump. The article made valid points about the muzzle-heavy balance of the Mossberg with an extended tubular magazine, and the fact that a new Mossberg action is not as smooth as it will become when broken in.
The muzzle heaviness is indeed a factor when swinging to a target on the trap range, but it is not noticeable with the butt of the gun tucked under the arm and shooting at 20 feet. I am also confident that any...
Firing Line: 09/04
.338 Magnum Showdown
Re Two .338 Winchester Magnums Vs. Remingtons .338 Ultra Mag, March 2004:
Read your article on the .338 Magnum Showdown with some interest, especially the accuracy and chronograph data. I noticed that the Remington 700 LSS had an average group size of 2.8 inches using the off-the-shelf Core-Lokt PSP ammunition. That is not a very good group for 100 yards. Here in northwest Florida I have talked to quite a few shooters about Remington 700 rifles. Most every shooter states that you cannot get a good group with a Remington 700 unless you put the bullet to within 0.004 inch of the lands.
A case in point: Last year I bought a Remington 700 VLS in 6mm Re...
Firing Line: 08/04
Confused? Dont Be
Re Firing Line:
Im confused. You give the Kel-Tec Sub 2000 a good report, and then a writer to Firing Line says his specimen is a hunk of junk. You report lousy accuracy with the Remington 700 Titanium, yet a writer to said column reports excellent accuracy and thinks it is a great gun. You give good marks to the AWA Peacekeeper, and then one of your readers reports all the problems with his and a snotty factory to boot. Apparently, all your reports in Gun Tests should be taken with several grains of salt, since everything seems to depend upon which sample of a particular firearm is the subject of evaluation.
-Bill Heubaum
We report...
Firing Line: 06/04
New York Times Reporting?
Re Two .338 Winchester Magnums Vs. Remingtons .338 Ultra Mag, March 2004:
Your .338 article reminded me of something I might find in the New York Times on the tenth page: Well hidden from the casual reader, yet possibly of some interest to a certain cadre of subscribers. The evaluation of the Ruger and the Winchester were good. I noticed a certain rough spot in a .25-06 Model 70 I purchased a couple years ago, in the same spot you mentioned as the bolt was pushed closed.
I wonder, though, if you had wanted a better looking firearm, why didnt you just purchase one with the walnut stock and bluing, as it would have compared favorably with the R...
Firing Line: 05/04
Cookie Vs. Back Pocket
Re Is Pocket Carry Safe? Getting A Hold on Pocket Holsters, March 2004.
Thats Grahams Back Pocket at $40, not the Cookie at $35. I have one for My Walther TPH and its outstanding.
-E. Tobiassen
Haverhill, MA
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Grahams Cookies
Re Is Pocket Carry Safe? Getting A Hold on Pocket Holsters, March 2004:
Thanks very much for the article. It is generating lots of interest at this end. The holster you reference is actually called the Back Pocket. The Cookie is a front pocket holster similar to the Rosen holster in the article.
I am a one-man shop, and I tend to work some pretty long hours. I do not have a...
Firing Line: 04/04
Praise for the .17 HMR
Re Anschutz, Ruger, Marlin & Savage: .17 HMRs Meet Head-to-Head, April 2003:
I have especially enjoyed your testing of .17 HMR long guns. I have a Ruger 77/17 with a 3x9 Bushnell scope that will print consistent 1/2 inch or smaller five-shot groups at 50 yards and was surprised to see there was no drop at 100 yards. I recently went with a friend to his lease to help him with their constantly growing hog problem. I took the .17 along to see if it would perform on something bigger than jackrabbits and coyotes. I took a 60- to 70-pound boar at about 105 yards with a Remington .17 round, about an inch high from being right between the eyes. He kicked two...
Firing Line: 02/04
Kel-Tec Sub2000 Lessons
Re December 2003, Guns and Gear of the Year:
I had filed my experience with the Kel-Tec Sub2000 in the lessons learned file and tried to forget about it, but then you went and proclaimed it a gun of the year! I wonder whether your experience is not representative of this gun, or mine was. While anybody who has high standards and buys a cheap plastic gun should expect to be disappointed, I thought I knew what to expect from your review.
My experience with the Sub2000 was dramatically different than yours. With the exception of the trigger, it appeared to have been made well. The main action was as tight as you mentioned, and all of the parts see...
Firing Line: 12/03
Kimber Failures to Feed
Re: Nov. 2003, Firing Line:
I read Bruce Petries letter regarding his Kimber Eclipse Pro II and feel that recounting my experience with my Kimber Tactical Pro II might help.
The gun seemed to be the perfect combination of size, power, and features on a carry gun. As is my practice with all guns intended for personal protection, I bought the gun, cleaned and lubricated it, and headed for the range with lots of ammo. I will not carry any gun until I have fired a minimum of 500 rounds through it. I was using a Kimber factory seven-round magazine and six Wilson Combat mags. I had previously used Wilsons in all of my 1911s with great results. I was u...
Firing Line: 11/03
Mini-14 Accuracy
Re October 2003, Firing Line:
I was reading Firing Line and saw where someone was asking if the aftermarket sleeves would improve the accuracy of a Mini-14. Here is my low-tech, cheap method to see if those sleeves will work on your gun. I took a 2-by-4 and cut a chunk one inch long. Then I bored a hole the size of the barrel through it. Then I bored two holes through it to put two bolts (3/8 inch by 2 1/2 inch) to clamp it. Then I split the block of wood in half and clamped it onto the end of the barrel of my Mini. Results were astounding. Most groups were cut in half. My gun started pushing toward MOA. The whole cost was 50 cents for the bolts. Consider...
