Firing Line: 09/02
Valtro
Re July 2002 issue, Full-Size Fighting .45 ACPS: The Valtro .45 ACP was very impressive. Is there a dealership where I can purchase the Valtro .45 ACP in the Dallas area, or is there an address and phone number where a dealership can order this auto .45 for its customers?
-Alfred Smith
DeSoto, TX
The only way to obtain these pistols is to order them directly from Valtro USA. The Valtro 1911 pistol can be sent to the federal firearms dealer of your choice. You can contact John Jardine with Valtro USA at 510-489-8477 or visit the company website at www.valtrousa.com. You can order a pistol like the one we test...
Firing Line: 08/02
Integrity
Re July 2002 issue: I wanted to write you and say I am a big fan of your publication. I read other gun magazines, and they have steadily gotten worse and worse. It is more or less a kind of payola. I am sure this is not news to you. I still read them, because I love to read and I love guns, but its hard not to notice the lack of journalistic integrity. (I am a former journalist - worked at the NY Daily News and a lot of papers in Maine). I have always been a big fan of Consumer Reports, and when they polled readers lately for ideas, I suggested they do what you do, but said you sure do it well enough right now!
When you see a review and then an ad right alongside...
Firing Line: 07/02
Hi Interest
Re February 2002, 9mm Carbine Semiauto Rifles: Hi-Point 995 Outshoots Ruger PC9:You give great praise to the 995, and give it your coveted Best Buy rating. You mention, though, that you had troubles with the original testing you did on this model in 1997 and that Hi-Point has seemingly overcome these problems in this model. So, why dont you tell me how to tell the difference between the new and the old 995s? I have a local dealer that has two 995s sitting on his shelf, but Im not sure I want to take the chance on them if theyre the old version.
-Scott R. Bishop
@cqrit.com
The chances of a five-year-old gun being sold as new is pretty...
Firing Line: 06/02
Lapping The Swede
In regards to your article on NECOs bore lapping system (August 2001), you might also mention that your neighbor in Canadian, Texas, David Tubb of NRA Highpower fame, sells a similar setup called final finish. His system is 50 already abrasive coated bullets in your desired caliber. I have used it three times on three different calibers, and I am a firm and committed disciple.
My first use was on a surplus 8mm Mauser, issue barrel, my first try at cutting and recrowning a barrel. Result was a shiny barrel that went from OK to minute of angle. Next was a 6.5x55 Mauser (May 2002) that I did a full custom (entry level) job on.
I have no idea what it woul...
Firing Line: 05/02
Wake Up and Smell the Coffee, Seattle
There is no doubt in my mind that you print the only gun magazine that really tells the truth about the guns you test. I know that advertiser-supported gun magazines stretch the truth about the guns they test to please their advertisers. I only wish I had found your magazine sooner. I will be a lifetime subscriber.
Concerning the Firing Line comments in March 2002, I do agree 100 percent with Jerry Schroeder of Seattle. I have checked out the current administrations USA Patriot Act. The NRA is going to fool around and politic private citizens out of their guns. Politicians are going to go with the majority of their constituents. Privat...
Firing Line: 04/02
Mak Roundup
I am concerned mainly about the Makarov testing. I have never owned a Bulgarian Makarov, but I have heard excellent reports of their dependability. I know you have tested these twice and you say the safety/decocker came loose on both. Did anyone on your staff disassemble then re-assemble these Makarovs? I have owned an East German surplus Makarov for several years. It is my main ccw carry gun.
My East German Mak has at least 4,000 rounds through it with absolutely no malfunctions, no jams, no problems of any kind.
-Don Boyd
Port Richey, FL
We inspected the gun without disassembly and oiled it as best we could. -Roger Eckstine
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Firing Line: 03/02
Correction
In the January 2002 issue, text was missing from the review of .22 lever action rifles. The missing material is as follows:
To assess their accuracy across a range of ammo quality, we shot the guns with rimfire lots from PMC Zapper, Fiocchi Super Match, Eley Tenex, Federals Gold Metal Ultra Match, Federal Classic, and American Eagle. Heres how each product performed:
Browning BL 22
The Browning Model BL 22, catalog number 12064, carries a suggested retail price of $345.95. Our test sample came with a Western-style straight-grain walnut stock with no checkering and a high gloss polyurethane finish. Wood-to-metal fit was excellent on the guns two-pi...
Firing Line: 02/02
Kel-Tec Misfires
I think one important point missed on the shooting qualities of the Kel-Tec P-32 (October 2001) is the fact that if one experiences a misfire, no attempt can be made to try and re-fire the round, because, unlike the other Kel-Tec pistols, the hammer is disconnected from the trigger after the initial pull. In an emergency, one must immediately pull the slide to the rear to eject the misfire and jack a new round in the chamber.
-Bob Caulkins
Brunswick, GA
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I am glad you had good luck with the Kel-Tec P32 you tested. I and several people I know have not had such good experiences. My P32 would not go two magazines without a jam.
The gunsmi...
Firing Line: 01/02
Head To Head Works
I was reading my December 2001 issue of Gun Tests and came upon the item regarding the test guns for sale. I would appreciate it if you would email me a copy of this list. Also, if it would not be too much trouble, Id like info on how a purchase can be arranged, monies paid, etc.
I enjoy your articles very much, because they are very informative. I mostly shoot target and combat pistol, but find myself reading articles about guns that normally do not interest me. Thats due to your test comparisons. You and your staff compare them to other guns in the same category. Your articles are easy to read and spoken in plain language. I receive two other magazines...
Firing Line: 12/01
.348 Winchester Followup
I was thoroughly enjoying the May 2001 issue of Gun Tests, when I read the following quote in your article on Monster Handguns: The .500 was based on the .348 Winchester case, supplies of which were drying up a few years back. However, with Buffalo Bore churning out good loads in good brass for the .500, and with several new rifles chambered in .348 Winchester on the market, the brass supply problem is gone.
This last line cause me to stop in my tracks! Ive been shopping for a reasonably priced Winchester or Browning model 71 for years. Most of the good Winchesters are priced beyond my means, and Ive have never laid eyes on a Browning of recent...
Firing Line: 11/01
.32 ACP Cover Photo
I hope I am not the only one who noticed, but the person holding the Beretta on the cover (and on page 10) of the October 2001 issue has her thumbs crossed in the old revolver style hold. Hope she has good health insurance for all the stitching shell need on that left thumb when the slide comes racing back. -
-Fred Dahnke
from ix.netcom.com
No, youre not the only one who noticed, and youre right. I missed this technical flaw when I photographed the image and in the editing process. Mea culpa.
-Todd Woodard
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.32 ACP Bias
Thanks for the review of the .32 caliber guns. Your disd...
Firing Line: 10/01
Glocks .357 SIGs
While reading your excellent article comparing the .357 SIG pistols (August 2001), I noticed that the Glock 31 had a trigger pull of 2.8 pounds while the Glock 32 had a trigger pull of 7.0 pounds and the Glock 33 had a trigger pull of 7.5 pounds. Your article did not mention a target trigger installed in the Glock 31. I mention this because a target trigger pull of 2.8 pounds would, in my opinion, be considered as unsafe for a duty firearm.
I also noticed that the Trigger Span DA of the Glock 31 was different from the other two Glock pistols. The Glock 31 was 2.7 inches, while each of the other Glocks was 2.8 inches. This difference may be due to the inst...
