Viewpoints

I have always been fascinated with the M1 Carbine, and before I knew about the CMP program, I bought a Kahr Arms Carbine in December 2004. I have shot probably 2000 rounds through the rifle, and it is flawless today. I should mention that the new carbine from Kahr Arms (Auto Ordnance) has significant changes from my 2004 model. My M1 has a bayonet lug; it also has a ventilated hand guard, it has the lever safety and the cast trigger assembly. It also has the round bolt. So I guess the earlier M1 carbines made by Auto Ordnance were closer to the Inland carbine. I had heard that the Auto Ordnance carbine was manufactured in Korea using substandard materials. I wrote Auto Ordnance and was assured that the rifle was manufactured to military specifications, and all the parts were to those specifications also. I believe that you should have used one of the earlier Auto Ordnance carbines in your test as you did with the Underwood, Inland, and the rebuilt models from Fulton, and that way you would have given it an A rating also.

GunReports.com reprints an essay by Tim Case, originally posted on LewRockwell.com (used with permission). Case details reasons behind ongoing high gun-buying numbers. 'To say that the current political atmosphere has nothing to do with firearms sales would be ludicrous, at best. There are, however, more to the statistics than first meets the eyes. On closer inspection the NICS data shows the rise of firearms sales beginning in September 2005 and really taking hold in December of the same year. What accounts for this sudden rise in firearm interest can only be attributed to the events following the destruction of New Orleans and the surrounding areas in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005.'

As we enter 2010, there’s a lot of good news on the gun front. The big story over the last 12 months, and one that will likely continue into this new year, was the massive sales of guns and ammunition. Shooters like us were stocking up in anticipation of some classes of firearms eventually being outlawed by the Obama Administration. That hasn’t happened yet—but there are ominous signs on the horizon.

As we enter 2010, there’s a lot of good news on the gun front. The big story over the last 12 months, and one that will likely continue into this new year, was the massive sales of guns and ammunition. Shooters like us were stocking up in anticipation of some classes of firearms eventually being outlawed by the Obama Administration. That hasn’t happened yet—but there are ominous signs on the horizon.

I just got my December issue of GT and had to sit down and read it. I agree with your findings, especially about the CMP-2 Inland. I got mine about a year ago through CMP, and it’s a winner. The only thing I’d suggest is that when you buy a used M-1 Carbine from anyone, go immediately to Numrich Gunparts Corp. and order a new gas piston, castle nut and wrench. You’d be surprised at the noticeable difference in performance this small change makes. I was told by an old armorer years ago that the gas piston is made of a softer alloy than the gas cylinder, so that it wears first and the cylinder lasts longer. As these weapons are used, over time the gas piston wears and develops blow by. A new gas piston and castle nut improves performance noticeably.

I just got my December issue of GT and had to sit down and read it. I agree with your findings, especially about the CMP-2 Inland. I got mine about a year ago through CMP, and it’s a winner. The only thing I’d suggest is that when you buy a used M-1 Carbine from anyone, go immediately to Numrich Gunparts Corp. and order a new gas piston, castle nut and wrench. You’d be surprised at the noticeable difference in performance this small change makes. I was told by an old armorer years ago that the gas piston is made of a softer alloy than the gas cylinder, so that it wears first and the cylinder lasts longer. As these weapons are used, over time the gas piston wears and develops blow by. A new gas piston and castle nut improves performance noticeably.

In Monday’s editorial, the New York Times reported the results of a Frank Luntz poll indicating that NRA members are much softer on key issues than the National Rifle Association itself. Unfortunately, the editorial was rife with filters in the form of hot labels and emotionally-laden words and phrases that immediately impugned the validity of the results of the study.

Every December Gun Tests Magazine picks the best from a full year’s worth of tests and distills summary recommendations for readers, who often use them as year-end shopping guides. These “best of” choices are a mixture of the Gun Tests original evaluation and other information the staff compiles during the year.Additionally, the magazine selects the best type of firearm--pistol, revolver, shotgun, and rifle--for its “Best in Class” award.The “Best in Class” Revolver for 2009 was the Taurus Judge No. 4510TKR-3BUL 3-Inch 45 LC/410-Bore, $620. It was originally reviewed in the August 2009 issue.

WASHINGTON, D.C.--An innocuous story posted on GunReports.com on August 22 wound up on dozens of websites and YouTube videos last week as hundreds of gunowners publicly worried that the U.S. Government was planning to use 200 million rounds of 40-caliber ammunition to subdue its citizens.

Michael Bellesiles published in 2000 Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. Bellesiles, a tenured professor at Emory University, argued that the American culture of gun ownership grew not from the fight by American pioneers for individual liberty but an early-American Congressional mandate necessitated by the actual absence both of firearms and Americans’ proficiency with them.

Now this is funny. Santa and his Texas whitetail sleigh.

The BFR 22H10, code name Little Max in the Magnum Research brochure, is a single action only gun. To load the BFR you first open the loading gate. No manipulation of the hammer is needed to free the cylinder. Much like the Ruger single-action revolvers, the hammer stays safely in a down position.

The BFR strikes a chord. We would have to rate the workmanship of the BFR superior to the Taurus. We recommend it if you need a hunting iron without the recoil of the harder hitting calibers meant for bears and large game.