The Remington XCR II and the Pharonic 7 Part I
One of the reasons larger magnums are less frequently the subject of articles appearing on Real Guns these days, as opposed to more general application cartridges, is that the typical cost of big magnum ownership tends to limit the number of people who shoot them… and who read about them. […] [Read More]
The Life and Times of a $400 Black Bear Thumper
In ancient days of street racing, it was a lot easier to hustle a race with a plain, white, 1964 Plymouth Savoy, hiding a full up 426 Hemi, than it was with a shiny, new, big block Corvette. Headers capped, slicks in the trunk, seats and floor buried under hamburger […] [Read More]
Smith & Wesson's Bodyguard Laser Lit 380
As a gun geek, I’ll sometimes buy a handgun for the sole reason it’s fun to shoot or because it has an interesting design. As a practical matter, I also believe in the use of handguns for self-defense. I’ve been around long enough to know that both interests are not […] [Read More]
Weaver's Red/Green Dot Sight
OK, I confess, initially I just wanted to hang a good-looking enclosed dot sight on my Mini-Thirty but then, as a practical matter, the Weaver Red/Green Dot sight turned out to be an excellent choice. The gun already had a Burris FastFire II on a bridged Picatinny mount in […] [Read More]
The CZ 97BD Standard
When I worked for a living… yes, I really did work for a living and within a corporate environment, there was a term for advertising and product literature where the will of a marketing department’s creative folks took precedence over the presentation of a product – “Art Director’s Revenge”. […] [Read More]
Book Review: Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading - 8th Edition
A number reloading manuals are now dated, so it was nice to see Hornady step up with an 8th edition. One question that follows the release of a new handloading manual is whether or not it includes a sufficient amount of new information to make it worthwhile. In this case […] [Read More]
The X7 Bulls Bag Shooting System
Some writers are ex-championship sharpshooters and/or accomplished and world famous hunters, but that would not be me. If I want to do right by a product and avoid concluding with, “The rifle would not shoot better than 18″ groups at 100 yards”, I need to set up so I can […] [Read More]
A Bolt Action 30 Remington AR
Not long ago, we constructed a project where the subject rifle was a Mini Mauser with quick change barrel capability. One barrel was chambered for the .30 Remington AR, a cartridge Remington developed for their R-15 series rifles, another barrel was chambered for the 7mm-30RG, a RealGuns’ designed wildcat that […] [Read More]
Remington’s Model 700 XCR II TN Part II
Conservative geometry makes the .30-06 Springfield an easy cartridge to handload. Additionally, as opposed to… subtractively I presume, there are many sources of inexpensive, and some not so inexpensive, components. Yeah, I know, snore, snore, snore. My point is, any set of quality factory dies and any decent reloading press […] [Read More]
Remington's Model 700 XCR II TN Part I
It’s been a busy fall season, examining and reviewing firearms produced by numerous manufacturers. It appears that the quality of fit and finish, design and performance of the firearms are at an all time high. After fifty-seven years of pulling triggers and burning up ammunition it’s good to see excellence […] [Read More]