Browning's Semi-Auto .22 Rimfire
I’ve always been a fan of Dante. For those unfamiliar, basically he wrote an epic poem in three sections: the Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso that described the current U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the Executive Branch under Harry Truman. What does this have to do with the […] [Read More]
Henry's Big Boy Steel Carbine Part II
The combination of short barrel, lever action carbine and the 45 Colt cartridge suggests the use of metallic sights; limited woodland visibility, 102 yard point blank range, the trajectory of a softball, and a relatively soft landing beyond a hundred yards. So why the Leupold scope? 225 grain Standard Pressure […] [Read More]
Henry's Big Boy Steel Carbine
There are a number of firearm companies that play on the reputation of historical firearms when there is no association of substance; Springfield Armory with its reference to a long defunct government facility, Kahr Arms with the use of the Thompson and Auto Ordinance names, and the manufacturer of the […] [Read More]
S&W's Model 57 Classic 41 Magnum Part 2
The S&W Model 57 41 Magnum is a soft shooting revolver. A hand filling N frame, it weighs 48 ounces, but its good balance causes it not to feel heavy. Even with hefty hunting loads, recoil and muzzle rise are about the same as a light/ medium frame 357 Magnum… […] [Read More]
S&W's Model 57 Classic 41 Magnum Part 1
Firearm selection for Real Guns pages is predicated on what gets or holds my personal attention; firearm, cartridge, handloading, shop projects, etc. Why not? I have no idea what you folks like and after 20 some odd years of writing, if there is nothing to pique my curiosity or contribute […] [Read More]
Smith & Wesson's Model 69 Part II
After writing Part I, some time was spent handling and shooting the S&W Model 69 44 Magnum until its applications became obvious. In the end, I decided it was much like the compact Ruger GP 100 357 Magnum revolver I carry with frequency, but with significantly more power. Drafting load […] [Read More]
Smith & Wesson's Model 69 Part I
The original “Combat Magnum” was introduced as a lightweight 357 Magnum in 1955; built on a K Target frame, larger than a standard K Frame, but much lighter than the large N frame. In 1957, the Combat Magnum became the Model 19, which ran in production until 1999. During its […] [Read More]
Browning's Hi-Power Mark III
Browning currently offers the Hi-Power 9mm pistol in three configurations; Hi-Power Mark III – Fixed Sights (Above), Hi-Power Standard – Adjustable Sights (Below) and Hi-Power Standard – Fixed Sights. All are available in 10 round and 13 round versions to meet individual state and local laws concerning magazine capacity. […] [Read More]
Browning's BLR Part II
In the thrilling Browning’s BLR prequel, also know as Part I, many differences that exists between the 2016 BLR, above left and the 1980 version, above right were highlighted. Big whoops, as we all know that difference is not inherently good or bad and even the intent of design changes […] [Read More]
Browning's BLR Part I
Browning has a way of constantly working design and manufacturing technology changes into their firearms without disturbing their traditional appearance. As an example, the current short recoil A5shotgun has a completely different operating system than the long recoil Auto 5 and all of the controls have been eliminated or modified […] [Read More]