Press releases for new firearms are always welcome reading, but firearms don’t really register with me until I can actually hold one in my hands, shoot it and form an experienced based opinion. Examining the Ruger Single-Nine™ got me to thinking back to the old days of Saturday matinee westerns and […]

The Ruger 77/17 17 Hornet made it to the range with lots of factory ammo and handloads… after a good bore scrubbing and overall clean up. I don’t think 17s copper foul any more than any other similar performance calibers, however, the bore is very small and keeping rifling sharp […]

A hundred years or so ago, I rode an 850 cc Norton Commando. The Commando was inexpensive transportation that got me back and forth to work and it was, in the context of those days, fast and fun to ride. For all of the very sophisticated, rocket sled like motorcycles […]

Ruger’s 77/17® 17 Hornet is a perfect example of what Ruger does best – produces firearms with a purpose that will see a lot of use. In this case, a varmint rifle with an effective range of 200 – 250 yards, a range that is useful to 90% of the […]

I usually abstain from looking at defensive firearms chambered for a 22 rimfire, magnum or non-magnum, but only because I am set in my codger-like ways and open carry a 45 Colt chambered Ruger Redhawk. Why do I open carry a cannon? Because the holster holds up the sweat pants […]

I’m pretty sure that if Michelangelo had sculpted a rimfire pistol, it would have looked a lot like the Ruger 22/45 LITE. OK, I am Italian and, therefore prone to aesthetic exaggeration. Still, Ruger’s appearance design, where form follows function, has been artfully executed. The aluminum upper is black anodized, […]

The Ruger SR45 is a 2013 addition to Ruger line of preset autoloaders. It joins the SR9 and SR40 as the mid, or near Commander size big bore within the group and represents a preset alternative the Ruger’s Commander size SR1911 single action autoloader. Ruger describes the SR45 as a […]

I started this piece a number of times, getting as far as halfway through the process before deleting the words and images after coming to the realization they had little to do with my thoughts. Sometimes it is a lot of work to be casual and spontaneous. Machines are an […]

One of the interesting things about being… mature, is hearing my children and grandchildren go on and on about the great songs of their generation, when many are no more than a cover of the songs of my ancient generation. As good grandpa, I smile, feign acceptance of their creative […]

Just because I admit to hearing Joe Cocker’s “You are so beautiful” every time I pick up this this little rifle does not mean I cannot be objective in writing about its distinct, uniquely positive attributes. Honestly, if a person has any sense of aesthetics, history, tradition and craft skills, […]