Guns Magazine

ArmaLite SPR Mod 1 Rifle

guns — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:55:37 +0000

ArmaLite’s Special Purpose Rifle (SPR ) Mod 1 Features Detachable Three O’clock, Six O’clock and Nine O’clock Rails.

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How To Buy A Used Pistol

guns — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:37:47 +0000

Roy’s Insider Tips #317

May 2012

In the market for a used auto-pistol? These tips from FMG Publication’s Roy Huntington can help.

How To Buy A Used Revolver

guns — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:32:05 +0000

Roy’s Insider Tips #405

May 2012

In the market for a used revolver? FMG Publication’s Roy Huntington shows what to look for.

Confidence To Live Your Life

guns — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:52:53 +0000

“When you carry a GLOCK pistol, you carry confidence. With unrivaled industry expertise, online and in-person training and sport shooting events to hone your skills to perfection. GLOCK is proven partner for your lifestyle.”

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Parts Is Parts

guns — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:51:49 +0000

Gun writers have to follow the same rules as everyone else, which means either have an FFL or know someone with who’ll our test guns. For me, that someone is Buckhorn Gun & Pawn. There is a wonderful crew at Buckhorn, and we have all become good friends over the past 5 years or so. I’ve talked in the past about the gunsmiths and the excellent work they do. I usually have at least one or two guns being worked on there and I never take advantage of them by trying to get things done in a hurry, yet I know if I need something right away they will do everything they can to help out. The owner of Buckhorn, Matt—actually co-owner, as I think his beautiful wife who was just elected to the State Legislature is the real power—is a fellow I trust completely and always recommend when folks are looking to sell guns or even find out what they are worth. My wife helps out and keeps all the Buckhorn guys in baked goods.

One of the neatest things about Buckhorn is the fact Matt really appreciates old Colt Single Actions; he often buys and sells them on the Internet, and there are always several to be found in one of the store’s display cases. About 3 weeks ago, my eyes were immediately drawn to an old 7-1/2″ Single Action Army on display. It was a 1st Generation, which had been fitted with a 2nd Generation .38 Special cylinder and barrel; it also had very attractive stag stocks. However, what really caught my eye was the hammer. So, what could be special about a Colt Single Action Army hammer? This one was not the traditional upswept hammer found on thousands of Single Actions, but rather was of the low-wide Target-style.

From the time after World War I until the early 1950s, King Gun Works was the premier supplier of custom parts for handguns. King accomplished all kinds of wonderful transformations, especially on Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers including custom sights, ribbed barrels, short actions and special hammers. Much of what they did was eventually incorporated into Colt and Smith & Wesson factory models. One of Elmer Keith’s .44 Special sixguns (on display in the Elmer Keith Museum) is a custom King job, complete with short action, barrel band front sight, adjustable rear sight and low-wide hammer. I dreamed and internally drooled over pictures of that gun for over 35 years, until I was actually able to handle it and then place it in the museum just where I wanted it to be.

King Hammer

Now, the sixgun before me at Buckhorn had what appeared to be a King hammer. While I wasn’t in the market for a .38 Special Single Action, I was sorely tempted to buy that sixgun just to get the hammer; in fact, I did talk to the guys about the significance of that hammer. I go into Buckhorn several times a week; every time I did, I always looked at it, but never succumbed to temptation to buy it. I finally decided to take the plunge, went back to the shop, looked in the case, and it was gone!

However, then something happened which proves once again it pays to live right, or at least try to do so. I stood there stunned as I was presented with the King hammer. The fellow who purchased the .38 Special Colt did not like the “funny looking” hammer, so Matt replaced it with a period-correct hammer and told the boys to give the King hammer to me. I immediately put Diamond Dot to work making some extra cookies for them! One of my most cherished Colts is an early 2nd Generation .44 Special with faded case colors, bluing worn on the ejector rod housing, barrel cut to 4-3/4″, and 1-piece Pau Ferro stocks which my friend Tony crafted more than 40 years ago. The King hammer dropped in perfectly, and the action functioned flawlessly.

I am not a child of the Great Depression, though my parents were and I did learn to save things. One never knows when a part will be needed. I can’t remember when I first encountered the phrase Parts Box but I am sure it was in the early writings of Skeeter Skelton. Skeeter often wrote of building custom Colt Single Actions using parts he had on hand, and his fictional character Dobe Grant had a huge supply of brand new Colt parts including every conceivable barrel and the cylinder. I paid attention and started assembling my own Parts Box. Gun Shows are more than shows for guns; parts are normally abound and it is not too difficult to find something at a reasonable price, which can be squirreled away to be used by someone someday. I’ve never owned a Smith & Wesson pre-War Registered .357 Magnum and, at today’s prices, I probably never will. Nevertheless, at the last gun show I attended, what should I find but an original 8-3/4″ Registered Magnum barrel. It is now in my Barrel & Cylinder Parts Box waiting on the right time to build a custom Smith & Wesson.

King, or at least King-style, hammers on 2nd Generation Colt .44 Specials.

Plenty Of Parts

More than 40 years ago, I picked up a 7-1/2″ Great Western .45 Colt barrel at a gun show for $5. I had no idea what I would ever use it for, then a few years ago I also bought a shot-out Great Western, which had been used as a movie gun; it was rebuilt using that barrel. Over the years, I’ve tried to accumulate all kinds of parts for single actions and I actually have several “Parts Boxes.” One has nothing but single-action parts while another has screws and sights. An antique library file card box (which Diamond Dot found in Montana and had one of her truck driver clients deliver to us) takes up a large space in our living room and contains dozens of drawers, each filled with grips/stocks of all kinds I accumulated for over a half century. It is a rare sixgun I cannot find a pair of replacement grips for, and I have been able to rescue several friends who needed hard to find grips.

Over the past several decades, I try to pick up Colt Single Action barrels and cylinders whenever I can find them at a bargain price. I swapped some books to my friend gunsmith Jim Martin for three Colt barrels. One, a 12″ Buntline, now resides on a Great Western .44 Special. When our oldest local gun store, Shapel’s, went out of business after the death of both the father and the son, I purchased several Colt cylinders as well as all of their 3rd Generation New Frontier barrels. Now what in the world is one going to do with a good supply of New Frontier barrels? It just so happens the 3rd Generation New Frontier barrels have the same thread pattern as the frames on Ruger Blackhawks. Are you with me? Using those barrels, I had Old Model .357 Blackhawks turned into a 7-1/2″ .45 Colt, a 7-1/2″.44-40, a 5-1/2″ .44 Special, and a 4-3/4″ .44-40/.44 Special. Those barrels mate up perfectly with Three-Screw Ruger frames. Two different fellows sent me older Ruger .44 Magnum barrels from the original .44 Magnum Flat-Top of the 1950s. One was cut to 5-1/2″ and went on a Three-Screw .357 Blackhawk turned into a .44 Special; the other, cut to 4-5/8″, turned a 50th anniversary Ruger .44 Magnum Blackhawk into a Perfect Packin’ Pistol.

Bargain Shopper!

Sometimes parts are purchased simply for the reason they are bargains, even though it’s impossible to see any use for them at the time. One such purchase was a 4″ Smith & Wesson Model 629 .44 Magnum barrel. But what to ever use us it for? Well, it just so happened a good friend of mine who is LEO in South Texas needed one for a special project, so I was able to give it to him. A few weeks ago, Tory at Buckhorn found and gave me a 7-1/2″ .357 Atomic Great Western barrel. Now there aren’t many .357 Atomics around, but guess what? I have a 5-1/2″ version, which craves that longer barrel. I’m not much of a gunsmith but several friends have come to me with replica single actions that would not work; I was able to reach into my Parts Box and find the spring they needed to put their sixguns back in action. Brownells carries a full line of parts and I try to keep springs for both Colt Single Actions and Smith & Wesson double actions on hand.

The coveted King hammer was not my first, as several years ago a gunsmith in the Midwest sent me one; it also dropped perfectly into a 2nd Generation Colt .44 Special. There is a gun show this weekend; I wonder what parts I can find. I’m still searching for a 3rd Generation Colt New Frontier .357 Magnum barrel. Maybe, just maybe….

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Tactical Guns & Gear

guns — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:52:40 +0000

Skimming The “Combat Cream.”

We culled out the products whose only apparent claim to the title “tactical” comes from either getting a fresh camo paint job, being photographed on a bed of mud-spattered leaves, or frame-stamped with a tiny ninja figure—things otherwise about as “tactical” as Timmy’s tricycle. Even at that, there are tons of new truly tactical arms and accessories, and all we can do here is skim the cream off the top, so let’s get started!

Tough Glass & Bright Lights

Meprolight’s battle-tested Mepro 21 day/night reflex sight has been the issue CQB optic of the Israeli Defense Forces for more than a decade, featuring a big bright 30mm lens and both tritium and fiber-optic illumination. Now the Mepro MOR offers both passive and active illumination and two aligned targeting lasers, one infrared for use with night vision gear and one visible. The IDF counts on ’em, and so can you.

Leupold has two tough new tactical tubes getting rave reviews from military torture-testers. The Mark 4 4x24mm HAMR is a compact illuminated scope made for any AR-15 variant. The etched CM-R2 reticle is highly visible even without illumination turned on, and the Xtended Twilight Lens system optimizes transmission of low-light wavelengths. For CQB work, the top is made to mount an optional 3.5 MOA or 7.5 MOA DeltaPoint red-dot sight, requiring minimal head movement to rapidly engage close-in targets.

In even greater demand is the Mark 8 CQBSS – Close Quarters Battle Sniper Scope. It’s amazingly versatile 1.1-8X magnification is just one of its many features. A tank-tough 35mm tube protects an Index Matched Lens System with incredible sharpness, brightness and contrast even in very low light. Exclusive “pinch and turn” windage and elevation controls prevent accidental changes. Two models are offered, one with a BDC reticle optimized for 5.56mm and the other with a BDC set for 7.62x51mm. Both are front focal plane so you get accurate subtensions at all magnifications. Good luck finding one!

SureFire’s latest handheld 2-lithium cell tactical flashlight, the Fury, is a great combination of a power-saving 15-lumen “nav light” and a blinding 500-lumen blaster, both quickly and easily engaged in momentary or constant-on modes with a single or double tap of the tailcap switch. Quality of construction and durability is typically superior SureFire. You’ll have to try the Fury to appreciate the power in this 5″ package!

First, Streamlight developed C4 LED technology, multiplying brightness. Then they worked to fine-tune deep-dish parabolic reflectors. Now both come together in two new weapon-mount lights, the TLR-1 HP and TLR-1s HP, the latter’s “s” designating on-demand strobe function. The “HP” stands for high power, and they’ve got it, with 200 lumens. The parabolic reflector throws a concentrated spot beam out to 400 yards, but still provides smooth peripheral illumination. Multiple mounting keys fit almost any rail system, and remote switches are optional.
By John Connor

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EXCLUSIVE: The End Game

guns — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:13:12 +0000

By David Codrea.

For some time now, particularly after changing their name from Handgun Control, Inc., the Brady Campaign has been assuring Americans they don’t want to ban guns. The idea of a “slippery slope” is something they ridicule as “gun lobby” paranoia. They acknowledge since the Heller decision this will be an unlikely goal (for now), claiming, “Now that the Court has struck down the District’s ban on handguns, while making it clear that the Constitution allows for reasonable restrictions on access to dangerous weapons, this ‘slippery slope’ argument is gone.”

It’s true that a narrow 5-4 decision by the high court makes what once was an openly-stated goal of the gungrabbers unlikely at present. But the composition of the court can change, and prior decisions can be overturned.

That’s why those making the most outrageous demands, while infuriating, are in an unintended way doing gun owners a favor. Take Dan Simpson—please.

We’re not talking about some random anti-gun zealot here, someone who can be just dismissed as an inconsequential kook who doesn’t speak for doctrinaire anti-gunners. He is, according to his newspaper bio, “a retired diplomat [and] a member of the editorial boards of The Blade and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.”

And by “diplomat,” they mean a former United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Special Envoy to Somalia, and the Ambassador to the Congo-Kinshasa, as well as Deputy Commandant of the United States Army War College. The guy has political and journalistic “gravitas.”

Pre-Heller Dan Simpson had a laundry list of demands sure to ignite a civil war, including total civilian disarmament. Following a “three month amnesty… Special squads of police would be formed… Then, on a random basis to permit no advance warning, city blocks and stretches of suburban and rural areas would be cordoned off and searches carried out in every business, dwelling, and empty building. All firearms would be seized. The owners of weapons found in the searches would be prosecuted: $1,000 and 1 year in prison for each firearm… On the streets it would be a question of stop-and-search of anyone, even grandma with her walker, with the same penalties for ‘carrying.’”

Post-Heller Dan is kinder and gentler—a man who knows his limitations, at least until that pesky 5-4 SCOTUS ruling reverses polarity. His latest missive is endearingly titled “It’s time to end the gun nuttery.”

Fortunately, Dan “see[s] no problem with the hunters.” As long as they know their place and obey him, they “can easily be accommodated,” he says. “They can deposit their weapons in an armory, to be reissued each season.”

As for non-hunters, well, you can have a gun too, in the home and with this caveat: “Each household can possess firearms, but they must be registered with the local police. The registration would be valid for one year and renewable on an annual basis.” And don’t worry if you’re a collector—Dan will let you have as many as you like—provided “they would have to be rendered unfireable.”

And we’re the slippery slope-hallucinating, paranoid nutjobs.

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Exclusive Web Extra: Ruger’s New Gunsite Scout

guns — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:10:52 +0000

The “Do All” Carbine.

What if I told you there is a new rifle perfect for hunting, ranch work or defense. It has a short, 16-1/2″ barrel, iron sights, as well as the means to mount conventional and forward mounted telescopes, uses 5- and 10-round magazines and it’s capable of better than minute-of-angle (MOA) accuracy? Further, what if I told you Sturm, Ruger & Co. and Gunsite Academy have teamed up to create this rifle and it’s available now? — It’s called the Ruger Gunsite Scout.

The Scout Rifle concept has been around for some time. Gunsite founder Jeff Cooper started exploring the idea about 30 years ago and since then a number of custom Scouts, as well as production Scouts from Steyr, Savage and others, have been marketed. So what’s a Scout Rifle? First and foremost, it’s a general-purpose rifle suitable for defense, hunting, or, as Cooper visualized, for use by a lone military scout who might be expected to operate in enemy territory and away from friendly support.

Such a rifle would have to be lightweight, user friendly and capable of striking a decisive blow quickly at distances from just off the muzzle out to 300 yards or more. Over time, Cooper defined a set of goals and then challenged others to create solutions and products to meet these ideals. These criteria included: an overall length of 1 meter; bolt-action; a weight of about 7 pounds; provision for both iron sights, as well as a forward-mounted, low-power telescope; a good trigger and the ability to have about 10 rounds of ammunition “on the gun.” Initially, this project faced some very difficult obstacles. Nobody was making many of the needed components and the costs of producing them were prohibitive. Still, over time, progress was made, some rather expensive custom rifles were built, and finally, in 1998, Cooper was successful in having Steyr of Austria produce the Steyr Scout.

The Scout

I feel very fortunate to have been involved in this new rifle from the beginning; it’s rare, indeed, to be able to say you helped design a new firearm. We got the ball rolling several years ago while we were doing a writer’s conference for Ruger at Gunsite. I asked Ruger’s Ken Jorgensen if they might be interested in producing an updated version of a scout, perhaps based upon their little Frontier bolt-action rifle? This simple question grew into a meeting to discuss the concept to Ruger’s engineers making it a reality. In December 2010, at a writer’s conference at Gunsite, we introduced the production Ruger Gunsite Scout.

Gunsite has always been known for conducting practical, reality-based training. The folks at Ruger decided this new rifle should be the answer for anyone interested in not only a practical or hunting rifle, but a tactical one as well that might serve as an attractive and less costly alternative to the semi-automatic .308 tactical rifles on the market. As such, the rifle is short, lightweight and handy. The barrel is 16-1/2″ long and has a Mini 14-style flash hider, as well as a Mini-style blade front sight protected by two sight ears. The rear sight is an adjustable aperture, also from the Mini 14. Overall length of the rifle is adjustable from between 38″ and 39-1/2″ by means of three 1/2″ buttstock spacers provided with the rifle. Adding or subtracting these spacers allows for adjusting the length of pull from 12-3/4″ to 14-1/4″.

The stock is what Ruger calls a black laminate. It’s checkered at the forearm and wrist, and not only looks good, but feels good too. Using a laminate, into which the action is tightly locked and the barrel is free floated, adds greatly to the strength and accuracy of the Scout. One thing I wanted was a soft recoil pad and this rifle has one. After shooting hundreds of rounds from the bench, prone and in the field, I have yet to experience any bruising or soreness.

When we were doing the planning, plotting and scheming for this rifle everyone felt it was important it be magazine fed. This created a number of obstacles for Ruger, as they had never made a box magazine-fed, bolt-action rifle before. During one of their many trips to Gunsite during the development process, Ken Jorgensen and Mark Gurney brought out a couple of early prototypes, one using M14 magazines. After shooting these rifles we agreed that 20-round magazines were not necessary for the rifle we were envisioning. There had been some thought that using military magazines would be a good idea since so many are available, but there is also an issue with quality variations and we didn’t want someone criticizing or complaining about this rifle due to using junk surplus magazines. The first run of magazines is quality five and 10 rounders made by Accurate-Mag, the same magazines used by several high-end sniper rifles. By the time this magazine hits the newsstand, Ruger will be providing Ruger-designed polymer 5- and 10-round magazines.

The Gunsite Scout makes use of Ruger’s proven M77 action, meaning you get controlled round feeding and the Mauser-style claw extractor for the most reliable feeding, extracting and ejection in the bolt-action arena. The bolt-handle is smooth, and if I may digress, therein lies a tale: Jeff Cooper had always stipulated that bolt-actions have a round, smooth bolt handle knob and he carried this idea over to the conceptual Scout. When Steyr introduced their Scout at the SHOT Show, I went to their booth to visit Jeff and see the rifle. The first thing I noticed was the Steyr had the European-style “butter knife” bolt handle. Marching over to Jeff, rifle in hand, I asked for an explanation of this discrepancy. I’ll close the curtain on this scene right there. If you knew Cooper you could imagine how he responded! Anyway, I’m pleased to say Ruger got it right and put a smooth knob on the bolt.

Ed domonstrates how easily the GS Scout comes to shoulder with the
forward mounted optic and Galco Ching Sling.

Sights And Sighting

This little rifle, perhaps more properly referred to as a carbine, allows for great variety as far as sighting systems are concerned. The rifle comes with iron sights and the included Ruger receiver rings can be used to mount conventional riflescopes. If necessary, the forward-mounted Picatinny rail can be removed to provide clearance for large objective lenses. The rail is forward of the receiver, so that long eye relief (LER) Scout scopes of low magnification can be forward mounted. Also, intermediate eye relief (IER) scopes, like the new Leupold 1.5X4 variable I have on my Scout, can be mounted. The Scout rail also easily accommodates any of the red-dot or military sights you might wish to mount, such as those by Trijicon, Aimpoint, Leupold, EOTech and others.

This idea of forward-mounted optics requires a little explanation. Whether a Scout scope or a red dot, forward mounting the optic allows you to keep both eyes open. This provides a number of advantages, such as maintaining peripheral vision and tracking moving or multiple targets, but the greatest advantage is speed. When someone or something is trying to kill you, speed is of the essence and nothing is faster for a snap shot than a forward-mounted optic. The good news is there is no downside. The forward mounted scopes work just as well as conventional scopes for longer range shooting. Other advantages are the optic isn’t covering the action, making loading, unloading and clearing malfunctions easier, and it prevents malfunctions sometimes created when ejected brass hits the scope and falls back into the action.

Iron sights or optic of your choosing, they all work on the GS Scout.

Adjustable Stock

The stocks on most rifles are too long for most people, with a length of pull (LOP) averaging around 14″ or 15″. LOP is measured from the face of the trigger to the middle of the butt and when it’s too long, it forces the shooter into a bladed stance with the stock on the ball of the shoulder. Shooting this way hurts — the recoil is directed right into a joint — and it results in excessive muzzle climb, and often, shots impacting off to the side of the point of aim. Not good. Much better is the ability to fit the stock to the shooter with an adjustable buttpad, just as we have on the Ruger Scout. It took me a long time to learn this, I’m hard headed and Cooper had to beat on me until I understood, but most shooters are better off with a short(er) stock. This allows us to shoot more accurately without discomfort, manipulate the rifle bolt, control recoil, get back on target more quickly and shoot from a squared-up stance.

Try this: Standup straight with hips squared to an imaginary target. Bend the knees slightly, lean forward and get your chest ahead of your belt buckle. Place your strong-side foot back 6″ or so from your support-side toe, but keep both feet pointing at the target about shoulder width apart. Now, bring your hands up into a boxing stance then imagine holding your rifle with your hands in this position. You’re now in a balanced shooting/fighting stance, and adjusting the number of spacers in the Scout stock allows you to shoot this way.

Ruger and Buz Mills’ crew at Gunsite teamed up to make an outstanding rifle

Accuracy

At the start I mentioned MOA accuracy, meaning, more or less, the rifle will shoot into an inch at 100 yards. At 200 yards that would translate into 2″ and at 300 it would be 3″. With both Remington and Federal Match ammunition, shooting prone from a bipod, I managed to get 1″ 3-shot groups at 100 yards, 1-1/2″ groups at 200 yards and 2-1/4″ groups at 300 yards. Doing accuracy testing from a bench with six different brands of ammunition, I found the hunting loads average between 1-1/2″ and 2″ at 100 yards. The overall average for more than 150 rounds used in the accuracy testing at 100 yards was 1.54″. Federal Gold Match averaged .994″ for five consecutive 5-shot groups.

For years, I have heard the argument Scout rifles don’t work any better than Pappy’s hunting rifle that has been harvesting deer for the past 50 years. True enough. If all you ever do is fire a couple of shots from the bench to confirm zero, then fire one or two rounds a year harvesting your deer, you probably don’t need a Scout. But for those who work or live with a rifle every day and use it for a variety of field-shooting opportunities, to know the Scout is to love the Scout. If I had to walk out the door with only one rifle it would be a Scout, and in particular, the Ruger Gunsite Scout. Why? Because I can hunt, fight or defend with this rifle; this one rifle does all those jobs well. Is it perfect for each of these roles? Not at all, but it is very good at all of them and that is enough. There is nothing more simple or foolproof than a Mauser-type bolt-action. It will last for many lifetimes with minimal maintenance. Chambered in .308 Winchester, the Scout is powerful enough to handle any reasonable task and the ammunition is universally available.

This rifle can serve well as a ranch or truck gun, a hunting rifle or for defending home and hearth. As a law enforcement rifle it might serve as anything from a patrol rifle to a sniper rifle, when equipped with the right optics. I don’t see the military dropping automatic rifles in favor of a bolt-action infantry carbine, but I also don’t see the armed citizen as needing a .308 semi-auto battle rifle (Don’t send hate mail, I said needing, not wanting. It is also great for those who don’t live in “Free America,” like poor editor Sammy stuck in Kalifornia.) Absent the exceedingly unlikely event of, as my friend Michael Bane puts it, the zombie apocalypse, there is nothing you can do with a semi-auto .308 you can’t do with a bolt-action Scout. You’ll save money buying a Scout and can invest the savings in a plentiful supply of ammunition. Try it, I bet you’ll like it.

By Ed Head
From The GUNS Magazine 2012 Special Edition

FOR MORE INFO:
STURM, RUGER & CO.
www.ruger.com
(603) 865-2442
GUNSITE
www.gunsite.com
(928) 636-4565

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Practical & Tactical

guns — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:09:58 +0000

Knifemaker Paul LeBatard’s Practical Tactical Cover All The Bases.

The term “crossover cutter” is a relatively recent one in cutlery terminology, meant to describe a knife that can serve equally well in both tactical and sporting roles. Paul LeBatard’s PTK-4 Practical Tactical not only fills the bill in spades, it does it with class. At 8.75″ overall and weighing it at 7.5 ounces, the PTK-4 is just right for a mid-sized fixed blade that won’t drag you down. The 5″ ATS-34 clip-point blade (4.5″ edge) sports a deep hollow grind for excellent slice, and features a swedge grind on the backside for enhanced penetration. The gentle slope of the blade’s hind side also makes it perfect for skinning.

The PTK-4 handle is unique from the majority of fixed blades you’ll find because it utilizes hidden-tang construction, which allows the Micarta handle to be fully sculpted all the way around—making for a superb grip. The tang itself is 3/8″ wide, stouter than most knives of this type and size, and is epoxied and pinned firmly in place. The aircraft aluminum double-guard is very nicely contoured, and blends into the handle seamlessly.

Paul offers the PTK-4 in various grades, from a basic model with bead-blasted finish, to a more upscale version with polish on the metal and Micarta from stem to stern. You can go even more high-end by adding a handle of stag or exotic wood and upgrading to more expensive steel, although ATA-34 is pretty darn awesome in its own right. LeBatard’s leather sheaths are top flight, and hand-stitched with a full welt all the way around for an easy draw and longer life. And with this versatile handmade knife comes an affordable price: $275 for the base model and $300 polished. For a custom fixed blade of such quality, that’s downright practical!

PTK-4 Practical Tactical
Paul LeBatard Knives
14700 Old River Rd.
Vancleave, MS 39565
(228) 826-4137
lebartardknives@aol.com

Blade steel: ATS-34 stainless,
Blade length: 5″ ,
Overall length: 8.75″
Weight: 7.5 ounces
Handle: Micarta
Guard: 7075 P-6 aluminum alloy
Carry: Leather sheath
Price: $275 bead-blasted, $300 polished

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Return Of A Classic

guns — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:01:48 +0000

Recognizing Some Prefer Blue Steel And Walnut, S&W Brings Back The L-From 586 .357.

Thirty-some years ago, stung by complaints from law enforcement that their K-frame service revolvers weren’t holding up to steady training diets of the ferocious 125-grain .357 Magnum load rated for 1,450 fps muzzle velocity, Smith & Wesson introduced their L-frame revolvers. The K-series had basically been “.38-frame” guns, and the big N-size models, “.44-45 frame.” The L models were in essence “.41-frame” guns, and their resemblance to the Colt Python was inescapably stark: all they failed to copy was the ventilation cuts in the barrel rib. No matter: the L-frame was an instant hit.

The Model 686 in stainless came first, in 1980, augmented the following year by the Model 586, made of carbon steel and offered with traditional blue or nickel finish. Stainless was still “The New Thing,” and a very practical thing at that, and from the beginning the 686 far outstripped the 586 in sales. Both revolvers came with S&W’s Micro adjustable rear sight, and except for special order, a ramp front with a colored insert. Catching some demand for a fixed sight variant, they introduced the stainless 681 and the chrome-moly 581, but the 686 remained the clear-cut star of the L-frame show.

Within a few years, double-action autoloaders including S&W’s own would swamp the revolver in police sales (followed by a tsunami of polymer-frame pistols, but that’s a tale for another day). The fixed sight L-frames faded first. The 681, except for special orders from distributors and some Performance Center variations, was discontinued in 1992. The 581 lasted but 7 years, from ’81 to ’88. The handsome, sweet-shooting target/service grade 586, introduced in 1981, was discontinued in 1999.

The 686 lived on, remaining one of the most popular revolvers in the S&W line. Outdoorsmen, like cops, appreciated its rust-resistant stainless construction. The introduction of a 7-shot variation helped it greatly. A short run of 2,000 blued 586s were produced on special order for the Dick’s Sporting Goods chain midway through the first decade of the 21st century, and were quickly snapped up. These, to my knowledge, were the only 586s produced with 7-shot cylinders.
By Massad Ayoob

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