Ugly Guns

Note: The following article was written by my friend, William "Butch" Reid, a skilled, competitive trap shooter.  He has graciously shared it for readers of this Blog and it is hoped that he will become a regular contributor.

My love affair with the scattergun started at the grand old age of 12 when I became the sole inheritor of a 1950’s era Stevens 311 side by side.  This blocky, heavy, and unbalanced gun was complete with double triggers and chokes tight enough to head shoot hummingbirds at 40 yards. This was the gun that I learned to wing shoot with.

These painful lessons began on the opening day of dove season. Our yearly allowance of hunting was on opening day at my great-uncle, Newman Ferguson's farm in Sedalia, North Carolina: a small, 65 acre farm that held just enough cut corn for a decent day of hunting.

Am I Carrying a Semi-automatic Pistol when I Should Be Carrying a Revolver?

Nowadays, many seem to look down upon the old double action revolver.  While they may consider it to be a good "starter handgun" for a novice because it is simple to operate, they prefer semi-automatics-- 1911s, Berettas, Glocks, SIGS-- the list could go on and on.  They like the advantages these pistols offer such as a flat profile, magazine capacity, and fast reloads; they may also prefer a certain trigger, such as that of he single action 1911.  While semi-automatic pistols can provide advantages, many who carry them would be better served carrying a revolver.

Gambler Tube Cut Full Flavor Cigarette Tobacco

While I most often purchase pipe cut tobaccos due to their attractive prices, I bought a 1 and 1/2 ounce a bag of Gambler Tube Cut full flavor cigarette tobacco today to tide me over until I could get to the tobacco shop that I prefer to do business with.  This tobacco, which is sold by several local retailers, is distributed by Republic Tobacco, L.P. which is well known for products under the Top, Drum, and 4 Aces labels that includes injectors, rollers, cigarette papers, and cigarette and pipe tobaccos. 

What Caliber is Best for Concealed Carry?

The best caliber for concealed carry is determined by the size of the handgun that must be carried and the amount of recoil that the shooter can effectively control.  Special conditions and circumstances might require the use of very small handguns and/or light calibers such as the .22 Long Rifle, .25 ACP, and .32 ACP, but they are generally regarded as poor defensive cartridges due to poor penetration, small wound

The Best "Lady's Gun"

Historically, the term "lady's gun" has been applied to rather small handguns using cartridges of relatively low power, such as the .22 Short, .22 Long Rifle, ..25 ACP, and 32 S&W Long.  Usually cute and petite, sometimes gaudy or garish, and occasionally cheap pieces of junk, traditional "ladies' guns" have not consistently demonstrated the effectiveness and reliability necessary for self defense.  Sadly, many ladies have had these types of handguns foist upon them by well meaning

What is the Best Handgun for Concealed Carry?

What is the best handgun for concealed carry?  This question is queried on the Web, asked in gun shops, posed on the range, and presented during concealed handgun classes. It seems to be a rather simple question but it produces responses that are as diverse as the needs, expertise, preferences, and financial resources of those who answer it.  This yields radically different recommendations that can include  diminutive, modestly priced, polymer framed pistols like the Kel Tec P-32 and Ruger LCP; small framed revolvers like the Smith & Wesson Chief's Special (Model 36) and Taurus Model 85 that have become concealed carry classics; pistols reflecting a police or military heritage like the Glock 19 and  various 1911s (some of which cost a king's ransom), and just about everything in between.  This leads one to wonder if there really is a "best" handgun for concealed carry and if so, what is it?