I have a subscription to Handguns magazine and I look forward each month to the new issue.
Currently, the hot topic in Handguns has been gun control, and has been for quite a few months, ever since the debacle at Colorado’s Columbine High School. While I believe each citizen has the right to decide for themselves where they stand on this issue, I find it tiring to hear the same old rhetoric pro and contra about a fundamental right of every American which predates the Constitution of this great country.
"Wait a minute, did he say predates the Constitution?"
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the right to keep and bear arms is recognized by the Constitution as a fundamental human right which cannot be granted or taken away by human governments. The Constitution merely acknowledges that this right is existent, it does not grant it.
In my opinion, that basic fact negates all the human wisdom that has been expended trying to justify one way or another whether or not we have the right to keep and bear arms. We do, now get over it!
Moving right along, the magazine features hunting, target shooting, personal defense, sport shooting, reloading, and all other aspects of handgunning for everyone from the casual browser to the dyed-in-the-wool gun nut.
The handguns we have today comprise quite a narrow field technologically speaking, and the technology is actually right about 100 years old. Other than breakthroughs in materials, such as the polymer-framed automatic pistol, like the Glock, centerfire automatic pistols almost invariably follow the lead of the John Moses Browning designed tilting barrel short-recoil system, typified in the Colt Model 1911 45 Automatic Pistol.
In fact, the 1911 pistol is still, by far the most popular centerfire automatic among handgunners, particularly law enforcement, personal defense, and sport shooters. Thus Handguns magazine runs a lot of articles on 1911-type pistols, which are manufactured by a plethora of makers today. They range from plain vanilla workhorse pistols to high-end work of art target pistols costing thousands of dollars. There seems to be no end to the popularity of this versatile pistol.
The other automatic pistols, such as the Glock, S&W, Walther, Beretta, and so on all rely on the same basic operating system as the Colt, so I will not discuss them other than to say Handguns covers them all.
The other basic handgun that is available today is the double action revolver as typified by the Smith and Wesson type. These revolvers remain basically unchanged other than cosmetically from those available before the turn of the twentieth century. Ruger, Colt, Casull, and a few import companies produce revolvers today, but the vast bulk would have to be the venerable S&Ws, produced in all calibers from 22 rimfire to 44 Magnum, Dirty Harry’s favorite.
Even with the limitation of so few types of handguns available today, Editor Kerby Smith and staff do a good job of covering the territory with articles about law enforcement tactics, handgun finishing schools like Gunsite and Thunder Ranch, competitive shooting like IPSC, IDPA, and NRA Bullseye, holsters and leather gear, and the manufacture of pistols, always a favorite of mine.
There are always articles about Cowboy Action Shooting, where competitors re-enact the days of the Old West, dressed in period clothing and shooting antiques or reproductions. Also, hunting is well covered as well as handloading for different purposes from heavy hunting loads to light target cartridges.
Ballistics is another topic which is covered in depth in Handguns magazine, as well as legal issues like the right to keep and bear arms that I earlier touched on.
If you are at all interested in this dynamic and absorbing pastime, you owe it to yourself to look into Handguns magazine. Subscriptions are available from Petersen Publications for $11.97 for 12 issues.
Handguns Magazine is the definitive source for reviews of handguns, ammunition and related accessories. Articles by the most respected writers in the ...More at Magazineline
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