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January 17th, 2024

GunBroker Reveals Top-Selling Handguns of 2023

gunbroker best seller top 10 25 pistols handguns revolvers 2023 2024

The latest GunBroker.com Top-Selling Handguns list reveals the most popular pistols among gun buyers this past year. Turns out that two SIGs top the list. For 2023, the SIG Sauer P365 came in as the Top-Selling Handgun. The SIG Sauer P320 was second and the GLOCK G19 took third in the handgun category.

gunbroker best seller top 10 25 pistols handguns revolvers 2023 2024gunbroker best seller top 10 25 pistols handguns revolvers 2023 2024

The P365 also came in as the best-selling firearm overall — meaning it sold more than any rifle or shotgun, as well as any pistol. Notable, the SIG Sauer P320 was also the second-best selling firearm overall. Both handguns have grown steadily in popularity in recent years. The P320 is the civilian version of the military’s M17. CCW holders really like the P365 because of its moderate size and good ergonomics. It also boasts a higher capacity than most handguns in its size category.

SIG Sauger P365 pistol top selling

The Glock G19 has been popular with shooters pretty much since its introduction back in the 1980s, especially after numerous law enforcement agencies adopted either it or the G17, from which the G19 was derived. Shooters like the G19 because it’s more concealable than the G17, but still has the same reliability. New G19 variants are available, such as the G19 Gen 5 MOS which comes fitted with a Holosun optic.

GunBroker’s Top-Selling Handguns of 2023 (Top 10):

1. SIG Sauer P365

2. SIG Sauer P320

3. GLOCK G19

4. GLOCK G43

5. CZ-USA CZ 75

6. Colt Python

7. Ruger Mark IV

8. Smith & Wesson M&P9

9. Ruger Blackhawk

10. Beretta 90 Series

gunbroker best seller top 10 25 pistols handguns revolvers 2023 2024 glock g19 19 MOS gen5 red dot

There are, of course, numerous other handguns popular with shooters, as shown by the monthly data released by GunBroker.com on the top selling firearms by category on the site. Later this month GunBroker will publish a full report of all top-selling firearms, including handguns, rifles, and shotguns. Stay tuned.

Handguns Under $400 Featured on GunBroker.com

If you are in the market for a new handgun, but have a limited budget, GunBroker has a helpful review. In the article Top 10 Handguns for under $400, Gunbroker’s editors showcase ten interesting pistols. We think the three top featured choices were the Taurus G3 9mm, Smith & Wesson SD9 VE, and Canik TP9SA Mod 2 9mm (shown below):

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January 17th, 2024

Toast in Six Seconds — Brutal Truth of Barrel Life (and Death)

Stopwatch barrel life

This thought-provoking article is one of the 15 most popular Daily Bulletin features over the last 12 months. We are republishing this story today for readers who may have missed it the first time around…

Here’s a little known fact that may startle most readers, even experienced gunsmiths: your barrel wears out in a matter of seconds. The useful life of a typical match barrel, in terms of actual bullet-in-barrel time, is only a few seconds. How can that be, you ask? Well you need to look at the actual time that bullets spend traveling through the bore during the barrel’s useful life. (Hint: it’s not very long).

Bullet-Time-in-Barrel Calculations
If a bullet flies at 3000 fps, it will pass through a 24″ (two-foot) barrel in 1/1500th of a second. If you have a useful barrel life of 3000 rounds, that would translate to just two seconds of actual bullet-in-barrel operating time.

Ah, but it’s not that simple. Your bullet starts at zero velocity and then accelerates as it passes through the bore, so the projectile’s average velocity is not the same as the 3000 fps muzzle velocity. So how long does a centerfire bullet (with 3000 fps MV) typically stay in the bore? The answer is about .002 seconds. This number was calculated by Varmint Al, who is a really smart engineer dude who worked at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, a government think tank that develops neutron bombs, fusion reactors and other simple stuff.

On his Barrel Tuner page, Varmint Al figured out that the amount of time a bullet spends in a barrel during firing is under .002 seconds. Al writes: “The approximate time that it takes a 3300 fps muzzle velocity bullet to exit the barrel, assuming a constant acceleration, is 0.0011 seconds. Actual exit times would be longer since the bullet is not under constant acceleration.”

We’ll use the .002 number for our calculations here, knowing that the exact number depends on barrel length and muzzle velocity. But .002 is a good average that errs, if anything, on the side of more barrel operating life rather than less.

So, if a bullet spends .002 seconds in the barrel during each shot, and you get 3000 rounds of accurate barrel life, how much actual firing time does the barrel deliver before it loses accuracy? That’s simple math: 3000 x .002 seconds = 6 seconds.

Stopwatch barrel lifeGone in Six Seconds. Want to Cry Now?
Six seconds. That’s how long your barrel actually functions (in terms of bullet-in-barrel shot time) before it “goes south”. Yes, we know some barrels last longer than 3000 rounds. On the other hand, plenty of .243 Win and 6.5-284 barrels lose accuracy in 1500 rounds or less. If your barrel loses accuracy at the 1500-round mark, then it only worked for three seconds! Of course, if you are shooting a “long-lived” .308 Win that goes 5000 rounds before losing accuracy, then you get a whopping TEN seconds of barrel life. Anyway you look at it, a rifle barrel has very little longevity, when you consider actual firing time.

People already lament the high cost of replacing barrels. Now that you know how short-lived barrels really are, you can complain even louder. Of course our analysis does give you even more of an excuse to buy a nice new Bartlein, Krieger, Shilen etc. barrel for that fine rifle of yours.

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January 17th, 2024

Use Commercial Sign-Holders as Portable Target Stands

Sign frame commercial real estate target holder

Need a portable, light-weight target stand? Here’s a clever, minimalist alternative to big, bulky wood-framed or PVC pipe target stands. Those big frames will work, but they take up lots of space in your vehicle and, unless you build a very solid base, they tend to rock back and forth, or even blow over in high winds. With a commercial sign frame (the kind used for real estate signs) you can easily mount cardboard shooting targets.

For under $20.00 you can get a metal sign frame that can be staked directly in the ground. These sign frames, commonly used for real estate signs, are secure in high winds, and they are just about ideal if you need a simple target for zeroing during a varmint hunt. With most of these frames you can secure a cardboard target backer with zip ties or threaded fasteners. With some frames you just slide the cardboard backer into slots, so no fasteners are required. The most common “Empire-style” sign frame has a rectangular section at the top with two pointed ends about 10″ apart at the bottom. Put your foot on the crossbar to drive the frame into the ground. An angle-iron, Empire-style frame (no fasteners required) is offered by the fastrealestatesigns.com for $19.99.

target frame

target frameReinforced-Plastic Sign Frames
Shown at right is a plastic sign frame that requires no fasteners. Simply cut your cardboard target backer to 24″ (w) x 18″ (h) and slide it in from the top. Then stick the frame into the ground using the foot-slot near the bottom. These fiberglass-reinforced plastic sign frames are light yet surprisingly strong. They are also affordable. A similar sign-holder but with a full-width base (wider legs) costs $31.79 from SignsDirect.com. And you can probably get something similar locally. Amazon carries plastic signs like this also, crafted by Plasticade. Shown below are dimensions of some commercial plastic signs.

Sign frame commercial real estate target holder

TIP: Sign Frames Are Not Ideal For All Terrain
If you shoot where the ground is very hard or rocky, these stake-in-the-ground frames may not work so well. They need to be seated firmly in the soil. But if you shoot in an area with soft soil or grassy turf, these frames can be a handy solution. Simple, light-weight and easy to set-up, they make a nice “field expedient” target holder.

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