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June 19th, 2015
Meet the new PL-14 9x19mm pistol, also called the “Pistolet Lebedev” (Пистолет Лебедева), after its designer. This new pistol comes from Russian arms-maker Kalashnikov Concern. Notably, it is designed for both sport and war. Two versions will be produced — one for military use, and another for competition. The match version will have a lighter pull-weight trigger. “The versatility of our new pistol allows [use] not only as a military weapon for the military forces and police, but also as a pistol for different shooting competitions,” said Kalashnikov CEO Alexey Krivoruchko.
This new pistol was developed with input from both IPSC shooters and Russian Special Forces (Spetsnaz) soldiers. A lot of smart thinking went into this ergonomic design. We were pleased to see the ultra-low bore axis and a grip that does NOT copy the worst features of the Glock design. Fully loaded, the PL-14 weighs 1 kg (2.2 lbs). The PL-14 prototype frame is aluminum. We’re informed that the production military version will have a polymer frame.
June 11th, 2015
This week, the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit is pleased to host pistol teams from the various U.S. Armed Services in the 56th Annual Interservice Pistol Championship. Our Handloading Shop members have enjoyed discussing pistol accuracy and enjoying the camaraderie of competitive shooters from all over. In that spirit, this week’s topic will focus on handloading for best pistol accuracy, rather than our usual rifle-oriented information.
Optimize the Taper Crimp
One often-overlooked aspect of handloading highly-accurate pistol ammunition is the amount of crimp and its effect on accuracy. Different amounts of taper crimp are used with various handloads to obtain best accuracy. The amount is based on bullet weight, powder burn rate and charge, plus other factors. It is not unusual for our Shop to vary a load’s crimp in degrees of 0.001″ and re-test for finest accuracy.
May 24th, 2015
Story based on report by Kyle Jillson for NRABlog.com.
Doug Koenig secured his 16th NRA Action Pistol title this week at the 2015 NRA Bianchi Cup in Columbia, Missouri. Koenig’s final score was a perfect 1920 with 180 tie-breaking Xs. Koenig needed all those Xs to win — runner-up Jeremy Newell (1920-166X) also racked up a perfect 1920 score, but with 14 fewer Xs. Carl Bernosky, a ten-time NRA High Power Rifle Champion, placed third overall with 1918-180X. Australian shooter Anita Mackiewicz set a new record for a female shooter with a 1916-166X.
Koenig’s success at the Bianchi Cup is unparalleled. Doug’s 16 titles account for nearly half of the 37 total Bianchi championships held. Bruce Piatt has the next best career Bianchi Cup record, with five Bianchi titles, less than one-third of Koenig’s total.
May 22nd, 2015
The NRA Bianchi Cup kicked off yesterday under wet, gray skies. Despite the rain, many shooters still managed to pull off perfect scores through the first day, including defending champion Kevin Angstadt and 15-time winner Doug Koenig. Today sunshine greeted the shooters and the action continues…
Ace Shooter Jessie Duff (from Bianchi Photo Archive)
May 12th, 2015
Most of us have a single-stack pistol in our collection. If you want to see how quickly (and accurately) a single-stack can be shot, check out the two videos below showing Jessie Duff at the 2015 Single Stack Nationals, a big event with 400+ competitors. Jessie won the 2015 Ladies’ Division Single Stack Championship this past weekend. The victory marked Jessie’s third straight Single Stack Nationals title. Duff secured her “Three-Peat” with a dominant performance, winning 8 out of 14 stages!
May 2nd, 2015
This handsome Paterson revolver, the earliest known, factory-engraved Colt, sold for remarkable $414,000 at an April 2015 RIA auction.
Gun prices climbed into the stratosphere last month during the 2015 April Premiere Firearms Auction conducted by the Rock Island Auction Company (RIA). The most expensive gun at auction was an historic Colt Paterson, the first-ever factory-engraved Colt handgun. Complete with the original fitted factory case with various accessories, this Paterson inspired a bidding war that saw the price rise to a stunning $414,000. That is an amazingly high price for a gun that was not owned by a well-known historic personage. Generally, to command a price in the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars, a gun must have a significant historic provenance — such as having been owned by a legendary figure such as Billy the Kid or Wyatt Earp.
It seems like prices continue to rise every year at auctions of historic and collectible firearms. At RIA’s April Premier Auction, the total sale value of the auctioned guns topped $11.6 million. Remarkably, a first-year production Colt Python (serial #170) sold for $17,250! That makes this Editor regret not having acquired an early model Snake decades ago.
April 29th, 2015
One of our Forum members asked: “Are there any good books on pistol marksmanship? I’m looking for a book that covers techniques and concepts….”
April 24th, 2015
Here at AccurateShooter.com we tend to focus on highly-accurate (1/2-MOA or better), custom-built bolt-action rifles. But for home defense, deer hunting, or just having fun with the grand-kids, factory-built firearms serve their purpose. With that in mind, we wondered, “Just what are the most popular mass-production firearms these days?” Gunbroker.com, the biggest firearms auction site, has tallied the top-selling new and “previously-owned” firearms in various categories for all of last year. Here are Gunbroker’s “Best Selling Firearms” for 2014.
GunBroker’s Top-Selling New and Used Firearms of 2014
April 9th, 2015
Remington has introduced the brand new RM380, an ultra-small DAO .380 ACP carry pistol. This alloy-framed gun weighs just 12.2 ounces (unloaded), and is very compact, measuring 5.25 inches long. Capacity with flush-base magazine is 6+1, and Remington plans to offer a 7-round magazine with a pinky extension. Because it is hammer-fired, the RM380 has second-strike capability. There is no manual safety.
The RM380 is different that many small .380 ACP pistols in using a locking breech rather than a straight blow-back action. Remington claims this reduces perceived recoil. At a media preview hosted at the Arizona Gunsite Academy, pre-production models were tested. Those examples proved reliable, running extended strings (100+ rounds) without failure. However, testers commented on the long, very heavy, 7.9-pound trigger pull.
| Remington RM 380 Specifications |
Caliber: .380 ACP
Capacity: 6+1 rounds
Weight Unloaded: 12.2 Ounces
Sights: Fixed, F/R |
Length: 5.25 inches
Width: 0.94 inches
Height: 3.86 inches
Trigger Pull Weight: 7.9 lbs. |
April 8th, 2015
With today’s plastic-framed Glocks and Keltecs, aesthetics have been sacrificed on the altar of functionality. Not so in the early 20th century — in that period, the best firearm designers created guns that looked as good as they worked. One example is the classic Colt Woodsman. This design came from the legendary John Moses Browning and was later refined by Colt before the pistol’s introduction in 1915. The Colt Woodsman’s frame design evolved over time in three distinct series: Series One 1915–1947, Series Two 1947–1955, and Series Three 1955–1977. Shown below is a stunning Carbonia-blued and engraved Third Series model with ivory grips.
Click Photo to View Larger Image
Photo courtesy NRA Museum
Engraved Colt Woodsman from NRA Museum
In the NRA Museum’s Robert E. Petersen Gallery are many fine engraved arms. This Colt Woodsman .22 pistol is one of the Third Series guns that were made until 1977. Heavy barrels in either 4.5 or 6 inch lengths were offered in this variation. The Museum’s staff says: “We think the poised golden rattlesnake near the serial number is the [best] embellishment without putting down in any way the ivory grip panels or gold outline inlays.”
 You can see this lovely Colt and countless other fine firearms at the NRA Museum in Fairfax, Virginia. The Museum is open every day from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, and admission is free.
Now through April 20, 2015, the Museum hosts a Theodore Roosevelt exhibit: “The Trappings of an Icon”. This includes Roosevelt memorabilia on loan from Sagamore Hill National Historic Site.
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