|
|
April 26th, 2010
 After Olympian Kim Rhode, Ace handgunner Jessie Abbate is probably the most popular and marketable female shooter in America. A member of Team Glock for many seasons, Abbate split with the Austrian pistol-maker after Glock refused to allow her to wear a secondary sponsor’s logo on her competition jersey. Now all the major action shooting sponsors will be vying for Jessie’s services. Smith & Wesson will likely pursue Abbate, but Jessie might end up with Sig Sauer whose team is lead by multi-time National Champion Max Michel. If Sig can sign Abbate, Sig Sauer would arguably have both the #1 male shooter and #1 female shooter on the same squad.
 On DownRange.TV, Paul Erhardt notes: “Now that the women’s division shooting powerhouse has said Auf Wiedersehen to the Haus of Glock, the question is who will [sign her]?
Smith & Wesson — This is the obvious #1 choice. If I were [S&W’s team managers], I’d be hell bent for election to sign Jessie. The 158 year-old juggernaut has already assembled a very strong shooting team, the largest of any firearms company. They are still smarting from having lost out on Max Michel who went to Sig due to bad timing with S&W’s budget year.
Sig Sauer — This company finally got into the competition world with Max Michel who promptly won the USPSA Open Nationals and the Steel Challenge. He’s a lock for both titles in the future. Jessie would bring titles in Production, Limited-10, Steel Challenge, Single Stack and Open if they build a Sig Open gun for her on an STI body.”
February 5th, 2010
The U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) has announced the dates of its 2010 National Championships. Divided into four events, the Nationals are expected to draw more than 1,000 top shooters competing in a variety of divisions. Featured in the video below are “Women of USPSA” (including Team Glock’s Jessie Abbate) shooting at the 2009 USPSA Nationals. Be sure to watch this great video. Some very talented ladies demonstrate amazing shooting skills.
 The first event on the calendar, the USPSA Single Stack Nationals, will take place April 28 through May 1 at the PASA Park ranges in Barry, Ill. In 2009 this event drew 270-plus devotees of the venerable 1911 pistol. Next on the schedule is USPSA’s MultiGun Nationals which will take place in Las Vegas, Nev. at the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club ranges September 9 through 12. The MultiGun championship draws close to 150 shooters using pistol, rifle and shotgun in the Open, Tactical, Limited and Heavy Metal divisions.
The USPSA championship season will wrap up with back-to-back handgun championships also held in Las Vegas from October 8 through 16, 2010. With over 600 shooters participating, the USPSA back-to-back handgun championships represent the largest gathering of Practical Shooting competitors in the USA. In addition to America’s top guns, the match will also draw some of the best shooters from South America, Europe and the Pacific Rim.
USPSA National Championship dates
April 28 – May 1: Single Stack Nationals (PASA Park, Barry, IL)
Sept. 9 – 12: Multi-Gun Nat’ls (Desert Sportsman’s Range, Las Vegas, NV)
Oct. 8 – 12: Open & Limited-10 Nat’ls (Desert Sportsman’s Range, Las Vegas, NV)
Oct. 13 – 16 Limited, Production & Revolver Nat’ls (Desert Sportsman’s Range, Las Vegas, NV)
To learn more about the USPSA National Championships and other major matches on the 2010 schedule, visit www.uspsa.org or call (360) 855-2245.
January 6th, 2010
 A new California law requiring that all new semi-auto handguns sold in California incorporate microstamping technology was to go into effect on January 1st, 2010. Many readers are concerned that this law will make it illegal to purchase new, self-loading handguns in California. However, because the law mandated technology which, thus far, has NOT been made available to pistol manufacturers, the law is NOT being applied for now. This was the case of misguided legislators passing a gun law requiring technology that didn’t really exist.
The NSSF reports: “Firearms microstamping, signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) in October 2007 and slated to take effect New Year’s Day (2010), is not in effect since the technology remains encumbered by patents.” Microstamping is the process by which firearms manufacturers must micro-laser-engrave a gun’s make, model and serial number on two distinct parts of each gun, including the firing pin, so that, in theory, this data is imprinted on the cartridge casing when the pistol is fired. By its terms, the microstamping law required that the technology be “patent-free” (as determined by the California Department of Justice) before the law could go into effect.
 The one company which has pioneered micro-stamping technology for pistols has NOT released its patents. Hence, by its own terms, California’s micro-stamping law is “dead on arrival”. However, last month the California Department of Justice nonetheless proposed new microstamping regulations, a move that was questioned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) — the trade association for the firearms industry.
“In the midst of California’s budget crisis and despite the possibility this law may never go into effect — as the technology remains encumbered by patents — one has to question the decision by the California Department of Justice to spend its time and limited resources on drafting regulations for the flawed technology,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.
Opposition to microstamping has intensified as manufacturers have indicated the new law would force them to raise prices of guns significantly. Estimates of price increases go as high as $200 per firearm, as the unreliable technology would require a complete reconfiguring of the manufacturing and assembly processes.
CLICK HERE for more information on Firearms Microstamping.
December 24th, 2009
Ed’s Public Safety, a gunshop in Georgia, has published photos of the New “Gen 4″ Glock handguns. The much-ballyhooed design changes for the Gen 4 Glocks are interesting, but hardly revolutionary. As expected, the new Glocks will have interchangeable backstraps. That’s probably a good thing.
CLICK HERE for more Gen 4 Glock photos
Other noteworthy changes in the Gen 4 Glocks are a dual recoil spring, and an interchangeable magazine release that can be moved from right to left. The dual spring is a more modern design that may reduce perceived recoil somewhat. The mag release change is smart and makes the gun more user-friendly for southpaws. Glock is making new magazines for the Gen 4 Glocks that work with the interchangeable mag release. Older magazines can still be used with the new Gen 4 Glocks, but only when the mag release button is positioned on the left.
Design Change — Too Little, Too Late?
Unfortunately, with either of the two provided backstraps, Glock’s Gen 4 grip is still fat and blocky compared to many other pistols. Also the Gen 4 Glocks retain the prominent “backstrap bulge” or flare in the bottom 1/3 of the grip’s back edge. For many shooters this “Glock bulge” causes the gun to point poorly, and for this Editor, that bulge also causes the gun to twist more on recoil (since it pushes against one side of the base of the shooting hand). The first thing done by companies that modify Glock grips is to reduce the flare or bulge in the bottom of the grip. That makes the grip much more user-friendly for smaller hands. In this Editor’s opinion the bottom rear section of the Glock grip was an ergonomic mistake when it came out in 1982 and the Gen 4 redesign really does nothing to correct the flaw. The interchangeable backstraps are just a poor “band-aid fix” when a more fundamental redesign was needed.
Overall, we think that most of the Gen 4 design changes are positive, or at worst “neutral”, but this may be a case of “too little, too late”. We doubt if the redesigned Glock is sufficiently improved to grab much market share back from the Smith & Wesson M&P series and other handguns whose sales have cut into Glock’s lucrative police contracts and civilian sales. The Gen 4 Glocks offer a modest ergonomic improvement over previous models, but they still not as well-designed ergonomically as Smith’s M&P. We doubt that police agencies which have switched to M&Ps will find reason to go back to Glocks anytime soon — unless, of course, Glock radically drops its prices, which is unlikely.
December 22nd, 2009
 The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) has issued an interesting report charting gun sales by region. Southerners like handguns, and those in the Great Lakes states purchase the most shotguns by far. In 2008, southern Atlantic states led per capita in handgun purchases and also accounted for 31.4 % of all handguns bought in the United States. East north central states led per capita in shotgun purchases and accounted for 33.4 % of shotguns sold.
The Mountain states led per capita in rifle purchases and accounted for 10.7 percent of rifles sold. But the South Atlantic states’ residents buy the most rifles overall — 22% of the nationwide total. It is interesting that the Pacific states (California, Oregon, Washington) encompass 14.7% of the U.S. population, but that region accounts for only 10% of rifles and shotguns sold. On the other hand, Pacific states’ residents buy 14.2% of all handguns, the second highest figure among regions. Maybe all those crazy gun control laws in California haven’t made things any safer, and people feel the need to arm themselves.
Download Full Report on Firearm Sales by Region (PDF File)
September 9th, 2009
 Copying the promotion that has boosted sales of new automobiles, SIG SAUER is now offering $200.00 if you trade in an old handgun and purchase a new Sig pistol or SIG556 rifle. As SIG SAUER still makes some of the best pistols on the market, this is an attractive offer for those who need a quality handgun such as a P226 or P220.
Details of Offer
Purchase a new SIG SAUER® P220, P226, P229, 1911, SIG556 pistol, or SIG556 rifle from September 7th through November 30th, 2009, and SIG SAUER will give you $200.00 for your old KLUNKER pistol or revolver. To receive your $200.00 payment, send your old handgun with a copy of Form 4473 and proof of purchase of your new SIG pistol (or SIG556 rifle) to: SIG SAUER, Inc., 18 Industrial Drive, Exeter, NH 03833, ATTN: CK-1 .
What Qualifies for the $200.00 Rebate
A qualifying “KLUNKER” can be from any manufacturer, but semi-autos must be at least 9mm caliber, while revolvers must be at least .38 caliber. The gun must be operational and free from cracks in frame or other key components. NOTE: Sig Sauer reserves the right to reject any firearm submitted as a KLUNKER that does not meet Sig’s criteria. To get the $200.00, you MUST submit your old gun on or before 12/4/2009. This is an absolute deadline — NO EXCEPTIONS.
CLICK HERE to download the KLUNKER Program Rules.
July 19th, 2009
 A handgun is useless for home defense unless it is readily accessible in an emergency. At that same time, you must keep handguns safely secured from children and curious house guests. The “loaded .45 under the pillow” is a bad idea. There are many small handgun safes on the market, but most are still too large to be placed at arm’s reach, but out of sight, inside a dresser drawer or bedside table drawer.
Gunvault’s new MicroVault, measuring 11″ x 8 1/2″ x 2 1/4″, is ideal for bedside table installations. It can be secured via four bolt holes in the bottom. Using the No-Eyes® Keypad, a special set of finger-activated push-pads, the MicroVault can be unlocked in under three seconds — we’ve tested this ourselves. It is a reliable set-up that is much faster than using a key or spinning a combo lock. The finger-slot system also works in the dark, unlike most electronic numeric keypads.
MicroVault for Vehicle Applications
There are also situations where you want to transport a handgun in a locked case, but still want to be able to access the weapon in seconds. The new MicroVault serves that purpose well. In many states, it is illegal to carry a handgun in your vehicle unless it is in a locked container. (This assumes you do NOT have a separate concealed carry license.) But if that lockbox has a conventional hasp lock or combination lock with small tumblers, you’re not going to be able to access the weapon in a hurry. With the Microvault, your gun can be secured in the glove box or center console, yet still be accessed in seconds by pressing the right combination of fingers. LEGAL NOTE: In some jurisdictions handguns must be in a locked container in a remote part of the vehicle (e.g. backseat or the trunk), not immediately accessible by the driver. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS.
If you need to transport a handgun, the MicroVault also serves as a secure, locked container that will fit inside a backpack or attache case. The standard MicroVault (model MV500) is available from vendors such as SportCo Warehouse for about $90.00. There is also a “biometric” version that works by reading your fingerprint. Potentially, the biometric MicroVault (model MVB500) offers the fastest access of all. It retails for about $175.00.
June 13th, 2009
Here’s a great deal on the GunVault MiniVault. This is one of the best rapid-access handgun safes on the market. Keep it at bedside, in your work area, or it can even be fitted to a vehicle. Built of 16-gauge steel, the 8.5-lb MiniVault can be opened almost instantaneously using finger buttons on the No-Eyes™ keypad. The interior dimensions are 11″ L x 6.3″ W x 2.8″ H. That’s large enough to hold pretty much any defensive handgun, even with a rail light.
MidwayUSA has discounted the 8″x12″ MiniVault (item 246722) to $79.99. That’s $26 off the normal price. Elsewhere on the web, the cheapest price we could find was $89.99, so you’re not going to beat this deal. MidwayUSA’s $79.99 price is good through June 30, 2009.
|
