In recent years, the ranks of first-time handgun buyers have grown dramatically. Thousands upon thousands of Americans are purchasing their first-ever pistol. With so many handgun options available these days (from derringers to Desert Eagles) many first-time buyers have trouble making a choice.
A close relative recently contacted this Editor. Wanting to get started in handgunning, he sought my advice on purchasing his first handgun. “Should I get a Glock?”, he asked. “No” was my response. “Well how about an M&P?” he inquired. “Better ergos” I said, “but ‘No’ is still my reply.” “OK, how about a KelTec, they’re cheap…” “Absolutely not”, I replied.
I could tell he was getting annoyed, when he said “OK, Mr. know-it-all, so what handgun should I get?” Calmly, I replied: “Get a .22-caliber rimfire revolver. You will never out-grow it. You will learn sight alignment and trigger control. You can practice with inexpensive ammunition. A good .22 revolver will be considerably more accurate than 90% of the self-loading pistols you could buy. If you get a Smith & Wesson, you will keep the gun for the rest of your life and pass it on to your kids. If you or your heirs ever wear out the barrel or cylinder, Smith & Wesson will replace the parts for free, forever.”
First Handgun Choice — A very good choice for a first handgun is a Smith & Wesson .22 LR revolver, such as the S&W model 617. The model 617 is extremely accurate, with a very crisp trigger (in single-action mode), and good sights.
You can learn all the fundamentals with this ultra-reliable handgun, shooting inexpensive .22 LR ammo. The model 617 is rugged, durable, and can give you a lifetime of shooting fun. Once you have mastered the basics of shooting with a .22 LR, you can move on to larger caliber handguns suitable for self-defense. Below is a slide-show illustrating a S&W model 617 ten-shot, with 6″ barrel. S&W also makes a 4″-barrel version of this revolver. (See: Shooting Demo Video with 4″ model 617.)
Are you a gun-loving number cruncher? Then you need to read a new Shooting Industry Magazine Report. This report, filled with reams of hard data from the past two decades, reveals the state of the gun-making industry. You may be stunned to see how firearm production has skyrocketed in the past few years. In fact, total U.S. firearm production rose to 8,872,456 units in 2012, compared to 6,351,479 in 2011. That’s a 39.7% increase. SEE MORE STATS.
U.S. Gun-Makers Set Production Records
The top three firearm manufacturers all increased production substantially in 2012 compared to 2011, setting new production records. In 2012, the #1 American gun-maker, Ruger, boosted production 48% over 2011 levels. The #2 company, Remington Arms, raised production 13% in 2012, while #3 Smith and Wesson increased production 31% in 2012 compared to the year before. What’s more, in 2012, each one of these three U.S. manufacturers built more than a million firearms. That’s an historic first according to Shooting Industry Magazine.
More Guns = Higher Demand for Ammo and Reloading Components
If you have been wondering “Where did all the powder and .22 LR ammo go?”, take a good look at the chart above. There has been an enormous boost in production in recent years. Unquestionably, many of the buyers of all those new guns are looking for ammo to shoot. This helps explain why ammo and reloading components are in short supply.
Gun Sales Are Below Record 2013 Levels, But Are Still Very High
Gun sales peaked in 2013, and there has been a slow-down in 2014. However, it does look like 2014 sales will outpace 2012. The Shooting Industry Magazine report declares: “During May 2014, NICS conducted 877,655 (NSSF-adjusted) background checks. While this was a 9.9% decrease, compared to May 2013, it was the second highest May in NICS history. More importantly, it was a 4% increase over May 2012. This trend — a decrease in background checks compared to 2013, but an increase compared to 2012 — is reflected in the early months of 2014.”
Report Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
How fast can a human shoot a revolver? The legendary Jerry Miculek answers that question in this video. Using his new, 9mm model 929 revolver, Jerry shoots 16 shots in 4.01 seconds, with a reload*. His splits between shots were running 0.16-0.17 seconds. That works out to a peak rate of fire of 353 rounds per minute, faster than some early-era machine guns. Even counting his reloads, his sustained rate of fire would be 239 rounds per minute, faster than a 19th-century Gatling gun. Note: If you are attending the NRA Annual Meetings in Indianapolis this weekend, you can meet Jerry Miculek at the Hornady booth (#6361) on Friday or Saturday at 4:00 PM.
16 shots w reload
Split Times
Peak Rate of Fire
Sustained Rate of Fire
4.01 seconds
0.16-0.17 seconds
353 rds per min
239 rds per min
Smith & Wesson 929 Eight-shot Revolver, Jerry Miculek Edition
Jerry really likes his JM Signature Edition model 629 revolver. Produced by the S&W Custom Shop, this 9mm handgun features a ported, broach-cut barrel plus a titanium cylinder. Jerry says the low-mass titanium cylinder reciprocates very fast, making for a responsive rapid-fire revolver.
*This was time on target. Total time including initial reaction time was 4.88 seconds.
Shooting USA’s annual one-hour SHOT Show Special first aired in February. If you missed the hour-long special the first time around, here’s your chance to catch it. The SHOT Show Special re-airs today, Wednesday, April 9th, starting at 2:00 PM Eastern Time.
SHOT Show 2014.
Full 1-Hour Broadcast.
Tonight on the Outdoor Channel.
Lots and lots of new guns on display.
This is the episode of Shooting USA you don’t want to miss. Set your DVR for 2PM ET/1PM CT or watch the show at 9PM ET/8PM CT, on the Outdoor Channel. Host Jim Scoutten says: “John, Mike, and I are running 12 miles of aisles in the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, with 60,000 gun dealers and buyers. It’s your first look at the new guns and gear that will be making news this year. Set your DVR. We have a lot to show you in non-stop new product presentations.” CLICK HERE to See Products Featured on SHOT Show Episode
New products showcased will include: Ruger American Rimfire Rifle, Glock 42, Colt 2012 Bolt-Action Rifle, New S&W Revolvers, Remington R-51, Bergara Barrels, Hornady Rapid-Safe and much more.
Shooting USA airs its annual one-hour SHOT Show Special today, Wednesday, February 12, starting at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. Other broadcast times are listed below.
The Shooting USA Hour on Wednesdays:
Eastern Time: 2:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 12:00 M
Central Time: 1:00 PM, 8:00 PM, 11:00 PM
Mountain Time: 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM, 10:00 PM
Pacific Time: 11:00 AM, 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM
A great episode of Impossible Shots runs tomorrow (March 5) on the Outdoor Channel. This particular episode won an award for Best Shooting Sports broadcast. To start off, the legendary Jerry Miculek tries out a new, high-capacity shotgun (used for 3-gun matches). Jerry takes his new scattergun (right out of the box), and sets a new speed-shooting record with it. Not to be outdone, in the next sequence, SSG Josh Richmond of the USAMU juggles and shoots multiple targets with his scattergun. SSG Richmond, USA Shooting’s Shotgun Athlete of the Year, has won Gold Medals at various World Cups around the world. He is one of the best double trap shooters on the planet.
Miculek Speed Drills with M&P 15
If you wonder how fast a self-declared “old guy” can be, watch this video of Jerry Miculek with a semi-automatic M&P 15 (AR-type) rifle he uses in 3-gun competition. Jerry puts five (5) rounds on target in just over one-half second. It sounds like full-auto fire, but if you watch the slow-motion playback sequences (timeline 0:50-1:12 and 1:34-1:53) you can see Jerry pull the trigger five times. Jerry’s “on-target” time for five shots was a mere 0.59 seconds (fifty-nine one-hundredths of a second)! To capture the rapid cycling of the rifle, the primary high-speed camera operated at 3600 frames per second. This allows “super slow-motion” playback that shows what really happens in the blink of an eye.
Report by Lars Dalseide forNRABlog
There are a number of stereotypes out there when it comes to firearm ownership. Some are correct, most are wrong, and hardly any of them have anything to do with the role women play in the firearms community. That’s why the NRA came up with NRAWomen.tv.
It’s a resource for news, education, events and more. And we’re telling more stories of empowered women like you. Come explore, connect, celebrate and unite with the women of NRA.
To learn what NRAWomen.tv has to offer, take a moment to watch this “New Energy” video trailer, featuring many of the USA’s top female shooters, including Julie Golob and Maggie Reese:
To view profiles of female shooters, get shooting tips from experts, watch featured videos, and access resources for lady shooters, visit the NRAWomen.tv website. It’s a modern, mobile-friendly site, with something for every female firearms enthusiast.
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?” To get a complete answer you must consider both new AND “previously owned” sales figures. Gunbroker.com, the biggest firearms auction site, recently tallied the top-selling firearms in various categories. Below we present Gunbroker’s January 2014 “Best Sellers” among rifles and pistols.
Some things we expected — the Rem 700 is the top-ranking bolt-action rifle, and the Ruger 10/22 was the leading semi-auto rifle. But in the pistol rankings, there were some surprises. Despite being out of production, the Colt Python is the best-selling revolver. Why is an out-of-production gun a top-seller? First, high-grade Pythons are actually increasing in value, making this “snake” a good investment. Pythons are also highly accurate, beautifully-finished revolvers with superb triggers. These qualities make the guns highly desirable to serious shooters as well as collectors.
SHOT Show 2014.
Full 1-Hour Broadcast.
Tonight on the Outdoor Channel.
Lots and lots of new guns on display.
This is the episode of Shooting USA you don’t want to miss. Set your DVR for 2PM ET/1PM CT or watch the show at 9PM ET/8PM CT, on the Outdoor Channel. Host Jim Scoutten says: “John, Mike, and I are running 12 miles of aisles in the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas, with 60,000 gun dealers and buyers. It’s your first look at the new guns and gear that will be making news this year. Set your DVR. We have a lot to show you in non-stop new product presentations.” CLICK HERE to See Products Featured on SHOT Show Episode
New products showcased will include: Ruger American Rimfire Rifle, Glock 42, Colt 2012 Bolt-Action Rifle, New S&W Revolvers, Remington R-51, Bergara Barrels, Hornady Rapid-Safe and much more.
Shooting USA airs its annual one-hour SHOT Show Special today, Wednesday, February 12, starting at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. Other broadcast times are listed below.
The Shooting USA Hour on Wednesdays:
Eastern Time: 2:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 12:00 M
Central Time: 1:00 PM, 8:00 PM, 11:00 PM
Mountain Time: 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM, 10:00 PM
Pacific Time: 11:00 AM, 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM
Could you hit a 18″x24″ plate at 100 yards with a handgun? With a bit of practice, an experienced handgunner should be able to make that shot using a quality, full-sized pistol held two-handed. This editor has done it with a 1911 and a Sig P226. OK, now consider hitting that same-size plate at TWO hundred yards, with a 2″-barreled revolver, shot upside-down, one-handed, pulling the double-action trigger with your pinky finger. Sound crazy? Well that’s exactly what legendary wheelgunner Jerry Miculek does in this video. It’s hard to believe, but it’s all caught on camera for posterity.
As you can see in the video, Jerry was pretty excited when he makes the shot. That took some serious skill. Jerry was shooting a double-action-only Smith & Wesson 340 PD Scandium J-Frame (1.875″ barrel) with fixed sights. After making this amazing shot, Jerry explains: “Gun shoots a little right, so when you flip it over it shoots a little bit left.” Thanks Jerry — I’m not sure most of us would have figured that out.
Cabela’s Web Deals and In-Store Sales
June 16 (next Sunday) is Father’s Day. Throughout this week Cabela’s is running a Father’s Day Sale with some web specials on outdoor merchandise. Plus there are in-store-only sales at most Cabela’s retail outlets around the country. CLICK HERE for a list of stores, then click “Store Info” for the store nearest you. That will take you to a page where you can view the Father’s Day flyer for that store. Below are some special promotions running this week:
Smith & Wesson m1911 Series E Pistols, $899.99
Liberty Safes — 0% Interest and No Payments for 12 Months
Browning and Winchester Firearms — 0% Interest and No Payments for 12 Months
First Handgun Choice — A very good choice for a first handgun is a Smith & Wesson .22 LR revolver, such as the S&W model 617. The model 617 is extremely accurate, with a very crisp trigger (in single-action mode), and good sights.
SHOT Show 2014.
A great episode of 
