Confidence in Ruger P97
Thank you for testing the Ruger P97. I think I will buy one soon. My current .45 (Glock 21) has superb accuracy-acually its the most accurate non-1911 .45 I have ever shot. People I know who bought the Ruger P97 say it is just as accurate as the Glock. Your test showed that the ergonomics were great, reliability is topnotch, and the trigger was good (for a Ruger). I assume your accuracy wasnt great because you didnt use ammo the Ruger 97 likes. Again, I really am glad you reviewed it. I now feel confident enough to make the purchase.
Mark Fertig
via AOL
August Pros and Cons
A Glock representative brought a G36 demonstrator and a supply of free ammo to a recent IDPA match. I agree with your evaluation; it is a real handful. For a minimum Glock, I would take a G26 9mm. I told the rep so, and said what I would like to see was a larger single-stack .45 because the G21 is just too big for my hand. I asked how many .45s would go in the mag well of a G17, and he said, Eight or nine. We have tried it and we are considering it. Im watching for the G37, but not holding my breath.
To pick a couple of nits, I dont commonly refer to lead roundnose ammo as ball, reserving that term for 230-grain FMJ military issue or equivalent. The only flying ashtray I am familiar with is the original Speer pre-Gold Dot 200-grain JHP. Perhaps definitions differ in your area.
Also, I would not count the Hmmerli 208S down and out too soon. They issued its first replacement, the Model 280 with modern forward magazine and carbon-fiber composite construction, in 1990. The carbon fiber was too expensive even for Hmmerli, so they designed the aluminum and injection-molded plastic SP 20. Id bet on the 208 hanging on as it has ever since its immediately recognizable ancestor was introduced as the Walther Olympia in 1936. In the 50s they even called it the Hmmerli-Walther, but just kept modernizing it with better sights, grips, and trigger without losing the original concept. There is also a fancier Benelli, the MP90S, which has adjustable trigger and grips. For about half again the money, it might suit better than the 95E.
I also agree that there is little, if anything, that the .450 Marlin will do that a heavily loaded .45-70 or heavy-bullet .444 wont. Well, it wont demolish a trapdoor Springfield. I also read in one of the slick magazines that the wider belt is to keep it from being chambered in a bottleneck H&H belted chamber. Yeah, like I really have a lot of trouble telling the difference between a .45 and a .375.
I guess the lawyers rule at Marlin and Hornady instead of the ballisticians, shooters, and hunters. Wild West better watch out because their .457, which is longer than the .45-70 but otherwise similar, sounds an awful lot like a .45-90.
Jim Watson
Florence, AL
Black Gun Showdown
You did good on the shotgun comparisons in the August issue. However, you forgot to mention how easy it is to break down and clean the Benelli. Under normal conditions, you can shoot it all day and only have to clean the barrel. Also, a six-year-old can take it apart and put it back together. The 1-pound lighter weight comes in handy at the end of a long hot day in the sunflowers, and the gun never breaks. At one time or the other, Ive owned every commercial left-handed shotgun made. None compare with the Benelli.
Pete Rasmussen
via aol
More Black Gun Comments
I looked at the picture of the Benelli SBE and thought that you had a M1 Field. Further inspection indicates changes between the SBE you have and the 1999 SBE I own. I am disappointed to see that Benelli has changed the barrel style and like the cleaner lines of the 1999 SBE. The 1999 SBE I own has a much less cluttered sighting plane, simply the 0.3-inch lined area leading directly to a flat rib down the barrel. The rib is flush with the top of the 0.3-inch lined area, with no cluttered step up to the rib.
This stepped rib also was present on versions of the M1 Field I looked at in 1999. Although I didnt consider the 3.5-inch chamber a necessity, I spent the extra money for the SBE over the M1 because of the cluttered sighting plane.
I will say that I have had two Benelli shotguns, and they have never failed even when they have accidentally taken a bath (fully immersed) on duck hunts. It is also the one of the easiest guns to clean Ive ever owned.
This may be common in most of todays autoloaders, but I like that you can remove a shell from the chamber without having to empty the magazine or having to flip some type of magazine cut off switch. This is handy where I hunt because I often encounter geese on duck hunts. I have often switched to a more appropriate load using this feature.
The failed/broken Ruger forend latch is a disappointment. I would like to see a short follow-up from the standpoint of letting your readers know the type of warranty/service/repair you may receive. Although I wouldnt expect any change in your failing mark, I think it would be beneficial to see which companies stand behind their products when you do encounter failures.
Finally, do you still sell the guns you review and how can a list of available guns be obtained?
Alex Gemrich
Madison, WI
Yes, we do still sell our test inventory guns-that is, the ones that arent broken. Anyone who wants to get a copy of the test-gun inventory can send an email request to ttwoodard@earthlink .com. All the current inventory of test guns and directions on how the transactions are conducted are detailed in a list we distribute periodically.
-Todd Woodard
Benelli Replies
Thank you for testing and evaluating the Super Black Eagle in the August 2000 issue of Gun Tests. However, I believe the comparison you made to the Browning was like comparing apples and oranges. First of all, the Browning Gold Classic Stalker is only capable of shooting 3-inch shells, while the Super Black Eagle can handle up to 3 1/2-inch Magnums.
While the overall review and comments were good, it was given a conditional buy due to a higher price tag. Your comment was, Why pay more? But you failed to mention the extra value the Super Black Eagle has over that Browning:
1) The ability to shoot 3 1/2-inch magnums, which Browning marks up $172 for their 3 1/2-inch gun;
2) The fact that the Browning only comes with three choke tubes while the SBE has five, a $40 to $50 retail value; 3) Not to mention a more efficient and cleaner operating system.
I believe a much better comparison would have been with our M1 Field, which shoots up to 3-inch Magnums and also features an adjustable stock drop. The M1 Field, while still a bit more expensive than the Browning, is more competitively priced.
We at Benelli openly admit that Benelli shotguns arethe most expensive semi-automatic shotguns on the market, but we firmly believe you get what you pay for, and that is why a Benellis performance is worth the price.
Stephen McKelvain
Director of Marketing & Communications
Benelli USA Corp.
Custom Combat .45s
Thank you for your recent article re: custom combat 45s. I own a Les Baer Premier II, and my initial experience mirrored yours. To wit: I almost could not manually get the slide into slidelock; getting the slide into battery required a rap half the time, and a press check was impossible. I was driven to call the company and was connected to Les Baer himself. He urged me to send the gun back without hesitation. At that point I had 200 rounds through it.
Well, I figured I might as well shoot some more rounds before I parted with it. So I put another 200 rounds through it, and lo and behold, it started to act like a pistol. I cleaned and lubed it after 400 rounds, and now its as smooth as silk. Not only that, I can shoot it offhand into a ragged hole at 50 feet. I never knew I was that good a shot. I hope your extended experience with this product is as good as mine. I cannot remember a more startling metamorphosis in breaking in any firearm.
Richard Ontell
via AOL
High Dollar .22LR Pistols
As a certified nut regarding .22 top-quality target pistols, I thoroughly enjoyed your August issue. My only concern was that you may have given the Pardini an unfair advantage in hand-held shooting by reason of the red-dot sight. I have a Pardini (the older model) plus 208S and SP-20 Hmmerlis, and on sandbags at 50 feet, they all group about the same (using red dots).
You might want to mention that fitting a red-dot to the 208S is an exercise in frustration. Hmmerli provides a mounting bar that fits into the dovetail below the muzzle, but the bar must be removed to disassemble the gun for cleaning, and theres always a doubt that the scope will stay zeroed.
I would sure like to see your review of the Hmmerli SP-20. I havent shot mine enough to make a fair comparison to the other two, but it does have a number of pluses, including convertibility to centerfire. I took mine to Larrys Guns in Portland, and for $25 he customized the grip by selecting different grip angles and then by using a fast-setting goo. The result is that I can raise the gun with my eyes closed and know that the dot will be right in the center of the scope. Its the best $25 I have ever spent. At the same time, the gun is even uglier than a Glock, and I dont like the plastic mags.
Dave Jones
via mediaone.net
Pardini Nygord Master Safety
I was thrilled, as a competitive bullseye and international pistol shooter, to see your review of High-Dollar .22 LR Pistols. But one small correction may be in order.
The Pardini SP, or Nygord Master, does have a safety. It is not marked as such, and is easy to miss. It is a small, unmarked lever on the right side of the gun, just above the trigger. I believe that under current laws, all imported firearms, even guns such as these, must have a safety.
Scott Hill
Greensburg, PA
We regret we said the Pardini Nygord Master didnt have a safety. It does indeed, as Don Nygord confirmed, and it is the little lever visible just above the trigger on the left side of the pistol. We apologize for the error.
