Accessories

Building Custom Shotgun Mounts

When there isn’t a scope mount made to fit the shotgun you’re working on, don’t worry about it. Just use a blank to make your own.

Two 30-30 Lever-Action Rifles: Winchester Vs. Ted Williams

There was time when every deer hunters' gun rack held a 30-30 lever-action rifle, and red buffalo plaid was the only choice in a hunting coat. There are those hunters who still believe the 30-30 lever action is the ultimate rifle for a still hunter working in dense cover. The rifle's light weight, ease of use, simple open sights, and fast follow-up shots make it a sensible choice for shots from 15 to 100 yards.

Over the years, numerous manufacturers have built 30-30 lever actions — Winchester, Marlin, Stevens, Mossberg, Savage, and others. In great-grandpa's day, hardware stores and department stores with thick catalogs also sold 30-30 lever-action rifles. These department-store rifles were made by these gun manufacturers but were sold under the store's in-house brand names, often at a lower price than their name-brand cousins.

From the 1950s through the 1970s, Sears, Roebuck and Co. contracted with Winchester to build a 30-30 lever-action rifle similar to Winchester's Model 94. Sears called it the Model 100 or Model 54. Ever mindful of marketing opportunities, Sears signed baseball great Ted Williams to endorse its outdoor products. Ted's signature appeared on everything from outdoor clothing to rifles. In particular, there was a Ted Williams Model 100 rifle, a dead ringer for the Winchester Model 94.

Because we're always hunting for bargains, we wanted to compare a used Sears Ted William's Model 100 to a current-production Winchester Model 94 Short Rifle. Both of these rifles are designed around the iconic Model 94 first built by Winchester in 1894. It was the first centerfire rifle to use a then-new smokeless cartridge, the 30 Winchester or, more commonly, the 30-30. How would a 50-year-old Sears thutty-thutty match up with a brand-spanking new Shorty? Pretty dang well, as we explain below.

Installing Screw-In Chokes Without a Lathe

A lathe is preferable for choke work, but hard tools are an option if you don't have access to the bigger machine. Here are some tips.

Birchwood Casey Rolls OutPink Shoot-N-C Targets

Birchwood Casey's Shoot-N-C Targets are known for leaving a bright ring around bullet holes for instant feedback. For 2013, Birchwood Casey has introduced Shoot-N-C Pink Reactive Targets.

Scope Mounting: How to Align Scope Rings for Accuracy

As the owner of a firearm test range, I mount dozens of scopes each year. I get to see first hand how they perform, as well as the performance of scopes mounted by others. The two main complaints I hear about scopes usually center around those that fail to remain sighted in or group poorly on target. These complaints are usually very well founded. Most complaints about scope mounting are the direct result of poor scope-ring alignment and the accuracy-robbing stresses inherent between metal parts. These stresses pull and twist, causing the scope to move and to become misaligned. The scope never really settles down as bullet point-of-impact changes over time or even as a target group is being fired.

Nikon Debuts ACULON A211 Binocular

The ACULON A211 binocular officially launches Nikon’s all-new ACULON optics family to the world, with seven fixed-power and two zoom models.

The Best Purse for Concealed Carry

In the last ten years I have had four purses. Each one taught me something new about carrying a gun along with the dozens of items we women must keep handy.

Gun Polishing Tools

A good polishing job can save a gun from the junk heap, but a bad job can send it there. Here's how the professional does it.

Leica Rolls Out Geovid HD-B 42 Laser Rangefinder Binoculars

Leica Sport Optics new Geovid HD-B laser rangefinder binoculars contain advanced ballistics technology enabling users to add/create their own custom ballistics info for individual rifles as well as ranging abilities.

GOA: Biden Proposals Would Affect 50-80% of All Guns

Press reports now make it clear what Vice President Joe Biden’s gun control package will look like. Biden wants to impose:

Colt Partners With Lasermax,Offers Centerfire Laser Series for Colt Mustang

Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC and LaserMax are partnering to present the CenterFire laser for the Colt Mustang. The CenterFire laser mounts directly and seamlessly to the trigger guard on the Mustang, without altering the pistol.

Ruger Super Redhawk Grip Upgrade

The results of my tests showed that the Ruger Super Redhawk was a fine piece. But, I wasn't impressed with the supplied grip in terms of soaking up recoil.

Bringing ‘Lawfare’ Against Glock

Perhaps you’ve seen local news stories in your area about so-called “Glock switches,” which are more accurately described as “autosears.” They are added to...