Revolvers

Samuel Colt's legacy is alive and well. On March 14, 550 workers from the two Colt operating companies, successors of the Colt Armory that once made iconic Colt Peacemaker revolvers, boarded buses that brought them to the Legislative Office Building, part of the state Capitol complex in Hartford.

Gun Tests’ Houston- and Idaho-based test teams take detailed looks at two very different sets of handguns in the April 2013 issue of the magazine.

Case hardening was once the best way to stretch a limited steel budget. Today, it provides a hard surface with a tough inner structure.

Traditions Performance Firearms has introduced a 2013 lineup of single-action revolvers by Pietta. The single actions will be available in two series – the Frontier series and the Rawhide series.

At the 2013 SHOT Show, Gun Tests staffers ran across tons of new sidearms. If you are particularly interested in any of them, please let the staff know in the comments below or send your wish list to GunTestsEditor@me.com. If you see more on other websites, just include a link in your comment so the staff can follow up.

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.

Uberti introduced several new handguns at the just-concluded SHOT Show 2013: the 1873 Horseman, 1873 Cattleman 12-Shot 22 LR, and two new models of 1873 Cattleman 22 LRs six shooters.

The Dan Wesson revolver never really disappeared. Its production just passed from one owner to another and another. To the credit of these manufacturers, including the newest, there’s been no messing around with the design of the gun.True, CZ-USA offers a choice between a fluted and a non-fluted cylinder, they reshaped the barrel shroud, and we understand their American-made Dan Wesson will be available in stainless only, but mechanically it’s the same as the Model 15-2 pictured here.

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.

It's clear that Smith & Wesson figures there's still a viable market for the snubnose 38, because it came out with a new revolver in 2010 called the Bodyguard 38, usurping the name of the previous Bodyguard with shrouded hammer. The new Bodyguard 38 comes with an 'integral' laser sight, and the gun vies with the Centennial Airweight for looks, charm, effectiveness, concealability, and price.

We acquired a new Bodyguard 38 No. 103038, $625. The gun was a S&W five-shot 38 Special, and had a 1.9-inch barrel. Our prime interest was to see if the newer, more expensive Bodyguard was worth the money when proven, perfectly servicable older guns are readily available at gun stores, pawn shops, and gun shows.

Whether you enjoy competing as an athlete in IPSC, a SASS cowboy, or an IDPA tactician, the versatility of the Mernickle Wild Bunch holster can serve your needs. And if anyone asks about your rig, you can tell them about the good old days of slapping leather when a quick draw was the only game in town.

Charter Arms recently moved into an expanded office and production facility. The company’s new location increases production space from 8,000 to 28,000 square feet providing a major increase in manufacturing finished goods capacity.<