Recreational

Smaller guns have always had a certain appeal. In some cases it was just the aspect of miniaturization that captures our imagination. In other cases it was the reassurance of a highly concealable weapon. One niche of such guns were semi-auto .380s, which have long been popular sidearms because of their flat, short footprint and sufficient, if not outstanding, power. Even in the small world of 9mm Shorts there is a pecking order in terms of size, with the Beretta 84LS being one of the largest.

The design of the OA series of AR-15 type rifles connects to the OA 98 pistol. To accommodate a folding stock, Olympic Arms developed an upper that eliminated the need for a buffer tube. However, due to subsequent legal restrictions, folding-stock models such as the OA 93 and its cousins now feature fixed stocks, but these rifles still benefit from their minimal design and lighter weight. If you look at an OA-built AR-15 and imagine it without a stock, it is easy to visualize how the OA 98 pistol came into being.

Rugers $780 KRH-444 Redhawk was our top pick among three 4-inch .44 Magnum revolvers. Heres why. When Ruger engineers sought to make a more compact revolver, they did so by shortening the barrel and introducing a new grip. They left the frame alone. This meant the gun was plenty strong to take any punishment we could dish out.

CMMG Adds 5.56mm Caliber to New AR Pistol Line-Up

Newer versions of this famous shotgun use roll pins instead of screws to hold certain action parts. Here’s how to convert early Auto-5s.

In the April 2012 issue, Gun Tests magazine tested three semi-automatic rimfire rifles that showed promise of being more than just plinkers. They were the $325 Savage Arms model 64 TR SR V No. 45200 22 LR, CZ-USA's $465 model 512, and the $595 Remington 597 TVP. Following is an excerpt from that test, used with permission:

'Higher velocities mean shorter leads, which are necessary for fast-flying waterfowl,' said Brett Flaugher, Winchester Ammunition vice president of marketing, sales and strategy. 'We want to give the consumer what they want, and that's why we're expanding this popular waterfowl load.' …

Savage has sold thousands of Model 110 rifles to hunters seeking an inexpensive rifle. Watch for several things when they need fixing.

JP Enterprises is debuting a new and improved JP-22R action that opens up every small-frame JP platform (JP-15, CTR-02, SCR-11 and PSC-11) for a .22 LR conversion.

GunReports.com issues a Special Report on the Ruger Model 77 repairs and improvements. Includes schematics for major areas of gun breakdown. Derived from American Gunsmith magazine, and AG's Gunsmithing the Rifle book. Ruger Model 77 rifles have been popular for years. Here are some things to watch for when one comes across your bench.

Lew Horton Distributing Co. has its first runs of a special Kahr CW9 with three 24kt-gold engraved messages and icons that will appeal to 2nd Amendment defenders.

Guncrafter Industries’ new “Frag” pistol gets its checkering pattern inspiration from the MK2 Pineapple Grenade texture pattern.