Firingline

Mini-14 Accuracy
Re October 2003, Firing Line:

I was reading Firing Line and saw where someone was asking if the aftermarket sleeves would improve the accuracy of a Mini-14. Here is my low-tech, cheap method to see if those sleeves will work on your gun. I took a 2-by-4 and cut a chunk one inch long. Then I bored a hole the size of the barrel through it. Then I bored two holes through it to put two bolts (3/8 inch by 2 1/2 inch) to clamp it. Then I split the block of wood in half and clamped it onto the end of the barrel of my Mini. Results were astounding. Most groups were cut in half. My gun started pushing toward MOA. The whole cost was 50 cents for the bolts. Consider...

Looking at Laser Sights
Re September 2003, Looking at Laser Sights: Whats Right for the Self-Defense Shooter:

I found your comments to reflect my experience with the Crimson Trace laser on my Taurus 85 .38 Special. However, what you did not say anything about was accuracy of the weapon with and without the laser. I found my Taurus to be very inaccurate with just the iron sights. About as accurate as throwing a baseball, I always said. This is due to the nonadjustable sights and the short length of the sight radius. No slight to Taurus, the gun is designed for lightweight carry and close-proximity defense, not target shooting. After adding the Crimson Trace laser, my accur...

Testing the .45-70
Re August 2003 Trapdoor Springfields, Whats Your Best .45-70 Choice?:

Congratulations on another great issue, thats about 176 in a row, or thereabouts. You are absolutely right about not wanting to test the service charge of the original .45-70. Those things create about 22 foot-pounds of free recoil; they really grab your attention. I have an original, cut to a carbine for movie work. It is an absolute joy to shoot with a 300-grain cast roundnose pushed with 50 grains of Pyrodex.

-Bruce Krohn
Los Lunas, NM

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Colt SSA 1st Generation
Re July 2003 45 Single Action Colts and Clones, USFAs Rodeo is our C...

.380 Versus .38 Special
Re: June 2003 Firing Line:

I read with interest the two letters taking Gun Tests to task for daring to say the .38 Special was more powerful than the .380. The .380 (either the Colt Mustang or the AMT Backup) is certainly more concealable than the .38 special, but the round is simply a weaker load. My Colt Detective averages 955 fps with Cor-Bon 158-grain lead bullets. That is only 45 fps slower than the advertised velocity on the box, and is probably due to the 2-inch barrel. The measure of energy is 320 foot-pounds using Hatchers formula. (The no-longer-produced 115-grain Cor-Bons screamed out at 1207 fps for 372 foot-pounds of energy, but I pref...

Beretta Accuracy Questioned
Re June 2003, 9mm Pistols: We Compare Beretta, SIGArms, and Magnum Research:

On page six, you show the SIGArms P226 with the smallest groups all the way down the chart. However, in the text you write, Despite the Beretta 92F being the accuracy winner…. You have me confused.

-O. Thomas Rork
Topeka, KS

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SIG The Tightest?
Re June 2003, 9mm Pistols: We Compare Beretta, SIGArms, and Magnum Research:

You wrote that the Beretta is the accuracy champ of these three, yet the SIG shot the tightest group (1.8 inch vs. a best of 2.5 inch for the Beretta), and had the tightest average groupings (1.8, 2.4 and 2.0 inc...

The Unsung CZ
Re May 2003, Fine .22 Rifles - We Like The Anschutz 1710 Bolt Action:

I thoroughly enjoyed the .22-caliber reviews of the Cooper, Anschutz, and CZ 451. Yes, we would all like to have the Cooper or Anschutz, but being practical, the CZ is more likely what we will end up with. I was not surprised to see the results of the CZ, however. I own a CZ 452 in .22 LR, and using Federal Gold Medal Ultra-Match ammo, I consistently have one-hole groups. To date, my smallest group measured 0.258 inch, and one-hole groups 0.5 inches or smaller are commonplace. This rifle is woefully under publicized, though it is stiff competition for rifles costing four to five times as mu...

.380 Auto History
Re April 2003, Pocket Pistol Pair-Off: We Test A Set of .380 Surplus Handguns:

I just received my latest issue of Gun Tests and read with interest the test on the .380s, as my brother swears by his Mustang Pocketlite and as I was the original owner of the Firearms International gun you tested.

With regard to the FI, it was in fact an FIE/Garcia Model D, which I purchased new in the 1977-1979 time period. At the time, gun writers were stating, right or wrong, that Colt had contracted with Garcia to manufacture a prototype of a .380 that Colt was supposedly to be considering marketing as the Colt Pony. From all reports at the time, Colt reconsidered and...

Mikes Truck Gun
Re February 2003, Mikes Ultimate Truck Gun:

The article on Mikes Truck Gun caught my eye. About 15 years ago Marlin made a rifle exclusively for K-Mart called the 30TK. It is almost identical. It had an 18-inch barrel, two-thirds length magazine tube, straight stock and lever and permanently attached sling swivels. Came with a camo sling. I purchased one, put a Williams peep on and have used it since. Very handy indeed.

-Robert Kellner
@hotmail.com

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Sig-Mauser M2 .45 Auto
Re February 2003, 9mm Carbines: We Would Buy Kel-Tecs Sub 2000":

Okay, so you didnt like my 9m Leinad Cobray; and you did like the Kel-Tec Sub 20...

Sub Problems
Re February 2003, 9mm Carbines: Kel-Tecs Sub Rifle 2000 Is Affordable, Reliable and Totally Trick:

I read your article regarding the Sub 2000. I have to admit that it is an interesting gun, but I did have problems with mine. I shot it at the range with both Cor-Bon 9mm HP +P and Winchester WinClean. I had multiple failures to feed. The rounds would cock at a 45-degree angle (the bottom lip of the chamber would then take a bite out of the side of the round) or it would jam the bottom edge of the bullet straight into the bottom lip of the chamber and cram the bullet further into the cartridge. It did this with both types of ammo in the supplied magazine, Beret...

Intimidation Factor
Re December 2002, Entry-Type AR-15s-Is One of These Rifles For You?:

Id like to highlight your comment about the Mini-14 being less intimidating than AR-15s. I own a Mini-14, and out here in California, where you cant buy AR-styles exactly because they are more intimidating and imposing, the Mini-14 is a great choice if you want to avoid the possibility of your neighbors branding you the guy with the assault rifle. Though a Mini-14 out of the box might not be the most accurate weapon in this class, its reliable, breaks down into a handful of large parts with no tools for quick cleaning, and the fit and finish are outstanding. Its a pure joy to own...

Glock Test Correction
Re October 2002, Compact Polymer .40 S&Ws: Glock, Springfield, and H&K:You folks have the best gun magazine available. I really enjoy reading your opinions, which are not formed by high-paying advertisers.

In your test of compact polymer .40s, you incorrectly stated that the Glock has no chamber-loaded indicator. I refer you to your close-up picture of the Glock extractor printed on page 4, which shows the loaded chamber indicator on the Glock.I am a police officer and have carried a Glock on my hip every day for several years now. Get yourself a Glock, and lose that nickel-plated sissy pistol.

-Tom Martin
Murray, UT

T...