Viewpoints

Kel-Tec Misfires
I think one important point missed on the shooting qualities of the Kel-Tec P-32 (October 2001) is the fact that if one experiences a misfire, no attempt can be made to try and re-fire the round, because, unlike the other Kel-Tec pistols, the hammer is disconnected from the trigger after the initial pull. In an emergency, one must immediately pull the slide to the rear to eject the misfire and jack a new round in the chamber.

-Bob Caulkins
Brunswick, GA

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I am glad you had good luck with the Kel-Tec P32 you tested. I and several people I know have not had such good experiences. My P32 would not go two magazines without a jam.

The gunsmi...

MCCAIN TO RENEW EFFORT FOR GUN SHOW BILL
U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has announced his intentions to force a Senate vote early next year on legislation that would require criminal background checks on all firearms sold at gun shows. The effort is driven by allegations by gun-control advocates claiming that foreign terrorists can easily obtain firearms from private sellers who are not required under federal law to conduct the checks.McCain, with the backing of Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH), Joe Lieberman (D-CT), and Charles Schumer (D-NY), will likely attach a gun show bill as an amendment to another piece of legislation, probably a homeland security measure, when the Senate con...

Head To Head Works
I was reading my December 2001 issue of Gun Tests and came upon the item regarding the test guns for sale. I would appreciate it if you would email me a copy of this list. Also, if it would not be too much trouble, Id like info on how a purchase can be arranged, monies paid, etc.

I enjoy your articles very much, because they are very informative. I mostly shoot target and combat pistol, but find myself reading articles about guns that normally do not interest me. Thats due to your test comparisons. You and your staff compare them to other guns in the same category. Your articles are easy to read and spoken in plain language. I receive two other magazines...

In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans held October 16 that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of individuals to keep and bear arms. The court rejected the arguments of the Clinton administrations Justice Department that the Second Amendment does not apply to individuals but merely recognizes the right of the state to arm its militia.

The case, United States v. Emerson, arose out of a Texas divorce suit in which a restraining order had been issued against the husband, Dr. Timothy Joe Emerson, who was subsequently charged with violating a federal law that prohibits the possession of firearms while under such a...

.348 Winchester Followup
I was thoroughly enjoying the May 2001 issue of Gun Tests, when I read the following quote in your article on Monster Handguns: The .500 was based on the .348 Winchester case, supplies of which were drying up a few years back. However, with Buffalo Bore churning out good loads in good brass for the .500, and with several new rifles chambered in .348 Winchester on the market, the brass supply problem is gone.

This last line cause me to stop in my tracks! Ive been shopping for a reasonably priced Winchester or Browning model 71 for years. Most of the good Winchesters are priced beyond my means, and Ive have never laid eyes on a Browning of recent...

The events of September 11 are still fresh, and they sting, and even infuriate me. Every day seems to bring a new insult, either the mounting confirmed death toll (which seems to have settled around 6,000), or a new videotaped message from Osama bin Laden.

Beyond the daily irritations, however, more serious factors are at work. For instance, there is a new emphasis on security that Americans will have to live with, primarily at airports. I dont have a problem with that, except that I wont be able to carry my 3-inch Spyderco pocketknife on board airplanes any more. Thats a shame; it was handy for opening packages of crackers.

Since Ill have to put up with inconveniences small and la...

.32 ACP Cover Photo
I hope I am not the only one who noticed, but the person holding the Beretta on the cover (and on page 10) of the October 2001 issue has her thumbs crossed in the old revolver style hold. Hope she has good health insurance for all the stitching shell need on that left thumb when the slide comes racing back. -

-Fred Dahnke
from ix.netcom.com

No, youre not the only one who noticed, and youre right. I missed this technical flaw when I photographed the image and in the editing process. Mea culpa.

-Todd Woodard

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.32 ACP Bias
Thanks for the review of the .32 caliber guns. Your disd...

I am still shocked at the images on the television. Terrorists hijacked four airplanes today, September 11, 2001, and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center buildings in Manhattan, and a third into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. A fourth plane went down in western Pennsylvania. Its target, or even if it was part of this coordinated attack, is unknown as I write this.

Certainly we are all saddened by the human toll these attacks have wrought. Public officials in New York City and in Washington wont even hazard a guess yet. However, at the minimum several hundred died on the planes themselves and scores, likely thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, died in the explosions, fires,...

Glocks .357 SIGs
While reading your excellent article comparing the .357 SIG pistols (August 2001), I noticed that the Glock 31 had a trigger pull of 2.8 pounds while the Glock 32 had a trigger pull of 7.0 pounds and the Glock 33 had a trigger pull of 7.5 pounds. Your article did not mention a target trigger installed in the Glock 31. I mention this because a target trigger pull of 2.8 pounds would, in my opinion, be considered as unsafe for a duty firearm.

I also noticed that the Trigger Span DA of the Glock 31 was different from the other two Glock pistols. The Glock 31 was 2.7 inches, while each of the other Glocks was 2.8 inches. This difference may be due to the inst...

GUN BUYBACKS END. The Bush administration has announced that it will no longer fund a controversial gun-buyback program by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The legality of the program, which was launched by former HUD secretary Andrew Cuomo, was questioned from the start because it diverted federal money earmarked for eliminating illegal drugs from public housing projects.

A preliminary study of the HUD-funded program conducted by a University of Missouri-St. Louis researcher concluded that they are not effective. There is no evidence that they directly reduce gun violence in the form of assaults or gun homicides.

VANGUARD SAFETY UPGRADE. We...

In your July 2001 issue, you selected the Glock 17 and 26 as the best duos. I agree. These guns have long been my favorites for personal defense weapons. But I was surprised that you failed to tell your readers about two of the main features that make these guns compatible. First, the 17s magazines will fit in the 26, which will includes the pre-ban high-capacity models. They protrude out the bottom of the grip, but that gives you a place for the little finger that you were looking for. This also makes extra magazines available.

Also, both guns can use the same holsters, especially belt slides and the Fobus paddle. These two guns are truly companions that offer tremendous firepower when...

Gun Wisdom
As I write this, theres a big United Nations conference going on that seeks to control the so-called illicit gun trade between nations. This is chilling, because there are few countries in the world outside the U.S. which respect gun ownership. Its not too big a reach to think that gun confiscationists worldwide will take any trade restrictions on any firearms they can get anywhere, since their ultimate agenda is to take everyones right to self-defense away wherever they can. That makes controlling people-and murdering them in the name of the good of the state-much easier to accomplish.

I received an unsigned email the other day that included a few additiona...