Viewpoints

In our report on the trio of Smith & Wesson 'Triple Locks,' we missed the fact that the forward lock was absent from all of them. We don't know why S&W left that forward lock off, but we know why we missed it. None of our test crew looked for it, because we all were sure it would have been there. There was no reason not to have it. Surely it would not have cost S&W…

Las Vegas, Nevada – Most serious shooters know that the Shooting and Outdoor Sports Trade Show, SHOT by any other name, is the annual showcase for new guns, ammunition, accessories and more. But for a select few gun writers, editors, TV producers and hosts, the day before the SHOT Show is a chance to not just look, but also shoot, the latest and greatest from gun makers from around the world.

In January, the California State Court of Appeals overturned one of the most restrictive gun bans in the country. In 2005, NRA attorneys sought an injunction against the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to prevent it from enacting a gun ban. NRA won the injunction, but the city’s mayor and Board of Supervisors ignored the court order and approved a set of penalties, including a $1,000 fine and a jail term of between 90 days and six months, for city residents who owned firearms. '[The] decision by the California State Court of Appeals is a big win for the law-abiding citizens and NRA members of San Francisco,' declared Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist.

I am an appreciative subscriber of your quality publication. Due to the rising cost of ammunition, I am looking to get into reloading—9mm, .45 ACP and .223. Due to time constraints and volume, a progressive reloader seems to make the most sense. Starting from scratch, there are several items of equipment to buy. Would you have a list or any info regarding what might be 'Grade A' equipment for one starting a reloading operation?

Kathy Adkins moved from target to target, using a .38 revolver and a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol with deadly efficiency, putting holes in the dead center of paper targets meant to look like people. Adkins, 48, owns a real estate firm in Jackson and has been taking firearms training since March. Instructor Cliff Cargill said he has had many new students since the Legislature passed a bill last year giving residents expanded legal rights to protect…

The NSSF Shooting Sports Summit will be held June 23-25 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A lot of Americans who believe in the right to own guns were very disappointed this weekend. On Friday, the Bush administration's Justice Department entered into the fray over the District of Columbia's 1976 handgun ban by filing a brief to the Supreme Court that effectively supports the ban. The administration pays lip service to the notion that the Second Amendment protects gun ownership as an individual right, but their brief leaves the term essentially meaningless.

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association of the firearms industry -- is encouraging all sportsmen, hunters and firearms enthusiasts to contact the Cook County Board of Commissioners and urge them to oppose a string of county ordinances that if passed would result in a shutdown of firearms dealers and a ban on guns. The move by NSSF follows the introduction of three proposed ordinances by County Commissioners Larry…

If you had a class for 'Weapons Designed by a Committee of Lawyers,' I’d second the nomination of the Phoenix HP22A. In the 'fire' position, you can’t remove the magazine. In the 'safe' position, you can’t rack the slide nor drop the hammer. Under stress, I hope one possesses all of one’s cognitive and psychomotor skills, because you’ll need them all to make this weapon function after a failure. We teach clearing drills for fail to fire, fail to feed, stove-pipes and dual feeds. With the trusty Phoenix, (different model, same safeties), we’ve been there and it ain’t pretty! Maybe if we’d had the manual to study, we could have looked less like a beagle

The upcoming Supreme Court review of District of Columbia v. Heller, which will examine Washington, D.C.’s gun prohibition, has allowed a variety of views about the Constitution to creep into the sunlight for examination. Herewith are three excerpts on what the 2nd Amendment means, and doesn’t mean. Two of these we at Gun Tests wholeheartedly agree with—Halbrook’s and the NRA’s views. One we consider dangerously misguided—Gaillard—but we include it because we need to know what the other side is thinking. We start with the worst first:

The legislation requires federal agencies to provide relevant data for use in the NICS system, a database that stores the names of individuals prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing firearms.

Things look a lot better for the Second Amendment than they do for the Republican party. A race-by-race analysis of the Senate suggests that, while party control of the Senate could change, the Senate is very likely to retain a pro-gun working majority.