Gary's Gun Notes #83

Lots of happenings in the last couple of weeks, so we will get right to it. The 2010 SHOT SHOW is now history and lots of new guns were introduced and as normal many of these will never be produced. Sometimes I think their R&D people dream up something so out of the ordinary that it attracts attention from the gun magazines which in turn gets them needed publicity. The show ended last night and Kase and I were talking about all the many many guns that have been shown at SHOT SHOWs in the past that have never seen the light of day. I am sure some of these from the just ended SHOT SHOW, maybe many of them, will never actually be offered to the buying public.

Nevertheless, here are some of the new products we can hope for over the next year or so. Let's start with handguns first. Many years ago Kel-Tec came out with a 30 round 22 magnum semi auto pistol. It didn't fare well and soon faded out completely. Well a highly modified version of that pistol has been introduced as the PMR-30. It is not one of those tiny little guns that seem to be everywhere these days and are meant for a crotch holster. This one is a full sized pistol with a double stack magazine holding 30 rounds. It only weighs less than 14 ounces empty so it should be a great small game or backpacking pistol.

Years ago Dan Coonan came up with an innovative design of a semi auto pistol firing the 357 magnum. It was a sleek stainless steel pistol with a super smooth action and great trigger. This was in the early 80's. In '85 Coonan sold the company which eventually went under.Now he is back with a whole new Coonan pistol, again in 357 mag but is more refined than the older one. The Coonan pistol gives life to the mediocre 357 magnum for the medium game handgun hunter. Maybe this time we will see the long awaited 41 magnum Coonan pistol.

When Ruger came out with their polymer framed revolver, I wondered if other companies would follow suit. I never should have doubted it as several companies have either introduced polymer framed revolvers or have them on the drawing board. Taurus has their new polymer framed revolver out as The Protector, chambered in 38 special+P. Taurus went even a step further and came up with a polymer large frame revolver in their Judge series. Available in a snubby and a longer barreled version the new Judge comes like the others in 45 Long Colt and 410 shotshell. Smith & Wesson has also released a polymer framed revolver called the Bodyguard and chambered in 38 special. I am sure each of these will garner a fine following as the guns are very well made and each has a great warranty.

The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard I mentioned above brings out one of my pet peeves that I have whined about on here for several years. That is that the gun companies come up with great new designs but the people in the department that comes up with the new names are obviously off practicing for the Special Olympics. Several companies have done this. I guess somewhere along the line they lost their copy of the dictionary. Ruger had many years ago a fine single shot "revolver" called the Hawkeye. It was chambered in 256 Winchester and for some obscure reason it was dropped. But now Ruger has the Hawkeye rifle out. Minor confusion. Smith & Wesson had the Chiefs Special out for many years as one of the most popular small frame snubbie revolvers ever, also called the model 36. Now the Chief's Special is a semi auto. Even more confusion. The Smith & Wesson Military & Police was the fine old model 10 revolver in 38 special that was made by the millions for many many years. Now the Military & Police is a pistol and also a rifle. That's not too confusing, is it. But now Smith & Wesson has come out with The Bodyguard which as I mentioned is a snubbie 38 special revolver. But wait, the Bodyguard is also a new semi auto polymer framed 380 auto. Well now we are getting confusing. Maybe we can all chip in and buy Smith & Wesson, Ruger and all the rest a copy of the Thesaurus for Christmas.

The folks at Magnum Research have joined the club. That club being the many other companies making a 1911 45 auto. It is aptly called the Desert Eagle 1911. It has lots of special features but a very decent price tag. They also have a new revolver out called the Hammer that is chambered in 45 long colt and 410 shotshell. They also have a new 44 magnum revolver coming out and a special comped Desert Eagle just out. You can expect to see this one in the movies real soon.

Colt is bringing back one of their old stand bys, the commemorative Single Action Army revolvers. This new one comes in a set of 2 guns. One is a standard 4 5/8" barrel and the second one has a 10 inch barrel. These are the Hugh O'Brian- Wyatt Earp set of handguns. For those of you younger than dirt, Hugh O'Brian played Wyatt Earp in the TV series of the same name back in the 60's. The set comes with a lawman's badge and encased in a glass fronted display case.

Quite often we get older guys come into our gun shop grousing about all the black guns these days, from handguns to longguns. Well, that is beginning to change. Several gun makers are coming out with desert tan, OD green and various shades of camo on their handguns along with rifles and shotguns too. Oh yes, don't forget the growing trend of pink guns. More and more manufacturers are coming out with pink guns. Ruger doesn't call theirs pink. They say it's raspberry.

Legacy Arms has a new 45 long colt/410 shotshell revolver that should win an award for being the ugliest revolver I've seen in a long time. Legacy, out of Las Vegas, has some fine, lower end revolvers out for those that don't require a lot of flash and shine, but this new one, in a dull matte black finish has to take the first prize for ugly. Of course I said that about the Smith & Wesson Night Guard revolvers a year or two ago and they became great sellers. This one, called the Rough Rider may well do the same, but it sure is ugly.

Several years back a company in Italy called Mateba came out with a very revolutionary semi auto revolver. As you fired the gun the top part of the revolver would slide back like a semi auto pistol, turning the cylinder and cocking the gun at the same time. It was, and is, one of the most unusual revolvers ever designed. Well now there may be one to compete with it. It is by the company Chiappa, also in Italy and is called the Rhino. To call this revolver very unusual would be a big understatement. If you have a chance to look one over, do so.

Back a hundred and twenty five years or more ago Colt came up with their revolving carbine, which was their Single Action Army with a buttstock and long carbine length barrel. It was very popular until the owner shot it. The gases from the barrel/cylinder gap would burn his arm badly unless he wore long gauntlet style gloves. Well, not to be outdone and aimed at the SASS shooters, EMF has come out with their version of the same gun. This one has a wooden forend that might solve the burned arm problem.

Taurus has long been known for their Raging series of revolvers, the Raging Bull, Raging Bee, Raging Hornet and whatever else. Well, now they have mated the Judge with the Raging Bull and have come up with the Raging Judge. It is chambered like all the other Judge revolvers, in 45 long colt and 410 shotshell. It comes in a standard weight and an ultra lite version. Also in a snubbie and a long barreled version.

Ithaca Firearms has a new 45 auto, in a model 1911 to add to their line up of fine shotguns. The Company Regent also has a new 1911, as does the company Chiappa from Italy that I mentioned above. Chiappa has a 22 caliber 1911 out. All of these new 1911s are said to be of fine quality and moderately priced.

There were a lot of rifles and shotguns introduced at the SHOT SHOW but we will go over them in the next issue of our Gun Notes. Remember in 2 months our next Handgun Hunter's Challenge will take place again at the Wilderness Hunting Lodge in Monterey Tennessee. It is slated to be the weekend of March 25th thru 28th. I have again booked the entire lodge and will hold 40 hunters. The last one in October was the best yet and this one should be just as good. If you need more info go to www.wildernesshuntinglodge.com or call me at 928-527-4100. You are welcome to join us and in fact consider this my personal invitation to you to hunt with us in the Tennessee foothills in march. I guarantee you that you will not regret it.