Clever Early Attempts at High-Capacity Pistols There were some fantastic, sturdy, dependable pistols produced in the past, without question. However, there’s no question that modern firearms, in general, are more efficient, more reasonably engineered, lighter, more reliable, and—due to modern oversight, standardization, and enforced regulations—considerably safer than the handguns of the past. Among the advancements modern pistols enjoy over their predecessors is capacity. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to find a 9mm pistol with a flush magazine carrying 18, 19, or 20+1. That’s three times or more than the capacity of the average revolver or semi-automatic pistol carried by civilians, law enforcement, and military personnel from the Civil War to the war in Vietnam. However, that’s not to say our sidearm-carrying antecedents had no interest in high-capacity handguns. Quite the opposite, in fact. And what the arms manufacturers of the past may have lacked in polymer frames, SAAMI stan

The Best Suppressed Calibers for Home Defense For decades, suppressors had been largely ignored by civilian gun owners, even those aware that, in most of the U.S. (minus eight states), they were, and are, legal. They seemed to suffer from a reputation as tactical accoutrements that only intelligence operatives and bad guys had any use for. However, as a larger appreciation of their benefits spread, suppressors became more popular for sport and recreation shooting, hunting, and home defense. So are suppressors for defending your home a good idea? Cons of Using Suppressed Weapons for Home Defense There are two chief reasons that opponents of suppressing weapons for home defense cite. The less-common contention is that the sound of a round being fired is an effective deterrent. Not only is the sound effective at deterring any intruders inside the home, but anyone waiting outside will surely be put off by the unmistakable sound of gunshots ringing out. A more common concern is that

Which Is the Better Practical Firearm Platform: AK-47 or AR-15? There are countless gun debates, all of which have enlivened conversations at shooting ranges, in gun stores, and between opinionated friends for decades now, with no sign of being resolved. They include revolver vs. semi-automatic, 9mm vs. .40S&W, 9mm vs. .45 ACP, and rifle vs. shotgun vs. handgun for home defense. There’s one debate, however, that was for a long time (though less nowadays) almost certainly the most ardent, impassioned, and personal of them all. (It was also a debate that was being literally fought out on battlefields all over the world.) That debate is, of course: Which is better, the AK-47 and 7.62 ammo, or the (M16) AR-15 and .223 ammo? However, now that the debate is less about the flagship assault rifle platforms of the Evil Empire vs. the Land of the Free, it can be more about the respective assets and imperfections of the two. More specifically, about their practical assets and imperfections

The Best Calibers for Suppressors According to their portrayal in movies and TV, the chief purpose of suppressors (aka “silencers”) is quiet, quick mafia assassinations, silently dispatching the guards in a casino, or storming a jungle compound in camouflage face paint. And whenever suppressors are used, they make that whisper-quiet spit-hiss noise that you wouldn’t hear in the next room. Of course, the reality is quite a bit different in most ways. For one, suppressors do have a place outside of the TV and film world of secret agents and covert warfare. At firing ranges in Europe, for instance, suppressors were not only common but often required to minimize noise pollution. The same principle has inspired tens of thousands of gun owners in the United States to purchase suppressors. They have also become increasingly popular for hunting. That popularity raises a few practical questions. First, why are suppressors becoming so popular? And, if there some calibers (and loads) that a