Tabla de contenidos para Issue 7 en GUNS

The Bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives published the National firearms commerce and trafficking assessment (Nfcta), a report that addresses issues related to the legal trade and illegal trafficking of firearms in the United States. In the document, there are interesting informations on the volumes of arms production and on the trends of the North American market in the period between 2000 and 2020. In these twenty years, the total number of arms produced by US companies for every 100,000 inhabitants has increased from 1,397 to 3,410. In the five years between 2016 and 2020, US companies produced more than 33 million handguns; of these, three companies in particular (Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer and Ruger) produced two-thirds of the total in calibers up to and including 9mm. The…

The M2 is Benelli’s semi-auto shotgun designed for the most intense uses, one of the most popular choices for those who seek a no-frills reliable and rugged shotgun. It is an evolution of the M1 Super 90, which over the decades of honorable service has been declined in numerous 12 or 20 gauge variants both for hunting and action shooting. This year Benelli has decided to renew this model with a restyling operation similar to the one that, last year, involved the Montefeltro, another iconic Benelli shotgun. The M2, however, maintains the simplicity and ruggedness that have always characterized it, with a slightly lower price point than that of the Montefeltro. In addition to the new look, there are many innovations from a technical point of view, with the introduction…

Christian Craighead is the legendary operator of the British 22nd Special Air Service who, in January 2019, single-handedly thwarted a terrorist attack conducted by 5 members of the Al-Shabaab fundamentalist group in a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Craighead was in the country for a training operation and intervened by clearing all the rooms and killing two of the five attackers. For his heroism, he was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. Craighead began his military career at the age of 16 in 1992, when he enlisted in the British Parachute Regiment. He later joined the Special Air Service (SAS), from which he retired in 2020 after 28 years of service and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.…

Country you go, custom you find, says the old adage. In reality, when it comes to the legal possession of weapons, the response from politics seems more or less the same at all latitudes, i.e. marked by evident demagoguery. This is the case of Serbia which, in the space of a few hours, unfortunately had to face two very serious bloody events: one in a school in Belgrade, in which a 13-year-old boy opened fire with a legally owned weapon, stolen to his father, killing eight children and a school worker, the other in the villages of Smederevo and Mladenovac, in central Serbia, where a 20-year-old man opened fire with an illegal automatic weapon, killing eight people (it was later discovered that he was also in possession of some hand…

"I love the Isonzo. It was one of those projects where I immediately knew it would feel perfect in the hand and be an excellent EDC knife. It's a knife that is much more useful than its size suggests. M390 is a great steel for folding knives and Micarta is my favorite handle material. I've been using it in my custom knives for over 30 years! My favorite blade profile is the clip point. I carry the clip point model in my back pocket when I go running in the fields and I have the cleaver version attached to my life jacket when I go boating. It truly is a great little tool!"…

TEST RIFLES SABATTI ROVER CARBON IN .308 WINCHESTER Sabatti’s new Rover rifle, launched last year, demonstrates its versatility more and more every day, as evidenced by the constant growth of the series with models designed for sport shooting and hunting. The latest addition to the series is the new Carbon version, made by Sabatti’s Custom Shop, which we have tested. How it's made The action is the same one used on the new Rover series: it is made of aluminum, it has integral Picatinny rails on the top and the barrel is secured at the front by a clamp system, whose support base (into which the clamping screws are inserted) also acts as a recoil lug and holds a steel bushing on which the front screw connecting it to the…

Designed primarily for hunting, but without forgetting sport shooting (and even PRS), the new R8 Ultimate X is the high-capacity version of Blaser's legendary straight-pull rifle, the successor of the R93 that first popularized the concept of straight-pull hunting rifle. The substantial difference compared to the "traditional" R8 is immediately apparent at first glance, represented by a generous detachable magazine with a 10-round capacity This capacity remains unchanged regardless of the caliber, which can range from the tiny .204 Ruger to the powerful .338 Lapua, all on the same chassis. The high capacity certainly does not compromise the R8's main quality, which is its extreme modularity, allowing for easy switching between calibers, barrel profiles (such as light fluted or medium-heavy), stocks and more. That's why the one I tested is…

TEST SHOTGUNS BERETTA 687 SILVER PIGEON V SPORTING IN 12 GAUGE For several years, the 687 family has represented the second tier of Beretta’s over/under hunting shotguns, one step above the entry level 686 Silver Pigeon I. After the 687 Silver Pigeon III, heir to the 693, this year Beretta has chosen to further raise the bar by offering an even more refined model: the 687 Silver Pigeon V, a shotgun that is placed in an intermediate range between the entry level models and the more famous 687 EELL, with a price point of just below 4,000 euros. The Silver Pigeon V, therefore, fills the void left by its predecessor, the 695, and it also takes up its design and engraving theme. While the Silver Pigeon I is characterized by…

• 1963 In March, Pietta Giuseppe was founded and a few months later the company was renamed FAPFratelli Pietta, the name that is still used today. • 1966 In April, Pietta made its first shotgun, a 12-gauge over/under. In that year, 156 units were produced. • 1967 The first international orders begin to arrive at the Gussago factory, especially from France. • 1972 Fratelli Pietta begins a collaboration with Oreste Puzzo, who further improved the quality of Pietta's products. • 1977 At the beginning of the year, the first model 1851 single action revolver is produced. • 1978 The company undergoes a profound restructuring process: Luigi, Giuseppe's brother, leaves the company, but the company name stays the same. • 1989 Alberto joins the company as a designer and technician. •…

TEST HANDGUNS CANIK SFX RIVAL S IN 9MM The invention of polymer frames for handguns has been one of the most important advancements in firearm technology. It has allowed for the production of lightweight and relatively affordable firearms while also providing superior shootability, thanks to the frame's ability to flex and partially absorb the recoil impulse. Despite the opposition of "purists", who consider polymer "ugly", the fact remains that, from a utilitarian standpoint, this material performs its job admirably well. However, in the realm of sport shooting, there has been a recent trend reversal in the past 4-5 years. Pistols originally designed with polymer frames are now being equipped with steel frames. In this case, the increased weight of the firearm, although surpassing the generally expected limits for operational use,…

TEST HANDGUNS ZEV TECHNOLOGIES OZ9 CRAIGHEAD IN 9MM Zev Technologies, the well-known US manufacturer of custom pistols based on the Glock archetype (referred to as “Glock compatible”), has created a limited edition of its OZ9 pistol “inspired” by a modern hero who has gained significant attention in the past three years: Christian Craighead, former member of the legendary 22 SAS Regiment. Zev pistols are designed to maximize the operational usability of modern polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols and, with this joint venture, the idea is to further enhance the combat characteristics of the firearm while paying tribute to a contemporary hero. Craighead effectively summarized his passion for handguns in an interview published on the Daily Star: “The first time I shot someone in combat was with a pistol, so I know how…

Target shooting has always represented an important moment of social aggregation in post-unification Italy and until the end of WWII: it was the realization of the liberal-Garibaldian concept of “citizen soldier”, but also a sporting activity in which, incidentally, Italy was also able to win important international championships. Target shooting was practiced, in accordance with the aforementioned “citizen soldier” concept, with service rifles, therefore first with Vetterli 1870s and then, from 1900 onwards, with 1891 rifles. The standard shooting distances were 300 meters, with normal cartridges, or (with the ‘91) 200 meters with frangible or low-power cartridges. However, one of the needs to be satisfied was also the possibility of training very young people, who couldn’t handle a full-power rifle; the main issues were the weight and length of the…