Gun Digest Buyer's Guide SIP #2

I was driving down the interstate recently when I caught a flash of blue in the rearview mirror. It was small—a long way back on a lonesome and flat stretch of asphalt that had very few patrons that particular afternoon. I never gave it a second thought … until the ’68 Corvette smoked by me as if I were spinning in the mud. A few seconds behind the classic, a brand-new ’Vette screamed past, painted the exact same color as the first. It was obvious some fella has a thing for baby-blue Corvettes. My mind drifted for a second or two, contemplating which one I would choose if I happened to buy a winning lottery ticket at the next gas station. I was slapped back into reality by the rumble strip…

HISTORICAL NOTES Designed by John Browning for his first successful automatic pistol, the .32 ACP was first manufactured in 1899 by FN in Belgium. It was marketed in the United States when Colt turned out a pocket automatic on another Browning patent in 1903. The .32 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) is one of the more popular pistol cartridges ever developed. In the United States, Colt, Remington, Harrington & Richardson, Smith & Wesson and Savage chambered pistols for this cartridge. In Europe, every company that made automatic pistols chambered the .32 ACP. It was also used in the German Pickert revolver. It’s known in Europe as the 7.65mm Browning. GENERAL COMMENTS The cartridge uses a semi-rimmed cartridge case and a .308-inch-diameter bullet. The .32 Automatic is the minimum cartridge that should really be seriously considered…

01 Dan Wesson Vigil 1911 Series With its Vigil Series, Dan Wesson is pushing to get more of its excellent 1911s into more shooters’ hands. An entry-level option, these aluminum-framed pistols come in well below the cost of Wesson’s other lines, yet they still offer the company’s trademark performance. The Vigil Government model is nearly 6 ounces lighter than comparably sized pistols and has a slew of other features: A beveled magazine well, carry bevel treatment, undercut trigger guards and hand-polished flats all come standard, as does an extremely crisp, creep-free Dan Wesson trigger, set between 3.5 and 5 pounds. This series is available in Government, Commander and CCO (compact) models and in both 9mm and .45 ACP. MSRP: $1,298 02 Ruger PC Charger Pistol Arguably the perfect gun to pair with your PC…

It used to be that if you wanted to customize or personalize your rifle, you had to enlist the services of a gunsmith. Not only was this time-consuming, it was also expensive. Today—at least when it comes to rifle stocks—shooters have a seemingly endless variety of aftermarket stocks to choose from, with prices ranging from a few hundred bucks to over a grand; and most are DIY projects. I recently tested a variety of after-market stocks and was impressed with how an affordable stock from Boyds performed. Not only was it the least-expensive stock tested, the rifle shot more precisely from that stock than with any of the others. Wondering if this might have been a fluke, I reached out to Boyds and asked if it would support a more comprehensive…

01 Weatherby Backcountry Ti 6.5 RPM After making the move from California to Wyoming, Weatherby had a goal to produce what it considered the best backcountry rifle and cartridge combination ever. And after nearly two years of innovation, the Mark V Backcountry Ti chambered in 6.5 RPM just might be it. The combination achieves the weight savings and ballistic performance that backcountry hunters demand, breaking the 5-pound mark while delivering magnum performance. The fluted barrel, trigger guard, bolt, bolt knob and safety all wear Graphite Black Cerakote. The stock completes the stunning look via visible carbon-fiber and gray sponge-pattern accents. MSRP: $3,349 02 Marlin 150th Anniversary 1895 in .444 Marlin Marlin is celebrating its own 150th birthday with the flat-shooting and hard-hitting 444 Marlin in an exclusive, limited-edition rifle. Custom-grade features include a 24-inch,…

The quest for the perfect handgun is ongoing and is always evolving. In recent years, at least among those with a yen for powerful semi-automatic pistols, a gauntlet of sorts has been laid down: 10mm vs .45 ACP. Funny thing: Go back 40 years or so, and this debate wasn’t really … well … a debate. The new kid on the block, an oddity at that, the 10mm never really got out of the shadow of the grand, old .45 ACP. Closing in upon its centennial birthday, John M. Browning’s masterpiece stood alone when it came to big-bore semi-auto cartridges. The 10mm, with all its potential, looked ready to fade away from early glory, following the likes of the .44 Auto Mag and other powerhouse semi-auto cartridges. Then, a funny thing happened.…