Guns Illustrated 2011. Dan ShidelerЧитать онлайн книгу.
Beretta has been cranking out some very good-looking Old West style fi rearms for a few years now, since their single action, which should be safely carried with an empty chamber under the hammer. Beretta offers not only the 1873 Single Action Army style but a modifi ed Bisley style sixgun as well.
There is also the Stampede Marshall, which has a Thunderer-style birdshead grip frame. Beretta revolvers are chambered for either the .357 Magnum or .45 Colt cartridges.
BOND ARMS
Bond Arms has been producing high-quality two-shot derringers for several years now and have reached the apex in derringer design. Their derringers are often regarded as the best that money can buy, and Bond offers an extensive variety of chamberings, from .22 Long Rifle up through .45 Colt/.410 shotshell, covering many popular chamberings in between. Bond derringers are built primarily of stainless steel, and they exhibit first class craftsmanship and are built with quality materials. My personal favorite is the Snake Slayer. I have one that I carry often. Besides its intended use against venomous reptiles, it is also a fi ne personal defense arm for use against carjackers and other two-legged predators. Loaded with #000 buckshot or Winchester’s new buck and birdshot load, it would be a very effective close-range defensive weapon. The Bond Arms derringers offer a lot of versatility, with the barrels being interchangeable, so one can switch calibers as needed. Bond Arms also offers some high quality corporate acquisition of Uberti. Building on the quality firearms produced by Uberti, Beretta markets their Single Action Army replicas with some high-grade finishes such as a brilliant carbona-type blue, along with authentic-looking case coloring and an antique finish that makes the gun look like an original, well-worn gun from the late nineteenth century. Beretta adds a transfer bar safety system to their revolvers that allows the firearm to be carried fully loaded, with a live cartridge under the hammer – unlike the original style 1873 leather holsters in which to carry your derringer. I particularly like the horizontal driving holster. It is ideal to wear while riding in a vehicle or on an ATV or motorcycle, placing the handgun within reach for a fast and comfortable draw.
Author with Colt .45 SAA.
The eye-catching Cougar and Panther from Charter Arms.
CHARTER ARMS
Charter Arms has built their reputation upon providing very useful gun designs that are affordable for the common man. I have many times relied upon a Charter revolver for various needs, mostly a .38 Special riding in a boot or pocket for protection, and at other times packing their handy little .22LR Pathfinder as a trail gun while just bumming around in the woods. The Charter revolvers are available in blued steel or stainless, and recently they have added alloy frames to the lineup for those who want to carry the lightest possible package.
The latest innovation from Charter is the finishes that they apply to their alloy-frame guns. Made in a variety of colors, their pink finish has proven to be extremely popular with women in Charter’s Pink Lady variation of their fi ve-shot .38. They also have a couple of revolvers with a mottled finish. I refer to them unoffi cially as their “Cat” revolvers. The Cougar has a pink mottled finish, and the Panther a medium-dark bronze mottled finish. I have handled and shot both of these, and they are indeed good-shooting, lightweight revolvers. Both have exposed hammers and black synthetic grips, and they draw a crowd when brought out in public. Some love the finish while others hate it. No one seems to be neutral on these fl ashy new finishes from Charter Arms. Personally I like them, especially the bronze mottled finish.
Besides these, Charter still builds their legendary .44 Special Bulldog revolvers. These powerful belly guns fill a needed niche in the market as they have for the past few decades. The Bulldog is lightweight and easy to conceal yet carries fi ve .44 Special cartridges in the cylinder. Recoil is stiff with heavy loads, but not really painful at all. These stainless revolvers are not much bigger than a compact .38 Special but pack a hefty punch. In addition to their popular .38 Special and .44 Special revolvers, Charter still has their rimfi re Pathfinder line in .22 Long Rifl e and .22 Magnum, along with revolvers chambered for the .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, and .357 Magnum. Charter also makes a true left-handed snubnose revolver called the Southpaw. The Southpaw is a mirror image of their standard revolver design with the cylinder latch on the right side; the cylinder swings out to the right as well.
Also of interest to us here is the Charter Dixie Derringer. The Dixie is a fi ve-shot .22 Long Rifle or .22 Magnum mini-revolver with a crossbolt safety. Construction is stainless steel throughout. Weighing in at just six ounces, the Dixie Derringer can hide just about anywhere and is pretty effective at close range, especially the .22 Magnum version.
CHIAPPA
Chiappa is a relatively new name in the firearms business but is the outgrowth of the well-established Armi Sport company. Chiappa has entered the market with several quality replica firearms, but the one of interest here is not a replica of an Old West gun at all but a thoroughly modern revolver. The Chiappa Rhino is a unique sixgun that fires its cartridges from the bottom barrel in the cylinder, resulting in a lower bore axis in relation to the shooter’s hand, and greatly reduced muzzle jump upon firing. Much like the Mateba in design, the Rhino is more compact but does not share the Mateba’s semiauto design. I have not yet been able to fire the new Rhino, but have seen and handled a few examples in various barrel lengths. It appears to be well-crafted of quality materials. The Rhino is chambered for the 357 Magnum cartridge. It certainly has a very unconventional appearance but feels really good in my hand. I have high hopes that it will work very well in reducing the muzzle jump and felt recoil of the .357 Magnum cartridge.
CIMARRON
For many years now, Mike Harvey and the gang at Cimarron Firearms in Fredericksburg, Texas, have been at the forefront of marketing quality replicas of Old West style rifles and handguns. Of concern here is their extensive line of authentically reproduced historic sixguns. Cimarron has not only 1873 Single Action Army replicas, but has also delved into other lesser-known but very historic firearms of the nineteenth century. Cimarron offers replicas of most of the major players in the cap and ball sixgun business of that era, such as the Walker, Dragoon, Army and Navy guns, as well as the Remington and even the Leech & Rigdon guns. Cimarron covers the transition from cap and ball to cartridge with their conversion revolvers and the 1872 Colt replica. The company also offers the Remington 1875 and 1890 cartridge revolvers, as well as a variety of the Smith & Wesson break-open six-guns such as the Russian and Schofi eld models.
Besides these authentic single action replicas, Cimarron has a selection of two-shot derringers. They are small and easily concealed and are chambered for the .22 Long Rifle and Magnum rimfire cartridges, as well as the .32 H&R Magnum and the .38 Special.
The EAA .45 Colt single action Bounty Hunter.
Rossi .38 Special revolver is a competent concealed-carry piece.
An awesome snubbie: the Smith & Wesson Model 25 .45 ACP
Chiappa Rhino .357 Magnum revolver.
The .22 Long Rifle and .22 Magnum Plinkerton revolvers are priced to get most anyone into the single action revolver game. These guns are built from a non-ferrous alloy but have steel-lined chambers and barrel, and they shoot surprisingly well. The Plinkerton would make a good understudy to Cimarron’s centerfire sixguns, but it’s also a handy and reliable plinker.
One new attention-getter from Cimarron