Released in 2008, the Barnes Reloading Manual No. 4 hit the market at just the right time. A lot of new shooters were exploring the reloading hobby and the first great ammunition shortage of the 21st century was only months away.
While this book is not out of print, it is still available in the secondary market. Before you pick one up, make sure you know what it covers – and what it does not. There are some excellent alternatives.
Introduced at the 2008 SHOT Show, the Night Guard line of revolvers from Smith & Wesson offered a blend of high-quality features in self-defense firearms.
Although the guns are no longer manufactured, they represent a high-water mark in 21st century revolvers using conventional technology.
Sturm, Ruger and Company just released a new concealed carry handgun: the Ruger LCP . The new handgun is chambered for the moderately powered .380 ACP cartridge.
According to Ruger, the “LCP” initials stand for Lightweight Compact Pistol. It would appear it gets that name for good reason. Weighing only 9.4 oz unloaded, the polymer-framed gun has an overall length of only 5.16″ and a width of a mere 0.82″. The barrel is 2.75″ long and the trigger pull is an even 8 pounds.
Smith and Wesson has encountered a great deal of success with their M&P line of pistols. These polymer pistols have taken the shooting world by storm, and 2008 looks like another good year for M&P sales.
Polymer duty pistols were once the exclusive domain of Glock, but no more. “To date, 276 domestic law enforcement agencies have purchased, approved for purchase, or approved for on-duty carry,” the Smith and Wesson M&P line of pistols said Leland Nichols, president of Smith and Wesson Corporation.
The latest agency to place an order for M&P40 pistols is the Colorado Springs Police Department. The CSPD order of 500 M&P40 pistols is separate from the order of 850 M&P pistols made by the Colorado State Police earlier in the week.