This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns July\/Aug 2021 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a><\/em><\/em>. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n","post_title":"These 6 High End 1911s Are the Stuff of Dreams, Bring Your Checkbook","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"high-end-1911s","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-28 16:46:18","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-28 20:46:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2021\/08\/17\/high-end-1911s\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96090,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-08-22 13:08:57","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-22 17:08:57","post_content":"\r\n\r\nSome folks just love big-bore revolvers. This typically leads to picking up a Smith & Wesson<\/a> Model 29, Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk or something along those lines. A lot of these shooters want the .44 Magnum because \u201cDirty Harry\u201d had one.\r\n\r\nNothing wrong with that at all! However, the dirty little secret is that you should opt for a .45 over a .44, for a variety of reasons.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Cheaper Shooting<\/h3>\r\nUnless you travel all over the country hunting with a handgun, or live on a farm inundated with wild hogs, most (if not all) of your shooting is going to take place at the range.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"94496\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n\r\nNow there are some bona fide recoil junkies out there, but most of us are just not. A bit is okay, fun even, but after a while your hands just hurt. It's kind of like eating really spicy food. The sizzle makes a dish interesting up to a point, but you eventually learn that most places use it to cover up bad or otherwise weak flavor. After that, it just starts to lose its appeal.\r\n\r\nSince .44 Magnum<\/a> revolvers will shoot .44 Special, many people use them for practice. The .44 Special doesn't kick as hard, but it isn't any less expensive than .44 Magnum; it is also in shorter supply on store shelves.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, some pistols in .45 Colt also shoot .45 ACP<\/a>. The projectile is the same and the cases will even fit in the cylinder, but moonclips are required. Of course, most guns will need the cylinder machined to accept moonclips, but it will pay off; .45 ACP is much less expensive than .45 Colt. Also, .45 Auto Rim is available, but it is really hard to find.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Less Wear<\/h3>\r\nMany shooters don\u2019t realize that big-bore revolvers will wear out. Cylinders stretch under recoil and eventually, metal fatigue and the beginnings of plastic deformation set in.\r\n\r\nBig-bore luminaries, from Elmer Keith to Jeff Cooper and John Linebaugh, have all remarked that most magnum revolvers can only take so much of the hot loads. The exceptions Linebaugh, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research<\/a> and select Ruger handguns (Blackhawk and Redhawks; the modern Vaquero is a Cowboy Action gun); some of these are actually chambered in .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum, both of which fire .45 Colt. This isn't new information; that's why you do most of your .357 Magnum practice with .38 Special or .44 Magnum practice with .44 Special.\r\n\r\nWith the right .45 Colt, wear will be even less likely, as .45 ACP has low chamber pressures, producing 22,000 psi or less. In fact, most .45 Colt loads produce closer to 15,000 psi.\r\n\r\nA decent big-bore revolver usually involves a significant expenditure. Now, do you want to pay a lot of money for a gun that will have to be rebuilt after 1,000 rounds? Or would you rather get one that will last a lot longer? Most people opt for the latter for obvious reasons.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"96625\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: .45 Colt Power<\/h3>\r\nMost shooters want a .44 Magnum for the power. However, the .45 Colt has a longer case than the .44 Magnum; the .45 Colt was a product of the black powder era.\r\n\r\nHandloaders figured out that it held more powder and could be pushed into .44 Magnum performance without too much hassle. In fact, it puts less stress on the gun; hot loads of .45 Colt produce about 80 percent of the chamber pressures of .44 Magnum (around 28,000 psi compared to 36,000 psi) despite achieving the same velocities and muzzle energies.\r\n\r\nHowever, you need to get the right gun. Cowboy guns, such as the various Colt SAA, Remington New Model Army and S&W Model 3 clones will NOT tolerate .45 Colt +P loads. These loads are reserved instead for modern .45 Colt revolvers, such as the Model 25, Ruger<\/a> Blackhawk and Redhawk revolvers, and other high-end single-action pistols.\r\n\r\nSo, if you opt for a Model 25 over that 29, or the .45 Colt Redhawk or Blackhawk, you can shoot more for less. If you want full power, .45 Colt +P loads will roar from the barrel, and you can run .45 ACP +P and .45 Super loads as well.\r\n\r\nHere's something else to consider. The modern shooter doesn't hunt. They shoot targets, and own and carry for self-defense, but do not shop in the grocery store of hard knocks. The .44 Magnum is not the most ideal personal protection gun (.357 Magnum has the edge among revolver rounds) unless one is in bear country.\r\n\r\nIf that's you, revolvers in .45 Colt will provide the big magnum experience if you want it. You can also do a bunch of shooting with a lower-cost round, which .44 Magnum does not give you the ability to do.\r\n\r\nAbout the author: Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0<\/em>Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0<\/em>Tedder Industries<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>","post_title":"Why the .45 Might Be a Better Round Than the .44 for Big-Bore Revolvers","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"big-bore-revolvers-45-44","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:10","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/22\/big-bore-revolvers-45-44\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":100318,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2017-05-29 09:00:26","post_date_gmt":"2017-05-29 13:00:26","post_content":"\n\nTo paraphrase the immortal words of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, having a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun pointed at you is \u201can attention getter.\u201d Movies and pulp fiction have played this style of gun as the ultimate man-stopper for decades. A true short-barreled shotgun is only available to the general public after going through the additional paperwork and taxes required by the National Firearms Act<\/a> (NFA). There are, however, alternatives that may fulfil your desires. The Pedersoli Howdah .45\/.410 is a pistol with just such an alternative design. This breech-loading handgun has the look of the sawed-off shotgun, but is completely legal to own. It accomplishes this by having rifled barrels chambered for .45 Colt cartridges. The fact that it will also chamber .410-bore shotshells is just a happy coincidence.\n
Doubling Down with the Pedersoli Howdah<\/h3>\n
The barrels are regulated to have similar points of impact at relatively close distances.[\/caption]\n\nDesigned by Davide Pedersoli, the Pedersoli Howdah is imported into the United States by Italian Firearms Group<\/a>. The gun is based on the Ithaca Auto & Burglar<\/a> pistol that was sold roughly 90 years ago. The original pistols were subsequently classified as \u201cAny Other Weapons\u201d (AOWs) under the NFA in 1934. Consequently, they are subject to the registration and tax provisions of that legislation. Combining the resistance to gun registration with the fact that few of the guns were manufactured, it can be difficult to find one of the original guns that is transferrable.\n
\n \t
Bringing The Boom<\/h3>\n
\n\nOne thing is certain: When you are shooting the Howdah, fellow shooters at the range notice. The attention is not because the gun is especially loud or makes a big fireball. Rather, people notice its unmistakable resemblance to a short-barreled shotgun. Everyone is curious about it, and people will walk over to ask about it. Truth be known, when I had this one on the range, I think other people shot it more than I did. Universally, people loved it.\n\nCompared to more traditional .45 Colt handguns, the recoil and blast from this gun are mild. Think about it. You are shooting standard handgun rounds from a 4-pound gun with barrels nearly a foot long. Even though the gun felt front-end heavy, I could aim and shoot it with one hand and not feel like I was struggling. When using my second hand, I preferred to support the gun under the barrels rather than with a traditional two-handed pistol grip.\n\nI found the double trigger to be slightly less than ideal. The forward trigger seemed a bit too far forward for my hand. Every time I would prepare to fire, my finger would hit the side of the front trigger instead of landing nicely on the trigger face. If you have longer fingers, this may not be a problem.\n
\n \t
Ready To Defend?<\/h3>\n
\n\nThere are some guns suitable for home defense and others that are range toys. To me, this gun is better suited for the hobbyist. A shooting enthusiast will have a lot of fun with this pistol; I know I enjoyed shooting it quite a bit. But for the realities of combat, it leaves a lot to be desired. Even though the gun is large for a handgun, it suffers from being a two-shot pistol.\n\nWhile good defensive rounds can be found in .45 Colt, the selection is much more limited than rounds in .45 ACP, 9mm or .38 Sepcial. A lot of shooters like the gun\u2019s ability to fire .410-bore shotshells. But let\u2019s be completely honest: The .410 is not the top choice for self-defense. Yes, it can get the job done, but there are other more efficient ways of putting down a violent attacker. Many .410 loads lack consistent penetration to reach vital organs, advertisements with exploding watermelons notwithstanding.\n\nA lack of practicality for self-defense doesn\u2019t mean this gun isn\u2019t a great buy. It is a lot of fun to shoot, it is beautiful and can quickly start up a friendly conversation at the range. If you are looking for a home-defense gun, a modern striker-fired pistol or an AR-15 is a better choice than the Pedersoli Howdah. However, if you like the slick look and sheer fun of a double-barreled pistol, the Howdah is just the ticket.\n\nCaliber: .410\/.45 Colt\nBarrels: 10.25 inches\nOA Length: 17 inches\nWeight: 4.1 pounds (empty)\nGrip: Walnut\nSights: Bead front, leaf rear\nAction: Break\nFinish: Blued, case hardened\nCapacity: 2\nMSRP: $1,395\n\nFor more information, visit the Italian Firearms Group at italianfirearmsgroup.com<\/a>.\n\n <\/i><\/b><\/span>","post_title":"Pedersoli Howdah 410: Fun to Shoot, But is it Good for Home Defense?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-22 11:43:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-22 15:43:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2017\/05\/29\/pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":102538,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2016-09-16 08:54:48","post_date_gmt":"2016-09-16 12:54:48","post_content":"\n\nPerhaps no pistol is more readily identifiable than the 1911. These handguns have served men and women in the armed forces, in law enforcement and for personal protection. I\u2019ve heard more than one enthusiast describe the 1911 to me as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Pistol.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s little wonder that this style of gun has been so popular for so long. Many people like the way the gun feels in the hand, and the single-action (SA) trigger pull can be truly exceptional. But, carrying a full-sized 1911 can be a challenge. For those who want to carry a 1911 for self-defense but would like something that is easier to conceal, STI International offers the Escort.\n\nThe STI Escort is a compact SA pistol that chops inches and ounces off a full-sized 1911 to make it better suited for concealed carry. The guns have 3.24-inch bull barrels\u2014 significantly shorter than the traditional 5-inch length\u2014and an overall length of 7 inches. Unloaded, the guns weigh less than 23 ounces.\n\nEscort frames are made of forged aluminum. Both the back- and frontstrap have a textured gripping area called STIppling. These machined surfaces are not the least bit harsh on the hands, yet they help the shooter maintain a solid grip on the pistol.\n\n
The Escort comes with high-visibility three-dot sights for easy aiming. Also note the high-swept beavertail grip safety.[\/caption]\n\nSTI makes the Escort in two very popular calibers: 9mm and .45 ACP. My review gun was chambered for the classic .45 ACP and came with a single six-round magazine. In 9mm, the magazine will hold eight rounds, while the .40 S&W will hold seven.\n\nThe Escort has a very refined look that inspires confidence. The frame has a matte silver colored Cerakote finish. The slide is blued. One of my favorite styling features of the gun is the STI cocobolo grips. These grip panels are finely detailed with a deep, rich red color. The best part is they feel just as good as they look.\n\nRELATED STORY: 25 Proven and Popular Concealed Carry Handguns<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe pistol\u2019s sights are a three-dot configuration. The front is the company\u2019s own competition sight. The rear sight is the Tactical Adjustable Sight (TAS.) It is ramped to reduce the possibility of it snagging on clothing during a draw.\n\nA ramped rear sight is a popular choice with many shooters. However, I strongly prefer a rear sight with a hard front edge to assist with one-handed slide manipulation. In a situation where both hands are not available, being able to run the gun with only one hand is critical. Having a hard front edge to the rear sight can make slide manipulation off of another surface easy.\n\n
\n\nSTI uses a polymer trigger in the Escort pistol. While it does feel different from a metal trigger, I could not find any fault with its performance. The trigger face was lightly textured, but not rough. While I prefer a perfectly smooth trigger face, I did not feel the Escort trigger impaired my ability to accurately shoot it.\n\nAccording to STI, the polymer triggers prevent inertial firing from a drop or other hard impact. The STI trigger bow is made of stainless steel, and the trigger has a set screw to allow the owner to adjust the overtravel if desired.\n\nRELATED STORY: 8 Competition 1911 Pistols Ready Right Out Of The Box<\/a><\/strong>\n\nSTI undercut the triggerguard on the Escort. What this means is the triggerguard curves up where it meets the grip, allowing the gripping hand to grasp higher on the frame. The undercut on this gun is not as radical as it is on some guns from other manufacturers. The cut is just enough to allow for a full, comfortable grip on the gun.\n\nSTI uses a high-ride, beavertail-style grip safety in the Escort. I found it to work very well, both protecting my hand from slide bite and with deactivating the safety when gripping the pistol. I did not need to apply any conscious pressure to the safety to deactivate it. It just worked.\n\n
\n\nA relatively large thumb safety is located on the left side of the gun frame. The lever was easy to operate, and disengaging it should be natural for any right-handed 1911 shooter. Movement and engagement was positive and sure without any wiggle or looseness. Like the beavertail grip safety, the thumb safety lever has a blued finish.\n\nRELATED STORY: 10 Perfect 10mm Pistols<\/a><\/strong>\n\nIn the Escort, STI uses the company\u2019s own Recoil Master guide rod. This assembly is designed to help absorb recoil, which in a small gun can be considerable. The rod assembly has a pair of springs that act as shock absorbers to reduce the recoil felt by the shooter. Something like this has the potential of significantly improving the gun\u2019s shootability.\n\nRange Master<\/strong>\n\n
In testing, the STI Escort handled well and turned in tight groups without exhibiting any malfunctions.[\/caption]\n\nCompact 1911 pistols can be finicky. Sometimes they will only run reliably with certain kinds of ammunition, and other times not at all. I was eager to get the Escort to the range to see what this pistol would do.\n\nMy normal range was unavailable, so I headed to The Firing Line<\/a>, a full service dealer and gun range in New Port Richey, Florida. The crew there was kind enough to let me use a private section of the range so I could set up my gear and move about without disturbing other shooters.\n\nWhen I received the test gun, it showed signs of having been previously fired. Even so, I was intent on running the gun through several hundred rounds to ensure it was broken in prior to forming an opinion about its reliability. Shooting a combined 250 rounds of Remington UMC and Federal American Eagle<\/a> 230-grain ball ammo, I experienced no malfunctions and felt the gun was broken in and ready for some hollow-point (HP) ammunition.\n\nRELATED STORY: Today\u2019s Top 10 Compact 1911 Pistols For Concealed Carry Protection<\/a><\/strong>\n\nOne of the self-defense loads I tested was a 185-grain JHP from HPR Ammunition<\/a>. This load uses the Hornady XTP bullet and is marketed to provide \u201creally tight extreme spreads\u201d and \u201cimproved accuracy.\u201d Running the load across a chronograph for five shots, the load produced a standard deviation of 36 and a standard deviation of 13. Handheld, the load gave me the best group: 1.87 inches at 15 yards.\n\nI experienced only one malfunction with any of the self-defense ammo. When firing the first five-round string of 230-grain Federal Hydra-Shok, the nose of the fourth round hung up on the feed ramp. After that, I did not experience any additional problems with the Hydra-Shok or any other round.\n\nAs with any lightweight, compact .45, the gun does have significant recoil. Based on my experiences with other compact 1911 pistols, I can\u2019t say that the Recoil Master guide rod significantly reduced felt recoil. To me, the recoil in the Escort felt the same as other compact 1911 pistols.\n\n
\n\nI would not expect that any proficient shooter would have problems with controlling the gun during rapid fire. However, a new shooter might have problems getting comfortable with the pistol. A recoil-sensitive shooter might have some trouble with the Escort.\n\nAccuracy with the gun was good. Even with a serious case of lateral epicondylitis (aka tennis elbow) in my dominant arm, I was able to regularly make five-shot groups of 2.5 inches or less with most ammo. A better shooter, or shooting from a rest, could tighten up the groups.\n\nRELATED STORY: 21 Ultra-Concealable, High-Powered Snub-Nose Revolvers<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe trigger felt good. There was a small amount of take-up and no overtravel as it was delivered. The break was clean. Using a Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge, the trigger averaged 4.8 pounds on 10 pulls.\n\nMagazine changes were uneventful, which is a good thing. Slightly stiff, the magazine-release button feels exactly the way I like it. The button is out of the way while shooting but still easy to access when needed. In this configuration, it is virtually impossible to accidentally activate the button, yet mag changes are quick.\n\nAfter the range trip, I discovered that the left grip panel visibly wiggled against the frame. Closer inspection revealed that both the upper and lower hex-head screws had loosened slightly while I was shooting. A few turns of an Allen key tightened the grip panel back down. A small amount of blue Loctite would likely cure the problem permanently.\n\nTakedown Power<\/strong>\n\n
\n\nThere has always been a great deal of debate about the best handgun to carry for personal protection. Some camps eschew the 1911 platform for a variety of well-considered reasons. However, there is little disputing these guns have served many people well since being introduced more than a century ago.\n\nIf you like the platform, the STI Escort is worth your consideration. Based on the pistol I evaluated, I believe the guns are well built, reliable and accurate. The controls are easy to manipulate, and the gun just feels good in the hand.\n\nFeaturing a truly lightweight and compact design, the Escort from STI International is easy to carry. With the right rig, the gun can be concealed under a Florida summer T-shirt as readily as a Maine winter coat. In either location, seven rounds of .45 ACP are likely to be just as effective at protecting your life and those of your loved ones.\n\nThis article was published in the 2016 issue of Gun Buyer's Guide. For information on how to subscribe, please email Subscriptions@a
Because of the relationship between Mark Stone and Doug Turnbull, they have created a partnership that has resulted in the finest 1911 pistols on the market. This incredible pistol needs to be on your list, so start saving for the $7,999 price tag. It will indeed be worth it. For more information, visit Turnbullrestoration.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns July\/Aug 2021 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a><\/em><\/em>. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the time and skill that is required to give this 1911 its unique appearance, it is very limited in availability. This pistol is crafted with all the finest customizations, including a classic case-hardened and polished frame. The Turnbull high-polished blued slide matches the slide stop, magazine release and thumb safety. To top it all off, they added a 14-karat solid-gold bead front sight, mammoth ivory grips and a custom case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the relationship between Mark Stone and Doug Turnbull, they have created a partnership that has resulted in the finest 1911 pistols on the market. This incredible pistol needs to be on your list, so start saving for the $7,999 price tag. It will indeed be worth it. For more information, visit Turnbullrestoration.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns July\/Aug 2021 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a><\/em><\/em>. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the time and skill that is required to give this 1911 its unique appearance, it is very limited in availability. This pistol is crafted with all the finest customizations, including a classic case-hardened and polished frame. The Turnbull high-polished blued slide matches the slide stop, magazine release and thumb safety. To top it all off, they added a 14-karat solid-gold bead front sight, mammoth ivory grips and a custom case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the relationship between Mark Stone and Doug Turnbull, they have created a partnership that has resulted in the finest 1911 pistols on the market. This incredible pistol needs to be on your list, so start saving for the $7,999 price tag. It will indeed be worth it. For more information, visit Turnbullrestoration.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns July\/Aug 2021 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a><\/em><\/em>. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the time and skill that is required to give this 1911 its unique appearance, it is very limited in availability. This pistol is crafted with all the finest customizations, including a classic case-hardened and polished frame. The Turnbull high-polished blued slide matches the slide stop, magazine release and thumb safety. To top it all off, they added a 14-karat solid-gold bead front sight, mammoth ivory grips and a custom case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the relationship between Mark Stone and Doug Turnbull, they have created a partnership that has resulted in the finest 1911 pistols on the market. This incredible pistol needs to be on your list, so start saving for the $7,999 price tag. It will indeed be worth it. For more information, visit Turnbullrestoration.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns July\/Aug 2021 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a><\/em><\/em>. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned in the beginning of this piece, it was incredibly hard to trim my list to just five guns. I have to admit I was ultimately unable to and thus we will look at just one more gun. The gun I just could not leave off is another pistol from the master gunsmiths at Nighthawk Custom. The Nighthawk Turnbull<\/a> VIP 1 is just that impressive. As one of their most exclusive models, the VIP is built as a true heirloom piece that is the result of a collaboration between Nighthawk Custom and Doug Turnbull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the time and skill that is required to give this 1911 its unique appearance, it is very limited in availability. This pistol is crafted with all the finest customizations, including a classic case-hardened and polished frame. The Turnbull high-polished blued slide matches the slide stop, magazine release and thumb safety. To top it all off, they added a 14-karat solid-gold bead front sight, mammoth ivory grips and a custom case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of the relationship between Mark Stone and Doug Turnbull, they have created a partnership that has resulted in the finest 1911 pistols on the market. This incredible pistol needs to be on your list, so start saving for the $7,999 price tag. It will indeed be worth it. For more information, visit Turnbullrestoration.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This article was originally published in the Combat Handguns July\/Aug 2021 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com<\/a><\/em><\/em>. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n","post_title":"These 6 High End 1911s Are the Stuff of Dreams, Bring Your Checkbook","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"high-end-1911s","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-28 16:46:18","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-28 20:46:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2021\/08\/17\/high-end-1911s\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96090,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-08-22 13:08:57","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-22 17:08:57","post_content":"\r\n\r\nSome folks just love big-bore revolvers. This typically leads to picking up a Smith & Wesson<\/a> Model 29, Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk or something along those lines. A lot of these shooters want the .44 Magnum because \u201cDirty Harry\u201d had one.\r\n\r\nNothing wrong with that at all! However, the dirty little secret is that you should opt for a .45 over a .44, for a variety of reasons.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Cheaper Shooting<\/h3>\r\nUnless you travel all over the country hunting with a handgun, or live on a farm inundated with wild hogs, most (if not all) of your shooting is going to take place at the range.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"94496\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n\r\nNow there are some bona fide recoil junkies out there, but most of us are just not. A bit is okay, fun even, but after a while your hands just hurt. It's kind of like eating really spicy food. The sizzle makes a dish interesting up to a point, but you eventually learn that most places use it to cover up bad or otherwise weak flavor. After that, it just starts to lose its appeal.\r\n\r\nSince .44 Magnum<\/a> revolvers will shoot .44 Special, many people use them for practice. The .44 Special doesn't kick as hard, but it isn't any less expensive than .44 Magnum; it is also in shorter supply on store shelves.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, some pistols in .45 Colt also shoot .45 ACP<\/a>. The projectile is the same and the cases will even fit in the cylinder, but moonclips are required. Of course, most guns will need the cylinder machined to accept moonclips, but it will pay off; .45 ACP is much less expensive than .45 Colt. Also, .45 Auto Rim is available, but it is really hard to find.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Less Wear<\/h3>\r\nMany shooters don\u2019t realize that big-bore revolvers will wear out. Cylinders stretch under recoil and eventually, metal fatigue and the beginnings of plastic deformation set in.\r\n\r\nBig-bore luminaries, from Elmer Keith to Jeff Cooper and John Linebaugh, have all remarked that most magnum revolvers can only take so much of the hot loads. The exceptions Linebaugh, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research<\/a> and select Ruger handguns (Blackhawk and Redhawks; the modern Vaquero is a Cowboy Action gun); some of these are actually chambered in .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum, both of which fire .45 Colt. This isn't new information; that's why you do most of your .357 Magnum practice with .38 Special or .44 Magnum practice with .44 Special.\r\n\r\nWith the right .45 Colt, wear will be even less likely, as .45 ACP has low chamber pressures, producing 22,000 psi or less. In fact, most .45 Colt loads produce closer to 15,000 psi.\r\n\r\nA decent big-bore revolver usually involves a significant expenditure. Now, do you want to pay a lot of money for a gun that will have to be rebuilt after 1,000 rounds? Or would you rather get one that will last a lot longer? Most people opt for the latter for obvious reasons.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"96625\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: .45 Colt Power<\/h3>\r\nMost shooters want a .44 Magnum for the power. However, the .45 Colt has a longer case than the .44 Magnum; the .45 Colt was a product of the black powder era.\r\n\r\nHandloaders figured out that it held more powder and could be pushed into .44 Magnum performance without too much hassle. In fact, it puts less stress on the gun; hot loads of .45 Colt produce about 80 percent of the chamber pressures of .44 Magnum (around 28,000 psi compared to 36,000 psi) despite achieving the same velocities and muzzle energies.\r\n\r\nHowever, you need to get the right gun. Cowboy guns, such as the various Colt SAA, Remington New Model Army and S&W Model 3 clones will NOT tolerate .45 Colt +P loads. These loads are reserved instead for modern .45 Colt revolvers, such as the Model 25, Ruger<\/a> Blackhawk and Redhawk revolvers, and other high-end single-action pistols.\r\n\r\nSo, if you opt for a Model 25 over that 29, or the .45 Colt Redhawk or Blackhawk, you can shoot more for less. If you want full power, .45 Colt +P loads will roar from the barrel, and you can run .45 ACP +P and .45 Super loads as well.\r\n\r\nHere's something else to consider. The modern shooter doesn't hunt. They shoot targets, and own and carry for self-defense, but do not shop in the grocery store of hard knocks. The .44 Magnum is not the most ideal personal protection gun (.357 Magnum has the edge among revolver rounds) unless one is in bear country.\r\n\r\nIf that's you, revolvers in .45 Colt will provide the big magnum experience if you want it. You can also do a bunch of shooting with a lower-cost round, which .44 Magnum does not give you the ability to do.\r\n\r\nAbout the author: Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0<\/em>Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0<\/em>Tedder Industries<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>","post_title":"Why the .45 Might Be a Better Round Than the .44 for Big-Bore Revolvers","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"big-bore-revolvers-45-44","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:10","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/22\/big-bore-revolvers-45-44\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":100318,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2017-05-29 09:00:26","post_date_gmt":"2017-05-29 13:00:26","post_content":"\n\nTo paraphrase the immortal words of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, having a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun pointed at you is \u201can attention getter.\u201d Movies and pulp fiction have played this style of gun as the ultimate man-stopper for decades. A true short-barreled shotgun is only available to the general public after going through the additional paperwork and taxes required by the National Firearms Act<\/a> (NFA). There are, however, alternatives that may fulfil your desires. The Pedersoli Howdah .45\/.410 is a pistol with just such an alternative design. This breech-loading handgun has the look of the sawed-off shotgun, but is completely legal to own. It accomplishes this by having rifled barrels chambered for .45 Colt cartridges. The fact that it will also chamber .410-bore shotshells is just a happy coincidence.\n
Doubling Down with the Pedersoli Howdah<\/h3>\n
The barrels are regulated to have similar points of impact at relatively close distances.[\/caption]\n\nDesigned by Davide Pedersoli, the Pedersoli Howdah is imported into the United States by Italian Firearms Group<\/a>. The gun is based on the Ithaca Auto & Burglar<\/a> pistol that was sold roughly 90 years ago. The original pistols were subsequently classified as \u201cAny Other Weapons\u201d (AOWs) under the NFA in 1934. Consequently, they are subject to the registration and tax provisions of that legislation. Combining the resistance to gun registration with the fact that few of the guns were manufactured, it can be difficult to find one of the original guns that is transferrable.\n
\n \t
Bringing The Boom<\/h3>\n
\n\nOne thing is certain: When you are shooting the Howdah, fellow shooters at the range notice. The attention is not because the gun is especially loud or makes a big fireball. Rather, people notice its unmistakable resemblance to a short-barreled shotgun. Everyone is curious about it, and people will walk over to ask about it. Truth be known, when I had this one on the range, I think other people shot it more than I did. Universally, people loved it.\n\nCompared to more traditional .45 Colt handguns, the recoil and blast from this gun are mild. Think about it. You are shooting standard handgun rounds from a 4-pound gun with barrels nearly a foot long. Even though the gun felt front-end heavy, I could aim and shoot it with one hand and not feel like I was struggling. When using my second hand, I preferred to support the gun under the barrels rather than with a traditional two-handed pistol grip.\n\nI found the double trigger to be slightly less than ideal. The forward trigger seemed a bit too far forward for my hand. Every time I would prepare to fire, my finger would hit the side of the front trigger instead of landing nicely on the trigger face. If you have longer fingers, this may not be a problem.\n
\n \t
Ready To Defend?<\/h3>\n
\n\nThere are some guns suitable for home defense and others that are range toys. To me, this gun is better suited for the hobbyist. A shooting enthusiast will have a lot of fun with this pistol; I know I enjoyed shooting it quite a bit. But for the realities of combat, it leaves a lot to be desired. Even though the gun is large for a handgun, it suffers from being a two-shot pistol.\n\nWhile good defensive rounds can be found in .45 Colt, the selection is much more limited than rounds in .45 ACP, 9mm or .38 Sepcial. A lot of shooters like the gun\u2019s ability to fire .410-bore shotshells. But let\u2019s be completely honest: The .410 is not the top choice for self-defense. Yes, it can get the job done, but there are other more efficient ways of putting down a violent attacker. Many .410 loads lack consistent penetration to reach vital organs, advertisements with exploding watermelons notwithstanding.\n\nA lack of practicality for self-defense doesn\u2019t mean this gun isn\u2019t a great buy. It is a lot of fun to shoot, it is beautiful and can quickly start up a friendly conversation at the range. If you are looking for a home-defense gun, a modern striker-fired pistol or an AR-15 is a better choice than the Pedersoli Howdah. However, if you like the slick look and sheer fun of a double-barreled pistol, the Howdah is just the ticket.\n\nCaliber: .410\/.45 Colt\nBarrels: 10.25 inches\nOA Length: 17 inches\nWeight: 4.1 pounds (empty)\nGrip: Walnut\nSights: Bead front, leaf rear\nAction: Break\nFinish: Blued, case hardened\nCapacity: 2\nMSRP: $1,395\n\nFor more information, visit the Italian Firearms Group at italianfirearmsgroup.com<\/a>.\n\n <\/i><\/b><\/span>","post_title":"Pedersoli Howdah 410: Fun to Shoot, But is it Good for Home Defense?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-22 11:43:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-22 15:43:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2017\/05\/29\/pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":102538,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2016-09-16 08:54:48","post_date_gmt":"2016-09-16 12:54:48","post_content":"\n\nPerhaps no pistol is more readily identifiable than the 1911. These handguns have served men and women in the armed forces, in law enforcement and for personal protection. I\u2019ve heard more than one enthusiast describe the 1911 to me as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Pistol.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s little wonder that this style of gun has been so popular for so long. Many people like the way the gun feels in the hand, and the single-action (SA) trigger pull can be truly exceptional. But, carrying a full-sized 1911 can be a challenge. For those who want to carry a 1911 for self-defense but would like something that is easier to conceal, STI International offers the Escort.\n\nThe STI Escort is a compact SA pistol that chops inches and ounces off a full-sized 1911 to make it better suited for concealed carry. The guns have 3.24-inch bull barrels\u2014 significantly shorter than the traditional 5-inch length\u2014and an overall length of 7 inches. Unloaded, the guns weigh less than 23 ounces.\n\nEscort frames are made of forged aluminum. Both the back- and frontstrap have a textured gripping area called STIppling. These machined surfaces are not the least bit harsh on the hands, yet they help the shooter maintain a solid grip on the pistol.\n\n
The Escort comes with high-visibility three-dot sights for easy aiming. Also note the high-swept beavertail grip safety.[\/caption]\n\nSTI makes the Escort in two very popular calibers: 9mm and .45 ACP. My review gun was chambered for the classic .45 ACP and came with a single six-round magazine. In 9mm, the magazine will hold eight rounds, while the .40 S&W will hold seven.\n\nThe Escort has a very refined look that inspires confidence. The frame has a matte silver colored Cerakote finish. The slide is blued. One of my favorite styling features of the gun is the STI cocobolo grips. These grip panels are finely detailed with a deep, rich red color. The best part is they feel just as good as they look.\n\nRELATED STORY: 25 Proven and Popular Concealed Carry Handguns<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe pistol\u2019s sights are a three-dot configuration. The front is the company\u2019s own competition sight. The rear sight is the Tactical Adjustable Sight (TAS.) It is ramped to reduce the possibility of it snagging on clothing during a draw.\n\nA ramped rear sight is a popular choice with many shooters. However, I strongly prefer a rear sight with a hard front edge to assist with one-handed slide manipulation. In a situation where both hands are not available, being able to run the gun with only one hand is critical. Having a hard front edge to the rear sight can make slide manipulation off of another surface easy.\n\n
\n\nSTI uses a polymer trigger in the Escort pistol. While it does feel different from a metal trigger, I could not find any fault with its performance. The trigger face was lightly textured, but not rough. While I prefer a perfectly smooth trigger face, I did not feel the Escort trigger impaired my ability to accurately shoot it.\n\nAccording to STI, the polymer triggers prevent inertial firing from a drop or other hard impact. The STI trigger bow is made of stainless steel, and the trigger has a set screw to allow the owner to adjust the overtravel if desired.\n\nRELATED STORY: 8 Competition 1911 Pistols Ready Right Out Of The Box<\/a><\/strong>\n\nSTI undercut the triggerguard on the Escort. What this means is the triggerguard curves up where it meets the grip, allowing the gripping hand to grasp higher on the frame. The undercut on this gun is not as radical as it is on some guns from other manufacturers. The cut is just enough to allow for a full, comfortable grip on the gun.\n\nSTI uses a high-ride, beavertail-style grip safety in the Escort. I found it to work very well, both protecting my hand from slide bite and with deactivating the safety when gripping the pistol. I did not need to apply any conscious pressure to the safety to deactivate it. It just worked.\n\n
\n\nA relatively large thumb safety is located on the left side of the gun frame. The lever was easy to operate, and disengaging it should be natural for any right-handed 1911 shooter. Movement and engagement was positive and sure without any wiggle or looseness. Like the beavertail grip safety, the thumb safety lever has a blued finish.\n\nRELATED STORY: 10 Perfect 10mm Pistols<\/a><\/strong>\n\nIn the Escort, STI uses the company\u2019s own Recoil Master guide rod. This assembly is designed to help absorb recoil, which in a small gun can be considerable. The rod assembly has a pair of springs that act as shock absorbers to reduce the recoil felt by the shooter. Something like this has the potential of significantly improving the gun\u2019s shootability.\n\nRange Master<\/strong>\n\n
In testing, the STI Escort handled well and turned in tight groups without exhibiting any malfunctions.[\/caption]\n\nCompact 1911 pistols can be finicky. Sometimes they will only run reliably with certain kinds of ammunition, and other times not at all. I was eager to get the Escort to the range to see what this pistol would do.\n\nMy normal range was unavailable, so I headed to The Firing Line<\/a>, a full service dealer and gun range in New Port Richey, Florida. The crew there was kind enough to let me use a private section of the range so I could set up my gear and move about without disturbing other shooters.\n\nWhen I received the test gun, it showed signs of having been previously fired. Even so, I was intent on running the gun through several hundred rounds to ensure it was broken in prior to forming an opinion about its reliability. Shooting a combined 250 rounds of Remington UMC and Federal American Eagle<\/a> 230-grain ball ammo, I experienced no malfunctions and felt the gun was broken in and ready for some hollow-point (HP) ammunition.\n\nRELATED STORY: Today\u2019s Top 10 Compact 1911 Pistols For Concealed Carry Protection<\/a><\/strong>\n\nOne of the self-defense loads I tested was a 185-grain JHP from HPR Ammunition<\/a>. This load uses the Hornady XTP bullet and is marketed to provide \u201creally tight extreme spreads\u201d and \u201cimproved accuracy.\u201d Running the load across a chronograph for five shots, the load produced a standard deviation of 36 and a standard deviation of 13. Handheld, the load gave me the best group: 1.87 inches at 15 yards.\n\nI experienced only one malfunction with any of the self-defense ammo. When firing the first five-round string of 230-grain Federal Hydra-Shok, the nose of the fourth round hung up on the feed ramp. After that, I did not experience any additional problems with the Hydra-Shok or any other round.\n\nAs with any lightweight, compact .45, the gun does have significant recoil. Based on my experiences with other compact 1911 pistols, I can\u2019t say that the Recoil Master guide rod significantly reduced felt recoil. To me, the recoil in the Escort felt the same as other compact 1911 pistols.\n\n
\n\nI would not expect that any proficient shooter would have problems with controlling the gun during rapid fire. However, a new shooter might have problems getting comfortable with the pistol. A recoil-sensitive shooter might have some trouble with the Escort.\n\nAccuracy with the gun was good. Even with a serious case of lateral epicondylitis (aka tennis elbow) in my dominant arm, I was able to regularly make five-shot groups of 2.5 inches or less with most ammo. A better shooter, or shooting from a rest, could tighten up the groups.\n\nRELATED STORY: 21 Ultra-Concealable, High-Powered Snub-Nose Revolvers<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe trigger felt good. There was a small amount of take-up and no overtravel as it was delivered. The break was clean. Using a Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge, the trigger averaged 4.8 pounds on 10 pulls.\n\nMagazine changes were uneventful, which is a good thing. Slightly stiff, the magazine-release button feels exactly the way I like it. The button is out of the way while shooting but still easy to access when needed. In this configuration, it is virtually impossible to accidentally activate the button, yet mag changes are quick.\n\nAfter the range trip, I discovered that the left grip panel visibly wiggled against the frame. Closer inspection revealed that both the upper and lower hex-head screws had loosened slightly while I was shooting. A few turns of an Allen key tightened the grip panel back down. A small amount of blue Loctite would likely cure the problem permanently.\n\nTakedown Power<\/strong>\n\n
\n\nThere has always been a great deal of debate about the best handgun to carry for personal protection. Some camps eschew the 1911 platform for a variety of well-considered reasons. However, there is little disputing these guns have served many people well since being introduced more than a century ago.\n\nIf you like the platform, the STI Escort is worth your consideration. Based on the pistol I evaluated, I believe the guns are well built, reliable and accurate. The controls are easy to manipulate, and the gun just feels good in the hand.\n\nFeaturing a truly lightweight and compact design, the Escort from STI International is easy to carry. With the right rig, the gun can be concealed under a Florida summer T-shirt as readily as a Maine winter coat. In either location, seven rounds of .45 ACP are likely to be just as effective at protecting your life and those of your loved ones.\n\nThis article was published in the 2016 issue of Gun Buyer's Guide. For information on how to subscribe, please email Subscriptions@a
<\/a><\/figure>\n","post_title":"These 6 High End 1911s Are the Stuff of Dreams, Bring Your Checkbook","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"high-end-1911s","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-28 16:46:18","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-28 20:46:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2021\/08\/17\/high-end-1911s\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96090,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-08-22 13:08:57","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-22 17:08:57","post_content":"\r\n\r\nSome folks just love big-bore revolvers. This typically leads to picking up a Smith & Wesson<\/a> Model 29, Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk or something along those lines. A lot of these shooters want the .44 Magnum because \u201cDirty Harry\u201d had one.\r\n\r\nNothing wrong with that at all! However, the dirty little secret is that you should opt for a .45 over a .44, for a variety of reasons.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Cheaper Shooting<\/h3>\r\nUnless you travel all over the country hunting with a handgun, or live on a farm inundated with wild hogs, most (if not all) of your shooting is going to take place at the range.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"94496\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n\r\nNow there are some bona fide recoil junkies out there, but most of us are just not. A bit is okay, fun even, but after a while your hands just hurt. It's kind of like eating really spicy food. The sizzle makes a dish interesting up to a point, but you eventually learn that most places use it to cover up bad or otherwise weak flavor. After that, it just starts to lose its appeal.\r\n\r\nSince .44 Magnum<\/a> revolvers will shoot .44 Special, many people use them for practice. The .44 Special doesn't kick as hard, but it isn't any less expensive than .44 Magnum; it is also in shorter supply on store shelves.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, some pistols in .45 Colt also shoot .45 ACP<\/a>. The projectile is the same and the cases will even fit in the cylinder, but moonclips are required. Of course, most guns will need the cylinder machined to accept moonclips, but it will pay off; .45 ACP is much less expensive than .45 Colt. Also, .45 Auto Rim is available, but it is really hard to find.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Less Wear<\/h3>\r\nMany shooters don\u2019t realize that big-bore revolvers will wear out. Cylinders stretch under recoil and eventually, metal fatigue and the beginnings of plastic deformation set in.\r\n\r\nBig-bore luminaries, from Elmer Keith to Jeff Cooper and John Linebaugh, have all remarked that most magnum revolvers can only take so much of the hot loads. The exceptions Linebaugh, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research<\/a> and select Ruger handguns (Blackhawk and Redhawks; the modern Vaquero is a Cowboy Action gun); some of these are actually chambered in .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum, both of which fire .45 Colt. This isn't new information; that's why you do most of your .357 Magnum practice with .38 Special or .44 Magnum practice with .44 Special.\r\n\r\nWith the right .45 Colt, wear will be even less likely, as .45 ACP has low chamber pressures, producing 22,000 psi or less. In fact, most .45 Colt loads produce closer to 15,000 psi.\r\n\r\nA decent big-bore revolver usually involves a significant expenditure. Now, do you want to pay a lot of money for a gun that will have to be rebuilt after 1,000 rounds? Or would you rather get one that will last a lot longer? Most people opt for the latter for obvious reasons.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"96625\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: .45 Colt Power<\/h3>\r\nMost shooters want a .44 Magnum for the power. However, the .45 Colt has a longer case than the .44 Magnum; the .45 Colt was a product of the black powder era.\r\n\r\nHandloaders figured out that it held more powder and could be pushed into .44 Magnum performance without too much hassle. In fact, it puts less stress on the gun; hot loads of .45 Colt produce about 80 percent of the chamber pressures of .44 Magnum (around 28,000 psi compared to 36,000 psi) despite achieving the same velocities and muzzle energies.\r\n\r\nHowever, you need to get the right gun. Cowboy guns, such as the various Colt SAA, Remington New Model Army and S&W Model 3 clones will NOT tolerate .45 Colt +P loads. These loads are reserved instead for modern .45 Colt revolvers, such as the Model 25, Ruger<\/a> Blackhawk and Redhawk revolvers, and other high-end single-action pistols.\r\n\r\nSo, if you opt for a Model 25 over that 29, or the .45 Colt Redhawk or Blackhawk, you can shoot more for less. If you want full power, .45 Colt +P loads will roar from the barrel, and you can run .45 ACP +P and .45 Super loads as well.\r\n\r\nHere's something else to consider. The modern shooter doesn't hunt. They shoot targets, and own and carry for self-defense, but do not shop in the grocery store of hard knocks. The .44 Magnum is not the most ideal personal protection gun (.357 Magnum has the edge among revolver rounds) unless one is in bear country.\r\n\r\nIf that's you, revolvers in .45 Colt will provide the big magnum experience if you want it. You can also do a bunch of shooting with a lower-cost round, which .44 Magnum does not give you the ability to do.\r\n\r\nAbout the author: Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0<\/em>Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0<\/em>Tedder Industries<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>","post_title":"Why the .45 Might Be a Better Round Than the .44 for Big-Bore Revolvers","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"big-bore-revolvers-45-44","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:10","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/22\/big-bore-revolvers-45-44\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":100318,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2017-05-29 09:00:26","post_date_gmt":"2017-05-29 13:00:26","post_content":"\n\nTo paraphrase the immortal words of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, having a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun pointed at you is \u201can attention getter.\u201d Movies and pulp fiction have played this style of gun as the ultimate man-stopper for decades. A true short-barreled shotgun is only available to the general public after going through the additional paperwork and taxes required by the National Firearms Act<\/a> (NFA). There are, however, alternatives that may fulfil your desires. The Pedersoli Howdah .45\/.410 is a pistol with just such an alternative design. This breech-loading handgun has the look of the sawed-off shotgun, but is completely legal to own. It accomplishes this by having rifled barrels chambered for .45 Colt cartridges. The fact that it will also chamber .410-bore shotshells is just a happy coincidence.\n
Doubling Down with the Pedersoli Howdah<\/h3>\n
The barrels are regulated to have similar points of impact at relatively close distances.[\/caption]\n\nDesigned by Davide Pedersoli, the Pedersoli Howdah is imported into the United States by Italian Firearms Group<\/a>. The gun is based on the Ithaca Auto & Burglar<\/a> pistol that was sold roughly 90 years ago. The original pistols were subsequently classified as \u201cAny Other Weapons\u201d (AOWs) under the NFA in 1934. Consequently, they are subject to the registration and tax provisions of that legislation. Combining the resistance to gun registration with the fact that few of the guns were manufactured, it can be difficult to find one of the original guns that is transferrable.\n
\n \t
Bringing The Boom<\/h3>\n
\n\nOne thing is certain: When you are shooting the Howdah, fellow shooters at the range notice. The attention is not because the gun is especially loud or makes a big fireball. Rather, people notice its unmistakable resemblance to a short-barreled shotgun. Everyone is curious about it, and people will walk over to ask about it. Truth be known, when I had this one on the range, I think other people shot it more than I did. Universally, people loved it.\n\nCompared to more traditional .45 Colt handguns, the recoil and blast from this gun are mild. Think about it. You are shooting standard handgun rounds from a 4-pound gun with barrels nearly a foot long. Even though the gun felt front-end heavy, I could aim and shoot it with one hand and not feel like I was struggling. When using my second hand, I preferred to support the gun under the barrels rather than with a traditional two-handed pistol grip.\n\nI found the double trigger to be slightly less than ideal. The forward trigger seemed a bit too far forward for my hand. Every time I would prepare to fire, my finger would hit the side of the front trigger instead of landing nicely on the trigger face. If you have longer fingers, this may not be a problem.\n
\n \t
Ready To Defend?<\/h3>\n
\n\nThere are some guns suitable for home defense and others that are range toys. To me, this gun is better suited for the hobbyist. A shooting enthusiast will have a lot of fun with this pistol; I know I enjoyed shooting it quite a bit. But for the realities of combat, it leaves a lot to be desired. Even though the gun is large for a handgun, it suffers from being a two-shot pistol.\n\nWhile good defensive rounds can be found in .45 Colt, the selection is much more limited than rounds in .45 ACP, 9mm or .38 Sepcial. A lot of shooters like the gun\u2019s ability to fire .410-bore shotshells. But let\u2019s be completely honest: The .410 is not the top choice for self-defense. Yes, it can get the job done, but there are other more efficient ways of putting down a violent attacker. Many .410 loads lack consistent penetration to reach vital organs, advertisements with exploding watermelons notwithstanding.\n\nA lack of practicality for self-defense doesn\u2019t mean this gun isn\u2019t a great buy. It is a lot of fun to shoot, it is beautiful and can quickly start up a friendly conversation at the range. If you are looking for a home-defense gun, a modern striker-fired pistol or an AR-15 is a better choice than the Pedersoli Howdah. However, if you like the slick look and sheer fun of a double-barreled pistol, the Howdah is just the ticket.\n\nCaliber: .410\/.45 Colt\nBarrels: 10.25 inches\nOA Length: 17 inches\nWeight: 4.1 pounds (empty)\nGrip: Walnut\nSights: Bead front, leaf rear\nAction: Break\nFinish: Blued, case hardened\nCapacity: 2\nMSRP: $1,395\n\nFor more information, visit the Italian Firearms Group at italianfirearmsgroup.com<\/a>.\n\n <\/i><\/b><\/span>","post_title":"Pedersoli Howdah 410: Fun to Shoot, But is it Good for Home Defense?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-22 11:43:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-22 15:43:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2017\/05\/29\/pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":102538,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2016-09-16 08:54:48","post_date_gmt":"2016-09-16 12:54:48","post_content":"\n\nPerhaps no pistol is more readily identifiable than the 1911. These handguns have served men and women in the armed forces, in law enforcement and for personal protection. I\u2019ve heard more than one enthusiast describe the 1911 to me as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Pistol.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s little wonder that this style of gun has been so popular for so long. Many people like the way the gun feels in the hand, and the single-action (SA) trigger pull can be truly exceptional. But, carrying a full-sized 1911 can be a challenge. For those who want to carry a 1911 for self-defense but would like something that is easier to conceal, STI International offers the Escort.\n\nThe STI Escort is a compact SA pistol that chops inches and ounces off a full-sized 1911 to make it better suited for concealed carry. The guns have 3.24-inch bull barrels\u2014 significantly shorter than the traditional 5-inch length\u2014and an overall length of 7 inches. Unloaded, the guns weigh less than 23 ounces.\n\nEscort frames are made of forged aluminum. Both the back- and frontstrap have a textured gripping area called STIppling. These machined surfaces are not the least bit harsh on the hands, yet they help the shooter maintain a solid grip on the pistol.\n\n
The Escort comes with high-visibility three-dot sights for easy aiming. Also note the high-swept beavertail grip safety.[\/caption]\n\nSTI makes the Escort in two very popular calibers: 9mm and .45 ACP. My review gun was chambered for the classic .45 ACP and came with a single six-round magazine. In 9mm, the magazine will hold eight rounds, while the .40 S&W will hold seven.\n\nThe Escort has a very refined look that inspires confidence. The frame has a matte silver colored Cerakote finish. The slide is blued. One of my favorite styling features of the gun is the STI cocobolo grips. These grip panels are finely detailed with a deep, rich red color. The best part is they feel just as good as they look.\n\nRELATED STORY: 25 Proven and Popular Concealed Carry Handguns<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe pistol\u2019s sights are a three-dot configuration. The front is the company\u2019s own competition sight. The rear sight is the Tactical Adjustable Sight (TAS.) It is ramped to reduce the possibility of it snagging on clothing during a draw.\n\nA ramped rear sight is a popular choice with many shooters. However, I strongly prefer a rear sight with a hard front edge to assist with one-handed slide manipulation. In a situation where both hands are not available, being able to run the gun with only one hand is critical. Having a hard front edge to the rear sight can make slide manipulation off of another surface easy.\n\n
\n\nSTI uses a polymer trigger in the Escort pistol. While it does feel different from a metal trigger, I could not find any fault with its performance. The trigger face was lightly textured, but not rough. While I prefer a perfectly smooth trigger face, I did not feel the Escort trigger impaired my ability to accurately shoot it.\n\nAccording to STI, the polymer triggers prevent inertial firing from a drop or other hard impact. The STI trigger bow is made of stainless steel, and the trigger has a set screw to allow the owner to adjust the overtravel if desired.\n\nRELATED STORY: 8 Competition 1911 Pistols Ready Right Out Of The Box<\/a><\/strong>\n\nSTI undercut the triggerguard on the Escort. What this means is the triggerguard curves up where it meets the grip, allowing the gripping hand to grasp higher on the frame. The undercut on this gun is not as radical as it is on some guns from other manufacturers. The cut is just enough to allow for a full, comfortable grip on the gun.\n\nSTI uses a high-ride, beavertail-style grip safety in the Escort. I found it to work very well, both protecting my hand from slide bite and with deactivating the safety when gripping the pistol. I did not need to apply any conscious pressure to the safety to deactivate it. It just worked.\n\n
\n\nA relatively large thumb safety is located on the left side of the gun frame. The lever was easy to operate, and disengaging it should be natural for any right-handed 1911 shooter. Movement and engagement was positive and sure without any wiggle or looseness. Like the beavertail grip safety, the thumb safety lever has a blued finish.\n\nRELATED STORY: 10 Perfect 10mm Pistols<\/a><\/strong>\n\nIn the Escort, STI uses the company\u2019s own Recoil Master guide rod. This assembly is designed to help absorb recoil, which in a small gun can be considerable. The rod assembly has a pair of springs that act as shock absorbers to reduce the recoil felt by the shooter. Something like this has the potential of significantly improving the gun\u2019s shootability.\n\nRange Master<\/strong>\n\n
In testing, the STI Escort handled well and turned in tight groups without exhibiting any malfunctions.[\/caption]\n\nCompact 1911 pistols can be finicky. Sometimes they will only run reliably with certain kinds of ammunition, and other times not at all. I was eager to get the Escort to the range to see what this pistol would do.\n\nMy normal range was unavailable, so I headed to The Firing Line<\/a>, a full service dealer and gun range in New Port Richey, Florida. The crew there was kind enough to let me use a private section of the range so I could set up my gear and move about without disturbing other shooters.\n\nWhen I received the test gun, it showed signs of having been previously fired. Even so, I was intent on running the gun through several hundred rounds to ensure it was broken in prior to forming an opinion about its reliability. Shooting a combined 250 rounds of Remington UMC and Federal American Eagle<\/a> 230-grain ball ammo, I experienced no malfunctions and felt the gun was broken in and ready for some hollow-point (HP) ammunition.\n\nRELATED STORY: Today\u2019s Top 10 Compact 1911 Pistols For Concealed Carry Protection<\/a><\/strong>\n\nOne of the self-defense loads I tested was a 185-grain JHP from HPR Ammunition<\/a>. This load uses the Hornady XTP bullet and is marketed to provide \u201creally tight extreme spreads\u201d and \u201cimproved accuracy.\u201d Running the load across a chronograph for five shots, the load produced a standard deviation of 36 and a standard deviation of 13. Handheld, the load gave me the best group: 1.87 inches at 15 yards.\n\nI experienced only one malfunction with any of the self-defense ammo. When firing the first five-round string of 230-grain Federal Hydra-Shok, the nose of the fourth round hung up on the feed ramp. After that, I did not experience any additional problems with the Hydra-Shok or any other round.\n\nAs with any lightweight, compact .45, the gun does have significant recoil. Based on my experiences with other compact 1911 pistols, I can\u2019t say that the Recoil Master guide rod significantly reduced felt recoil. To me, the recoil in the Escort felt the same as other compact 1911 pistols.\n\n
\n\nI would not expect that any proficient shooter would have problems with controlling the gun during rapid fire. However, a new shooter might have problems getting comfortable with the pistol. A recoil-sensitive shooter might have some trouble with the Escort.\n\nAccuracy with the gun was good. Even with a serious case of lateral epicondylitis (aka tennis elbow) in my dominant arm, I was able to regularly make five-shot groups of 2.5 inches or less with most ammo. A better shooter, or shooting from a rest, could tighten up the groups.\n\nRELATED STORY: 21 Ultra-Concealable, High-Powered Snub-Nose Revolvers<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe trigger felt good. There was a small amount of take-up and no overtravel as it was delivered. The break was clean. Using a Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge, the trigger averaged 4.8 pounds on 10 pulls.\n\nMagazine changes were uneventful, which is a good thing. Slightly stiff, the magazine-release button feels exactly the way I like it. The button is out of the way while shooting but still easy to access when needed. In this configuration, it is virtually impossible to accidentally activate the button, yet mag changes are quick.\n\nAfter the range trip, I discovered that the left grip panel visibly wiggled against the frame. Closer inspection revealed that both the upper and lower hex-head screws had loosened slightly while I was shooting. A few turns of an Allen key tightened the grip panel back down. A small amount of blue Loctite would likely cure the problem permanently.\n\nTakedown Power<\/strong>\n\n
\n\nThere has always been a great deal of debate about the best handgun to carry for personal protection. Some camps eschew the 1911 platform for a variety of well-considered reasons. However, there is little disputing these guns have served many people well since being introduced more than a century ago.\n\nIf you like the platform, the STI Escort is worth your consideration. Based on the pistol I evaluated, I believe the guns are well built, reliable and accurate. The controls are easy to manipulate, and the gun just feels good in the hand.\n\nFeaturing a truly lightweight and compact design, the Escort from STI International is easy to carry. With the right rig, the gun can be concealed under a Florida summer T-shirt as readily as a Maine winter coat. In either location, seven rounds of .45 ACP are likely to be just as effective at protecting your life and those of your loved ones.\n\nThis article was published in the 2016 issue of Gun Buyer's Guide. For information on how to subscribe, please email Subscriptions@a
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n","post_title":"These 6 High End 1911s Are the Stuff of Dreams, Bring Your Checkbook","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"high-end-1911s","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-28 16:46:18","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-28 20:46:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2021\/08\/17\/high-end-1911s\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96090,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-08-22 13:08:57","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-22 17:08:57","post_content":"\r\n\r\nSome folks just love big-bore revolvers. This typically leads to picking up a Smith & Wesson<\/a> Model 29, Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk or something along those lines. A lot of these shooters want the .44 Magnum because \u201cDirty Harry\u201d had one.\r\n\r\nNothing wrong with that at all! However, the dirty little secret is that you should opt for a .45 over a .44, for a variety of reasons.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Cheaper Shooting<\/h3>\r\nUnless you travel all over the country hunting with a handgun, or live on a farm inundated with wild hogs, most (if not all) of your shooting is going to take place at the range.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"94496\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n\r\nNow there are some bona fide recoil junkies out there, but most of us are just not. A bit is okay, fun even, but after a while your hands just hurt. It's kind of like eating really spicy food. The sizzle makes a dish interesting up to a point, but you eventually learn that most places use it to cover up bad or otherwise weak flavor. After that, it just starts to lose its appeal.\r\n\r\nSince .44 Magnum<\/a> revolvers will shoot .44 Special, many people use them for practice. The .44 Special doesn't kick as hard, but it isn't any less expensive than .44 Magnum; it is also in shorter supply on store shelves.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, some pistols in .45 Colt also shoot .45 ACP<\/a>. The projectile is the same and the cases will even fit in the cylinder, but moonclips are required. Of course, most guns will need the cylinder machined to accept moonclips, but it will pay off; .45 ACP is much less expensive than .45 Colt. Also, .45 Auto Rim is available, but it is really hard to find.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Less Wear<\/h3>\r\nMany shooters don\u2019t realize that big-bore revolvers will wear out. Cylinders stretch under recoil and eventually, metal fatigue and the beginnings of plastic deformation set in.\r\n\r\nBig-bore luminaries, from Elmer Keith to Jeff Cooper and John Linebaugh, have all remarked that most magnum revolvers can only take so much of the hot loads. The exceptions Linebaugh, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research<\/a> and select Ruger handguns (Blackhawk and Redhawks; the modern Vaquero is a Cowboy Action gun); some of these are actually chambered in .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum, both of which fire .45 Colt. This isn't new information; that's why you do most of your .357 Magnum practice with .38 Special or .44 Magnum practice with .44 Special.\r\n\r\nWith the right .45 Colt, wear will be even less likely, as .45 ACP has low chamber pressures, producing 22,000 psi or less. In fact, most .45 Colt loads produce closer to 15,000 psi.\r\n\r\nA decent big-bore revolver usually involves a significant expenditure. Now, do you want to pay a lot of money for a gun that will have to be rebuilt after 1,000 rounds? Or would you rather get one that will last a lot longer? Most people opt for the latter for obvious reasons.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"96625\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: .45 Colt Power<\/h3>\r\nMost shooters want a .44 Magnum for the power. However, the .45 Colt has a longer case than the .44 Magnum; the .45 Colt was a product of the black powder era.\r\n\r\nHandloaders figured out that it held more powder and could be pushed into .44 Magnum performance without too much hassle. In fact, it puts less stress on the gun; hot loads of .45 Colt produce about 80 percent of the chamber pressures of .44 Magnum (around 28,000 psi compared to 36,000 psi) despite achieving the same velocities and muzzle energies.\r\n\r\nHowever, you need to get the right gun. Cowboy guns, such as the various Colt SAA, Remington New Model Army and S&W Model 3 clones will NOT tolerate .45 Colt +P loads. These loads are reserved instead for modern .45 Colt revolvers, such as the Model 25, Ruger<\/a> Blackhawk and Redhawk revolvers, and other high-end single-action pistols.\r\n\r\nSo, if you opt for a Model 25 over that 29, or the .45 Colt Redhawk or Blackhawk, you can shoot more for less. If you want full power, .45 Colt +P loads will roar from the barrel, and you can run .45 ACP +P and .45 Super loads as well.\r\n\r\nHere's something else to consider. The modern shooter doesn't hunt. They shoot targets, and own and carry for self-defense, but do not shop in the grocery store of hard knocks. The .44 Magnum is not the most ideal personal protection gun (.357 Magnum has the edge among revolver rounds) unless one is in bear country.\r\n\r\nIf that's you, revolvers in .45 Colt will provide the big magnum experience if you want it. You can also do a bunch of shooting with a lower-cost round, which .44 Magnum does not give you the ability to do.\r\n\r\nAbout the author: Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0<\/em>Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0<\/em>Tedder Industries<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>","post_title":"Why the .45 Might Be a Better Round Than the .44 for Big-Bore Revolvers","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"big-bore-revolvers-45-44","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:10","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/22\/big-bore-revolvers-45-44\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":100318,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2017-05-29 09:00:26","post_date_gmt":"2017-05-29 13:00:26","post_content":"\n\nTo paraphrase the immortal words of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, having a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun pointed at you is \u201can attention getter.\u201d Movies and pulp fiction have played this style of gun as the ultimate man-stopper for decades. A true short-barreled shotgun is only available to the general public after going through the additional paperwork and taxes required by the National Firearms Act<\/a> (NFA). There are, however, alternatives that may fulfil your desires. The Pedersoli Howdah .45\/.410 is a pistol with just such an alternative design. This breech-loading handgun has the look of the sawed-off shotgun, but is completely legal to own. It accomplishes this by having rifled barrels chambered for .45 Colt cartridges. The fact that it will also chamber .410-bore shotshells is just a happy coincidence.\n
Doubling Down with the Pedersoli Howdah<\/h3>\n
The barrels are regulated to have similar points of impact at relatively close distances.[\/caption]\n\nDesigned by Davide Pedersoli, the Pedersoli Howdah is imported into the United States by Italian Firearms Group<\/a>. The gun is based on the Ithaca Auto & Burglar<\/a> pistol that was sold roughly 90 years ago. The original pistols were subsequently classified as \u201cAny Other Weapons\u201d (AOWs) under the NFA in 1934. Consequently, they are subject to the registration and tax provisions of that legislation. Combining the resistance to gun registration with the fact that few of the guns were manufactured, it can be difficult to find one of the original guns that is transferrable.\n
\n \t
Bringing The Boom<\/h3>\n
\n\nOne thing is certain: When you are shooting the Howdah, fellow shooters at the range notice. The attention is not because the gun is especially loud or makes a big fireball. Rather, people notice its unmistakable resemblance to a short-barreled shotgun. Everyone is curious about it, and people will walk over to ask about it. Truth be known, when I had this one on the range, I think other people shot it more than I did. Universally, people loved it.\n\nCompared to more traditional .45 Colt handguns, the recoil and blast from this gun are mild. Think about it. You are shooting standard handgun rounds from a 4-pound gun with barrels nearly a foot long. Even though the gun felt front-end heavy, I could aim and shoot it with one hand and not feel like I was struggling. When using my second hand, I preferred to support the gun under the barrels rather than with a traditional two-handed pistol grip.\n\nI found the double trigger to be slightly less than ideal. The forward trigger seemed a bit too far forward for my hand. Every time I would prepare to fire, my finger would hit the side of the front trigger instead of landing nicely on the trigger face. If you have longer fingers, this may not be a problem.\n
\n \t
Ready To Defend?<\/h3>\n
\n\nThere are some guns suitable for home defense and others that are range toys. To me, this gun is better suited for the hobbyist. A shooting enthusiast will have a lot of fun with this pistol; I know I enjoyed shooting it quite a bit. But for the realities of combat, it leaves a lot to be desired. Even though the gun is large for a handgun, it suffers from being a two-shot pistol.\n\nWhile good defensive rounds can be found in .45 Colt, the selection is much more limited than rounds in .45 ACP, 9mm or .38 Sepcial. A lot of shooters like the gun\u2019s ability to fire .410-bore shotshells. But let\u2019s be completely honest: The .410 is not the top choice for self-defense. Yes, it can get the job done, but there are other more efficient ways of putting down a violent attacker. Many .410 loads lack consistent penetration to reach vital organs, advertisements with exploding watermelons notwithstanding.\n\nA lack of practicality for self-defense doesn\u2019t mean this gun isn\u2019t a great buy. It is a lot of fun to shoot, it is beautiful and can quickly start up a friendly conversation at the range. If you are looking for a home-defense gun, a modern striker-fired pistol or an AR-15 is a better choice than the Pedersoli Howdah. However, if you like the slick look and sheer fun of a double-barreled pistol, the Howdah is just the ticket.\n\nCaliber: .410\/.45 Colt\nBarrels: 10.25 inches\nOA Length: 17 inches\nWeight: 4.1 pounds (empty)\nGrip: Walnut\nSights: Bead front, leaf rear\nAction: Break\nFinish: Blued, case hardened\nCapacity: 2\nMSRP: $1,395\n\nFor more information, visit the Italian Firearms Group at italianfirearmsgroup.com<\/a>.\n\n <\/i><\/b><\/span>","post_title":"Pedersoli Howdah 410: Fun to Shoot, But is it Good for Home Defense?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-22 11:43:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-22 15:43:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2017\/05\/29\/pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":102538,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2016-09-16 08:54:48","post_date_gmt":"2016-09-16 12:54:48","post_content":"\n\nPerhaps no pistol is more readily identifiable than the 1911. These handguns have served men and women in the armed forces, in law enforcement and for personal protection. I\u2019ve heard more than one enthusiast describe the 1911 to me as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Pistol.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s little wonder that this style of gun has been so popular for so long. Many people like the way the gun feels in the hand, and the single-action (SA) trigger pull can be truly exceptional. But, carrying a full-sized 1911 can be a challenge. For those who want to carry a 1911 for self-defense but would like something that is easier to conceal, STI International offers the Escort.\n\nThe STI Escort is a compact SA pistol that chops inches and ounces off a full-sized 1911 to make it better suited for concealed carry. The guns have 3.24-inch bull barrels\u2014 significantly shorter than the traditional 5-inch length\u2014and an overall length of 7 inches. Unloaded, the guns weigh less than 23 ounces.\n\nEscort frames are made of forged aluminum. Both the back- and frontstrap have a textured gripping area called STIppling. These machined surfaces are not the least bit harsh on the hands, yet they help the shooter maintain a solid grip on the pistol.\n\n
The Escort comes with high-visibility three-dot sights for easy aiming. Also note the high-swept beavertail grip safety.[\/caption]\n\nSTI makes the Escort in two very popular calibers: 9mm and .45 ACP. My review gun was chambered for the classic .45 ACP and came with a single six-round magazine. In 9mm, the magazine will hold eight rounds, while the .40 S&W will hold seven.\n\nThe Escort has a very refined look that inspires confidence. The frame has a matte silver colored Cerakote finish. The slide is blued. One of my favorite styling features of the gun is the STI cocobolo grips. These grip panels are finely detailed with a deep, rich red color. The best part is they feel just as good as they look.\n\nRELATED STORY: 25 Proven and Popular Concealed Carry Handguns<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe pistol\u2019s sights are a three-dot configuration. The front is the company\u2019s own competition sight. The rear sight is the Tactical Adjustable Sight (TAS.) It is ramped to reduce the possibility of it snagging on clothing during a draw.\n\nA ramped rear sight is a popular choice with many shooters. However, I strongly prefer a rear sight with a hard front edge to assist with one-handed slide manipulation. In a situation where both hands are not available, being able to run the gun with only one hand is critical. Having a hard front edge to the rear sight can make slide manipulation off of another surface easy.\n\n
\n\nSTI uses a polymer trigger in the Escort pistol. While it does feel different from a metal trigger, I could not find any fault with its performance. The trigger face was lightly textured, but not rough. While I prefer a perfectly smooth trigger face, I did not feel the Escort trigger impaired my ability to accurately shoot it.\n\nAccording to STI, the polymer triggers prevent inertial firing from a drop or other hard impact. The STI trigger bow is made of stainless steel, and the trigger has a set screw to allow the owner to adjust the overtravel if desired.\n\nRELATED STORY: 8 Competition 1911 Pistols Ready Right Out Of The Box<\/a><\/strong>\n\nSTI undercut the triggerguard on the Escort. What this means is the triggerguard curves up where it meets the grip, allowing the gripping hand to grasp higher on the frame. The undercut on this gun is not as radical as it is on some guns from other manufacturers. The cut is just enough to allow for a full, comfortable grip on the gun.\n\nSTI uses a high-ride, beavertail-style grip safety in the Escort. I found it to work very well, both protecting my hand from slide bite and with deactivating the safety when gripping the pistol. I did not need to apply any conscious pressure to the safety to deactivate it. It just worked.\n\n
\n\nA relatively large thumb safety is located on the left side of the gun frame. The lever was easy to operate, and disengaging it should be natural for any right-handed 1911 shooter. Movement and engagement was positive and sure without any wiggle or looseness. Like the beavertail grip safety, the thumb safety lever has a blued finish.\n\nRELATED STORY: 10 Perfect 10mm Pistols<\/a><\/strong>\n\nIn the Escort, STI uses the company\u2019s own Recoil Master guide rod. This assembly is designed to help absorb recoil, which in a small gun can be considerable. The rod assembly has a pair of springs that act as shock absorbers to reduce the recoil felt by the shooter. Something like this has the potential of significantly improving the gun\u2019s shootability.\n\nRange Master<\/strong>\n\n
In testing, the STI Escort handled well and turned in tight groups without exhibiting any malfunctions.[\/caption]\n\nCompact 1911 pistols can be finicky. Sometimes they will only run reliably with certain kinds of ammunition, and other times not at all. I was eager to get the Escort to the range to see what this pistol would do.\n\nMy normal range was unavailable, so I headed to The Firing Line<\/a>, a full service dealer and gun range in New Port Richey, Florida. The crew there was kind enough to let me use a private section of the range so I could set up my gear and move about without disturbing other shooters.\n\nWhen I received the test gun, it showed signs of having been previously fired. Even so, I was intent on running the gun through several hundred rounds to ensure it was broken in prior to forming an opinion about its reliability. Shooting a combined 250 rounds of Remington UMC and Federal American Eagle<\/a> 230-grain ball ammo, I experienced no malfunctions and felt the gun was broken in and ready for some hollow-point (HP) ammunition.\n\nRELATED STORY: Today\u2019s Top 10 Compact 1911 Pistols For Concealed Carry Protection<\/a><\/strong>\n\nOne of the self-defense loads I tested was a 185-grain JHP from HPR Ammunition<\/a>. This load uses the Hornady XTP bullet and is marketed to provide \u201creally tight extreme spreads\u201d and \u201cimproved accuracy.\u201d Running the load across a chronograph for five shots, the load produced a standard deviation of 36 and a standard deviation of 13. Handheld, the load gave me the best group: 1.87 inches at 15 yards.\n\nI experienced only one malfunction with any of the self-defense ammo. When firing the first five-round string of 230-grain Federal Hydra-Shok, the nose of the fourth round hung up on the feed ramp. After that, I did not experience any additional problems with the Hydra-Shok or any other round.\n\nAs with any lightweight, compact .45, the gun does have significant recoil. Based on my experiences with other compact 1911 pistols, I can\u2019t say that the Recoil Master guide rod significantly reduced felt recoil. To me, the recoil in the Escort felt the same as other compact 1911 pistols.\n\n
\n\nI would not expect that any proficient shooter would have problems with controlling the gun during rapid fire. However, a new shooter might have problems getting comfortable with the pistol. A recoil-sensitive shooter might have some trouble with the Escort.\n\nAccuracy with the gun was good. Even with a serious case of lateral epicondylitis (aka tennis elbow) in my dominant arm, I was able to regularly make five-shot groups of 2.5 inches or less with most ammo. A better shooter, or shooting from a rest, could tighten up the groups.\n\nRELATED STORY: 21 Ultra-Concealable, High-Powered Snub-Nose Revolvers<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe trigger felt good. There was a small amount of take-up and no overtravel as it was delivered. The break was clean. Using a Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge, the trigger averaged 4.8 pounds on 10 pulls.\n\nMagazine changes were uneventful, which is a good thing. Slightly stiff, the magazine-release button feels exactly the way I like it. The button is out of the way while shooting but still easy to access when needed. In this configuration, it is virtually impossible to accidentally activate the button, yet mag changes are quick.\n\nAfter the range trip, I discovered that the left grip panel visibly wiggled against the frame. Closer inspection revealed that both the upper and lower hex-head screws had loosened slightly while I was shooting. A few turns of an Allen key tightened the grip panel back down. A small amount of blue Loctite would likely cure the problem permanently.\n\nTakedown Power<\/strong>\n\n
\n\nThere has always been a great deal of debate about the best handgun to carry for personal protection. Some camps eschew the 1911 platform for a variety of well-considered reasons. However, there is little disputing these guns have served many people well since being introduced more than a century ago.\n\nIf you like the platform, the STI Escort is worth your consideration. Based on the pistol I evaluated, I believe the guns are well built, reliable and accurate. The controls are easy to manipulate, and the gun just feels good in the hand.\n\nFeaturing a truly lightweight and compact design, the Escort from STI International is easy to carry. With the right rig, the gun can be concealed under a Florida summer T-shirt as readily as a Maine winter coat. In either location, seven rounds of .45 ACP are likely to be just as effective at protecting your life and those of your loved ones.\n\nThis article was published in the 2016 issue of Gun Buyer's Guide. For information on how to subscribe, please email Subscriptions@a
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<\/a><\/figure>\n","post_title":"These 6 High End 1911s Are the Stuff of Dreams, Bring Your Checkbook","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"high-end-1911s","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-28 16:46:18","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-28 20:46:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2021\/08\/17\/high-end-1911s\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96090,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-08-22 13:08:57","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-22 17:08:57","post_content":"\r\n\r\nSome folks just love big-bore revolvers. This typically leads to picking up a Smith & Wesson<\/a> Model 29, Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk or something along those lines. A lot of these shooters want the .44 Magnum because \u201cDirty Harry\u201d had one.\r\n\r\nNothing wrong with that at all! However, the dirty little secret is that you should opt for a .45 over a .44, for a variety of reasons.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Cheaper Shooting<\/h3>\r\nUnless you travel all over the country hunting with a handgun, or live on a farm inundated with wild hogs, most (if not all) of your shooting is going to take place at the range.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"94496\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n\r\nNow there are some bona fide recoil junkies out there, but most of us are just not. A bit is okay, fun even, but after a while your hands just hurt. It's kind of like eating really spicy food. The sizzle makes a dish interesting up to a point, but you eventually learn that most places use it to cover up bad or otherwise weak flavor. After that, it just starts to lose its appeal.\r\n\r\nSince .44 Magnum<\/a> revolvers will shoot .44 Special, many people use them for practice. The .44 Special doesn't kick as hard, but it isn't any less expensive than .44 Magnum; it is also in shorter supply on store shelves.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, some pistols in .45 Colt also shoot .45 ACP<\/a>. The projectile is the same and the cases will even fit in the cylinder, but moonclips are required. Of course, most guns will need the cylinder machined to accept moonclips, but it will pay off; .45 ACP is much less expensive than .45 Colt. Also, .45 Auto Rim is available, but it is really hard to find.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Less Wear<\/h3>\r\nMany shooters don\u2019t realize that big-bore revolvers will wear out. Cylinders stretch under recoil and eventually, metal fatigue and the beginnings of plastic deformation set in.\r\n\r\nBig-bore luminaries, from Elmer Keith to Jeff Cooper and John Linebaugh, have all remarked that most magnum revolvers can only take so much of the hot loads. The exceptions Linebaugh, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research<\/a> and select Ruger handguns (Blackhawk and Redhawks; the modern Vaquero is a Cowboy Action gun); some of these are actually chambered in .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum, both of which fire .45 Colt. This isn't new information; that's why you do most of your .357 Magnum practice with .38 Special or .44 Magnum practice with .44 Special.\r\n\r\nWith the right .45 Colt, wear will be even less likely, as .45 ACP has low chamber pressures, producing 22,000 psi or less. In fact, most .45 Colt loads produce closer to 15,000 psi.\r\n\r\nA decent big-bore revolver usually involves a significant expenditure. Now, do you want to pay a lot of money for a gun that will have to be rebuilt after 1,000 rounds? Or would you rather get one that will last a lot longer? Most people opt for the latter for obvious reasons.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"96625\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: .45 Colt Power<\/h3>\r\nMost shooters want a .44 Magnum for the power. However, the .45 Colt has a longer case than the .44 Magnum; the .45 Colt was a product of the black powder era.\r\n\r\nHandloaders figured out that it held more powder and could be pushed into .44 Magnum performance without too much hassle. In fact, it puts less stress on the gun; hot loads of .45 Colt produce about 80 percent of the chamber pressures of .44 Magnum (around 28,000 psi compared to 36,000 psi) despite achieving the same velocities and muzzle energies.\r\n\r\nHowever, you need to get the right gun. Cowboy guns, such as the various Colt SAA, Remington New Model Army and S&W Model 3 clones will NOT tolerate .45 Colt +P loads. These loads are reserved instead for modern .45 Colt revolvers, such as the Model 25, Ruger<\/a> Blackhawk and Redhawk revolvers, and other high-end single-action pistols.\r\n\r\nSo, if you opt for a Model 25 over that 29, or the .45 Colt Redhawk or Blackhawk, you can shoot more for less. If you want full power, .45 Colt +P loads will roar from the barrel, and you can run .45 ACP +P and .45 Super loads as well.\r\n\r\nHere's something else to consider. The modern shooter doesn't hunt. They shoot targets, and own and carry for self-defense, but do not shop in the grocery store of hard knocks. The .44 Magnum is not the most ideal personal protection gun (.357 Magnum has the edge among revolver rounds) unless one is in bear country.\r\n\r\nIf that's you, revolvers in .45 Colt will provide the big magnum experience if you want it. You can also do a bunch of shooting with a lower-cost round, which .44 Magnum does not give you the ability to do.\r\n\r\nAbout the author: Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0<\/em>Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0<\/em>Tedder Industries<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>","post_title":"Why the .45 Might Be a Better Round Than the .44 for Big-Bore Revolvers","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"big-bore-revolvers-45-44","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:10","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/22\/big-bore-revolvers-45-44\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":100318,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2017-05-29 09:00:26","post_date_gmt":"2017-05-29 13:00:26","post_content":"\n\nTo paraphrase the immortal words of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, having a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun pointed at you is \u201can attention getter.\u201d Movies and pulp fiction have played this style of gun as the ultimate man-stopper for decades. A true short-barreled shotgun is only available to the general public after going through the additional paperwork and taxes required by the National Firearms Act<\/a> (NFA). There are, however, alternatives that may fulfil your desires. The Pedersoli Howdah .45\/.410 is a pistol with just such an alternative design. This breech-loading handgun has the look of the sawed-off shotgun, but is completely legal to own. It accomplishes this by having rifled barrels chambered for .45 Colt cartridges. The fact that it will also chamber .410-bore shotshells is just a happy coincidence.\n
Doubling Down with the Pedersoli Howdah<\/h3>\n
The barrels are regulated to have similar points of impact at relatively close distances.[\/caption]\n\nDesigned by Davide Pedersoli, the Pedersoli Howdah is imported into the United States by Italian Firearms Group<\/a>. The gun is based on the Ithaca Auto & Burglar<\/a> pistol that was sold roughly 90 years ago. The original pistols were subsequently classified as \u201cAny Other Weapons\u201d (AOWs) under the NFA in 1934. Consequently, they are subject to the registration and tax provisions of that legislation. Combining the resistance to gun registration with the fact that few of the guns were manufactured, it can be difficult to find one of the original guns that is transferrable.\n
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Bringing The Boom<\/h3>\n
\n\nOne thing is certain: When you are shooting the Howdah, fellow shooters at the range notice. The attention is not because the gun is especially loud or makes a big fireball. Rather, people notice its unmistakable resemblance to a short-barreled shotgun. Everyone is curious about it, and people will walk over to ask about it. Truth be known, when I had this one on the range, I think other people shot it more than I did. Universally, people loved it.\n\nCompared to more traditional .45 Colt handguns, the recoil and blast from this gun are mild. Think about it. You are shooting standard handgun rounds from a 4-pound gun with barrels nearly a foot long. Even though the gun felt front-end heavy, I could aim and shoot it with one hand and not feel like I was struggling. When using my second hand, I preferred to support the gun under the barrels rather than with a traditional two-handed pistol grip.\n\nI found the double trigger to be slightly less than ideal. The forward trigger seemed a bit too far forward for my hand. Every time I would prepare to fire, my finger would hit the side of the front trigger instead of landing nicely on the trigger face. If you have longer fingers, this may not be a problem.\n
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Ready To Defend?<\/h3>\n
\n\nThere are some guns suitable for home defense and others that are range toys. To me, this gun is better suited for the hobbyist. A shooting enthusiast will have a lot of fun with this pistol; I know I enjoyed shooting it quite a bit. But for the realities of combat, it leaves a lot to be desired. Even though the gun is large for a handgun, it suffers from being a two-shot pistol.\n\nWhile good defensive rounds can be found in .45 Colt, the selection is much more limited than rounds in .45 ACP, 9mm or .38 Sepcial. A lot of shooters like the gun\u2019s ability to fire .410-bore shotshells. But let\u2019s be completely honest: The .410 is not the top choice for self-defense. Yes, it can get the job done, but there are other more efficient ways of putting down a violent attacker. Many .410 loads lack consistent penetration to reach vital organs, advertisements with exploding watermelons notwithstanding.\n\nA lack of practicality for self-defense doesn\u2019t mean this gun isn\u2019t a great buy. It is a lot of fun to shoot, it is beautiful and can quickly start up a friendly conversation at the range. If you are looking for a home-defense gun, a modern striker-fired pistol or an AR-15 is a better choice than the Pedersoli Howdah. However, if you like the slick look and sheer fun of a double-barreled pistol, the Howdah is just the ticket.\n\nCaliber: .410\/.45 Colt\nBarrels: 10.25 inches\nOA Length: 17 inches\nWeight: 4.1 pounds (empty)\nGrip: Walnut\nSights: Bead front, leaf rear\nAction: Break\nFinish: Blued, case hardened\nCapacity: 2\nMSRP: $1,395\n\nFor more information, visit the Italian Firearms Group at italianfirearmsgroup.com<\/a>.\n\n <\/i><\/b><\/span>","post_title":"Pedersoli Howdah 410: Fun to Shoot, But is it Good for Home Defense?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-22 11:43:35","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-22 15:43:35","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2017\/05\/29\/pedersoli-howdah-410-pistol\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":102538,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2016-09-16 08:54:48","post_date_gmt":"2016-09-16 12:54:48","post_content":"\n\nPerhaps no pistol is more readily identifiable than the 1911. These handguns have served men and women in the armed forces, in law enforcement and for personal protection. I\u2019ve heard more than one enthusiast describe the 1911 to me as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Pistol.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s little wonder that this style of gun has been so popular for so long. Many people like the way the gun feels in the hand, and the single-action (SA) trigger pull can be truly exceptional. But, carrying a full-sized 1911 can be a challenge. For those who want to carry a 1911 for self-defense but would like something that is easier to conceal, STI International offers the Escort.\n\nThe STI Escort is a compact SA pistol that chops inches and ounces off a full-sized 1911 to make it better suited for concealed carry. The guns have 3.24-inch bull barrels\u2014 significantly shorter than the traditional 5-inch length\u2014and an overall length of 7 inches. Unloaded, the guns weigh less than 23 ounces.\n\nEscort frames are made of forged aluminum. Both the back- and frontstrap have a textured gripping area called STIppling. These machined surfaces are not the least bit harsh on the hands, yet they help the shooter maintain a solid grip on the pistol.\n\n
The Escort comes with high-visibility three-dot sights for easy aiming. Also note the high-swept beavertail grip safety.[\/caption]\n\nSTI makes the Escort in two very popular calibers: 9mm and .45 ACP. My review gun was chambered for the classic .45 ACP and came with a single six-round magazine. In 9mm, the magazine will hold eight rounds, while the .40 S&W will hold seven.\n\nThe Escort has a very refined look that inspires confidence. The frame has a matte silver colored Cerakote finish. The slide is blued. One of my favorite styling features of the gun is the STI cocobolo grips. These grip panels are finely detailed with a deep, rich red color. The best part is they feel just as good as they look.\n\nRELATED STORY: 25 Proven and Popular Concealed Carry Handguns<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe pistol\u2019s sights are a three-dot configuration. The front is the company\u2019s own competition sight. The rear sight is the Tactical Adjustable Sight (TAS.) It is ramped to reduce the possibility of it snagging on clothing during a draw.\n\nA ramped rear sight is a popular choice with many shooters. However, I strongly prefer a rear sight with a hard front edge to assist with one-handed slide manipulation. In a situation where both hands are not available, being able to run the gun with only one hand is critical. Having a hard front edge to the rear sight can make slide manipulation off of another surface easy.\n\n
\n\nSTI uses a polymer trigger in the Escort pistol. While it does feel different from a metal trigger, I could not find any fault with its performance. The trigger face was lightly textured, but not rough. While I prefer a perfectly smooth trigger face, I did not feel the Escort trigger impaired my ability to accurately shoot it.\n\nAccording to STI, the polymer triggers prevent inertial firing from a drop or other hard impact. The STI trigger bow is made of stainless steel, and the trigger has a set screw to allow the owner to adjust the overtravel if desired.\n\nRELATED STORY: 8 Competition 1911 Pistols Ready Right Out Of The Box<\/a><\/strong>\n\nSTI undercut the triggerguard on the Escort. What this means is the triggerguard curves up where it meets the grip, allowing the gripping hand to grasp higher on the frame. The undercut on this gun is not as radical as it is on some guns from other manufacturers. The cut is just enough to allow for a full, comfortable grip on the gun.\n\nSTI uses a high-ride, beavertail-style grip safety in the Escort. I found it to work very well, both protecting my hand from slide bite and with deactivating the safety when gripping the pistol. I did not need to apply any conscious pressure to the safety to deactivate it. It just worked.\n\n
\n\nA relatively large thumb safety is located on the left side of the gun frame. The lever was easy to operate, and disengaging it should be natural for any right-handed 1911 shooter. Movement and engagement was positive and sure without any wiggle or looseness. Like the beavertail grip safety, the thumb safety lever has a blued finish.\n\nRELATED STORY: 10 Perfect 10mm Pistols<\/a><\/strong>\n\nIn the Escort, STI uses the company\u2019s own Recoil Master guide rod. This assembly is designed to help absorb recoil, which in a small gun can be considerable. The rod assembly has a pair of springs that act as shock absorbers to reduce the recoil felt by the shooter. Something like this has the potential of significantly improving the gun\u2019s shootability.\n\nRange Master<\/strong>\n\n
In testing, the STI Escort handled well and turned in tight groups without exhibiting any malfunctions.[\/caption]\n\nCompact 1911 pistols can be finicky. Sometimes they will only run reliably with certain kinds of ammunition, and other times not at all. I was eager to get the Escort to the range to see what this pistol would do.\n\nMy normal range was unavailable, so I headed to The Firing Line<\/a>, a full service dealer and gun range in New Port Richey, Florida. The crew there was kind enough to let me use a private section of the range so I could set up my gear and move about without disturbing other shooters.\n\nWhen I received the test gun, it showed signs of having been previously fired. Even so, I was intent on running the gun through several hundred rounds to ensure it was broken in prior to forming an opinion about its reliability. Shooting a combined 250 rounds of Remington UMC and Federal American Eagle<\/a> 230-grain ball ammo, I experienced no malfunctions and felt the gun was broken in and ready for some hollow-point (HP) ammunition.\n\nRELATED STORY: Today\u2019s Top 10 Compact 1911 Pistols For Concealed Carry Protection<\/a><\/strong>\n\nOne of the self-defense loads I tested was a 185-grain JHP from HPR Ammunition<\/a>. This load uses the Hornady XTP bullet and is marketed to provide \u201creally tight extreme spreads\u201d and \u201cimproved accuracy.\u201d Running the load across a chronograph for five shots, the load produced a standard deviation of 36 and a standard deviation of 13. Handheld, the load gave me the best group: 1.87 inches at 15 yards.\n\nI experienced only one malfunction with any of the self-defense ammo. When firing the first five-round string of 230-grain Federal Hydra-Shok, the nose of the fourth round hung up on the feed ramp. After that, I did not experience any additional problems with the Hydra-Shok or any other round.\n\nAs with any lightweight, compact .45, the gun does have significant recoil. Based on my experiences with other compact 1911 pistols, I can\u2019t say that the Recoil Master guide rod significantly reduced felt recoil. To me, the recoil in the Escort felt the same as other compact 1911 pistols.\n\n
\n\nI would not expect that any proficient shooter would have problems with controlling the gun during rapid fire. However, a new shooter might have problems getting comfortable with the pistol. A recoil-sensitive shooter might have some trouble with the Escort.\n\nAccuracy with the gun was good. Even with a serious case of lateral epicondylitis (aka tennis elbow) in my dominant arm, I was able to regularly make five-shot groups of 2.5 inches or less with most ammo. A better shooter, or shooting from a rest, could tighten up the groups.\n\nRELATED STORY: 21 Ultra-Concealable, High-Powered Snub-Nose Revolvers<\/a><\/strong>\n\nThe trigger felt good. There was a small amount of take-up and no overtravel as it was delivered. The break was clean. Using a Lyman digital trigger-pull gauge, the trigger averaged 4.8 pounds on 10 pulls.\n\nMagazine changes were uneventful, which is a good thing. Slightly stiff, the magazine-release button feels exactly the way I like it. The button is out of the way while shooting but still easy to access when needed. In this configuration, it is virtually impossible to accidentally activate the button, yet mag changes are quick.\n\nAfter the range trip, I discovered that the left grip panel visibly wiggled against the frame. Closer inspection revealed that both the upper and lower hex-head screws had loosened slightly while I was shooting. A few turns of an Allen key tightened the grip panel back down. A small amount of blue Loctite would likely cure the problem permanently.\n\nTakedown Power<\/strong>\n\n
\n\nThere has always been a great deal of debate about the best handgun to carry for personal protection. Some camps eschew the 1911 platform for a variety of well-considered reasons. However, there is little disputing these guns have served many people well since being introduced more than a century ago.\n\nIf you like the platform, the STI Escort is worth your consideration. Based on the pistol I evaluated, I believe the guns are well built, reliable and accurate. The controls are easy to manipulate, and the gun just feels good in the hand.\n\nFeaturing a truly lightweight and compact design, the Escort from STI International is easy to carry. With the right rig, the gun can be concealed under a Florida summer T-shirt as readily as a Maine winter coat. In either location, seven rounds of .45 ACP are likely to be just as effective at protecting your life and those of your loved ones.\n\nThis article was published in the 2016 issue of Gun Buyer's Guide. For information on how to subscribe, please email Subscriptions@a
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<\/a><\/figure>\n","post_title":"These 6 High End 1911s Are the Stuff of Dreams, Bring Your Checkbook","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"high-end-1911s","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-28 16:46:18","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-28 20:46:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2021\/08\/17\/high-end-1911s\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":96090,"post_author":"351","post_date":"2018-08-22 13:08:57","post_date_gmt":"2018-08-22 17:08:57","post_content":"\r\n\r\nSome folks just love big-bore revolvers. This typically leads to picking up a Smith & Wesson<\/a> Model 29, Ruger Redhawk or Blackhawk or something along those lines. A lot of these shooters want the .44 Magnum because \u201cDirty Harry\u201d had one.\r\n\r\nNothing wrong with that at all! However, the dirty little secret is that you should opt for a .45 over a .44, for a variety of reasons.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Cheaper Shooting<\/h3>\r\nUnless you travel all over the country hunting with a handgun, or live on a farm inundated with wild hogs, most (if not all) of your shooting is going to take place at the range.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"94496\" alignment=\"align-left\" \/]\r\n\r\nNow there are some bona fide recoil junkies out there, but most of us are just not. A bit is okay, fun even, but after a while your hands just hurt. It's kind of like eating really spicy food. The sizzle makes a dish interesting up to a point, but you eventually learn that most places use it to cover up bad or otherwise weak flavor. After that, it just starts to lose its appeal.\r\n\r\nSince .44 Magnum<\/a> revolvers will shoot .44 Special, many people use them for practice. The .44 Special doesn't kick as hard, but it isn't any less expensive than .44 Magnum; it is also in shorter supply on store shelves.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, some pistols in .45 Colt also shoot .45 ACP<\/a>. The projectile is the same and the cases will even fit in the cylinder, but moonclips are required. Of course, most guns will need the cylinder machined to accept moonclips, but it will pay off; .45 ACP is much less expensive than .45 Colt. Also, .45 Auto Rim is available, but it is really hard to find.\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: Less Wear<\/h3>\r\nMany shooters don\u2019t realize that big-bore revolvers will wear out. Cylinders stretch under recoil and eventually, metal fatigue and the beginnings of plastic deformation set in.\r\n\r\nBig-bore luminaries, from Elmer Keith to Jeff Cooper and John Linebaugh, have all remarked that most magnum revolvers can only take so much of the hot loads. The exceptions Linebaugh, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research<\/a> and select Ruger handguns (Blackhawk and Redhawks; the modern Vaquero is a Cowboy Action gun); some of these are actually chambered in .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnum, both of which fire .45 Colt. This isn't new information; that's why you do most of your .357 Magnum practice with .38 Special or .44 Magnum practice with .44 Special.\r\n\r\nWith the right .45 Colt, wear will be even less likely, as .45 ACP has low chamber pressures, producing 22,000 psi or less. In fact, most .45 Colt loads produce closer to 15,000 psi.\r\n\r\nA decent big-bore revolver usually involves a significant expenditure. Now, do you want to pay a lot of money for a gun that will have to be rebuilt after 1,000 rounds? Or would you rather get one that will last a lot longer? Most people opt for the latter for obvious reasons.\r\n\r\n[in_content post=\"96625\" alignment=\"align-right\" \/]\r\n
Big-Bore Revolvers: .45 Colt Power<\/h3>\r\nMost shooters want a .44 Magnum for the power. However, the .45 Colt has a longer case than the .44 Magnum; the .45 Colt was a product of the black powder era.\r\n\r\nHandloaders figured out that it held more powder and could be pushed into .44 Magnum performance without too much hassle. In fact, it puts less stress on the gun; hot loads of .45 Colt produce about 80 percent of the chamber pressures of .44 Magnum (around 28,000 psi compared to 36,000 psi) despite achieving the same velocities and muzzle energies.\r\n\r\nHowever, you need to get the right gun. Cowboy guns, such as the various Colt SAA, Remington New Model Army and S&W Model 3 clones will NOT tolerate .45 Colt +P loads. These loads are reserved instead for modern .45 Colt revolvers, such as the Model 25, Ruger<\/a> Blackhawk and Redhawk revolvers, and other high-end single-action pistols.\r\n\r\nSo, if you opt for a Model 25 over that 29, or the .45 Colt Redhawk or Blackhawk, you can shoot more for less. If you want full power, .45 Colt +P loads will roar from the barrel, and you can run .45 ACP +P and .45 Super loads as well.\r\n\r\nHere's something else to consider. The modern shooter doesn't hunt. They shoot targets, and own and carry for self-defense, but do not shop in the grocery store of hard knocks. The .44 Magnum is not the most ideal personal protection gun (.357 Magnum has the edge among revolver rounds) unless one is in bear country.\r\n\r\nIf that's you, revolvers in .45 Colt will provide the big magnum experience if you want it. You can also do a bunch of shooting with a lower-cost round, which .44 Magnum does not give you the ability to do.\r\n\r\nAbout the author: Sam Hoober is a contributing editor for\u00a0<\/em>Alien Gear\u00a0Holsters<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0a subsidiary of\u00a0<\/em>Tedder Industries<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>","post_title":"Why the .45 Might Be a Better Round Than the .44 for Big-Bore Revolvers","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"big-bore-revolvers-45-44","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-31 22:42:10","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-01 02:42:10","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.dev.athlonoutdoors.com\/2018\/08\/22\/big-bore-revolvers-45-44\/","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":100318,"post_author":"243","post_date":"2017-05-29 09:00:26","post_date_gmt":"2017-05-29 13:00:26","post_content":"\n\nTo paraphrase the immortal words of Sheriff Buford T. Justice, having a sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun pointed at you is \u201can attention getter.\u201d Movies and pulp fiction have played this style of gun as the ultimate man-stopper for decades. A true short-barreled shotgun is only available to the general public after going through the additional paperwork and taxes required by the National Firearms Act<\/a> (NFA). There are, however, alternatives that may fulfil your desires. The Pedersoli Howdah .45\/.410 is a pistol with just such an alternative design. This breech-loading handgun has the look of the sawed-off shotgun, but is completely legal to own. It accomplishes this by having rifled barrels chambered for .45 Colt cartridges. The fact that it will also chamber .410-bore shotshells is just a happy coincidence.\n
Doubling Down with the Pedersoli Howdah<\/h3>\n