LITTLE ROCK — When you think of sporting firearms, you usually think of shotguns and rifles, but handguns are an exciting option that most of us overlook.
Compact but powerful, handguns are useful for a wide range of applications.
You can hunt every type of game in America with them, from Alaskan brown bears to elk to deer to rabbits and squirrels. You can shoot them recreationally, and you can use them for self-defense.
Handguns generally fall into three broad, but highly specialized categories.
There are hunting models, tactical/target handguns and self-defense handguns.
Within these categories are three different types: singleshot pistols, revolvers and semiautomatics.
HUNTING
You'll need a much different type of gun for hunting bear and deer than for hunting squirrels. Hunters usually prefer revolvers for hunting big game. The most popular calibers for deer are .357 Mag.
and .44 Mag., but handgunners have developed some super-powerful calibers that include .454 Casull, .480 Ruger and the most powerful of all, the .500 Smith & Wesson.
When choosing a big-bore revolver for hunting, you'll want a gun with a heavy frame and a long barrel of at least 5 1 /2 inches, preferably longer. The heavy frame is necessary to handle the prodigious recoil these rounds generate.
You can also choose between double-action and single-action revolvers. A double-action model fires a round with each pull of the trigger. A single-action requires cocking the hammer manually to fire a round.
Popular double-action models include the extra-large frame (X-frame) and large-frame (N-frame) Smith & Wesson.
The X-frames include the S&W 500 and 460 models, which are chambered for the most powerful calibers. The N-frames are available in more standard calibers like the .44 Mag. and the .357 Mag., as well as my favorite, the .41 Mag.
Other excellent choices are the Ruger Redhawk and the Taurus Raging Bull. Some have ported barrels that reduce recoil by a considerable amount.
By far, the Ruger Super Blackhawk is the most popular single-action hunting handgun.
Many deer hunters attach low-power scopes or dot sights to their handguns. For this, you might have to hire a gunsmith to drill and tap your gun so you can attach a ring base. With others, like the Smith & Wesson 629, you can attach a base simply by removing the rear sight. The Ruger Redhawk comes with factory rings that attach to recesses on the side of the frame.
For hunting small game like squirrels and rabbits, a .22-caliber handgun is ridiculously fun. The Ruger Single Six single-action revolver comes with an extra cylinder that allows you to shoot either .22 long rifle or .22 Winchester magnum cartridges. Smith & Wesson and Taurus also make exceptionally high-quality .22-cal revolvers.
Even more fun is hunting small game with a semiautomatic .22. The most popular models are the Ruger Mk. II, Smith & Wesson and, of course, the timeless Browning Buckmark.
TACTICAL/TARGET HANDGUNS
Military style, tactical handguns comprise the fastest-growing segment of the handgun market. They're not very useful for hunting, but they're exhilarating to shoot.
These guns are universally semiautomatic, usually in .45 ACP, .40 S&W or 9mm. Some shooters really like the 10mm.
The most popular tactical handgun of all time is the 1911-style semiautomatic.
Brainchild of the great John Moses Browning, the 1911 is so good and so popular that American Rifleman magazine in its September 2009 edition named it the No. 1 handgun of all time. The only limitation is cost. You can spend as much as $2,000 for a top-line Kimber, Colt or Springfield Armory.
They perform great out of the box, but many shooters send them to companies like Wilson Combat in Berryville for extra tuning.
People who love 1911 pistols are fanatical about them, but no more so than those who prefer the Browning Hi-Power.
The single-action Hi-Power was John Browning's last great achievement before he died in 1926. Some say it was his greatest ever. American Rifleman dubbed it the No.
10 greatest handgun of all time. It's available in 9mm and .40 S&W, and in a wide range of styles. You can get it in Presentation Grade to Practical model. You can even get a model that comes with tangent sights that are adjustable out to 500 meters.
The guns are accurate and dependable out of the box, but many Hi-Power enthusiastssend theirs to aftermarket firms for tweaking.
The most modern incarnation of this type of pistol is the Glock, American Rifleman's No. 3 greatest handgun of all time. Unlike the 1911 and Hi-Power, it's made of lightweight polymer, with hardly any metal on the gun anywhere. In its early days, detractors dismissed the Glock as a cheap gimmick, but it caught on quickly among the law enforcement community and is now standard issue for many police departments and agencies. It's accurate enough to double as a hunting firearm, too. Rex Martensen, a former game warden for the Missouri Department of Conservation, used his service-issue Glock to kill his first mountain lion while hunting in Colorado several years ago.
SELF-DEFENSE
These guns have one purpose, and that's to repel an assault. Many use their tactical firearms for self-defense, but others prefer lightweight, highly compact revolvers chambered in .38 Special, or .357 Mag. If you have a concealed carry permit, you can carry it in a purse, in a pocket or a low-profile holster.
The number of models is legion, with countless variations. Most have barrels of about 1-3 inches.
Depending on the caliber, their cylinders hold 5-6 rounds. Traditional versions have exposed hammers, but many have concealed or recessed hammers that won't snag on clothing. A gun with a concealed or recessed hammer cannot be disabled by stopping the hammer travel with a thumb or finger, as can conceivably happen if grappling with an assailant.
If you prefer a semiautomatic, you can get pocket-sized quick-shooters chambered in .380 from Bersa, Beretta and Browning.
These guns are very light and compact, and they fit nicely and inconspicuously in a coat pocket or pants pocket. These guns are so popular that .380 ammunition is difficult to find right now.
These guns are available from most major manufacturers. They are relatively inexpensive and can be found in great number at any gun or sporting goods store.
Sports, Pages 32 on 08/23/2009