The first step has been taken in the expansion of the Federal Background Check passed in the House of Representatives March 11, 2021 and is now headed to the newly appointed Democrat-led Senate for approval. We feel it’s important for 2A supporters to be fully educated on the actual bill and invite you to read for yourself the measures that are being taken that will affect your future rights.
Where is the Ammo? Where is the Powder? Where are the…
It’s hard to believe that it has officially been one year since the ammunition and hand sanitizer industries felt the pressure of a world flipped upside down. Several factors have driven the shooting and reloading world into an extremely slim inventory crisis and we thought you’d like to hear from several of our friends in the industry and the challenges that they have faced.
Jason Hornady of Hornady Manufacturing Company
Jason Vanderbrink of Vista Outdoors (Federal Cartridge) 1
Jason Vanderbrink of Vista Outdoors (Federal Cartridge) 2 – an update
John Nosler of Nosler Bullets (with Colin Noir)
Hodgdon Powder
Here is a link to the .pdf that was released by Hodgdon Powder, but our friend at AccurateShooter.com did a great job of adding a bit more information to help you:
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2021/02/hodgdon-powder-update-why-are-there-shortages/
In Memory – Jeff Quinn Limited Edition Ruger
One of the unfortunate hurdles of 2020 occurred in July and we wanted to take time to pass along our condolences along with news of a fitting memorial in his name.
On July 27, 2020, Our friend, neighbor, customer and longtime business partner Jeffery W. Quinn passed away. You may know him better as the founder and editor of his popular gun review website and vlog Gunblast.com. Jeff, being a family man incorporated his business with his brothers helping make his passion and love for guns, shooting, and our country into an informative and entertaining southern style format. His family is present in so many aspects not only on camera, but off as well. Jeff was known throughout the shooting industry as a straight shooting, common sense fixture at events and his presence was always welcoming.
Ruger Firearms is honoring Jeff by offering a limited edition, memorial revolver with a portion of the proceeds going to another of Jeffs passions, Bikers Who Care. Bikers Who Care is a motorcycle club located in Clarksville, Tn who’s main mission is kids. From Toy Runs that raise money and gather toys for less fortunate children to raising money for children with physical challenges and serious illness. It’s impact is huge on young lives and the families that are challenged with them. It’s fitting that such a down to earth, family man would be memorialized by the American Icon, Ruger.
The Jeff Quinn Memorial GP100 Revolver is a .44 Special with a 4-inch barrel and five shot, unfluted cylinder. Engraved on the hardwood grip is Jeff Quinn’s autograph along with his likeness, featuring his signature double braided beard. Only 500 will be made.
We were lucky enough to be sponsors of Gunblast for many years. In 2015, Jeff and his brother, Boge came in and visited with our owner and toured our facility. Boge is carrying on Jeff’s vision and is writing and producing new videos and reviews regularly. We recommend taking some time and scrolling through some of not only the past videos, but subscribing to the current Gunblast.com YouTube page. Great information, well produced, no non-sense and some of the best music you’ll hear. Like all things Gunblast, the Quinn’s did that as well (Boge specifically).
Many friends and fans were curious about Jeff’s vault and reloading room that housed his lifelong collection of firearms. This video is to share a brief tour of Jeff’s collection to to those many who made inquiries about the THE Vault.
An apology from the Shot Report Staff and Memorial to Glen Zediker
Dear Shot Report Readers,
I’d like to start by giving some apologies. I’m sorry. I’m not a writer by trade, so please be understanding while you read this. There, that’s the first one. The next is that I’m truly sorry that it has taken so long for us to get a Shot Report sent out to you.
2020 was a challenging year to say the least. I won’t re-hash what we all know and remember from toilet paper, to riots, elections and I won’t even talk about the virus. You’ve all heard enough from other sources, I’ll move on. The real reason we haven’t had a Shot Report in so long was the fact that our friend and writer of the Reloading Corner, Glen Zediker, passed away last year. Replacing that much knowledge from reloading and gunsmithing, to shooting from all aspects, and being able to articulate that knowledge in writing form has been very difficult. We could have built newsletters loaded with politics and gun legislation, but without the basis of what the Shot Report was really about, Reloading and Shooting, it would have been just that; more politics and more gun legislation. Both of which are everywhere.
Before you jump my case about the importance of both of those topics, make no mistake – we are fully aware of the importance of both. No one understands the threat to our 2nd Amendment freedoms better than those us in the shooting industry. But, we know that politics and gun legislation aren’t the main reasons we had such a strong readership base. We understand that the bulk of our readers are past the beginning stages of reloading and loved Glens insights into how to hone those skills. If you haven’t read Glens reloading corner, we invite you to look back at some of the older issues. Glen was a great writer and as I said, a wealth of knowledge. We started last year with the hope that we could provide a place of relief and escape from all of the oddities that 2020 served us all. Those oddities just kept coming, one after another, after another.
I would like to extend my sympathies publicly to Glens family. I wish we could have told Glen how much we appreciated his work and the passion he put into making us look good. He was man of precision, yet had a thousand irons in the fire. A new shooting project on each horizon.
We plan to continue producing articles and issues in the near future. Please bear with us as we work through some struggles. We don’t want to send out anything just for the sake of sending out something. If it goes to your inbox, we want it to be worth looking at. I hope you’ll accept my apologies, and that you look forward to our upcoming issues.
One final note: Please understand that our main mission is supplying shooters and reloaders with supplies and that has presented us with more challenges than you can imagine. The majority of our energy and time has been devoted to getting packages out in the timeliest manner possible for the last 12 months. Like many other businesses through this ordeal, many hats have been worn by all Midsouth Shooters employees to help with the influx of orders. Buyers became packers, operators became pullers, IT guys became order checkers and pallet loaders, and the next day may hold a new position. All of us have packed, pulled, helped receiving, unloaded trucks, restocked shelves, broke down bullets and brass. Our kids, spouses, neighbors have pitched in at times to help add to the effort. It truly has been all hands on deck approach.
Thanks for your time, and your support of The Shot Report,
Michael Ryan
TWRF Raffle! You Could Win an Elk Hunt!
Here’s your chance to harvest a bull elk, right here in beautiful Tennessee. It’s easy to enter, and every ticket you buy goes to help with conservation efforts in our home state. The big hunt isn’t the only prize up for grabs! You could win anything from a deer or turkey hunting package, or a day of fishing with the legendary Bill Dance!
Just follow the link here, and enter to win today!
Tickets on sale now until August 16, 2020 at 11:59pm Central.
Raffle is open to anyone 18 years and older. You do not have to be a resident of Tennessee to enter.
The drawing will take place on Monday August 17, 2020. Winners will be contacted to select their prize package!
7 Winning numbers will be drawn in order. The first eligible number drawn will choose ONE of the 7 prize packages. The second eligible number drawn will choose ONE of the remaining 6 prize packages and so on until the seventh number drawn will receive the remaining prize package.
Ticket Prices: 1 Ticket for $20, 3 Tickets for $50, 10 Tickets for $100
RCBS Rebel Master Reloading Kit Giveaway!
Ultimate Reloader and Midsouth Shooters – RCBS Rebel Master Reloading Kit Giveaway
Midsouth Shooters and Ultimate Reloader are giving away a new RCBS Rebel Master Reloading Kit to one lucky winner. It’s super-easy to enter, totally safe, and you could win one of the coolest kits on the market right now. Just use the portal below, and enter daily!
6mm ARC: New Hornady AR-Platform Round
We’re just getting started talking about this one. Here are a few links READ MORE
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/articles/hornady_6arc.aspx
RETRO-REVIEW: Colt SAA
The Colt SAA is perhaps the most easily recognizable revolver in the world. READ MORE
Heyward Williams
Some handguns give you a 1200 psi adrenaline flow just handling them. Others are as exciting as a dance on broken ground. The Colt Single Action Army is among the former. The Colt is an icon in the truest sense, and iconic handguns and the use they have been put to in times of war and trouble are immensely interesting. Despite being introduced in 1873 the Colt SAA (sometimes called Frontier Six Shooter or Peacemaker) remains in production and is still a useful firearm. I often carry the Colt Single Action Army in the field, as a trail gun, when hiking, and sometimes just because it feels right. My philosophy of a hard hit delivered with accuracy in preference to a flurry of small caliber shots seems a good fit for my lifestyle. The Colt isn’t at the top of the list for personal defense anymore but then it isn’t at the bottom either. For protection against dangerous animals including feral dogs and the big cats the Colt seems just right. The Colt was the first choice of experienced gunners many years ago, in spite of good quality double action revolvers being widely available. Lawrence of Arabia, Frank Hamer, Tom Threepersons, Douglas McArthur, George S Patton and others relied on the Colt SAA for everyday use. It is a practical and hard hitting handgun and these men were on the point of danger. (Hamer and Lawrence each referred to the Colt SAA as their Lucky Gun or Old Lucky, and each also used the 1911 pistol.)
In the early 1870s Colt Firearms was given the task of creating a new Army revolver. The goal was a handgun and cartridge capable of taking a Native American war pony out of action at 100 yards. (More horses than men were killed in practically every battle in the west.) The result was the solid frame Single Action Army. The .45 Colt used a variety of loads ranging from 230 to 260 grains, at 750 to 900 fps, and in both copper and brass cartridge cases. The cartridge lived up to its promise. While there were other cartridges chambered in the Colt, notably the .44-40 WCF, the .45 Colt is my favorite. It resounds with authority today.

The original Army revolver featured a 7 ½ inch barrel. The later Artillery Model featured a 5 ½ inch barrel and finally a popular 4 ¾ inch barrel or Gunfighter’s Model. The Single Action Army requires the hammer be put on half cock to load. Open the loading gate. Load one cartridge, skip a cylinder, load four and cock the hammer and lower it on an empty chamber. The revolver then and now is only safe to carry with five beans under the wheel as the firing pin would rest on the primer of a chambered cartridge otherwise, an unsafe practice. To unload open the loading gate and kick each cartridge out individually with the ejector button. The first guns were manufactured with iron frames that were case hardened to strength. I still prefer the case hardened look with modern high quality steel revolvers. There are incremental improvements in the type and many different chamberings. The SAA earned a reputation as a durable and hard hitting handgun. The balance of the revolver is excellent. It is among the fastest pointing and hitting handguns I have used. The 1911 fits my hand well and it is superior in rapid fire, the double action revolver required a different grip style to stabilize the handgun as the forefinger works the trigger. But nothing points like a finger like the SAA. Even today few handguns are as fast and sure to an accurate first shot at moderate range. The wound potential of the lumbering old slug is unsurpassed in standard calibers although equaled by strong loads in the .45 Auto Rim.

My modern SAA is the 4 ¾ inch version with case hardened frame. The revolver is plenty accurate for most uses. I have used quite a few loads in this Colt and still enjoy working up handloads and testing factory loads. Winchester still produces the original 255 grain conical bullet. The Super X load is faster than the modern cowboy action loads and breaks just over 800 fps in the 4 ¾ inch barrel SAA. This load exhibits excellent penetration. The bullet will tumble in some media creating an extensive wound the length of its travel. I have the greatest respect for this load as a personal defense load and for defense against animals into the big cat class. I have also tested the Winchester PDX hollowpoint. This load operates a modest pressure but jolts a well designed 225 grain JHP at 800 fps. Expansion is good. This loading would make an excellent defense load for home defense. There are combinations I load myself for occasional use that are even stronger including a 255 grain SWC at 1,000 fps, but I do not need these for most uses. With any of these loads the Colt will group five shots into 2-2.5 inches at 20 yards.

A great advantage of the SAA is its balance on the hip. The revolver sets right, with the proper balance of barrel, cylinder and butt to offer a forward tilt on the draw. While I am not adverse to tucking the revolver in my belt — with the loading gate open in the appendix position == you really need a good holster. Among the finest possible holsters to be had is the DM Bullard shoulder holster. This is a relatively fresh design with excellent utility. The holster load bearing harness features a steel reinforcement for rigidity. The holster itself may be detached for belt use if needed. The rig shows excellent fit and finish including creased straps and excellent adjustment. During the winter months there is no handier type of carry. I also use a concealed carry holster with a severe tilt that offers practically as much concealment as an inside the waistband holster. Mine is of carefully crafted exotic leather. Also from DM Bullard this holster is a sturdy companion that keeps the handgun secure but ready for a rapid presentation.
The Colt has the famous plow handled grip and a decent trigger. A tip on firing the beast- don’t take the time to carefully steady the gun and fire slow fire but use it as intended. Draw, cock the hammer as it is brought on target, and press the trigger smoothly but quickly. Colt revolvers are among the most famous of handguns. They are historically important and offer practical utility today. If a sense of history and emotional attachment mean anything to you these are the handguns to have. Don’t lock them in the safe. Fire them often. Carry them. They are valuable but in my opinion more valuable to a shooter than a collector.
The Gunfighters Gun
The history of the gunfighters gun is fascinating and rings true today in handgun selection. READ MORE
Bob Campbell
“Gents, Please send me one of your Nickel plated .45 Caliber revolvers. It is for my own use and for that reason I would like to have a little Extra pains taken with it. I am willing to pay the Extra for Extra work. Make it very easy on the trigger and have the front Sight a little higher and thicker than the ordinary pistol of this Kind. Put on a gutta percha handle and send it as soon as possible. Have the barrel about the same length that the ejecting rod is.
Truly yours
W.B. [Bat] Masterson”

A gun has a face, a soul and a history. Some handguns have been around the block. The Colt Single Action Army revolver built the block. The relationship to firearms isn’t attachment to an inanimate object but rather to the country and a respect for the men that used the firearm. Handguns are used in great wars and battles but most of the actions are close range and of a more personal nature. These battles are less important to the world but important to the men involved in them. The men that used the gun, the men that invented the gun and the craftsmen that made the gun are all important. I mean this in the best sense of the word — the Colt is made by Yankee craftsmen in Hartford Connecticut and has been for many years — over one hundred forty years for the Colt Single Action Army. This handgun was selected for the US Army partly due to General Stephen Benet’s insistence that the Army have the best tool for the job. Among the chores the Colt Single Action Army had to perform was dropping an Native American war pony at 100 yards. The new revolver met a higher standard of reliability, accuracy and power than ever before for a military handgun. The result was a handgun that served the Army well, was adopted by bad and good men in the West, and which rode with western lawmen until the 1950s. Frank Hamer carried his Old Lucky .45 in pursuit of Bonnie and Clyde, and Tom Threepersons favored his custom Colt SAA when walking the mean streets of border towns in the 1920s. Douglas McArthur killed 7 adversaries with his Colt in a number of wild battles in Mexico, while a young George S Patton killed at least two bandits. General Wainwright took his to the Philippines and General Patton wore an engraved SAA in Europe. A young Marine named Jeff Cooper saved his life with the Colt SAA on more than one occasion during World War Two.

“If you want to kill a man use a revolver. If you want to make a lot of noise use an automatic.”
Gen . George S. Patton

The use that the Colt was put to that is the most remembered — and perhaps this is fueled by the cinema — is its use by dead eyed gunfighters in the streets of the old west. They were used in fear, on the side of justice, for retribution, and for survival. Some wielded them with deadly efficiency. The Colt embodies the spirit of the west, and perhaps independence we love and hold dear. This was America’s gun and the piece is closely associated with American lawmen and gunfighters. (Although a young Brit that became Lawrence of Arabia also preferred the Colt Single Action Army.) The Colt was not the most advanced gun of the day. Hinged frame revolvers loaded more quickly and there were double action revolvers that could be fired more quickly. The Colt was rugged and worked, and that is what really counts in a fighting handgun. A warranty means little far from home or a gunshop. The handgun had to be reliable.

The gunfighters gun was the Colt SAA preferred by Bat Masterson, Tom Threepersons, Frank Hamer and others. This was the Colt Single Action Army with 4 ¾ inch barrel. This is the finest balanced handgun in the world, in my opinion. The balance is neither handle heavy nor barrel heavy but simply ideal. The grip has been called a plow handled grip. The angle is nearly identical to the small plows used to till the ground. Most anyone was familiar with this grip in those days. I prefer to think that the grip was designed for excellent hand fit. After all flintlock pistols that came before were not too different in grip angle. When you wrap your hand around the grip of the Colt Single Action Army something says friend. The grip angle allowed a soft rocking in recoil. Even with heavy .45 Colt loadings the revolver was comfortable to fire. As the barrel rose in recoil the hammer was presented at the ideal angle for the shooting thumb to quickly reach and cock the hammer. This isn’t done in the modern manner by reaching from the back of the hammer but by laying the thumb over the hammer. The distinctive sound of the hammer being cocked says C-O-L-T to those with an ear — even if the gun is a modern clone. The .45 Colt revolver cartridge was the most powerful handgun cartridge of the day. Power wasn’t debatable among those that really needed a sidearm. They carried the most powerful revolver available. As for Bat Masterson’s custom front sight Tom Threepersons Gun, now in a museum, also sports a tall front sight. Perhaps these lawmen learned long ago what we know now — keeping your eye on the front sight is what matters in a gunfight. Speed is good, Masterson said, but accuracy is final.

A Divine Angle and Heavenly Balance
Why was the 4 ¾ inch Colt the gunfighter’s gun? The 7 ½ inch barrel Colt was the Army’s choice. The long barrel made certain that the most velocity possible was gained. The long sight radius gave every advantage in firing at aboriginal warriors at long distances. Civilian demand for a shorter length led to the 5 ½ inch barrel revolver in 1875. Colt began offering the 4 ¾ inch barrel version in 1879. It had been a special order item in the past, but the 4 ¾ inch barrel revolver was now a standard offering. Most lawmen worked in town. Few wore ‘traildriver’ attire except when tracking or leading a posse, and this was something done primarily by US Marshals. The town police often wore a suit jacket over the firearm. This practice continued until the time of Tom Threepersons in the 1920s and Frank Hamer in the 1930s. When carrying the revolver under covering garments the 4 ¾ inch barrel revolver was much easier to carry and conceal. While face offs and fast draw contests are primarily the province of the cinema there were times when speed into action could be critical. The 4 ¾ inch barrel Colt cleared leather more quickly than the longer barrel versions. On the other hand the short barrel Sheriff’s or Shopkeeper Model Colt revolvers were not as well balanced or accurate and also eliminated the ejector rod assembly, making reloading difficult. Another big plus for Colt — the revolver was fully ambidextrous. Later swing out cylinder revolvers favored the right handed user. The Colt was sometimes said to favor the left hand handed shooter. With either hand, even switching to the left hand for right handed shooters during reloading, the revolver was ambidextrous. And don’t think the Colt was as slow to load as all that. By snagging a handful of cartridges and quickly ejecting the spent case and slipping another into place as you spun the cylinder the Colt could be reloaded relatively quickly.

The 4 ¾ inch barrel Gunfighter’s gun was brilliantly fast into action. At the usual ranges involved in saloon fights or across the gaming table the black powder loads then in use the adversary’s clothing was often set on fire. This resulted in quite a scene I am certain! The cloud of black powder smoke sometimes found its way under the skin of the protagonists and more than one old time gun fighter wore these flecks under his skin. Having been struck by a bullet on one occasion and on another having a bullet pass my ear so closely it compressed my ear drum I assure you these events are far more nerve wracking than the usual cinematic depiction. The short and well balanced 4 ¾ inch barrel Colt was the greatest gunfighters gun and remained so for many years. Then and now, the Colt was among the more expensive handguns. If just any handgun would do there were handguns available for half the price of the Colt. Today the better replicas — and some, such as the Cimarron, are very good — are not inexpensive. But the Colt was acquired from a burning desire to have the very best handgun on the belt to save your life. The Colt SAA Gunfighter’s gun is a legendary handgun that still delivers speed, accuracy and power. It is an American icon without equal.

A question remains — why did lawmen carry the Colt SAA revolver until well into the late 1940s in some cases? Others, such as Skeeter Skelton, carried the Colt on patrol with the US Border Patrol well after World War Two. The answer is simple — handling, weight and balance. The new breed of double action revolvers offered greater rapidity of fire but their accurate rate of fire wasn’t really different from the SAA. They were much faster to reload, that was true. But due to the more complicated mechanism the double action revolver was larger and heavier. Some, like the Colt New Service, were at least as durable as the SAA. The 4 ¾ inch barrel SAA was no more difficult to carry and conceal than a 4 inch barrel Smith and Wesson Military and Police .38 revolver. The SAA also offered a sweet trigger press and high practical accuracy. When the 1911 automatic came along some Texas Rangers and other lawmen adopted the 1911 because it too was relatively light and had that sweet trigger press. But many, like Frank Hamer, relied upon the SAA for daily carry and only occasionally carried the 1911.

The .45 Colt Cartridge
While the .44-40 WCF was also popular the majority of lawmen carried the .45 Colt cartridge revolver. The cartridge case held 40 grains of black powder under a 250 grain bullet. This load averaged about 900 fps in long barrel revolvers. The cartridge proved adequate at dropping an Indian Pony and drovers appreciated the ability to drop a crazed bronc or steer before it beat a man to death. While some argument may be made as to the superiority of the .44-40 as a rifle cartridge, the .45 Colt was the favorite gunfighter’s cartridge and the one that survived the longest.
California and COVID-19: Gun Control Proposals are Essential, Full Civic Participation is Not
COVID-19 hasn’t curtailed the California Legislature’s never-ending quest for gun control. Read how it’s all part of the process in the Golden State HERE
NRA-ILA
The same cannot be said for efforts to maintain good governance in the Golden State. Through restrictions on access to the state capitol and disorganized attempts at remote hearings, Californians have had their opportunity to be heard during the legislative process diminished by the pandemic.
At present, a handful of significant gun control measures are making their way through the California Legislature.
AB 2847, which passed out of the State Assembly’s Public Safety committee on May 19, would curtail the models of handguns available for purchase in California by requiring the removal of three firearms from the Roster of Certified Handguns for each new model of handgun added to the roster.
That same day the Public Safety committee also advanced AB 2362, which would empower the California Department of Justice to further harass gun dealers by levying fines of up to $1,000 for minor technical violations.
On May 20, the Senate’s Public Safety committee passed SB 914. This legislation would further restrict the ability to loan long-guns to minors and tax gun owners by raising the fees the California Department of Justice can charge for eligibility checks on certain ammunition purchases and precursor parts.
According to NRA’s resources on the ground in Sacramento, changes made to hearing procedure ostensibly for COVID-19 have limited stakeholder participation. Despite being home to Silicon Valley, technical limitations along with confused procedures have limited the opportunity to comment on proposed legislation remotely. In at least one instance, disorderly procedures made it so that witnesses attempting to testify were not notified of when they would be able to speak. Testimony for one committee hearing had to be cut short when the committee appeared incapable of troubleshooting the third-party vendor technology that they were using for the hearing.
Further, during the COVID-19 outbreak, lobbyists have been discouraged from attending committee hearings in-person and meeting with lawmakers in their offices. The term “lobbyist” has taken on a negative connotation in some corners, but when it comes to a civil liberties group like the NRA it is undeserved. In the case of NRA, average gun rights supporters from all over California pool their resources to ensure that their views are represented during the legislative process. Lobbyists that communicate to lawmakers the views and concerns of their constituency, especially those of a grassroots community like NRA, are a vital part of the legislative process.
Restricting avenues of participation in government is anathema to a proper functioning republic. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects “the right of the people… to petition the government for a redress of grievances.?” In regards to lobbying, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun noted in his concurrence in Regan v. Taxation With Representation of Washington that “lobbying is protected by the First Amendment?.”
With their actions during the pandemic, the California Legislature has made clear, that in their view, extremist gun control proposals are essential, but the average citizen’s opportunity to meaningfully participate in the legislative process is not.