Shooting Tips

5-Point 1911 Safety Check: Is Your Gun Safe?

By Tom McHale|2022-12-27T10:30:13-05:00December 27th, 2022|

If I had to wager, I’d wager at least 10% of the 1911s I’ve worked on over the decades have had safety issues. Some were even new guns. If I just think about well-used 1911s, I’m betting the percentage is more like 15% or even 20% — especially gun show “parts” gun amateurs often assemble. Not long ago a friend brought me a foreign 1911 (an Argentinian “Sistema” Colt clone) saying it needed some work. No fooling.

Gun Cranks Podcast: Then And Now: Our Concealed Carry Journey

By Tom McHale|2022-12-20T07:58:15-05:00December 20th, 2022|

What was your first carry gun? Tom McHale, Ashley McGee, and Nic Lenze discuss where they started, what they carry now, and how clueless husbands can be.

Top 10 Tips For Urban Survival

By Tom McHale|2022-12-20T07:54:35-05:00December 20th, 2022|

Some people are naturally observant. I’m not one of them. My wife can sprint through a crowded airport on a holiday weekend wearing noise-canceling headphones and then proceed to describe everyone there, who has middle seats on their next flight and which of their kids are taking violin lessons. On the other hand, I could trip over Jabba the Hut playing “I Am the Walrus” on a set of kettledrums and not notice. What’s the moral of the story? I have to work at situational awareness. No, I mean it. I deliberately have to “switch on” when I’m out and about or the world will pass me by while I remain blissfully unaware. As a result, I’ve had to learn and develop some techniques and hacks to help me spot potentially dangerous anomalies and lifesaving opportunities during my daily travels. Maybe some of these strategies will help you too.

1,2,3,4… I Declare a Gun Lube War

By Tom McHale|2022-11-13T15:26:40-05:00November 13th, 2022|

Like all those “Housewives of Toad Suck, Arkansas” reality TV shows, capitalism is subject to the immutable and universal laws of unintended consequences. Take the gun lube market, for instance. We all need it, and presumably, there’s always room for a better mouse grease trap. So, in theory, I have no real problem with the onslaught of miracle gun lube products. Entrepreneurs everywhere have figured out you can package stuff auto repair shops purchase by pallet-loads of 55-gallon drums into teeny, tiny, plastic bottles with eyedropper attachments and charge a per-ounce price equivalent to platinum, and, these days, gasoline. It is not unusual for a container small enough to legally carry on an airplane to cost $15, $25 or even $40. If a container won’t cause anxiety and suffering among TSA agents, it’s small indeed.

Guncranks TV: Are Lever Actions Obsolete?

By Tom McHale|2022-07-30T10:33:01-04:00July 8th, 2022|

With the large number of modern, modular, semi-automatic rifles chambered for intermediate cartridges in circulation, do lever-action firearms still serve a role? Today, the Cranks discuss just that, as well as welcome back Brent Wheat of GUNS Magazine.

Packin’ Heavy — More than 10% of Adults in 15 States Have a CCW Permit

By Tom McHale|2021-11-06T11:14:39-04:00November 6th, 2021|

More than 10 percent of all adults in 15 states are licensed to carry concealed

Gun Cranks TV: Home Brew Ballistic Testing

By Tom McHale|2021-10-23T15:27:28-04:00October 23rd, 2021|

This is one you can do at home. Ever wanted to test your reloaded or

Danger! Scenarios!

By Tom McHale|2021-10-14T10:47:15-04:00October 14th, 2021|

Over the past three days I’ve been shot, stabbed, beaten, wrestled, molested by drunks, thugs and muggers, stabbed some more and killed about a dozen times.

American Handgunner Gunsmithing: 1911 Pistol Sear Spring Savvy – American Handgunner

By Tom McHale|2021-10-12T10:02:15-04:00October 12th, 2021|

The more you know… here’s an interesting explanation of what that weird looking sear spring thingy on a 1911 pistol does...

Build Your Own Pistol, Part 2: How To Assemble An 80% Pistol

By Tom McHale|2021-10-08T11:55:27-04:00October 8th, 2021|

Once you’ve milled your 80 percent pistol frame, it’s time to assemble the parts so you can head to the range. American Handgunner Editor Tom McHale shows you a step by step how-to assembly of a Glock-compatible pistol from 80% Arms.

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