D.E. Watters

Novak TRI 2011 for Ken Hackathorn

Most of you here should recognize the name of veteran firearms instructor Ken Hackathorn. His history is a bit off here as the first Strayer/Tripp 2011 modular frames were unveiled at the 1992 SHOT Show. Jerry Barnhart even used a Wilson Combat-modified 2011 to win the 1992 USPSA Nationals. The early Chip McCormick-marketed frames wereContinue reading “Novak TRI 2011 for Ken Hackathorn”

10 Years with the Colt 901 (Part 2)

Shawn asked me to do a data dump on the Colt 901 for Part 2 of the series. Initial Modular Rifle PatentsPaul Hochstrate, Laurance Robbins, and Arthur F. Daigle Colt engineers first filed a patent application for their Modular Rifle design in June 2004. “…(M)agazine well 46 may be replaceable and removable such that magazine well 46 may beContinue reading “10 Years with the Colt 901 (Part 2)”

I was close! – The .30 Super Carry and the S&W Shield EZ

Back in November, I wrote this snarky little post about what I thought was going to be called the 8mm Super Carry. At least, that was what Vista Outdoors engineers were calling it back then. Well, it looks like management went another direction, and it is now dubbed the .30 Super Carry. I see thatContinue reading “I was close! – The .30 Super Carry and the S&W Shield EZ”

French Exotics – Arcane and THV

Since I broached the topic of metal-piercing projectiles yesterday with the KTW, here are a couple of French metal-piercing rounds from the 1970s and 1980s. The Arcane was the brainchild of Fabrice Bodet. He filed his first patent application in France in June 1978, and received patent FR2429407B1 in December 1980. Bodet did not getContinue reading “French Exotics – Arcane and THV”

Classic LE Cult Films from Second Chance Body Armor

The following is an eight-hour compilation of classic advertising films from Second Chance Body Armor. It includes “Second Chance vs. the U.A.P.” (1975), “Second Chance vs. Magnum Force” (1989), and “Second Chance vs. the Cop Killers” (1992). These are a weird mix of fictional dramatizations, reenactments of actual armor saves, comedy sketches, and product demonstrations.Continue reading “Classic LE Cult Films from Second Chance Body Armor”

A Collection of Screwdriver Bit Projectile Patents

You can’t seem to swing a dead cat these days without hitting another scalloped projectile design claimed to promote increased temporary cavitation and tissue disruption. In rifles, the initial blame might be placed upon CETME engineer Gunther Voss who designed the asymmetric löffelspitz (spoon-point) bullet for use with the 4.6x36mm CETME/HK assault rifle cartridge startingContinue reading “A Collection of Screwdriver Bit Projectile Patents”

Vintage Super Vel Ammunition Ads

In lieu of another data dump, here is a photo gallery of vintage Super Vel ads from 1967 to 1984

Speer Gold Dot Data Dump

Speer had a early contender in the Gucci handgun bullet race, but they just lacked a fancy marketable name for their Plated Hollow Point (PHP).

Baby Racegun – Cylinder & Slide Colt Government .380

These always made me chuckle. “Aw, do you want to be a .38 Super when you grow up?” Cylinder & Slide first started offering these in the early 1990s. They were meant as a novelty piece for wives, girlfriends, or kids of USPSA shooters. They are in no way legal for any known formal competition.

Is IDPA About to Unleash an Equipment Arms Race?

IDPA’s “Down Zero Blog” recently posted an interesting message from Regional Area Coordinator Lead (RACL) Rick Lund. Since the last rule book was published in early 2017, IDPA HQ has been flooded with inquiries about production pistols that feature otherwise proscribed features like lightened slides, heavy-profile barrels, and weighted grips. After some of these modelsContinue reading “Is IDPA About to Unleash an Equipment Arms Race?”