New Low in Gun Reviews

[yesterdaysyouth]

dave spaulding reviews the sw1911 in the may combat handguns... the last section was titled problems....

first the mainspring housing pin was working it's way out of the frame, but he claims that was easily fixed... but the next part was funny...

he was actually delighted when the white dots fell off the rear sight...???!!!

he's only beef with the gun was the sights, saying he'd add a tritum front and serrate the rear...

either way i think one will find it's way into my stable before long....

 

[gk1]

Worst recent review? Last September or so, there was a review in G&A or ST for the Auto Ordnance WW2-style 1911. They said it was a good buy for the price (~$450-$500) despite:

The front sight fell off.
The locking lugs on the slide were rounded, causing the lugs on the barrel to flake off, locking the gun up tight.

It had to be sent back to the factory TWICE for things that, according to the review, the factory rep said were common production problems that they'd fixed; he was scratching his head over how this one had "slipped by" the new steps in manufacturing... He didn't discuss how they failed to notice that the slide should never have been used in the first place when they were putting new sights on it during the first trip to the factory for repair.

So, if the SW1911 didn't outright blow up, or otherwise fail to be a firearm any longer, this isn't a new low, it's just typical of advertising-driven reviews in the same old rags.

George

 

[smooth operator]

The guy probably didn't pay anything for the gun-That's why it's a "must have"
Jerry

 

[Jim K]

If the reviewers told the truth, there wouldn't be any more reviews. Editors and publishers make far more money from advertising than from magazine sales, and aren't going to print anything that offends the advertisers.

I like Gun Tests for that reason, but sometimes think they may know testing (they can measure a group) but don't know beans about guns. For proof, read their silly story that confuses the modern BAR sporting rifle with the military light machinegun and says they are the same thing. What silly ignorance!

Jim

 

[gk1]

Browning sure made some major changes to that model over the years, eh? Shaved 10 pounds, ~15 rounds, every part, and got it to fire from a closed bolt, too.... That is some pretty impressive ignorance.

George

 

[Oleg Volk]

Try www.swatmagazine.com -- they pan anything that deserves it. Read their reviews of the newest Benelli SG or some Taurus autoloaders and tell me if they let advertising get in the way of the truth as they see it. I suppose having freelance writers helps.

 

[Derek Zeanah]

I suppose having freelance writers helps.

Yeah, but I think having Rich at the head means more.

 

[RON in PA]

Interesting that Metcalf reviews the S&W 1911 in the current issues of both Shooting Times and Handguns. I need to compare and see if he uses the same words. It should PO the editors.

My only question about the Smith version is if the external extracter is an improvement.

 

[Zip06]

I believe the best reviews are on the internet. Gun writers are a mixed lot. Picking the worst is really difficult as the competition is so darned stiff. Nevertheless I would nominate Duane Thomas.

 

[TheFrontRange]

Nevertheless I would nominate Duane Thomas.

I actually like Duane Thomas' articles quite a bit myself. He wrote some pieces in "Handguns" (in the days of Jan Libourel) and "The Blue Press" I thoroughly enjoyed. The only gun mag I've consistently stuck with over time has been "American Handgunner" and I've been wondering what happened to Mr. Thomas.

I will give in to temptation and just ask here, Zip06...are you, in fact, Duane?

Edited by TheFrontRange to add: it occurs to me that it's pretty impolite of me to call you (or anyone else) out like that in a public forum like this. Please forgive any offense on this, and PM me if you'd otherwise like to.

 

[Zip06]

TheFrontRange - a pox upon you. No, I am not Duane. I was born on this planet. Libourel seemed to be his sponsor in writing. I used to buy a lot of gun rags and he wrote quite a bit, hawking a new "best" pistol in each issue; timing himself on drills; denouncing the .40 caliber as an inferior round; and then, after apparently reading the National Inquirer, taking a job as a security guard to do research on the "best" equipment.

 

[TheFrontRange]

You know, I do seem to remember the security guard thing now that you mention it...I recall an article in "The Blue Press" where he was hunting for a duty weapon.

I suppose I likened your style of writing to his, saw your "Pacific Northwest" location and tied that to his being in Washington state (I think?)...that's what I get for jumping to conclusions!

 

[Duane Thomas]

Nevertheless I would nominate Duane Thomas.

Why?

 

[Duane Thomas]

I actually like Duane Thomas' articles quite a bit myself. He wrote some pieces in "Handguns" (in the days of Jan Libourel) and "The Blue Press" I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks!

The only gun mag I've consistently stuck with over time has been "American Handgunner" and I've been wondering what happened to Mr. Thomas.

I'm currently selling to Handguns, Blue Press, Gun World, The Book of the 1911, The Book of the AR-15, Tactical Guns & Gear, Combat Arms, and the occasional issue of SWAT and Front Sight.

I will give in to temptation and just ask here, Zip06...are you, in fact, Duane?

He is not, in fact, Duane.

 

[real_name]

This is quite an old thread, check the date.
You might want to PM the posters to see if they are still around, or check their User CPs and see when they last visited.

 

[Duane Thomas]

No, I am not Duane. I was born on this planet.

So was I. I also know how to be polite.

Libourel seemed to be his sponsor in writing.

I would say that's true. Jan is certainly the editor to whom I made my first sales.

I used to buy a lot of gun rags and he wrote quite a bit, hawking a new "best" pistol in each issue;

Really? When did I ever do that?

timing himself on drills;

Yes, I like testing out techniques with an electronic timer, not just with myself doing the shooting but other skilled shooters, as well. That's actually one of the best things about being a gunwriter. Often, in the pursuit of info to relate to readers, I wind up learning something myself.

denouncing the .40 caliber as an inferior round;

It's true enough I'm not a .40 S&W fan, and I can make a case for why. If anyone else disagrees with me, they're certainly entitled to their opinion.

and then, after apparently reading the National Inquirer, taking a job as a security guard to do research on the "best" equipment.

Not quite sure I get the National Enquirer comment. Yes, for a blessedly brief period of time, years ago, I was an armed security guard. Yes, I wrote a couple of articles on choosing a duty gun. I did not, actually, take that job as a means of researching equipment. I took that job because I needed the money.

 

[Duane Thomas]

This is quite an old thread, check the date.
You might want to PM the posters to see if they are still around, or check their User CPs and see when they last visited.

Naaaah.

 

[mec]

Duane Thomas did me a favor

In the form of the Kraemer/Thomas "Perfectionist" rig. About three years ago, Mark Pixler put me on to this and it has been a perfect rig for my Smith Mountain Gun. Some people can wear an IWB and some cant but I predict that anybody who can tollerate an IWB at all will find the Perfectionist to his liking.
The American Handgunner 2008 Tactical Annual is about to come out and my review of it will be on page 82.

A couple of months ago, I had a piece on the Paterson Revolvers in GUNs Magazine. When I approached the editor about it, I told him that I could do it but not without discussing a number of quality shortfalls in my copy of the version with the loading lever. He said "cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war" or something to that effect. He encourages factual reporting about such things.

I also did the security guard thing and for the same reason as Duane. Money. It didn't pay much, the risks were measurable and there were no beneifits but when you have a wife who thinks money grows on trees and all belongs to her, any little bit helps.

 

[Phil DeGraves]

They can't even get basic facts right. In September 1998, Shooting Times, in a glowing review of the SIG abortion known as the 2340, Layne Simpson states that "SIG stuck by steel in the frames of all of its models except the 239." WRONG! They used alloy frames in all of their models until recently when they started offering stainless frames.

Bruce Gray writes in the Spring 2004 issue of HIGH VELOCITY, talking about the new SIG GSR 1911 pattern pistol, that "Fortunately, SIGARMS respect for JMB's design didn't extend to his funky torsion bar extractor..." You mean those internal ones like the ones they put in the SIG 220, back then? Those funky ones? What a hypocrite! The reason for external extractors has nothing to do with functionality and everything to do with ease of manufacturing and the subsequent cost savings thereby raising the profit margin.

And I think it was Dick Metcalf who wrote the review of the Beretta 8000, praising it's "revolutionary rotating barrel design". Yeah, it was revolutionary back in the 1960s when MAB put in their MAB P15 auto pistol, but there was nothing new about it in the 1990s. What a bunch of idiots!

 

[OldBillThundercheif]

This thread is great. I agree with a lot of the opinions stated here.

1. Gun magazines are terrible. Except Small Arms Review, of course, and they really don't review many modern firearms.

2. Auto-Ordinance (Kahr) makes awful products that do not work. Ask me about my Thompson... go ahead... ask me.

3. The 40 S&W is overrated, inaccurate, and a bad substitute for a .45 or a 9mm

 

[Confederate]

The 1911 design is one that certainly has remained popular, though I haven't seen any out-of-the-box 1911s that I feel are 100 percent reliable. Guns used to be affordable, but even revolvers are creeping up towards the $1000 mark now. Thankfully, used revolvers and automatics are probably the best buys. (I'm in Maryland and everything is expensive because of the state's determination to drive gun dealers out of business, so good deals are few and far between.)

I recall, too, when, as a dealer, I would pay about $200 for a Beretta 92. Then immediately after the military adopted it, the price jumped hundreds of dollars. Shortly after that, they started failing and parts would hit shooters in the face after a few thousand rounds.

 

[Gewehr98]

A correction, if I may...

Auto-Ordinance (Kahr) makes awful products that do not work. Ask me about my Thompson... go ahead... ask me.

Kahr Arms inherited the miserable quality control of Auto Ordnance by virtue of their purchasing that company, so they've got their work cut out for them. A blanket generalization of all things Kahr would not do justice to the fine K9 and K40 line of slim little pocket autoloaders, one of which has amazed me in quality, function, and accuracy for 6 years or so, and I bought it used.

 

[OldBillThundercheif]

Kahr makes overpriced, unreliable junk. I'm glad you got one of their rare non-factory defect afflicted pistols.

 

[rockstar.esq]

I agree that American Handgunner is the only worthwhile magazine I've found. I wrote G&A a heated letter in response to their cover story on the Tikka T3 Tactical. The article went on to admit that they didn't have a T3 Tactical for review but that they'd shot other Tikkas and after checking Tikka's literature they were sure about the following...

For crying out loud they didn't have an actual rifle to review for their COVER STORY!

In an older issue they were carrying on about the amazing SA M25 "White Feather" and all the magic they do to make it better. The article took a BONE STOCK wally world special Remington 7400 with it's Bushnell scope and shot it against the M25 with Honking Zeiss optics. The truth of the matter was that the 7400 out shot the M25 at every range with plain hunting ammo! The group sizes were only mentioned in the photo captions and the writing glazed over the absolutely crushing the M25 took at the hands of an UNPOPULAR DEER RIFLE!

 

[swingset]

Kahr makes overpriced, unreliable junk. I'm glad you got one of their rare non-factory defect afflicted pistols.

Your opinion is based on what? Your 1 auto-ordinance that doesn't work?

I have 3 Kahr pistols, in my club I know of at least 4 more guys that own them and I know a few other guys that I've shot with that have Kahrs too. Only 1 of those guys EVER had a problem of any signifigance, and it was remedied by Kahr pronto.

You talk authoritatively about the company, how much do you actually know?