Defense Articles

Handguns have been to the North Pole, the South Pole, and pretty much everywhere in between. Handguns rode along on the B-29 that ushered in the era of nuclear war. Butterfield’s in San Francisco recently auctioned off the Colt 1911 carried by Major “Dutch” van Kirk aboard the plane the dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

The pistol, serial number 468425, was an original 1911 model rather than the 1911A1 that was somewhat more in evidence during WWH.

Pistols And Fighting Men

No matter how powerful multi-million dollar pushbutton killing technology tends to become, war always seems to end on the ground with armed men facing one another with conventional small arms. A powerful handgun has been a source of comfort to fighting men for centuries.

There is no more high-tech field army than that of the United States in Afghanistan at the moment, yet the handgun continues to play a significant role. Field reports indicate enemy soldiers take a lot of 9mm ball rounds from the Beretta M9 before they go down (what’s new?). And generally fall to one or two hardball slugs from the .45 autos that are still in the hands of some special forces personnel, notably the Army’s Delta Force.

There is reportedly a groundswell of requests from our troops to be issued .45 caliber pistols of whatever type to replace the 9mm. Their problem is not with the Beretta pistol so much as with the 9mm FMJ round.

While allied snipers with precision rifles have taken an awesome toll of the enemy, a surprising number of up close and personal gun fights have reportedly occurred in the caves. Some of our troops have been photographed with a holster on each hip.

In Other High Places

The White House has always contained handguns, and not just the duty weapons of the Secret Service. Richard Nixon’s gun collection included two engraved specimens, a Smith & Wesson Chief Special .38 presented to him by the NRA when he was Vice President, and a Colt Government Model .45 auto given him by Elvis Presley.

President Reagan was licensed to carry a Smith & Wesson .32 revolver when he was head of the Screen Actors Guild, and years later, first lady Nancy Reagan told reporters that she habitually kept “a cute little gun” in her bedroom.

I was present at the press conference where the first President George Bush pulled a miniature .22 revolver — I couldn’t tell whether it was a North American Arms or a Freedom Arms — from his suitcoat pocket. A Texas Ranger who body guarded our second President Bush during the primaries told me that our current leader is not only pro-gun, but a very capable handler of firearms himself.

The Guns of Churchill

During the Boer war, Winston Churchill shot several enemy soldiers with his pistol, a “broomhandle” Mauser. In WWII, disgusted to learn that his chief bodyguard carried a feeble Webley .32 auto, Churchill got a Colt Government Model .45 for him.

When he discovered that the security man had gone back to his mousegun, legend has it that the Prime Minister of England snatched back the .45, racked a round into the chamber and on-safed the gun, thrusting it into the capacious pocket of his big overcoat. There it remained for the rest of the war.

Churchill also kept a Thompson submachinegun discreetly accessible in the back of his limousine. British gun expert Richard Law has found photographs of the Prime Minister in which the outline of the big Colt automatic through the fabric of Churchill’s heavy ulster is clearly visible. A few years after the war ended, Colt presented one of their first lightweight Commander .45 autos to a grateful Churchill, who reportedly kept it until his death.

America’s fascination with handguns began a few hundred years ago and became romanticized in the days of the Wild West when Sam Colt truly “made all men equal.” The handgun market has been, for the most part, growing since then.

At the same time, it’s not likely any consumer product has been so loved, hated, defended and vilified as handguns. More than 30 lawsuits filed in the last decade.

Many experts, pro- and anti-gun, believe that if even one of the lawsuits had succeeded, it would have led to the demise of the handgun industry. To date, almost all the lawsuits have been thrown out of court or won outright by the industry. A few remain in litigation.

With these victories, and the shift in the political landscape, the handgun market is experiencing a rebirth. New manufacturing processes, new technologies and new materials are making it possible to build the best handguns in history. New introductions cover the full spectrum of handguns, from small self-defense pistols to heavy-caliber revolvers (See Bonus: “Big Boomers.”)

In addition, the terrorist attacks in 2001 raised consumers’ awareness regarding self-defense, thus expanding the overall market. Yet, the handgun segment of the industry still has challenges.

The Changing Handgun Market

“The most important issue facing the firearms industry in America is the signing of the lawsuit preemption bill,” said Dwight Van Brunt, Kimber marketing and sales vice president. Congressional legislators are considering two bills that would protect the firearm industry from frivolous lawsuits.

Van Brunt also believes the future for handguns will be quite strong, with perhaps a few changes in demographics

If dealers are to survive they must be tuned into every possible way to increase sales, even in a soft market. When handguns are selling, there’s a market for handgun accessories. When handguns aren’t selling, the market is still there for handgun accessories. Shooters may not need a new handgun but they may very well be open to embellishing the handgun they already have.

Mark Shapel, a gun dealer in Idaho, points out that a dealer often makes more money on a $100 sale of accessories than from a $500 handgun sale. Dealers not stocking accessories are losing substantial profits.

What can you do to increase accessories sales? SI called dealers around the country to gather sales ideas that work. Ideas that can help you increase sales even when firearms are not selling.

In our informal survey, SI found that approximately 30 percent of dealers do not stock accessories while 50 percent indicate they do. Dealers interviewed were asked about holsters and related equipment such as padded rags and hard cases, grips, sights and compensators. We covered all parts of the country, talking with successful dealers in Idaho, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and California.

One common factor reflective of these dealerships was a combination of friendliness and enthusiasm. Such conduct costs nothing and requires no extra space but pays huge dividends.

Shapel & Sons in Boise, Idaho, is a third generation gunshop that has expanded with each generation. Through wise use of space it is able to stock more products than shops two to three times its size. It is also the type of store where one feels comfortable just dropping in for no particular reason except to see what is available.

A customer is not pounced upon, nor ignored. If one wants help it is available. Conversely, if someone simply wants to browse or just “hang out” in a friendly place for awhile, Shapel’s is the place. I have been there at least once a week for the past 30 years, and I have yet to see a customer treated disrespectfully. Nor have I ever run into the “know-it-all” attitude that can destroy a gunshop or any other business. Again, this is an attitude that costs nothing but pays huge dividends. It builds repeat business.

Shapel’s maintains a large, easy-to-see display of holsters covering approximately 72 square feet and featuring items from Brauer, Hunter, Safari-land, and Uncle Mike’s.

“If we have leather, they want nylon. If we have camo, they want black,” said Mark Shapel. “For that reason we stock over 200 packaged holsters plus maintain two large barrels of used holsters. It is difficult to stock large quantities of so many different holsters but we must. I try to sell a holster to every handgun purchaser, while having what the shooter who already owns a handgun wants.”

Shapel’s also maintains a large stock of zippered padded cases.

The market has changed dramatically for handgun grips. Instead of the unusable - call them user unfriendly - wooden grips found on many revolvers just a few years ago, most revolvers now come with entirely adequate rubber grips. This was a cost-cutting step by manufacturers which cost the dealers an important accessory sale.

However, the market is still there for quality wooden grips for revolvers and especially rubber grips for semi-automatics. Shapels maintains a large display of aftermarket grips featuring Hogue and Pachmayr models.

“We always suggest these grips to those who purchase magnums that are not equipped with rubber grips,” said Shapel

With so many types of semi-automatics available, Shapel’s maintains a full gunsmithing operation with three types of add-on adjustable sights stocked: Millett, Trijicon and Pachmayr. They do not stock compensators.

Russo’s, in Tallmadge, Ohio, gets a sizable number of walk-ins looking for holsters. The gun shop has over 100 holsters stocked and displayed. Most are Uncle Mike’s nylon, in sporting and police styles, as well as Bianchi leather.

“We especially cater to police officers and order equipment for them as well as keeping a large stock of padded hard cases and zippered rugs,” said Robert Stone.

“Wooden grips, especially those of exotic woods, are beautiful, but they are expensive and hard to move so we stock at least 100 of the rubber grips from Hogue, Pachmayr, and Uncle Mike’s,” Stone said. “Most semi-auto purchasers want Hogue or Pachmayr, so these are an easy sell.”

Smith Gun, in San Angelo, Texas, does not stock the regular line-up of holsters but specializes in one brand. Connie Smith says the “word is out” and customers know they can get an excellent concealment rig by Law Concealment Systems at Smith.

Exotic tactical weapons can’t replace the humble pistol as the weapon of choice in close-quarters, urban combat.

With the news and entertainment media featuring Special Weapons Teams, the general public has long since accepted the image of an elite group of men, clad in BDUs and body armor, carrying exotic weapons as they deal with a criminal or terrorist. Yet, that same public — and the vast majority of the shooters as well — is largely unaware that in spite of the presence of ultra-accurate precision (counter-sniper) rifles, submachine guns, gas launchers and stun grenades, the simple handgun is often the primary weapon of the men who deal “up close and personal” with violent suspects.

True, there are definitely occasions where a precision rifleman will bring the problem to a conclusion from a distance. And, without question, the submachine gun is utilized with ever-increasing frequency, especially by assault and entry less of what assigned weapon each team member carries, the entire team carries handguns.

Why? In the theoretical sense for the same reasons that handguns are used by military personnel in combat zones extra security in case of unforeseen emergencies. In the practical sense, smart SWAT commanders realize that a good handgun in skilled hands is often an excellent primary weapon, capable of dealing with many of the situations commonly encountered in SWAT operations.

Tight Quarters And Haunted Houses

Although the submachine gun is a fine choice for generalized indoor “haunted house” scenarios, the option of having several men armed with handguns is worth examination. Entry teams equipped with handguns can function well within a wider variety of circumstances.

For example, if particularly tight quarters are encountered — and make no mistake, they often are — the handgun-armed team member can take over and the submachine gun-armed members can cover him from a distance. This tactic makes sense in scenarios occurring in stairways, attics and window entries, to name but a few. In addition, the use of an unattached flashlight is better accomplished with a handgun, especially when a good Harries flashlight technique is utilized.

Though perhaps less well known, another reason for arming certain team members with handguns involves the delivery of diversionary munitions — so-called “stun grenades.” SWAT team members often tend to handle and deliver stun grenades with considerable trepidation. On many occasions, they’re so glad to get rid of the device that they get themselves tangled up in the shoulder sling of a shotgun or submachine gun.

Action Products Co.          257
Ajax Custom Grips            258
Alessi Holsters              259
AmeriGlo                     260
Aro-Tek                      261
Bianchi International        262
Blackhawk                    263
Blade-Tech                   264
Boyt                         265
Brooks Tactical              266
Brownells                    267
B-Square Co.                 268
Butler Creek                 269
CCI                          270
Chip McCormick Corp          271
Crimson Trace                272
Decal Grip                   273
DeSantis Holsters            274
DoskoSport                   275
Eagle Grips                  276
Ed Brown Products            277
Fobus U.S.A.                 278
Galco International          279
Gould & Goodrich             280
Heinie Specialty Products    281
HiViz                        282
Hogue Grips                  283
H-S Precision                284
IWI                          285
Kolpin Manufacturing         286
Kwik-Site Corp.              287
Ky-Tac                       288
Laser Devices                289
LaserMax                     290
Lyman Products               291
Mach-II                      292
Mag-na-port                  293
Mec-Gar USA                  294
Meprolight                   295
Michaels of Oregon           296
Millett Sights               297
Milt Sparks Holsters         298
Mitch Rosen                  299
Nill-Grips                   300
Novak                        301
Pachmayr Ltd.                302
PAST                         303
Pearce Grip                  304
Precision Sight              305
ProMag                       306
Ranch Products               307
Robar Co.                    308
Safariland                   309
Scherer                      310
Sidearmor                    311
SureFire                     312
Ted Blocker                  313
The Hunter Co.               314
Trijicon Inc.                315
Triple K                     316
TruGlo                       317
Walther                      318
Williams Gun Sight           319
Wilson Combat                320
XS Sight Systems             321

Handgun optics and sighting devices are not often high on a gun dealer’s “high-profit, must-stock” list. While these products may not command the attention given to long-gun scopes, they provide ongoing and, in some cases, vigorous profits.

“For handguns, we sell low-power optics in the 4.5x or less range and red dot sights. The BSA red dot is popular with our customers,” said Lou Baidridge of the El Cajon Gun Exchange in El Cajon, Calif.

As for rings and mounts, the top-selling brands at the Gun Exchange are Leopold, Redfield, Ruger, Simmons and Weaver.

Setting A Standard

Handgun scopes must meet certain requirements. Primarily, they must have a longer eye relief than those found on typical riflescopes. The distance from the eyepiece to the shooter’s eye on a rifle might be an inch or two. On a handgun, the distance might be 20 to 30 inches, depending on the scope mounting and the length of the shooter’s arms.

In addition, the handgun scope must repeatedly withstand powerful recoil, be lightweight, compact, and acquire the target quickly and easily. Leopold’s EER (Extended Eye Relief)

Handgun Scopes meet all of these requirements, with especially high marks for handling the brutal recoil of today’s large-caliber handguns. Magnum Research and Freedom Arms recommend the Leopold EER scopes for use on their powerful handguns.

The EER scopes come in three models. Fixed versions are the M8-2×20mm EER and the M8-4×28mm BER. Leopold’s variable handgun scope is the Vari-X 2.58×32mm EER with Multicoat 4.

Leopold also has two models of the Leupold/Gilmore red dot sight. The LG35 has a 4 MOA dot and is available in either an all-black matte or a two-tone silver/black finish. The LG-1 has up to a 45-foot field of view at 100 yards.

BSA offers one pistol scope, the PS 2×20. Its parallax is set for 50 yards and the click value is 1 MOA. BSA’s Red Dot sights are available in three tube diameters: 30mm, 42mm and 50mm. The dot has an adjustable brightness control for different light conditions. The sights are available in an anodized matte black finish, matte silver or BSA’s Shadow Black rubber coating.

ADCO offers 14 different red dot sights. They include the long-established Mirage line, the Square Shooter, Vision 2000, the E-dot and the new Vantage sight line. According to ADCO, the Vantage sights share most of the features of the ADGO Mirage Ranger and offer a lower price point without compromising quality.

The Vantage sights are available in two versions. The 1-inch model is 3.9 inches long, weighs 3.9 ounces and has a 3 MOA dot. The 30mm version is 4.25 inches long, weighs 4.9 ounces and also has a 3 MOA. Both are available in black or nickel finishes.

Millett’s newest red dot sight is the MultiDot SP. It features four dots: 3, 5, 8 and 10 MOA, on a 30mm tube. The Millett Redot SP1 has a 3 MOA dot, and the 5P2 has a 5 MOA. The SP1 and SP2 come with Weaver-style vertical split scope rings, scope covers, extension tubes and batteries. All of Millett’s red dot sights are available in black matte or silver finishes.

Millett also offers one of the most extensive lines of mounts for handguns. Mounts are available for handguns from Colt, Dan Wesson, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Taurus, Thompson/Center and Remington.

Bushnell has two handgun scopes, a 2×32mm and a 2-6×32mm, and a red dot sight that features a 5 MOA dot and an 11-position brightness control. Bushnell’s HOLOsight “projects” the appearance of an illuminated crosshair 50 yards in front of the gun, yet no light is emitted. The holographic technology permits extremely rapid acquisition of the target. The HOLOsight has 20 brightness settings and is available with a standard reticle, or a new 1 MOA dot reticle.

Swift Instruments has three handgun scopes in 1.25-4×28mm variable and a 2×20mm and a 4×32mm. For 2001, Swift added another red dot sight to its line. Joining the Fire-fly lx30mm is the Aerolite Red Dot lx2lmm. It has a field of view of 39 feet at 100 yards.

Tasco’s two pistol scopes are the P2×20 and the P1.254×28. With a magnification of 1×25x-4x, the P1 scope is 8.6 inches long and weighs 8.3 ounces. Tasco’s Optima sighting device has proven popular with many customers. Its short length of 1.5 inches, and light weight of 1/2 ounce, make it the tiny champion of sighting devices.

The red dot lineup from Tasco continues to grow. Joining its already extensive offerings are the new Red Dot lx30mm and lx42mm. Both sights have 5 MOA dots and 11-position rheostats.

Burris scopes are regularly found on handguns, including the Taurus .454 Casull Raging Bull. There are 17 handgun scopes in the Burris line. The Model lx XER has 4 to 24 inches of eye relief, which is ideal for close-in shooting. The highest power of the Burris handgun scopes is the 3×12x. Burris also has an extensive line of steel rings and bases.

We must remember that most of today’s firearm technology really began in the waning years of the 19th century. In 1896 John Browning received patents that covered the three basic operating systems of automatic pistols. Those designs have evolved and directly influence almost every automatic pistol design available today.

Two of Browning’s designs account for virtually every automatic pistol operating system made in the world today. They are direct blowback and short recoil locked breech. Gas operation — also a Browning patent — is used sparingly in handguns.

Straight blowback is found in the vast majority of pistols from .22 to .380 caliber. Those chambered for 9mm or larger cartridges generally use the locked breech design principle. Without a doubt the most well known example of that is the 1911 pistol that was standard in our military until 1985.

Another Browning design, the P-35 Hi-Power is equally important. The swinging barrel link lockup of the 1911 design is little used on guns other than the 1911, but the cam action lockup pioneered in the P-35 is used on almost every other locked breech design around today.

One exception to that principle — and another very important gun — is the Walther P-38. It was the first double-action military handgun to introduce us to a locking system that is, while not a Browning derivative, still used in the M-9 Beretta pistols. It was also a gun designed to be manufactured economically by the machine standards of the 1930s. Even during the worst years of the war, serviceable P-38 pistols were made.

Oldies And Goodies

By now I expect you’re making your own list of great 20th century guns and wondering when I’m going to get around to mentioning your favorite. Some of the classics really don’t qualify. Everybody loves the Luger and the Broomhandle Mauser, but neither really play an important part in the evolution of firearms in the 20th century.

One oldie — the Walther PP family — earns a place on my list, not because of huge sales but because of the double-action trigger mechanism first seen there. That is a key element of many current designs, and the present day double-action-only is obviously an evolutionary product.

If there is any single pistol that typifies the waning years of 20th century it is the wide-body class of 9mm pistols called wondernines. Maybe it’s a sad commentary on our world and the quality of firearms decisions made by the military and law enforcement, but high-capacity double-action pistols — first chambered in 9mm and more recently in .40 S&W — have been a dominant influence in mass handgun manufacturing for the last quarter century.

It’s really hard to explain how that came to pass. Browning started the staggered magazine designs with his P-35 Hi-Power before World War II, and in the late 1940s the U.S. tested some high capacity 9mm pistols such as the Colt T-4 and High Standard T-3 (which used the Browning magazine) before deciding to stick with the 1911 .45. Smith & Wesson’s entry, then called X-100, went on to become the only commercially manufactured gun from those trials, the Model 39.

Its big brother, the Model 59, became the first pistol to truly fit the wondernine definition. It was a slow starter, for even though S&W began experimenting with a 14-shot design in 1964, commercial production did not begin until 1971.

Seemingly overnight firepower became law enforcement’s cause celebre and the switch from revolvers to semi-automatic pistols swept the nation. Of course the civilian market followed law enforcement’s lead and the high capacity 9mm pistol enjoyed popularity to a far higher level than it deserved.

Smaller And Lighter

At about the same time that the demand for more bullets reached frenzied proportions, Gaston Glock came along with something truly original that is probably the most significant handgun development of the last half of the 20th century. His “plastic pistol” revolutionized handgun design.

Then, our government decided we needed some more of their protection so those dreaded high-capacity magazines became sorta’ illegal. In so doing, they created a whole new market.

The public reasoned, if you can’t have lots of bullets, you should make the guns just big enough to fit the bullets you have, and “compact” became the marketing concept of the day.

An Impressive Inventory Is Available To Meet The Needs of Today’s Demanding Customer!

Slling handguns is a daunting challenge in today’s tough market. The harsh summer slump has dealers scrambling to create greater incentives to attract customers.

“We will not be undersold!” declares Carl Ingrao, owner of Four Seasons Firearms in Woburn, Mass., on his Website. “We will meet, and probably beat, any Massachusetts dealer’s price on any brand new, Massachusetts compliant handgun! Buy with confidence and also receive the best service possible.”

Manufacturers are also offering an impressive variety of handgun models. There was a healthy number of new handgun offerings unveiled at this year’s SHOT Show. In addition, a number of manufacturers released mid-year models.

At the El Cajon Gun Exchange in El Cajon, Calif., variety is key to handguns sales.

“We carry Colt, Springfield, CZ, Glock, H&K, Ruger, Kahr, SIG Sauer, Magnum Research, Para-Ordnance and Taurus,” said Lou Baldridge of the El Cajon Gun Exchange. “This is not an upscale, high-income area of San Diego. The people we sell to have lower to middle incomes and always look for bargains.”

Handgun Inventory

Ruger, the nation’s top handgun manufacturer, continues to offer a wide variety of handgun actions and calibers. The little Ruger Model 22/45 semiauto .22 rimfire pistol is perfect for target practice, plinking and recreational shooting. The magazine holds 10 rounds and the barrel measures 4 or 5.5 inches, depending on the model. The grip angle and feel are designed to approximate a 1911 pistol.

Another Ruger handgun that sells well is the SP1Ol revolver in .357 Magnum, .38 Special, .32 Magnum and .22 LR. Barrel lengths are 2.25, 3.06 and 4 inches.

Ruger’s Vaquero series continues to dominate cowboy action sales. New for 2001 is the Bird’s Head grip, now available on the blued and stainless versions of the Vaquero.

Beretta’s Cougar and Mini Cougar in .45 ACP attract customers familiar with Beretta quality. The .45 Cougar has an eight-round magazine, while the Mini Cougar comes with a six- and an extended eight-round magazine.

The lightweight Beretta 9000S pistols feature a fiberglass reinforced technopolymer frame and two steel rail inserts. Soft high-tech polymer grips are overmolded onto the frame. Available in four versions and two calibers, 9mm and .40 S&W, the unique look of the 9000S is attracting customers.

Bersa pistols are distributed in the United States by Eagle Imports. The compact Bersa Thunder .380 double-action pistol is offered in matte, satin nickel and blued finishes.

Among the features found on the CZ pistol are three-dot illuminating sights and up to 16-round magazines for law enforcement customers. Several versions and finish options are available for the CZ 75B, intended for law enforcement, self-protection and competitive shooting. The 75PCR Compact was designed for the Czech police and has a 10-round magazine.

Charter 2000, formerly Charter Arms, is producing the .44 Special Bulldog and the .38 Special Undercover revolvers, each with five-round cylinders.

Dan Wesson’s interchangeable-barrel revolvers are back, thanks to new owner Robert W. Serva, who purchased the company in 1996.

“Our goal is not to produce the highest volume in the cheapest way possible,” Serva said. “We will only be satisfied with the best of the best, and only until we can make it even better — just like Dan Wesson himself.”

The new Dan Wesson handguns have received top reviews from dealers and customers. The company now offers numerous revolvers featuring the unique Wesson interchangeable barrel system. These include the New Generation Small and Large Frame Series and the New Generation SuperMag Frame and Compensated Series.

Wesson also has introduced a series of Model 1911 semi-automatics in .45 ACP. The Pointman pistols, designed for LDPA and IPSC matches, have caught the attention of shooters.

“The Pointman, you can’t buy a more accurate pistol for PSC,” said Donny Lairson, owner of AA Gun Sales in Artesia, N.M. “And Dan Wesson is doing a lot to help the dealer.”

Glock continues to dominate the law-enforcement market. Experts say that more than 1.5 million Glock pistols have been imported into the United States in recent years. A recent introduction is the Glock Model 36 single stack in .45 ACP. The pistol measures 6.77 inches overall and holds a six-round magazine. For a quick add-on sale, display a Pearce Grip M36 Plus One Extension with the Model 36. The extension adds an additional round to the magazine, plus it makes the small Glock more comfortable to shoot.

Why Patton Carried Two Guns

We know that George S. Patton, the most pugnacious and perhaps the most famous American general officer who actually took the field in World War II, carried two handguns as his trademark. At first, they were twin Colt Single Action Army .45 revolvers. After he gave one of that brace of sixguns to a Hollywood star he admired and appreciated having the courage to entertain his boys at The Front, he backed up the remaining Peacemaker with a 31/2-inch barreled Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum.

Many thought the pair of ivory-handled revolvers conspicuously strapped to his waist connoted merely showmanship. Certainly, there was some of that. Patton knew the importance of inspiring his troops, and if it took flamboyance to make an inspiring impression then, by all the gods of war, he would be flamboyant.

But, it turns out, there was more than that. Stanley P. Hirshon’s biography General Patton, published in 2002 by Harper Collins, contains Patton’s explanation to his friend, General Kenyon A. Joyce, of exactly why he carried two handguns instead of just one.

Handgun optics are no longer an exotic option used by competition shooters and handgun hunters. Today, they’re mainstream products. Handgun optics help all handgunners shoot better, making them popular accessories in almost every aspect of shooting. That, coupled with hot-selling handguns, makes for enhanced sales and profits.

In Ogden, Utah, Scott Van Leeuwen owns and operates the Gift Shop and is “Ogden’s oldest and friendliest gun dealer.” What are his hot sellers in handguns and handgun optics?

“I stock quality products,” said Van Leeuwen, “and stay away from low-end stuff.” Various types of combat shooting, bowling-pin shooting and a burgeoning interest in target shooting drives handgun sales at the Gift Shop. Customers usually know what they want in handguns. Optics and enhanced sights are a different matter. Van Leeuwen sells red dot sights with a simple demonstration.

“Want to see something neat?” he asks a customer. He then hands the customer a red dot sight and tells them to aim it at “that buffalo over in the dark corner.”

The improved targeting is dramatically apparent to the customer. The rest of the sale deals with price ranges of different scopes. Millett and Swift are two of his most popular red dots. He sells a limited number of Bushnell HoloSights, because, according to Van Leeuwen, they’re viewed as more complicated and too high-tech by shooters accustomed to iron sights. However, the Bushnell units get high marks from those customers willing to give them a try.

Improved Shooting

At Kent’s Sports Store, also in Ogden, the CCW market drives handgun sales.

“It’s about a 50/50 split between revolvers and semi-autos for CCW,” said Randy Stanger.

Hot-selling revolvers are the Taurus Model 85 and Ruger Model 101, while the semi-auto of preference is Kel-Tec’s Model P 32 in .32. According to Stanger, revolver shooters prefer the simplicity of wheelguns, while his semi-auto customers are looking for minimal carry weight.

For home defense and general shooting, Glocks are Stanger’s big mover. In the specialty category, the Ruger Redhawk in .454 is a hot ticket. Handgun hunting drives much of the Redhawk sales.

“About half the .454 buyers are serious hunters, but the other half ‘just have to have it!’” said Stanger.

In optics, red dot sights are the big mover at Kent’s, with Leupold, Millett and Simmons leading the pack. Stanger sells a more limited number of scopes with Leupold, Simmons and Weaver dominating.

In pushing optics, Stanger says you must exercise some care. You don’t want to appear overbearing or opinionated when discussing optics with die-hard, iron-sight purists, Stanger cautions.

He usually starts by asking about the intended use of the new handgun. Obviously, for small CCW handguns optics aren’t a viable option. But for general shooting, home defense or handgun shooting sports, there’s an opportunity for an additional sale. The second question, and frequently Stanger knows the answer before asking, is about the buyer’s eyesight.

Almost everyone over 40 years old can use some visual help, and in less than optimal light conditions, even some of the self-proclaimed “eagle eyes” experience blurring. Selling an optic with the gun not only improves the buyer’s shooting skills and subsequent enjoyment, it ensures he buys it from you rather than from someone else later when he finally recognizes he needs help.

Satisfied Customers

In Mesa, Ariz., Brett Elliot, manager of the Arizona Sportsman, has developed a large optics department. He has a keen understanding of what optics — types and brands — sell with different handguns. For example, the Sportsman sells a lot of .22 caliber handguns to recreational shooters who equip their guns with red dot sights. Brett observes that most of the .22 caliber handgun buyers choose a red dot in the $100 range, like those from Tasco and BSA.

Buyers of centerfire handguns, who opt for red dot sights, tend to buy the more expensive brands from Burns and Leupold, according to Elliot. Centerfire handgun buyers, particularly those who hunt, are more likely to buy a scope instead of a red dot sight.

Elliot candidly discusses with customers the pros and cons of both options. He points out that while scopes are bulkier and heavier than red dot sights, they offer greater magnification options and are not dependent on batteries.