Here are the top ten handguns that provide maximum quality and function for the dollar. ¶ So, you're in the market for a top-notch handgun and now you're suffering from sticker shock. Good handguns rarely come cheap. Most shooters like old-world craftsmanship, but such labor-intensive manufacturing is expensive. ¶ New techniques have helped. Ruger pioneered investment casting in quality handguns. HK pioneered the use of polymer in pistols...

No one can promise this year's NCAA Tournament will match the fabulous frenzy of last year's, when the first day of competition featured one overtime game, nine contests decided by 4 or fewer points and seven upsets of higher seeds, including the fourth first-round loss by a No. 2 seed in 17 years. But this tournament will be unlike any you've seen. ¶ You've probably heard about the new procedures the NCAA men's basketball committee will employ...

Handgunners who want to experience the world's biggest pistol have to look no further than the catlog of Magnum Research to find the ... ¶ Magnum Research's Desert Eagle has returned home. The big bird was briefly made at Saco Defense in Maine when Magnum Research was looking at other manufacturers besides the original maker, Israeli Military Industries. But when Saco was sold and the company subsequently committed to defense products, the Eagle...

In November of 1926, John Moses Browning dropped dead while working in his office at Fabrique Nationale headquarters in Herstal, Belgium. The project in front of him when he collapsed was the finalization of his Superposed shotgun, but if you ask most students of firearms what his last design was, they will most likely reply, "The Hi-Power pistol!" ¶ Well, not exactly. Browning was certainly responsible for the Hi-Power's little known...

The new .204 Ruger is a varmint shooter's dream cartridge. It shoots flatter and resists wind drift better than the .22-250 Rem., better even than the mighty .220 Swift. It does so with a third less powder, meaning longer barrel life, less cost, lower recoil and milder report. ¶ Like many avid varminter, I've come to depend on two classes of .22 centerfires. For windy days or for ranges over 300 yards, I like a big-case .22 such as the .22-250...

Today's great drop-in accessories mean you don't need to be a gunsmith to turn your rimfire into a high-performance shooter. ¶ Take a poll and you'd probably discover that the second most commonly customized firearm in the country is the humble little Ruger 10/22. First on the customizing list would surely be the 1911 Government Model and all its various clones, but using the Brownells catalog as a reference, it seems that parts for the Ruger...

After 38 years this classic bolt action is still America's favorite rifle. ¶ I can't remember when I acquired my first Model 700 Remington, but it was many years ago. I've used many of these ubiquitous rifles over the years, and my current collection includes four M700s in various configurations, along with the same number of compact Model Seven carbines. ¶ When the Remington Model 700 first appeared 38 years ago, it was an instant hit...

Is this the shape of handguns to come? ¶ A radically new pistol/cartridge combination graces the cover of this first issue of American Handgunner in the 21st century. The gun was developed as part of a military weapons system and is also available to law enforcement. For reasons that will become obvious, neither the gun nor the ammunition will ever be sold to civilians or even to individual officers. ¶ Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal...

RANDY JOHNSON, THE FIRST LEFTHANDER to win as many as 24 games in a season since Frank Viola did it for the Twins in 1988, continued his dominating performance as the most complete pitcher in the major leagues in 2002. ¶ In fact, The Big Unit has been the most imposing figure to stride the pitcher's mound over the last ten years (1993-2002). ¶ During that span, Johnson has won 175 games, lost 58 (.751 winning percentage), struck out 2,928...

Beyond conversations, these tailor-made autoloaders provide exceptional performance and accuracy. ¶ When Ruger introduced the 10/22 autoloader in 1964, it set the stage for a new cottage industry. The little rifle was an immediate hit with shooters, who were quick to appreciate its excellent accuracy and reliability. Adding to the 10/22's appeal, was its military barrel-band styling, which reminded many of the light, handy, World War II M1...