Thinking of the old saw, “…time flies when you’re having fun,” this post marks the one year anniversary of my joining the montanaoutdoor.com team. Special thanks go to Angela, Alyson, Kelsey, and of course the Captain and the crew of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show. Their assistance and help with my missives over the past 12 months has made my efforts much simpler and extremely enjoyable. Thank you all, and also thank you to the readers and fans of montanaoutdoor.com.

Let’s start year two with a study of handguns. Over the next little bit we’ll look at the incredible variety of handguns available to firearms owners and users. Of course, as always, safety will be paramount in our discussion of these guns.

While there is an almost infinite number of shapes, sizes, and calibers of handguns, they all fall into one of three basic action designs; single action revolver, double action revolver, and semi-auto pistol. We will take a fairly detailed look at each action and their applications for shooters. Some of the uses for handguns are hunting, plinking, target practice and competition, and self-defense. We’ll compare and contrast each action type as well as the many different models available in each one. The single action revolver is personified by the classic Colt Single Action Army, the Smith & Wesson hand ejector is recognized worldwide as the quintessential double action revolver, and of course the greatest semi-auto pistol of all time is the John Browning

designed Colt Model 1911.

Handguns have been tools used by man for hundreds of years and any discussion must start at the very beginning and that beginning is the invention of gun powder.  Next week we’ll look at the early “hand cannons.”

Openings are still available in this month’s NRA Pistol classes; just go to www.guncoach.net for information and to enroll.

Be safe and good shooting.

Colonel Smoothbore