Very inspiring story! We each have moments and memories in our lives that fill us with pride and inspire us. One of those for me is this video about the Second Amendment by Newt Gingrich. There are a couple of instances in this 14 minute speech that give me goose bumps, bring tears to my eyes, and cause me to choke up with pride. The image of our fore fathers fighting the last impossible battle under the command of a General who had been in the field for eight years is inspiring and fills me with pride. That battle was fought at Valley Forge and marked the turning point in the history of a free nation. We must understand that the Second Amendment is all about that battle to become a free nation and then to protect our freedom afterward. Without those wonderful men of the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington we would be British Subjects today and the Second Amendment would not exist. If we standby and allow the Second amendment to be infringed in any way then the rest of the Constitution will soon be rewritten by persons who don’t understand how fragile their freedom is. These are the people who trust in the government and who think that tyranny couldn’t happen here again. The Second Amendment is all about protecting freedom. It has nothing to do with hunting.

In the wake of the heartbreaking Newtown tragedy we are all aware that there is in progress a coordinated effort to fundamentally change gun ownership in the United States. The Progressive Liberals and gun rights activists have seized upon this time of highly charged emotions to once again introduce gun ban legislation and implement gun control.

We must work together to present an organized united front to counter any attempts to take away all or part of our inalienable right to keep and bear arms. Here is what you can do right NOW!

1. Contact your representatives.
2. Join the NRA if not already a member.
3. Encourage others to join the NRA.
4. Spread the word on YouTube, and through social media i.e. Face book, Twitter.

Click HERE to Contact your Representatives. An easy way to contact your representatives. Use the NRA tool. Just type in your ZIP code and it will show you all contact info for your Representative and Senator. You don’t have to be an NRA member to use this. It even has an email form in which to type in your message.

Here is a sample message. Cut and paste it into the message box. Send as is or add your own comments.

“I strongly urge you to oppose Sen. Feinstein’s 2013 gun and magazine ban and any other gun and magazine ban. I also strongly urge you to oppose any attempt at gun registration or gun owner registration.”

Click HERE to Join the NRA. The NRA is our strongest advocate. They have been fighting for gun rights for years and have built up a professional organization. Our best weapon in this fight for freedom is a strong NRA membership.

Ruger Firearms has also joined the fight and has provided an easy contact page to Send a message to all your political representatives.

SCCY CPX2 TuTone

The SCCY CPX2 seems to be gaining in popularity. Reviews and range reports have improved somewhat since the first SCCY firearms were introduced. The CPX2 is a small double stack 9mm which favors and has its origins in the KelTec P11. Not surprising when the founder of SCCY Industries is a former KelTec employee. An important feature of these handguns is the limited lifetime warranty that stays with the gun. This means that if you purchase a used CPX2 that it will still be covered by the limited warranty.

The present version is called the Generation 2 CPX and features many improvements and design changes to get the gun to operate reliably. These include:

Barrel and slide – machined from stainless steel
Receiver – machined from 7075‐T6 aircraft grade heat treated aluminum alloy
Grip Frame – Zytel polymer with finger grooves and cushion back‐strap
3 dot sight system – Windage adjustable rear sight
Hammer firing system –  double action only internal hammer
Manual Safety – On CPX‐1 only. CPX-2 has NO manual safety
Double action trigger – 9 pound trigger pull
Magazine – Two 10 round double stack magazines included

CPX-1 and CPX-2 Generation 2 Specifications
Barrel Length: 3.1″
Height: 4″
Length: 5.7″
Width: 1″
Weight: 15oz

Video Review

The reviews and range reports are mixed. I looked into buying a CPX2 but decided against  it. I already purchased one low buck pistol, the KelTec PF9. My opinion at this time is that you get what you pay for. The whole purpose of these small concealable pistols is self defense. I just can’t get by idea of trusting a cheap handgun. For example, why buy a PF9 that often requires some fitting and polishing to get the gun to operate reliably. For $100.00 more you can buy the Ruger LC9, virtually the same gun but heavier built with quality fit and finish. The CPX2 is in the same category. There are many more similar sized proven 9mm concealed carry pistols on the market. Unless you just like to fiddle with your gun why buy a cheap pistol and get involved with product beta testing.

Here is an excellent CPX2 review that addresses the pros and cons of this inexpensive KelTec P11 clone.

” This gun had a crappy reputation in it’s original incarnation. SKYY, as the company was originally called, was founded by former Kel-Tec employees who apparently were not terribly bright. First they built a gun with sub-standard materials. There were more than a few examples of the CPX-1 exploding and injuring shooters. The owner of my local range said they had a CPX-1 explode and shred a guy’s hand at the range. So why did I buy it?

SCCY also designed a piss-poor manual safety which was too easy to manipulate. Apparently it was not uncommon to have the recoil from the first shot cause your thumb to actuate the safety, thus preventing you from firing a follow-up shot without taking the safety off. By that time, though, unless your first shot was a good one, you’re dead. Anyway, the problem was so bad that the company started sending out kits to allow you to remove the safety lever. You don’t need one in a double-action-only (DAO) gun anyway…your finger is the safety. But, I digress.

To make things worse, the company CEO got caught trolling message boards bragging about his products pretending to be a regular consumer. Not good form. Top it off with the fact that the Vodka brand SKYY forced them to change the company name to the even more rediculous “SCCY” (still pronounced “sky”) and you’ve got a winner, right?

I saw a Second Generation CPX-2 at a local shop and actually fondled it and it felt really good in my hand. So I did some research on the internet and read some good things about the second generation. They apparently dumped the idiot CEO, changed raw materials providers, and changed the design of the gun to merit a handful of promising reviews. Plus it was selling for right around two bills.

The gun breaks down like a Kel-Tec or a Ruger LCP. It has last-round hold-open and a manual slide lock. While the CPX-1 still has a manual safety, the CPX-2 eliminated it altogether. It has a long, heavy, nine pound, double-action trigger pull, eliminating the need for an external safety. The sub-standard steel used in the first generation has been replaced by stainless steel slides and barrels in the second. It is hammer fired, not striker fired, but the hammer is internal, giving it the appearance of a striker-fired gun.

My first range trip was not promising, though. It felt good in the hand, but shooting it was another story. The light weight means the recoil is pretty snappy, and after about 75 rounds the palm of my strong hand was throbbing. Understanding that this is a self-defense gun, not a range gun, I reluctantly dismissed that issue.

The biggest problem, though, was the magazines. The gun ships with two steel, 10-round, double-stack magazines with interchangeable floor-plates with finger extensions. Unfortunately I was never able to get 10 rounds in them. One of them maxed out at eight and the other at five. If you forced more than that, the followers got stuck and the ammo jammed. I took both mags apart and re-assembled them. I even sanded the followers to reduce any drag, which seemed to help, but it never solved the problem entirely.

I called SCCY customer service to ask about the magazines, hoping they would offer replacements. They didn’t. The lady on the phone was not very helpful and didn’t go out of her way to be friendly. She offered no advice and basically told me to ship them back and they would have a look at them. At my expense.

Despite the initial objections of the instructor, I successfully qualified with it to get my Concealed Handgun Permit, shooting a perfect score with reasonable accuracy. The instructor impressed on me the need to carry a “combat proven” brand so I traded up.

Overall, I’d say the SCCY is proof that you get what you pay for. It has the makings of a decent pistol, and SCCY may yet overcome their rough start, but both the gun and the company still have some maturing to do.

Concealability: a very concealable form factor just 1″ thick, 4″ high, and 5.7″ long with snag-free edges.

Accuracy: not intended for long-range shooting, but will get the job done at self-defense range (3-7 yards).

Reliability: there were plenty of feed issues, mostly related to crappy magazines.

Ease of Use: disassembles/reassembles like a Kel-Tec or Ruger LCP.

Features: two magazines standard, adjustable sights, “second strike capability” so if the round doesn’t ignite, you can pull the trigger try again.

Aesthetics: has a basic Kel-Tec look with nicer lines.

Comfort: the textured grip feels good in the hand and supposedly reduces felt recoil, but the light weight makes it a very snappy shooter. Definitely not a range gun.”

You can read the original SCCY CPX2 Review on the Armed Lutheran blog.

Here are links to some additional SCCY CPX2 9mm Reviews that may be helpful and of interest:

Review 1

Review 2

Review 3

Review 4

Other SCCY Posts on Home Defense Weapons website:
SCCY CPX-2 Subcompact Review

Marlin Firearms has changed ownership and in 2008 Remington took over manufacturing at the New Haven, CT plant. Unfortunately the first few years of production suffered from ridiculous quality issues. Because of the quality issues it is important to be able to tell a Remington manufactured Marlin from a traditional high quality Marlin. The last full year of traditional Marlin production ended at the New Haven, CT. plant in 2007. Rifle Serial numbers beginning with 93 indicate the 2007 production year. These are the last of the original Marlins made with traditional fit, finish, and quality.

Remington serial number located on receiver left side

How to identify a Remington made Marlin 336; The serial number is located on the left side of the receiver. If the first two digits of the serial number begin with 90, 91, 92, or MR then it is a Remington manufactured Marlin 336.

Marlin 336 Serial Number first two digits indicate year

How to verify an original Marlin 336
The real Marlins will have all of these identifiers.

• Serial number DOES NOT begin with 92, 91, 90, or MR.
• Serial number stamped on tang – The Marlin 336 beginning in 1948 and continuing through 2007 have a serial number stamped on the tang where the receiver attaches to the stock. The older models have the serial number stamped on the tang under the lever.
• Made in New Haven, CT. stamped on left side of barrel.
• Proof mark “JM” stamped in barrel where it meets receiver.

How to identify Remington built Rifles
Any of these identifiers indicate a “RemLin”

• Serial numbers starting with 92, 91, 90, and MR are “RemLins”, regardless if the proof mark is JM, or if New Haven, CT may be stamped on the barrel.
• Remington Serial number is stamped on the left side of the receiver
• Remington barrels have “REM” proof mark

NOTE: Remington took over the Marlin New Haven plant in 2008. Manufacturing continued there until 2011 when production was moved to Llian, NY. During that 2008 – 2011 time period the rifles were built with left over Marlin parts and parts made under the new Remington management. The Marlin serial number system, barrel roll stamp, and JM proof mark were used by Remington at New Haven until 2011. Rifles built during this time frame will have serial numbers starting with 92 for 2008, 91 for 2009, and 90 for 2010 dates of manufacture. The serial numbers were located on the receiver left side. The MR serial numbers began in 2011 after all manufacturing was moved to Llian, New York.

Over the last couple years I have been checking out the Marlin 336. I recently saw a blued 336 at my local gun shop and my interest was renewed. It was a nice looking rifle but I decided to do a little price checking and research before closing the deal and I’m glad I did. Here is what I learned;

My Marlin 336 SS Stainless 30-30 with American Black Walnut Stock

To my surprise, the Marlin Firearms company that is famous for building high qualitly moderately priced lever action rifles has been sold. Marlin was bought out by a large conglomerate that owns Remington and several other firearms manufacturers. The purchase took place in 2007 but Remington didn’t start assembling guns until the last half of 2008. As is usually the case when a company is bought out,  the new owner starts to cut costs to improve the bottom line. In 2009 the Marlin production of lever action rifles was moved to Llian, New York. The problem with making the move and closing the long established manufacturing facility in New haven, CT was that the vast experience of the old time, skilled gun smiths and artisans who built the traditional Marlin lever rifles was lost in the move. This is quite evident in the first lots of guns manufactured under the auspices of Remington management. There is a lot more to building a quality firearm than running machines and milling wood to make parts and then screwing them together. There is just no comparison in fit, finish, and quality control between a traditional New Haven, CT Marlin made prior to 2008 and a Remington/Marlin, affectionately known as a RemLin, made after 2008. The horror stories about ill fitting wood, rough actions, actions that don’t operate, barrels that were drilled and machined off center, and sights that are ridiculously not vertical to the center line of the rifle abound. Although there are more than enough negative articles about RemLins online, there are beginning to be positive reports of gun owners who purchased Remington built Marlins who are happy with their new rifles. Perhaps Buying a new Remlin is OK now that they have gotten over the initial start up quality issues. I would still perform a good pre-sale inspection.

Because of the many quality control issues noted with the Remington built Marlins I made it a point to buy an original traditional quality Marlin made in New Haven, CT prior to 2008. Mine is a 2007 vintage with JM proof mark and made in New Haven, CT stamped on the barrel.

The Marlin 336 is probably the most popular rifle ever made and has taken more deer than any other hunting rifle. The popularity of the Marlin model 336 is not just due to the nostalgia of owning a lever action rifle, but is also a combination of rugged reliability, ease of use in thick brush, accuracy, the flexibility to use standard iron sights or a scope, and the stopping power of the low cost medium powered 30-30 Winchester round.

At first glance the Marlin lever action rifle looks similar to the Winchester 94, the rifle that “won the west”, but the differences, or rather improvements, are significant. The 336 ejects out the side and has a flat top that is drilled for easy rail and scope installation. The Winchester ejects out the top making scope installation more complicated.

Marlin 336 disassembly for cleaning is as easy as removing the lever pivot screw. The Winchester requires a more detailed disassembly for cleaning. The Marlin 336 models have a simple action, the Winchester action is more complicated with more moving parts.

The Marlin 336 is an update to the model 36 that was first designed and manufactured in 1936. Updates included a stronger rounded tubular bolt in place of a square-ish tube bolt to make the rifle stronger and capable of shooting more powerful rounds and larger calibers.

There are dozens of variations of the Marlin 336 all based on a basic model which today is the 336W a model that was exclusively sold by Wal-Mart. My 336SS is basically the 336W in stainless.

Popular Marlin 336 models for sale at Impact Guns; Marlin 336SS stainless version of the 336W

Marlin 336 Specifications

• Caliber – 30-30 Winchester and 35 Remington
• Capacity – 6 shot tubular magazine
• Action – Lever action, side eject
• Sights – Adjustable folding rear, hooded ramp front sight with brass bead. Solid top receiver tapped for scope.
• Scoped Model – Comes with a factory mounted and bore-sighted 3-9×32 scope
• Safety – Hammer block and half cock
• Stock – The nicer stocks are American black walnut with cut checkering. The inexpensive stocks are walnut finished Beech hardwood with pistol grip and cut checkering. There are older models with straight stocks without the pistol grip.
• Barrel – 20″ with Micro-Groove 12 groove rifling with 1:10″ right hand twist
• Overall Length – 38.25″
• Weight – 7 lbs

After picking up my rifle I did a quick cleaning. Disassembly for cleaning is easy. Make sure the rifle is safe and unloaded then pull the hammer back. Open the action about half way. Remove the lever pivot screw. Take care to use a proper screwdriver that fits the slot. Remove the lever. Slide the bolt out the rear of the receiver. Take out the extractor. The rifle is field stripped and ready for cleaning. Run a wet patch through the barrel then several dry patches.

After cleaning, lube the lever where it contacts the bolt and the pivot screw. Apply a light coating of oil on the bolt and lube the extractor and groove where it slides in the bolt. Then reassemble.

The night before, I had loaded up 50 rounds of 30-30 Winchester ammunition with 150 grain blunt point bullets, using 33 grains of H335 powder. I loaded 5 rounds into the 6 round tubular magazine. When I pulled the trigger the first shot didn’t go off. It took me a moment to realize that the cross-bolt safety was on. Pushed the safety to the off position and then a big smile. Fired all 50 rounds.

The rifle action is smooth and easy to operate. It was a lot of fun to shoot. Recoil is noticeable, not as much as my 308 but enough to know that you are shooting a powerful rifle. The sights were right on and the bullets went right to the point of aim. Group size was about 2 inches which is great considering my shooting ability using iron sights.

The Marlin 336 feels good, aims naturally, is fun to shoot, the 30-30 ammunition has reasonable power and is relatively inexpensive compared to most other calibers. It is a quality rifle built with very nice fit and finish. The only negative about it are the edges on the lever. These could be softened a bit. All in all I would highly recommend the Marlin 336 in any of its many configurations. I’m not a hunter, but shooting my new lever gun gives me ideas about bringing home a deer sometime in the future.

The Good Quality Ruger LC9 Magazine Made in Italy

Here is a heads up about an issue with the Ruger LC9 or rather magazines made by Ruger. The original magazine that comes with the LC9 is made in Italy and there have been no problems reported so far with the original Italian made mag. For those who purchased additional magazines there have been numerous reports of failure to lock back after the last round and failure to feed. These problems are attributed to poor quality magazines made by Ruger in the US. Here are two representative comments by LC9 owners who have experienced the problem. The description of the issue also includes comments by Ruger service reps.

Here’s what I have noticed with my LC9. I purchased two LC9′s (one for me and one for my girlfriend). Each pistol only came with one mag. I purchased two additional mags made by Ruger from my dealer. Here’s what I discovered: The mags that shipped with the pistol were made in Italy and have been utterly reliable. The ones that I purchased are made in the USA, have a different, dull finish on the metal, and caused all sorts of problems, including not locking the slide to the rear when empty, either after firing or manually attempting to lock the slide to the rear, as well as some failures preventing a round from fully seating into battery. I brought the USA made mags back to my dealer and discussed this issue with him. He took several other USA made mags he had in stock and tested them in a different LC9. Most of those mags also failed to lock the slide to the rear. He informed me he would be discussing this issue with the Ruger representative that he deals with. Hope this sheds some light on this issue.

Here is a follow on comment that provides some additional information on the subject.

I’m having the same issue with the mag dropping out after firing the LC9. After carefully analyzing everything and ruling out hitting the mag release and other factors, I found that the notch on the mag is not fully engaged with the inner mag catch and we’re talking about a hair thickness in what holds the mag in,to it dropping out. I called Ruger, Delilah in AZ said to ship the mags that are faulty back to them, so they can simulate the issue. I personally get annoyed when they act like they don’t know exactly what I’m talking about and they give you those fake and insincere replies,”Yes sir, sorry sir, just ship it to us at your expense and then we’ll ship the solution back to you at our expense” And its not about the money but when you go cheap on the metal and manufacturing of your mags and don’t inform or recall those parts involved, you put our safety at risk and it irritates the heck out of me when people don’t own up to there willful mistakes! Because you may have a whole lot of LC9 owners that don’t shoot often enough to start to see this problem or never got additional mags(just the one Italian made mag that comes with a new in the box LC9) and like I said, it puts our lives at risk if it happens in the heat of the moment. Here’s the issue, the mag’s that say made in the USA are made right there in the AZ Ruger factory from what she said and as previously stated, the finish and overall feel is apparent when you put the US mag and Italian mag side by side. I told her the Italian mag felt thicker, sturdier, the spring felt more solid in it and it never dropped out of the LC9. So, here’s what I found out from our brief conversation, the body of the mag is made in Italy and then Ruger puts the same spring and floor plates in it as they do their factory made mags. She said you have to specifically ask for Italian made mags when ordering them from them or the other gun sites. Or just open the box when you’re at the gun shop and see if its Italian or not, the Italian made usually comes wrapped in plastic and well oiled up. And you’ll also notice that the Italian mag is not nearly as scuffed or scratched up with the slide out line as the US made, which seems to start forming a nice deep groove after putting the range time in. This message is to inform my fellow LC9 owners of the issue and to prevent a potentially dangerous situation in the event that you need that Ruger to fire those eight rounds seamlessly without having to worry about the mag dropping out, next round failing to feed and then having to push the mag back in and cock it when your life may be at stake.

This is only an issue with the additional magazines purchased from Ruger and suppliers. The original Italian manufactured magazine seems to be high quality and properly made. Read the original LC9 Review and additional comments that describes the LC9 magazine problem on the FireArm Blog.

A common question asked about the popular Marlin 336 lever-action rifle is “What year is my Marlin 336?” or “When was my Marlin 336 manufactured?”. Unlike many firearm manufactures Marlin Firearms made it easy to determine date of manufacture. The early 336 models had serial numbers that started with one or two letters which indicated the year the rifle was built. The following chart correlates date code with year of manufacture through year 1972.

For Marlin 336 rifles manufactured in 1973 and after, the first two digits of the serial number are subtracted from 100 to yield the date of manufacture. For example my Marlin 336SS has a serial number beginning with 93 indicating a 2007 year of manufacture. The chart below shows the manufacture dates for rifles made in 1973 to 2009 when Remington took over production. For Remington manufactured rifles after 2009 the serial number system changed. For the “RemLin” or Marlin 336 rifles manufactured by Remington in the llion, New York plant, the serial number begins with MR and is located on the left side of the receiver.

The first serial number digits shown in bold
Remington built Marlin dates in RED

“MODEL 336 COWBOY
- .30-30 Win. (disc. 2001) or .38-55 WCF cal., 8 shot tube mag., squared off finger lever, 24 in. tapered octagon barrel with deep cut Ballard-type rifling (6 grooves), cut checkered (disc. 2001) straight grip walnut stock and forearm, adj. Marbles semi-buckhorn rear and carbine front sight, ser. no. is on left side of receiver, instead of on tang, 7 1/2 lbs. Mfg. 1999-2004.

MODEL 336 MAGNUM CARBINE 
- .44 Mag. cal., 20 in. standard carbine configuration, w/o saddle ring. 2,823 mfg. 1963-64 only.

MODEL 336 MARAUDER
- .30-30 Win. or .35 Rem. cal., 16 1/4 in. barrel. 5,856 mfg. 1963-64.

MODEL 336 OCTAGON RIFLE
- .30-30 Win. cal. only, with 22 in. octagon barrel, standard model. 2,414 mfg. 1973 only.

MODEL 336 PRESENTATION RIFLE 
- .30-30 Win. cal., one of the pair in the “Brace of 1,000,” 22 in. octagon barrel, engraved receiver, sold with Model 39 Presentation. Mfg. 1970 only.

MODEL 336 ZANE GREY CENTURY CARBINE 
- .30-30 Win. cal., similar to 336 Octagon, 22 in. octagon barrel, Zane Grey medallion inlaid in receiver, select walnut stock, pistol grip, brass butt plate and forearm cap. 7,871 mfg. in 1971.

MODEL 336A
- improved 36A, .30-30 Win., .35 Rem., or .32 Special. cal., round breech bolt, 24 in. barrel with 2/3 mag. Mfg. 1948-1962, re-introduced 1973-1980.

MODEL 336A/336AS (30AS)
- .30-30 Win. cal. only, 20 in. barrel, 6 shot tube magazine, walnut finished birch stock (pressed checkering became standard 1995, cut checkering became standard 1994, open sights (adj. rear sight became standard 1995), no frills version of the 336CS, 7 lbs. Mfg. 1983-2007.

Model 336ADL (DELUXE)
- similar to Model 336A Rifle, except has deluxe checkered walnut stock and forearm, quick detachable swivels and 1 in. sling. Mfg. 1948-62.

MODEL 336C (CARBINE)
- .30-30 Win., .32 Special., or .35 Rem. cal., standard model carbine with 20 in. barrel. Mfg. 1969-83.

MODEL 336CS (CARBINE SAFETY)
- .30-30 Win. or .35 Rem. cal., 6 shot tube mag., 20 in. barrel, 336CS same as 336C but with cross bolt safety. American black walnut pistol grip stock (cut checkering became standard 1994), 7 lbs. Introduced 1984.

Model 336CC (STEALTH)
- similar to Model 336W, hardwood Mossy Oak Breakup camo stock and forearm, .30-30 cal., 7 lbs. Mfg. 2001-2004.

Model 336D
Mfg. 2000 (1000 made) 35 Rem. Serial Nos 336DXXX *Not cataloged*, Special Run for Davidson’s, Lettered from Marlin, checkered, 18.5″ ported round barrel

MODEL 336DT (DELUXE TEXAN)
- .30-30 Win. or .35 Rem. cal., select stock version of 336T, longhorn and map of Texas carved on butt stock. Mfg. 1962-63.

MODEL 336ER (EXTRA RANGE)
- .356 Win. cal., 5 shot tube mag., 20 in. barrel, walnut pistol grip stock, open sights, 7 lbs. 2,441 mfg. 1983-86.

MODEL 336LTS 
- .30-30 Win. cal. only, 16 1/4 in. barrel, 5 shot tube mag., 6 1/2 lbs. 2,671 mfg. 1988-89 only.

MODEL 336M 
This was the 1st year 336 stainless model soon changed to 336SS.
The “M” designated for Millennium (2000)

MODEL 336RC (REGULAR CARBINE)
- .30-30 Win., .32 Special., or .35 Rem. cal., standard model carbine. Mfg. 1948-68.

MODEL 336SC .219 ZIPPER
- similar to Model 336SC, in .219 Zipper cal., 5 shot mag. 3,230 mfg. 1955-60.

MODEL 336SC (SPORTING CARBINE)
- similar to Model 336C, with 20 in. barrel and 2/3 length mag. tube, raised comb butt stock (1957-63). Mfg. 1948-63.

MODEL 336SD (SPORTING DELUXE)
- .30-30 Win., .32 Special., or .35 Rem. cal., deluxe sporting carbine with 20 in. barrel, checkered stock and forearm, raised comb, no cheek piece, quick detachable swivels and 1 in. sling. Mfg. 1954-62.

MODEL 336SS (336M= 1st year) 
- .30-30 Win. cal. only, similar to Model 336W/30AW, except is stainless steel, 6 shot tube mag., 7 lbs. New 2000.

MODEL 336T (.44MAG)
- .44 Mag. cal., with saddle ring, 13,895 mfg. 1965-67.

MODEL 336T (TEXAN) 
- .30-30 Win., .35 Rem., or .44 Mag. (1965-1967 only) cal., similar to 336C, with straight stock,
Some models have a 18 1/2 barrel (1980 – 1983) or 20 in. barrel, saddle ring (1965-1971 only). Mfg. 1954-83.

MODEL 336TS (TEXAN SAFETY)
- similar to 336 CS, except is .30-30 Win. cal., 18 1/2 in. barrel, straight grip stock and squared finger lever, Same as 336T but with cross-bolt safety. Mfg. 1984-87.

Model 336W (30AW)
- similar to Model 30AS, except has carbine style barrel band, hardwood stock and gold trigger.

MODEL 336XLR
- .30-30 Win. or .35 Rem. cal., features stainless steel construction with 24 in. barrel, Ballard rifling, fluted bolt, 5 shot mag., black/grey laminate stock with deluxe recoil pad, adj. folding semi-buckhorn rear sight, hammer block safety, 7 1/2 lbs. New 2006.

Model 336Y (SPIKEHORN) 
- Youth model, similar to Model 336C, but has a shorter walnut stock (12 1/2 in. LOP) with vent recoil pad, 5 shot tube magazine, 16 1/2 in. barrel, 6 1/2 lbs. Mfg. 2003″

Sig Sauer P290RS

The Sig Sauer P290RS has been eclipsed in popularity by the new 1911 style Sig P938. The P290 with external hammer was first introduced with a hard trigger that performed like a semi-automatic striker style pistol. Sig took user comments to heart and improved the trigger by making it glass smooth, lessened trigger the pull force, and gave the pistol a true double action only trigger with re-strike capability. Now the hammer drops every time the trigger is pulled.

Even with polymer frame the little Sig pistol is hefty for its size and weighs in at 20 ozs. The pros and cons to this weight are that it is heavy for its size but those extra ozs help subdue recoil and the contoured frame with enhanced beavertail work to make this a comfortable gun to shoot.

Sights are 3 dot with tritium centers for enhanced night visibility. Both the front and rear sights are dovetailed making windage adjustments possible. The front sight is available is several heights to allow for adjustments in elevation.

With the MSRP at $758 you can find the the Sig P290 for sale online for $498.00.

Accuracy for the P290RS is excellent.

Sig Sauer P290RS specs

• Caliber                   9mm
• Trigger Pull             DAO   9.0 lb Average
• Overall Length        5.5 in
• Overall Height        3.9 in
• Overall Width          0.9(1.1 in with slide catch lever)
• Barrel Length          2.9 in
• Sight Radius           4.3 in
• Weight w/Mag         20.5 oz
• Mag Capacity          6 Rounds
• Sights                     SIGLITE® Night Sights
• Grips                      Polymer (interchangable)
• Frame Finish           Black polymer
• Slide Finish             Nitron® or natural stainless
• Accessory Rail         No
• Options                   Customizable grip plates, mini laser
• MSRP                      $758.00
• Street Price            $498.00
• CA Compliant          No
• MA Compliant         No