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2021 marks the 45th anniversary of the first gun magazine dedicated to all-things handgun, American Handgunner. As is fitting of the occasion, the Sept/Oct issue of Handgunner features an exquisite, custom-designed Frontier Single Action from Cimarron Firearms chambered in the truly American cartridge, .45 Colt.
The sixgunner himself, Mr. John Taffin, introduces the commemorative revolver and its striking features, including scroll engraving on the ejector-rod housing, trigger guard and backstrap with gold bands on the cylinder and “American Handgunner” engraved on the 4 3/4" barrel — all resulting in what he calls, “a most attractive, one-of-a-kind .45 Single Action.” It’s a shooter, too, with 20-yard groups measuring 1" with Black Hills and CCI loads.
Continuing the celebration, one lucky winner will soon call the commemorative gun theirs as it tops the anniversary issue’s Handgun of the Month giveaway package. Accompanying the Frontier .45 is a custom Desperado holster from DeSantis Gunhide. Inspired by the Mexican loop holsters of the 1800s, it’s crafted from premium saddle leather with full suede lining, decorative border stamping and “American Handgunner” logo stamp. Readers are encouraged to enter the free drawing for these priceless prizes at AmericanHandgunner.com/giveaways.
Another American classic is experiencing a healthy revival: Colt’s .44 Magnum Anaconda is back — and the old snake has some new tricks. Massad Ayoob lends, “With the trigger back and the hammer down, its second cylinder hand locks the chamber in line with the barrel absolutely motionless. It was this signature Colt feature that always helped give the Python and the old Officer’s Model target revolvers their reputation for unsurpassed accuracy, and it’s good to see it in this newest Colt revolver.”
Other points of interest in the 45th anniversary issue include what armed self-defense looked like when Handgunner debuted in 1976 in the Ayoob Files. The core dynamics of armed self-defense don’t change much, but the techniques, hardware and the laws governing the wherewithal do. Countless millions of Americans have fallen under the spell of the .45-caliber bullet. Will Dabbs, MD highlights the meteoric trajectory of the much-loved round in “Fantastic Voyage.” And Jeremy Clough reasons why yet another well-known handgun, the Walther P38, is probably the most influential pistol you don’t think about.
Exclusive online-only articles, including Editor Tom McHale’s “Gear Spotlight: Sights and Optics” can be found at AmericanHandgunner.com. Purchase the Sept/Oct issue or order a digital subscription at www.fmgpubs.com. Kindle and digital versions are also available.
CONTACT: Tom McHale