Handguns

The shooting world would be hard-pressed to find a handgun that has received more publicity than the Single Action Army-type revolver. While the gun was always popular in the West, in all probability it was the television shows in the 1950s and '60s that brought the gun to the forefront of the American sportsman's consciousness.

At first, Colt was the name in single actions. At one time, when the Hartford firm seemed to falter a bit in production, Ruger filled in the void. From then on the field opened up and outfits such as EMF, Arminius, Navy Arms, Beretta and Uberti joined the fray. Presently, Uberti is under the Benelli flag, and within almost 80 variations on its 16 basic models there is a family of guns that fall under the heading of "1873 Stallion." This series offers models chambered for lesser calibers such as the .22 Long Rifle and the .38 Special. Much smaller than the .44- and .45-caliber models, the Stallion fills the bill for those of us who like a lightweight, quick-handling gun chambered for calibers that are easy to shoot and effective on small game.

Picking up a .38 Special Stallion, I found it perfect in every respect. The blueing was deep, the color case-hardening had just the right patina, and all of the edges along the grip where wood meets metal were smooth and very tight. The stocks themselves were notably handsome as well finely polished, lacquered and attached without cross screws. To remove the grip panels, simply remove the backstrap by backing out three screws--two on the top frame and one under the grip frame itself.

Overall quality of the gun was first-rate. The polishing and deep blueing lack burnishing marks of any kind. The barrel, triggerguard, backstrap, ejector rod and cylinder are all blued to complement the overall appearance of the gun, giving it a genuine western flair. The hammer, trigger and bolt screws are polished bright. I found no scratches on the frame, cylinder or barrel.

Naturally, the Stallion holds six rounds. Loading is through the usual gate on the right side. To charge the weapon, open the gate, cock the hammer to half-cock, insert the cartridges, close the gate, cock the hammer all the way back, and you're ready to fire. After you are done, open the gate, pull the hammer back to half-cock again, and by using the ejector rod, push the spent cases to the rear and out of the gun.

The safety on this new model consists of pulling back the hammer slightly (to one click), then pushing the base pin to the rear to block the hammer from any forward movement. This base pin is then released from within the frame by depressing the base-pin screw while at the same time pushing the pin to the rear as far as it will go.