They may be familiar to some, but not every gunsmith knows the ins and outs of drill bits. Here are the basics.

The graceful, light, and distinctive L.C. Smith Hammerless Double sidelock is a favorite of American shotgunners. Here’s how to fix its most common problems. If you own a Smith and want to make it suitable to shoot again, or if you are presented a Smith to repair, here’s what you need to know about the shotgun.

In June 2010, Kahr Arms purchased Minnesota-based firearms manufacturer, Magnum Research, Inc., maker of the Desert Eagle Pistol and BFR Revolvers in .44 Magnum, .45 LC/.410 or .45/70. Kahr Arms offers a selection of other niche-type firearms, such as the “Tommy Gun” and Auto-Ordnance line of M1 .30 caliber carbines. In this video, Gun Tests Contributing Editor Roger Eckstine shows off two of the company’s big-hole BFR wheelguns.

Beretta USA introduced the BU-9 Nano as its entry into the pocket 9mm pistol category last September. Initial shipments of the American-made pistol left the Accokeek, Maryland factory beginning in November 2011, with a suggested retail price of $475. In this video, Gun Tests’ Contributing Editor Roger Eckstine gets a detailed explanation of how easy the Nano is to break down for maintenance. The Nano's modularity provides for simple disassembly and easy cleaning. Safely disassemble the pistol by first engaging the striker deactivator, a patent pending safety mechanism that eliminates the need to pull the trigger prior to disassembly.

Gun Reports - News

The Harvard School of Public Health has launched a new firearms research database.

Will Harvard Online Library of Firearms Research Tilt Anti-Gun?

(GunReports.com)--A new firearms research database launched by the Harvard School of Public Health purports to make scholarly articles more accessible to reporters, law enforcement, public health officials, policymakers, and the general public. But gun owners are right to worry that the database will not be even-handed in reporting both sides of gun ownership.

The release from the Harvard School of Public Health claims, "With the new availability of gun violence data and research, one of the primary goals of the website is to help those in law enforcement, public health and government develop best practices and smarter approaches to curbing gun crime and violence."

But a quick check of online work from the school shows an unbalanced treatment of gun ownership, with a high incidence of items of research on gun appearances in suicides.

"Despite the increased ease of accessing articles through search engines like Google Scholar or PubMed, the sheer volume of returned information in technical jargon can be daunting," said David Hemenway, PhD, of the Harvard School of Public Health. "The principal objective of this digest is to present research findings in clear, lay language so anyone can readily understand the study results."

Also worrisome is that funding to create this online library was provided by the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation, a notorious gun-confiscation-advocacy group.

The release said that the Firearms Research Digest (www.FirearmsResearch.org) provides summaries of articles gathered from social science, criminology, medical and public health journals and is written in clear, accessible language for use by those outside academia.

However, an online search of the digest archives turns of thin results from noted gun researcher John Lott and nothing originating from the National Rifle Association.

The website currently covers six years of research published between 2003 and 2008. The digest will be expanded over time to include articles from 1988 to the present.

Gun-rights researchers are probably already aware that the Harvard School of Public Health previously partnered with the Joyce Foundation to develop a national violent injury surveillance system. This system was the model for the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), now housed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reader Comments

Expecting Harvard and the Joyce Foundation to treat reporting fairly is like expecting a three year old to leave the ice cream and cake alone at his/her own birthday party. Not happening in this man's lifetime.

Comment by: Sharps | March 11, 2010

Nobody should be surprised that any institution in the totalitarian state of Massachussetts is going to be anything but a propaganda organ whose objectives are the limitation of our freedoms espoused in our Bill of Rights.

Comment by: canovack | March 11, 2010

What a shame really - as one of the oldest and most preeminent universities in our nation, one would think Harvard would strive for balance and perfection. Oh well, so much for idealism....

Nice analogy Sharps!

Comment by: P V B | March 11, 2010

The real shame, and the irony, is found at the top of the Harvard emblem. The school's motto "Veritas," means Truth.

Comment by: Visigoth52 | March 13, 2010