There has been a lot of talk about the 30 Super Carry cartridge since its introduction at the SHOT Show in 2022. Around that same time, a quest for load data and components was started. With no published data at the time of this writing and few components available, it was quite a puzzle to determine where to start. As with most cartridges, the firearm used for testing can have a great impact on the overall experience with the cartridge itself. For this reason, a Nighthawk Custom 1911 President chambered in 30 Super Carry was selected. ...Read More >

I would be willing to wager that Alliant’s Bullseye, Winchester’s 231 (W-231) and its identical twin, Hodgdon’s HP-38 are the three most popular powders used to reload handgun cartridges defined by the Winchester powder licensee, Hodgdon Powder Co. as “medium handgun loads.” What constitutes a “medium handgun load?” From what I can glean from researching a number of published loading data sources, it includes some 20 cartridges from the diminutive .25 Auto, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, .380 Auto, .38 Super, the ever-popular .38 Special, the current darling – 9mm Luger, .357 SIG, .357 Magnum (light magnum loads), 40 S&W, 10mm Auto, .44 Special, .44 Magnum (light magnum loads), .45 Gap, the iconic .45 Auto and others. Target loads to service loads in a broad range of applications have made these three powders the mainstay of many a handloader’s handgun propellant inventory, myself included. ...Read More >

Q: It is always a good day when my Handloader arrives! About 90 percent of the time, when it arrives, I read your articles first, especially if they are about big-bore handguns. Regarding your “Pet Loads” article on the .44 Russian found in Handloader No. 339 (August – September 2022); it was very good as usual. I do have a few questions. ...Read More >

In my last column, Handloader No. 341 (December – January 2022), I looked into the events that led up to the introduction of the Winchester Model 1894 rifle in 1894. The original chamberings were the black powder .32-40 Winchester and .38-55 Winchester. The following year, the Winchester catalog listed two new cartridges, the .25-35 Winchester Smokeless and the .30 WCF Smokeless, that was all. The text didn’t even include the word “new.” Did someone forget to inform the marketing department? Perhaps there was a reason. ...Read More >