Coonan .357 Magnum Compact in GUNS Magazine

FMG Publications

The Coonan .357 Magnum Compact Highlights The February Issue Of GUNS Magazine

(ArmsVault.com) – The .357 Magnum Compact by Coonan makes a powerful statement on the February cover of GUNS Magazine. John Taffin takes a look at this traditionally-styled, semi-auto chambered in “one of the all-time great” cartridges to see how it performed both on the range and as a concealed-carry companion.

“The Coonan Compact .357 Magnum was test-fired with 18 different loads including my own cast bullet loads,” Taffin writes. “The best standard weight .357 Magnum bullet available is the Lyman Ray Thompson 158-grain, gas-checked semi-wadcutter — even with the wadcutter shape, it fed flawlessly and I was especially pleased with my loads using 15.5 grains of H110 … While this is not your typical concealed-carry pistol, its relatively slim profile can easily be concealed when carried in the waistband or an inside-the-pants holster and covered with a long jacket.”

Coonan 357 Magnum Compact in GUNS Magazine
GUNS Magazine – February 2016

In “Second Wind,” Mark Hampton reviews Savage’s newly tailored rifle lineup, proving the .338 Federal has been sorely underrated.

“Time would not allow me to test all the new Savage rifles in .338 Federal, but one really grabbed my attention,” Hampton writes. “The Bear Hunter is equipped with a cool-looking, synthetic camo AccuStock with stainless barrel, adjustable muzzlebrake and hinged floorplate. The .338 Federal is a great medium-bore cartridge within sane ranges, and without brutal recoil. Luckily for hunters, Savage has provided several rifle options for it. The rifle flat-out performs— as does the cartridge.”

With the continued popularity of long-range shooting in mind, Dave Anderson examines the rise of participation in it, and discusses the must-have gear for optimizing performance.

“Interest and participation in long-range shooting continues to grow,” Anderson says. “As rifle trends go, I think this one is going to last. The reason is primarily driven by technology. But what do you need? First you need a place to shoot, an accurate rifle, a scope with adjustment turrets, a good trigger and high ballistic coefficient bullets.”

Other features in the February issue of GUNS includes an article by Mike “Duke” Venturino on Winchester’s Model 64 — a “kissin’ cousin” to America’s favorite deer rifle, a look at hypervelocity hunting bullets by John Barsness and columns on the Mossberg Model 500 and a how-to on crafting homemade zero stops.

Boyd Gunstock Industries’ Custom Savage Axis Rifle and Scope Combo, complete with Boyd’s custom Pro Varmint stock, turns heads in the February GUNS Giveaway. Also included in the giveaway is the Chieftain 1620 fixed blade knife from Steel Will and the IDPA steel target from RSR — a total package value of $1,044.99. Readers can enter for free by visiting www.gunsmagazine.com/giveaway.

Each issue of GUNS includes links to online-only extras. In this month’s online-only feature, Todd Burgreen checks out the Daniel Defense .300 BLK AR Pistol — and finds out why it’s not your typical defensive handgun. Readers can sign up for a free digital subscription at www.gunsmagazine.com/digital-version.