6 G & A f e b r u a ry 2 0 1 5

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cartridge being too long to

ft in our grip opening.
After the December
issue went to press, Guns
& Ammo also learned that
the Browning 1911-380 will
ship with one magazine,
and its MSRP is going to be
$670, not $700.
Eds

1965
Our July 1965 issue featured
Guns & Ammo founder
Robert E. Petersens nickelplated Smith & Wesson Model 29 on the cover, which he
used on a polar bear hunt. It
was the frst shot ever taken
on a polar bear with a .44
Magnum. A skull measurement of more than 27 inches
put it in the record book.

LOVE FOR THE

UNLOVED .380

BROWNING CANT DO 9mm?

In your review of the Browning 1911-380 (Dec. 2014), you
report that Browning already considered 9mm only to discover that pressures exceeded the pistols 85 percent designs ability to reliably function. As youre aware, several
manufacturers are currently offering much smaller designs
in 9mm, including some based on the 1911 design, not
to mention Springfelds scaled-down EMP. In light of that,
I dont understand why the pressures of the 9mm should
defy Brownings attempt to make it reliable in its gun. Can
you or somebody with engineering training explain this
apparent paradox?
Tim Robinson
St. Joseph, MN
The reason Browning isnt
chambering the 9mm in its
scaled-down 1911 platform is that the cartridge
is too long to ft in the
grip opening. The original
quote published by Guns &
Ammo, Browning already
considered 9mm only to
discover that pressures
exceeded the pistols 85
percent design ability to reliably function, is incorrect.
Ryan D. Cook, mechanical

engineer, P.E., for Browning

Arms Companys Research
and Development, clarifed
the real issue for us, indicating, The .380 has a maximum overall length of .984
inch while the 9mm has a
maximum overall length of
1.169 inches, which is about
3/16 inch longer than the
.380. Rather than choosing
the .380 based on pressure
or strength, [the decision]
was based on the 9mm

[I] always enjoy articles

on the underappreciated
.380. Your read on the new
Browning Black Label in
the December 2014 issue
was interesting. I love the
1911 platform and think a
downsized one in .380 is a
great idea. However, some
of us dont care for plastic
guns; [I] just cant warm up
to them. A great alternative
choice is one like a Walther
PPK. While it isnt as great
as Mr. Brownings design,
its still a great little pistol
with a long history of good
service. Its a nice size for
times when a full-sized
pistol would be diffcult
to conceal. Some may
complain of the weight of
a steel pistol, but Ive had
several comment on how
nice it is to shoot compared with some of the
super-small and light pistols
theyve shot. Add a nice set
of Hogue wood grips and
theyre nice to look at and
to shoot. Accuracy is fne,
and after you get used to
the double/single-action
trigger, its good. You can
always cock the hammer
for that frst shot also and

avoid that frst-shot hard

pull of its double action. A
hammer is nice also. [Its]
old school, but you always
know when its cocked, and
its easy to uncock using the
decock function of the safety. A plus that Ive found
is that it shoots cast lead
even better than jacketed
factory ammo, which makes
for economical practice
and more versatility. Itd be
nice to see a really in-depth
article on this great pistol.
Mike Freeman
email

MORE QUOTABLES
WANTED
I and my family (who also
read Guns & Ammo magazine) really appreciate your
adding Jeff Cooper Cooperisms and quotes in the
magazine. Same goes for