Gun Digest – August 2019

(^10) | GunDigest the magazine AUGUST 2019 gundigest.com
Where’s the .17 Win.
Super Mag. Rimfi re?
I have to wonder what became of the
.17Win. Super Mag. Rimfi re. Its debut
caused dancing in the streets, but now,
it’shard to fi nd this ammo and guns
chambered for it. Some major manu-
facturers quietly discontinued making
semi-autos in the .22 Mag rimfi re be-
cause, in spite of heavier (titanium)
bolts, simple blow-back actions could
have problems with these relatively
hotcartridges. Is this what caused the
apparent demise of the .17 Win.? Inci-
dentally, Volquartsen uses a counter-
weight system with a steel bolt for the
hotrimfi re instead of a simple blow-
back design—but this must be very
expensive.
Jim Nitsos
California
We could speculate long and hard, Jim,
but some cartridges just don’t stick. In the
case of the .17 Win. Super Mag. Rimfi re,
which produces centerfi re-like numbers
with the mess of a rimfi re, it’s not too
diffi cult to imagine how natural selection
ran its course... at least in the eyes of the
shooting public.
Gun Digest staff
Praise for the PPK
I really
enjoyed
thearticleby
ElwoodSheltoninthe
MayShooter’sGuideis-
sue.I’vealwayswanteda
PPK.I’moldandgrewup
withsteelgunswithham-
mers and wood, and I still prefer them.
I’ve always thought the PPK is what a
gun should look like.
Although the article was well done,
my only disappointment was in the
pictures. You never showed the other
side of it, except for the blued one on
the cover. I can stare at pictures of guns
for hours. Keep up the good work and
articles about steel guns and wood.
Steve L. Hettinger
Tuscola, IL
I’m with you. I enjoy manual transmis-
sions in my trucks and steel, wood and
hammers on my handguns. If that makes
me an anachronism, I’ll wear the label as
a badge of honor. As to the photographs,
you’re plum right—I left out a left-hand
view of the rebooted Walther PPK/S. (Could
have sworn I shot one.) Count it an over-
sight, because I was trying to focus in on
some of the pistol’s more specifi c features.
But, mark your critique as duly noted. I
shoot to give complete a picture of the fi re-
arms I review; that’s not happening if I only
serve up one side of a gun.
Elwood Shelton, Online Editor
RAPID FIRE // LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Is a .50-Cal. Handgun
Actually Good for Anything?
Max Prasac is a refreshing “fountain
of reason” based on his verifi able and
real experiences. He has internalized
what he discusses and relates it with
honesty and integrity. The handgun
hunting world is better off as a result
of his contributions to the furthering
of our collective passion—a yearning
for the great outdoors and of being
one with nature. On a personal note,
I want to congratulate you, Max, on
dropping an impressive trophy Cape
buffalo after a tense and assuredly
exhilarating stalking job. In fact, the
recordings of your stealthy advance
that you posted were much appreci-
ated. Take care, and God bless!
Jeffrey Locke
Online Comment
If there is anyone on this planet who
knows more about big-bore revolvers
than Prasac, I have yet to meet him (and
I would very much like to if that person
exists ... but I doubt it). You’ve likely
noticed this: Prasac’s byline is becoming
more prevalent within these pages. And,
because the August issue is dedicated to
revolvers (Prasac has the cover story, but
I can’t let that cat out of the bag just
yet), there’s more on the way.
Luke Hartle, Editor