Guns Illustrated 2011. Dan Shideler
power. As a rifle cartridge, the .30 Carbine is indeeed puny, but by handgun standards it ain’t half-bad. After all, the carbine was designed to replace the 1911A1 pistol among certain troops, and the slender little .30 Carbine has more than twice the muzzle energy of the big fat .45 ACP. All things considered, I’d rather be missed by a .30 Carbine bullet than hit by one. It’s no .30-06, but it wasn’t designed to be.
After the Korean War ended, zillions of M1 carbines fl ooded the surplus market. Even more were made from spare parts, Plainfi eld and Universal being the major producers of these built-up M1s. Somewhere along the line, Universal decided to “improve” the M1’s design by incorporating two recoil springs into the action in place of the original’s single spring. This ill-advised modifi cation, and the other changes that it necessitated, left the Universal M1 clones as strange, chromosomally-damaged copies of the original. Most internal parts weren’t even interchangeable with those of the real M1s. To make matters, the modifi ca-tions gave the Universal carbines a toxic reputation as jammers.
So, Mr. Bones, how do you market a turkey? Well, Mr. Jones, you make a pistol out of it. At least that’s what Universal did to some of their carbine wanna-bes. They whacked off their buttstocks and replaced them with shapeless little pistol grips. Then they cut the barrels back to 9-1/2 or 11-1/4 inches and did away with unnecessary frills like bolt hold-opens. Thus was born the Enforcer, a pistol like no other before or since.
Production of the Enforcer apparently began around 1972, more or less simultaneously by Plainfield and Universal. Some of the early models used US mil-spec parts. Some Enforcers even used the single recoil spring of the genuine M1 carbine and milled, not stamped, operating rods. This may be why some Enforcers fire and cycle as well as any M1 ever built, while others jam so consistently that they’re basically bolt-operated manual repeaters.
Reliability aside, there’s no doubt that the Enforcer looked intimidating. And so it was, considering its 15- and 30-round magazines. In the parlance of the ‘60s and ‘70s (and I should know), it was wicked, pronounced “wickkk-id!” I’ve had two Enforcers, one Plainfield and one Universal, and they certainly attracted attention wherever they went. I never took them to Maryland, California or Canada, which is probably just as well since they’re illegal there and probably in a hundred other places, too.
There’s quite a debate in certain circles about who made the best Enforcer: Universal, Plainfi eld, or Iver Johnson. The question is muddled because, although the three makers started out as separate companies, Iver Johnson eventually gobbled up both its competitors (Plainfi eld in 1975, Universal in 1983). General consensus holds that the Plainfield version was the best, followed closely by Iver Johnson with Universal coming in a very distant third. Aside from cosmetics (e.g., the shape of the pistol grip and a metal-vs.-wood handguard), they’re pretty much the same thing, with quality ranging from purty durn good to unspeakably rotten. The last of the Enforcers left the Iver Johnson factory in 1986.
Wickkk-id! A late-production Universal Enforcer, complete with 11.25-inch barrel and wood handguard.
Plainfi eld’s version was known variously as the Enforcer and the Super Enforcer. No, I don’t know what the difference was, if there was a difference at all. Universal called its Enforcer the Model 3000 and offered it in blued, nickel-plated, and gold-plated versions. Gold-plating an Enforcer is like putting a crystal doorknob on an outhouse, but the effect must have been eye-catching to say the very least.
If you have an Enforcer stashed away somewhere, you might consider cashing it in for a handful of Ben Franklins. Five or so years ago you could find a decent Enforcer for about $250 (and if you look diligently in the right places, you still can). Today, an excellent Enforcer can run as high as $500 or even more. I have heard reports of a mint Plainfield Super Enforcer selling for $950 at auction. If true, this is a fluke of monstrous proportions.
My only explanation for the renewed interest in the Enforcer is that the kids who could only drool over them back in the ‘70s are now in a position to buy them. Thus demand creates value. I can’t predict where the Enforcer will top out in terms of value, but I can tell you that mine’s not for sale. It’s wickkk-id!
REVOLVERS AND OTHERS BY JEFF QUINN
The Mateba six-shot semiauto revolver in .44 Magnum, shown here with compensator. Photo courtesy J. C. Devine.
The past year has certainly been an interesting one for gun owners. We have in our nation the fi nest selection of firearms available anywhere in the world, yet we also have politicians vowing to rip those guns from our possession. However, on most fronts, I think we’re winning.
Just in the last few months, several new concealed-carry guns have hit the market, and more are on the way. I have seen prototypes of some very interesting and useful compact revolvers that should be available by the time this Gun Digest goes to press. While many choose a semiauto for concealed carry, the compact revolver still holds its own, with many knowledgeable citizens recognizing the advantages of a reliable revolver as a last-ditch fi ghting gun. While revolvers can break, it is a rare occurrence. I have never heard of a revolver having a failure to feed or having a cartridge case hang up halfway through ejection. Another plus is that a revolver does not leave your empty brass lying on the ground. Many of us choose revolvers for personal defense for these reasons, and while there are some good semiautos that are used for hunting, most handgun hunters choose either a revolver or a quality single-shot, for reasons of accuracy, power, and reliability.
Let’s take a look at some of the better offerings of revolvers, derringers, and single-shot pistols that are available today. With modern revolvers now having capacities from fi ve to twelve rounds in their cylinders, 2011 is a good year for those who choose to purchase and enjoy “Revolvers and Others.”
AMERICAN WESTERN ARMS
AWA is best known for their line of 1873 single action revolvers, which are some excellent Colt replica sixguns. Offered in most popular chamberings and barrel lengths, the AWA line consists of their Classic revolvers, made very much like the sixguns of the late nineteenth century, and their Ultimate series with upgraded coil springs and various stock options. These revolvers have a reputation for smooth actions and quality production. Less well-known among the AWA-distributed products are the semiautomatic Mateba revolvers. These futuristic-looking revolvers feature interchangeable barrels and are chambered for the .357 and .44 Magnum cartridges, as well as the .454 Casull. The Mateba fires from the bottom chamber in the cylinder, lowering the center of the recoil in relation to the shooter’s hand, for a more straight-back recoil impulse, lessening muzzle jump and making target acquisition between shots faster. While many uninformed shooters think of the revolver as antiquated, this Mateba is as modern as you can get.
The Freedom Arms Model 2008 single shot pistol should give the T/C G2 Contender a run for its money.
One big honkin’ single action revolver: the Magnum Research BFR .45-70.
Bond Arms Snake Slayer .45 Colt/.410 shotshell derringer. An extremely well-built derringer of the Remington pattern.
Is this cute or what? The North American Arms .22 Magnum mini-revolver with LaserLyte laser sight.
Taurus Judge .45 Colt/.410 shotshell polymer-frame revolver, a new twist on the well-established Judge lineup.