“I went over the 6", adjustable sights RM66 with a fine-tooth comb, shot the heck out of it and concluded it performed like my S&W .357 revolvers that cost twice as much. I love my Smiths and Colts, but from a value standpoint, these new Rossi USA revolvers have them beat,” contends Frank Jardim of the new compact .357 Magnum featured in the Jan/Feb issue of American Handgunner.

The Rossi pistol has a satin stainless steel finish; comfortable ergonomic stocks; classic S&W style; an adjustable white outline, a target rear sight; and a pinned-in, easy-drawing ramp front sight. From the bench at 25 yards using .38 Special loads, the RM66 delivered five-shot groups that averaged under 2".

A sort of arithmetic mean between a typical combat pistol and a pistol-caliber submachine gun, the Heckler & Koch MK 23, as Will Dabbs, MD notes, “is an absolute monster of a pistol.” With the Knights Armament sound suppressor and Insight Technologies Laser Aiming Module installed, the gun is 16.5" long and weighs 5 lbs. Designed to be indestructible, the MK 23 would serve well as a truck gun or home-defense arm. Dabbs adds: “It also shoots unnaturally straight and hits like a semi-truck downrange.”

Topping the Jan/Feb giveaway package is a Walther Arms PDP F-Series 3.5". Tailored specifically to female shooters with a 20% reduction in slide rack force, the 9mm holds 15 rounds and weighs 20.3 oz. (unloaded). The winner will also receive an LV 18 Backpack 2.0 from 5.11 Tactical, Hybrid power flashlight from Infinity X1 and a Razel Compact knife from CRKT. Valued at $969, readers are encouraged to enter the free drawing at AmericanHandgunner.com/giveaways.

Other points of interest in the Jan/Feb issue include an Ayoob Files account of a violent criminal who, in an attempt to kill again, met with an escalating series of countervailing force that was later scrutinized under false accusations. From his thoughts on proper tool care to working on “relics” and understanding the zeal for color, Greg Derr allows readers to take a look “Inside A Pistolsmith’s Brain.” In the Make Ready column, James Queisner discusses what it might — and might not — be like in a deadly force encounter in “Training For Absolute Chaos.”

Exclusive online articles can be found at AmericanHandgunner.com. Purchase the Jan/Feb issue or order a subscription at fmgpubs.com. Digital versions are also available.