From David Crockett with «Old Betsy» to the mountain men and their Hawkens to the buffalo hunters and their Sharps and Winchester '73s – These are the rifles that fire the imagination of both hunters and historians. Now, Gun Digest presents a unique compilation of articles celebrating these iconic guns. Classic Sporting Rifles, written by a «who's who» of gun writers from the twentieth century, includes stories by Col. Townsend Whelen (a.k.a., Mr. Rifleman), Elmer Keith, Jack O'Connor, Warren Page, Jim Carmichel, and more!
From the introduction: I've carried a concealed handgun for more than thirty years, but if you think this book is about me trying to persuade you to carry one too, you would be mistaken.For 27 of those years I was a cop. I learned very quickly that the police can't protect individual citizens from violence. We would like to. We are willing to risk our lives to try. But to assume cops can be everywhere the thugs are, is not college-level thinking. Many good people understand this, and wonder whether carrying a concealed firearm on the streets would make them safer. Like most beat cops and working deputies I know, I support the right of responsible citizens to arm themselves. You see, we know better than most that, "When seconds count, the cops are only minutes away."
From Chapter One: Hello again folks, Mr. Massaro here, welcoming you to the second reloading ammo blog series. We will get a bit more in depth this time, so grab a comfy chair and let's chat.Shoulder bump, eh? Nah, I'm not talking about some hipster dance, I'm talking about how much we move the cartridge shoulder during the resizing process.Most folks (myself included) will resize a bottleneck rifle case so that it adheres to the specified SAAMI specifications, but that requires working the brass considerably. As we've all seen, overworking the brass will make it brittle, and cut the life of our brass much shorter than necessary.
Congratulations! You’ve completed your concealed weapons class and have your permit. Now you’re ready to go to the local gun shop and pick out that one perfect pistol for self-defense. So far, so good. However, if you’re like most folks, you didn’t think much about how you’ll actually carry the thing around. This can lead to an uncomfortable exchange with the bespectacled gun-counter guy. If your experience is anything like mine, he’ll look down his nose at you while a little drop of white spittle forms at the corner of his mouth. You’ll ask which holster he recommends. And he’ll sneer. I’ve seen this scenario play itself out more times than an I Love Lucy rerun. Holster selection for concealed carry is quite possibly one of the most misunderstood and glossed over areas in the gun world. Like clothing, holsters are very personalized so you’ll eventually wind up like everyone else who carries. First you’ll have a dresser drawer full of them, then one day you’ll wake up to the realization that a storage unit is needed to contain the rest. With the awesome responsibility of carrying a gun for self-defense comes the opportunity to prevail and survive an otherwise lethal confrontation. Yet that responsibility also becomes a life-changing event with the holster. In all its many interesting designs and variations it’s the one thing allowing you to keep your personal safety tool by your side and close at hand at all times, no matter how you dress. I hope this little book serves as a guide to help you do just that.
Excerpt from Chapter 1: The first revolver was patented by Samuel Colt in 1836. Since then there have been no less than 156 manufacturers of revolving handguns. The Army and Navy, since that time, have adopted 44 different revolvers and 9 different pistols, made by 32 separate manufacturers, ranging in caliber from 32 to 58. The earliest model was accepted in 1842, the last in 1911. While Colt invented the first firearm which successfully employed a cylinder containing separate charges of powder and ball, it remained for another soon-to-grow-famous New Englander, Douglas Wesson, to adapt his newly perfected 22 rim fire cartridge to an equally successful and new revolver. His revolver, puny and low powered, was quite popular with Union officers during the War between the States. This revolver, a seven-shot breech loader, was the Model of 1855.
From the Introduction: I'll ask the question for you esteemed reader, what divine proclamation anointed your humble scribe the guru of all the cartridges that exists? The answer is simple, there is no such anointment. Well, perhaps my publisher indicated such, but that certainly isn't divine providence. I have, however, had a long and varied shooting and hunting career. I received my first firearm, a Winchester youth rifle (a Model 68 I believe it was), single-shot .22 RF, at the ripe old age of six years. If I make it to Mid-August this year, I’ll turn seventy-six. Math has never been my strong suite, but I think that gives me seventy years of shooting experience . . .
Excerpt from Chapter 1: As a reloader, the first and foremost piece of gear you'll need is a reloading press. They come in many different shapes, sizes, colors, and styles, and your style of reloading should dictate which one will best serve your needs. Are you a high volume reloader? Do you primarily reload for pistols or rifles? Or maybe both? Let's take a look at the different options and get you set up properly.
This book is about human performance. The controlling characteristic of this is one’s mind. Within the context of rifle shooting, there are definite ways in which our state of mind can either help or hurt us. So, it pays to recognize what to seek and what to avoid. Further, an unfortunate aspect of the human mind (especially the male mind) is the “I don’t need to ask for directions/read the instructions/learn from someone else” mindset. Now if you are reading this you probably aren’t one of that crew, but it is still sometimes difficult to open our minds to new ideas or to take an honest, critical look at ourselves. However, this willingness to learn and to honestly analyze and critique one’s self is an absolute requirement for progress, so try to keep that in mind whenever you start a practice session. Ego is the most self-destructive characteristic we possess; don’t take it to a practice session.
Read The Ultimate Handgun Training Handbook , to learn more about: Gun safetyMindsetPsychological preparedness for combat survivalModern techniqueSightsProper trigger managementThe drawReloading drillsChoosing your weaponAmmunition selection
This collection of semi-automatic shotgun stories, published in the past 10 years in the Double Gun Journal and other publications, features articles ranging from detailed, historical information about particular guns and gun makers, to more person accounts of favorite and unusual shotguns. If you have even a passing interest in popular shotguns, especially semi-auto shotguns, this anthology is sure to please.