When 300s Were Young

When 300s Were Young

What place, after a century, does a British cartridge have in the booming chorus of American 30-caliber magnums? Dawn’s hard snow was loud underfoot but the elk were noisy, too. Wind strumming the pines covered the crunch of our steps till both of us, surprised, met...
The Suppressor Crisis Nobody Knew Existed

The Suppressor Crisis Nobody Knew Existed

At a time when Americans are wrestling with inflation, national debt, border security, housing costs, energy prices, crime, foreign conflicts, infrastructure failures, as well as the lingering mystery of why airport food requires a small-business loan to purchase,...
Wayne LaPierre and the World’s Most Predictable Sequel

Wayne LaPierre and the World’s Most Predictable Sequel

There is an old rule in politics, business, law enforcement, and virtually every other human enterprise where large sums of money mysteriously change addresses: follow the money. It’s not a complicated rule. In fact, it’s so simple that entire industries...
Early 20th Century Affordable American Doubles

Early 20th Century Affordable American Doubles

If a person wants to hunt with the same double barrel shotgun that his or her grandfather or great grandfather used in the early 20th century, the odds are ten-to-one it would not be one of the premium brands that today dominate side-by-side competitions and shotgun...
Benelli’s ETHOS: One Formidable Beauty

Benelli’s ETHOS: One Formidable Beauty

Benelli’s ETHOS line proves they are nearing perfection in a semi-auto.  “Back in the day,” when we were just beginning to discover the incredible number of gamebirds in South America, gunmakers worldwide were competing to see who could develop shotguns that could...
The Ones That Didn’t Get Away

The Ones That Didn’t Get Away

I’m A.D.D. in the extreme. Have been all my life. If you’ve ever been associated with someone who has attention deficit, it can be a real “trip.” One idea births another idea and that one sprouts two more. Pretty soon, ideas seem to be coming rapid-fire and life...
Colonel Colt and His Pistols

Colonel Colt and His Pistols

For nearly two centuries, Samuel Colt’s firearms have been changing the course of history. And the legacy lives on. By all indications, he never should have succeeded in life, and if he had listened to what others told him, the name of Samuel Colt would probably...
The Legacy of James Purdey & Sons

The Legacy of James Purdey & Sons

In the long and storied history of gunmaking, there is no name more renowned than that of James Purdey. His rise to fame began 200 years ago, give or take, when he opened a small shop at 4 Princes St., Leicester Square, London, for the purpose of making and selling...
NRA Reloaded: Returning to the Fold

NRA Reloaded: Returning to the Fold

I’ll admit it plainly: I was among the early and unflinching critics when the National Rifle Association’s internal failures came into public view. I wrote about it, spoke about it, and—like many longtime members—wondered how an institution with such a storied history...