American Handgunner Sixgunner

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The Sixgunner

John Taffin

SSK's Ground Breaking Guns

Long ago and far away - John shoots a Custom SSK sixgun.

In the late 1970s I saw a small ad for a new organization called Handgun Hunters International, or HHI. I sent off the money and application for membership and in 1979 received the first issue of The Sixgunner which was the club's bi-monthly publication in newspaper form. In the 1960s I had written my first articles, however I never got paid, so you might say my writing career lagged severely. I started writing for The Sixgunner and that was one of the best things I ever did. HHI was headed up by our own J.D. Jones who became a great encourager, telling me I should be writing for the major magazines. I started free-lancing and when Handgunner needed a writer in the mid-1980s for a column called Siluetas, J.D. recommended me and I have been here ever since.

J.D., who has become a cherished friend, is also SSK Industries. SSK specializes in custom single-shot barrels, first for the Thompson/Center Contender and then for the Encore when it arrived. If a factory cartridge can be sensibly and safely chambered in the Contender or Encore, SSK can and will do it. J.D. will also refuse to do any conversions which are not safe. In addition to factory chamberings J.D. has also designed a long list of JDJ cartridges. In fact J.D has chambered more than 200 cartridges in the T/C Contender. With the arrival of the Encore, new vistas opened up, as this action can be used for cartridges normally found only in bolt guns or the Ruger #1.

At the present time SSK has over 300 reamers for chambering custom barrels for the Encore. With that many possibilities in the two T/C actions you can bet we will only cover about 1-percent of what is actually available. Many of the chamberings offered by J.D. are wildcat "DJ" cartridges of his design. I don't believe there is anyone alive who knows more about designing cartridges than J.D. Jones. When he speaks anything about firearms or hunting it is a good idea to listen!

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American Handgunner is an FMG Publication.

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