A Life Worth Telling

With award-winning writer Gary Lewis, Bob Nosler has authored a memoir well worth a read.

Many people live interesting lives, but it may be the rare person who lives a life that interests others. This correspondent has been fortunate — perhaps blessed — to have known such people whose stories are well worth reading.

I am in receipt of a memoir that is by and about a dear friend whose name will be instantly recognizable by anybody whoever reloaded a metallic cartridge. The man is Bob Nosler, and his story is titled Born Ballistic, which comes 15 years after the autobiography of his dad, John Nosler. A great story in its own right, Going Ballistic was published back in 2005.

Both stories are “as told to” Gary Lewis, whose prose is as readable as it is enjoyable. Lewis is an accomplished writer and author who just happens to live in Bend, Ore. where Nosler is located and where Bob grew up.

Bob Nosler is one of the most interesting guys in the firearms industry, as anyone who snags a copy of this 176-page book will quickly learn. He is also one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. I’ve read other books about interesting folks — including One Ranger by Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson, Hell, I was There! by Elmer Keith and To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth by Jeff Cooper, for example — and I’m delighted Nosler is still on this side of the grass. I knew Jackson and Cooper, but never met Keith.

Born Ballistic is not just the story how Nosler grew his father’s company; it’s a story about family and principle. As you read this memoir, you will stumble across such gems as these:

“Freedom is one of our core values. We believe in the United States and the values she was founded upon. And we believe in the Bill of Rights and that the Second Amendment protects the citizens of the United States from tyranny.”

“A team or a company or a country cannot sit around and expect to thrive in the future on its past glories, past accomplishments.”

“A leader develops the self-discipline to stay true to the mission of the company or the organization, overcoming obstacles while looking to the future…A leader generates an infectious positive passion that is fed from a clear vision of the future.”

Bob Nosler’s life story has some surprises and a fair number of
lessons about life, family, business and shooting.

A Diverse Career

Spoiler alert — Bob Nosler wasn’t always a “bullet guy,” as one learns in the first 40 pages.

He was a guitar player in various bands in his teen and flunked out of college. He later served in the Navy as a submariner and goes into great detail about life aboard a nuclear sub. After his enlistment, Bob went back to Bend, where he worked with his dad in the plant, even selling motorcycles at one point.

For some years, Nosler was owned partly by Leupold & Stevens, and in Bob’s own words, “From the moment I walked into the Nosler Bullet plant on Parrell Road in Bend, Oregon, from the very minute I stepped through the door as Bob Nosler, lube man, the lowest man on the corporate totem pole, it was my intention to buy Leupold & Stevens out of the partnership and return the company to private ownership, to the Nosler family.”

It took a few years, and a few unsuccessful tries, but it finally happened and set the company on a course that has brought worldwide name recognition to a modest firm with an even more modest start. That’s all in this book, too.

When you reach the final page of Born Ballistic, you’ll likely find yourself
wanting more. And that’s the telltale sign of a life worth telling.

Lots Of Hunting

While there is much in this book about family, friends, tradition, loyalty and business, no book with the name Nosler on the cover is going to be absent of hunting stories.

From Nosler’s recollections about shooting jack rabbits as a 13-year-old from a moving convertible Volkswagen Beetle to hunting in Africa, the reader will enjoy a full course of outdoor adventure — some of it wince-worthy and some of it pretty funny.

When one reaches the final page, you’ll likely find yourself wanting more. That is the best thing I can say about Born Ballistic.

Sources:
https://shop.nosler.com/apparel-gear/books-guides/born-ballistic-hardcover-book.html

https://www.nosler.com

On a Sadder Note

As Insider was putting the final touches on this week’s entry, word arrived another of those “interesting lives” in the firearms fraternity had ended.

James F. “Mace” Thompson, founder of Lyman Products Corporation, “passed away peacefully in his sleep after a long battle with cancer.” He was 79.

As with the name Nosler, anybody who has enjoyed hours at the reloading bench has at least heard of Lyman. In my case, I tumble my brass in a Lyman tumbler, trim it with a manual Lyman case trimmer, weigh powder charges on a Lyman scale and, depending upon the caliber, resize brass and seat bullets with Lyman dies.

Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1941. He had a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from St. Joseph’s University and an MBA from Harvard. Heading a group of investors, he purchased Lyman from the Leisure Group and turned it into a private entity. On his watch, Lyman acquired Pachmayr, TacStar, Trius Traps, A-Zoom Training Rounds and Butch’s Gun Care.

Thompson was a life member of the National Rifle Association and supporter of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. He served as president of Lyman until 2011 when he retired and became Chairman of the Board.

Mace is survived by his wife, Pam, three sisters and 27 nieces and nephews.

Cimarron’s Mike Harvey shows off the lever-action Model 1887 in a recent video.

New from Cimarron

For those who enjoy cowboy action shooting and are afflicted with no small degree of nostalgia, Cimarron Firearms has introduced a beautiful facsimile of the Winchester Model 1887 lever-action shotgun.

Designed by John Moses Browning, the Model 1887 has shown up in numerous films over the decades and is a favorite of many cowboy participants.

This version has some features not found on the original. According to Cimarron, the field-grade gun is offered with a 20-, 24- or 30-inch barrel and an IC choke tube. There are two grades, the Field grade and High grade, both chambered for 3-inch 12-gauge shells. According to Cimarron, a 10-gauge model will follow.

First shipments of the Model 1887 shotgun are due to arrive in 90-120 days.

Sources:
https://youtu.be/BgTUtPjQqqQ

https://www.cimarron-firearms.com

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