GUNCRANK DIARIES
Excuses, Alibis, Pithy Observations & General Ephus
Fixing Education
Today, we are going to fix the American education system. I bet you thought the thorny problem was beyond the capacity of a simple 850-word Guncrank column....
269
Treb Terror
I bought my first putt-putt BB gun at age seven. I went hunting not because I liked deer meat but because I just enjoyed walking through the woods carrying...
247
Don’t Worry,...
I have a friend named Mack. Mack is the salt of the earth. He and his kind are what made America what it is. In addition to a lot of other positive...
273
The Hole That...
I had the privilege of spending some time in Israel several years ago, along with one of my teenage kids. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done.
333
Family Names
Seen the news lately? Not since 1865 have Americans held each other in such unfettered contempt. Vigorous disagreement morphs into abject hatred....
158
The Last...
Early in the morning on 6 August 1945, my friend needed to go over the Enola Gay’s engines one last time. He made his way out in the darkness, serviced...
267
The...
I recently received a most fascinating email from an alert reader. Paraphrased, it read, “Have an observation for Dr. Will Dabbs: You, sir, bear a strong...
243
Rescued By Han Solo
Harrison Ford was born on July 13, 1942, in Chicago. As a child, he was a Boy Scout and, later, a sportscaster for his high school sports program. He was a...
284
It’s Better To...
What is luck exactly? Entire industries turn on it, and not just casino gambling. People in suits make zillions in the stock market. However, there is not...
222
A Time to Kill
Yeah, I know I’ve seen that title someplace before. Anyway, it was an interesting day yesterday. We live way out in the sticks and have a modest lake for...
185
Want To See...
I don’t know where you stand on the subject of demonic possession, but I made an acquaintance at a big inner-city hospital who offered some unique...
187
Managing Medical...
Before I went to medical school, I assumed that doctors generally knew what they were doing. Reality is not infrequently something else altogether.
246
Did Japan Nuke...
Did Japan nuke Australia in the 90s? Or is there some other explanation for the seismic anomaly that occurred in the outback? You be the judge.
201
When Animals...
You never really know how you will respond until you get there. Most of us griz-zled gun-toting types fancy ourselves amateur heroes. We imagine that,...
164
Rubber Band Attack
I was never the biggest, fastest, or best-looking kid as I ineptly clawed my way from kindergarten through puberty. However, I have always had a gift for...
1124
Out Of This World
In 1986, visionary filmmaker James Cameron came out with what was, in my opinion at least, his masterwork. Aliens was the ultimate combat science fiction...
178
A Most Curious Vice
Pride is the alpha sin. It is what got Satan expelled from heaven. It is what pushed Adam and Eve out of the garden. All three aspired to be like God....
242
Put Your Heart...
Never underestimate the limitless capacity of the human male for stupidity in his timeless efforts to impress the fairer sex. Many a trek across the River...
141
The Grease Gun
The Grease Gun was bulky, heavy and awkward. However, it shot straight enough and was legendarily reliable.
168
Writing Night
We raised our kids without television. They, predictably, hated that. However, as a result, we had to make our own entertainment. Part of that was writing...
171
The Tragic Tale...
It was 1945, and V-E Day was about a week away. Everybody on both sides knew it was coming. Nobody relished the prospect of being the last casualty of the...
254
Every Epic Trek...
I grew up watching syndicated reruns of the original “Star Trek.” Through 13 feature movies, eight live-action television series, sundry computer games...
212
The Timeless...
Recently while driving from Mississippi to Dallas, Texas, I passed a real-live di-nosaur on the side of the road. Right outside Texarkana on the right...
31
The Terrific,...
Young men are hopelessly impressionable. It is this odd mystical combination of fitness, psychological malleability, and rank stupidity that makes...
221
Woody’s Law
There is way more to life than what we can touch and feel. Just about the time we think we’ve got our heads around it, something comes up that calls...
180
MP43: The...
With the crystalline clarity of hindsight, we all know how the Battle of the Bulge turned out. The Germans called it Operation Wacht am Rhein (translation:...
37
Life Lessons In...
So, I’m sitting here alone in the semi-darkness, staring at those institutional ceiling tiles wearing one of those absurd open-backed surgical gowns. It...
558
Never Taunt the...
The mission was to insert an infantry platoon covertly in the desert. For whatever reason, the grunt company commander was tagging along. Unusually, we were...
171
Tales Of A...
Collectors are drawn to firearms for a wide variety of reasons. Just like some might favor blondes while others are inexplicably partial to brunettes or...
340
Women Make Men...
We live way out in the middle of no place. The fact that I sort of shoot guns for a living makes that pertinent. One of the fringe benefits is copious wildlife.
49
The Weaponized...
In military parlance, an Observer/Controller is like an umpire during war games. Harvested from other tactical units for a period of temporary duty, O/Cs...
155
Guns Save Lives
The mainstream media is like a dog chasing a squirrel. Talking heads pontificate about the crisis du jour, while public figures rend their clothes while...
269
The Kleptomaniac...
Guns were tools to Eddie. He knew quite a lot about them and was completely comfortable in their use but didn’t study them as I might. He did, however,...
15
The Path Less...
Cohen specialized in aerospace guidance systems. Her major projects included the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile guidance computer and the...
146
On The Shoulders...
Listening to a man describe what Omaha Beach smelled like was quite literally priceless. Mr. Powell may be gone now, but today, we stand on the shoulders...
353
The King’s...
A couple of weeks into the new year, Lisa Marie Presley died at the age of 54. Like many kids born into show business royalty, hers was a tumultuous and...
159
When Doctors...
Given the internet-fueled insanity that has been American government for the last decade or so, one might be forgiven for believing that crazy people doing...
137
Hidden Treasures
They’re pretty much all gone now. When I was a kid, the country was blanketed with a thin patina of World War II veterans. They sold cars, ran service...
126
Insurance Nazis
How many of you have had a great experience with your health insurance company? Who here can say that their health insurance company is altruistic, easy to...
142
Countering A...
Laws did not stop this maniac. Laws did not even slow him down. The only thing that could have conceivably ended this lunatic’s rampage would have been an...
253
Watch The Skies
Are we alone in the universe? It’s a question as old as humanity. Since the dawn of time, man has stretched out on cloudless nights and gazed up at the...
31
Field Stripping...
The project came in the form of a good-sized frozen snake. My buddy had been out riding his bike a few weeks before when he came across a freshly demised...
174
Roadkill Rodeo
The Alaskan interior isn’t like the rest of the planet. The following conflict played out over the course of a couple of weeks on the front page of the...
69
Cancer-Curing...
December 2, 1943, was a Thursday. Allied troops worked feverishly in the freshly-liberated Italian port of Bari on the heel of Italy, offloading the...
164
Killer Cows
A dear friend came up in the 1930s on a rural Mississippi farm. Growing up on a farm is a bit of a trope in the modern era. Back in the days before World...
189
Guncrank Diaries...
I don’t recall ever doing a full twelve hours in the urban ER where I learned my craft without at least one gunshot wound. The record was seven. People...
28
Rock And Nans
Everybody wonders how their grandparents first met. Rock didn’t admit the truth to me until three weeks before he died.
159
DIY Death Camp...
The Nazis are undeniably fascinating. Those guys were just such scum. Human history is dirty with tin pot dictators who coveted something and were willing...
169
Beaver For Breakfast
One of the kids pointed out a beaver cruising around the lake. I retrieved my sound suppressed Remington 700 bolt-action rifle and dispatched the beast from...
146
The Great Beyond
I’m currently perched atop Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England near the Roman fort of Vindolanda. The weather is uncharacteristically pleasant.
144
From Outcast To...
It was 1938, and life was hard. The country and the world were still clawing their way out of the Great Depression, and people still knew genuine deprivation.
174
James Smith and...
11.5-foot Tiger shark that had been caught by an angler a week before some two miles out to sea.
167
The De-Evolution...
I have a nemesis. Webster’s Dictionary defines nemesis thusly, “The inescapable agent of someone's or something's downfall.” I think that about sums...
167
Guncrank...
Nowadays Army helicopters can pull any mission at midnight that they might at noon. Night vision sensors displace the darkness so beautifully that aircrews...
169
Robert McLaren:...
As a species we are enthralled with seeing people explore their limits. Sometimes it is in the small things. “Would you rather do this by mouth or take a...
239
God’s Go-Kart
Kids today simply have no idea how cool it was to grow up in the 1970s. Telephones were the size of a loaf of bread and were tethered to the wall.
192
The...
Lots of people talk about being a superhero, Phoenix Jones actually did something about it.
174
The Science...
In the case of nuclear fission, a small amount of matter actually transforms directly into energy.
181
Rubicon
The President of the United States sat alone in the Oval Office behind the desk of presidents. The Resolute Desk was not as physically imposing as many...
260
The Benevolent...
Despite his relative youth, Derek Hanson was both an old soul and a saint. The kid seemed born to service. His capacity to articulate that altruistic spirit...
160
The War Of The...
Humans go to war for a wide variety of reasons. During World War II, we fought against rank tyranny. We didn’t start it, but by God, we were going to...
168
A Satirical...
Tolerance is the new holy gospel in America. Bigotry is the unforgivable sin of the Information Age. It doesn’t matter what good you might have otherwise...
171
Bad Spellers of...
Spelling is a poor metric of a person’s raw intellect. The modern American education system invests truly breathtaking time and treasure contriving ways...
143
The Immortal...
Human beings are waterproof, and personal comfort is a state of mind. I actually used to believe tripe like that.
191
A Road Trip...
I studied mechanical engineering in college and got my commission in the Army at the same time. I was a pretty busy guy. However, each semester I made time...
134
The Ride Makes...
I had a half-hour commute while in medical school. I needed a reliable low-mileage Ford Fungus with a decent air conditioner and a radio. What I bought was...
217
The Keeper of...
In the early sixties, a petite female college student was driving home alone for the holidays across rural Louisiana. She attended school another state...
344
José “Pepe”...
Just what is it about politicians? It’s a bit like the timeless chicken or the egg conundrum. Were they all born criminals or does the system somehow make...
167
Women’s...
Back in 1997 I deployed to Australia as part of Operation Tandem Thrust. While I can’t say that I personally ensured the security of Western civilization...
194
Guncrank...
Mail call was a holy thing back in the days before Facetime and Skype. Those letters and parcels from home were like cool water for a guy dying of thirst. I...
239
A Most...
I like stuff. At some point my poor kids will have to sort through all my junk. They’ll have a massive yard sale and call in an auction company for the...
161
Robert Opel: The...
Never underestimate the lengths humans will go in their misguided efforts to please their particular curious gods. The Adamians, an early offshoot of...
139
Why Don’t We...
I understand the motivation. I really do. It seems some deranged psychopath is shooting up a school every week. However, despite that sordid reality there...
358
The Jedi Master...
Sometimes it seems that half of my occupation as a physician is treating self-inflicted wounds. Were it not for drinking, smoking, and sloth I might have to...
145
A Modest Proposal
More Gratitude, Less Ill-Informed Indignation
128
God’s Van de...
In general, soldiers aren’t stupid. We weren’t necessarily the smartest kids on the block, but it never was really a lack of intelligence that got us...
138
Accidents Happen
I was just trying to be helpful. We had company coming, and the back porch needed sweeping. This is an onerous chore. The screened-in porch plays home to a...
114
Bloody Math:...
It’s been a big week for the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued two of the most monumental decisions of my lifetime.
214
Guncrank...
You’ll never really know until you get there. We imagine how we might per-form when we’re finally facing that really bright light, but we can’t ever...
165
Astronomical...
The space shuttle was 4.48 million pounds of unfiltered awesome. This 122-foot hybrid space plane could boost more than 60,000 pounds into low Earth orbit.
116
The Theory Of...
In 1905, Albert Einstein published his theory of special relativity. Special relativity concerns all physical phenomena in the absence of gravity.
141
Guncrank...
Sometimes I just like to sit quietly and imagine what it must have felt like there at the end. I’m not a particularly superstitious guy. However, there is...
113
Potty Training...
One night while taking call for our busy medical practice I got a most extraordinary inquiry. A woman called the clinic after-hours line to report an...
131
Life’s Not Fair
You do what I do long enough and you make some deep connections. I am ever amazed at the intimacy implicit to my job. You close the door to that little exam...
158
What’s in the...
The young woman walked into the labor and delivery suite of the University hospital unannounced. She carried a big red biohazard bag with the top tied in a...
121
The Relentless...
I came of age in a small town in the era before the internet. Back then when a kid was trying to figure out what he or she wanted to do for a living we just...
125
The Date from Hell
I ultimately got the girl. Some 39 years later, we have had some pretty epic dates. Dinner at King Stefan’s in Cinderella’s Castle sitting by the window...
111
Just Another Day...
Last week we began our time together discussing what it was like to cut a woman’s head in half with a hand saw.
112
Just Another Day...
I had to crawl up on a chair to get the angle just right. Two of my co-conspirators held everything steady. I took a deep breath, hefted a standard Stanley...
69
Desert Dessert
I discovered this on my hard drive recently. Apparently, I penned it on some forgotten military deployment many decades ago.
116
Guncrank...
I penned a previous column about my farm dog, Dog. Dog was just a mutt. She had a crooked tail, mismatched ears, and a coat of many colors. However, she was...
125
Who’s Your...
The discussion invariably gravitates around to whether Shemp, Curly, Joe, or Curly Joe was the best third arm to the classic Vaudeville trio.
119
Tribulation:...
Mark and Linda came into town for a big omnibus Walmart run about once a month. Without children the logistics were greatly simplified. This recurrent...
233
Dinosaur Farming
I had a free day, and my Aussie buddies suggested I check out the local crocodile farm. I’m from Mississippi. I had never actually seen a real crocodile.
126
Not Your Average...
One morning early while in flight school he was driving out to the flight line in the pre-dawn darkness and struck a little spike buck.
114
Life Lessons in...
Star Trek is one of the most beloved science fiction franchises ever created. Gene Roddenberry crafted the original series as a classic traditional western...
225
The Immortal...
Down here in the Deep South the mosquitoes, wisteria, Johnson grass and ragweed all seem to explode at about the same time. We therefore have an annual...
124
Guncrank...
The entire TOC erupted in cheers. There was a lot of back slapping and congratulations, enough to smother poor Dave in his lamentably sordid state. There...
126
Rank Has Its...
It is frequently easier to get dehydrated in the arctic than it is in the desert. I’ve spent a lot of time in both, and each has its own unique miseries.
128
The SBIED
I despise shaving. My ideal facial state is about four days’ worth of scruff. Make that about two months in wintertime. I relish not having to fret about...
127
The Curious...
The young B17 pilot who organized the crash survivors and got them to safety was Gene Roddenberry.
183
Flying Footwear
Blauer combat boots are incredibly lightweight and comfortable. They really don’t weigh any more than a pair of running shoes.
157
The Monkey and...
Had I gotten my way you guys never would have heard of me. I had planned 25 years in the Army followed by a second career teaching high school physics...
110
A Voice in the...
Human stupidity can lead to dire situations. This time a voice in the wilderness knew what to do.
118
A Most Noxious Weed
I despise cigarettes. Cigarettes cause heart disease and lung cancer, among a great many other vile things. Heart disease is not my problem.
365
Professional...
I’m on my fifth career. The optimist would say I’m a Renaissance Man. The pessimist would say I never stick with anything. My longsuffering bride is...
118
The Presidential...
Our President needs some kind of indicator light. It need not be anything terribly complicated. It can just be a little digital addition to the bottom left...
188
Nick
Helicopters, survival, and St. Nick.
134
Cold
I thought I had been cold before. I have come home from deer hunting with my dad in the Mississippi Delta to find ice formed on the inside of my boots. I...
135
Ichthyophobia
It turns out my problem has a name. It’s called Ichthyophobia. The word comes from the Greek “ichthus,” meaning “big fish,” and “phobos,”...
152
McDonald’s Mayhem
I am a man greatly blessed. I have seen the world, served my country and saved a few lives. I get to write for gun magazines and claim it’s work.
133
Party Like...
Oddly, it was early Saturday afternoon that was invariably the most fascinating. The typical MO involved the obligatory massive frat party the night before.
127
Guncrank Diaries...
As anyone who has ever watched one of those criminal forensics TV shows might attest, you can ascertain a great deal from an entrance gunshot wound.
128
Making Babies
Delivering babies was one of the more rewarding things I got to do during medical training.
108
Fascinating People
I’ve always been a pretty trusting guy. I find that if I treat people the way I would like to be treated, then most of life turns out rosy.
121
A Tale of Two...
On September 5, 2021, a 12-year-old boy in Long Beach, California boarded a crowded public transit bus alone to go visit his grandmother.
110
Gunwriter's...
Folks occasionally ask what it’s like to be a rich and famous gun writer. Well, for starters, there are no rich gun writers.
170
Arctic River...
The year was 1986, and I was getting my first taste of soldiering. My initial foray into the real Army was Northern Warfare School. Did you know you can get...
135
Fascinating People
I’ve always been a pretty trusting guy. I find that if I treat people the way I would like to be treated, then most of life turns out rosy.
121
A Tale of Two...
On September 5, 2021, a 12-year-old boy in Long Beach, California boarded a crowded public transit bus alone to go visit his grandmother.
110
Gunwriter's...
Folks occasionally ask what it’s like to be a rich and famous gun writer. Well, for starters, there are no rich gun writers.
170
Arctic River...
The year was 1986, and I was getting my first taste of soldiering. My initial foray into the real Army was Northern Warfare School. Did you know you can get...
135
Red in Tooth and...
A big male European boar reaches more than six feet long and weighs around 220 pounds. These animals are grouchy, mean and ravenous. Lured by the smell of...
166
Cause of Death:...
It was scout pilot nirvana. We had four OH58 aeroscout helicopters and but two rated 58 drivers. We were therefore tasked to fly off our flying hour program...
194
Lying is Like a...
One of ten seminal directives issued directly from the mouth of God Himself, the ninth commandment against professing falsehood represents arguably the most...
163
Four Sentences
I’m told I can explore a little fiction in this venue from time to time as long as I don’t make a habit of it.
141
Don’t Eat the...
We were all poor and living hand to mouth. We each maintained a cabinet in the kitchen that we kept stocked with ramen, mac and cheese and similar low-cost...
130
The Deep Magic...
How could something so ethereal and diaphanous be so unimaginably powerful?
224
Of Domesticated...
The year was 1913, and my grandfather was but eight years old. He lived on a rural Mississippi farm along with his parents and dozen siblings.
175
The Mystery of...
It still amazes me after all these years that I can speak so dispassionately about this stuff.
166
Perfectly Good...
Why does the military let children do such grownup things? I just wanted the funny hat. It is amazing what young men will do for a funny hat.
161
Life Lessons in...
It was one of those preternaturally cold January days in the Deep South —about ten degrees out. The kids were inside doing school, and there was something...
139
A First Time for...
I have a weakness for gunshot wounds. That statement reads lamentably ghoulish splashed across my computer screen, but I can’t help it.
119
The Extinction Event
He was the last one. Like the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, the passenger pigeon, or the Great Auk, William Strickland was the very last of his species.
246
Hunger, Sleep...
I had not slept in three days. In the modern age, the U.S. Army can’t legally hit you. However, they do liberally employ hunger and sleep deprivation as...
141
Be Careful Where...
It was a torrid summer Saturday in the Mississippi Delta, and the air was so thick you could tear off a chunk and gnaw it.
152
Beat Feet
It was Friday evening in the urban ER where I worked, and the freaks were out in force.
198
Momentous Moments
This is likely to make you smile like a Democrat at a gun buyback event.
146
Green Dentistry
There is this massive infrastructure focused on meeting the medical and dental needs of our boys and girls in military uniform. Sometimes, however, you...
158
The Big Chill in...
Some two decades later my children don’t remember the New Orleans zoo, the WWII Museum or the food. However, from now until the sun burns out they will...
162
The Pyromaniac's...
I have thus far inadvertently instigated three proper forest fires. This is indeed not the sort of thing about which one should boast.
162
The Wet Naked Man
Imagine if you will a 19-year-old wet, terrified man shivering in an office wearing nothing but a woman’s sexy transparent nightgown.
126
The Verminator
Watching the Verminator work became a social event.
175
Man Often...
We study only that which we might conveniently perceive and then declare with assurance that there is no God. Reality is something else entirely.
228
Humphrey the Hummer
I had my own Humvee in the desert. As the Aviation liaison officer, I moved about constantly from one command to another coordinating air support.
52
How to Die Well
I knew him less than three days, yet I count him among my dearest friends. He showed me how to die well.
334
How Fast is Fast...
One of the more common letters I get here are readers worrying if their self-defense load is adequate. Regardless of the caliber, they still worry.
156
Time and General...
The passage of time has fascinated humans since the very beginning. As was so compellingly depicted in the Christopher Nolan movie “Interstellar,”...
153
The Pigeon Patrol
Sometimes the easiest solutions are indeed the best. In this case, a young man with a sandwich and a tennis racquet ...
157
The Gunist
Just because he can sell refrigerators, doesn’t mean he can work in our industry selling gun stuff.
87
Cool School
I’m from Mississippi. It’s hot down here — like Africa hot. In the summertime, the humidity is so thick you can tear off a piece of air and gnaw on it,
129
Acquisitional ...
Am I a collector — or do I simply seem to acquire guns haphazardly as they catch my eye?
52
An Expert's Gun
In experienced hands — and I mean near-expert hands — they are effective, accurate, reliable and highly concealable.
125
The Circle Of...
I pursue firearms like a weasel stalks a hot dog. The hunt imbues me with a certain singularity of purpose.
156
How to Offend...
I thought it might be a fun exercise to see if I could offend every single person in the country in a single weekly column.
191
Sight Sense?
Much ado is made of sight pictures. But what is a sight picture? I think it’s many things.
42
Lion Therapy
It is simply breathtaking to look back on two decades of medical practice and appreciate some of the things that drive patients to seek a physician’s...
138
Guncrank Diaries...
The complete series of excuses, alibis, pithy observations and general ephus originally published in American Handgunner right here!
19
Tangling With...
If you ask a shooter what’s most important about shooting; what does it take to actually hit the target, they’ll likely say, “Sight picture and...
147
The Enterprise...
It really doesn’t matter what you did. By this point, none of that really matters. Once these gears start turning there is no stopping them.
151
The Stealth Turd
I do this for a living, and at times, I still have difficulty separating true mental illness from the garden variety quirky and weird.
155
Black Rifles and...
This was the Mississippi Delta in summertime, so it was Africa-hot. The air was so thick you could tear off a chunk and gnaw on it.
158
First Best Guns
The gift of a “first gun” to a child can be a life-changing experience. With the right training to go with it, can instill a lifetime of responsibility.
19
Nothing Happens...
The young man was 13 years old, and we met in Room 7 at my urgent care clinic. Room 7 is the Procedure Room. It’s the playroom for me.
555
Perfect...
There are no magic bullets and all bullets fail some of the time, so you need to be able to place any bullets you fire as accurately as possible.
67
Friends,...
The Ox Ranch is where good gun nerds go when we die. This is very likely the coolest place on the planet.
138
Warts And All
I’ve got guns with warts on them. Nicks, a bit of rust, plating flaking off, signs of bad gunsmithing in the past or just plain honest wear — warts-all.
103
Just Following...
Never let it be said that Army privates have any hesitation doing what they’re told, even when it’s a little bit crazy.
163
In the Beginning…
Welcome to the inaugural installment of the new online Guncrank Diaries. This should indeed be a weekly exercise in excuses, alibis, pithy observations and...
150
The Retro-Guy Code
In light of all the “retro-this” and “retro-that” it suddenly dawned on me I was a “retro” myself. And, as a matter of fact, so are most of the...
171
Take Pre-Emptive...
If we don’t take the time to build the foundation today, it will all die, now, with us. Don’t let it die. Take pre-emptive strikes. Reach out to new...
12
America's...
Soldiers develop an unnatural attachment to the tools of their peculiar profession.
215
what wasn't...
Some will say what I want is impossible, but I don’t believe it.
145
Bullets From...
The most striking thing about the Bus Farm Fight was the “combat cool” exhibited by the Hard Hombres. I had seen veteran fighters engaged all over the...
151
Bigger Blasphemy...
“Blasphemy! He places grip and trigger control above The Front Sight! Heresy! Did not the prophet Jeff Cooper say, “Blessed are they who, in the face of...
157
Devils in the digits
I’ve seen a lot of men die for two reasons: First, because they failed to do what they were trained to do. Second, because they did exactly as they were...
143
The Greyhound Rules
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was a fair and fertile land festooned with lotsa bananas, bunches of Bad Guys, and some buses.
144
On Bein' Thankful
I know I can count on you folks to remind the whiners and seessee-bwois it ain’t about holiday; it’s about giving thanks for your breath, your...
170
Blasphemy & Heresy
Lots of you have written asking what handgunning “discipline du jour,” signature school of shooting, trademarked technique, or method-of-the-month I...
151
Stones Style And...
My policy is to answer every e-mail, but this month, I’m gonna try to whack a flock of birds with a single stone, okay?
130
A Veteran's Story
On Veteran’s Day, November 11th, if you haven’t got anyone else to honor, remember the woodsman. I will.
231
The Next To Last...
I told you guys to knock it off, didn’t I? I don’t wanta be President!
252
unwritten range...
UN-Written Range Rule #30: The far right stall is unused for a reason. Try the swamp.
117
Child Soldiers A...
There’s a reason 19-year-olds make the best soldiers. They’ve not yet become jaded by the relentless grinding ambiguity of the world. Life was clearer,...
119
Memsaab's Amigos
Ok, ok, all right! I GET it! You like her better than you like me.
166
The Memsaab Speaks
When it became obvious he couldn’t file his column from West WhereZitStan or whatever, His Editorship suggested I write it, by answering some emails from...
264
Setting The...
Let’s get this perfectly clear, okay? I’m not an expert. I’m just sorta “experienced.” They’re not the same thing at all.
223
Dying To Be Cool
What exactly does it mean to be cool? Though difficult to define, you know it when you see it. Guns are cool. So was Steve McQueen. You get kind of a...
139
We all know what...
You know what I mean. They’re like Idjits and Morons, comin’ in all colors, flavors, “life-style preferences” and two, three, or five genders,...
183
About that...
You have not armed and oriented yourself for fighting, in defense of yourself and others, just because you are fearful of attack by predators, have you? No....
556
The Shoot Down...
Once upon a time on a faraway world very much like our own, there was a teeny-tiny nation surrounded by bigger, bitter enemies.
237
Not Runnin
It’s happening again: A buncha you guys want me to run for president. Here’s the news flash: I ain’t runnin’, and you can’t make me!
158
Red Dot Sights:...
Our resident Gun Cranks — Brent Wheat, Tom McHale, and Roy Huntington discuss the pros and cons of red dot sights and if they're right for you.
35
Happy Birthday to Me
Of all the sundry holidays that so liberally populate the modern Gregorian calendar none is so superfluous as the birthday.
130
Quartermaster...
Streamlight's new Strion Switchblade rechargeable light bar can be used in a variety of different ways as explained by GunCrank's host Roy Huntington.
7
Gun Cranks Live...
Join our resident Gun Cranks — Brent Wheat, Tom McHale, and Roy Huntington — as they welcome a new "honorary Gun Crank" into the mix, Jim Shepherd,...
35
It’s Time For...
I’ve just about had it with this “Gun-Free Zone” crap, you know?
184
Magic IWB Holster
American Handgunner's Tom McHale finds an IWB holster for a full-size handgun and fits every body size.
23
Funnybone Fractures
I’ve warned you guys. Weird things happen in gunfights. So, for you doubting Thomases, here are some examples from my private stock.
144
The Weaver...
Join the resident Gun Cranks — Brent Wheat, Tom McHale, and Roy Huntington — as they discuss the advantages, myths, and misconceptions of the Weaver Stance.
12
Quartermaster Be...
American Handgunner editor Tom McHale finds a tool from Real Avid that can save you on the range or in the field.
11
Gun Cranks Live!...
Our resident Gun Cranks — Brent Wheat, Tom McHale, and Roy Huntington — talk about the myths, misconceptions, and truths of "knockdown" power.
38
Guns & Men The...
It starts with the metal of a gun and the mettle of a man. No matter how many features it has, if it’s not made of the right stuff all the way to the...
215
Don't Get Kicked...
What's charm school for shooters? Our resident Gun Cranks talk about how to be a good neighbor, and a few sure ways to get banned when you're at the firing...
35
Tale of a roamin...
“This is our policy on race and color: We have two races — the 440 and the mile, run quarterly. We have one color: camouflage. Dismissed!”
230
Quartermaster...
A look at Diamond-D Outdoors Denali Chest Holster and why it's the best option in a critter attack.
30
Gun Cranks Live!...
Regardless if you're a brand-new shooter or an old hand, the "four rules" of firearms safety aren't optional.
18
The Home Defense Rig
There’s not enough space on this website to thoroughly discuss safety and security from soup to nuts, so let me sound off on just one thing I feel...
179
Gun Cranks Live!...
Resident Gun Cranks share some reader letters and discuss the questions raised by our viewers and readers.
29
Prepare For The...
Just a buncha regular guys blastin’ targets and battin’ the breeze.
199
A Little Bit Of...
Yeah; I’ve learned some things, both esoteric and mundane, and the learning, while free of the usual tuition and lab fees, often came at the cost of...
133
Gun Cranks Live!...
the "almost" calibers: .25, .32, and .380 as self-defense rounds. Are they useful for personal protection, or will they only get you killed?
37
Gun Cranks Live!...
Are laser sights a good or bad thing? Hear what the guys have to say about these high-tech shooting tools.
17
Free To Good Home
Rip was an adorable $200 beagle. This was a lot for an animal by my standards. The kids fell instantly in love with the little rabbit-chasing machine.
211
Gun Cranks Live!...
What was the worst - and best - gun-handling scene in movies or television?
12
Bad Holsters vs....
Join our resident Gun Cranks – Roy Huntington, Tom McHale, and Brent T. Wheat – as they discuss what makes a good holster and what makes a rotten holster.
9
Worst Defensive Ammo
Everybody wants the best, but what are some of the worst choices for self-defense ammo?
17
Everyday Carry Gear
Join our resident gun cranks - Roy Huntington, Tom McHale and Brent T. Wheat - while they have a lively discussion about the gear they carry in their...
52
Worse Gun Ever Made
Join our resident Gun Cranks - Roy Huntington, Tom McHale and Brent T. Wheat - as they chat about their own nominations for "Worse Gun Ever!"
15