THINK TANK

THOUGHTS ON THIS AND THAT FOR HANDGUN FANS
A Cartridge Box...

When loading them, it was just another box of .45 Colt handloads. I was preparing for a handgun hunt with good buddy Dick Thompson. My mom had died a few...
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Meshach...

Each fall, Tank reaches for the familiar, dog-eared book, Forty-Four Years, The Life of a Hunter — the autobiography of Meshach Browning.
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The Making Of A...

What self-respecting boy didn’t want a knife when growing up? Back when I was a kid, all boys pined for their first knife. It was akin to the first step...
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BFR Proves Handy...

Deciding what guns to bring for an African hunt was a tough decision. Tim Sundles, and his wife Kim, graciously invited me to the Buffalo Bore Game Preserve...
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Memory Lane &...

Tank's favorite season is fast approaching. It’s funny what cues trigger the brain, reminding us of our locked-away memories.
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Rock Island...

Ask any Smith & Wesson collector, accumulator, or shooter what the most coveted gun displaying the S&W brand is and most likely, they’ll respond...
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Ronnie Wells’...

It started with a phone call. Fermin “Two Dogs” Garza, head honcho of Fermin C. Garza Customized Shooter’s Resources, contacted friend Ronnie Wells of...
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Hate To Wait?...

Being a typical July day in central Maryland, it was hot, humid, thick and miserable. Of course, the air conditioner decided to go on the fritz. While the...
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New Life For A...

After getting his .32 Colt Police Positive Speciare-barreled, Tank finally had the chance to handload some of his favorite loads.
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Box of .22 rimfire ammo from Federal Ammunition
How To Get More...

What’s old is new, and new is old. Here’s an old trick you can use to make your round-nosed .22 rimfire ammo
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Elmer Keith’s...

Looking back is supposedly bad because you just might see something gaining on you. I’ve always enjoyed a daredevil demeanor and the potential risks when...
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Sentimental Shooters

As a whole, sixgunners are a sentimental bunch. Some of the younger set sometimes call us old school, old fashioned, Fudds, fuddy duds — or worse. But...
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Tyler Gun...

For those having the sense of preferring single-action sixshooters, Tyler Gun Works has something for you … but you better hurry!
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Smoke In The Air

Pulling up the long, twisting driveway of Copper Mountain, a faint haze hung on the horizon. Stepping out of my Suburban, the aroma of smoked bacon and...
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Being Under...

Guns mean more to people like you and me than others could ever understand. Being sentimental links from our past, they remind us of the people who...
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Watch Your Targets

On September 23, 1985, I entered the portals of the Montgomery County Police Academy, as a fresh young police recruit. We were told to report to the main...
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“The Fixer”

Have no fear, The Fixer is here. Faster than a speeding bullet when editing mush, more powerful than a prepositional phrase, able to leap backlogs of...
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Advantages Of...

It’s roughly two weeks to my yearly pilgrimage to the NRA’s Whittington Center and my ammo stash is running low. I need to manufacture some ammo … and...
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Ruger’s...

In 2015, thumb-busters had a bodacious year with Ruger finally releasing a long awaited 5-shot, single-action Bisley.
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Lee Precision...

Inexpensive doesn’t necessarily mean cheap quality. Sometimes it does, proving the adage, “cheap is too expensive,” while other times, it’s a...
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Farewell, Amigo

This past week I hear mi amigo, Bart Skelton has stepped on the rainbow to the great shootin’ range in the sky.
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Here’s Some...

Have you ever been drug through the mud? How about being called a stick in the mud? Sounds clear as mud, right? Well, here’s some mud in your eye if you...
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Ruger’s Super...

Ruger has added to their growing family of modestly priced Wranglers for .22 long rifle shooters by adding the new Super Wrangler.
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Squirrels,...

Every deer hunter knows from whence I speak. It starts as your heartbeat quickens and blood pressure skyrockets to astronomical levels at the unmistakable...
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Why Powder Coat?

For those who regularly pray to the silver stream from the melting pot, there’s a fairly new technique that is either loved by some or hated like the...
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Elmer Keith's No. 5 Colt SAA Revolver
Rehashing Elmer...

When picking up the No. 5, the first thing noticed is the deceptive lightness of the gun. You’d think it’s going to be heavier, but due to the balance...
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Picking Just One...

The gun I’d want would need to fill several niches to be useful. It would have to be concealable for self-preservation, while needing to be powerful...
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A Hairdo Handgun...

All guns have a story to tell, some are just more interesting than others. When we were kids, nothing was better than seeing those long, heavy, rectangular...
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Free-Spinning...

I had a three mid-frame Ruger Blackhawks in need of free-spinning cylinder conversions. Supposedly, it was a simple task.
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Backrow Boys

Prior to graduating from the police academy, strict protocol began to loosen up, with the instructors relaxing a bit. Even our sergeant toned things down.
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Tightwad: .45...

Anyone with kids knows the lovable character Woody from “Toy Story.” It’s one of my favorites and watched it a zillion times when my daughter was a...
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Casting...

These joyous and necessary purchases never saved me a dime casting and reloading my own ammo. It just allowed me to shoot a heck of a lot more.
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2022...

The year 2022 ended in a blur of activity for me. The beginning of October found me in the Texas panhandle visiting Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gun Works to see...
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Skeeter’s Last...

No one will ever fill Skeeter Skelton’s boots. He was a once-in-a-lifetime gift to those enjoying gun prose. There’s a simple reason guys like John...
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Dear Santa …

Dear Santa, Since I’ve been pretty good this year, I’m asking for something on the huge size, present wise. Please don’t think me greedy, as this...
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Remembering...

I’ve met my share of great dogs during my life, most being more memorable, better mannered and friendlier than most people. None are bad, some are just...
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Mindset Matters:...

Shooting is the perfect mesh of gross and fine motor skills. However, there’s a seldom discussed component of shooting, and that’s the mental aspect of...
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The Dueling...

We’ve all heard the axiom “an armed society is a polite society” and this was no more apparent during the early 1800s.
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Operation Nanny...

My latest “it” incident was the rescue of Nanny Goose, a large Chinese goose that apparently escaped from a nearby farm and was now residing in the...
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For The Love of...

It was only a few years ago I learned about Merrill’s Marauder’s and mules, the famous unit who traversed Burma during WWII. Afterward, I wrote an...
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Nature's Booster...

Eventually, you realize going huntin’ is synonymous with gone thinkin’, only now you have a legitimate excuse for being away from phones, computers and...
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Bisley...

Hitting four rams out of five shots was becoming regular. The 5.5” Ruger Bisley mid-frame flat top was impressive with its accuracy potential.
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A Lightbulb Moment

Teaching my daughter to shoot came along quicker than I expected. I’d always secure my duty gun after every shift. It wasn’t my duty gun that piqued her...
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Guns: Buy, Rent...

Are we actually buying, renting or leasing this latest addition to our battery? The question was brought home recently during my latest acquisition.
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A...

What separates Republic Forge from everyone else is their attention to detail.
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Barranti Leather...

There’s a lot going on at Barranti Leather Co. We all know Doc for the wonderful, vintage style leather gear he makes for our sixguns and semi-autos.
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A Final Walk:...

Walking the Military Crest trail was by far my favorite shooting activity of the series.
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Hunting For Used...

Isn’t it funny how the older we get the more we like guns that are like us? You know, older, slightly used, maybe having a few interesting dings, scars...
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Lead Bullet...

Like many, gun magazines have corrupted me. Hopefully, I’m returning the favor to you. One of my biggest influences was the day I read about cast bullets...
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Ol' Dusty Is...

The gems I'm about to talk about are usually hidden under a bed, inside a forgotten closet, or perhaps residing at your safe's rear.
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Backrow Boys

Prior to graduating from the police academy, strict protocol began to loosen up, with the instructors relaxing a bit. Even our sergeant toned things down.
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The Greatest...

I couldn’t have been older than seven. I was decked out in Wrangler jeans, a white T-shirt and cowboy boots and sporting a fresh buzz haircut — my...
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Holy Smokes …...

I remember years ago reading about a company in Alabama that offered a unique service. They get an “A” for effort and originality for their company...
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Thoughts On The...

Sit back while we analyze Elmer Keith’s favorite .44 bullet, the Lyman 429421. It will be a review of sorts for you older codgers, while hopefully opening...
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Sixguns And...

There’s no denying a sixgunners propensity for wheelguns. The very name states it. The diehards cling to their thumb-cockers while the more progressives...
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Them and Us …...

Puzzled, they just can’t understand our love for guns. Perhaps they simply refuse to do so because they’re so certain they’re right.
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Jeff
Spring Bear...

While accepting an invite from Andy Larsson, owner of Skinner Sights, to go on a spring bear hunt, I had no idea what to expect.
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The Thin, Blue...

LEOSA and retirement parties keep police officers in touch. The bond that ties cops together is a unique one.
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Ammo Cans:...

Ammo cans — lessons in surplus and storage.
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The Lyman 358156...

Savvy handloaders use Ray Thompson’s design — the Lyman 358156 —which incorporated a gas check (GC) for .357 Magnum and .38 Special.
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Snow Globes,...

They were calling for a skiff of snow during the wee hours of the morning and tomorrow was the last day of the firearms season.
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Blasphemy, Or...

Say it ain’t so, Bozo! How can you improve on the sanctity of one of the most beloved, popular, and well known .44 Special handloads of the 20th Century?...
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Feeding Your .45...

Hands down, the .45 Colt is my favorite handgun cartridge. You know this! Sure, I love other cartridges too, fickle as I am, but .45 caliber cartridges just...
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DIY Stocks With...

The easiest and most noticeable way to change the personality of your shooter is by giving it some custom stocks.
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Cracked Eggs &...

At the ripe old age of 5, I finished kindergarten. We never got diplomas or graduation parties for attending back then. Those things were unheard of.
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Distance Tells...

Wanna’ know the easiest way to analyze your shooting form? Simply back away from your target. The farther away, the more magnified your shooting faults...
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Bloodlines,...

Maisie Moose, Muscle Moose and Moose Goose are just a few of the pet names for our latest adopted family member, Maisie Lynn.
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Taurus G3 T.O.R.O.

These are indeed great days for shooters! Guns are more accurate, many are less expensive, and we have a plethora of aftermarket sights from which to choose.
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Answering...

I’ve just finished playing fetch with my wild woman of a mixed breed mutt, Maisie. It’s 24 degrees out with a 20-mph wind to emphasize just how chilly...
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Heritage Barkeep

“It’s adorable,” were the enthusiastic words out of my daughter’s mouth spying the Heritage Barkeep during a designated .22 day at the range.
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Don’t Let...

Handloaders are frugal by nature. We enjoy bargains and freebies so we can load as much ammo as cheaply as possible, so we can shoot more.
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A Deer Stand...

Sitting in my deer stand, waiting for first light, it starts. My mind wanders back to all the opening mornings of deer season, waiting patiently for first...
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Double-Action...

Admittedly, the Single-Action (SA) revolver is my favorite because of its strength, simplicity and the sentimentality I hold for it.
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Tickling Yer’...

Single-action (SA) revolvers are renowned for their strength, simplicity and durability.
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E-Z Powder Coating

Powder Coating (PC) is simply the process of treating your cast bullets with a baked-on polymer coating. This coating acts as the bullets’ lubricant as it...
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Mag-Na-Port Montage

Just as the budding of new growth strikes a boy’s fancy to the opposite sex every spring, the brilliant colors of fall gnaw at the primal urge in...
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The Classic...

When it comes to cast bullets, the term “Keith” bullet has morphed into any slug resembling a semi-wadcutter (SWC) design.
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Potluck Pickins

Pecking at my keyboard on a daily basis gives me instant access to the internet.
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Fighting Frustration

On September 11th, 2001, the world as we knew it changed forever. I recently read a story about the search and rescue dogs used to find survivors and how...
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The Baby Gun

Gun guys/gals don’t need much of an excuse to buy a gun — there’s always a reason. I’ve got hero guns, remembrance guns, dedicated guns, concealed...
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.41 Magnum...

A modern version of a tried and true gun/load combination, Elmer Keith's .41 Magnum scratches the nostalgic itch we all get from time to time and is as...
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The Legend of...

The bond between men and dogs is legendary, relying on each other as hunting partners for both protection and companionship.
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Fireworks,...

By the time you’re reading this, Independence Day has come and gone. Thoughts of fireworks, picnics, parades, family reunions and carnivals fill our minds
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DIY Bullshooter...

There’s no easier way to dress up your sixgun than putting on fancy stocks. A proper grip is the foundation to good shooting and doing the work yourself...
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Basic .45 Colt...

When loaded heavy and fired in strong guns like the Ruger Blackhawk and Redhawk, the .45 Colt is one tough hombre.
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Lee Precision...

My shrewd farmer family roots are obviously displayed by appreciating a bargain for what it’s worth.
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When Spring Has...

Whoever invented the coiled, tempered spring was devious indeed. When it comes to guns, springs cause more frustration than any gun part.
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Of Crocodiles &...

“I’m not sticking my head in the sand, I take all the precautions — wash my hands, keep a distance from others — but I’ll be damned if I’m going...
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Beating...

The past two-plus weeks we’ve been bombarded, befuddled and bamboozled with the latest “End of the World” scenario. The culprit? Mass hysteria caused...
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Sights for Sore...

When you’ve got the fever like I do, the search for new gear is never-ending. You know what I’m talking about. We’re obsessed with updating...
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The Gateway...

According to dictionaries and what I remember from my days in school, a gateway drug is a substance that “while not itself addictive, may lead to the use...
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The Lazy Man’s...

“Show me a lazy man and I’ll show you the easy way of doing something” is how the saying goes. But is it really? Perhaps we sometimes confuse lazy for...
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Loaded Fun With 231

I’ll admit, lately I find myself going back to the classics, powder wise. Namely, the Herculean powders: 2400, Unique and Bullseye — which were first...
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Cherished Gifts

Sometimes we receive gifts and don’t realize how special they are until time passes. It’s not that we don’t appreciate them, we just don’t recognize...
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The Spark to...

Both my grandmothers were married to farmers, so you were expected to pitch-in doing the daily chores. Everyone pulled their weight, no matter how young or old.
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Watching...

Our natural resources are a constantly changing dynamic consisting of plants, animals and water. While hunting in Africa, I witnessed first-hand how vital a...
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Motor City...

Heading up the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I set my sights on mi amigo, Doc Barranti’s adobe in Pittsburgh, 3.5 hours away. From there, we head north for 5...
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Finding A Golden...

By golly, there’s nothing more I love than cast lead bullets! Their tradition, history and performance turn my insides all warm and gooey, just like the...
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It Started with...

This past spring (March 12th, to be exact) I received a rather surprising email. It was from our own John Sheehan, field editor of our sister publication,...
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Mindset Matters Most

Our brain is our most vital asset in every endeavor we do. The decisions we make are carefully calculated as the positives and negatives of our actions, or...
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.45 Colt...

While loving the simplicity of the strong and reliable single-action thumb-cocker, I’m savvy enough to appreciate its swinging sidekick — the...
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Pet Loads With...

As a handloader, nothing is more satisfying than taking game, or punching the bullseye with your own handloads. It provides a feeling of accomplishment,...
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Republic Forge:...

Every time I hear the name, Republic Forge, thoughts of the United States of America, a Constitutional Republic, is reinforced, stating the type of...
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A Sixgunners 4th...

The celebration of this year’s Independence Day is but a memory of picnics, family reunions, shooting guns, and of course firework displays. All of it...
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First Favorites...

As always, I had to have one — you know the feeling! I needed the ultimate hunting handgun, one fitting my needs perfectly, and yet having the ability to...
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The Greatest...

The excitement of travel is rooted to anticipation and excitement of the unknown. We never know what’s in store heading to our destination. Recently,...
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Sifting Through...

Social Media has, for better or worse, influenced society in ways our forefathers would never imagine. It’s boggling to think how an illuminated box full...
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You Never Forget...

No doubt about it, good, bad, or ugly — you never forget your first, well…anything. Be it first day of school, first kiss, first car or first car wreck
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Loose Screws —...

How many times have you said, “He’s got a screw loose,” or “He’s a nut job,” without really thinking where these phrases originated? We know...
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Ruger’s Wrangler

When word trickled out about Ruger’s new Wrangler, the Internet was abuzz as naysayers were gearing up with ludicrous Ned Ludd worries. Turns out these...
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Ruger’s Blued...

Ruger’s been at it yet again and it’s why we love them so much! Using their SP-101 platform this time, they released a powerful-punching wheelgun using...
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The .25...

I really shouldn’t be doing this, but since you have been loyal followers, I’ll let you in on a secret. Just promise, if word gets out, you’ll say you...
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Ruger M77...

I know what you’re thinking, this being American Handgunner, why in the hell is Tank telling us about a rifle? “Because I like you, I want you to know...
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Gun Shop Dicks...

Being a counterman, proprietor, or purveyor of firearms is not for the squeamish. Cold blooded murder of blued steel, negligent homicide by horrendous,...
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Growing Up...

When I was six I wanted to be an Indian. In those days, you could be anything you wanted to be…they told us so in school. I worked hard at it, something...
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Red Dot...

There’s no doubt about it, kids love electronics and my daughter Samantha was proof of it…
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Facing Life’s...

I just spent the past week at my cousin’s farm in Pennsylvania. My Pre-Veterinarian college-age daughter Samantha was shadowing a large animal...
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Mr. Jenkins

Like most of us, Mr. Jenkins is a gun shop rat. You can find him loitering at his local gun shop, drinking coffee — about every other day, sometimes more....
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Playing “What...

As a young cop, one of the favorite ways we youngsters would pass the quiet hours during a shift was playing “what if?” — keeping ourselves alert and...
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Honor Defense...

I know we have plenty of fun here, but today, I’m going to get a tiny bit more serious and talk about a good gun.
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.22 Ways To...

Sometimes, our blessings can be a curse in disguise. With an accumulation of iron, stainless steel, wood and a touch of polymer stuffed in our safes,...
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The Hunt

The black coffee tastes good as I watch Ruger and Cooper woof down their kibble. My faded brown, broke-in Carhartt canvas duck pants feel good and excite...
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Da' Man!

Wearing our Class “A” uniforms, standing in the lobby of the funeral home, we were waiting for the service to start for a fellow motor officer, who had...
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Christmas And...

The old man stood peering through his blinds, watching the snowflakes float down. Today was the anniversary of the worst day of his life.
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Answering...

Sure, potty humor and jokes are immature, but given as how we all need to do-dooty, it can be downright funny, since we all can relate. At least if you’re...
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Tank’s Powder...

By now, you’ve observed my proclivity for Powder Coated (PC) projectiles I’ve cast myself. In 30 years of casting, I’ve come to the conclusion PC cast...
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