THINK TANK

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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

Ammo cans — lessons in surplus and storage.

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

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.

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?...

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...

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

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.

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...

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

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.

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...

“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.

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.

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...

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

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

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...

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...

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

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

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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...

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

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

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

“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...

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...

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...

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...

“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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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

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

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

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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....

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...

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.