A Final Salute from the Print Page
Fashions were frightening, but the handguns of the ’70s were as classy as ever.
How to, wheelguns, semis and hunting. The variety
has been consistent from day one. See if you notice
who’s been in the contents since the first issue.
The media landscape has evolved, and now that change has reached warp speed. With unprecedented ability for companies and customers to communicate directly via a rapidly growing array of tools, the traditional publishing business must also continue to evolve. This is nothing new.
We’ve seen dramatic changes in everything from local news to broadcast television. No longer does every home get a paper tossed into the rose bushes by an impatient delivery boy, nor do grocery stores dedicate an entire aisle to the magazine racks.
The pace of content delivery is fast, unyielding, and digital, and so must we evolve to meet the demands and expectations of the modern editorial consumer. Today, we turn the page because it’s the right move for our future, together.
We’re pivoting with the times. What began in 1976 as a humble and mostly black-and-white press run geared toward honor, grit, and the promise of a community united by firearms is closing this chapter in print. Our ink-smudged fingers, well-worn pages, and crisp masthead have served us well, but the world calls us forward.
This is the last printed edition of American Handgunner magazine, filled with the same types of stories, insight, and photography that have defined this publication for many years. This isn’t the end of our voice; it’s the beginning of a new stage, digital, dynamic, and far more immediate.
The ’80s brought interesting music and big hair,
but the wheelguns were still awesome.
Six Decades
What started in 1976 turned into a lifetime of Handgunning content, shared by some of the industry’s leading combat shooters, competitors, hunters and sixgunners. Enjoy this note from the first-ever issue editor J.J. Rakusan.
“Well, here it is! A magazine just for handgun shooters!
Over the past several years, my desk, as editor of Guns Magazine, has been laden with letters from readers asking for more handgun material in the pages of Guns Magazine.
We tried, for the past year or so, to satisfy these requests, but not at the expense of those readers who are interested in rifle and shotgun articles, or those who are firearms collectors. The time came, with so much going on in the handgun field, that it became impossible to cover all of the handgun happenings in the limited space available in Guns Magazine. Thus was born the American Handgunner.”
Gratitude
It has been both an honor and a thrill working alongside the writers, photographers, and sponsoring companies who have brought stories to make one nod in assent, cry and laugh, and sometimes all three. When I think back on decades of stories, not reports, but stories including guns and gear tests, range outings, and expert perspectives, I’m reminded of the true backbone of this magazine: The people behind the bylines. Thank you for the sweat, smarts, and soul you gave us issue after issue. Now I look forward to working with you to deliver more of the same, just in digital form.
In the ’90s, the Beretta was still the Army’s new gun.
Staying Connected
Our presence continues, right at your fingertips via americanhandgunner.com and our series of weekly newsletters. The printed magazine is retiring, but our digital pages are ready to go 24/7.
Expect more than just replication of the print experience. One thing print lacks is immediacy. Of news, of product reviews, of announcements, and even opinions. That new twist on our editorial is one we look forward to.
Of course, we’ll deliver the same kind of content you love, including behind-the-scenes essays, pro tips, and humor-laced range reports — but delivered with the advantages digital publishing brings to the table.
The .40 was at the top of the hill in the 2000s.
Looking Back & Forward
It’s fitting that American Handgunner began in 1976 when print was king, and each issue was a keeper for the files. I can’t tell you how many of your fellow readers maintain libraries of dozens or hundreds of back issues of Handgunner. The years have brought us from mimeographed diagrams to color-rich photography, desktop layouts to digital workflows, websites and email newsletters.
In the 2010s, we were still talking about Marines using the 1911.
Signing Off (In Print)
If you’ve held this issue in your hands, you know the weight of history, craftsmanship, and community — one last time. Let it serve as a salute to decades past, and a nod to our digital future.
See you online. Subscribe to our newsletters, follow us on social channels, and let’s keep the conversation rolling together in the digital age.
The best way to move forward immediately is to visit our newsletter subscription page here:
There, you can subscribe to any or all of our topic-focused email newsletters. Delivered weekly, you’ll find valuable content from the same great writers you’ve come to know and love.
And, as always, if you have thoughts to share, just reply to any of them or drop me a note at [email protected].
Thank you for the passion, the permission, and the privilege of serving this community in print all these years.
See you online!
Tom McHale
Editor, American Handgunner Magazine
