A Celebration of our Second Amendment 150 Years of the NRA by info-pmgfirst

Professional Media Group, LLC 1201 South Highland Avenue, Suite 7 | Clearwater, FL 33756 Tel: 727-584-5511 | Fax: 727-441-8888 | info@pmgfirst.com President Robert Keliher Vice President Anthony Shane Moldovan Chief Operating Officer/Editor in Chief Kelly Morrison Editor Jocelyn Beach Graphic Designer Stacy Kovatch Account Executives Matthew Bannon Victor Musco Charles Kaye Dan Livoti Gary Birkhimer Leslie Harvill Contribution Writers Jim Lamb Larry Case Jim Pinsky

Copyright 2021/2022 Copies are available at $10.00 + $6.95 shipping and handling by calling 727.584.5511. Copyright 2020/2021. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited. The opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the view of the Publisher. Professional Media Group, LLC assumes no responsibility for the advertisements, or any representations made therein. Professional Media Group, LLC is unable to accept and hereby expressly disclaim, any liability for the consequences of inaccuracies or omissions in such information, whether occurring during the publication of such information for publication nor otherwise. No proceeds from this publication go to National Rifle Association (NRA). This publication is not endorsed by or affiliated with NRA.

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INSIDE A C E L E B R AT I O N O F T H E SECOND AMENDMENT 150 YEARS OF THE NRA PAGE 6

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

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HISTORY OF THE NRA BY JAMES PINSKY

PAGE 18 THE BEST HANDGUNS FOR CONCEALED CARRY BY LARRY CASE PAGE 30

TEN BEST SHOTGUNS BY LARRY CASE

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FROM FIREWORKS TO FIREPOWER HOW AMMUNITION EXPLODED ON THE SCENE AND CHANGED HISTORY BY JIM LAMB

PAGE 42

10 BEST AR-15 RIFLES

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WHY THE 1911 IS A MUST-HAVE FOR YOUR COLLECTION BY JIM LAMB

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INNOVATIVE, TIMELESS, AND ECCENTRIC FIREARMS BY JIM LAMB

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12 ESSENTIAL FIREARM ACCESSORIES FOR EVERY NEW GUN OWNER

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THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE SECOND AMENDMENT BY JIM LAMB

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TRAILERS

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POWER PULLERS: 10 OF THE BEST TRUCKS FOR TOWING

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SURVIVOR CHECK LIST

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20 BEST TACTICAL BACKPACKS

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TO BOLDLY GO… HOW CAMPING OPENS UP THE DOOR TO GREAT ADVENTURES BY JIM LAMB

PAGE 102 CONAN, THE MILITARY DOG WHO HELPED KILL ISIS LEADER HONORED AT THE WHITE HOUSE

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PG 18 PG 36

Pg. 10 PG 102 PG 88

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PUBLISHER’SLETTER

elcome to A Celebration of our Second Amendment: 150 Years of the NRA. This year marked the 150th Anniversary of the National Rifle Association and over these past years the NRA has evolved significantly. Starting in 1871, this Second Amendment advocate formed the association we all know as the NRA. Their

simple message, “To protect and Defend the Constitution of the United States”, with focus on the inalienable rights of Americans to use arms and stand as a political force to defend the Second Amendment rights. This brings us to why we produced this publication… to celebrate our Second Amendment. We would like to thank our advertisers and our contributing writers for their continued support and for their dedication to their causes and their support in ours. We hope everyone enjoys A Celebration of our Second Amendment: 150 Years of the NRA and that we all continue to support our Constitution and our rights as American’s and move forward as a nation in respecting our Countrymen. Sincerely,

Robert Keliher Publisher

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HISTORY By James Pinsky

he Second Amendment and the National Rifle Association

was founded by two veterans, Col. William C. Church and Gen.

may seem as if they have always existed. They haven't, but

George Wingate, to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on

millions of Americans hope they always will.

a scientific basis".

We know when our Second Amendment rights began.

The NRA, and its mission has evolved significantly.

America's right to keep and bear arms was born on December

15, 1791, when the Second Amendment and nine other

What is the NRA's mission today? According to their 2021

articles of the Bill of Rights were ratified. Eighty years later,

mission statement, it is "to protect and defend the Constitution

on November 17, 1871, the free world's most prolific Second

of the United States, especially with reference to the inalienable

Amendment advocate, the National Rifle Association (NRA)

right of the individual American citizen guaranteed by such g

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RY of the NRA America’s right to keep and bear arms was born on December 15, 1791, when the Second Amendment and nine other articles of the Bill of Rights were ratified. NRA 150

Constitution to acquire, possess, collect, exhibit, transport, carry, transfer ownership of, and enjoy the right to use arms." From the organization's birth, the NRA and its founders always wanted to empower and promote the safe, ethical, and proficient use of firearms for all legal purposes. Despite its far publicized role in legislative affairs, the NRA accurately self-describes its core mission in its brief history (available via its website, www.nra.org) - "While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world." My observations of the NRA as a Lifetime Member validate these very things. Let's get into more detail about when and how the NRA earned its reputation as the "premier firearms education organization in the world."

According to NRA historical documents, "The NRA's interest in promoting the shooting sports

among America's youth began in 1903 when NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones urged the establishment of rifle clubs at all major colleges, universities and military academies. By 1906, NRA's youth program was in full swing, with more than 200 boys competing in matches at Sea Girt that summer. Today, youth programs are still a cornerstone of the NRA, with more than one million youth participating in NRA shooting sports events and affiliated programs with groups such as 4-H, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Legion, Royal Rangers, National High School Rodeo Association and others." In short, if you're involved in shooting sports from novice to world-class expert, the NRA played a role in your success. The NRA's most robust history isn't in the news headlines but in the hearts and minds of millions of shooters worldwide who learn and practice firearms marksmanship safely, effectively, and with passion, thanks in large part to the work of the NRA. g

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From the organization’s birth, the NRA and its founders always wanted to empower and promote the safe, ethical, and proficient use of firearms for all legal purposes.

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Following World War II, the NRA dedicated significant time

The NRA didn't stop with recreational shooters or hunters.

and resources to hunter education as its role as a firearm,

They grew their education and outreach efforts to include

and firearms-sports advocate grew. The NRA created the first

law enforcement personnel early as 1960 when it created

hunter education program in 1949. According to the NRA,

the NRA Police Firearms Instructor certification program.

in 1949, they partnered with New York to establish the first

According to the NRA, today, there are more than 13,000

hunter education program. Since then, every state and even

NRA-certified police and security firearms instructors.

Canada has created some sort of hunter education program. In 1973, the NRA started The American Hunter magazine,

Here are some more statistics from the NRA:

a monthly publication for and about hunting. Furthermore,

according to the NRA, it "continues its leadership role in hunting today with the Youth Hunter Education Challenge

1,000,000 gun owners a year.

(YHEC), a program that allows young hunters to build on the

involving an estimated 40,000 young hunters."

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• Courses are available in basic rifle, pistol, shotgun, muzzleloading firearms, personal protection, even

skills they learned in basic hunter education courses. YHECs are now held in 43 states and three Canadian provinces,

• More than 125,000 certified instructors now train about

ammunition reloading.

• Nearly 7,000 certified coaches are specially trained to work with young competitive shooters.

•S ince the establishment of the lifesaving Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program in 1988, more than 28 million prekindergarten to fourth grade children have learned that if they see a firearm in an unsupervised situation, they should "STOP. DON'T TOUCH. RUN AWAY. TELL A GROWNUP."

•O ver the past seven years, Refuse To Be A Victim® seminars have helped more than 100,000 men and women develop their own personal safety plan using common sense strategies.

The NRA is a lot more than a firearms knowledge and education platform. They're a voice of and for supporters of the Second Amendment, and as its enemies' voices grow louder, the NRA continues to combat efforts to take away Americans' right to keep and bear arms. g

Following World War II, the NRA dedicated significant time and resources to hunter education as its role as a firearm, and firearms-sports advocate grew.

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There was a time when the NRA and the federal

significantly following the Ken Ballew raid on June 7, 1971. A

government seemed to have a more collaborative

look back through the history of the NRA shows it became

approach to what gun rights are and should be. The

more aware and thus involved in local, state, and federal

relationship between the NRA and the government evolved

firearms laws well before then. According to NRA history

to match the NRA's belief that there was and is a growing

available online via the NRA's official website, "It facilitated

threat to the loss of the Second Amendment.

an arm of its nonprofit dedicated to firearm laws as early as the 1930's, in response to repeated attacks on the Second

It's a debate many Americans can and should have. For

Amendment rights, NRA formed the Legislative Affairs

example, some believe the NRA's collaborative posture

Division in 1934. While NRA did not lobby directly at this

with the federal government's gun control agenda changed

time, it did mail out legislative facts and analyses g

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Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) is a program that allows young hunters to build on the skills they learned in basic hunter education courses.

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to members, whereby they could take action on their own.

Today the NRA remains firmly entrenched in America’s fight to keep

In 1975, recognizing the critical need for political defense

its Second Amendment rights while it continues to recruit, retain,

of the Second Amendment, NRA formed the Institute for

and reenergize peoples’ love for the shooting sports worldwide.

Legislative Action, or ILA.", which is defined by the NRA as the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of

The NRA's mission and thus its legacy grew because it can't

America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all

teach anyone firearms safety, marksmanship, and proper use

law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal

if Americans lose the right to keep and bear arms in the first

arenas, to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate

place. So, the history of the NRA emerging as a tenacious

purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the

legislative voice for and about gun rights was not only prudent

U.S. Constitution."

but inevitable.

Still, the NRA never forgot its roots. It grew new ones in the

(Editor’s Note: historical dates, NRA involvement, and timelines were collecting from official NRA documents and sources to help preserve the integrity of information for and about the NRA.)

nonprofit world to further enable its ability to help Americans enjoy shooting sports. In 1990, the NRA created the NRA Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization, to "provide

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA FAIRFAX, VA 22030-7550

a means to raise millions of dollars to fund gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public." The NRA

TAX-EXEMPT SINCE APRIL 1944

stated that "contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible

EIN: 53-0116130

and benefit a variety of American constituencies including youth, women, hunters, competitive shooters, gun collectors, law enforcement agents and persons with physical disabilities."

CLASSIFICATION Civil Liberties Advocacy (Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy)

NONPROFIT TAX CODE DESIGNATION: 501(C)(4) Defined as: Civic leagues, social welfare organizations and local associations of employees, created to promote community welfare for charitable, educational, or recreational purposes.

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BEST HANDGUNS for

CONCEALED

CARRY By Larry Case

f you truly believe that no one should be carrying a handgun, concealed or otherwise you may want to flip to the next article, or better yet another magazine. The advantages of carrying a concealed firearm are numerous, protecting yourself, your family, and those around you for starters. Choosing the right handgun for this can be a daunting task as the choices are legion. I carried a gun every day as a law enforcement officer for thirty-six years and I would say toting around a weapon that you don’t like and doesn’t fit you is

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torture. Once you find a pistol or revolver that is your soul mate you would sooner walk out of the house with no pants on as not carry that gun. As with many things in life, choosing a handgun should not be done in a hurry. Thankfully there are many varieties to choose from, try as many as you can before you make your choice. Here are ten possibilities for your concealed carry handgun. g

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As with many things in life, choosing a handgun should not be done in a hurry.

Taurus G3 T.O.R.O. Founded in 1982, Taurus Holdings Inc. is a Georgia based holding company which owns some of the most robust firearms brands currently available on the US Market. Taurus Holdings is owned by the Brazilian firm Taurus Armas. Taurus Holdings manufactures various models of Taurus firearms at its Bainbridge, Georgia facilities where they employ over three hundred skilled workers and staff who support manufacturing, importation, service, sales and marketing of Taurus and subsidiary branded firearms. Taurus offers a wide variety of handguns, semi-auto, and revolvers, the latest of which is the G3 T.O.R.O (Taurus Optic Mounted Option). There is no doubt that red dot type optics mounted on handguns have become a thing. Most any firearms instructor will tell you how easy it is for new shooters to learn with an optic mounted pistol. All the open sight concerns go out the window, front sight focus, sight picture in general, and other factors can wait until the shooter has a little more experience and range time. The ease of using an optic on a handgun translates to other areas as well. Quick target acquisition under high stress conditions is ready made for the concealed carry, self defense world and this is what a red dot optic delivers. The Taurus G3 T.O.R.O. continues the proven polymer-frame profile now in a full-frame configuration, with generous stippling patches across the grip for maximum control and retention in any shooting condition, an ergonomic palm swell and sideframe Memory Pads that provide quick, positive hand positioning. The frame has an integrated Picatinny rail. A manual safety and slide release lever are optimally positioned above the thumb for easy manipulation. A refined element of the G3 is the 6-lb. trigger, designed with a smooth takeup and a surprisingly crisp, clean break exceeding that of typical striker-fired pistol trigger performance. A short reset promotes quick, controlled follow-up shots. The Taurus G3 T.O.R.O. comes with a factory-installed slide cover.

The firearm also comes with 4 different adapter plates that allow you to mount a red dot sight on the slide. This is important! Finding the correct mount for your chosen optic can sometimes drive one to drink. MSRP $408.79 www.taurususa.com. Springfield Armory Hellcat. In 1794, the original Springfield Armory began manufacturing muskets for the defense of our young, free Republic. The Armory functioned as a firearms supplier for every major American conflict until 1968 when the government sadly closed its doors. In 1974, nearly two centuries after its inception, Springfield Armory Inc. in Geneseo, Ill. revived the iconic heritage of the Armory to carry on its legacy. They strive to honor this responsibility as guardians of the original Springfield Armory legacy by manufacturing the highest quality firearms to enable responsible citizens to preserve their right to keep and bear arms in the defense of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. After years of development, Springfield Armory introduced the Hellcat®, the highest capacity micro compact 9mm in the world and the next generation of defensive pistols. “This is the first step in a new direction for Springfield Armory polymer handguns and embodies our disciplined approach to modern firearms design. Every detail of the Hellcat has been shaped by a singular mission — to deliver the definitive concealed carry handgun,” says Dennis Reese, CEO of Springfield Armory. The 3” barreled micro compact pistol features a capacity of 11+1 with its patented magazine — 13+1 with the included extended mag — and is the result of years of painstaking development and engineering in addition to intensive collaboration with top engineers, shooters, and selfdefense experts. In addition to minute dimensions and high capacity, the Hellcat offers a paradigm shifting approach to red dot sight integration for an EDC pistol. g

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The advantages of carrying a concealed firearm are numerous, protecting yourself, your family, and those around you for starters.

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Offered in an Optical Sight Pistol configuration, the Hellcat OSP features a seamless cover plate that removes to allow direct mounting of a micro red dot to the slide for the lowest possible profile. The result is a micro sized pistol weighing in at a mere 17.9 oz. with capabilities previously reserved only for full size defensive handguns. MSRP $599.99 www.springfield-armory.com. Walther PDP. Everyone who has watched a James Bond movie knows that England’s favorite secret agent is usually issued a Walther pistol as he prepares to face a new crop of villains. Bond’s first Walter was the PPK, (1962 Dr. No) and continued through 1997 (Never Say Die) with models P5 Compact, P99, and the PPK/5 all seeing service with Mr. Bond. Carl Walther and his son, Fritz, created the first blowback semi-automatic pistol in 1908. Today, that innovative spirit builds off the invention of the concealed carry gun with the PPK series by creating the PPQ, PPS and Q5 Match Steel Frame series. Military, Police, and other government security groups in every country of the world have relied on the craftsmanship and rugged durability of Walther products. Walther’s new flagship pistol the PDP, Performance Duty Pistol, has been designed by Walther to be ready, no matter the circumstance. With revolutionary Red Dot Ergonomics engineered into the pistol, the PDP platform has been designed around making the switch to the popular red-dot sight system easier for the new RDS shooter and faster for the RDS veterans. The SuperTerrain serrations are uniquely shaped to protrude above the surface of the slide allowing for quicker and more responsive hands-on engagement with the pistol. Walther’s brand-new Performance Duty Trigger shortens the length of travel and increases the tactile definition of the trigger break making the best striker-fired trigger on the market even better. The PDP is the most modular and versatile pistol ever designed by Walther and every PDP model comes red dot ready. Available in 9mm, making this a go-to choice for shooters as an ideal firearm in both concealed carry and conventional service situations. The PDP is launched in two distinctly different frame sizes – compact and full size – as well as three different slides lengths - 4” and 4.5” in compact models, and 4”, 4.5” and 5” in full size models. MSRP $649.00 www.waltherarms.com. CZ P-10 C. Much more than just a striker-fired pistol, the P-10 is decidedly CZ, from the way it feels to the way it shoots. Anyone who has picked up a CZ 75 for the first time gets it — it just has to feel right in the hand. With the CZ grip angle, the P-10 avoids that ‘brick-in-thehand’ feeling that has plagued many in the striker-fired genre, allowing it to point naturally. A mild palm swell, deep beavertail and three interchangeable backstraps make the P-10 fit a wide variety of hands as if it were built for them. So many striker-fired pistols do many

things right, falling short when it comes time to pull the trigger. The P-10’s trigger is designed to minimize creep and stacking, and after initial break-in averages a clean 4.5-5 lb. pull and rebounds with a short, positive reset — meaning single shots can be meticulously placed while follow-up shots come easy. Built to withstand the rigors of military use, the P-10 C fiber-reinforced polymer frame and nitride finish are made for the daily grind. A generous trigger guard allows use with gloved hands while being undercut to allow as high a grip as possible, and a set of metal tactical 3-dot sights allow for one-handed manipulation of the slide on a belt. Take-down of the P-10 will be familiar to most fans of striker-fired guns, and even more pleasing will be holster compatibility with some of the most common guns on the market. One change that happens on both the US-made and Czech-made P-10s is the switch to a swappable magazine release. With a change in geometry, the goal was to eliminate the stiffness some customers experienced as the magazine release broke in, even though it became smooth after some use. This new reversible release just requires a few minutes to swap, allowing the P-10 to remain leftyfriendly. MSRP (depending on model) $599.00-$645.00 www.cz-usa.com. Smith and Wesson Model 360PD J Frame Revolver. Almost anyone who is a fan of shooting handguns knows about Smith and Wesson wheel guns. Smith and Wesson developed iconic revolvers like the Model 19 .357 Magnum, the Model 36 Chiefs Special, and the Model 29 .44 Magnum which was the brainchild of handgun guru Elmer Keith and skyrocketed in popularity because of the Clint Eastwood film Dirty Harry. The “J” frame revolvers have been around since 1950, these small revolvers were designed to fire a full power round and are as simple and easy to use as they are reliable. Available in various calibers and with three diverse hammer designs, it is no surprise that the Smith & Wesson J-Frame has become the most popular, smallframe, defense revolver on the market. The Model 360 PD is a variation of the Chief Special AirLite that integrates the time-tested features of the original with modern advancements including HIVIZ® Fiber Optic orange front sights. This revolver is a favored back-up and concealed carry firearm due to its lightweight and reliability. The 360 PD has a lightweight scandium alloy frame for easy carry, a titanium alloy receiver, stainless steel barrel, external hammer, and a HIZ-VIZ Fiber Optic Orange front sight. This revolver is rated for continuous +P ammo use and has a total weight of 11.4 ounces. MSRP $1055.00 www.smith-wesson.com. Ruger LCP II. The LCP II (Lightweight Compact Pistol) since its original introduction in 2008, the LCP has set an industry standard for compact, reliable .380 Auto pistols. g NRA 150

The LCP II features a short, crisp, single-action trigger with inner trigger safety, improved sights for superior visibility, a larger grip surface for better distribution of recoil forces and an easy-torack slide with an impro360ved slide stop mechanism with a last round hold-open.

grip; a finger grip extension floorplate that can be added to the magazine for comfort and more secure grip, and a blued, alloy steel barrel. The LCP II ships with one 6-round magazine. With a MSRP of $349.00, the LCP II is a lot of concealed carry pistol for the money. www.ruger.com.

With its compact size (just 5.17" long and 3.71" tall), this new lightweight compact pistol comes with a pocket holster and is designed to fit a variety of holsters and concealed carry options. Weighing in at just 10.6 ounces and equipped to hold 6+1 rounds of .380 Auto ammunition, the LCP II is the ideal back-up gun compact and light enough that you never have to leave it at home.

Mossberg MC2c Pistol. One hundred years ago O. F. Mossberg, two sons, and one employee set up a humble beginning to his gun making enterprise in Hartford, Connecticut. The first venture was not a shotgun or a rifle, but oddly enough a pistol and no ordinary pistol at that. The Mossberg Brownie was a small break action pistol with four barrels chambered for .22 Long Rifle.

"With modern styling, improved features and a modest price, the LCP II promises to raise the bar on what people have come to expect in a compact .380 Auto pistol," said Ruger President and COO Chris Killoy. "The LCP II is another fine example of Ruger's product innovation and dedication to continuous improvement of a popular product line," he concluded.

More than a hundred years down the road, Mossberg is offering an interesting line of pistols for concealed carry. Following the MC1sc (sub-compact) pistol, we now have the MC2c 9mm compact pistol. MC2c combines superior ergonomics, performance-driven features and an increased capacity with its double-stack magazines, making the MC2c a great size for concealed carry or home protection. Five initial offerings will include two frame variants (standard and cross-bolt safety); choice of slide finishes (black DLC-finished or bead-blasted stainless steel); and optional TRUGLO® Tritium Pro™ Night sights. And all MC2c models come with 13-round flush and 15-round extended coated-steel magazines. g

The American-made LCP II is built on a rigid, one-piece, precision-machined, anodized aluminum chassis with integral frame rails and fire control housing. Additional features include rugged construction with a through-hardened alloy steel slide; a black, one-piece, high-performance, glass-filled nylon grip frame; a textured grip frame to provide a secure and comfortable

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Ease of carry begins with the compact size of the MC2c which features a 3.9inch barrel and has an overall length of 7.1 inches; surprisingly-slim width of 1.10 inches; and height of 4.90 inches. Weighing in at 21 ounces (unloaded), this semiauto is designed to be incredibly narrow for its capacity. In addition to its concealability, the MC2c pistol’s ergonomic features help ensure that this compact is comfortable to shoot. The grip has an added palm swell and grip angle, like a 1911, and features Mossberg’s signature aggressive texturing for a more confident, firm grip. The stainless-steel slide features aggressive multi-angle serrations that provide positive slide manipulation and MC2c pistols also have a reversible magazine release, located behind the trigger guard. Models are available with a cross-bolt safety, which is reversible for right or left-handed shooters. MSRP $505.00. Dan Wesson ECP .45 ACP. Firearms genius John Moses Browning’s greatest achievement may well have been the 1911 .45 pistol. Since then, this iconic firearm has been through and almost constant state of evolution. In 2000 the Dan Wesson Company started working on the development of a 1911 style pistol, and the goal was to build the most accurate out of the box 1911 on the market, and incorporate features that the modern shooter desires. This goal was achieved, and Dan Wesson Firearms now offers some of the highest quality 1911 pistols in the market incorporating high end parts from companies such as Ed Brown, EGW, CMC, Grieder Precision, and many others. Dan Wesson continues to move forward in the 1911 pistols with new features as the commander size, the Ed Brown bobtail and the 10mm chambering to name a few. The ECP .45 brings the heavy, matchgrade barrel from the Dan Wesson Officer-size ECO to a bit bigger platform, the Enhanced Compact Pistol is a 4” gun that conceals well but is a tack-driver at the range. With a compact, stainless steel slide and a forged aluminum frame, weight is kept to a svelte 29 oz. Our new tapered G10 grips and a bobbed mainspring housing enhance its ergonomics, affording shooters with smaller hands an easier reach to the trigger. A tri-topped slide wears aggressive side serrations and a top rib to knock down glare, while the new U-notch rear sight is matched to our brass-beaded front sight. The bull barrel itself is flush cut to make for easier disassembly and has a 30-degree crown. With a similar recoil system to the ECO, it has a flat wire recoil spring that is rated for 15,000 rounds – three times the round count of a typical 1911 dual recoil spring setup. g 26

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With a compact size that melts away when concealed and a beefy bull barrel, the ECP maybe your 1911 for everyday carry. MSRP $1600.00 www.danwessonfirearms.com. Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0 Optics Ready Compact. In 1852 Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson formed a gun making partnership whose name would become synonymous with handguns used by law enforcement and the military, as well as the private citizen. In 2012 Smith and Wesson introduced the M&P (Military and Police) line of lightweight semi-auto, striker fired pistols. The M&P 2.0 is the newest innovation to the respected M&P polymer pistol line. Designed for personal, sporting, and professional use, the M&P M2.0 delivers a new platform, introducing innovative features in nearly every aspect of the pistol, including trigger, grip, frame, and finish. Highlights of the M&P M2.0 pistol include an extended stainless-steel chassis and a low barrel bore axis for reduced muzzle rise and faster aim recovery. The M&P M2.0 pistol further improves performance with a fine-tuned, crisper trigger, lighter pull, and a tactile and audible reset. The pistol includes an aggressively textured grip and four interchangeable palm swell inserts for optimal hand-fit and trigger reach, and a limited lifetime warranty and a lifetime service policy. The M&P M2.0 Optics Ready Compact provides an optics ready weapon many shooters are wanting today. These new models are chambered in 9mm with a 4” barrel, feature a slide cut for optics, co-witness white-dot front and rear sights, and enlarged forward serrations. This pistol will ship with two 15-round magazines and comes standard with seven mounting plates designed to fit popular slide-mounted optics. MSRP $634.00 www.smith-wesson.com. Glock G48 MOS. In 1982 Gaston Glock made history and set the firearms world on its ear when he produced the first commercially successful line of pistols with a polymer frame. The Glock 17 was adopted by the Austrian police and military

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and was soon being evaluated and adopted by military and police departments around the world. Now producing a fifth generation of pistols, among the many models that Glock has to offer is the G48 MOS (Modular Optic System). The model 48 MOS is a slim 9X19 pistol featuring a micro-optic-ready factory-milled slide and a GLOCK slim mounting rail. The G48 was introduced in July 2019 and features a compact, Slimline frame with a 10-round magazine capacity. The optic-ready Slimline models are now available with an MOS cutout and GLOCK slim mounting rail system. With a non-standard MOS footprint, the Slimline MOS models require specific micro-reflex optics such as the Shield RMSc. Reflex optics (MOS) allow you to look through the reticle and focus on the target and alignment of the dot. The slim design allows the optical sight to be closer to the shooter’s line of sight and eliminates the need for high, back-up sights by allowing visibility of the standard GLOCK sights through the lens of the compact optic. With improved accuracy, quicker target acquisition and versatility, MOS pistols have become increasingly more popular for home and self-defense and are an ideal options for confined space operations. A non-standard accessory rail allows for a light to be attached with close alignment to the firearm’s bore with positioning in front of the trigger guard which allows the operator to maintain a two-handed grip. Other features on the G48 MOS include a NDLC (Nitride Diamond Like Carbon) finish on the slide and the Gas Oxide (GasOX) on the barrel. This finish is exclusive to the GLOCK manufacturing process and is an ion-bonded finish that reduces corrosion and scratching and aids in the reliable functionality of the weapon in degreased or adverse conditions. This pistol features a barrel with GMB (GLOCK Marksman Barrel) rifling to include a recessed target-style crown, tighter chamber specs and more aggressive rifling for improved accuracy. MSRP $582.00 www.usglock.com.

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THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING OUR GUN RIGHTS 150 YEARS!

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www.WilkinsonTactical.com

By Larry Case

hotguns are a part of our history in America as much as covered wagons and log cabins. From the early days of firearms shotguns have served to put meat on table and defend home and hearth. Many forms of hunting, waterfowl, upland, turkey, and small game all rely on a dependable scattergun, and many would argue that the shotgun is the best choice for home defense. We are blessed in the USA to have a wide variety of shotgun manufacturers and models to chose from, here are ten for you to consider. CZ-USA Upland Ultralight All Terrain. It has been several years ago since I went to my first NRA Convention in the capacity of a gun writer. I stopped by the CZ-USA booth and was handed an Upland Ultralight model in 12-gauge. It was love at first heft. This is a 12-gauge shotgun that weighs six pounds. (The 20-gague is less than 5 ½). Many times since then I have said you carry a shotgun a lot more than you shoot it. And to me, for a hunting shotgun, the lighter the better. The Upland Ultralight has been a lightweight, fast handling shotgun since its inception, and when CZ-USA came up with the All-Terrain line, they just made a good thing better. The first thing you will notice on the Upland Ultralight All Terrrian is the barrels and receiver got a Cerakote finish. Cerakote is a ceramic and polymer coating applied to hard finishes to protect that item, in this case a firearm. Cerakote was developed in the 1980s, and the coating provides an ideal protective shield against abrasions and even more important is a virtually bombproof shield against corrosion. The stand-out feature of this series of scatterguns is a small but revolutionary addition to the ejector/extractor of the break-open variants. To make them more ideal for use in a duck blind or while handling dogs and equipment in the field, each of the All-Terrain over/ unders and side-by-sides has a set of rare earth magnets installed in their extractor or ejectors. With these magnets in place, most modern shells are retained in the gun even when the gun is turned upside down. This makes loading them easy in a pit blind or boat, and never will a dog-handler accidentally dump shells out of their gun while bending over to work with their dog. Equipped with sling swivels and extended chokes, these shotguns are ready to chase birds – from doves and ducks to turkeys and grouse. MSRP $919.00 www.cz-usa.com.

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Browning Maxus II Wicked Wing. This ain’t your Grandad’s shotgun. These days most of us want our shotgun dressed in camo and we want it to be tough, impervious to mud, snow, ice, and Labrador Retriever slobber, especially in a waterfowl gun. Browning has taken it’s successful Maxus line of shotguns and made a good thing better. A semi-auto shotgun that will not function reliably in the tough conditions of the duck blind does not even make a good boat paddle. The heart of the Maxus shotgun is the Power Drive Gas System, which relies on a gas piston that has been designed to be more reliable in all conditions, fire a wider selection of loads, reduce recoil and cycle shells faster. The new Power Drive gas piston features large exhaust ports that effectively dump gases faster on heavy loads, while the piston has an approximately 20% longer stroke for superior reliability with light loads. The Lightning Trigger is designed to offer a smooth, crisp feel with minimal travel, and a 3.5” chrome lined chamber and bore protects against corrosion. The bolt, bolt slide, shell carrier, bolt release button and cocking handle of the Maxus II have a nickel Teflon coating for added corrosion protection, lubricity and makes cleaning easier. For 2021, Browning added a redesigned customizable stock, enlarged the gun's controls, improved the trigger guard, increased camouflage options and disassembly features. A Retro Vintage Tan camo pattern, Cerakote Burnt Bronze camo receiver finish, and Burnt Bronze barrel finish decorate and protect this shotgun nicely. The Maxus II Wicked Wing ships with Three extended Invector-Plus Goose Band choke tubes included (F, M, IC). This new offering from Browning is a beast and will handle anything you throw at it in the duck marsh or goose pit. MSRP $1939.99 www.browning.com. Mossberg 940 JM PRO. A few years ago, I made a pilgrimage to the hallowed ground of the Gunsite Academy training facility in Arizona, and I was there for the 260 Shotgun Class. I brought with me a couple Mossberg scatterguns, one being the 930 JM Pro model. To tell the truth I did not see much wrong with the 930 as it was, because for three days it loaded, fired, and ejected shotshells in the desert sand and heat. Working with world champion shooters Jerry and Lena Miculek, g

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Mossberg decided to make a good thing better. Using the 930 JM Pro-Series Competition Shotgun as a baseline, the Miculeks worked with Mossberg engineers to identify and help re-design major areas of improvement that included the gas system; loading port; point-of-aim/point-of-impact; overall product fit and functionality; sight system; and choke system. The new gas system on the 940 will run up to 1,500 rounds before cleaning and will reliably cycle any type of quality factory-made 2 ¾ or 3-inch ammunition. A stepped and ventedspacer component has also been incorporated that keeps the gas system running fast by shedding any moisture or carbon build-up every time it cycles. 1500 rounds between cleanings? That is impressive. Loading and unloading are major concerns on a competition shotgun, the 940’s loading port has been designed to allow the user to efficiently quad-load the magazine tube straight out of the box without any need of modification to the receiver. The elevator and shell catch have also been designed to eliminate common pinch-points. Mossberg engineers worked to design a new barrel-making process for the 940 that ensures the consistent production of a platform that

will allow a user to maintain an accurate point-of-aim/point-ofimpact when utilizing quality factory-made ammunition. The 940 sports a slim profile and ergonomic forend and stock, both feature Mossberg’s signature texturing that offers a positive, yet comfortable grip. The stock is completely user configurable, offering out-of-the box adjustability for length-ofpull (13 – 14.25 inches), drop, and cast. The receiver is anodized for durability and the controls (charging handle and bolt release button) are oversized. Internal components are nickel boroncoated for smooth, reliable functionality. The 940 JM Pro comes equipped with Mossberg’s Accu-Choke™ system, and ships with a set of Briley extended chokes (Cylinder, Improved Cylinder and Modified) that come engraved with constriction for easy selection. Look for a Field Model and Waterfowl Model of the 940 Pro to be out soon. MSRP $1078.00 www.mossberg.com. Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 20 Gauge. Most shotgunners have never heard of Federico da Montefeltro, an Italian Duke, or Danish gunsmith Christer Sjörgren, but both of them played a part in one of the most innovative shotguns in the past thirty

From the early days of firearms shotguns have served to put meat on table and defend home and hearth. 32

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years. Headquartered in Urbino, Italy, (where the Duke hailed from) Benelli revolutionized sporting arms in 1991 with the introduction of the first semi-auto shotgun capable of firing 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2-inch shells, the Super Black Eagle. Utilizing the wonderfully minimalistic Inertia Driven System, invented in 1903 by Sjörgren, the Super Black Eagle shotgun was destined to become one of most reliable, versatile, and popular shotguns in the world. In naming the Super Black Eagle Benelli paid homage to the Duke of Urbino by naming the shotgun for the eagles depicted on his coat of arms. The Super Black Eagle has been the darling of the waterfowl crowd for over thirty years, whether it is for its reliability (nobody is harder on a shotgun than a duck hunter), fast cycling, or handling heavy loads, goose and duck hunters love their Super Black Eagles. It could only be a matter of time that would Benelli would offer this iconic shotgun in 20 gauge and that day is here. At the heart of the SBE3 is the ultra-reliable inertia-driven action, which is centered around an Easy-Locking Bolt System – an enhanced breech-closing system that eliminates the possibility for a shooter-induced stoppage when trying to softly close the bolt or when the shotgun is treated roughly in the blind. And because hardcore waterfowl hunters don’t stay out of the field in frigid weather, the new SBE3 is designed for easier operation with gloved and/or cold hands. The oversized bolt handle, oversized bolt release, oversized safety, and redesigned magazine cap along with the enlarged load port make for easier operation in cold conditions. The new 3-inch SBE3 shotguns are available in Black synthetic, Realtree MAX-5, GORE OPTIFADE Timber and Mossy Oak Bottomland camo patterns in both the 12-gauge and 20-gauge chamberings. MSRP $1699.00 to $1799.00 www.benelliusa.com. Rossi Tuffy Turkey .410. If you are a turkey hunter and unless you have been living under the proverbial rock, you know that TSS (tungsten super shot) loads for turkeys have become quite the thing. Using this incredibly dense metal, tungsten, to make pellets in shot shells has changed the turkey shotgun world forever. Because tungsten pellets are so superior in flight, how they pattern, and terminal performance, turkey loads and shotgun shells have evolved. TSS followers generally agree that a #9 tungsten shot pellet is comparable in performance to a #5 size in lead. This has caused two big changes in the turkey gun world. First, because #9 shot can be loaded for turkeys it allows many more pellets per shell. Second, because TSS loads are so deadly, sub gauge shotguns, including the .410 bore, have soared in popularity. Rising to this task Rossi is offering a very interesting version of their Tuffy shotgun for hunters. The Tuffy Turkey .410 shotgun is the second edition of Rossi’s single shot Tuffy which is a value priced entry level shotgun perfect for the young hunters first shotgun. At first glance it would seem that Rossi engineers changed very little from the first Tuffy, but that would be incorrect. Rossi changed the receiver on this little shotgun completely, ditching the all steel version

and replacing it with a polymer version that includes a steel frame. This makes for a lighter version of the shotgun and less worries for rust and corrosion. The features on the Tuffy Turkey include a 26” barrel, (much better for the turkey hunter than the 18” version on the original Tuffy) along with two chokes, an extra full and a modified. The stock on this little shotgun is a great improvement in that it is adjustable with a removable extension. This allows for the younger shooter to comfortably shoulder the shotgun with the extension removed and Dad can use it with the extension inserted as well. The OD green synthetic stock also has four shell holders on each side. MSRP $220.97 www.rossiusa.com. Stoeger M3500 Snow Goose. For waterfowl hunters the phenomenon of the Conservation Snow Goose hunt is a dream come true. The Snow Goose as multiplied in the past several years to numbers causing the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and various state fish and game agencies to rethink bag limits and shotgun restrictions. Some states have extremely liberal daily limits and gone is the requirement for only three rounds in the gun. Stoeger addressed this happy dilemma by modifying the venerable M3500 Waterfowl Special shotgun by adding the 922R-compliant extended magazine of the Freedom Series shotguns to create the Stoeger M3500 Snow Goose shotgun. This versatile shotgun eliminates the need to add U.S. manufactured components to gain the extra capacity demanded by serious snow goose hunters. With a capacity of 10 +1, cold weather loading, unloading, and operating the Model 3500 Snow Goose shotgun is made easier by the oversized bolt handle and bolt-release button. A specially machined and beveled loading port makes feeding shells into the magazine tube with gloved hands quick and efficient. Rugged, weather-resistant construction and finish stand up to the worst conditions. A distressed white Cerakote finish adorns the stock, forend, and receiver and barrel, to blend in with winter environments. At the heart of the M3500 Snow Goose shotgun is the InertiaDriven operating system for dependable operation. The Inertia-Driven action is contained primarily within the receiver, providing a better, more centered balance and swing. The receiver also stays cleaner longer. Five (IC/M/XFT/Close Range/Mid-Range) extended choke tubes along with a choke wrench come standard with the M3500 Snow Goose shotgun. Also included, is a paracord sling and shim kit which allows for adjustment of the gun for drop and cast. The full-length vented rib is topped with an easy-to-see red-bar front sight that stands out in low light. MSRP $899.00 www.stoegerindustries.com. Retay Gordion. Retay has caused some shake up in the shotgun world in the past few years with the introduction of its Inertia Plus system. In short, Retay’s rotating bolt system employs a torsion mechanism to keep the shotgun in battery so that a sharp jarring or setting the shotgun down abruptly would not disengage the bolt as would sometimes happen with traditional inertia powered shotguns. g NRA 150

Shotguns are a part of our history in America as much as covered wagons and log cabins. “The patented Retay Inertia Plus design is the most significant improvement to the original Bruno Civolani rotating bolt in over 60 years,” Said Chris Handy, President and CEO of Retay USA. “The result is that the bolt on the shotgun cannot be jarred out of battery, has no bolt rattle and can be slowly and quietly closed in a hunting situation. The Inertia Plus bolt virtually eliminates the out of battery misfires that have plagued inertia shotguns until now,” he said. Also, Retay's patented push button removable trigger system is a big leap forward in shotgun usability and safe storage. This feature allows the shooter to remove the entire trigger group in less than 2 seconds with no tools. This can be accomplished easily in the field to clear mud or debris or at home before storing the shotgun as an added level of safety. Retay has added the Gordion to it’s line of shotguns offering shooters and hunters with a more economically priced shotgun with most of the features of their Masa Mira line of guns. This is a light weight, highly functional shotgun with the Retay Inertia Plus System that won’t break the bank. The Gordion features Retays’s Mara Pro Barrel, Easy Load Trigger Guard, Over-Sized SP Controls, Quick Unload System, Red TruGlo Front Sight, a Full, Modified, Improved Modified, Improved Cylinder, and Cylinder chokes. Choice of 26” or 28” barrel, ships in a hard case. MSRP $799.00 www.retayusa.com.

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Franchi Instinct SLX. Some shotguns just feel right when you pick them up, the Franchi Instinct SLX is a nice shotgun. The Franchi Instinct SLX sits atop the popular Instinct SL line as the deluxe version for shooters who enjoy beautiful styling as much as performance and superior ergonomics. The heirloom-quality shotgun is now available in 28-gauge and follows the Franchi tradition of producing fast, reliable, and smooth-swinging guns for hunters and sporting shooters. These over/under shotguns boast features usually seen on expensive, high-end shotguns such as a cut-out locking lever, artistically engraved receiver with gold inlays, gold trigger and handsomely checkered AAgrade walnut Prince of Wales stock and Schnabel forend. The glossed-blue barrels are tipped with a red fiber-optic sight and extended choke tubes to complete the overall aesthetic. A safety-mounted selector switch allows shooters to choose which barrel fires first. All-steel auto ejectors throw spent shells well clear. Chambering: 2-3/4 and 3 inches. Capacity: 2. Barrel Length: 28 inches. Overall Length: 46-1/4 inches. Weight: 5.2 lbs. Stock: AA-grade Prince of Wales. Receiver/Barrel Finish: Engraved aluminum alloy/gloss blued barrels. Chokes: Extended C/IC/M/IM/F chokes. Sights: Vent rib with Red Fiber Optic Front Bead. Length of Pull: 14-1/4 inches. Drop at Heel: 2 inches. Drop at Comb: 1-1/2 inches. Warranty: 7 years. MSRP: $2.099 www.franchiusa.com.

Winchester SX-4 Field. It has been a while (2010) since Tim Flanigan set multiple shotgun shooting speed records with the Winchester SX3, but most shotgun aficionados agree that Winchester SX shotguns are still the fastest around. Among other records set, Flanigan was able to fire 12 rounds of Winchester AA’s in 1.42 seconds, and that my friends is fast. The new line of SX-4 shotguns, including the SX-4 Field model have several improvements you are going to want to check out. One of the first things experienced shooters notice about the new Super X4 is the gun’s improved ergonomics, It’s lighter and the pistol grip is slimmer regardless of which hand you use to pull the trigger. The balance point on the gun has been moved slightly forward for a more fluid swing and better target tracking. The fit and balance of a shotgun stock are critical factors of how well you’re able to shoot it. The new Super X-4 comes with polymer length of pull spacers that fit between the stock and the recoil pad. When adjusted properly you shoulder the shotgun with a smooth confidence and “felt recoil” is greatly diminished. Synthetic stock Super X4 models come with one spacer already installed to provide a standard 14 1/4" length of pull and include one additional spacer in the box. The new Super X4 features a larger bolt handle and an oversized bolt release for easier engagement and faster operation; two especially important features when your hands are cold and wet or when you’re wearing gloves. The larger, easier to operate ambidextrous safety button on the Super X-4 is located at the rear of the angular-profile trigger guard and is easily reversible for both right- or left-handed shooters. The opening on the trigger guard is generously sized, even when wearing heavy gloves. 14 ½” length of

pull, 3” chamber, 26” barrel, a 6 pound 10 oz weight, full, modified, and Improved cylinder chokes round out this speedster shotgun’s features. MSRP $959.99 www.winchesterguns.com. Savage Renegauge. Among the many items talked about at the 2020 SHOT Show was the new Savage Renegauge shotgun. Savage had not put out a shotgun in awhile and certainly not one in this price area. On top of everything else this shotgun has a fluted barrel, Oh yeah, people were talking about it, including me. The heart of any semi auto shotgun is of course the gas system which operates the gun. Most would agree that Savage started with a blank piece of paper in conceiving the Dual Regulating Inline Valve system (D.R.I.V.). The D.R.I.V. gas system has two valves that function in unison to balance the pressure needed to operate Renegauge’s action. As the round fires, expanding gases are vented from inside the barrel by two valves that work together to regulate the pressure needed to eject the spent shell. The harmony of these two valves in the D.R.I.V. gas system allows for a precision tuned action. Extraction is consistent and reliable, no matter how hot or mild the shell. The D.R.I.V. gas system takes some of the bite off of magnum shells. Renegauge’s stock rod buffer does even more to reduce felt recoil. The combination shock-absorption extends the life of the action bar assembly. In the barrel, Renegauge has ports arranged in a staggered multi-port arrangement to prevent wad shaving. An adjustable length of pull and comb height allow for a customized fit that enhances accuracy and comfort for each shooter. Three recoil pads can be used to adjust length of pull, comb height inserts make proper cheek weld on the stock even easier, and a shim kit allows for further personalization of fit. Getting the fit right on a Renegauge is easy, but there’s more to the gun’s ergonomics than the tailored fit. Renegauge is built for speed. Savage builds the guns with competition-ready, beveled magazine ports and angled trigger housings for easy and rapid reloads. Even the charging handle, bolt release, and cartridge release lever are oversized for ease of use. MSRP $1,449.00 www. savagearms.com.

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From

Fireworks

How Ammunition Exploded on t By Jim Lamb The ammunition industry is a multi-billion-dollar business that by design and necessity uses the latest in technology to produce high-quality products for civilians and military personnel. It’s a far cry from the days when sticks and stones were used by primitive tribes to take down their next meal or protect territory. Consider the case of David, the youngest of eight boys, who protected his father’s sheep with his staff and a sling. One day this ruddy-cheeked shepherd brought lunch to his older brothers only to find the army to which they belonged threatened by a giant named Goliath. After selecting five smooth stones, David stepped onto the battlefield, placed one of the stones in his sling’s pouch, whirled the weapon around to reach maximum velocity, and then—with a deft and steady hand — released the projectile at precisely the right moment, watching it follow a perfect path, landing right between the eyes of the giant. Some experts have speculated that David’s projectile smacked Goliath’s forehead with the force of a .38 special— quite an impact—but it wasn’t just shepherds who used these handy weapons.

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In an article for National Geographic, Heather Pringle (who describes herself as “a science writer who loves archaeology”) noted that slingshots used by Roman soldiers were as deadly as a .44 magnum. Others say these trained and disciplined slingers were more accurate and could shoot a greater distance than their archer colleagues. Portable. Accurate. Efficient. Effective. With incredible stopping power. Obviously this wasn’t the slingshot Opie used growing up in Mayberry. A thousand years after the soldiers of Rome perfected their skills in a world dominated by slings, spears, swords, and arrows, the Chinese unleashed a deadly dragon that would forever change the art of war. g

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Changed History

The ammunition industry is a multi-billion-dollar business that by design and necessity uses the latest in technology to produce high-quality products for civilians and military personnel. NRA 150

Along with the compass, paper-making, and printing, gunpowder is one of the four great inventions of China — but alchemists who conjured it up were not looking for a weapon. They were doing research for medicinal purposes. Some say they were seeking an elixir that would lead to eternal life. They found something quite different. Early on, black powder provided unexpected entertainment by lighting up the heavens and producing man-made thunder—but it didn’t take long for its darker side to unfold. Along the way, the formula of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur was refined, stuffed into bamboo shoots, and used as a weapon. Later, fuses were added to paper tubes that were attached to arrows and launched into the air, becoming fiery hailstones that rained upon enemy troops. Eventually these firesticks evolved into primitive rockets—an ominous forerunner of what was to come. By the 12th century, gunpowder was poured into cast-iron metal containers to make grenades. Storing these volatile objects was not a task for the weak of heart or the easily distracted. Case in point: Chinese historians record an incident involving a weapons warehouse that caught fire and exploded, killing around a hundred guards and sending wood beams and other debris high into the sky. The dragon had grown more sinister. The story how gunpowder made its way into Europe is murky. Some suggest the Mongols or Arabs were responsible—maybe both. Others credit an alchemist-monk named Berthold Schwarz, who may have been German, Danish, or Greek. Regardless of

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origin, Europeans embraced this new technology and expanded its firepower. According to historians, the earliest illustration of a European gun was drawn by Walter de Milemete, an English scholar. It featured a firearm called a pot de fer a traire garros, a primitive form of cannon. In French, the name means “an iron jug for throwing arrows.” From a side view, it looks like a large pot-bellied vase. The pot de fer was loaded with powder and projectiles. Ignition was delivered through a small-diameter touch-hole.

LOCK, STOCK, AND BARREL Guns and ammo have a chicken-and-egg relationship; changes in ammo affected gun design and vice versa. Spot-checking history is one way to sample progress. On April 28, 1503, Spain and France faced off in Italy at Cerignola, one of the first battles where small firearms were a decisive factor. The French had 9,000 men and 40 cannons while Spain had 20 cannons, and only 6,300 men—but a thousand of them were armed with an arquebus— an early type of long gun. About 2,000 French soldiers were lost in the battle compared to just 500 Spaniards. Score a win for small firearms. It should be noted that around this time, the term arquebus was used to describe an array of weapons. Other monikers included archibugio, clopus, firelock, haakbus, hackbut, hagbut, harkbus, harquebus, matchlock, schiopo, tofak, and tüfenkk. Illustrations exist showing examples of these weapons on a fork rest. They had triggers similar to those of a crossbow that, when squeezed, lowered a curved arm called a serpentine that positioned a g

slow-burning wick onto a flash-pan. The arquebus took more than a minute to re-load, a process expedited by wearing a bandolier that held “The 12 Apostles,” a dozen mini-containers, each carrying a pre-measured load of powder. Sometimes an assistant was tasked with that job.

Minié created a cylinder-shaped bullet with a hollow space in the base that expanded when fired. His innovations were incorporated into the American Springfield Model 1861 and the British Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled muskets, both of which were used in the Civil War.

Although the arquebus was heavy, clumsy, inaccurate, vulnerable to damp weather, and ideally required a two-person crew, it had a significant benefit: Long-bow archers took years to hone their skills; learning how to use a crossbow took months. By contrast, soldiers were up-and-running with an arquebus much sooner, and their presence on the battlefield was more ominous.

PAPER OR PLASTIC? The idea of firearms using self-contained cartridges was a dream that haunted and teased inventors. Using materials that included paper, linen, animal tissue, metal, and rubber, many variations and iterations were tried and failed to hit the target.

The shock and awe nature of firearms was all the more menacing by the time Christopher Columbus—and, later, Conquistadors— arrived in the New World, enticed by the promise of “Glory, God, and Gold.” Their weapons included swords, pikes, axe-blades, crossbows, and cannons, as well as the arquebus. Weapons used by their native counterparts were Stone-Age primitive.

Charles Hypolite Houllier was born in 1811 to a family of gunmakers from Liège, Belgium, an important hub for the industry since the Middle ages. Houllier moved to Paris and married Lucrèce Blanchard, daughter of a Parisian gun-maker. The two men combined resources and skills to form a small company called Houllier-Blanchard. In 1847 Houllier patented the first hammer-fired cartridge.

By comparison, when the Mayflower brought the Pilgrims in 1620, they were more of a huddled church congregation than an invading force. Among the voyagers was 20-year-old John Alden, who reportedly carried a .50-caliber, single-shot, wheel-lock carbine. According to the NRA Museum’s website, in 1924 that firearm was “discovered during the restoration of Alden's home in Duxbury, Mass.”

If you wanted to divide the historical time-line of ammunition with a fat red mark, a case could be made for April 1861, the start of America’s Civil War. Prior to that date, propellant and bullets were generally loaded separately—even though paper cartridges were making their mark by the 17th Century and percussion caps were being used in the early 19th century.

A remarkable find.

Before the Civil War ended, breech-loading rifles using integrated cartridges were being issued to troops. By the turn of the century, center-fire rims dominated as cartridges became more powerful, loaded faster, went farther, and were more accurate. Two other milestones should be noted: shotgun shells were being mass-produced, packaged, distributed and sold, and smokeless power was replacing black power.

By 1776, the process of loading ammo remained clumsy and crude: pour powder down the barrel, add a projectile, ram-rod, add powder to the flash-pan, pull back the hammer. During the Revolutionary War one of the most popular firearms used by Colonists was a British weapon: Brown Bess—a flint-lock, muzzle-loading, smooth-bore musket. Also popular were French Charleville muskets, Models 1763 and 1766, each weighing about 10 pounds, with an effective range of about 50 yards. But refinements were on the horizon, thanks to Louis-Étienne de Thouvenin, HenriGustave Delvigne and Claude-Etienne Minié — de Thouvenin came up with a method by which muzzle-loading rifles could be more easily loaded, Delvigne invented a way to simplify the use of rifled guns, and Minié (building on the work of his countrymen) invented the Minié ball in 1846, and the Minié rifle in 1849.

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Today’s ammunition sets the standard for quality, versatility, and variety. One wonders what the future holds—and who will come up with the next bright idea that will change the course of history.

Jim Lamb is a retired journalist living in Florida. His Grandma Lamb kept a .410 shotgun in the house for shooting squirrels. His Grandma Cassanese kept a .38 Special in her kitchen for self-protection.

10AR-15BEST Rifles WHY THE AR-15? There are many reasons why the AR-15 has remained the most popular of all civilian rifles. Here is a list of the top five reasons why I think they are so popular: THEY ARE USED BY THE U.S. MILITARY Technically, this isn’t 100% accurate. The U.S. military uses the M4 whereas civilians are legally allowed to only use the semi-auto AR-15. This differs from the automatic/select fire capabilities of the military variety. In a nutshell, semi-auto means with each pull of the gun’s trigger, only a single round is fired. This makes the AR-15 significantly slower to shoot compared to the military version of the rifle, the M4, which fires has a 3-shot burst option (three rounds are fired with a single pull of the trigger) and a full auto option (the gun will empty the entire mag if the user doesn’t let go of the trigger).

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Personally, I prefer firing any gun in semi-auto. When doing target practice, I get to focus on each shot and don’t end up wasting bullets. In real-life home defense scenarios where most of us only have to deal with one or two people, the ballistic performance of the 5.56×45mm caliber should be plenty powerful — a single shot should be enough to repel, maim or even kill a bad guy if needed. AR-15 “FURNITURE” One of the best things about the AR-15 is that it can be tailored to suit aesthetic taste and home/personal defense needs. It is customizable for any purpose and has readily swappable parts, aka “furniture.” You can pick up practically any gun-related magazine and you will see ad after ad of aftermarket AR-15 accessories and parts. To really put this into perspective, Brownell’s has a catalog of AR-15 parts that rivals the Yellow Pages in size, and Brownell’s is just one of many. That’s how readily available AR-15 aftermarket parts and accessories are. g

SHOOTABILITY The AR-15 as a shooting platform has relatively more manageable recoil compared to other rifle platforms, particularly so when chambered in its intended 5.56x45mm round. It is also offers relatively better ergonomics than other popular rifles, such as the venerable AK-47. It is a precision-built tool specially designed for accuracy with some models tricked out with easy-grip hand guards, scope mounts and more. This is why many rifle purists and even hunters swear by the AR-15. And this brings us to number four our my list of reasons why the AR-15 is incredibly popular. MODULAR DESIGN The AR-15 is primarily comprised of two segments—the lower receiver and the upper receiver, each of which can be easily swapped out in as fast as a few seconds, provided the user has put enough time to practice field stripping and reassembly. I’ve seen a few people do it real fast even when blindfolded. This modularity makes the AR-15 stand out as a weapon platform: it’s easy to clean, easy to maintain, easy to field strip and easy to reassemble. This also makes it versatile because in a pinch, with the right parts and accessories, it can be configured as a DMR (Designated Marksman’s Rifle) high-precision rifle, a hunting rifle (using bigger caliber barrels and ammo) or by default, as a CQB (Close Quarters Combat) carbine by simply switching out the upper receivers and barrels. What’s more, the upper receiver and barrel can be swapped out for a ton of different calibers like the significantly weak but plentiful .22LR or the monstrosity that is the .50 Beowulf. If you’ve never heard of the .50 Beowulf, it’s essentially a 50-caliber round that has the same ballistic performance as that of the most powerful production revolver caliber, the .500 S&W Magnum, designed primarily for big game hunting. Only difference between the two is firing the .50 Beowulf in a rifle platform is significantly more manageable than firing the .500 S&W Magnum in the wrist-breaking S&W 500 X-frame revolver — that, and you get more rounds in the mag with the AR-15 compared to only five shots in the X-frame revolver’s cylinder. As mentioned earlier, there is no end to the aftermarket products with which the AR-15 can be customized to suit anyone’s specific preferences and needs. The sky’s the limit when personalizing the look, feel and performance of your rifle, provided you have the money to burn. People make fun of some AR-15 enthusiasts who like to pimp their gun, overly customizing it to impractical tacticool levels, but I say to each his own. It’s your hard-earned dollar, don’t let anyone tell you how you should be spending it. DEMAND If someone tells you that you can’t have something, you end up wanting it that much more. 44

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That was the case with the AR-15 back when then-POTUS Bill Clinton signed into Office the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. In time, Clinton would come to realize that his ban did nothing to deter gun-related crimes nor did the ban successfully halt production on AR rifles. But it did cause AR sales to rise and, also, resulted in manufacturers making innovative modifications to the AR model to strengthen its materials. Fast forward to the present, the demand resulting from the Clinton ban didn’t die. In fact it’s gotten even stronger — proof being every day there seems to be a new firearms manufacturing company selling their version of the AR-15. And since more and more of them are being made available, pricing is never going to be an issue. Below, you will find our recommendations. To note, we spent days test firing these AR-15s and doing research to come up with this list. HERE’S GUN NEWS DAILY’S LIST OF TOP TEN AR-15 RIFLES ACROSS ALL PRICE POINTS: 1.) RUGER: AR-556 2.) AMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS : AR-15 3.) BRAVO COMPANY: MOD 0, MOD 2, RECCE 14/16 4.) WILSON COMBAT: AR-15 5.) DANIEL DEFENSE: DDM4 V7 6.) LARUE: PREDATAR 7.) ROCK RIVER ARMS: LAR-15 ENTRY TACTICAL 8.) SIG SAUER: M400 9.) SMITH & WESSON: M&P15 SPORT II 10.) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY: SAINT VICTOR 556 Article provide by Gun News Daily, please visit Gunnewsdaily.com for further information of AR-15s and other great articles and information.

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1911

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Pistol, firearm, handgun, Colt 1911 Ma1. 46

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T-HAVE

FOR YOUR

COLLECTION By Jim Lamb When history came a-knocking, Browning and Colt answered the call.

“…the only safeguard at close encounters is a well-directed rapid fire from nothing less than a .45-caliber weapon.”

Sometimes problems poke you in the eye and say, “It’s time for a change.” That’s what happened during the Moro Rebellion.

Requirements were written; a competition announced.

America learned the hard way that it needed a replacement for the Colt M1892 — a double-action revolver that fired a .38 Long Colt round. Thank the Moro Rebellion during the Philippine– American War for that wake-up call. Terrifying is one way to describe the Moro warriors. Despite being shot multiple times, they’d run through barbwire and even impale themselves on bayonets. How’s that possible? Drugs lowered their pain threshold. Tourniquets limited bleeding. Hyper-motivated zealotry did the rest. It didn’t take a ballistics expert to determine American soldiers needed a firearm with more stopping power—but it did take a team of experts to determine the caliber of this future and futuristic weapon. Using live cattle and human cadavers, the Thompson-LaGarde Tests of 1904 evaluated a variety of calibers — .476 Eley, 7.65x22mm Parabellum (.30 Luger), 9x19mm Parabellum (Germany), .38 Long Colt, .38 ACP, .45 Colt and the .455 Webley. Here’s what testers determined:

In 1906, a half-dozen designs were submitted. Three were eliminated in the first go-round. Savage, Colt, and DMW were invited to re-submit. DMW declined. During field-tests (1907-1911) the Savage reportedly had 37 defects/malfunctions; the Colt, none. One of the most memorable moments came when the Colt overheated from rapid, repetitive shooting. Testers dunked the John Moses Browning-designed pistol into a pail of water to cool off, then resumed firing. Such is the stuff of legends. When the gun-smoke settled, Colt’s single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated pistol was named winner. Dubbed the M1911, it became the Army’s standard-issue, go-to handgun. The Navy and the Marines Corps adopted it two years later. Eventually more than 2.7 million were produced by a variety of manufacturers. The pistols served in World War One, World War Two, Korea, and Vietnam. In 1985 they were replaced by the Beretta M9—though Special Ops and the Marine Corps still use 1911s. g

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Weapon legends. Black and white picture of 1911 series army pistol. Browning’s firearm (one of the most recognizable and reproduced weapons in history) remains popular in competition, as a concealed weapon, and a treasured collectible. Here’s what firearms instructor and writer Col. Jeff Cooper had to say: "Pistols do not win wars, but they save the lives of the men who do. The noble 1911 is a mechanical marvel, whose ruggedness, dependability and ferocious power have comforted four issues of GIs, and which, unlike any other instrument you can name, is as much superior to its rivals as it was in 1917." The 1911 has became an icon in its own right. In addition to countless TV shows and movies, it’s also been featured in video games, notably “Call of Duty” and “Medal of Honor.” More importantly, it has a special place in the hearts of those who use it for personal defense, target-shooting, and competition. It’s also become a treasured family heirloom to be passed along to future generations. Jim Lamb is a retired journalist living in Florida. While stationed with the U.S. Navy in Da Nang, he carried an M1911 when he stood watch.

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An unissued American-made .45 1911A1 semi-automatic military pistol from World War Two.

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Innovative, T Eccentric F

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e, Timeless c Firearms BY JIM LAMB Alongside a two-lane country road, east of Philadelphia as the crow flies, stands a modest-sized rough-hewn stone structure where the birth of firearms in America took place. The small gun shop was built in 1719. It belonged to Martin Meylin, a Mennonite gunsmith from Zurich. A historic marker on the side of the building reads: “Birthplace of the Pennsylvania Rifle. Martin Meylin 1670-1749 gunsmith of Switzerland settled here in the Pequea Valley in 1710 and made in this gun shop the earliest known Pennsylvania or so-called Kentucky rifle. He was the first of a group of Lancaster County rifle makers who prior to 1745 originated and gave to America that historic and colorful firearm.” The last line on the plaque says “Presented by the Willow Street Woman’s Club.” In his book The Kentucky Rifle, published in 1924, Captain John GW Dillin called the weapon “A rifle which changed the whole course of world history; made possible the settlement of a continent; and ultimately freed our country of foreign domination.” Here’s how Dillin described this game-changer of a gun: “Light in weight; graceful in line; economical in consumption of powder and lead; fatally precise; distinctly American; it sprang into immediate popularity; and for a hundred years was a model often slightly varied but never radically changed.”

provided more bang for the buck, in terms of the relative weight of ammo vs. the number of shots available.

No less a folk hero than Daniel Boone – pioneer, explorer, frontiersman – owned a Pennsylvania Long Rifle. Boone’s success with the firearm in Kentucky ultimately re-branded the weapon and helped make it a legend as the Kentucky Rifle. So accurate that it was used by snipers, the Kentucky Rifle was nicknamed “The Widow Maker” for its ability to take down high-value targets such as British officers. One such example: British General Simon Fraser, shot by a frontiersman named Timothy Murphy on October 7, 1777. John Danielski, author of the popular Pennywhistle series, called General Fraser “a well-liked and capable leader,” adding that a victory by Fraser at that time “might well have delayed the decisive American victory at Saratoga.” Murphy was a sharpshooter with Gen Daniel Morgan’s Corps of Riflemen during the American Revolutionary War. His weapon: The Kentucky Rifle, a legendary firearm that eventually worked its way into popular culture. Here are just a few examples: James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans featured the character Hawkeye, who is nicknamed La Longue Carabine, which means “Long Rifle.” (Oscar-winner Daniel DayLewis played the role in Michael Mann’s 1992 film adaptation).

How did it come about?

The movie Kentucky Rifle (1955) centers on a wagon train in which one of the wagons carries 100 long rifles and their safe passage is in doubt because of Comanche Indians.

The New World’s expansive territory, thick forests, and challenging terrain forced craftsmen to adapt, resulting in guns with longer barrels for accuracy and a smaller bore that

In his Oscar-winning Revenant performance (2015) Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Hugh Glass who owns a Bucks County long rifle which is stolen by his nemesis John Fitzgerald. g

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Two rifles were made especially for the movie by Ron Luckenbill owner of Recreating History in Pennsylvania who recreates muzzleloaders of the 17th century through the mid18th century.

Elfego Baca, a gunman, lawman, lawyer, and politician in the later years of the Wild West. In addition, Teddy Roosevelt used a Colt revolver in the Spanish–American War, and General George Patton sported an ivory-handled Colt during World War II.

The historic and influential long rifle born in Pennsylvania inaugurated a long line of weapons that, to one degree or another, became threads in the nation’s cultural fabric. Here’s a small sampling:

WINCHESTER 1873: Dubbed “The Gun that Won the West,” the Winchester 1873 was a lever-action workhorse made in three configurations: 24-inch barrel rifle, 20-inch barrel carbine, and “musket,” the latter of which was produced for the military. Originally chambered for .44-40 cartridges, later models used .3840 and .32-20, which became popular cartridges for handguns, meaning a cowboy could carry one type of ammunition for two distinct weapons. In 1950, Jimmy Stewart starred in a movie titled Winchester ’73. A pivotal point in the plot is a shooting contest in which the winner gets a special-edition ’73. Winchester produced “The Gun that Won the West” for nearly a half-century for a total of three-quarters of a million rifles. Model ’73s represented the first successful high-capacity repeating rifle that was treasured by ranchers, lawmen, and outlaws. COLT SAA: The Colt Single Action Army is known as Model P, “The Peacemaker,” and M1873. Some also called it the “ThumbBuster.” Why? Because the hammer had to be cocked by the shooter's thumb each time the weapon was to be fired. Production began in 1873. The SAA became available in standard barrel lengths of 4.75 inch, 5.5 inch, as well as the original 7.5-inch Cavalry standard. Shorter barreled revolvers (4.75 inch) were sometimes called “Civilian” or “Gunfighter” models. Those with a sub-4-inch barrels, were unofficially dubbed “Sheriff's Models”, “Banker's Specials,” or “Storekeepers.” Lawmen and outlaws used the Colt, including Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett, “Wild Bill” Hickock, lawman Wyatt Earp, Texas Ranger Tom Hickman, and

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SHARPS 1874 LONG RANGE RIFLE: For gun lovers, the star of the movie Quigley Down Under (1990) was not Tom Selleck, but rather a Sharps rifle owned by Matthew Quigley, an American cowboy who can shoot accurately at extraordinary distances thanks to a custom, single-shot, 1874 Sharps Rifle, with a 34inch barrel. Beginning in 1848, Christian Sharps was responsible for a series of large-bore single-shot rifles that were respected and known for their long-range accuracy. By 1874, Sharps were available in a variety of calibers. Their reputation helped them get picked by a number of armies, particularly since Sharps managed to be one of the few firearms to successfully transition to metallic cartridges. Production ceased in 1881. Despite that, the appearance of Sharps rifles in many Western movies helped make it an icon of the American Old West. That high visibility prompted a number of rifle companies to offer reproductions. M1911: This single-action, short recoil-operated, semi-automatic, magazine-fed pistol became one of the most successful small arms of the 20th Century. It was created by famed designer John Moses Browning as the result of the military’s search for a pistol to replace the variety of revolvers then in service. Bids were narrowed down to six candidates, with Colt having submitted Browning's design. In one of the tests, the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) was fired more than 6,000 times. When it got hot, the ACP was dipped in water and cooled off. It continued to work. After that and other successful trials, the pistol was formally adopted by the Army on March 29, 1911, eventually gaining the official

designation M1911. It served as the standard-issue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1986 and was widely used in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. BERETTA M9: How do you replace an icon? That’s the challenge military officials faced when it was time to find a substitute for the M1911, the procurement of which numbered nearly 3 million in military contracts during its service life. In the end, the candidate that won the coveted contract in 1985 was the Beretta M9: a short recoil, semi-automatic, singleaction/double-action pistol. The handgun was easy-to-use, safe, accurate, and adaptable for either left-handers or right-handers. It earned the moniker “World Defender,” having succeeded in tough and demanding conditions, from the sweltering deserts of Iraq to the brutal cold of the mountains in Afghanistan; all the while maintaining its reputation for durability, reliability, and dependability. DARDICK REVOLVER: Not every gun that breaks new ground succeeds. The odd-looking revolver developed by Russianborn American inventor David Dardick in 1949 was just such a creation. Its design was controversial and unconventional; plus, the gun’s special feeding mechanism required customized .38 caliber bullets called “Trounds,” a combination of the word triangle and round, which were stored in a magazine within the pistol’s grip. The barrel of the Dardick pistol could be changed to accommodate .22-caliber Trounds. Dardick and his ground-breaking approach to designing a handgun might be compared to Preston Tucker and his unorthodox Tucker sedan developed to take on Detroit’s “Big Three”: Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. While neither Dardick nor Tucker were welcomed into the mainstream of their chosen industries, each remains a reminder that innovation is a double-edged sword with victory on one side and defeat on the other.

SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1903: Officially adopted as a United States military rifle on June 19, 1903, the Springfield Model 1903 saw service in World War I. Most notably, it was the weapon used by Alvin C York of Pall Mall, Tennessee, one of the most-decorated American soldiers of what some called “the war to end all wars.” He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, killing at least 25 enemy soldiers and capturing 132. York’s heroics were portrayed in the movie Sergeant York (1941). The starring role was played by actor Gary Cooper, who went on to win the Academy Award for the performance. The five-round, magazine-fed, bolt-action service repeating rifle remained in service as a standard issue infantry rifle during World War II when it was used as a sniper rifle. It also saw action in Korea and Vietnam. It’s still popular as a civilian firearm, collector's piece, and competitive shooting rifle. GLOCK 17: Engineer Gaston Glock had experience in advanced synthetic polymers, not guns, when his namesake company developed the first commercially successful line of pistols with a polymer frame. In 1982, the Austrian Army assembled a team of experts with backgrounds in military, police, and civilian sport-shooting. Their goal was to set parameters for a new combat pistol. That opportunity launched Glock into developing a prototype handgun with proven mechanisms and multiple desirable traits from other successful designs. Then, he added his “secret sauce”: synthetic materials coupled with state-ofthe art manufacturing technologies. The handgun submitted for test trials was based on the company’s 17th patent. In 1982, the Glock 17 was declared the winner and an initial order of g

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25,000 guns was made. Meanwhile, other countries were paying attention: Norway and Sweden worked together to do test trials from 1983–1985. By 1988, both countries had accepted the Glock 17. The pistol subsequently became a standard-issue NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) sidearm. Within four years, 350,000 Glocks had been sold in more than 45 countries, including the United States. The popular handgun continues to be upgraded and modified, capturing more clients along the way.

Based on Remington Model 40X, a short-action bolt-action carbine, the XP-100 launched with a 10.75-inch barrel set into a nylon stock with a center-mounted grip. (All but the R model were single-shot designs). Advertised as “the world’s hottest handgun,” at least one magazine writer touted it as the handgun that thinks it’s a rifle; another called it “the ugliest handgun to ever appear on the planet.” Still, even haters must admit that a 30-year production run is an impressive achievement on any planet – even Earth.

REMINGTON XP-100: The X in XP-100 stands for “experimental,” which might remind Chuck Yeager fans of the X-1 that he flew to break the sound barrier back in 1947. In fact, Remington XP-100’s design looks like it could have been a weapon of choice used by Han Solo in a galaxy far, far away. This unusual bolt-action pistol, produced by Remington from 1963 to the 1990s, was known for its accuracy and still remains competitive.

M1 GARAND: This .30-06 caliber semi-automatic rifle saw widespread usage as a service rifle during World War II and in Korea. It even saw limited action in Vietnam. Of the more than 5 million M1s made, most were issued to US forces and American allies. It’s still used by drill teams and military honor guards. General George S Patton called it “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” Among its positive traits was the fact that it was designed for simple assembly and disassembly, making field maintenance easier since it could be field-stripped without tools in just a few seconds. While enemy combatants

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armed with bolt-action rifle lost precious time shot-to-shot, the M1 rifle’s semiautomatic operation gave American infantrymen a distinct advantage in firepower as well as the recovery time between shots. In 1936, the M1 replaced the M1903 Springfield; In 1958, the M1 was replaced by the M14. M14: After extensive testing and a tough head-to-head competition, the first wave of M14s were delivered to the US Army in July 1959. The weapon had been developed to replace seven different weapons: the M1 Garand, M1903 Springfield, M1917 Enfield, M1 carbine, M3 submachine gun, M1928/M1 Thompson, and the M1918 – an ambitious undertaking. In all, 1.3 million were built by Springfield Armory, Winchester Harrington & Richardson, and Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge, Inc. They were produced from 1959 to 1964. Despite the rigorous development, extensive testing, and a demanding competitive match-up, reality struck the weapon when it was deployed to Vietnam where its weight and length were ill-suited for the environment. In addition to being cumbersome, its wood stock tended to swell and expand in the country’s humid jungles. Plus, the weapon was reportedly difficult to control in full-automatic mode. Some variants are still in use as sniper and designated marksman rifles. SMITH & WESSON MODEL 29: In the movie Dirty Harry (1971) the .44 Magnum is described by Inspector Callahan of the San Francisco Police Department as “the most powerful handgun in the world.” At the time, it wasn’t a hyperbole. The Model 29 is a six-shot, double-action revolver chambered for the hard-hitting .44 Magnum cartridge, an ammunition in search of an appropriate delivery system when it was first

developed. That delivery system came into existence in 1950 with the Model 29 which produced 767 foot-pounds of energy and a velocity of 1,200 feet per second. Weighing nearly three pounds with punishing recoil, the firearm is as complex as it is niche; with one of its more exclusive roles equipping tunnel exploration personnel during Vietnam, a.k.a. “Tunnel Rats”, who used a version called the Deadly Quiet Special Purpose Revolver (QSPR) to clear out communist forces in the many tunnels dug by members of the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong. DUCK FOOT PISTOL: Some firearms are remembered for their historical significance, like winning a battle or launching a trend. Much unlike the Duck Foot, sometimes referred to a volley gun. It’s an attention-getter because it looks comical, like a duck’s webbed foot. It was reportedly popular among bank guards, prison wardens, and sea captains. Why? Because its multiple, wide-spread barrels gave the holder potential advantage in crowd-control situations or clearing the deck on an enemy ship, but it was not a perfect weapon; it had a reputation that not all barrels always fired. The question people staring at a Duck Foot had to ask is, “Just how lucky do I feel today?” In fact, sometimes the user of such an eccentric firearm was on the bad end of some hard luck. That’s what happened to Giuseppe Marco Fieschi in July 1835 when he pulled the trigger of a home-made, 25-barrel volley gun in an attempt to assassinate King Louis Philippe The First in Paris. Eighteen were killed in the attack, but not the king who only received a minor wound. Fieschi was injured, captured, condemned to death, and guillotined. g

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WINCHESTER MODEL 1885: John Moses Browning was a firearms designer who became known for guns that were innovative, popular, and timeless. His first effort, developed in obscurity in 1878 at the age of 23, was a falling-block single-shot rifle that he tried to manufacture by hand with his brother in a workshop in Ogden, Utah. That might have been the end of a short story, except that Browning’s work caught the eye of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in general and Thomas G Bennett in particular. Bennett, the company’s vice-president and general manager, traveled to Ogden and negotiated the purchase of the single-shot design. He also acquired a prototype of what would become the Model 1886 lever-action. The Winchester–Browning relationship lasted two decades and produced a wide variety of firearms, including the Model 1887 and Model 1897 pump shotgun, the falling-block single-shot Model 1885, and the lever-action Model 1886, Model 1892, Model 1894, Model 1895 rifles as well as the long recoil operated semiautomatic Remington Model 8; but it all began with that humble falling-block single-shot rifle.

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BROWNING AUTO-5: At age 13, John Moses Browning made his first firearm. He was awarded number one of more than one hundred patents at age 24. He died of heart failure at his workbench on November 26, 1926, while working on a selfloading pistol design that would become known as the Browning Hi-Power, a firearm appreciated world-wide by sportsmen, gun collectors, the military, and law enforcement agencies. But it was the Auto-5, the first mass-produced semi-automatic shotgun, that transformed the successful designer into a manufacturer. Browning had initially offered what he’d deemed his “best achievement” to Winchester with whom he’d had a successful and productive relationship. But the two could not come up with an agreement. Browning eventually produced the new design himself. It became the second best-selling auto-loading shotgun in US history, just behind the Remington 1100. REMINGTON 1100: American gun owners rarely change their mind overnight when a new model comes along, but that’s essentially what happened when Remington came out with the 1100,

a gas-operated semi-automatic shotgun introduced in 1963 that became popular among sportsmen and remains in production. It managed to combine a number of positive attributes: versatility, modern design, and desirable handling characteristics, all of which came together to produce a best-seller. The gun is wellbalanced; the trigger-pull, smooth; the quality, high; plus, it’s easy to break-down and clean. For all of those reasons, Remington 1100s are used in trap-shooting, skeet-shooting, and sporting clays; modified versions are popular in multi-gun practical shooting events. Overall, more than four million of these reliable and popular shotguns have been produced. PEPPER-BOX REVOLVER: It may look like a cross between a pepper shaker and a gun, but these multiplebarrel repeating firearms had their moment in the sun from roughly 1830 to the Civil War, though the concept was developed much earlier. Pepper-Boxes were novelties that packed a punch, and were most often built as multi-shot handguns though occasionally as rifle-sized firearms. Early models were fitted with anywhere between three and seven barrels. Though primarily sold as civilian weapons, some were purchased privately for personal use by military personnel. As manufacturers added more and longer barrels, they became front-heavy, making them difficult to aim, though at close range they were deadly. The funny firearm survived for a time after revolvers were introduced, at one point even enjoying a brief revival, but eventually they faded into the history books.

RUGER STANDARD: After the Second World War, a returning Marine gave firearm designer Bill Ruger a pair of Japanese Nambu pistols. Using the Nambu silhouette and bolt system, Ruger produced a prototype – reminiscent of the German Luger P08 pistol – that he showed to Alex Sturm, an American artist, author, and entrepreneur. Sturm, impressed by what he saw, provided the start-up money to launch Sturm, Ruger & Co. He also created its distinctive eagle coat-of-arms emblem. The company’s first product was the Ruger Standard, a rimfire semi-automatic pistol introduced in 1949; followed the next year by the MK I Target, a variant of the Standard used in target shooting. The Ruger Standard remained in production, in one form or another, for more than three decades. The original model came with a blued carbon steel finish and was equipped with a 4.75-inch tapered barrel. Its magazine held 9 rounds of .22 Long Rifle ammo. FRENCH APACHE: Part-dagger, part-gun, and part brass-knuckles (depending how its various components were folded or unfolded) the French Apache looks as if it were designed by Jules Verne as a retro-futuristic weapon for Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The multi-faceted weapon was designed and patented by Louis Dolne. It was used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by muggers, stick-up men, burglars, and other ruffians in general – and in particular by a Parisian street gang called Les Apaches. Some were manufactured in France; others, in Belgium. All were banned in California, g

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New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. The barrel-less pin-fire revolver incorporated a set of brass knuckles as a grip and featured a 2-inch to 3-inch double-edged Kriss blade that folded into the frame when not in use and folded out when needed. Without a barrel and brandishing a short blade, the French Apache was undoubtedly a weapon designed to be used upclose and personal. MARLIN MODEL 60: Some may refer to the Marlin Model 60 as “un-glamorous.” A few might even call it “homely.” But success speaks its own language and, in this case, the phrase that pays is “More than 11 million made,” making it one of the world’s most popular .22 rimfire rifles. This American classic earns its keep by being well-suited for small-game hunting and vermin control. In addition to being affordable, it’s reliable and accurate. The company calls it the most popular rifle of its kind in the world. The Model 60 was developed in 1960 from the Marlin Model 99, which had a stock made of walnut, while the Model 60’s stock was less-expensive birch. In addition, the steel inner tubes were replaced with brass. It’s currently produced by Remington Arms in Huntsville, Alabama, and is available in nine versions. It’s also offered in multiple stock variations, including Monte-Carlo walnut finished laminate, Monte-Carlo synthetic with Realtree Hardwoods, and Monte-Carlo laminated two-tone black/grey hardwood. G.R.A.D. MODEL RS1 KNIFE PISTOL: A wise guy once said, “Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.” One wonders what his response might be to the G.R.A.D. Model RS1 Knife Pistol. (G.R.A.D. stands for Global Research And Development.) This unusual weapon combines a large knife with a .22-caliber, six-shot revolver, which is hidden in its handle. Introduced in the 1990s and produced in Las Vegas, the knife handle opens like an elongated clamshell to reveal the gun’s cylinder, an action that also makes it operational as a pistol with a fold-down trigger. Basic models had functional, black, checkered grip panels; however, ornate custom models can be found sporting jewels and gold. The knife-gun 58

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can be reloaded by pushing a button in the hilt to open the cover. Reportedly, fewer than a thousand of these unusual weapons were made. HENRY REPEATING RIFLE: In 1860 Benjamin Tyler Henry invented the first reliable lever-action repeating rifle, which became the basis of the Winchester rifle known as “The Gun That Won the West.” How desirable was Henry’s creation? Enough that some Civil War soldiers saved their pay to buy one. Why didn’t the military make such an investment? For one thing, Henry Repeating Rifle could not be equipped with bayonets. For another, Henry’s .44 caliber black-powder cartridge gave it significantly lower muzzle velocity than other rifles of the day. Plus, it lacked a safety, meaning that a significant bump on the back of the hammer could cause the gun to fire. Still, despite its problems, the Henry Repeating Rifle managed to catch attention in battles, prompting one Confederate officer to call it “that damned Yankee rifle that can be loaded on Sunday and fired all week.” PHILADELPHIA DERRINGER: Henry Deringer is best-known for inventing a small-sized handgun that became known as the derringer, a mis-spelling of his name. Following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a gunsmith, Deringer opened up shop in Philadelphia and produced military pistols, muskets, and rifles. His big step on the road to fame and fortune came in 1825 when he produced large caliber, short-barreled pistols – though his lack of a trademark caused headaches along the way until it was sorted out in a landmark decision when the California Supreme Court ruled in Deringer’s favor. The easily concealed firearms became a part of American folklore, featured in many movies and on television, including a dance-hall girl in Red River, which starred John Wayne; Miss Kitty, in the TV show Gunsmoke; and Jodie Foster as Annabelle Bransford in the 1994 film Maverick with Mel Gibson in the title role. On a tragic note, actor John Wilkes Booth used a Derringer to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.

GATLING GUN: Though he graduated from Ohio Medical College in 1850 with an MD, Richard Jordan Gatling was an inventor at heart, so he never practiced medicine. In fact, he was elected as the first president of the American Association of Inventors and Manufacturers. Two of his inventions helped transform agriculture in America: one mechanically sowed rice; the other, aided in the planting wheat; but he is most-remembered for inventing the rapid-fire, spring-loaded, hand-cranked Gatling Gun which some consider to be the first successful machine gun. The basic gun had six barrels revolving around a central shaft, with each barrel firing one shot per revolution. Turning the crank rotated the shaft. It was used by Union forces during the Civil War. Forbes magazine listed the Gatling Gun featured in Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw Josey Wales as one of the five most iconic movie guns of all time. MAXIM: How do you know when a firearm is beyond successful? When both sides in a conflict use it. Such is the case with the Maxim, designed in 1883 by Sir Hiram Maxim, an American inventor who moved to Europe. His most successful invention was a recoil-operated machine gun that didn't need to be cranked by hand, an action required by operators of the Gatling gun. Instead, the force of the recoil ejects the spent cartridge and loads a fresh one. The Maxim was so effective and reliable that both sides used it during World War I. In addition to that endorsement, the Maxim remained in service into the 1960s. The United States Army tested the Model 1889 and the Model 1900. The gun was officially adopted in 1904 and designated as the Maxim Machine Gun, Caliber .30, Model of 1904. It was the Army’s first rifle-caliber, heavy machine gun.

AR-10: During World War II, Eugene Morrison Stoner joined the Marines and enlisted for Aviation Ordnance. Little wonder, then, that firearms became a part of his life. In 1945, he worked in the machine shop of an aircraft equipment company, eventually becoming a design engineer. In 1954, he became chief engineer for ArmaLite, a small engineering firm for which Stoner designed a series of prototype small arms. The following year, he finished up the initial design of the AR-10, a lightweight infantry rifle that was submitted for evaluation by the US Army which was testing a number of rifles to replace the aging M1 Garand. ArmaLite's AR-10 entered the competition with two hand-built prototypes. Though it garnered some favorable comments for its light weight, it did not survive one of the torture tests. Though fewer than 10,000 of the rifles were ultimately assembled, the AR-10 design, re-scaled and modified in 1957 to accommodate the .223 Remington cartridge, was given the designation ArmaLite AR-15. Colt Firearms acquired ArmaLite’s rights to the AR-10 and AR-15 in 1959. M16: There’s an old English proverb that goes like this: “From Little Acorns Do Mighty Oaks Grow.” That saying could be used to portray the relationship between the ArmaLite AR-15 and the M16, which became the longest continuously serving rifle in American military history. More than just a firearm, the M16 became a

modular weapon-system in which various components could be reconfigured to support different features, though the original M16 rifle was essentially an automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine. It entered service in 1964, was deployed for jungle warfare operations during the Vietnam War, and ultimately replaced the M14. The M16A1 brought a number of improvements, including a bolt-assist, chrome-plated bore and a 30-round magazine. Total production of the M16 is in the neighborhood of 8 million. Though it’s since been generally replaced by the shorter and lighter M4 Carbine, the M16 is widely used by other militaries around the world.

M4: The United States military officially accepted the M4 carbine into service in 1994. It weighed 7.3 pounds with a 30-round magazine. The rifle is a shorter and lighter version of the M16A2 and replaced the M16 rifle in Army and Marine Corps combat units as their primary infantry rifle. Because of its lighter weight, compact size, telescoping buttstock, and effectiveness in closequarter situations, it has also replaced most submachine guns and selected handguns. The M4 also features semi-automatic and three-round burst firing modes and is capable of mounting the M203 and M320 grenade launchers. As a mark of its versatility, the M4 can be fitted with night-vision devices, flash suppressors, laser pointers, telescopic sights, and bi-pods. In a 2006 survey of Army combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, 89 percent felt their M4 carbine was reliable in combat and 80 percent expressed confidence in their weapon. In an article for Army Times, Todd South, a Marine veteran of the Iraq War, has written that, “Over the next five years, the Army plans to buy a mix of more than 120,000 new light machine guns and rifles, built around new ammunition, to replace both the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon for select soldiers.” South also wrote that three contractors “are expected to deliver 38 prototype rifles and 28 prototype automatic rifles along with 660,000 rounds of ammunition for testing and soldier evaluations next year, according to budget documents.” Those contractors are Sig Sauer, General Dynamics-OTS and Textron Systems; the Army is reportedly expected to announce a winner by late 2021. In many ways, the company chosen will owe some measure of its success to Martin Meylin and his little gun shop in in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Jim Lamb is a retired journalist. He served in Vietnam with the United States Navy and later went to college on the GI Bill. NRA 150

12ESSENTIAL FIREARM ACCESSORIES FOR EVERY NEW GUN OWNER

f you are a brand new owner of a firearm, you may wonder what you need to do to protect your investment. Like any other significant purchase, a gun requires some TLC to work at peak performance beyond its purchase date. While this may require some extra cash upfront, these essential firearm accessories will help you keep your gun in prime condition.

CONCEALMENT If you plan to concealed carry, you will need to add a few items to your new gun owner checklist to keep your weapon secure and out of sight. 1. CONCEALED CARRY HOLSTER: A concealed carry holster is necessary for anyone who plans to have their firearm on them at all times. These holsters sit close to the carrier’s body to keep them from the view of others. 2. CONCEALED CARRY CAR HOLSTER: If you drive through a state that honors your concealed carry license, you may want to consider having a holster that will fit in your car that is easily accessible in case of any dangerous situations. g

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CLEANING SUPPLIES After a day on the range or out hunting, you will need supplies to clean your gun and ensure peak performance. Talk with your firearm dealer or an experienced gun owner to learn how to maintain your firearm safely. Having an expert hand guide you through the process can prevent damaging your weapon or causing a misfire. Here are some of the tools and supplies you will want to have on hand after purchasing your firearm: 3. CLEANING CLOTHS, COTTON PATCHES AND A BARREL CLEANING BRUSH: These are the instruments you will use to remove debris from the inside and outside of your gun. Some cleaning cloths and brushes are reusable, but you will need fresh cotton patches or other one-use items to avoid leaving debris in your firearm.

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4. A CLEANING MAT AND SMALL ORGANIZERS OR CONTAINERS: Whenever you clean your firearm, you will need to disassemble it, to some degree, to clean all of the necessary spaces. A mat will keep your parts from scratching against the table or countertop where you are cleaning it. It will also keep parts from rolling or sliding. Small storage containers can also prevent the loss of loose parts while the gun is disassembled. 5. CLEANING SOLVENT AND GUN OIL: Cleaning solvent and gun oil are essential to keeping your firearm in pristine condition. The cleaning solvent helps to remove any residue in the barrel or other parts of the gun. After the weapon is clean, the oil helps lubricate the gun’s parts and prevent rusting to its surface.

STORAGE The first thing you need to think about whenever you buy a new gun is where you will put it once you bring it home. Secure yet accessible storage is imperative for new firearm owners. Trust us; you don't want to leave your rifle or handgun lying around the house. Intruders or children can get ahold of your weapon and quickly cause harm. Here are a few storage items to consider: 6. CONCEALMENT FURNITURE: Concealment furniture is a great way to discretely and securely store your firearms. Concealment furniture pieces can vary from wall decorations to tables and coat racks. They are more inconspicuous than a gun safe and are more secure than leaving your firearm in your drawers, closets or other usual storage areas. They also allow for quick access in case of an emergency. 7. MUZZLE LOCK: A muzzle lock will help keep your firearm inoperable while you are not using it, adding an extra layer of protection. 8. TRAVEL CASE: A travel case to transport your firearm from your home to the range, hunting property, gun shop, etc. is crucial to keep it safe, secure and, in some states, in compliance with firearm transportation laws. 9. AMMUNITION CANS: If you plan to visit the range regularly, it's good to have sturdy storage and transportation for your ammo. Ammo cans are also great for protecting bullets from the elements.

SHOOTING AND TRAINING Even if you buy a firearm strictly for defense, you will need to fire it at a range occasionally to make sure it operates correctly. If you buy a gun for recreation or hunting, you will shoot it more often than that. Having the right gear for your visits to the range is crucial to success when you need to use your new weapon.

12. DRY-FIRE CAPS: Whenever you are away from the range, or practice defensive maneuvers at home, dry-fire training is an excellent way to stay on top of your firing and weapon drawing motion. While you can dry-fire most modern guns without any issues, snap caps or dummy rounds help prevent any damage to your gun’s firing pin.

10. HEARING PROTECTION: Firearms are loud and can damage your hearing if your ears aren’t protected. Over-ear or in-ear sound reduction can negate hearing loss from repeated use of your firearm.

Are you looking for a great place to store your brand new firearm? Check out Liberty Home Concealment’s products to find an excellent piece of concealment furniture to discreetly and securely store your gun. Have a question about concealment furniture? Send us a contact form to get in touch.

11. LASER SIGHTING: A laser sight for your weapon can help your aim at the range or in a life-or-death self-defense situation. Having a laser zeroed in can help keep your aim steady and ready to go.

Article by Liberty Home Concealment. Please visit them at libertyhomeconcealment.com

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The First Thing You Should Know About the

Second A

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Amendment By jim Lamb

The first thing you need to know about the Second Amendment is that without it there would be no Constitution and without a Constitution, there is no United States. It’s that simple. Everything else is garnish. That’s why President Donald J. Trump has made his stance on the Second Amendment direct and unequivocal: “The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.” Does everyone agree with that? No. The question is, “Why?” The answer is simple: Power.

“The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.” – Donald Trump

Don’t think so? Let’s see what three 20th-Century Tyrants, two Fascists and a Communist – said: Adolf Hitler: “History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subject races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the supply of arms to the underdogs is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty.” Benito Mussolini: “On the morrow of each conflict I gave the categorical order to confiscate the largest possible number of weapons of every sort and kind. This confiscation, which continues with the utmost energy, has given satisfactory results.” Mao Tse Tung: “All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party.”

The three quotes above clarify the genuine threat gun-owners face; the three quotes below add depth and breadth to the conversation: “When the history of the 20th Century is finally written, one of its key features will be the wanton slaughter of more than 170 million people, not in war, but by their own government. The governments that led in this slaughter are the former USSR (65 million) and the Peoples Republic of China (35-40 million). The point to remember is that these governments were the idols of America's leftists. Part of reason for these and other tyrannical successes was because the people were first disarmed.” – Walter E. Williams, Author, Economist, Emeritus Trustee at Grove City College and the Reason Foundation. “Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Mao, Idi Amin, Castro, Pol Pot, all these monsters began by confiscating private arms, then literally g NRA 150

soaking the earth with the blood of tens and tens of millions of their people... There can be no free speech, no freedom of the press, no freedom to protest, no freedom to worship your god, no freedom to speak your mind, no freedom from fear, no freedom for your children and for theirs, for anybody, anywhere, without the Second Amendment freedom to fight for it.” – Charlton Heston, Actor, Civil Rights Activist, President of the NRA from 1998-2003. “Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.” – Mahatma Gandhi, anti-colonial nationalist who used nonviolent resistance to help gain India's independence from Britain. Back to the point… The Second Amendment is not about hunting. It’s about the rights of individual citizens as well as the body politic. Here’s how Thomas Jefferson put it in a letter to James Madison in 1787: “What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms.” To show Jefferson was consistent in his thinking later in life, after serving as governor of Virginia, minster to France, secretary of state, vice president, and president and here’s what he wrote in a letter two years before he died: “The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.” America’s third president also made it clear when and where he thought it appropriate to carry a firearm: “Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.” Doesn’t sound like he’s talking about hunting, does it? Which raises the question: How did America become so muddled on an issue specifically and deliberately written into the Bill of Rights to gain support for the ratification of the United States Constitution? Perhaps some context can help clarify the matter. After winning its independence from England, America crafted the Articles of Confederation, which were adopted on November 15, 1777, and went into effect March 1, 1781. It did not take long to find out that a loose confederation built on thirteen individual foundations was like constructing a house on shifting sands. The country needed something more substantial and

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stable, but there was a problem: Some feared a strong federal government as much as they had feared King George and his Redcoats. What to do? On May 25, 1787 America’s thirteen states sent representatives to Philadelphia with the stated purpose of trying to fix the Articles of Confederation. Eventually some delegates concluded that one degree or another, that they were better off starting from scratch than trying to fix the un-fixable. Heading this ambitious task was James Madison of Virginia, Father of the Constitution, who would go on to become the fourth President of the United States. The first public copy of the newly minted document was printed September 19. Copies were submitted on September 28 to the individual states for review. To drum up support, Madison and two others combined forces to promote ratification. They were Alexander Hamilton, a delegate for the Constitutional Convention from New York who later became the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, and John Jay, the nation’s first Chief Justice. On October 27, Madison, Hamilton, and Jay released Federalist No. 1 – published anonymously under the name Publius. It was to be the first of what would become 85 pro-ratification essays. It’s worth noting that the word “arms” appears more than two dozen times in what was ultimately referred to as “The Federalist Papers.” Here is an example from Federalist No. 46, written by Madison: “Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of. Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” Hamilton had this to say in Federalist, No. 29: “If circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude, that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their rights and those of their fellow citizens.” It should be noted that the word “hunt” does not appear in the Federalist Papers, and in Federalist 2, Jay puts the right to bear arms in the context of the recent Revolution and not a hunting trip.

“Who, by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established general liberty and independence.

Aristocratick Combination.”

Despite the efforts of their writing campaign, reaction to the Constitution was mixed, dividing the nation into two main camps: Federalists and Anti-Federalists, the former – generally from the merchant and plantation-owning class and were in favor of the Constitution with its strong federal government while the latter (primarily farmers and tradesmen) were against such centralized power and authority.

“What then may we expect if the new constitution be adopted as it now stands? The great will struggle for power, honor and wealth; the poor become a prey to avarice, insolence and oppression. And while some are studying to supplant their neighbors, and others striving to keep their stations, one villain will wink at the oppression of another, the people be fleeced, and the public business neglected. From despotism and tyranny good Lord deliver us.”

At no point during discussion or debate did one side or the other take a position proposing gun control, registration, and/ or confiscation. Both sides were for freedom; both sides were for the right to bear arms. Patrick Henry of Virginia, who was coined for saying he “Give me liberty or give me death!" was an ardent and outspoken Anti-Federalist who publicly opposed the new Constitution. His intent was clear: “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.” Henry wasn’t alone. Many forget that those who opposed the Constitution were articulate in their own right and compiled what came to be known as “The Anti-Federalist Papers”– a collection of writings and speeches with this provocatively titled introduction: “A Dangerous Plan of Benefit Only to The

Here’s but one statement contained therein:

Sounds like something that could have been posted on a blog yesterday, doesn’t it? Motives of the Anti-Federalists varied: Some felt delegates to the Constitutional Convention overstepped their authority by proposing a replacement to the Articles of Confederation; others felt the new (and some said “illegal”) Constitution was crafted by wealthy special interests groups; some thought the document concentrated too much power in a federal government at the cost of the individual states. In an attempt to quell the concerns of the opposition, more than two hundred amendments were debated and proposed at the various state ratifying conventions. As expected, the right to bear arms was a key topic all around. As a side note, Pennsylvania debated more than a dozen possible amendments. Why mention this? Because the g

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“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country: but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.” Keystone State’s own version of the second amendment does not contain the phrase: “A well-regulated Militia.” More about that later. Here’s what Samuel Adams said during the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention in 1788: “The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.”

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Adams was a statesman and political philosopher as well as Founding Father. He was also second cousin to John Adams, second president of the United States and the only president elected to the nation’s highest office as a member of Federalist Party. During the first session of Congress the initial proposal for a bill of rights was brought to the floor of the House of Representatives on June 8, 1789. Here’s the passage relating to the right to bear arms: “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country: but no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.” (Some refer to the words “no person religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person” as the “conscientious objector clause.” That phrase was later removed.) A select committee reviewed Madison’s submission and returned a reworded version to the House:

“A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; but no person religiously scrupulous shall be compelled to bear arms.”

to guarantee fundamental rights to individual citizens. It was a political heavy-weight fight if there ever was one.

The House debated and modified the wording. Here’s the result:

In his book Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, The Bill of Rights, and The Election that Saved a Nation, author Chris DeRose put that decisive and divisive congressional race into historical perspective:

“A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.” The next day, August 25, the Senate received the amendment from the House, added a comma before “shall not be infringed” and replaced the semicolon that followed with comma: “A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, being the best security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed, but no one religiously scrupulous of bearing arms shall be compelled to render military service in person.”

The outcome would define America’s future.

“Madison had been elected to the First Congress by only 336 votes. It was in that Congress that the Bill of Rights was passed, cementing the people’s confidence in the new federal government. And the Constitution was saved. All because of one election.” Think about the narrowness of that vote count 336 next time you clean your rifle.

Here is the final wording as it appears in the US Constitution:

More than 200 amendments had been proposed at the various state ratifying conventions. The list was whittled down to the twelve that went before Congress. Those dozen were chosen to quell the concerns of the opposition without alienating supporters.

“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Of the twelve amendments proposed, ten were ratified as additions to the Constitution on December 15, 1791, later becoming known as the Bill of Rights.

It may be tedious to read, compare; re-read, contrast, then re-read again the various versions, but think of it this way: The tedium is worthwhile and profitable in that it shows how serious those involved took their responsibility in an attempt to be deliberate and precise as they executed their task. Such intricate craftsmanship is a rebuke to 21st Century tonguewagers who make casual quips mocking a generation that shed blood and lost family in creating a nation where glib critical remarks can be freely made without significant consequence.

By the way, the original Second Amendment had nothing to do with guns; it had to do with pay raises:

The Bill of Rights in general and the Second Amendment neither was nor is a laughing matter. The issue at the time and even now can pit friend against friend, neighbor against neighbor. Here’s an example: James Madison’s fellow Virginian George Mason refused to sign the Constitution without a Bill of Rights. Future president James Monroe (also from Virginia) was an Anti-Federalist and chose to run against fellow Founding Father Madison for Congress, the only time two future presidents went head-to-head over a congressional seat. The Father of the Constitution vs. one of its leading opponents. The Federalist vs. the Anti-Federalist. One believing the nation could not survive without the Constitution; the other believing that same document granted too much power to the Federal government and, at the same time, failed

“No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.” In the kind of twist that trivia buffs treasure, those twenty-four words finally made their way into the Constitution in 1992 as the 27th Amendment – 202 years, seven months, and 10 days after originally proposed. One additional note: Here is the original not ratified First Amendment: “After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor less than one Representative for every forty thousand persons, until the number of Representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one Representative for every g

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fifty thousand persons.” What would have been the consequences if that amendment had passed? The House of Representatives would now have more than 6,000 members instead of the current 435. Imagine what that would be like. The Bill of Rights went into effect in 1791. You’d think that settled the issue of gun rights once and for all. Nope. Not even close. Let take just one quote from Thomas Jefferson as the line in the sand: “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” To see how Jefferson’s comment holds up, let’s place it on one side of the scale, then shovel a slew of statements on the other side and see how things balance out: President Barack Obama: “I don't believe people should to be able to own guns.” Source: John Lott Jr. in his 2013 book “At the Brink,” based in conversation the two had at the University of Chicago Law School in the 1990s. Rosie O'Donnell: “I don't care if you want to hunt, I don't care if you think it’s your right. I say, sorry, you are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun I think you should go to prison.” Source: Jason Mattera writing in Human Events March 19, 2012. Sen. Dianne Feinstein: “If I could have gotten 51 votes for an outright ban, picking up every one of them, ‘Mr. and Mrs. America, turn ’em all in,’ I would have done it.” Source: 1995 episode of “60 Minutes,” reportedly referring to assault-style weapons. Then-Sen. Joseph R. Biden: “The House better understand the power of an idea whose time has come. It still will be an uphill fight in the House, but I think the wave is moving.” Source: New York Times article headlined “Senate Approves Ban on Manufacture of Military-Style Weapons” by Clifford Krauss, published Nov. 18, 1993. Deborah Prothrow-Stith: “I hate guns and cannot imagine why anybody would want to own one. If I had my way, guns for sport would be registered, and all other guns would be banned.” Source: National Review, April 2, 2018. Deborah Prothrow-Stith is Dean and Professor at Charles R. Drew University College of Medicine in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Prothrow-Stith has every right to her opinion. After all, there is a First Amendment, but as comedian, actor, writer, and producer, Dave Chappelle once said, “The First Amendment is first for a reason. Second Amendment is just in case the first one doesn't work out.”

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Perhaps no phrase in the Second Amendment is more debated than its opening salvo: “A well-regulated Militia…” It pokes Second Amendment opponents in the eye, sizzles their brains, and shifts their vocal chords into high gear. What is the militia? Let’s jump in the way-back machine and gather up some opinions: “The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws.” – John Adams, America’s Second President. “For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a wellorganized and armed militia is their best security.” – Thomas Jefferson, America’s Third President. “A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country.” – James Madison, America’s Fourth President. “What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. Now, it must be evident, that, under this provision, together with their other powers, Congress could take such measures with respect to a militia, as to make a standing army necessary. Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins. This was actually done by Great Britain at the commencement of the late revolution. They used every means in their power to prevent the establishment of an effective militia…” – Elbridge Gerry, Ninth Governor of Massachusetts and Fifth Vice President of the United States. And here is the punch-line… short, sweet, and right on target: “I ask you sir, who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people.” – George Mason, delegate to the US Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of three who refused to sign the Constitution. Does everyone agree with those assessments? Of course not. Here are some other thoughts. “I'm tired of hearing about this 'well-regulated militia' that is so necessary for American freedom.” – Jay Parini, American Writer and Academic. “There is more hooey spread about the Second Amendment. It says quite clearly that guns are for those who form part of a wellregulated militia, i.e., the armed forces including the National Guard. The reasons for keeping them away from everyone else get clearer by the day.”– Molly Ivins, Newspaper Columnist, Author, Political Commentator, and Humorist. g

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“If the guy out in the woods with the Michigan Militia is a real estate negotiator, instead of some crackpot, and has a normal life, that's unnerving. You don't want to think it's as normal as the guy next door, hedging his lawn. It's easier to demonize or separate them off from ‘us’.” – Michael Moore, Academy-Award Winning Filmmaker and Best-Selling Author. “The Second Amendment is, of course, very much part of the American fabric. But the intent of the founders was that the amendment protected the rights of citizens to bear arms in a militia for their collective self-defense.” – Peter Bergen, American Journalist, Author, and Producer who serves as a CNN Colt's Manufacturing Company National Security Analyst. The question to ask yourself about the wording “well regulated militia” is this: Do you defer to the Founding Fathers and others who supported the Revolution against the British or do you accept the assessment of contemporary humorists, academics, analysts, and Oscar winners?

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Let’s move on. Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet. If you could pick just one word to describe him, you might chose “Individualist.” In 1836 Emerson penned what has come to be known as the “Concord Hymn,” written for the 1837 dedication of a monument that commemorated the Battle of Concord that took place on Wednesday, April 19, 1775, about 20 miles northwest of Boston. It was second in a series of clashes that day and resulted in victory for the colonists. The poem opens this way: “By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, here once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard round the world.” What was the goal that day when 700 British Army regulars took up their arms? To capture and destroy military supplies reportedly stored by at Concord.

Speaking of military supplies, let’s dispel a notion so drenched in current conversation that the casual observer can hardly tell warp from woof: The AR in AR-15 does not stand for “assault rifle.” It stands for ArmaLite, an American small arms engineering company founded in the mid1950s in California. The AR-15 “Boogeyman” of the anti-gun movement is not an assault rifle. It’s a civilian (and legal) version of the M-16. It was designed as a lightweight, gas-powered, selective-fire rifle for the United States Military. It did not make the cut. (For comparison purposes, the AR-15 is heavier, with a shorter range, and a slower rate of fire than the M-16.) Here’s some background: In 1959, ArmaLite sold its rights to Colt's Manufacturing Company, which eventually modified the design and submitted to the military as the M-16, which was first shipped to troops in Vietnam in 1964. Five years later, the M16A1s replaced M14s as the US military's standard issue rifle. The current standard bearer is the M4, a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2, which is now the primary infantry weapon in combat units. That weapon helps makes the infantry strong and fully armed, a biblical principle that can be found in Luke 11:21 which says “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are safe.” Seems like great advice. Don’t like the Bible? No problem. How about Clint Eastwood? “I have a very strict gun control policy: if there's a gun around, I want to be in control of it.” Don’t like the guy who starred in “Fistful of Dollars,” “Dirty Harry,” The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Pale Rider,” “Unforgiven,” and “Gran Torino”? What about the voice of Darth Vader, Mufasa, and CNN– James Earl Jones? “The world is filled with violence. Because criminals carry guns, we decent law-abiding citizens should also have guns. Otherwise they will win and the decent people will lose.” Maybe you prefer the literary type. If so, read the following warning from William S. Burroughs, Beat Generation author of eighteen novels and novellas, six collections of short stories and four collections of essays.

“After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it.” – William S. Burroughs. As Rahm Emanuel who once said – “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that i t's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” For those who’ve forgotten, Emanuel served as White House Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama. Let’s add another name to the pro-Second Amendment side, one unexpected and perhaps forgotten—she was an investigative journalist, anti-lynching crusader, civil rights leader, and one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Her name: Ida B. Wells. Here’s what she said: “A Winchester rifle should have a place of honor in every black home, and it should be used for that protection which the law refuses to give.” In an article for National Review, David Harsanyi, author of First Freedom: A Ride through America’s Enduring History with the Gun, argues that no American right (not speech, press, or religion) has a longer and more defined history than the right to self-defense. Harsanyi also wrote that: “The animating ideas of the Second Amendment – both as personal and communal protection are predicated on natural rights and English common law. And while nearly every intellectual, political, and military leader of the Founding generation stressed the importance of the right to bear arms as a means of preserving liberty, some of its most vociferous champions were against slavery.” Alan Dershowitz, scholar of constitutional law, had this to say: “Foolish liberals who are trying to read the Second Amendment out of the constitution by claiming it’s not an individual right or that it’s too much of a safety hazard don’t see the danger of the big picture. They're courting disaster by encouraging others to use this same means to eliminate portions of the Constitution they don't like.” There’ another, even more practical point, that has to do with common sense. It was made by President Ronald Reagan: “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” g

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“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are safe.” Luke 11:21 To put it another way, the vast majority of gun owners are lawabiding citizens who don’t get in trouble with law enforcement, according to Gary Kleck, criminologist and the David J. Bordua Professor Emeritus of Criminology at Florida State University. “Probably fewer than two percent of handguns and well under one percent of all guns will ever be involved in a violent crime. Thus, the problem of criminal gun violence is concentrated within a very small subset of gun owners, indicating that gun control aimed at the general population faces a serious needlein-the-haystack problem,” Kleck said. Economist, political commentator, and gun rights advocate John R. Lott, Jr., concurs. Lott is the author of “More Guns Less Crime:

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Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws,” now in its third edition. “Our most conservative estimates show that by adopting shallissue laws (concealed carry laws), states reduced murders by 8.5 percent, rapes by five percent, aggravated assaults by seven percent and robbery by three percent... While support for strict gun-control laws usually has been strongest in large cities, where crime rates are highest, that's precisely where right-tocarry laws have produced the largest drops in violent crimes.” It doesn’t take much digging to find scholars, lawyers, writers, and actors, who agree with the Founding Fathers about the Second Amendment. Let’s wrap things up with the opening words of “A Few More Rednecks” by Charlie Daniels on his album “Freedom and Justice for All.”

“Now they’re tryin’ to take my guns away And that would be just fine If you take ’em away from the criminals first I’d gladly give you mine”

That won’t happen anytime soon. Why? Because President Donald J. Trump said so: “Gun and magazine bans are a total failure... Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary sounding phrases like ‘assault weapons,’ ‘military-style weapons’ and ‘high capacity magazines’ to confuse people. What they’re really talking about are popular semi-automatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own.” – President Donald J. Trump

Jim Lamb is a retired journalist who went to college on the GI Bill. He served in the United States Navy and was stationed in Vietnam where he kept a loaded M-16 at his workspace.

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HITCHES & WIRING: We sell and install a variety of hitches to best fit any vehicle and trailer combination. We offer the full line of B&W, Reese/ DrawTite, Husky, Tork Lift and Curt hitches ranging from 2,000 lb to 26,000 lb towing capacity. This includes towing with anything from passenger cars up to large recreational and commercial vehicles requiring either standard fifth wheel, slider, gooseneck or receiver hitches. The premium brands we carry are built to last and withstand years of wear. Our full-service shop can install all the parts and wiring to get you on the road. Our showroom is fully stocked with many spare parts and common replacement items. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, we will be happy to place a special order for you. DINGHY TOWING/ RECREATIONAL: For those looking to tow a vehicle behind a recreational vehicle, we offer a variety of tow bars, extenders, safety cables and wiring. We also carry top safety rated braking systems, tow dollies, drive line disconnects, baseplates and other towing accessories. Our brands include Roadmaster, Demco, RVI and SuperFlow Technologies. Article provide by Heacocktrailersinc.com please visit them for more information.

POWER PULLERS

10 OF THE BEST TRUCKS FOR TOWING By Alex Nishimoto, Mototrend

iving in Los Angeles, we’re used to seeing people who own and drive pickup trucks mostly because they want to, and that’s fine. But for many, driving a truck isn’t so much a matter of “want” but of “need.” Although “want” does often play a part. When you have a boat or a camper or a toy hauler you need to pull—or even a small trailer you have to transport from time to time—owning a truck with towing capability is a must. Whether you’re shopping for a heavy-duty pickup, a versatile and popular half-ton truck, or a midsize pickup that you can drive daily and fit in your garage, here are 10 of the best trucks for towing broken down by class. Keep in mind, the maximum tow rating of the truck you buy depends on how much your truck weighs.

Your individual maximum tow rating is your truck’s Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR or GCWR, the maximum allowable weight of your truck and trailer combined) minus the weight of your actual truck and the weight of any passengers and cargo. If you buy a truck with a lot of weight-adding features, or if you intend to carry a lot of passengers or cargo while towing (or both), that will reduce the amount of weight you can tow. Also be aware of your GCVWR if you’re planning to tow extremely heavy loads with your heavy-duty truck. In the United States, a GCVWR above 26,000 pounds requires a commercial license. That means if your truck and trailer combined weigh more than 26,000 pounds, g NRA 150

you can’t legally drive it unless you have a Class A commercial driver’s license.

a gooseneck trailer loaded up to 10 tons, the Sierra 3500HD is one of the best trucks for towing mega loads.

BEST ONE-TON HD TRUCKS FOR TOWING

2020 Ford F-450 Super Duty | Up To 37,000 Pounds The truck industry is engaged in an all-out torque war, and the prize is “best-in-class” bragging rights. Currently, the leader in the towing arms race is Ford, with its updated F-450 Super Duty that produces 475 hp and a staggering 1,050 lb-ft of torque from a 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8. For those counting, that’s 50 lb-ft more than the Ram’s Cummins and 140 lb-ft more than GM’s Duramax. What does that much twist get you? A claimed max towing capacity of 37,000 pounds.

2020 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty | Up To 35,100 Pounds The 2020 Ram Heavy Duty, our 2020 Truck of the Year, is an easy choice for this list of best trucks for towing, and the Ram 3500 HD dually in particular excels at towing with a fifth wheel or gooseneck hitch. When equipped with the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel inline-six that makes 400 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque, the Ram 3500 with dual rear wheels can tow a trailer weighing up to 35,100 pounds. The downsides are the top-dog diesel is an $11,795 option over the base gas V-8, and to handle that lofty 1,000 lb-ft, you’re forced to get a high-torque version of the old six-speed automatic transmission instead of the new eightspeed. But even with the $2,695 cheaper 850-lb-ft Cummins or the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8, the Ram 3500 is an excellent choice for towing with a fifth wheel or gooseneck thanks to available features like a high-res in-bed camera and the air suspension’s trick Alt Trailer Height ability. 2020 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra | Up To 35,500 Pounds The Ram HD may be the better all-around truck, but when it comes to the best truck for towing fifth wheel or gooseneck the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD dually (and its nearly identical counterpart from GMC) has a leg up. When equipped with the 445-hp, 910-lb-ft 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V-8, the 3500HD can tow up to 35,500 pounds. The GMC also has the benefit of more gears to choose from with its Allison 10-speed automatic transmission. That helped the Sierra 3500HD out-tow the Ram during Truck of the Year testing, and also made it the more pleasant truck to tow with. Given how easily the GMC handled

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BEST THREE-QUARTER-TON HD TRUCKS FOR TOWING 2020 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD | Up To 18,500 (With Conventional Hitch) Sometimes you don’t need a gigantic truck—you just need a pretty huge one. Still imposing and capable, a three-quarter-ton truck like the Chevy Silverado 2500HD will do the job for most. Like the larger Silverado and GMC Sierra 3500s, the 2500HD can be had with either a 401-hp, 464-lb-ft 6.6-liter gasoline V-8 or a 445-hp, 910-lb-ft 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V-8. Although we don’t recommend the former or its six-speed automatic, when equipped with the latter, you get the slickshifting 10-speed automatic and a towing capacity of up to 18,500 pounds on a conventional hitch. Additionally, the Silverado HD offers a transparent trailer view system, which uses two cameras (one on the tailgate and one that has to be installed on the trailer) to allow you to virtually see through whatever you’re towing. That features makes the Silverado HD g

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one of the best trucks for towing a travel trailer or other large, sight-impeding object hanging off your hitch ball. 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty | Up To 20,200 Pounds (With Conventional Hitch) The F-450 might be the numbers king, but the F-250 is the workhorse of the Super Duty range. The F-250 is available in a number of bed and cab configurations, and it can he had with your choice of 6.2-liter V-8, the new 7.3-liter V-8 with 430 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque, or the same 1,050-lb-ft Power Stroke diesel found in the 350 and 450—a costly option at $10,495. But when properly equipped, the F-250 has a max conventional towing capacity of 20,000 pounds. For most, that should be plenty for towing your RV, boat, or toy hauler.

BEST HALF-TON TRUCKS FOR TOWING 2020 Ram 1500 | Up To 12,750 Pounds Our 2019 Truck of the Year, the Ram 1500, is still the fullsize pickup to beat one year later. Its superior ride quality, unmatched quietness, and long list of available niceties make it the most luxurious half-ton truck on the market, which means it should make long trips with your RV more comfortable. The Ram 1500 can be had with either the base 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 (305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque), two different 5.7-liter Hemi V-8s (both making 395 hp and 410 lb-ft), or an updated version of Ram’s 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine (260 hp and 480 lb-ft). Additionally, Ram’s eTorque mild hybrid system, standard on the base V-6 and available on the V-8, recoups and recycles energy from the wheels that would otherwise be lost. That energy is stored in a battery and is used to assist the engine under heavy loads and power the automatic engine stop/start system to save fuel. 2020 Ford F-150 | Up To 13,200 Pounds Another solid choice in the full-size truck class is the venerable Ford F-150. There’s a reason it’s America’s best-selling pickup

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and that’s its track record for dependability and versatility. The F-150 engine lineup includes a capable base 3.3-liter V-6 (290 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque); two turbocharged EcoBoost V-6s, a 2.7-liter (325 hp and 400 lb-ft) and a 3.5-liter (375 hp and 470 lb-ft); a 5.0-liter V-8 (395 hp and 400 lb-ft); and a 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel V-6 (250 hp and 440 lb-ft). Additionally, there’s high-output version of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost (450 hp and 510 lb-ft) in the F-150 Raptor. For towing, we like the EcoBoost V-6s and naturally aspirated V-8 better than the new Power Stroke diesel option. The diesel feels stressed when towing on the highway, and it just doesn’t have the grunt needed to pass or maintain speed uphill. Ford’s handy Pro Trailer Back-Up Assist feature helps you reverse more easily when towing, simplifying back-up maneuvers with an intuitive knob that takes all the guesswork out of steering by doing it for you. That available feature along makes the Ford F-150 one of the best half-ton trucks for towing. 2020 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500 | Up To 12,100 Pounds Chevy’s Silverado 1500 (and its corporate cousin, the GMC Sierra 1500) hasn’t advanced as much as its competitors from Ram and Ford, but it’s still among the highest-rated half-ton trucks for towing on the market. Engine options include a base 4.3-liter V-6 (285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque), a 5.3-liter V-8 (355 hp and 383 lb-ft), a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (310 hp and 348 lb-ft), a 6.2-liter V-8 (420 hp and 460 lb-ft), and a 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six (277 hp and 460 lb-ft). All gas engines get GM’s Active Fuel Management cylinder shut-off tech, and most can be had with a stop/start system. For towing purposes, it’s hard to beat the Duramax diesel option, which we called “buttery-smooth” and effortless when we pulled a trailer with one in our First Test. But we were surprised how good the new turbo-four option is during Truck of the Year testing. The engine pulls hard at low rpms and accelerates quickly even when towing a trailer. g

BEST MIDSIZE TRUCKS FOR TOWING 2020 Ford Ranger | 7,500 Pounds With a midsize truck, you won’t be able to tow everything. But you should still have enough pulling power to tow a decent-sized trailer. The Ford Ranger, though flawed, is one such midsized that’s up to the task. The Ranger is based on an old platform that got a few tweaks when it was brought over to the U.S. for 2019. Despite those enhancements, the Ranger’s ride and handling still lags behind competitors. Where it shines, however, is in its powertrain. Every Ford Ranger variant gets a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with a tow/haul mode, and each has the same max tow rating of 7,500 pounds. In testing, a Ford Ranger XL STX did 0-60 mph in 12.5 seconds hooked up to a 4,000-pound trailer. You may be looking at the Ranger’s max tow rating and wondering why the new Jeep Gladiator, with its higher max of 7,650 pounds, didn’t make this list of best trucks for towing. The truth is we just weren’t impressed with its towing performance during Truck of the Year testing. 2020 Chevrolet Colorado | Up To 7,700 Pounds The Chevy Colorado won back-to-back Truck of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016, and it continues to be our favorite pickup in the midsize truck category. With its wide range of powertrain choices, the Colorado can be equipped for to suit most consumers’ needs. A 2.5-liter inline-four making 200 hp and 191 lb-ft of torque serves as the base engine. From there, buyers can upgrade to a 3.6-liter V-6 (308 hp and 275 lb-ft) or a 2.8-liter turbodiesel I-4 (186 hp

and 369 lb-ft). The diesel will be the best truck for towing in the lineup, but the V-6 isn’t bad either. In a midsize truck comparison test, a Colorado V-6 towed a trailer loaded with 14 bales of hay up a narrow, winding road with ease, demonstrating impressive shift logic from its standard eight-speed automatic and a supple, refined ride along the way.

BEST TRUCKS FOR TOWING 2020 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty | up to 35,100 pounds 2020 GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD | up to 35,500 pounds 2020 Ford F-450 Super Duty | up to 37,000 pounds 2020 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD | up to 18,500 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty | up to 20,000 pounds 2020 Ram 1500 | up to 12,750 pounds 2020 Ford F-150 | up to 13,200 pounds 2020 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500 | up to 12,100 pounds 2020 Ford Ranger | 7,500 pounds 2020 Chevrolet Colorado | up to 7,700 pounds

Article provided by Mototrend.com please visit them for further information.

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Tactical backpacks are suitable for long-distance hiking, law enforcement, military deployment, and other high-activity ventures. 88

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TACTICAL BACKPACKS By Emily S.

FREESTAR Whether you’re looking for the perfect outdoor-ready survival bag or everyday carry pack, finding the right tactical backpack can maximize your storage space and keep you comfortable in the most demanding circumstances. Tactical backpacks are suitable for longdistance hiking, law enforcement, military deployment, and other high-activity ventures. Many come with hydration bladder compatibility and external ports for nozzles, radio antennae, or earphones. Their all-weather materials and highly structured layouts are designed to keep your gear protected and sit comfortably on the upper body, even when toting heavy items.

to get you through a long weekend at the campsite, yet lightweight enough (3 pounds) to not weigh you down while in transit. A padded laptop sleeve, a durable 500D Cordura construction, and YKK zippers are just icing on the cake.

GORUCK GR1

From afternoon hikes to 3-day treks, these multi-size tactical bags take innovative toting to the next level with highly organized compartments and convertible wear. We’ve chosen our top 20 best tactical backpacks for their customizable features, comfortable design and all-purpose ruggedness.

From cities to warzones, the GoRuck GR1 Backpack offers professional Special Forces-grade durability in a minimalist 21-liter design. Exterior features include a covert easy-access front slant drop pocket and triple-row MOLLE webbing for gear attachment. Its covert bombproof laptop compartment sits against the rear of the pack and can accommodate laptops measuring up to 15 inches or hydration pouches. Padded straps and a reinforced back panel comfortably maintain the structure of the GR1, eliminating the need for a sternum strap. Its large internal compartment contains additional MOLLE webbing, an elastic pouch, mesh catchall zipper pocket, and shallow zipper pouch near the top for easy access.

MYSTERY RANCH 2-DAY ASSAULT PACK

5.11 TACTICAL ALL HAZARDS PRIME BACKPACK

Mystery Ranch’s latest tactical backpack is also one of it’s lightest and most versatile options yet. At 27 liters, the 2-Day Assault Pack is large enough to stow enough gear

This low-key tactical backpack offers 1,768 cubic inches of storage and all the features of a professional-grade carrying pack. A middle shove-it pouch holds irregularly g NRA 150

shaped items, while side-mounted lanyards and three-sided MOLLE webbing allows for customized use. The full-zip front and rear compartments contain a padded laptop sleeve and hydration-system storage. Internal webbing and tear out-mesh pouches for medical or emergency supplies offer additional organization and tactical gear arrangement. The front clamshell compartment also has high-visibility orange lining to help signal emergency responders and cohorts.

5.11 TACTICAL RUSH 72 BACKPACK The 5.11 Rush 72 water repellant 3-day pack is suitable for military and everyday use. Its layout includes a large dual-zipper rear compartment, secondary front compartment, and interior organizer pockets. Vertical side zipper pockets each hold a 2-liter water bottle and contain additional small-item organization pouches. A pouch along the top of the rear compartment also accommodates a full-size hydration bladder. Special details, like the locking zipper pull-tabs and easy-access fleece-lined sunglasses pocket make this bag incredibly practical for travel. Its bottom lashing straps accommodate a bed roll or other materials, and adjustable waist straps have MOLLE webbing for added gear attachment.

MAXPEDITION FALCON-II BACKPACK The Maxpedition Falcon II boasts a modular design made with 1050 Denier nylon for water-resistant and tear-resistant durability. Its unique Y-shaped midline compression strap helps distribute weight evenly, while foam-padded shoulder, waist, and sternum straps eliminate pressure points. Quick-release side compression buckles give you access to the central compartment, which has dual-directional zippers and a full clamshell opening. An rear zipper pouch can accommodate up to two (2) 100-ounce water reservoirs, which can be integrated easily with covered port openings and tubing feeder loops along the shoulder straps. The pack’s independently structured compartments contain various organizational features to keep all of your essential gear sorted.

CONDOR 3 DAY ASSAULT PACK The Condor 3-day pack contains a total of seven compartments, including two main storage areas with internal gear compression and sorting pockets, two side packs, and various external zipper pouches. With a total of 3,038 cubic inches of storage, this backpack can easily carry enough supplies to last up to a week if packed correctly. It can carry two 3-liter hydration bladders and has integrated tubing ports, as well as horizontal and vertical webbing along the shoulder straps, including D-ring attachments. A foam-cushion back panel adds ventilated support and to complement the waist strap and sternum strap. Two compression straps on each side keep your load compact and reduce your profile. This pack comes in 8 different colors.

SPEC-OPS T.H.E. EDC PACK Designed for small-volume everyday carry, this tactical pack features front, side, and bottom MOLLE webbing, as well as 1,376 cubic inches of internal storage. It’s modular design is made with 1000-denier water resistant materials and is compatible with standard hydration systems. An MTX shoulder harness system g

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Finding the right tactical backpack can maximize your storage space and keep you comfortable in the most demanding circumstances.

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and removable 2-inch waist belt help secure the bulk of your bag without uncomfortable shifting. Dual external ports can be used with hydration hoses, headphones, or radio antennae. This pack comes in 14 different colors for highly customizable wear. All Spec-Ops bags are made in the U.S.A. and guaranteed for life.

BLACKHAWK S.T.R.I.K.E. CYCLONE PACK The 1,800-cubic inch Cylcone pack is made with heavy duty water-resistant nylon and features eight rows of exterior webbing. The pack includes a 100-ounce hydration reservoir made with Microban antimicrobial technology as well as an integrated bite valve and tube system covered in weatherresistant casing for quick hydration on the go. A durable rubber lift handle and side compression straps make the Cyclone pack highly portable. Its contoured padded straps, wide reinforced waist belt, and adjustable sternum strap are built for highvolume comfortable carry while ventilated soft-shell back support helps regulate body temperature.

TAD FAST PACK EDC Like the smaller Litespeed model from Triple Aught Design, the 1,800-cubic inch FAST pack EDC is made with MIL-SPEC materials for superior protection against rips, wear and tear. Its main compartment has a full-zip clamshell opening with sectioned storage, as well as an open-air “shove-it” pouch for bulkier items. Three-way PALS webbing allows you to attach MOLLE accessories to customize this high-capacity daypack. A removable cushioned aluminum back panel gives structure to your bag and sits comfortably beneath the gel-cushion

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ventilated padding. Ergonomic shoulder straps contain D-ring attachment points and the removable waist strap is extra wide for stabilized wear.

5.11 RUSH MOAB 10 This portable 1,093-cubic inch daypack sets itself apart from the crowd with a single ergonomic cross-body shoulder strap. This shoulder strap can be switched for ambidextrous wear and contains a quick-access zippered shoulder coms pocket with headphone ports. Dual-compartment clamshell opening allows for easy packing and unloading while a rear TacTec pocket allows for covert storage. Additional features include the topfacing fleece-lined sunglass pouch and hydration pocket with external port. MOLLE-compatible exterior webbing allows you to build and customize your accessories. The Rush MOAB bag can also be attached to other RUSH-series bags for customizable pack integration.

MAXPEDITION VULTURE II 3-DAY BACKPACK At a generous 2,100-cubic inches, the Vulture II has three large compartments and a wide abrasion-resistant bottom. Its integrated hydration compartment can hold a 100-ounce (3L) hydration bladder and contains an easy-access hose port. PALS webbing along the front, sides, and body straps are compatible with MOLLE accessories for added customization. Padded shoulder and waist straps help you manage your load comfortably, and waist straps tuck into the bag for covert storage when not in use. A front slant catch-all pouch and Y-shaped compression strap with D-ring attachment add versatility to this 3-day backpack. g

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EBERLESTOCK HALFTRACK BACKPACK The F3 Halftrack comes in a long, lean design with 2,150 cubic inches of storage — which easily renders it a capable travel backpack for trips across town or across the country. Its front panel contains an assortment of PALS compatible webbing, Velcro badge attachment, and a tall zipper front pouch. A top modular pouch and dual hydration pouches on either side of the pack help you keep important items at your fingertips while on the move. Its side compression straps add load-bearing control and minimize your profile while a padded shoulder and waist harness system keep you comfortable. Rain cover pulls out quickly from bottom compartment to keep your items dry in inclement weather.

HAZARD 4 EVAC PLAN-B SLING PACK The slim, cross-body design of the Hazard 4 sling pack comes with an ambidextrous padded shoulder strap and high-capacity compact carry potential. It offers 1,080 cubic inches of gear storage, with additional MOLLE webbing on the front and sides of the pack. Its integrated port system and storage pockets are compatible with a 3-liter hydration bladder while compression straps keep your pack secure. A padded thermo-molded back offers a close, comfortable fit and a clip-on stabilizer strap keeps the pack in place during heavy activity. The pack is designed to spin forward for comfortable front-pack wear and easy-access.

TAD FAST PACK LIGHTSPEED This high-capacity daypack is built for everyday compact carry at 1,350 cubic inches. It’s made with integrated MILSPEC materials to maintain a high tensile strength, so the pack is resistant to rips, wear, and tear. It features a highly customizable 6-row MOLLE strap exterior to attach smaller pack compartments and gear. Closed-cell foam padding along 94

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the back panel and shoulder straps reduces shock while mesh ventilation ensures comfortable, breathable wear. An easyaccess top pocket and hydration tube exit port simplify your on-the-go needs. The bag also includes 96 inches of removable paracord, which can be used to secure bulkier items and doubles as emergency gear.

BLACKHAWK CYANE DYNAMIC TACTICAL PACK Made with tear-resistant 500 Denier nylon, the Cyane day pack features a beaver-tail style front design for stashing irregularly shaped objects. With front zipper pouches, openair middle storage, and a central rear compartment, this highly portable backpack easily fits bedrolls, jackets, helmets, and other gear. MOLLE webbing along the straps, front, and side allow for customized attachments. The bag carries a standard 100-ounce water pouch and has elastic-covered tube ports for the hydration hose. A removable mesh padded back piece and sternum strap keep your load secure and easy to carry.

SANDPIPER OF CALIFORNIA LONG RANGE BUGOUT BACKPACK This expandable tactical bag can accommodate an astounding 5,600 cubic inches of gear for multi-day expeditions. Made with 1,000-denier abrasion-resistant nylon and heavy-duty compression straps, the Sandpiper Long Range Bugout bag is built for compact carrying. It comes reinforced with aluminum backstays, an optional shoulder harness, and padded waist belt for secure and comfortable toting. An expandable main compartment, hydration-system compatible pouch, and external MOLLE webbing allow you to customize your pack to suit each individual mission. Front organizer compartments accommodate smaller items and make this pack equally suitable for everyday carry. g

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SPEC-OPS T.H.E. TACTICAL PACK Made with 1,000-D high-tensile Cordura nylon, this Spec-Ops pack sits at 2,550 cubic inches for portable high-capacity carrying. A heavy-duty reinforced drag handle and double-layer pack top reduce seam tension and ensure the durability of your bag. External access ports for your hydration hose or headphones come with weatherproof covering for easy use during inclement weather. Adjustable side compression straps, a removable waist strap, and a fully-covered weatherproof bag cover help you convert your pack as needed. This pack is compatible with other SPEC-OPS systems, made in the USA, and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

TACTICAL TAILOR REMOVABLE OPERATOR PACK The 1,178-cubic inch Removable Operator Pack is designed to attach directly to larger MOLLE-compatible bags or work on its own as an everyday carry bag. Made with 1000-denier Cordura nylon for high-tensile durability, this simple, no-fuss design has two main compartments and 3-liter hydration pouch compatibility. Its external panel includes additional MOLLE webbing and a bungee system for securing irregularly shaped items. Padded shoulder straps and waist belt can be tucked away for covert packing or bag attachment. This bag is made in the U.S.A. and available in 7 different colors.

RED ROCK LARGE ASSAULT PACK This tactical bag from Red Rock Outdoor Gear holds up to 2,135 cubic inches of gear and contains MOLLE webbing along the full length of the front and side panels. Its padded and ventilated rear back piece conceals a mesh zipper compartment that accommodates a 2.5-liter hydration bladder for on-the-go sipping. Its adjustable sternum, waist, and shoulder straps help stabilize your pack while four quick-release compression buckles help compress the bulk of your bag. D-ring connection points along the shoulder straps allow for additional easyaccess gear attachment. This pack comes in 7 different colors.

MYSTERY RANCH 3 DAY ASSAULT PACK The Mystery Ranch 3-Day pack features an innovative Y-shaped 3-zip design for quick and easy access to all your supplies. MOLLE webbing on exterior and interior allow you to customize your gear storage. Internal compartments can accommodate up to three hydration bladders and various smaller items, including radios and exterior antennae. Side compression straps minimize bulk while contoured yoke shoulder straps allow you to comfortably carry the weight of your bag. Convertible padded waist belt straps can be covertly tucked away into the base of the pack when not in use to reduce unnecessary flapping or needless bulk.

VANQUEST JAVELIN 3.0 VSLINGER This innovative asymmetrical sling shoulder strap bag comes in left-shoulder and right-shoulder models. With over 30 storage compartments, including a padded laptop sleeve and two hydration pouches, this convertible pack allows you to load and access your gear from the top or side. The VSlinger is designed so that you can spin it quickly to your front for easy side access to segmented compartments, which are padded for secure toting of valuables. Its 1000-D cordura nylon, oversized s-shaped zipper tread, and heavy-duty neoprene padded handles make this bag both practical and durable. Article provided by GEARMOOSE please visit gearmoose.com for further information. 96

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NATIONAL A SS

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HOW CAMPING OPENS UP THE DOOR TO

GREAT ADVENTURES By Jim Lamb

f your idea of roughing it is driving an RV into Denny’s parking lot, stop reading. This isn’t for you. This is for people who think of a campfire as nature’s nightspot—but without bouncers, ID cards, or a two-drink minimum. There are many moments in American history that one could use to make the case for camping “the old-fashioned way,” but it’s hard to top the escapades of Capt. Meriwether Lewis and 2nd Lt. William Clark.

For those who’ve forgotten Lewis and Clark’s accomplishments, here’s a little background: In 1803 the United States purchased the territory of Louisiana from France. Cost: $15 million for 828,000 square miles—530,000,000 acres. President Thomas Jefferson pushed for the acquisition, with a particular interest in the Mississippi River port of New Orleans.

Kathryn Lasky, an awarding-winning writer, put it this way: “I think the Lewis and Clark Expedition was the greatest undertaking in American History. I think landing a man on the moon pales next to it.”

Secretary of State James Madison—who would succeed Jefferson as president— helped persuade Congress to ratify and fund the purchase, but it was Lewis and Clark who were assigned the challenge of exploring the new territory.

Lasky isn’t some ne’er-do-well. She’s the author of a popular children’s book titled “Blazing West,” a fictional account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition as seen through the eyes of 14-year-old Augustus Pelletier.

Lewis, born in Virginia, was by nature a hunter and outdoorsman. In 1795, he joined the Army. By 1800 he was promoted to captain. One of his commanding officers was Clark, also a native Virginian.

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“It is all right to talk about roughing it in the woods. But the real woodsman is the man who can be really comfortable in the bush.” — Ernest Hemmingway

y Go… In 1801 Lewis was appointed as Secretary to the President. Later Jefferson tasked his assistant with exploring the vast new expanse of American territory. Lewis chose Clark to help lead his newly formed Corps of Discover. In addition to exploration, the two would establish trade with Native Americans along the way. Congress invested $2,500 in the expedition. A sampling of what that money purchased appears on the PBS website, as part of an overview to “Lewis & Clark,” a film by Ken Burns. Here are some highlights:

Presents for Indians — Pocket mirrors, sewing needles, scissors, sewing thread, silk ribbons, ivory combs, handkerchiefs, yards of bright-colored cloth, rolls of tobacco, knives, brass kettles, face paint, tiny colorful beads.

Scientific Instruments — Surveyor’s compass, telescope, thermometers, sextants, plotting instruments, chronometer.

Arms and Ammunition — 15 prototype Model 1803 muzzle-loading .54-caliber rifles, knives, 500 rifle flints, 420 pounds of sheet lead for bullets, 176 pounds of gunpowder packed in 52 lead canisters, one long-barreled rifle that fired its bullet with compressed air, rather than by flint, spark and powder.

Camp Supplies — 150 yards of cloth, pliers, chisels, handsaws, hatchet, whetstones, tablespoons, mosquito curtains, fishing hooks, fishing lines, soap, salt, writing paper, ink, crayons.

Clothing — Flannel shirts, coats, frocks, shoes, woolen pants, knapsacks, stockings. Medicine and Medical Supplies — Forceps, syringes, tourniquets, drugs for blistering, salivation, and increased kidney output.

using compressed air contained in its leathercovered, detachable, cast-iron butt-stock that held up to 800 PSI (pounds per square inch). It could carry up to 22 .46-caliber round balls and had the capability to fire about 40 rounds before losing velocity. It was also accurate and powerful. Although Lewis carried just one air-gun on his historic trip, he personally made a point of displaying its firepower to each and every tribe—and through finesse and guile, he gave the impression he had many more of these magical, mystical weapons. “My air-gun . . . astonishes them very much,” Lewis later wrote, “they cannot comprehend it's shooting so often and without powder; and think that it is great medicine which comprehends everything that is to them incomprehensible.” Message sent. Message delivered.

It should be noted that the “air gun” was no mere novelty. It was used to impress tribes the expedition encountered. This long-barreled rifle fired bullets

Barb Rosenstock writes about history for kids. Her book “The Camping Trip that Changed America” is a great way to introduce youngsters to the great outdoors. It’s about the time President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir went camping at Yosemite. g

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Muir was a naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, and zoologist. He was also an advocate for the preservation of the America wilderness. Here’s one of his many quotes on the subject: “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods, but he cannot save them from fools.” In 1903 Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt went camping. The Roughand-Ready Commander in Chief had written a letter asking Muir to take him through Yosemite. “I do not want anyone with me but you, and I want to drop politics absolutely for four days and just be out in the open with you,” Roosevelt wrote. After re-arranging his busy schedule, Muir replied, “…of course I shall go with you gladly.” Two years later, the president established the U.S. Forest Service. In doing so, he eventually put aside more than 200 million acres of public land, thus creating national monuments, parks, and wildlife sanctuaries. Roosevelt summed up his philosophy this way: “In a civilized and cultivated country wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen… the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.” A story about camping and hunting would not be complete without mentioning the American novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and sportsman, Ernest Hemingway, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Here are the closing lines from an article titled “Camping Out” written by Hemingway and published in the Toronto Daily Star in 1920. “It is all right to talk about roughing it in the woods. But the real woodsman is the man who can be really comfortable in the bush.” Sounds like a conundrum, a contradiction, and an oxymoron all rolled into one—but wise words nonetheless. 100

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Hemingway enjoyed the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting. That showed up in his life—as well his writing. Below is an example from “Under Kilimanjaro.” It rings as true today as it did when it was penned back in the 1950s. “I had the old, well-loved, once burnt up, three times re-stocked, worn smooth old Winchester Model 12 pump gun that was faster than a snake and was, from 35 years of us being together, almost as close a friend and companion with secrets shared and triumphs and disasters not revealed as the other friend a man has all his life.” Lewis and Clark. Teddy Roosevelt. Ernest Hemmingway. Predictable choices for a choir to make a joyful noise about camping and guns. Let’s add another. An unexpected one, perhaps. Even a controversial one. Who might it be? Charles Robert Darwin. How does this English naturalist, geologist, biologist, and author of “On the Origin of Species” fit into this narrative? He does if you consider the HMS Beagle as a seagoing camper.

difficulty in re-loading my gun from the trembling of my hands. This taste long continued, and I became a very good shot.” As he grew up, the zeal that fed his curiosity as a youngster led Darwin to ask big questions and seek even bigger answers. That reached fruition when he joined the second voyage of the Beagle. Along the way, he encountered plants and animals, kept a journal, made drawings—all the while forming his various theories on evolution and natural selection. The world would never be the same. So now it’s time to decide. What kind of a camping trip best suits you? • An exploration into new territory with a large group of friends. • A long weekend under the stars with a like minded-colleague pondering life, the universe, and everything. • Big hunts for big game on the other side of the globe. • An extended cruise with stops along the way to study flora and fauna. Or something else . . .

Darwin was interested in shooting and hunting, not all that for unusual for 19thcentury England — but they were skills he embraced with enthusiasm. Here are his thoughts in his own words: “In the latter part of my school life I became passionately fond of shooting; I do not believe that anyone could have shown more zeal for the most holy cause than I did for shooting birds. How well I remember killing my first snipe, and my excitement was so great that I had much

Before you decide, consider this comment by Teddy Roosevelt: “The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom.” How much freedom are you looking for? Jim Lamb is a retired journalist living in Florida. One of his fondest memories is camping in Japan near a stream only to wake up the next morning after a hard rain to find the stream had overflowed into his tent.

Rural King is proud to be America•s Farm and Home Store and vows to defend and support the 2nd Amendment alongside other rural Americans. We are committed to continue lawfully selling firearms in all our stores and online at RKGuns.com. Unlike other retailers who change their minds as the wind blows, our dedication to rural America and living, loving, and embracing the rural lifestyle will not waver. Hunting, camping, and fishing with friends, family, and loved ones are vital traditions in our rural communities, and they're vitally important to us, as well. We are our customer, and we will continue carrying the products our customers expect. We would like to thank you for shopping at Rural King and God Bless America! Rural King America•s Farm and Home Store

CONAN THE MILITARY DOG WHO HELPED KILL ISIS LEADER, HONORED AT WHITE HOUSE

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t Top Tier K9 we have developed a replicable breeding and training process to prepare dogs for any mission. We breed and train Foundation Dogs® and we finish those dogs for mission deployment as police and military K9, executive and family protection dogs, service dogs for people with severe disabilities and even special security dogs that hunt for and indicate on the COVID-19 virus. We train and deploy dogs to fight the bad guys, the villains, and in 2020 we trained dogs to fight against the COVID-19 virus. Virus’ and Villains are no match for Top Tier K9 Foundation Dogs®. We also have a school that trains people how to train dogs and a business development program that helps our graduates start and run their own dog training businesses. A well-trained dog will not only give you precious time to respond to a threat, he will give you an advantage that few humans understand, he will give his life for his partner, he will die for you and as we see with dogs like Conan, he will kill for you. A dog is indeed a man's best friend.

The military dog who helped U.S. special forces kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was honored as a hero at the White House in 2019. Conan, a Belgian Malinois military service dog, was honored in the Rose Garden by President Trump, who called the canine "incredible" and "brilliant." Vice President Pence and first lady Melania Trump also attended. "Conan did a fantastic job and we're very honored to have Conan here and to have given Conan a certificate and an award," Trump said. Conan helped the military special forces track al-Baghdadi down a tunnel during the raid in Syria, though the dog was injured during the mission. The dog has since made a full recovery. "Having this extraordinary dog here today is all a reflection of our armed forces and the great job that they do. Conan is really a hero," said Pence, who petted the dog throughout Trump's brief remarks. "It's really a joy to be able to help welcome him here to the White House." Conan was not accompanied with his usual handler for the event. The Belgian Malinois resembles a German shepherd but is smaller and has shorter hair, making it an ideal choice to help aid missions and patrols in the hot Middle East. g Article written by Jessica Taylor and obtained at NPR.org.

HERO MILITARY DOG FROM AL-BAGHDADI RAID HONORED AT THE WHITE HOUSE Former U.S. President Donald Trump, Former Vice President Mike Pence, an unidentified dog handler and first lady Melania Trump pose for photographs with Conan, the U.S. military K9 that assisted in the raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, on the Rose Garden colonnade at the White House November 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. Trump talked about how the dog was a hero and said he presented the animal with a medal and a plaque. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

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VS. FOUNDATION DOG® DOG® A REGISTERED TRADE MARK® The 21st Century has become the most challenging period in a lot of our lives; 2020 brought in the understanding of just how corrupt our very own Government has become, while placing Our Country on a road to destruction which in turn allowed a foreign country hidden in sheep’s clothing to unleash a deadly Corona virus upon the world. And, with an attempt from the radical leftist who want The United States to become a socialist country, to the attempts to defame the very men and women who gave all to protect our very way of life and our freedoms, and worst of all, the attempt to remove God from our very thoughts. But, with every attack that has ever come from the shadows against our experiment that continues to this day, there are true 3%ers, just as in the beginning 1776 will answer the call to defend our God given rights and Top Tier K9, a business that is built around many who have served this Nation in its defense to ensure Our Freedom will Ring True and Clear will answer that call willingly, and here is how: • We created the [Foundation Dog®] that can be finished as even more than just a Police or Military Working Dog [MWD]. • We have trained the Very First Covid-19 Detection Dog(s) ready to deploy to assist in removing this threat to our National Security. • We train and sell High End Protection Dogs that are family friendly to provide security for you and your family. • We train and sell Service Dogs to assist an individual with their everyday way of life while also providing security and positive mental health for the owner and the canine. • We offer a Dog Trainer School that will teach you to become a Certified Dog Trainer so you can start your own business as a professional dog trainer. • We also offer Pet/Pet Plus Training for the beloved extension of your family so the canine and you humans can learn to communicate with each other allowing for happy healthy lives together.

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8 kids a day are accidentally killed or injured by FAMILY FIRE. FAMILY FIRE is a shooting involving an improperly stored gun, often found in the home.

ENDFAMILYFIRE.org