Recoil Magazine Kerfuffle

I enjoyed flipping through the first three issues of this magazine for free while comfortably seated in a cozy chair in Barnes & Noble but never bought one. I found the magazine interesting while simultaneously outlandish. How many people are really going to spend $30k or more modifying their Daily Driver into a full-on Bug Out Vehicle?

The big fail here is not understanding who your target audience is and tailoring all comments and articles in that direction. Why waste paper and ink doing an article focused on a gun very few of us would ever be allowed to own? Was the next issue going to extol the virtues of the Jericho Missle designed by Tony Stark in Ironman? Or maybe an Apache Longbow? Those are pretty B***A***

If we are going to delve into fantasy weapons, I would be much more interested in where the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) carried her spare magazines for those two G-Lock 26s she carried in the Avengers.

As was noted up thread, it may be that the magazine thinks it's core demographic are video game players more than adult firearms owners. I mean phrases like "it's made to put down scumbags, and that's it" . . . who talks like that? Sounds to me like it's pitching to 14 year olds with ADHD and a cheat code to unlock the Delta SEAL Ranger Team 7 mod for the latest and greatest first person shooter game.

Not that pandering to that demographic justifies or excuses the phrasing. Maybe the magazine will survive if they fire some guys and bring in some real firearms writers to show-pony for a "new direction" -- but if it does or doesn't most gun rags are pretty worthless to begin with.

Haley Strategic Partners said:

The Haley Strategic Partners team was disappointed to learn of an article and later, public comments, made by a editor at Recoil Magazine which indicated certain weapon systems were not suitable to be possessed or operated by responsible members of the American public. We take issue with this.

At Haley Strategic, we choose to train responsible citizens, law enforcement officers and military professionals in our courses ranging from basic to advanced Disruptive Environments. In short, we help Americans prepare. Weapons systems are tools. Tools built to preserve lives in life threatening situations. There is no reason to prevent responsible citizens from utilizing any tools that will improve their odds of surviving such an event.

We take this very seriously. Every person in at Haley Strategic believes that, as Americans, it is our responsibility to be prepared, both mentally and physically, for worst case events, whether they happen to ourselves and our loved ones, or innocent people caught in an unfolding tragedy.

As such, Haley Strategic Partners will indefinitely suspend all advertising and collaborative efforts with both Recoil Magazine and RecoilWeb.com.

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Well said.

Looks like they're trying to walk back the previous statement.

http://www.recoilweb.com/recoil-statement-16159.html

Perhaps he's just seen an otherwise promising career as editor of a trendy new periodical circling the drain? Or is he finally gaining an understanding of the 2nd Amendment, since he clearly did not "mis-speak," he spoke out of ignorance. (And yeah, I am planning on buying the exact Hummer spotlighted in the second issue)

I think the main point is that the gun is not available for civilians sales due to the federal law, FOPA of 1986. The editors opinion was based on ignorance and over zealous sales copy but anyone in the firearms field should know what he said "is fightin' words".

That guy ...

What an ass.

People like him make me want to puke.

Hey, I just sat here in my livingroom and finally figured out how to work the anti-aircraft attachment on my PKM tripod tonight.

Wonder what he would think about the "sporting purpose" of that?

Just because it doesn't have a "sporting purpose" doesn't mean it doesn't HAVE a purpose that civilians could use.

That MP7A1 would make a FANTASTIC home defense weapon, if I had to say so myself.

(EDIT: So would full auto on my PS90. That'd make a dramatic improvement in the home defense capability. But no.... civilians can't be trusted with that amount of firepower)

I'm going to go watch youtube videos of me shooting full auto weapons far more destructive than that MP7A1 for awhile.

I think the main point is that the gun is not available for civilians sales due to the federal law, FOPA of 1986. The editors opinion was based on ignorance and over zealous sales copy but anyone in the firearms field should know what he said "is fightin' words".

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While true, that's not what HK (and thus the magazine) stated. Also, HK does make a semi-auto version that is sold to LE agencies overseas.

After reading the article I am more amazed that this enormous gaffe got pass an editor, figuring of course that they actually have someone proofreading this stuff before it goes to print.

If not they may want to start checking their articles for any other potential mishaps before they lose their customer base completely.

Tsai is the editor. He didn't misspeak. He just let his mask slip.

H and K has a surprising response.

http://pistol-training.com/archives/7259

Has H&K always had a bad rep with regards to their attitude to civilian shooters, or has it all stemmed from this Recoil publication?

H&K is under two very nasty "rocks" - and where they are stuck, it's a hard place.

On their home front, German law is HORRIBLY restrictive on firearms, and what firearms can be EXPORTED.

On OUR home front, US law is HORRIBLY restrictive on firearms, and what firearms can be IMPORTED.

FN Herstal worked around this by building a factory in the US. Which is why we can buy SCAR's and FS2000's and PS90's and all of the other really "cool" stuff that all the kids (and grown adults who are still kids) want. I really like FNH.

H&K was a bit late to the game, but 3 years ago they announced plans to build a US factory: http://www.hk-usa.com/military_products/mil_newsroom_01152009.asp

"Firearms maker Heckler & Koch announced today that it will manufacture two new rifle designs in a newly opened U.S. factory in 2009. The new rifles, the HK MR556A1 and HK MR762A1, are inspired and influenced by the HK416 and HK417, two highly acclaimed models designed and produced by Heckler & Koch’s Oberndorf, Germany plant."

They simply COULD NOT bring those to US soil, if they weren't made in the US.

Hopefully, as time goes on, H&K will recognize that "hey, we can do what Vector/blah/blah have done with our actions on clones" and actually tap in to this market directly with other builds.

What we've had in the past - with abominations like the H&K SL8-1 (I own one, by the way), and other "sporting" rifles, is horrible. 10 round mags? Really? Have to machine the receiver to use a 30 round mag? Ugly prospect.

Anyway, here's " to a brighter future with better guns and fewer d-bags like that Recoil editor. "

I guess these guys still don't get it.
Got this today from Bill at Jager Products.

After hearing Recoil’s side of the story in a phone call to me yesterday, I’m not happy. They told me this whole controversy is due to comments by the HK rep, and not them. They said people don’t understand that the comments were made by someone outside of Recoil. That wasn’t true – Jerry Tsai’s comments, and comments after that, are what fueled this whole thing. In their call to me, they took no responsibility and passed the buck to the HK rep. I don’t pay the HK rep, I paid Recoil.

Hopefully readers and customers don’t punish guys like me since we paid for our ads before this occurred – which was a big ticket for a small company like me.

I’m with you, and out of Recoil. Too bad, since I’ve jumped in with both feet and ran in every issue – but can’t support a publication that is still ducking responsibility for their actions. I see the formal apology from 9/10, but this is contrary to yesterday’s phone call to me. I cannot support this outfit in good conscience anymore. Feel free to pass this along.

Thanks, Billy Lester

Strongly suspect folks won't not buy from a vendor due to their having ads in Recoil, more that Recoil won't be selling very many magazines.

Yeah I agree with you Al, I would have serious doubts about the future of the rag. The problem is there is very likely a substantial percentage of shooters out there who like the idea of "puttin' down scumbags".

Not really an image I want associated with gun owners, being a gun owner myself....

I mean, don't get me wrong. I can find a lot of humor in stuff - everyone who's a regular on THR probably realizes I'm a jokester by nature at this point - but there's a big difference when you are speaking with an air of authority.

Ergo, there is a big difference between Weird Al Yankovik's "Trigger Happy" song and a published, print article reviewing a weapon. One is satire. One is not.

Looks like Jerry Tsai the editor's announced his resignation.

It is with deep sorrow that I announce I am stepping down as editor of Recoil, effective immediately.

It is very difficult for me to walk away from something I helped create, something that I loved doing, and something I firmly believed would appeal to a fresh new generation of gun enthusiasts, but I accept that the comments in my story in the current issue have made my position as editor of Recoil untenable...

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Read the rest at https://www.facebook.com/Recoil.gun.lifestyle/posts/362227497189791

Wow! The backlash must have scared the corporate offices big-time. Wonder if he'll still write feature articles for the magazine?

Its an... interesting magazine. I subscribe to the electronic version of the magazine via Google news stand. I subscribe for one reason - I had a coupon code to try out the app and this was the only remotely interesting magazine I found that I don't get in print.

My review? Its like Maxim with guns! Shallow, lacking content and conviction, but somethings are nice to look at.

H&K was a bit late to the game, but 3 years ago they announced plans to build a US factory

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It's open and running, I work right next door in sight of the factory. If they could sell their long guns for reasonable prices and start to create a bigger variety of firearms aimed at the NFA, I'm pretty sure they could sell more. A semi auto G36 would be nice to have.

Hey guys, give em a break. After all, I heard their PR is handled by Ocean marketing... [/rolleyes]
http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/27/o...t-your-company-with-just-a-few-measly-emails/

Bought a Recoil mag for the road once...big mistake, it was just pictures of expensive "tactical" crap, and full of ads that have nothing to do with firearms. It's a mall ninja magazine.