Anybody still buy gun magazines?

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I will occasionally pick up a copy of American handgunner or combat handguns but only if there's a good article. I have a subscription to America's First Freedom and American Rifleman magazine (only because they come with the NRA's membership).
 
I seldom buy magazines at the bookstore but subscribe to Guns and American Handgunner. Then there are the magazines that come with our NRA memberships. But when I want specific information and opinions and just plain fun browsing I come here and to the Traditional Muzzloading Forum.

Jeff
 
Yep. Sure do. Even if the cover promises no interesting articles. I like the reviews even if they ARE manufacturer biased and approved. I might not believe what I read, but I still like to read them. I also like seeing the new products, most of which I believe are pretty worthless, but I still like to see them.

Reading these mags is just an enjoyable evening once in a while.
 
I like to buy Gun rags but I don’t buy them as often as I used to. Reading Gun rags passes the time when I take my daughter to ballot. As what was stated before it seems the same articles about the same type of gun get printed over and over. What I like to read about is if there are any problems with any particular Company that makes the kind of firearms that I like. It’s not like we get a recall notice in the mail.
 
I stopped buying them long ago. Never had a critical word to say about anything they reviewed and always inferred that if you don't have the new 7.23987 super snotz everything else you have is going to hit the ground 6 inches out of the barrel. They have given great accolades to too many new sizes of stuff that within a year ammo has dried up and no new arms are chambered for it. For my money you can't beat some of the old tried and true cartridges that just keep humping along and are readily (sort of) available.
 
I still get The Blue Press, from Dillon but it is free from Dillon at their web site, and they even send to the house.
 
America's First Freedom (as my NRA mag of choice with membership)
Combat Handguns-bi-monthly (not enough new stuff for my interests for a monthly).

Kinda got Combat Handguns more for the Ayoob articles and "It Happened To Me" type articles. Never hurts to read 'bout some new gear, but how many 1911s can you really read about without getting bored?
 
I started this website exactly for the reason you have stated. It is starting to grow and we are getting better all the time. I am always open to thoughts and ideas on making it better as well as authors to help keep fresh material on the sight.

This is a sight I fund myself with no popups no ads just people who enjoy their time on the range as much as we do.

http://www.dayattherange.com
 
Ark Paul,
Nope, what YOU have to realize is that, with all due respect, you don't know what you're talking about.
In 20 years of writing professionally as a freelancer that have included sales to four different gun publication companies, I have never been told up front what to write by an editor or a company regarding the content of product reviews.
No editor has ever come to me and said, "We need something nice about X or Y Company, write it up that way." If it works, it gets written up, if it doesn't, it doesn't.

Only once, in all of those 20 years, did a particular company (where I'd covered at least ten of their guns previously) tell me they didn't want the test results I got to appear in the write-up. That article was immediately cancelled by me, the editor who'd approved it on my initial query agreed, and the company president was informed there'd be no more coverage in future from me.

My checks come from publishing companies, not advertisers, and the material I write is done for you, not advertisers.

Your statement is overly broad, totally unfounded, and bears as much relation to reality as me saying "You have to realize that most statements made on Internet gun forums by people named Paul are written by drivelling idiots." :)

Buy or don't buy, read or don't read, either way works for me. :)
Seems like twice a year this gun mag subject comes up, and these uninformed and erroneous statements get a little old.

Denis
 
American Handgunner. With the 2 year subscription it works out to about a dollar a copy. There's usually something of interest, but I don't have much faith in the slanted gun reviews . Massad Ayoob's articles are almost always a good read.
 
In 20 years of writing professionally as a freelancer
Click to expand...

For those who do pick up the occasional "gunrag" I would recommend looking for the dpris byline. It's a very entertaining way of finding out how a given gun actually performs. Add a few letters to the d and a few more on the end of the Pris and you will have him. He had good creds but it is very refreshing that he does not take up two thirds of the article talking about how wonderful he is or how he was standing there giving advise when Elmer Keith built the Rock of Ages.
Whatever source one uses for gun information (entertainment is at least as important) . It is a good idea to have some background information of the sort that comes from actually reading Handloading manual and some of the NRA basic publications where information is at the forefront and the author is nearly if not totally anonymous. Actual shooting experience is good too.These things can provide a baseline for evaluating what you see on internet boards or paper publications.
 
Thanks, Mec.
I did see Elmer's hat from a distance through the crowd across the floor at an NRA convention many years ago... :D

FMJ,
Jeff's pretty lucky to be able to live his lifestyle where he does, but he's no hillbilly & he just doesn't waste time or space writing up clunkers & junkers. :)
He's a good man and you get a straight story from him.

Denis
 
I buy a copy off the rack sometimes if there something that interest me very much. Lately its been HANDLOADER. Probably don't buy more than a half dozen of all kinds total in a year's time.
 
Yep, I get almost all of them.

If you're just a little bit into the internet (you're here, aren't you?), you should be able to find very cheap deals on gun magazine subscriptions. As an example, here's a subscription to Guns & Ammo for just $12.97, that's just $1.08 per month, delivered literally right to your front door:

https://www.valuemags.com/express/valuemags.asp?magid=499&gclid=CNTl7ODZtqACFQTyDAodLUzaUA

Most of the other magazines are available just as inexpensively. I get 'em all for just $10-$12 a month.

I enjoy the glossy pictures and many of the articles. If there is a story about a gun I don't have a real interest in, I just don't read it. I really can't complain for just a little bit more than a dollar.

As to the wacky conspiracy theorists that the gun writers are all in the pockets of the manufacturers, well...they're wacky conspiracy theorists and there's no point in arguing with them. They're wacky....
 
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