davera
Member
Gun magazines
My favorite is "American Rifleman", sometimes I get Shotgun News mostly for their advertisements.
My favorite is "American Rifleman", sometimes I get Shotgun News mostly for their advertisements.
Recommend a good gun magazine?
- Thread starter IdahoFarmer
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sterling180
Member
Gun magazines from the UK,which are good.Here is a list of the following,that I buy each month from W.H.Smiths stationers.
GunMart
Target Sports(Formerly known as Target Gun.)
Shooting Sports
AirGunner
AirGun World.
Airsoft
I look at the last three,because of the Field Target rifles,ordinary air-rifles and Co2 pistols.Co2 pistols are good,for our modified version of practical pistol,shooting.
I also like airsoft games too,but hate the soon to be VCR bill.So get stuffed Blairsky the numpty.
GunMart
Target Sports(Formerly known as Target Gun.)
Shooting Sports
AirGunner
AirGun World.
Airsoft
I look at the last three,because of the Field Target rifles,ordinary air-rifles and Co2 pistols.Co2 pistols are good,for our modified version of practical pistol,shooting.
I also like airsoft games too,but hate the soon to be VCR bill.So get stuffed Blairsky the numpty.
I have only ever subscribed to one gun magazine. Gun Tests. Its a great source of no-BS info on guns. Some times they do go a bit overboard and they'll rate a gun as "don't buy" because they don't like the sights or something, but they do not take any money from advertisers or gun companies. Because of this is is easier to read through their opinions and extract the facts than it is to try to do that with some other magazine like Guns & Ammo or American Handgunner.
I also like American Rifleman that my dad gets every month.
Gun Tests is good for cut and dry info, American Rifleman is good for nice pictures and eloquently written articles. I also like the fact that American Rifleman covers stuff like what optics our troops are using. Other gun mags just review the same guns every year and reprint the same articles every year.
I also like American Rifleman that my dad gets every month.
Gun Tests is good for cut and dry info, American Rifleman is good for nice pictures and eloquently written articles. I also like the fact that American Rifleman covers stuff like what optics our troops are using. Other gun mags just review the same guns every year and reprint the same articles every year.
emitt1
Member
My current subscriptons include:
Gun Digest
Shotgun News
Guns Magazine
Shooting Times
Combat Handguns
American Handgunner
Guns & Ammo, as well as both NRA publications.
If you can't find some good reading in this list, well, all is lost.
Gun Digest
Shotgun News
Guns Magazine
Shooting Times
Combat Handguns
American Handgunner
Guns & Ammo, as well as both NRA publications.
If you can't find some good reading in this list, well, all is lost.
Rem700SD
Member
I'll second(third, fourth?) the comments on the lack of good gun magazines out there. The one I really liked was The Accurate Rifle. For me it seemed more focused on rifle(gun) culture and shooting more than on the products themselves. It was put out by the same people who put out Precision Shooter, but was cancelled last year.
If anyone knows of a magazine that's picked up TAR's torch, please let me know.
Dan
If anyone knows of a magazine that's picked up TAR's torch, please let me know.
Dan
Pax,
I used to have a subscription to concealed carry, but I let it lapse, because I thought that they were really reaching for things to print and inflating simple stories to create hero type articles. I also noticed that they seem to run so lean on material that often the stories are out dated. Its a shame I like Tim, he is a good guy, but I just didnt like the direction I saw the magazine going...that was over 2 years ago, maybe it has gotten better since then?
I used to have a subscription to concealed carry, but I let it lapse, because I thought that they were really reaching for things to print and inflating simple stories to create hero type articles. I also noticed that they seem to run so lean on material that often the stories are out dated. Its a shame I like Tim, he is a good guy, but I just didnt like the direction I saw the magazine going...that was over 2 years ago, maybe it has gotten better since then?
emitt1
Member
Forgot, JL bumped my mind. Concealed Carry is another I'm subscribed to and I have in fact seen an improvement to its content over the past few years.
ajax
Member
For me it is Shooting Illustrated, Gun Tests, and American Gunsmith. Every Jan. I pick up G&A's yearly Book of the 1911 and The one for military surplus rifles. I believe Shooting Illustrated is an NRA magazine. I just got a 5 years for 39.99.
PressCheck
Member
Small Arms Review.
I subscribe to Guns Magazine and they also send me a complementary copy of shooting times so I end up getting 2 for 1 price.
Plus if you check around (do a google) you can find a better price than the regular subscription - around $1 an issue.
I also have guns and ammo but will let the subscription lapse because the new owners cut the # of pages by at least 1/2 - its all ads now and not worth it, almost seems like they copy the American Rifleman articles?
Gun Tests is OK - not very scientific with their tests or the models they compare to each other but no advertising. I just wish they could afford to buy 3 or more of the same gun to see if they just happened to get a bad one or a good one.
Plus if you check around (do a google) you can find a better price than the regular subscription - around $1 an issue.
I also have guns and ammo but will let the subscription lapse because the new owners cut the # of pages by at least 1/2 - its all ads now and not worth it, almost seems like they copy the American Rifleman articles?
Gun Tests is OK - not very scientific with their tests or the models they compare to each other but no advertising. I just wish they could afford to buy 3 or more of the same gun to see if they just happened to get a bad one or a good one.
redneck2
Member
Bogie nailed this one. I'm also into accurate rifles and reloading.
Looking thru the posts, you can see that the "best" depends on the interests of the reader. I'm shrinking my collection, not adding, so Shotgun News is of no interest to me. I don't get my jollies by reading about the newest pipsqueak handgun, so Concealed Carry isn't on my list.
IMO, every dedicated gun owner should belong to the NRA, so I'd go for American Rifleman or American Hunter.
I like to hunt, so FF&G, etc. would be of interest.
As far as mainstream stuff, my wife got G&A for me. I'd lose interest after 5 minutes and toss it in the trash.
atomicferret
Member
I read "The Blue Press" for the pictures.
Dave Workman
Member
I would have to say
Gun Week
Gun World
Gun Digest (the magazine, formerly Gun List)
American Handgunner
Combat Handguns
Gun Week
Gun World
Gun Digest (the magazine, formerly Gun List)
American Handgunner
Combat Handguns
IdahoFarmer
Member
Fantastic, thank you for the many recommendations. I'll start by switching my First Freedom to American Rifleman. I'll also give these three a try to start with and my primary goal is learning more.
Precision Shooting
Gun Tests
Smallarms Review
Thanks,
Farmer
Precision Shooting
Gun Tests
Smallarms Review
Thanks,
Farmer
rockstar.esq
Member
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American Handgunner is the best I've seen even though they can't seem to stop reviewing 1911's.
I tremendously enjoy Rifle Handloading magazine, although it's weird that they refer to anything Winchester loaded as "WCF"!
I absolutely hate Guns & Ammo magazine as a result of a cover story a few years back. They had a Tikka T3 Tactical rifle on the cover. When you go to the article, they admit they never got one to shoot but since they'd shot other Tikka's and they had a Tikka brochure handy, they could reasonably expect...
The friggin Tikka brochure is availible free! Why would I pay for a magazine to get a review that was based entirely on the brochure and anecdotal stuff about other tikka products!
I tremendously enjoy Rifle Handloading magazine, although it's weird that they refer to anything Winchester loaded as "WCF"!
I absolutely hate Guns & Ammo magazine as a result of a cover story a few years back. They had a Tikka T3 Tactical rifle on the cover. When you go to the article, they admit they never got one to shoot but since they'd shot other Tikka's and they had a Tikka brochure handy, they could reasonably expect...
The friggin Tikka brochure is availible free! Why would I pay for a magazine to get a review that was based entirely on the brochure and anecdotal stuff about other tikka products!
Deavis
Member
American Hangunner and Guns are both pretty good magazines. Their writing is much better than Gun Tests and their reviews much more consistent. Gun Tests is a marginal magazine that is to inconsistent in "rating" for anything but the most superficial details IMHO. Plus, the aforementioned mags have some articles on tactics, current events, etc...
Many times that is because they don't print the article. Why waste space on a piece of junk? The magazine uses its pages to review products they thought the readers would like. It is sort of like saying, "I read the list of winners at this years XYZ competition... How come they never tell me about the losers?" Limited pages means you choose the best products for your readers.
Many times that is because they don't print the article. Why waste space on a piece of junk? The magazine uses its pages to review products they thought the readers would like. It is sort of like saying, "I read the list of winners at this years XYZ competition... How come they never tell me about the losers?" Limited pages means you choose the best products for your readers.
jakk280rem
Member
magazines
american handgunner is ok. but im more of a hunter at heart so i find myself gravitating mor toward: rifle, petersens rifle shooter, and my local hunting ass. rag oregon hunter. also i find shotgun news sophmoric at best and utter trash at worst. i prefer gun digest.
american handgunner is ok. but im more of a hunter at heart so i find myself gravitating mor toward: rifle, petersens rifle shooter, and my local hunting ass. rag oregon hunter. also i find shotgun news sophmoric at best and utter trash at worst. i prefer gun digest.
cheygriz
member
I don't subscribe to any but the official NRA magazines.
\Same here!
\Same here!
cheygriz
member
I don't subscribe to any but the official NRA magazines.
Same here!
Same here!
luxone
Member
I get First Freedom from the NRA and it is a great mag for the political side of things. I get Front Sight from the USPSA and it is a great magazine about competition. For just reading about guns I like American Handgunner & Gun Test. There are pluses and minuses to all of them but these are just my favorites.
So far, the last two gun magazines that aren't filled to the gills with regurgitated advertising foisted off as articles, are Gun Test & the AGI monthly. Pretty much any gun rag that exists on paid advertising from the big-name gun manufacturers faces a conflict in (financial) interests in publishing any article critical of an advertiser's product.
I do like the fact that the Gun Test reports are based on production model guns purchased directly from retailers. None of the guns tested are "pre-production" or factory-enhanced loaners.
Some people may not like Gun Test's "call it as I see it" attitude, or they may disagree when a favorite gun gets a low rating. But I find Gun Test articles to be well-researched, and the problems identified fairly reported.
Update: Lately, Natchez sent me a couple of courtesy copies of G&A or American Handgunner (Can't remember which). The articles are just as bad now as they were 10 years ago when I finally canceled my American Handgunner subscription. It was very nice of Natchez, but the magazine is a POS.
I do like the fact that the Gun Test reports are based on production model guns purchased directly from retailers. None of the guns tested are "pre-production" or factory-enhanced loaners.
Some people may not like Gun Test's "call it as I see it" attitude, or they may disagree when a favorite gun gets a low rating. But I find Gun Test articles to be well-researched, and the problems identified fairly reported.
Update: Lately, Natchez sent me a couple of courtesy copies of G&A or American Handgunner (Can't remember which). The articles are just as bad now as they were 10 years ago when I finally canceled my American Handgunner subscription. It was very nice of Natchez, but the magazine is a POS.
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Ohio Rifleman
Member
I get American Rifleman and America's First Freedom from the NRA every month. Both provide interesting reads consistently every month. From time to time, I'll pick up a Guns and Ammo or whatever, but only if there's an article in it that catches my eye. Though the subscription price for Guns and Ammo is pretty low...
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