Recommended gun magazines? (Publications)

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TMiller556

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So I know this question has been asked a lot by many people on here and Im sure some of you guys are tired of answering this question but I dont know where else to get advice. Basically, I dont have internet access at the moment because my foster parents had it turned off (Im only 16) and subscribing to a gun magazine is a good alternative to keep me occupied. Anyway, I have read various gun magazines, but I was most interested in Shooting Times, Shooting Illustrated, and Guns & Ammo. I prefer magazines that cover everything and not just one category (just handguns or just rifles). Also, do you guys recommend Gun World? Ive never seen it for retail before. Thanks in advance.
 
They are called CLIPS!!! :neener:

I like American Rifleman (just become a NRA member and you'll get it) and guns & ammo for more traditional firearms. I also like Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement (or something like that) since it usually has a good variety of handguns, long guns, and it more geared towards evil black guns :)
There are a lot of magazines out there and if you check them out at the newsstand you'll notice they often review the same guns in the same months (probably owned by the same publishing company) so I'd just subscribe to the one that seems to have the most of the guns that interest you most.
 
The three you mentioned are typically available really cheap on a yearly subscription. Personally, I find them to be poorly written and nothing more than another plug for the gun makers who use them for advertising
 
I get American Rifleman because it's part of the package. Any gun magazines I read are in the rack at the stores while waiting. I can guarantee I will finish a couple while waiting.
 
Handloader and Rifle. I also like Backwoodsman and Backwoods Home, which has articles from Mas Ayoob in it. The glossier mags are usually not worth it, but I do get a lot out of the compendiums you see like the Book of the AR-15 and such.
 
Ever read Shotgun News? Thats probably my favorite. The best part is a new one every 10 days or so! The ones you mentioned, G&A, Shooting Times, etc. are kind of lame sometimes but subs are real cheap and they do have some interesting stuff in them. I read them.
 
(The New) Gun Week.

Stumbled on it when I was in college -- my girlfriend's little sister had a magazine sale from her school going on. I was very involved in the safe shooting sports and legislative front but had never heard of this great little newpaper. Stays on top of up to date and serious, but easy to read, gun news and politics, great stories, great articles, great reviews, great letters...

Inexpensive and comes out almost every two weeks mailed to your home -- just often enough to keep you interested and up to date and not be annoyed by too much information and clutter in the house. Just large enough to read through over a lazy Sunday breakfast. Once in a while they have a color edition -- lol!

I cut out the little articles on the insane gun-related stuff that goes on in the UK once in a while for my current bird.

http://www.gunweek.com/
 
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The only one I realy care about anymore is Shotgun News lots of good info and it's a very helpful tool to keep up with C&R trends also their are plenty of deals to be spotted in the classified ads.
 
I don't like most gun magazines becuase very rarely will anyone publish a negative review about a firearm. I know someone who writes articles and he has very little nice to say about the firearms magazine industry. The one magazine that seems to be a bit more honest in their reviews is SWAT magazine plus it has good info. The other I subscribed to for a while was Gun Tests as they try and be like the Consumer Reports for guns. The other one I like is the NRA magazine you get with your subscription. I used to get American Rifleman and recently switched to America Hunter as I'm more interested in hunting.

Don't forget books. There are some very excellent books out there. I would start with Jeff Cooper and the Gunsite Gossip books. They are thick, easy to read, and full of very useful timeless data. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, it has better info than you will find in most gun magazines. Also, don't forget, it's your training and knowledge that is the weapon. The specific firearm IMO is substantially less important as long as it is reliable. Most people focus too much on the firearm and not enough on training and learning.
 
You want... paper... publications...?

Seriously, think about this. We have internets. You may even be using the internet RIGHT NOW. Why on earth would you want to pay for a collection of two page geared-for-the-lowest-common denominator articles meant for general interest light reading and printed on paper, sandwiched between giant full page advertisements for things you don't want... ?
 
@ Vaarok

It's pron, but for a different part of the brain. It's something to tote along when you can't bring your laptop or have a Wifi connection. It's something that can be shared easily in a social (F2F) situation.

To answer the OP, the only ones I've bought so far are the G&A 'Book of the ______' magazines and one SGN treasury.
 
Vaarok said:
You want... paper... publications...?

Seriously, think about this. We have internets. You may even be using the internet RIGHT NOW. Why on earth would you want to pay for a collection of two page geared-for-the-lowest-common denominator articles meant for general interest light reading and printed on paper, sandwiched between giant full page advertisements for things you don't want... ?
Click to expand...

I'll buy "one-offs" like AK-47 magazine which seems more like a compendium type of publication.

Otherwise, it's something to read through while I kick back at a book store. I'll grab a few gun mags, sip a coffee/latte and neatly return the mags when I amdone. It's a win-win - bookstore makes more profit off the beverage than the magazine, which can then be sold to a patron that will take it home. They sell well at the bookstores I go to.
 
Vaarok, did you even read the kid's post?

I like Small Arms Review but it is geared towards combat weapons which is what i'm in to mostly.

Each issue of Shotgun News usually has about three good articles, small news clips and then the rest is advertising. Personally i buy largely for the advertising to see what new stuff is available and what sales are going on but the articles are often good too.
 
Reason for wanting a magazine

I am disabled and can't sit or stand to long Due to 8 multi fractured vertebrea along with a replaced left shoulder and shattered RT.wrist so I can lay on the couch and read alot longer then sitting at the computer.I can't afford a lap top so I'm kinda screwed,Otherwise I'd agree with you totaly. Thank's Beak50
 
Beak50: Have you considered an e-reader? The good eInk versions like the Nook and Kindle are around $125 now, but I've seen some of the lower cost LCD ones for as low as $49. They're a good stop gap between an magazine and a full fledged computer IMHO.

Just my personal opinion, but actual paper magazines are mostly a dead form of communications. There are a few last-gasp companies still afloat, but the industry as a whole is dead. For the most part it's just a bunch of ads with "articles" included which are just a wordier version of the manufacturer's "Product Info" page.
 
Thanks JustinJ, saved me the need to reply to him. Also, to be more specific I'm looking for a magazine that doesn't only cover combat weapons, but also hunting and early weapons and I'd rather subscribe to just one magazine instead of three magazines specializing in different subjects. I noticed that most of the big name magazines can review the same gun, but some are more detailed and informative than others. And oneounceload, I agree. I didn't read them thoroughly and I spoke too soon. By the way, do you have to be an NRA member to subscribe to American Rifleman?
 
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I,ll recommend American Gunsmith, and Shooting Times. A G is pretty technical at times but always has good info and less advertising than others, S T is pretty good and has some of the most experienced gun writers around IOW BTDT and reviews are honest, not just another ad.
 
Handloader, Rifle & Gray's Sporting Journal are the only ones worth the time spent reading them. Shotgun News is good for the history and smithing articles but often I find it best to only buy their annual Best-Of "Treasury" issues. The magazines you mention never met an advertiser they weren't willing to pander for.

A better way of learning might be to visit your local library and track down copies of
Hatcher's Notebook, The Book of the Garand, The Book of the Springfield, The Book of the Rifle, Small Arms of the World and the like. They will form a basic foundation of knowledge that will help you to be able to analyse the marketing hype that passes for firearms writing in 90% of the industry.
 
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Shooting Times is the one that I subscribe to yearly along with the magazine from my NRA membership. The others come and go when I get a cheap subscription offer. Guns isn't bad.
 
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