What (paper or e-zine) gun magazines do you guys read?

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4v50 Gary

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Do you guys read? I get The American Rifleman and American Gunsmith Magazine as well as a couple of blackpowder magazines (Muzzle Loader, Muzzle Blasts). Used to get SWAT but they're gone (as is The Tactical Rifle)

I'm trying to compile a list of magazines my publisher can send a sniping book to for review.
 
Old Brownells Gunsmith Kinks.

Shooting Sportsman

Garden and Gun.

I get American Rifleman. Need to cancel it. I turn directly to tab back page for the “I have this Old Gun” article. Read that. Maybe read a few others or picture captions and call it good. It’s good for keeping up to date on the latest and greatest since that is not where my interest lies.

Ammoland blog/e-zine.

Meat Eater podcast.
 
I used to get "Handloader" electronically, but the made a change and instead of downloading the whole magazine, you had to do each article individually. I called them and they affirmed the change. I cannelled my subscription.

Not all articles are of interest when downloaded, but become so later.
 
I quit reading gun magazines after P.O. Ackley and Elmer Keith died. Several younger writers I won't specify were just putting enough words together to fill the space, and one example of stupidity sticks in my mind. A writer sighted in a .308 to be higher at 100 yards than the .30-06 he compared it to. Then he shot them at a longer range and concluded that the first was the equal of the second.

Agree with AlexanderA too.
 
I used to subscribe to Handloader and Rifle religiously. I think they started heading downhill after they let Ross Seyfried go, and though I think John Barsness is a fantastic gunwriter, he just isn't enough to carry the publications singlehandedly. I still buy a copy occasionally, when I see something of particular interest, but usually am disappointed.

The NRA sends out one magazine or another, which I skim and then toss.

American Handgunner is, in my opinion, by far the best of the crop and a really good magazine. I subscribe on-and-off but honestly just find the subject matter repetitive, which really is no one's fault - there is only so much that can be said about the latest polymer semi-auto.

These days, when I come across a new-to-me gun or load, I can always find what I want on the internet. And when it comes to something tried-and-true which has slipped my mind, well, Elmer and Skeeter are always on the shelf.
 
Haven't read anything outside of gun forums like this one in eons. I used to look forward to every copy of G&A so I could read Gun Notes by Elmer Keith and then Cooper's Corner. Years later followed Ross Seyfried for a while but he seemed to go off the deep end of exotic, mega power, custom handguns and rifles well outside the reach of the common man. I wanted to read about every-day cartridges, not something that would cost me $10k to obtain. Then American Rifleman went digital and I lost interest in it too.
 
I've sworn off the gun press. It's all "product placement" and flack for the gun industry. Have you ever seen an unfavorable review of anything in a gun magazine?
I remember one by Chuck Taylor in SoF where he criticized the Steyr GB pistol. One of the last images was a picture of Taylor about to throw it away (think of tossing a grenade) as that would be the only good use of it. Most of the time magazines won't publish anything bad b/c that means they get no more samples to review.

The magazine I learned to hate was Gun Tests which called itself the "consumer reports" of gun magazines. I thought the reviews were superficial and lacking in technical details.
 
Years later followed Ross Seyfried for a while but he seemed to go off the deep end of exotic, mega power, custom handguns and rifles well outside the reach of the common man. I wanted to read about every-day cartridges, not something that would cost me $10k to obtain.

Ha! That is exactly why I enjoyed Seyfried so much: he was the only one who wasn't writing about everyday guns and cartridges!
 
The better and more numerous online gun forums became the less and less I bought print magazines.

Online forums are two-way communications. Print magazines are but one-way.

Only rarely do I buy printed magazine at all any more.
 
I still have online subscriptions to Handloader and Rifle, but am not sure for how much longer given the change in format.
 
American Rifleman is a given and should be if you own a gun.
I agree that the Best Gun Magazine hands down is American Handgunner.
They have by far the best staff of writers anywhere.
 
I'm trying to compile a list of magazines my publisher can send a sniping book to for review.
If you really want to participate in the "system", that you're going to need to work, buy an ad for the book in pretty much any or all of them, send a copy of the book along with your check for the ad, and you'll probably get a good review. Call them first to make sure they understand that you understand the game. If you're really playing by modern standards, you may also want to include an outline of a review to make it easy for them.

If you're going to be selling on Amazon or elsewhere online, you'll also need to do what many companies do there; arrange for a bunch of people you know or pay to go in and leave glowing reviews so that the people who are still gullible in this day and age are drawn in and buy your product.

The only group I can think of that rivals politicians for lack of integrity are Marketing/PR departments. I say this as someone who works in the field and is regularly disgusted by what I see.
 
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American Rifleman is a given and should be if you own a gun.
I get the Rifleman simply because I'm an NRA life member. I skim it and throw it away.

The Rifleman is one of the worst offenders when it comes to industry bias. Every product review is favorable. More than favorable -- it verges on fawning praise. And then add to that the self-serving coverage of the NRA's management, and the one-sided political coverage in general, and it becomes a toxic witch's brew.
 
American Handgunner, American Cop, American Rifleman are the only magazines I subscribe to. I'll occasionally pick up a copy of Recoil or Combat Handguns from the newsstand or when I'm buying books at Barnes and Noble.
Have you ever seen an unfavorable review of anything in a gun magazine?
Yes, absolutely. Don't know when the last time you picked up one of the "gun rags" but I think some of their editorial and management leadership had a collective epiphany, at some point, that they'd lost all credibility by continuing to either ignore or minimize poor quality or malfunctioning firearms. Mas Ayoob (another forum member, though he's not posted recently) has even written that he's had to send back guns he had for reviews to get a specimen that actually functioned. As the late esteemed gun-writer Denis Prisbrey (forum member DPris) used to note in this very forum, you also have to understand the language of the writer (reading between the lines, so to speak) to realize that he might be actually trashing the gun even though it all sounds fluffy.
 
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4V50 Gary
I remember one by Chuck Taylor in SoF where he criticized the Steyr GB pistol. One of the last images was a picture of Taylor about to throw it away (think of tossing a grenade) as that would be the only good use of it.

I recall that article too but I believe he was testing the L.E.S. Rojak P18, a not so very good copy of the Steyr GB. This was in 1975 and the version Taylor was reviewing was a stainless model that was extremely problematic. He even noted that L.E.S. used wood screws for the grips! Taylor was not impressed and the last photo in the article is him tossing the Rojak like it was a tomahawk as that was about all it was good for!
 
We did this recently. I tried to find the older thread, but can you imagine the returns using the words "gun magazine."

"Publication" isn't any better thanks to all you reloaders.:)
 
I get the American Rifleman but I also have an electronic subscription for Rifle Magazine and Handloader Magazine.
 
The wife gets American Hunter and I get the Rifleman, we're both lifers. I also get Guns and Ammo, Whitetails and a few other hunting mags. Mostly for my Optical shop for people to read while they're waiting.
 
The only one I get now is American Handgunner. Its like the Playboy and Penthouse of the gun world. :D

Although I do like to read the Ayoob Files, where he breaks down the gunfights. Thats usually pretty good stuff.:thumbup:
 
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