By David E. Petzal and Philip Bourjaily

In the 1950s, in The Gun Digest, Charlie Askins did a terrific piece on then-Master Sergeant Huelet "Joe" Benner, who was one of the great American handgun shooters of the 20th century. Askins gave GD's readers a detailed look at how Benner went about his trade, and the handguns he used, and then included the seemingly odd piece of information that Benner was a happy man, very much at peace with himself and the world.

Maybe not so odd. In the late 1980s I spoke with the colonel who commanded the Marine Corps Scout-Sniper School, and asked him what psychological types they looked for in their candidates.
"We want all-American boys," he said. "We don't want loners or psychos or Rambos. We want well-adjusted Marines who will do exactly what we tell them to do."

The club that tolerates my presence runs year-round competitions with rifle, handgun, and shotgun, and the most-revered competitor in its 107-year history is a man who not only beat everyone at everything nearly all the time but was the personification of a sportsman and a gentleman. His name deserves to be remembered, so I will tell you that it was David George.

He was a ferocious competitor,... [ Read Full Post ]

By Philip Bourjaily

Wal-Mart seems to be having a nationwide, non-coordinated, unannounced sale on premium target loads. I’ve been hearing about this from shooters across the country. Last night my friend Rick called. “I’m at the Wal-Mart in Washington [Iowa]. They’ve got Winchester AA target loads for $5 a box.  I bought all the 20 gauges. Do you want the 12s?” They usually sell for $7.50 a box. I told Rick I’d take whatever he could carry to his car. Turns out there were only nine boxes left, but they’re mine.

Wal-Mart made news last year eliminating firearms from several hundred stores. I may be wrong, but I don’t think they’re getting out of the ammo business entirely. You’ll probably still be able to buy cheap dove loads. Most Wal-Mart shoppers (and that includes me) aren’t going to pay $7.50 for premium target loads.
Whether they’re going out of the shotshell business or not, $5 AAs and STSs are hard to come by these days. You might want to check the sporting goods shelf at Wally World and let us know what you found. [ Read Full Post ]

By David E. Petzal and Philip Bourjaily

One of the people I miss most is Field & Stream's former Executive Editor, Peter Barrett. He was the real deal: a master fly fisherman, expert shot, gun nut, hunter of wide experience, and fine writer. He was a true New England yankee, a man who loved his pipe, and a fellow of few words.

***
During World War II, Peter was a transport pilot attached to the Eighth Army Air Force in England. One evening, he was standing on the porch of the Bachelor Officers' Quarters, raving drunk, peeing over the railing for all he was worth. A brigadier general walked up behind him and bellowed,

"LIEUTENANT, JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Peter did a proper about-face, still peeing, and said, as he hosed down the general, "Going to the bathroom, sir."

He escaped court martial only because the Air Corps was desperate for pilots at the time.

****

When Peter was Executive Editor, I was Managing Editor and, being in my thirties, thought of myself as the full flower of manhood. But Peter called me "kid."

One day I said, "Peter, I ain't no kid."

So he said, "Kid, read this," and pointed to a framed letter hanging above... [ Read Full Post ]

By Philip Bourjaily

Last time, I talked about lack of access as the number one problem facing hunting today. True enough, but I would like to nominate another candidate, and, no, it’s not video games. Youth sports are killing hunting.

I don’t mean normal youth sports, like Little League (which I didn’t do. I had a very specific, irrational fear of being killed by a line drive to the temple) or playing on school teams (which I did enthusiastically). I blame the year-round, traveling team club sports for sucking up family’s leisure time and squeezing out hunting.

Parents take kids to another city, even another state, every weekend, then sit on folding chairs and watching games. And younger brothers and sisters get dragged along, too. It doesn’t leave much for taking kids hunting, or even for hunting at all. I don’t know how many times dads my age have told me, “We didn’t get out for ducks/deer/turkeys this weekend. We were in Peoria/Milwaukee/Des Moines for a soccer/basketball/baseball tournament.”

Since when did watching a kid play a game become more important than actually doing something with him or her?  [ Read Full Post ]

By David E. Petzal and Philip Bourjaily

What with Justice Scalia deciding that it's OK for us to shoot bad guys on our premises and the recent case of the Texan who killed two men who were trying to burgle his neighbor, home defense is on a great many gun owners' minds.

This instructional video was sent to me by Chuck Windsor, a retired film actor, and we present it here for your edification. The Gun Nut, of course, makes no endorsement of the tactics seen herein, and all that stuff.

[ Read Full Post ]

By David E. Petzal and Philip Bourjaily

But this does not do justice to the pair. When you pick them up and swing them, they seem to have a life of their own. They are living proof of why the British remain Numero Uno in the world of scatterguns, despite  being an otherwise degenerate race whose great days are long past. The two guns are as slender and graceful as magic wands, which in a sense they are.

How much? I thought you’d never ask. If you show up with $180,000, Niles Wheeler will let you walk out with the cased set. If this sounds extravagant, be aware that if you order a new Purdey 28-gauge today, you will wait 4 years and then pay $130,000 for the one gun. And when you consider that two are unique, and will certainly be worth far more in a few years, you would be well advised to forget about the new Bentley and grab them.

Yes, I know that right now some of you are considering killing your dogs for food and selling your children to fill the gas tank. We’ve been all through this. Life, as John Kennedy said, is not fair. [ Read Full Post ]