By David E. Petzal

Before we get to the Veep, a couple of miscellaneous notes. First, for the permanent record, I consider Sarah Palin to be an exemplary sportsperson, a true American patriot, a leading intellectual of our time, and a speaker whose gifts are equaled only by those of Winston Spencer Churchill.

Last week, NBC-TV aired a series called “Flashpoint: Guns in America,” which was about what you might expect. The segment I had the bad luck to view was on the electronic safety devices that allegedly prevent a gun from being used by anyone but its owner. The narrator, Tom Costello, repeatedly referred to this stuff being installed in a rifle. The gun on screen, about which he was speaking, was a pump-action shotgun.

To Joe Biden. I enjoy watching politicians. Their antics are amusing in the way that the antics of chimpanzees are amusing, and entertaining in the way that films about serious criminals are entertaining. But my favorite is Joe Biden, who is in a class by himself. There are two ways to explain the Vice President: Either he was hit in the head, very hard, at some point in his life and hasn’t gotten over it, or else he has reached that state enjoyed by some senior citizens who will say whatever pops into their brains because they simply don’t give a s**t any more.

[ Read Full Post ]

By Chad Love

The hills of Wyoming will be alive with the sound of...silence. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead signed a bill allowing the use of suppressed guns for all hunting.

From this story in the Casper Star-Tribune:
Gov. Matt Mead signed a bill into law that will allow the use silencers on firearms for all types of hunting. Mead signed the bill on Monday and the law will go into effect in July. The federal government regulates silencers and 39 states allow civilian ownership of them. [ Read Full Post ]

By Phil Bourjaily

The first time I saw a shotgun with a black plastic stock I was horrified by its sheer ugliness. That was back in the mid-90s and the gun was a Benelli Super Black Eagle belonging to Buck Gardner, who had won it in the World Duck Calling Championship. 

I would never have bought a black stocked gun, as I believed then that shotgun stocks should be made of wood, but a year or so later I got my first black shotgun. It was a Winchester Super X2, which Winchester gave out to all the writers on the trip to North Dakota I wrote about in “My Higher Calling.” [ Read Full Post ]

Do you have a question for the Obama administration about guns? Now's your chance to get it answered!

On February 14, Field & Stream will conduct an in-person interview with Vice President Joe Biden about the Obama administration's proposals on guns—and we want readers to weigh in. What do you want to know about the administration's plans for and positions on making background checks universal? Limiting high capacity magazines? Banning so-called "assault" weapons? The importance of the Second Amendment? Any question is valid, as long as it pertains to guns.

Submit your questions to askbiden@fieldandstream.com. You must provide your name, address, and daytime contact information in order for your question to be considered. All questions must be submitted by 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday, February 12.--The Editors

  [ Read Full Post ]

By Phil Bourjaily

Ammo, I don’t need to tell any of you, is in short supply these days. I knew that, and was still surprised the other day when a friend said “Know anyone who has some .22 rimfire ammo they want to sell? I can’t find any.”

When, ever, has there been a shortage of .22 rimfire?

With that in mind, here’s a situation for you Emily Posts out there:

I stopped at my gun club the other day and the only two other people there were a couple of members I haven’t know for long. They were shooting handguns and I went over to see what they had brought for hardware. [ Read Full Post ]