Back in high school, I was a big kid: 6-4, 230 pounds. I ran slowly; my fielding ability was below-average. But I could flat out hit a baseball. I could see which way the ball’s seams spun before it got halfway to home plate. I knew early if it was a curve, slider or fastball. I […]
In a town a little north of me, police shot and killed a woman who was armed with a knife and threatening people in a convenience store. In the aftermath, when interviewed by local TV stations, everyone there who talked to the reports expressed surprise. Two people said they didn’t see why the […]
Not that long ago, I was driving my family home when I noticed a flash of orange from the ditch on opposite side of Highway 282 just a few miles from our home. I knew immediately what that flash meant, so I whipped into the first turn-around spot I reached, and headed back to where […]
Life in the scenic Ozarks woodlands of western Arkansas means adjusting yourself to the natural rhythms of the seasons: colorful leaves in the yard in fall, at least one wonderland snow in winter, and venomous reptiles nesting under the house in spring and summer. To put it bluntly, if you live out in the sticks […]
I own and shoot four black powder muzzleloaders–three pistols and a rifle. Years ago, I crossed over to the dark side of black powder because of the history and tradition of it. The clouds of thick, stinky gray smoke, fiery jets of muzzle blast and really loud explosions were just the sooty icing on my […]
Gunpowder is at least 1000 years old. it’s the oldest explosive known to humans, and it’s not like the formula of 75% potassium nitrate, 15% charcoal, and 10% sulfur remains some sort of closely-guarded state secret. There are some hardy souls who still make their own gunpowder at home. You might know one of them without […]
A long, skinny brown box arrived today, courtesy of our fearless leader’s connections with Thompson Center. When I opened the package, my curious eyes were greeted with the spectacle of a stainless steel, synthetic-stocked, fiber-optic-sighted flintlock. It was like seeing George Washington wearing his uniform and cocked hat cruising around Philly in a custom Escalade with ground-effect […]
The other day, I interviewed a couple of Arkansas ranch owners for an agricultural newspaper. During our chin wag, the owners revealed that they had a bit of a feral hog problem. Selflessly, I offered to apply my hog hunting skills to the infestation issue. To metaphorically paraphrase Henny Youngman, I was up so early […]
On September 13, James Ray Palmer rode his motorcycle to the Crawford County courthouse in Van Buren, Arkansas. He carried three semi-automatic handguns with him, along with an AR-15 style rifle. He wore a tactical vest holding several magazines full of ammunition for his various firearms, with everything apparently concealed under a long duster coat. […]
Would you like to shoot some High Power rifle matches, only you don’t have the bank account of a Mexican drug lord to spend on a [gold inlaid] match rifle, [ornately embroidered] shooting jacket, [monumentally expensive] spotting scope, [the world’s best] match grade ammo, et al? Especially in this economy? Scan the gun clubs in your local […]
For some folks, the M1 Garand is a venerated object, a potent symbol of American greatness during World War II. Some of these people make an almost holy exercise out of researching serial numbers and finding the correct elusive parts. Yea, verily, for some searcheth out the lock bar rear sight, even from the very […]
[HTML1] There’s nothing like seeing yourself on video to make you feel self-conscious and awkward, unless you’re Anthony Weiner. On the orders of, uh, I mean gentle request of our Fearless Leader, I videoed myself going through a house with the Stoeger Coach Gun I reviewed a while back for TTAG, and learned several things […]