I hope this finds readers in good health in spite of the pandemic and wildfires at hand. As readers may be aware, I retired about four years ago, but the publisher asked if I might continue with this column, now going on nearly 30 years, until . . . whenever. Wife, Roberta, also retired, and we continue on as the rest of the world outside of our home north of Prescott, Arizona, passes us by. ...Read More >

Have you ever had an interest in designing your own rifle; ever thought about changing the look and feel of one already owned? Most riflemen have at least thought about it, and a lot of them have done it, sometimes winging it on their own with aftermarket parts and other times keeping gunsmiths and custom barrelmakers busy. When younger, I used to imagine the “perfect” Remington Model 700, a bolt rifle that has stood the tests of time and trends, in spite of changes in ownership. The M700 has been available in more variations than many other rifles, and one of the most successful variants has remained the original Model 700 BDL. ...Read More >

The .357 Magnum was first introduced in 1935, which was a joint development between Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The Smith & Wesson .357 “Registered” Magnum revolver, built on the N-Frame, was the company’s finest effort and its most expensive gun. It offered outstanding fit, finish, accuracy and overall quality, and was offered with many custom order options. The cartridge delivered high velocity, accuracy and enough performance that Doug Wesson managed to take antelope, deer, elk, grizzly and other big game at 200 yards and beyond. It has become one of the most popular sixgun cartridges and has been chambered in a large variety of handgun types. However, its popularity in rifles, especially lever actions, has become huge. While it is certainly an interesting sixgun cartridge, when chambered in lever-action rifles it is lightweight, fast-handling and offers terminal performance that is out of proportion to its humble size. ...Read More >

Back in 1874, there were supposedly two incredibly long-range shots made by frontiersmen in fights against Native Americans. The best known one was by bison hunter Billy Dixon at a fledgling settlement in the Texas Panhandle named Adobe Walls. In June, several hundred Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne warriors attacked Adobe Walls. Twenty-eight people, about half of whom were bison hunters, fighting from behind walls repulsed the warriors. After Billy Dixon’s death early in the twentieth-century, his widow wrote his biography, said to be based on the stories he had related to her about his very interesting life. It was titled Life of Billy Dixon. ...Read More >