One of the last of great old gun writers gave me a gift. I’m not sure why; we are not close. Maybe he was just looking for someone who would appreciate it and knew I would. What was it?
It was a collection of Gun Digest Annuals from 1952 through 2000 – 49 volumes of firearms history. The stack of books, which I have now neatly arranged on my shelves, contained at least one real treasure. The 1955 – 9th Edition – belonged to another great old gun writer by the name of Warren Page.
So much for great gun writers, the point of this meandering is how much/little things have changed as far as guns go. Last night I pulled the 50-year-old 1966 volume and began looking through it. The Editorial, on the inside of the front cover, read as follows:
“In some parts of America, crime has become a real problem. In some cases, concealed firearms are a vital part of that problem. This situation is certain to produce a large number of bills to control the ownership and use of firearms. Many anti-gun laws will be proposed by persons who believe that such a low will prevent crime or that it will assist in the arrest and conviction of criminals.”
Sound familiar? Gun owners are fighting the same battles today we were fighting 50 years ago. Nothing’s changed.
The rifles that were making news in 66 were a presentation grade Savage 99, a Remington model 600 in .350 Remington Magnum, the Browning T-Bolt, and a Mannlicher stocked .44 auto from Ruger. As for new handguns that year, there was not a lot of “new” to be discussed. In fact, most of the news was related to target shooting handguns like the single action only S&W model 52-1. As for cartridges and ammunition the prose was centered on why we need magnums and if there were any, really good wildcats.
At the 2016 SHOT Show this year, we will see the introduction of two new fast stepping Magnum cartridges, numerous compact handguns for concealed carry, and more rifles and handguns with threaded muzzles than every before. You’ll have to look hard to find a new handgun built for target shooting and there will be nothing new on the floor that is the mechanical equivalent of the Savage 99 or similar in practical application to the Model 600 in .350 Magnum. You could argue that in fact, everything has changed.
What remains constant is the American desire to be armed, whether for protection, hunting, or sport. Its true there is a large group of folks living here that would like to see that slip away and fade into history like many of the lost copies of the Gun Digest Annual have done. Its our job as patriots to make sure that does not happen. Someday, I’ll gift these 49 volumes to someone who will appreciate them as much as I do. In the mean time I’m going to make sure I gift the joy of firearms and shooting to someone who that one day might be.
You should do the same. Hopefully some of the gifts you spent your hard earned money for this Christmas will help make that happen. If you could not swing the cash for a new gun or firearms training for a youth, you can take them hunting. That can provide a richness that money or unwrapping gifts cannot.
