{"id":11806,"date":"2015-07-06T16:58:50","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T16:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=11806"},"modified":"2015-10-23T22:24:23","modified_gmt":"2015-10-23T22:24:23","slug":"the-gun-writer-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-gun-writer-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gun Writer Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-4.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11805\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-4.jpg?resize=900%2C267\" alt=\"GW-4\" width=\"900\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-4.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-4.jpg?resize=300%2C89&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>All men are created equal. At least that\u2019s what the Declaration of Independence tells us. This was obviously before the advent of the firearms press and the occupation of a gun writer because; all gun writers are not created equal. I have studied this occupation for most of my life and after some serious debate and internal reflection; I\u2019ve managed to create a classification system for those who write, video, or blog about the gun.<\/p>\n<p>If you are one of the blessed who\u00a0gets to make a living pulling triggers, where do you fit in? If you are a reader or watcher, which of these communicators\u00a0do you enjoy reading and watching the most?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The Firearms Journalist<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This category of those who write about guns is mostly filled with folks who are decent writers. They know where commas go, they understand the use of the semi-colon, and they can diagram a sentence to perfection. They are in some ways the equivalent of the newspaper reporter; they interview, research, and tell you a story. There is nothing wrong with being a firearms journalist and very often they provide the most objective information. They need an editor to tell them what to write, not how to write it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-5.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11807\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-5.jpg?resize=900%2C239\" alt=\"GW-5\" width=\"900\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-5.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-5.jpg?resize=300%2C80&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>The Shooting Sensationalist<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Most often seen on the Internet, the sensationalist looks to gain your attention by talking bad about a gun or gun person or they\u2019re quick to claim this gun or gun person is the best or smartest of all. Lots of\u00a0&#8211; <em><strong>NOT ALL<\/strong><\/em> &#8211;\u00a0bloggers fit this mold because negativity or amazing accolades are the best way to drive web traffic and blogs die without traffic. The sensationalist could be described as a firearms journalist who always thinks they know what sucks and what doesn\u2019t. Some sensationalist need taken out behind the wood shed and others need their own TV show because they are so genuinely entertaining.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-2.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11803\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-2.jpg?resize=900%2C283\" alt=\"GW-2\" width=\"900\" height=\"283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-2.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-2.jpg?resize=300%2C94&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>The Gun Writer<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>A gun writer is someone who lives the life of the gun. They understand guns and they use guns beyond the purpose of testing them in order to report their findings. Sometimes gun writers are not very good writers. They will assemble paragraphs that run on forever, contain various topics, and their understanding of grammar and punctuation is akin to their knowledge of space travel. These well-informed gun folk often need an editor like a homeless man needs a hot dog. Yes, there are exceptions, but for the most part the gun writer is just a gun person who has a clever way of sharing interesting information about guns.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-3.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11804\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-3.jpg?resize=900%2C298\" alt=\"GW-3\" width=\"900\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-3.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-3.jpg?resize=300%2C99&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>The Firearms Professor<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The firearms professor is a rarity. Their knowledge is broad but usually extensive in a narrow field. They are more of a lecturing entertainer or an artist, with an arguably objective message that is always intensely biased. The firearms professor\u00a0has a way of touching the soul of the reader and appealing to their nostalgic appreciation of fine weaponry. Firearm or hunting professors\u00a0leave legacies and we are fortunate if we know four or five within any generation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-6.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11808\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-6.jpg?resize=900%2C273\" alt=\"GW-6\" width=\"900\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-6.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-6.jpg?resize=300%2C91&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li>The Firearms Philosopher<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>When it comes to gun writers the rarest of the rare is the firearms philosopher. They have the ability to float effortlessly through each of the previously mentioned classifications. In fact, they are so good at their craft they can be a journalist, sensationalist, writer, and professor all within the same article, video, or blog post. They will entertain you, convince you with empirical data, and sway you with their opinion. In the end you are enlightened. There have only been a handful of these folks throughout the history of firearms journalism. Interestingly, they may have fewer admirers than adversaries.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-1.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11802\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-1.jpg?resize=900%2C289\" alt=\"GW-1\" width=\"900\" height=\"289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-1.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/GW-1.jpg?resize=300%2C96&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All men are created equal. At least that\u2019s what the Declaration of Independence tells us. This was obviously before the advent of the firearms press and the occupation of a gun writer because; all gun writers are not created equal. I have studied this occupation for most of my life and after some serious debate and internal reflection; I\u2019ve managed to create &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2509,2522,2500],"tags":[2465,2466,2467,417],"class_list":["post-11806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-defense","category-hunt","category-shooting","tag-firearms-journalists","tag-firearms-philosophers","tag-firearms-professor","tag-gun-writers"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-34q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11680,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/are-there-too-many-firearms-instructors-gun-writers-and-experts\/","url_meta":{"origin":11806,"position":0},"title":"Experts, Firearms Instructors, and Gun Writers","author":"gunwriter","date":"May 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Are there too many firearms instructors, weapon experts, and gun writers? Or, are there are just too many of all three who don\u2019t know what they\u2019re talking about? This topic came up during a training break at a\u00a0Gunsite Academy class where several complained about the abundance of poor firearms training\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;HUNTING&quot;","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12822,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/nothing-everything-has-changed\/","url_meta":{"origin":11806,"position":1},"title":"Nothing \/ Everything Has Changed","author":"gunwriter","date":"December 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the last of great old gun writers gave me a gift. I\u2019m not sure why; we are not close. Maybe he was just looking for someone who would appreciate it and knew I would.\u00a0What was it? It was a collection of Gun Digest Annuals from 1952 through 2000\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FullSizeRender 33","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/FullSizeRender-33-234x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7583,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/moms-matter-most\/","url_meta":{"origin":11806,"position":2},"title":"Moms Matter Most","author":"gunwriter","date":"October 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"You could call this the \"M cubed\" or \"M3\" rule. For firearms to continue to be a part of the American culture, it will take moms to make it happen. North American Hunting Club Muzzle Break Blog Those of us in the firearms industry often ponder what the future of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"If this is your mommy, you'll probably be a shooter too.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Mom.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14331,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-problem-with-gun-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":11806,"position":3},"title":"The Problem with Gun World","author":"gunwriter","date":"May 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 In 1973 the movie Westworld depicted\u00a0an android populated world where want-to-be cowboys or gunslingers could live out their wild west fantasies. The price of admission was high but the potential satisfaction of being John Wayne for a week was alluring. Like all apparent perfect worlds, there were problems and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/VVVV.jpg?fit=1000%2C466&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/VVVV.jpg?fit=1000%2C466&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/VVVV.jpg?fit=1000%2C466&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/VVVV.jpg?fit=1000%2C466&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8484,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/what-women-want\/","url_meta":{"origin":11806,"position":4},"title":"What Women Want!","author":"gunwriter","date":"March 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I learned a lot of things the first time I went to Africa, mostly that my first time would not be the last. On subsequent trips I mostly learned that one of the best things about going to Africa is going with someone you know who has never been. Watching\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BUG-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/BUG-1-300x186.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7821,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/why-gunsite-matters\/","url_meta":{"origin":11806,"position":5},"title":"Why Gunsite Matters","author":"gunwriter","date":"December 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Regardless what ship you\u2019re on, it needs an anchor. Ships and boats without anchors eventually end up adrift. The ship of gun owners we all ride on finds rougher water at each turn in the river. To hold our position we need an anchor and Gunsite, the place where the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;DEFENSE&quot;","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"MKT-5","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/MKT-5-300x226.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11806"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11809,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11806\/revisions\/11809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}