If you are not familiar with the History Channel, they produce shows of  historical perspective that cover a wide range of topics, frequently providing VHS versions of these shows at their web site. “Tales of the Gun” is one of several in a series of firearm related productions. The great…...

I grew up at a time when Hugh O’Brian’s Wyatt Earp represented authenticity in regard to cowboys and the Wild West. Later, as movies like “The Wild Bunch” were released, cowboy hats changed from ten gallon to bowler styles, and outlaws and lawmen took cover behind skittish horses rather than standing…...

Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West is not a flashy production, but it is a clean black and white production and, at 8.5″x11.5″ in format, it is a relatively big production. I would thing Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West was written for people who have basic knowledgeable of firearms…...

I am a Hornady fan. They are perhaps the only bullet, ammunition and handloading equipment manufacturer still operating under the same continuum of family management, they take a leadership role in forming quality partnerships when introducing new cartridges and products and they sell products of exceptional quality at bargain prices…...

I don’t know anyone over at Sierra, but I think their employees must be a lot of down to earth people, each holding a personal interest in firearm’s sports and activities. The reason for this conclusion is that they make some very good bullets, without a lot of fanfare, and…...

Whenever I find myself approaching something I am not familiar with, which happens more often then I’d like to admit, I try to locate some sources of good basic information that will help me to become familiar with the subject at hand. Lyman’s Black Powder Handbook was the first generalist…...

I purchased “Colt: An American Legend” out of an interest I developed in the history of Harley Davidson and Smith & Wesson; a number of great American corporate institutions have followed a wandering path. Business entities are bought, sold and merged to extract profit and to raise capital. Product lines…...

When I was growing up in New Jersey, I’d walk a few miles to a gun store situated next to a railroad overpass on the Clifton – Passaic border. The proprietor’s name was Krien Laffler, a middle aged man with a heavy German accent and a shop full of mostly…...

Nosler’s new manual was released in April of 2002. I know it took me a while to pick up a copy and read through it, but I hate to get into the backorder/out of stock dilemma that is always affixed to trying to secure early copies of manuals. More so,…...

In the process of reloading, I’ve come to appreciate Swift bullets. They seem to be manufactured consistently, they sometimes offer heavier than typical expanding bullets for some bore sizes; most notable .338″ at 275 grains, .358″ at 280 grains. I’ve used these in place of Woodleigh because I believe Swift’s…...