Archive for John Zent

Winchester's AAssistant Coach

By providing shotgunners a practical and affordable tool for visualizing misses, TrAAcker shotshells can help them learn to master lead and hit more birds.

September 26, 2013

Iver Johnson .22 Supershot Sealed Eight

Iver Johnson produced a variety of low to mid-range revolvers, including the Sealed Eight, which had a unique safety system—counterbored cylinders.

April 19, 2012

Book Review: The Illustrated History of Firearms

The Illustrated History of Firearms is an authoritative history, matchless reference and handsome showpiece for shooters, hunters and collectors.

November 07, 2011

Nikon's M-223 Riflescope

Nikon’s M-223 scope is designed for the .223/5.56x45 mm cartridge.

October 25, 2011

The Decision to Defend

Recently a neighbor asked my advice on purchasing a home-defense shotgun—his first gun in fact, and the first one he would shoot since the .22s of his Boy Scout days. Actually, he wanted me to accompany him to an upcoming local gun show, and if not for a sales meeting scheduled for that weekend, it would have been fascinating to hear a newcomer’s take on the gun show scene.

August 29, 2011

The Shrine of Gun Design

I recently returned from a trip to Odgen, Utah, that included an afternoon touring a veritable shrine for anyone interested in gun design. As museums go, the John M. Browning Firearms Museum is fairly small, the lighting is stark and the presentation rather plain. But none of that matters given the importance of what’s on display, which amounts to a family-album-intimate retrospective on Browning’s prolific and hugely influential career.

August 29, 2011

Happy Anniversary American Rifleman

Within a few days members who take American Rifleman will receive a very special 125th Anniversary issue. Inside, Editor-in-Chief Mark Keefe and Senior Graphic Designer David Labrozzi have compiled a fabulous retrospective of the Rifleman and its predecessor titles going back to 1885. Along with an informative timeline, Keefe has sketched a brief history, and then allows the Rifleman’s proud evolution to speak for itself with a collection of excerpts ranging from a review of the Krag rifle (1894) to Townsend Whelen’s famed “Analysis of Game Bullets” (1924) to the launch of the popular “Armed Citizen” column (1958) and many more gems stretching 8+ pages. Take my word, this issue is destined to become a collector’s item.

July 14, 2011

Setting the Stage for the AR Phenomenon

Former NRA editorial colleague Doug Howlett recently enlisted me to write the foreword for his latest project, "The Shooter’s Bible Guide to AR-15s." Slated for release this fall, the new book will examine America’s hottest-selling rifle category with all the in-depth coverage that has made the Shooter’s Bible a gun-owners’ staple for more than a half century.

June 28, 2011

Get Ready—SIG50 .50 BMG Rifle

One sure indicator of a hot market is when new suppliers attempt get in on the action, and so SIG Sauer’s soon-to-be entry into the .50 BMG rifle category confirms what military operators, 1,000-yard competitors and tactical shooters have all discovered—the big, long-range round’s time has come.

June 15, 2011

A BIG Carry Gun?

It’s quite common for Alaska bear-hunting guides to carry revolvers for backup, but outfitter Greg Jannen from Valdez, Alaska, told me he’s interested in getting a semi-auto pistol for that purpose. He likes self-loaders, only he wants one more powerful than a .45 ACP when he has to face down angry brown bears or other dangerous critters.

June 06, 2011

A Weatherby Man in Alaska

Over the past two weeks I made a new friend, Craig Hill, from Galena, Alaska. Craig was my guide for the unforgettable adventure of a brown bear hunt on the Alaska coast. Although our long days glassing and looking for bears were mostly spent in silence, we took time to get acquainted, too. I learned that Craig is always good-natured, upbeat and funny, but when it’s time to get after the quarry he’s as focused as they come.

June 01, 2011

What I’m Shooting Now—Sako 85 Brown Bear

Since returning from the Annual Meetings two weeks ago I have been putting myself through a crash familiarization with a newly introduced model—the Sako 85 Brown Bear. Most days after work I've stopped by my local range on the way home for 10-15 deliberate shots, and in addition have been escaping my desk for brief sessions on NRA's in-house range. Twice I have taken it out on the family farm where I can shoot at longer distances and practice rapid follow-ups from field positions. It will group about 1-1/2 moa off the bench, and from supported field positions I can hold about 5 inches rapid-fire out at 200 yards. So far I have worked out with Barnes Vor-TX, Winchester Supreme and Norma Oryx ammo, and all are plenty accurate for hunting purposes.

May 16, 2011

Bullfrogs Inspire Blogger

Early on in my NRA career (1980s) our star writer was Col. Charles Askins, a Border Patrol lifer, ex-military attaché, pistol champ, worldwide big-game hunter and all-around gun expert. Askins was a mainstay in NRA's magazines for years, carrying on a legacy begun by his father, Capt. Charles Askins, who wrote for American Rifleman throughout the century's early decades. But by 1987, the colonel had worn out his welcome with our boss, George Martin, and their relationship became downright toxic.

May 16, 2011

An African Experience with Craig Boddington

A lucky group of hunters present for the NRA Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh got to sit down for nearly two hours and explore safari hunting with Craig Boddington, the man who knows as much or more about the subject than anyone ever. Over the course of nearly 100 safaris, Boddington has hunted more than 20 African countries for an incredible array of game. Talking Africa with him is like talking songwriting with Paul McCartney or quarterbacking with Joe Montana. Seriously.

April 30, 2011