Wiley Clapp: Gun Digest 2018

by
posted on August 22, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gun_digest_lede.jpg

Somehow or another, Jerry Lee and his predecessors in the editor's chair at Gun Digest perform what amounts to an annual miracle. Oh, I suppose it really isn't a miracle in the strict sense of the word, but it sure seems like it. Their latest is the 72nd Edition of what they call “The World's Greatest Gun Book.” 

It's the Gun Digest 2018 and a worthy successor to the 71 prior books, which date back to 1944. Essentially, this 565-page volume brings its readers up-to-date on everything that is happening product-wise in the world of guns and shooting. An extensive and illustrated catalog section is a big part of it, but there are also text sections on several classes of firearms—pistols, revolvers shotguns, etc. The section called “One Good Gun” is a little longer this year and provides admittedly subjective reviews of several old favorites. 

However, I've always felt the great strength of GD was the articles that really thicken the book and justify its thirty-seven-buck pricetag. This year there are about three dozen well-written and illustrated pieces on a variety of things gun. In the many gun magazines, space is always at a premium and editors are always struggling to keep articles short and to the point. That's fine as far as it goes, but a lot of subjects would prosper, given a little more room. GD18 does that.

Charley Petty offers a great survey of the old Remington slide action center-fires—models 14 and 14 ½. The six-gun man, John Taffin, comes off of his .44s and .45s long enough to look at the surprisingly large number of .32 sixguns and cartridges. One of the first articles I read in this year's book was Wayne van Zwoll's treatise on the venerable Savage 99. Another good chapter ran to seven full pages; a lengthy discussion of the ins and outs of a forgotten boomer—the .400 Whelan. My pick for the Amber prize this year is Stan Trzoniec's commentary on the many cartridges developed for and by Smith & Wesson. Viewing the company from this unusual angle puts this old-line gunmaker in a proper perspective. 

Good job, guys!     

Latest

Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto
Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto

Review: Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto

Following the success of its .45 ACP-chambered LC Carbine, Ruger realized that this platform would go a long way toward making the 10 mm Auto more controllable and fun to shoot, and a new 10 mm version was released in 2024.

The Armed Citizen® July 14, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Favorite Firearms: A Little Stevens From Chicago

"Over the next five or six years, and before I went off to college, I fired hundreds and hundreds of rounds of .22 BB Caps, CB Caps, Shorts and Longs through this rifle."

Preview: Strike Industries T-Bone Charging Handle

The T-Bone from Strike Industries is an ideal fit for suppressed applications, as it can be configured by the user to redirect gas blowback entirely to either side ...

New For 2025: Weatherby Model 307 Range XP 2.0 & Alpine ST Rifles

Weatherby's Model 307 bolt-action rifle opens up a world of aftermarket components to consumers, thanks to its Model 700 receiver footprint, and the company now has two new models for hunters and sport shooters.

Preview: Thunderbolt To The Rebels | The United States Sharpshooters In The Civil War

Author Darin Wipperman provides a tantalizing glimpse into the world of Berdan’s sharpshooters during the American Civil War.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.