Publishing magazines can be a bit like cooking—or, perhaps more appropriately for a firearm journal, like reloading ammunition: Years of experience and an abundance of care are applied in a consistent manner using a series of quality “ingredients” or components to develop well-balanced “recipes” aimed at specific “tastes” or uses.
Our approach to building each issue of American Rifleman follows just such a pattern. We carefully select topics for coverage and assign them to staff or contributing editors whose experience and skill includes choosing the appropriate words and images that will form thorough, even-handed reviews of guns and gear. The result is designed to satiate your appetite for knowledge about firearms and their manufacture, history and use.
In this month’s cover story, “Rossi On The Rise,” Field Editor Jeremiah Knupp brings us up to date on the state of an underappreciated Brazilian brand whose small-caliber revolvers and revolver-cartridge lever-action rifles have earned it accolades from many American shooters in the past and whose new medium-frame, double-action .357 Mag. revolvers—and rimfire and centerfire long guns—should help to re-invigorate the Rossi name among even more shooters today.
In “Remington’s New Heavy Hitter: 360 Buckhammer” by Frank Melloni, the author explains how one of the latest developments in straight-wall-cartridge design came into being and provides a firsthand report on how it works in the field. Based on the rimmed American classic .30-30 Winchester, the new cartridge appears to deliver on its promise of enhanced performance for hunters in cartridge-regulated states who are seeking to definitively stop whitetail deer and other medium game in their tracks at moderate ranges.
“Artistry In Arms: The Life Of James Martin Triggs,” by longtime contributor Don Findley, pays tribute to a rare talent whose pencil sketches and color paintings of popular guns served a variety of firearm industry companies through advertising pieces and parts drawings and sparked the imaginations of gun buyers for decades. We decided to complement that story with one of our signature “Exploded View” treatments, this time of the Luger P08 pistol, authored and illustrated by Triggs himself for use in these pages 65 years ago. It explores the Luger’s history, use and method of operation, which is unorthodox by today’s standards, along with the proper way to take down and re-assemble the classic, early 20th century semi-automatic.
Also, if you weren’t able to attend this year’s NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, we’ve provided a recap that will fill you in on some of the events and personalities that attracted a crowd numbering more than 77,000 during the three-day extravaganza of Second Amendment freedom. Take it as a reminder to schedule a trip to next year’s event—the 153rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits set for May 17-19 in Dallas.
Of course, this month’s “Dope Bag” contains the kind of thorough evaluations of firearms and gear—in this case, an optic-ready 9 mm pistol from EAA/Girsan, a carbon-fiber-enhanced bolt-action rifle in 6.5 mm Creedmoor from Howa, a 10"-barreled, .460 S&W Mag.-chambered revolver from Taurus and a thermal optic from AccuFire—that have distinguished our brand for many years.
And, back to the theme at the top of this column, don’t forget to check out Handloads and its description of “A Just-Right .41 Mag.” recipe. It’s only one of the many useful “morsels” you’ll find as we continue to celebrate our 100th anniversary this year under the American Rifleman nameplate. With each issue, we’ll continue to strive to provide you with magazines that are as satisfying to consume as they are to put together.
