Rifleman Report: Your Voice Matters

Slogans along the lines of “Your voice matters” are not uncommon during election cycles—including the one that just recently occurred, which may have been one of the most consequential yet for gun owners. And while there are serious questions as to whether such declarations reflect reality or exist to serve as nothing more than trite turns of phrase, they nonetheless represent a valid principle. Of course, that doesn’t mean our commitment to freedom begins and ends with our decision to elect Donald Trump as president on Tuesday, November 5.

When it comes to the content contained in each monthly issue of American Rifleman magazine, rest assured that your voice definitely matters. The editors would like to remind you, our NRA member readers, that we have three columns set aside through which you can contribute to this magazine.

First, of course, is Readers Write (p. 22), where you can express thoughts, observations, suggestions and corrections—whether critical or complimentary—about the content you read in the departments and features we run each month. Second is Q&A (p. 30), a forum in which our contributing editors can respond to your inquiries on a wide variety of firearm topics. Third is Favorite Firearms (p. 32), which is where you can share stories about particular guns that, for one reason or another, hold a special place in your heart.

Whether you contact us by email at [email protected] or by way of a good-old-fashioned letter through the mail, all we ask is that your comments be courteous, concise and pertinent to the subject at hand. (For specific instructions on how to submit correspondence, refer to the bold text at the bottom of each department.)

In addition to those sections and all the other regular departments in this issue—along with the critical Political Preference Charts bound into its center—we have our signature Dope Bag section, where we take a deep dive into currently available firearms and optics, along with a slate of in-depth features on guns new and old.

For example, in “Wringing Out The KelTec SUB2000 GEN3 Folding PCC,” Field Editor Gil Horman takes a look at the latest version of that innovative company’s signature hinged pistol-caliber carbine. It is a design that has established a loyal fan base and that, now, comes with a “twist,” allowing for more convenient optic mounting and deployment.

In “A Pair Of Feisty Felines: The 80X Cheetah And 30X Tomcat Get Home Bag,” Field Editor Justin Dyal puts two of the latest versions of Beretta’s pocket pistols through their paces with good success, helping to prove the point that not all carry guns have to be chambered in 9 mm Luger.

And in “Model 1918: The Sniper Rifle That Never Was,” Field Editor Bruce Canfield examines the “launch-pad implosion” of a variant of one of the best-known bolt-actions of World War I.

Back to that slogan, though, please do not hesitate to let us know how we’re doing in our ongoing efforts to provide you with the best firearm content possible. And, whatever you do, continue to make your voice count for our country. As firearm enthusiasts, we understand better than most the gravity of our current state of affairs and how it could quickly veer into the realm of a full-on totalitarian attack of our Second Amendment rights.

So, remember, your voice really does matter when it comes to this magazine—and it matters even more when you cast your vote for the future of America.