The Rifleman Report: Patriotic Americans

Having attended from the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas, I can personally testify to the excitement shared by more than 70,000 patriotic Americans who viewed the firearms and accessories displayed by hundreds of companies across 14 acres of exhibit hall.

And while that portion of our organization’s 153rd such event was phenomenal, the “Meetings” portion was also significant, resulting in new directions for the organization that you can read about from Executive Vice President and CEO Doug Hamlin.

That’s right, Hamlin, who has been at the helm of NRA Publications for the past decade, has taken on a broader role that will, among many other things, ensure that the NRA Publications Division stays on track and attuned to the news that NRA members need in order to help our organization fight for all Americans’  Second Amendment rights.

Given all the grand event’s many other presentations and special activities—including a speech by presumptive Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump—there was far more to discover than most attendees had time to fully appreciate. (For highlights, read this.) This year’s Golden Bullseye winners received those awards at a special breakfast, and, as we noted in that coverage, there are several trends that we’ve been following since earlier in the year.

For instance, our cover story displays one of the finest and most desirable examples of the double-action revolver ever to delight the discerning wheelgunner. In “The Return Of The Blued Python,” contributor and revolver specialist Kevin McPherson runs one of the latest iterations of the famous “snake” gun through its paces to find out how it stacks up against the originals from days gone by. The takeaway is confirmation that a finely engineered and well-built revolver—though entirely different in appearance and operation from the majority of handguns sold today—is not only far from obsolete, but, in many circles, highly prized.

Another example can be found in “The Lever-Action Comes Of Age,” by Executive Editor Evan Brune, who explores some of the reasons behind the recent resurgence of this quintessentially American longarm design and calls out some of the most eye-catching new examples. It makes for an interesting case study when you realize that the lever-action was, for much of the 20th century, an everyman’s utility rifle suitable for sport, hunting and self-defense—exactly what the AR-style semi-automatic has become for the 21st century. And perhaps that’s why the latest lever guns appropriate their functional features and styling cues from the AR market. What with detachable box magazines, Picatinny rails, threaded muzzles and M-Lok slots, today’s lever guns are fully up to speed for the modern rifleman.

And in “Hornady: 75 Years Of ‘Accurate, Deadly, Dependable’ Ammunition,” Editor Emeritus John Zent lays out yet another remarkable trend from a company whose timeline is chock full of ballistic innovation: ultra-performance bullets and ammunition. It all began in 1949 when a Nebraska family patriarch was compelled to satisfy his desire for projectiles that would function better than the status quo. In the decades that ensued, Joyce Hornady’s quest was taken up by his son, Steve, and grandson, Jason, who continue to nurture and steer the business into worldwide renown among serious shooters as it introduces advanced ballistic technology to enhance all manner of commonly owned firearms.

As the most recent NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits resoundingly proved, there are still many patriotic Americans who are passionate about the firearms, optics, ammunition and related gear used for pure enjoyment and to ensure individual liberty—and that passion is the key to the preservation of our prized Second Amendment.