Shotguns

Why do I want a sawed-off shotgun, a tiger skin run, and a moonshine still? Mostly because the government tells me I can’t have them. At least not without some serious hoop jumping. After all, anything is an option if the price is right. But for us mortals, we don’t have thousands of dollars and lawyers on call. Good news. Remington has solved one of those problems for us this week. At least in a new gauge, they did.

Having the right tool for the right job helps eek out the most enjoyment of the sport. When I was invited to go waterfowl shooting, I didn’t want to risk water damage to the wood on my upland shotgun. Falling in the water or being pelted by hours of rain is not uncommon when waterfowl hunting, so I knew I needed a shotgun designed for the wet environment of a waterfowl blind. Enter the Mossberg 930 Pro-Series Waterfowl, a 12 gauge, gas operated semi-automatic shotgun designed to take the abusive environment of waterfowl hunting.

With the Hearing Protection Act being heard on Capitol Hill this week and the introduction of the Maxim50, suppressors are front and center in the shooting community. SIG Sauer has been marketing themselves as the “ total systems provider”, and that is proving more accurate by the day. This week, we finished the hard part of getting a suppressor. The waiting game.

The war in Vietnam saw the introduction of a wide array of new technologies. From smart bombs to night vision and lightweight assault rifles, Vietnam was a proving ground for countless new weapons and the tactics that drove their employment. As a result, flight crews operating Army rotary-wing combat aircraft frequently made up the rules as they went along.

Waterfowl hunters are a dedicated lot; heading off to the lakes and swamps before daylight, stringing out decoys, shivering motionlessly in the blind as the morning fog cuts through their best camo jacket, all for the sake of making the skies rain ducks and geese. CZ has just the ticket for those of you who are really serious about filling the skies with shot and bringing down every bird that comes in range, the CZ Swamp Magnum Camo.

“Phil, we’re going to pass on him; he’s just a bit too short for what we’re looking for.” Really?  The bull was as dead as yesterday, comfortably wading in the billabong, completely oblivious to the hunters standing 40 paces away behind the shade tree on the bank. But, professional hunter Graham Williams was very serious, and all I could do was draw the rifle down on the buffalo and count coup. Something in my body language must have expressed frustration, and the ever-cool Willams uttered what I would soon learn was his catch-phrase: “Please be patient, there are many bulls to be looked over.” I shouldered the big German double, and continued on the buffalo trail beside the series of waterholes that dotted the small valley.

As a vehicle, the Affinity would look like a great value with its long lasting, highly reliable, low maintenance, high-performance Inertia-Driven power train and long list of standard features. Then consider its customer-inspired list of models and options that allow you to tailor to meet almost any shooters’ desires and at a reasonable price. You couldn’t go wrong. You could buy the Franchi Affinity and drive it for a lifetime.

There are few manufacturers that have a long-storied history in the defense industry as Winchester. Undoubtedly, few things are more formidable or reliable in battle than a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. Winchester’s Model 1897 has proven over time to be a reliable firearm for protection of America’s finest.

When the original KSG hit the streets so many years ago, it set the firearms world ablaze. It was the must-have new toy for a variety of reasons. Now the KSG-25 offers 24-plus-one shells of buckshot and slugs at your fingertips! An entire box of shells onboard, with the reliability of a pump shotgun. Yes, please! I will take one.