Column

“In 2008, the year Obama won the presidency, there were 12.7 million background checks. In his last full year as president, 2016, there were 27.5 million. How many guns do we need? And, what is this really about?”

What do you do when you need to carry a man-sized gun? I’m not talking about the one you use for bad guys. I’m talking about the one you need for lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Earlier this year I noticed a Facebook ad for American Technology Network’s (ATN) new X-Sight II HD digital rifle scope. As firearm-related ads are wont to do, it called my name until I finally decided to check it out.

A slow or sloppy presentation is akin to leisurely leaving the starting blocks when the starter’s gun goes off for a race. This is the case no matter where you carry your gun. While there are countless ways to carry, let’s look at two of the most common modes of carry (standard waistband carry and a pocket pistol) and how to effectively get them into the fight.

How do you tell if a riflescope is first or second focal plane?

“Always carry a gun”

I looked in mild surprise at the Border Patrol agent who had just spoken the words. We had been discussing the illegal drug trafficking that occurred on a near-daily basis across the West Texas ranch where I worked.
“Yeah, I usually do … But really?”
“Yes. You just never know.”

For many of us, carrying a concealed handgun includes carrying while spending significant time in the workplace.

In their perfect, all-knowing wisdom, the United States Congress in 1934 limited the legal length of a rifle barrel to no shorter than 16 inches. For barrels under 16 inches, the National Firearms Act requires gun owners to apply for a special license and render unto Uncle Sam a $200 tax stamp. But the Act includes a caveat. Barrels are measured from the breech face to “the furthermost end of the barrel or permanently attached muzzle device.” A barrel can be 14.5 inches long, for example, provided a 1.5-inch muzzle device is also permanently affixed.

When it comes to long-range competition, the automatic assumption is that you need a riflescope that’s equal or greater in cost to most people’s house payment in order to compete. While you can certainly go that route, there’s also a lot to be said about budget-friendly glass that’s still more than qualified to take on the benchmark 1,000-yard shot. A case in point is Nikon’s new Black X1000, a scope engineered from the ground up to tackle the precision rifle game.