August has always been one of my favorite months. Summer is drawing to a close, baseball pennant races are heating up, football is just around the corner, and, of course, hunting seasons are coming soon. Another thing that has always made August special is that it's the time of year marking the appearance of the new Gun Digest annual book. As a youngster I looked forward to every edition, knowing I would soon learn more about my favorite hobby by reading the stories, looking at the photos and browsing through the catalog section. These days, amazingly, I find myself in the editor's chair of the World's Greatest Gun Book – and it is still an exciting event to look forward to each summer.
Just a few weeks ago, the staff and I put the wraps on the 2014 68th Edition and it's now appearing on bookshelves all over the country and right here in our online store. Here's a quick look at what you'll find inside.
In-Depth Gun Reviews and Stories
Some of the best writers in the field have contributed to this edition, sharing their knowledge, experiences and opinions on the guns of today and yesterday. This edition has several stories on some of the world's most famous and historically significant rifles. Wayne van Zwoll compares Winchester's current Model 70 to the pre-64, Terry Wieland covers the great Mannlicher-Schoenauers of the early 20th century, Phil Schreier of the National Firearms Museum profiles the lever-action Winchesters of Teddy Roosevelt, and Paul Scarlata tells the fascinating story of the controversial Ross rifle of Canada. On the military side, Gary Paul Johnston compares and contrasts the M14 and the FN-FAL, and Corey Graff gives an excellent report on Remington's legendary M24 sniper rifle.
The Latest on Handguns
In the handgun category, if you're into single-action revolvers, I'm sure you know John Taffin. And John knows Ruger sixguns. In this edition he shares his experiences with custom Rugers spanning over half a century. Other handgun topics include retired Texas Sheriff Jim Wilson's views on backup guns, Frank James salutes the first magnum-the .357-, and Steve Gash reviews the Ruger SR40. Steve also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most respected names in the shooting industry, Hodgdon Power Co.
Plus A Deep Dive Into All Things Guns
We also have some great articles and field reports on shotguns, rimfires, knives, optics, handloading and other gun-related topics. And for eye candy, there are plenty of photos of the state-of-the-art custom guns, as profiled by Tom Turpin.
It's August and time to visit gundigeststore.com, your local book store, a gun shop or the gun counter at your nearest Walmart, to check out the 2014 68th Edition of Gun Digest!
Recommended Links for the Gun Digest Annual Book
Click Here to get your copy of the Gun Digest 2014
