For all you loyal Gun Digest annual readers out there who’ve been chompin’ at the bit for this year’s edition, you can breathe a side of relief, pull up a comfy chair, and settle in for a good long read, because it’s finally here! Gun Digest 2013 is on bookstore shelves.
I had the privilege of co-editing this 67th Edition with Jerry Lee, and I know we’re both very happy to continue the tradition of giving our readers a deep mix of topics and stories, the snapshots and tales of firearms that are both part of our past and making their history today. Let me walk you through just a bit of what you’ll find inside.
One of my instant favorites during the initial editing stage was Rick Hacker’s essay on the Hollywood guns of TV westerns. While I was never a big fan of TV westerns beyond The Lone Ranger (which I watched mainly for a glimpse at the horses), Rick’s words bought to life the guns—some real, some not—of that era and made me want to buy a complete DVD set of everything John Wayne. Seriously, Hacker’s piece is that entertaining.
Guns of the Hillsville Courthouse Tragedy by Tom Cacecci was another story that drew me in. A fascinating look at a renegade Virginia family from yesteryear, an examination of the guns involved in a courthouse shooting and a glance at the mindset of the era will leave you stunned, when you consider today’s metal detectors poised at the entrance of every judicial center in the country.
Looking for something more present day? Well, there’s Patrick Sweeney’s excellent piece on the new SIG P210, which will absolutely make you want to run to your nearest gun store and add one to your arsenal, because let me tell you, when Pat’s this impressed with a handgun, you should be, too.
Nick Hahn provides a very thorough examination of the venerable Browning Auto-5, a timely piece given the recent so-called “re-introduction” of the famous humpback scattergun (which resembles the classic Browning shotguns in name only).
Did you know that some variants of this gun can be determined by a just a few ounces difference in weight? A fascinating read, and a nice pairing with Wayne van Zwoll’s A Lust for Levers, which more than proves that today’s lever-action rifles are as capable as ever of tackling just about every form of hunting around the globe.
To be sure, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s inside the covers of the Gun Digest 2013 67th Annual Edition (we can’t tell you everything that’s included!) But whether this is your first Gun Digest annual or your sixty-seventh, whether you’re a brand new gun owner or an avid firearms collector, there’s something in here for everyone.
P.S. We know that many of you are incredibly loyal fans of the Gun Digest annual book and that this may well be your sixty-seventh purchase. If you’re missing some volumes, and especially if you’ve only recently started collecting the Gun Digest annual books, remember that we have digital downloads of all our editions, including a special DVD set that has volumes 1944-2009.
