Letters to guns - Crossfire

Guns Magazine, Oct, 2002

LETTER OF THE MONTH

GUNS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2002

President George W. Bush

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

The attached article from GUNS Magazine, August 2002, pretty much sums up the sorry state of affairs of our airline industry.

The airlines will never recover financially if the "security" charade is allowed to continue.

In the meantime, I agree wholeheartedly with John Taffin, author of Campfire Tales. I also will not fly again and be forced to relinquish personal freedoms, and worse, be treated as a potential terrorist.

Sincerely, Charles W. Brown Rescue, Calif.

Make Mine A Lightweight

Massad Ayoob's review of the Springfield Micro Compact .45s all but dismissed gun weight as a factor to consider for concealed carry.

Steel frame autoloaders in this size range are overly heavy for the role. CCWP holders buy compact guns for convenient carry and a lightweight alloy frame is an integral part of the package. Springfield would do well to drop the steel frame and produce an alloy "mil-spec" and "fancy" version.

I would like to see a basic aluminum framed Micro Compact with only one other change, a compact beavertail safety.

The non-extended thumb safety is less likely to be moved off safe in the thumb-break paddle holsters I prefer. CCWP holders have to take their gun off regularly at Post-Offices, government buildings, schools and other restricted areas. Being able to stash a holstered single action autoloader with a safety strap between hammer and slide is a definite safety concern.

Ralph McLaney

Brandon, Miss.

X-treme Duty Leather

Great magazine and a superb article from Petty and Ayoob on the pro's and con's of the new Springfield XD.

I've been carrying one for about six months now, and also had a difficult time finding a holster that fit properly. After searching for some months, I found that High Noon Holsters has been producing wet formed holsters for the HS2000 and XD for some time.

High Noon offers low price, excellent quality, and fast turn-around for what I consider a "custom" holster for the XD. They may be reached at [727] 786-7528, or www.highnoonholsters.com.

I thought GUNS Magazine readers should know this info so they can spend more time carrying this excellent firearm.

Keep up the good work!

Jim Agrian

Kennett Square, Pa.

J.T. Is On The Money

Sometimes I do not agree with John Taffin, but he is entitled to his opinions. The August Campfire Tales concerning this country's airlines, however, is exactly right.

Because of the turmoil around airports I never did like to fly, but had no choice because of the work I did. Now I'm retired and wouldn't fly if the airlines were paying me.

Leland B. Green

Island Park, Idaho

Corrected Attribution

Massad Ayoob, in his Handguns column "Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time," invoked: "Frank Lloyd Wright's dictum: form follows function."

Just thought I'd point out that the dictum was coined by a different American architect, Louis Sullivan, the father of the skyscraper, in his 1896 article, "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered."

Thanks for listening.

Gerald Fried

Corona, Calif.

The Human Element

I am not a regular reader of your magazine but felt compelled to write about the content of your July 2002 issue.

Three articles stood above the rest of your quality writing. The published letter from Herb Richardson, the interview with Mikhail Kalashnikov by David and Emily Fortier, and John Taffin's Campfire Tales column all departed from the usual technical discussion of firearms and their use to talk about human beings.

While I am as much an equipment enthusiast as anyone, and most of my hobbies are based in that worship and love of our toys, human relationships are what life is really all about. I have moved away from several hobbies when the human elements of friendship and camaraderie did not materialize.

Kalashnikov's discussions clearly illustrate him as not only a mechanical designer, but foremost as a soldier and patriot devoted to his country and his people.

Mr. Richardson's father was no shooter, but indulged his son's shooting interests to teach him many important facets of life, a role Mr. Richardson is reprising to his children and grandchildren.

Taffin's column reminded us that the changes and challenges of everyday life have the potential to place any of us in the role of a hero, and that those hero's responsibilities are huge.

These reflections on our most important human character elements are far more important than any technical information you might print. Thanks for taking the time and space to publish something a little outside the traditional box and remind us all about those things that are really important in life. How our fellow citizens, shooters and others, deal successfully with those really important parts of life is what makes our nation what it is today.

Sincerely,

William L. Powell III

Via e-mail

GUNS MAGAZINE[TM] welcomes letters to the editor for "Crossfire." Send your letters to: CROSSFIRE, GUNS Magazine, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108. Email: ed@gunsmagazine.com