Twilight Zone - On a Positive Note

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2002 by Jim Gardner

No Twilight Zone episode could have been more strange. The only thing missing was the voice of Rod Serling.

You see, found myself agreeing with that arch liberal, California Senator Barbara Boxer. The topic was the arming of airline pilots as a defense against air piracy and terrorism.

At press time, the House has passed by a vote of 310 to 113 a bill which would allow pilots who elect to undergo appropriate training to carry firearms in the cockpit. Despite passage in the House, a similar bill faces a hard fight in the Senate.

"I think this is the first time I have ever stood with Senator Smith on an issue that has involved guns," Senator Boxer commented at a news conference. "I believe that pilots who are carefully trained and want to carry a gun in the cockpit should be allowed to do so," she continued.

Frankly, this may be nothing more than a savvy job of political positioning on the part of Senator Boxer. Regardless, it looks for all the world like an exercise in good ol' common sense. What is disturbing is the fact the President has thus far refused to see the merit of this proposal.

Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Donald Young, (Republican), made an indisputable case for arming pilots.

"Today, armed F-16s are prepared to shoot down any commercial jet that is hijacked by terrorists," said Representative Young. "It is imperative that under these new circumstances, we must allow trained and qualified pilots to serve as the last line of defense against such a potential disaster.

The answer to this question would seem to be very straight forward. If it were you in that cockpit -- facing a dire threat at -- 30,000 feet, with no way of summoning outside help -- wouldn't you want to have one final option in your efforts to bring those in your charge safely to their destination? Let's hope our elected representatives will have the honesty to imagine themselves in such a desperate situation, and will have the courage and common sense to do the right thing.

Rotten Gunwriters

GUNS Magazine reader Jack Whalen of Oklahoma City, Okla., recently fired off a complaint about things in general and about gun writers in particular. Among, his comments was a helpful tip to improve our publication:

"It would help if you would publish more articles about hunting in Africa in which the gun writers get devoured by lions."

In the spirit of reader service, we've begun actively soliciting such a story. A number of our contributors have expressed a willingness to travel to Africa for a hunting trip, but seem reluctant to bring the story to Whalen's desired conclusion.

Jack, we'll keep trying.

Some of you may not be aware that one of the sister publications to GUNS is Shooting Industry Magazine. S.I. is the leading publication for the sporting arms business. Your local dealer reads S.I. to stay abreast of the latest industry news and to learn what trends you, the consumer, are driving.

The Editor of S.I., Russ Thurman, is uncommonly well connected and is usually the first to learn of interesting happenings in the sporting arms market. Thurman has kindly agreed to keep GUNS readers informed when an opportunity arises to save you money or to alert you to an important issue.

Special Report To GUNS Magazine

By Russ Thurman, Editor Shooting Industry Magazine

Firearm companies are adding a lot of spice to the hunting season with numerous promotions designed to attract customers.

Especially attractive to GUNS readers is Browning's rebate on two of their popular shotguns. Browning is offering a $100 rebate to customers who purchase a new Gold 12- or 20-gauge autoloader in 3 or 31/2-inch chambers. Customers purchasing a new Browning 31/2-inch 12-gauge BPS pump shotgun receive a $75 rebate.

Both Browning promotions run through Dec. 31, 2002. Customers can get rebate coupons from Browning dealers or by downloading coupons from the company's Website: www.browning.com.

Browning's use of the Internet reflects a growing trend in the shooting industry with more manufacturers and dealers using the Web to attract and do business. Look for a rapid increase in Web-driven business in the shooting sports.