New love? Or old love?

Guns Magazine, Nov, 2008 by Mike "Duke" Venturino

Because I've been writing a number of articles in these pages concerning shooting World War II era firearms, a number of readers have written or e-mailed me wondering about my "new love." Many are concerned I've lost all feeling for the Colt SAAs, Winchester lever guns, and BPCRs--guns for which I've been identified with most of my writing career.

Never fear! My vault still has numerous specimens of all those other firearms, but to be exact, this focus on WWII firearms is not a "new love." In fact, my interest pre-dates all those other guns, which might be normal for someone who grew up in the '50s and '60s. Then, WWII was a recent happening--not history. Movies and television had WWII as a subject on nearly a daily basis. And, it was hard to browse the paperback racks in a bookstore without seeing swastika flags and rising sun flags on a number of book covers.

Looking back over the hand jotted lifelong records I've kept of guns owned, it turns out my very first centerfire rifle was an M1 Carbine. I was only 15 but badgered my non-shooting father to join the NRA so we could get one of those DCM ones costing precisely $20 including shipping. Then my 5th centerfire rifle was an as-issued US Model 1903A3 Springfield .30-06 for which I paid $40. I credit it with preserving my sanity during college. Freed of the bondage in which egomaniacal professors held me during the week, on weekends I tinkered with that old '03 and cast bullets. In the years that rifle was with me, several thousand rounds were fired from it and I doubt if a single one of them ever held a jacketed bullet.

Getting' Serious

Upon exiting college, life then became exciting. I moved my residence from West Virginia to Montana, actually got paid to ride horses, did a little bumming around the southwest in the wintertime, and eventually fell in with Montana big game and varmint hunters. All that aimlessness came to a dead end when I met and married Yvonne.

Then it was time to get serious about making a living i.e. having a gunwriting career. After over 30 years and nearly 1,500 printed articles, most readers today don't remember a great amount of my earliest work concerned bolt-action varmint rifles. What articles didn't, usually had cast bullets for the subject. Interest in WWII firearms was pushed aside, but I never quit reading and studying the history of that era.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

As with most young newlyweds, money was tight for us, so I made Yvonne a vow. I would not take any money I made from my "job"--whatever it may be--to spend on guns. And I never have--not a penny. However, we agreed any money I produced on the side was mine to do with as I pleased. Talk about a sure way to become an entrepreneur!

First I scanned the For Sale ads in newspapers for reloading equipment, which was then sold by the piece. Then I joined with a friend in a mail order bullet lube business that eventually became very lucrative. Finally I hit on the idea of writing books to generate "side money." Since that latter endeavor might be considered a gray area as pertains to my "job" I've glossed it over some by using income from books to buy Yvonne a fancy new horse trailer and help with expenses for trips to Hawaii. (Brothers, Duke isn't stupid!)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For each book project (Shooting Colt Single Actions, Shooting Sixguns Of The Old West, Shooting Lever Guns Of The Old West, and Shooting Buffalo Rifles Of The Old West) I bought a number of .guns to gain hands on experience. For instance, for the Colt book, SAAs from a 3" barreled Sheriff's Model to a 12" barreled Buntline were bought. However, not being wealthy, some of those guns had to be sold in order to order to buy ones particular to the next book project. But some found favor and stayed here. For instance, the 3" .44-40 Sheriff's model stuck, the Buntline is long gone. After the Lever Guns book, the vintage Marlin Model 1894.38-40 remained but the likewise vintage Winchester Model 1894.32 Special went to someone else. (This is a hint as to where the purchase of WWII firearms is going.)

Nowadays, a knee begging for replacement precludes much hunting and BPCR Silhouette competition is my major passion. I've got all the BPCR Silhouette competition rifles a normal person could ask for. Ditto for home defense and concealed carry handguns. Therefore, my old interest in WWII firearms reignited. And I'm having a blast hunting down things like that 1943 vintage, as issued, Winchester-made M1 Carbine shown recently in this column. Also, learning about shooting and reloading for things like the Czech made VZ24 8mm sniper rifle of another recent column has been most enjoyable. And I did a big sale on long unused guns and recently became the proud (And legal!) owner of several WWII submachine guns.

So no, this is not a new love. It's more like a rekindled old flame and I'm enjoying the relationship immensely.

PHOTOS: YVONNE VENTURINO