Letters to Guns

Guns Magazine, June, 2002

GUNS MAGAZINE JUNE 2002

It's About Time

Just finished reading "Smacking Steel" in your March issue. Thank you for finally publishing worthwhile info on long-range handgunning. I hope that you will have more such articles in the very near future.

I get extremely tired of gun writers bragging about their 4-inch groups at 15 yards or even worse, ashamed to state that the group really was at 15 yards. I'll be watching GUNS Magazine for more such useful and interesting articles.

Rick Kelter

Castaic, Calif.

Sizing Up Lyman's Service

I feel compelled to write you to relate a recent experience I've had with Lyman Reloading Products.

While handloading a batch of .45 ACP, I experienced a structural failure of my carbide sizeing die. The carbide ring stuck to a case and came completely out of the die body. After contacting Lyman and explaining that the die was over 20 years old, and had probably processed more than 50,000 rounds of ammunition, I sent the die to them for examination. With this degree of usage on a product I did not have any great expectation of replacement. However, about two weeks later I received a package from Lyman containing a new die body. I would like to publicly commend and recommend Lyman Products for their customer support in this age of buyer-beware economics.

Thanks!

George Powers, Denver, Colo.

Unintentional Wildlife Photo

Thank you for a fine publication. It is always interesting, informative and well worth the cover price. I had to drop you a note to comment on Ichiro Nagata's photo of the Kimber Varminter in the March issue, pages 44 & 45. This is a stunning shot of an impressive rifle. I think that even the fly on the barrel was smitten!

Ken

Walnut Creek, Calif.

Service Does Sell

About 18 months ago I purchased a set of electronic ear muffs from Dillon Precision. A few weeks ago, while at the range, I heard the thud my ear muffs made when they were knocked/wind-blown/somethinged to the concrete firing line. The electronics were just fine but the plastic stud that the frame mounts to was broken.

I called Dillon and informed them this happened well past the 12-month warrantee on the ears, at which point they issued me a Return Authorization number. Less than 10 days later I received a completely new set of ears as well as the batteries I left in the damaged pair. I have used Dillon's products for over 15 years now and they just, once again, reminded me why.

Joe Woolley

Houston, Texas

Don't Try This In Your 10-22

I just wanted to leave a quick note telling you how much I enjoyed reading your test of the Russian's new AN-94 Nikonov (GUNS March '02).

The review was very interesting and well done but I would really like to see a ballistics review of this 5.54 x 39 mm cartridge. This ammo has sparked my curiosity and I am hoping that maybe some U.S. manufactures will develop a sport semi-auto or even a bolt action, It would be fun to see an AR-15 conversion in this caliber or maybe Ruger will take the Mini 14 or 10-22 to this round. Even a nice little bolt action would be a sweet little small game and varmint popper.

Anyways, thanks for the article. It's fun to see how the future is going to change the way things work.

Kim Whipple

Via e-mail

Toothless Goobers?

Re: "Airport Security, et al [sic], post 9/11" in the April issue: Mas, you really ought to stick to what you do best, which is writing about guns, and lay off the social commentary. Your comments about the "fat cat" pistol owner with his "carry permit bought in a 'discretionary' state" could just as well have been made about toothless goobers and shall-issue states. Might that have offended too many readers?

I don't want to be on an airplane with either. Or, for that matter, with the fellow from our home state who was arrested at a metal detector at Logan Airport with a .22 pistol in his pocket, claiming he had "forgotten(?!?)" he had put it there.

William Politt

Via e-mail

Ayoob replies:

While most "shall issue" states have some sort of training or competency requirement for a carry permit, many "discretionary" states do not. Too often, anti-gun politicians and the police chiefs they appoint have used their "discretion" to limit the issuance of permits to wealthy people with political connections regardless of competence, hence the "fat cat" comment.

For good or ill, the arming of good people on board commercial aircraft, including even airline personnel who have passed the rigid psychological testing and intensive firearms training recommended by the Airline Pilot's Association, has become a political football. Thus we can't discuss this important firearms-related issue without crossing over the border into social commentary.

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