Double-duty doubles usefulness and sales

Shooting Industry, Oct, 1997 by Massab Ayoob

Since we're looking at how to increase your sales of long guns in this issue, let's examine how this double-duty theme can apply to shotguns and rifles.

Target And Home-Defense Rifles

Who would argue with Clint Smith, of Thunder Ranch, when he recommends a .223 rifle for home defense? This is backed by FBI tests that show .223 ammo, particularly hollowpoints, often have less penetration and "collateral damage potential" when striking an offender than many pistol bullets? That same .223, usually in the AR-15 format, works in high-power rifle shooting ranging from NRA service rifle competition to IPSC and the Second Chance Shoot. The 3-gun format is increasing in popularity at civilian practical shooting tournaments and local police combat matches as well.

I recently placed third at the Washington state shoot put on by Washington State Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors' Association using a borrowed Colt AR-15 semi-auto. The same weapon would do fine for home defense. So would the little Olympic Arms carbine in the same 5.56mm chambering that my daughter uses as a plinking rifle.

Cowboy, Hunting, Home Defense

The Western pioneers used the same guns to feed their families, defend themselves when out and about, and defend their homes. That's triple duty and the concept still works today.

In pistol caliber carbines, a .44 Magnum lever action from Winchester or Marlin is amply suitable as a 100-yard deer gun and its recoil is mild enough for youngsters or petite ladies. The same carbine or rifle will take .44 Special amino for the increasingly popular cowboy action shoots that have been a boon to firearms retailers.

Let the customer know he'll still have a deer gun when he's not suited up for a cowboy shoot. It'll make the sale a lot more agreeable. The .44 carbine also makes a fine home-defense gun. A logical companion sale is a .44 Magnum Ruger revolver. The Super Blackhawk is permitted in Modem class under cowboy shooting rules. The fixed-sight Vaquero is suitable for Traditional and Duelist competition with .44 Special ammo. While I wouldn't recommend a frontier-style single-action revolver for personal defense, when properly sighted and loaded it would be fine for hunting.

A .357 Magnum carbine like the Rossi or the brands mentioned might be a little light for deer, but they're just right for a home-defense gun. They hit with the power of a .357 Maximum revolver with little more recoil than a .22. Of course, the .38 Special lead-bullet cowboy loads are cheap and easy to shoot in Single Action Shooting Society-inspired matches.

The same goes for a short, double-barreled 12- or 20-gauge shotgun like the hammerless Rossi Coach Gun. Allowable in cowboy matches in either bore, they also make fine close-range upland bird guns. Top experts like Chuck Taylor and Col. Jeff Cooper have recommended the 12-gauge double as a home-defense gun.

The 20 gauge shouldn't be neglected for home defense, either. Its mild recoil makes it particularly suitable for those short in stature or mild in upper-body strength. Few medical examiners can see much difference in the damage caused by 27 pellets of .23 caliber (12 gauge #4 buckshot) compared to that inflicted by 20 pellets of .25 caliber (the standard 20-gauge load of #3 buck).

The Versatile Repeating Shotgun

The pages of gun magazines your customers read are replete with ads from manufacturers offering great deals on attractively priced pump and auto shotguns with interchangeable barrels or chokes. Again, multiple uses are the selling point.

The short-barreled Remington autoloader in my closet is loaded with Winchester #1 Express buckshot for the protection of myself and my family. It shoots slugs more than accurately enough for deer hunting and it has never failed me in 3-gun modem practical shooting matches or bowling pin tournaments. While onerous Crime Bill provisions have limited to a degree your ability to sell multiple desirable accessories for such shotguns, the core sale itself is easy to make. The modem shotgun is the most versatile of firearms.

Common sense tells buyers that tools performing multiple tasks well are tools worth having, and a natural bargain. It follows that retailers, who emphasize multiple practical uses, can expect to sell a lot more products to satisfied customers.