Does anybody here work for Rifle Magazine.

Seems like they cut out the Custom Guns column again. I really liked it when they interviewed a custom maker each month and showed photos of his work.

Agree 100%

If true, I'd bet subscriptions are way down.
Something has to go, and the Publisher chose that, maybe. Just speculatin'.

Don

quote:

Originally posted by DMB:
If true, I'd bet subscriptions are way down.
Something has to go, and the Publisher chose that, maybe. Just speculatin'.
Don

I have a complete set of my back issues of both Rifle and Handloader from issue # 1 of each, was a loyal fan from day one, but I haven't even bothered to subscribe to either in several years. When the new guy took over many years ago the whole focus changed and IMO they've both gone WAY downhill.
Regards, Joe

quote:

When the new guy took over many years ago the whole focus changed and IMO they've both gone WAY downhill.
Regards, Joe

Agreed, I can see and pretty much read all I need to at the magazine rack, have not bought an issue for a long time...I keep looking but not much there to peak my intrest anymore!

We subscribe to both journals. On average, there is 1/2 as much usable information per issue as was the case when they had writers along the lines of Layne Simpson, Wayne Van Zwoll, PhD, Ross Seifried (SP?), and a bigger role by John Barnsness (SP?).

Stan Trzonic (SP?) does the photography for "custom corner". If he is not feeling well, or off flogging his new book - that could be a factor.

I am getting sick of "loading for this specific BPCR rifle" and "I loaded buckets and buckets of cast bullets to shoot out of my WWII collection that I sold all of my Winchester Model 70's, Mausers and useful/modern lever actions for.

How about a two or three part story in Rifle Where an experienced accuracy gunsmith takes us by the hand and shows us from A to Z (in order even) of how he takes a Remington action and completely re-machines it so every surface is concentric, round and/or normal (perpendicular) to all the other surfaces? The follow up article could discuss four or five possible metal surface treatments.

No, I could not go out and do that to an action based on the story, but it would save so much phone time with gunsmiths.

There could also be a five or six part story on taking a pre - 1950 Mauser action from barrel removal to cleaning to having it annealed to getting it as straight as is reasonably necessary, to re-machining the inside and bolt with the idea of having two lugs, the internal safety lug and even the bolt handle to provide a total of four safety points, to grinding the exterior (even where it does not show above the water line). Then a look at possibly bushing the firing pin hole and bringing the firing pin down in diameter with the end modified to work correctly. Then an in depth look at how to get all four of the lugs/bolt handles to snug up true simultaneously. Use nice pictures to show how the exterior is ground down just enough.

Do not forget the all important orders from Scroll cutter, "do not braze, solder, weld, glue or bolt on the bolt handle until after the engraving is done!"

When to send the receiver back for re-carburizing. When the receiver comes back how much and where is it likely to need a touch more of regrinding, or re-cutting with Mr. Carbide.

Then a part of the overall article about the theory and practice of getting the magazine to the correct dimensions; when you can modify the original magazine box and when you need to buy an after market set of bottom metal.

The same for the safety/striker/trigger system timing. Whether to stay with the original military two stage trigger with a tiny touch of judicious stoning, or whether to get an after market trigger. Same type of review of wing versus flag safeties.

And on and on, etc., etc.

Every issue would sell out, and there would be many more better informed consumers.

Not much of this stuff is proprietary "magic". The difference between a very well skilled gunsmith and a 1/2 trained village blacksmith will still be as wide and deep as the Grand Canyon.

I remember reading articles of this ilk back in the late 1970s and through the 1980s; hanging on every word.

Anyway, it is time to get my latest issue from the post office and find all about the P-38, P-35, Arisaka, O3A3.....

Hopefully Ganyana will write up his latest encounter with a bull elephant who false-charged to 6 meters, and then real-charged to 2 meters. That edition will be worth buying and taking home.

IMO the major problem lies in the pay scale for the articles and the editor's intended readership type.

Precision Shooting caters to a more sophisticated clientele than most and has a completely different economic base in both sales and operations, and the editor can afford to be picky about his choices since it's considered quite the honor to have an article published there and so the money isn't usually as great a consideration.

Rifle and Handloader OTOH are not nearly as prestigious, at least not in my mind, and so many of the real experts don't care to spend their time & effort for so comparatively little money and so little peer recognition. In addition, most of the experts' contributions would be beyond the interest (and the comprehension) of at least a portion of the readership.

Both these magazines began going downhill the moment the new owner made the decision to expand to newsstand sales instead of subscription-only. Might as well call 'em Shooting and Blasting, nowadays.
Regards, Joe

quote:

Precision Shooting caters to a more sophisticated clientele than most and has a completely different economic base in both sales and operations, and the editor can afford to be picky about his choices since it's considered quite the honor to have an article published there and so the money isn't usually as great a consideration.

Gave this one up to after seeing about the fourth artical on how well a potato gun shot!