Tag Archives: gun culture

Those Lost to the Gun Community in 2025

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From international competitors and actors who made six-guns forever iconic to pioneering inventors and household names in the firearms industry, here is a look at those lost to us in 2025.

Lubos Adamec– Czech sport shooter who competed at the Summer Olympics in 1988 and 1992 in mixed skeet. He won three silver and a bronze medal at the European Individual Championships, as well as eight medals in team competitions at the World  Championships. He died in September, aged 66.

Joe Don Baker– Iconic Texas-born actor and Army veteran who appeared in at least three different Bond films, “Guns of the Magnificent Seven,” “Walking Tall,” “Mars Attacks!” “Cape Fear,” and others. He passed in May at the age of 89.

Frank R. Brownell III– The only son of Brownells founder Bob and his wife Lois, Frank grew up in Iowa and became involved in both the family business and the American gun industry at an early age, spending six decades with the company, with breaks to serve in the Navy and attend the University of Iowa. He passed in June, just shy of his 86th birthday.

Lino Cerati – The Italian sports shooter known for competing in the 1976 Summer Olympics, died in November, aged 87.

Wiley Clapp – A Virginia Military Institute alum (Class of 57) and Marine officer who saw heavy combat in Vietnam, Clapp went on to spend a career in law enforcement before he started writing for Gun World in 1986. Since then, he penned hundreds of articles in numerous firearms publications as well as at least two books. Ruger produced the special edition Wiley Clapp GP100 revolver with his input, while Colt’s introduced the Wiley Clapp CCO (Concealed Carry Officers) 1911-style pistol. He passed in June at home, aged 90.

Jimmy Cliff – Jamaican reggae and ska legend known for his amazing cover of Guns of Brixton and, notably, for on-screen S&W wielding in the 1986 Robin Williams comedy “Club Paradise.” He died in November at the age of 81.

Trevan Clough – Represented Papua New Guinea in trap at the 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics. He passed at 82.

Gunther Danne – German sports shooter who represented West Germany in the 1972 Summer Olympics. He passed in October, aged 82.

Philip H. Dater – The New York-born Dater, a radiologist and Vietnam-era U.S. Air Force veteran known as a founding figure in modern firearm suppressor innovation, started designing suppressors in the 1950s, later “dabbling off-hours in his hospital’s machine shop” before going on to found first the Automatic Weapons Company (AWC) and later Gemini Technologies, today’s Gemtech. A true mentor and pioneer in the field of suppressor development, Dr. Dater died in January, aged 87.

Earl Herring – Maryland-born sports shooter who competed on the U.S. team in the skeet event at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He passed in June, aged 93.

John Brewster “JB” Hodgdon — Well-known member of the firearms community and lifelong resident of Kansas, JB was a staple of the Hodgdon Powder Company for five decades and passed in June at the age of 88.

Val Kilmer – The California-born actor was famous to gun nerds everywhere for his roles as Doc Holliday in “Tombstone” and Chris Shiherlis in “Heat,” among dozens of other iconic appearances. He passed in April, aged 65, but his films will live forever.

John Kopec – Noted firearms historian and author who penned several top-shelf books and collector’s magazine articles on 19th-century martial Colt single-actions. He passed in February, aged 97.

William Theodore “Ted” Kotcheff – Canadian-Bulgarian director and producer who brought the movie “First Blood” (1982), the first in the Rambo series, to life. He also directed “Wake in Fright” (1971), “Uncommon Valor” (1983), and “The Shooter” (1995). He passed in April, aged 94.

Andreas Kronthaler – Austrian sports shooter who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Kronthaler died in March 2025, at the age of 73.

Robert “Bob” Nosler – A Vietnam-era Navy veteran, Nosler joined the family business as its sixth employee and spent four decades leading the now legendary Oregon-based manufacturer of bullets, cartridge cases, ammunition, firearms, and suppressors. The Chairman of the company that bears his family name passed in September, at the age of 79.

Sam Paredes – A formidable defender of the Constitution and 2A legend, Paredes dedicated 40 years of his life to Gun Owners of California– the oldest pro-gun political action committee in the country– and was a longtime board member of Gun Owners of America and the Gun Owners Foundation. He passed in August, aged 68, and was a friend and mentor to many in the fight for gun rights in the country.

Yevgeni Petrov – Perhaps the best known Russian skeet shooter, having earned a Gold in the 1968 Summer Olympics and a Silver in the 1972 games, passed in Moscow in November at the age of 87. He was a six-time world champion and coached the Russian clay team at the 1992 Olympics.

Athos Pisoni – Brazilian sports shooter who won gold in skeet in the 1975 Pan Am Games and represented his country at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He passed in February, aged 87.

Olegario Vázquez Rana – Renowned Spanish-born Mexican competitive shooter who competed in every Olympics from 1964 to 1976 and world championships from 1966 to 1979, setting numerous world records. Among other offices, he served as President of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) for over 30 years. He died in March, aged 89.

Hans Kjeld Rasmussen – Danish sport shooter and Olympic champion who won the gold in skeet at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Rasmussen died in February, aged 70.

Phil Robertson – The professional waterfowler, inventor, and outspoken “Duck Commander” founder passed away in May, aged 79.

Michael Sabbeth – The Denver-based lawyer and lecturer wrote several books as well as numerous articles on hunting and shooting, with his work appearing in “Safari Magazine,” “The Double Gun Journal,” “Sporting Classics,” and “Claying Shooting USA,” among others. His blog, “The Honorable Hunter,” endures. He passed in November, aged 78.

Alan Simpson – The Wyoming politician and longtime Senate Republican Whip and Army veteran also served on the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Board of Trustees for over 50 years and was instrumental in bringing the Winchester Collection to Cody and helping build the Center into the “Smithsonian of the West.” He passed in March, aged 93.

John Taffin – Authored five books and over 500 published articles in the pages of “Guns,” “Gun Digest,” “Sixgunner,” “Shoot!” and “American Handgunner,” going back to 1967, while he clocked in on his day job as a math teacher. The legend, when it came to six-guns and cowboy action shooting, passed in March, aged 85.

Martin Tuason – The President and CEO of Armscor and Rock Island Armory, Tuason passed in November, aged 51, after leading the companies since 2012. Besides expanding the company’s footprint around the globe, he will also be remembered as the “T” in the innovative .22 TCM cartridge.

Ed Williams – After service in the U.S. Navy, Williams spent a career as a speech teacher at LA City College before moving into being a character actor and comedian in the 1980s, starring in “Police Squad!” and the “Naked Gun” franchise, among others. He died in October at the age of 98.

Going past these esteemed members of the firearms community at large, we also note the closing of a number of gun companies, including Anderson Manufacturing, DelTon, Kalashnikov USA, Pioneer Arms, and SCCY.

And so, we remember.

Meet the New Army Small Arms Ammo Facility

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In WWII, the Army had 12 War Department-owned and operated plants dedicated to making small arms ammunition, around the clock.

These plants slowly shuttered post-war, with brief respites caused by Korea and Vietnam, until the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant, which had been placed on “standby” in 1976, was finally closed in 2005, leaving only Lake City AAP in Independence, Missouri as the only remaining Army small arms plant.

Even at that, Lake City was run on contract at first by Olin-Winchester, then Northrop Grumman, and, since 2019, by Olin-Winchester once again.

Well, the Army is moving ahead with the construction of its first new small arms ammunition factory in decades, and it will be dedicated to making ammo for the Next Generation Squad Weapons.

The new 450,000 sq. ft., facility, built on the Lake City AAP campus, had its groundbreaking on Feb. 5.

It will feature modern manufacturing systems capable of producing “all components” of 6.8×51 Common Cartridge ammunition as part of the NGSW program.

The 6.8x51mm, seen in SIG-loaded 113-grain ball for the NGSW program and a .277 Fury commercial load (white tip). (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

The Army specified this includes “cartridge case and projectile manufacturing, energetic operations for loading and charging ammunition, product packaging, process quality controls, testing laboratories, maintenance operations, and administrative areas.”

Opening by 2028 (ish), it is expected to be able to make upwards of 400 million rounds a year– against Lake City’s legacy capacity to make 1.4 billion rounds of all other calibers. Until then, 6.8 is sole-sourced through SIG.

More in my column at Guns.com.

Taking a Look Back at My First Gun(s)

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Growing up a little bit wild in the 1970s and ’80s, the question of just what was “my first gun” is sort of complicated.

First off, none of this is legal advice – or advice of any kind – and this is just my own personal gun journey, warts and all. Remember to properly store and use all firearms in line with published safety guidelines.

Now, let’s get into it.

As a short background, I grew up with a grandfather who was a retired career NCO with 30 years of military service in exotic places like Persia and Indochina that I couldn’t find on the map any longer. His house was filled with four sons: my uncles, who were all slightly older than me and were effectively like big brothers. However, my feisty 4-foot-10-inch German-born Nana, who had only escaped the Communists by sneaking across the Iron Curtain 15 years before I hit the ground, ran the show.

Raised in Eastern Georgia and Gulf South Mississippi as part of the aforementioned tribe, with the Russians and their pals seemingly coming any minute, guns were a part of my life.

My grandpa carried a Smith & Wesson J-frame every day, even though there wasn’t a CCW law at the time. It was the same one he had carried “just in case” while in Vietnam. We all knew about the M1911 in his dresser in a Schrodinger’s cat kind of way – the same way we knew of the old Stevens pump gun behind the workbench at his TV repair shop. He had a locked glass-cased oak gun cabinet in the den filled with war bringbacks (Chicom SKS, Korean War Mosin, and Mausers), hunting shotguns (he loved Browning humpback A5s), and deer rifles (Winchester 70s).

My Nana also EDC’d – a .25 Baby Browning in her purse and a .38 in the glove box of her baby blue Lincoln Continental land yacht – long before EDC was cool. She also stockpiled food and hid it everywhere. It was common to look under the couch for a lost shoe and find it hiding among cans of peas and bags of rice. As a survivor of both der Nassis and der Kommies, she was a believer in all forms of insurance. That was probably why she had an M1 Carbine that shared space in PawPaw’s gun case.

Guns were just a part of life.

As a bit of a gun and war nerd, even as a kid, my favorite TV shows (“Jonny Quest,” “Combat!,” “S.W.A.T.”, “The Rat Patrol,” “Battlestar Galactica”) and movies (“The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Patton,” “A Bridge Too Far,” “The Longest Day,” “Kelly’s Heroes,” “The Duellists”) as a youth, all leaned towards things very loud, sharp, and/or explosive.
https://youtu.be/Y6ikO6LMxF4
“The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” was my favorite episode of Schoolhouse Rock.

I felt like I would end my short life either in a duel over a matter of personal honor or in holding off the enemy so that others could get away. Either way, I would be remembered and people would tell my story.

What else could a kid ask for than an honorable death, right?

With that, I had plenty of toy guns easily at hand and preferred my M1-style Thompson knock-off as it was handy and effective. Haven’t you seen, like, any war movies at all? Manning my big wheel, I was ready.

Neighborhood: well under control.

I also made sure to have a backup Colt Peacemaker cap gun (with the roll inside) and trained to transition when the Tommy gun ran empty after clearing out the first wave.

I was pulling this off in 1977. What’s your excuse?

Like my uncles, things got ballistic by the time I was five when I got my first air gun for Christmas: the classic Daisy Red Ryder, which could hold like 500 .177-caliber BBs in its reservoir magazine. It came with a three-slot wooden gun rack that I helped hang on the wall by my bed. My favorite target was the clothesline post, which gave a satisfying “ping” when hit from 20 feet away. The Daisy was only just powerful enough to get you in trouble (I had it confiscated by my grandfather for two weeks after I shot out a window while aiming at an old TaB can that was…in front of the window) while not being strong enough to cause too much damage (I saw a BB bounce off the chest of an ugly crow, to my utter dismay).

A year of learning with the Daisy brought a Crosman Pumpmaster the following Christmas. With 10 pumps on that bad boy, I could part a cloud in half. Should the Russkies or Cylons pop up, I would have been ready, for sure – I would just have to pump it up to 11 for the former and 12 for the latter. There’s a 300-year-old oak tree in Pascagoula that probably still has 5,000 pellets embedded deep in its rings.

The next Christmas came my first “real gun,” a Marlin Model 60 .22 rimfire capable of firing 17 shots as fast as I pulled the trigger. Things were getting real. I wasn’t allowed to shoot the Marlin in the backyard due to “the neighbors” despite my protestations, but I was allowed to keep it on my gun rack. With the Marlin came more organized range time with shooting benches and graded targets – the whole nine yards. Likewise came 4-H Clubs and Scouts, where I was able to start honing my marksmanship skills in a formalized way. Youth squirrel hunts became a thing.

My first shotgun was a Remington 870 in 12 gauge. That sweet second or third-hand Woodmaster with a chipped stock (I promise I didn’t do it) was easy to use with birdshot on doves but soon got a lot more kick to it when moving up to No. 3s for geese later on. Plus, it was funny how doves proved a lot harder to hit than some clays tossed into the air by my Uncle Thomas.

My first centerfire rifle was a hand-me-down milsurp German K98 Mauser that was taller than I was, and with which I harvested my first deer at the ripe old age of 8 at a range of 70 of my Uncle Robert’s steps. While I was proud of the achievement, my Nana wasn’t overly impressed and pointed out that she had taken boar (whatever those were) at about the same age with her dad in the Harz Mountains, which I was informed were too far away to go to at the time (and behind “The Wall,” although I didn’t understand what Pink Floyd had to do with it.)

Looking back, I think it was the BB gun window incident that led to me getting glasses.

Later down the road came my first handgun, an old J-frame I had seen someplace before (“If you have a car, you should have a pistol,” said my grandfather).

Then the first gun I purchased with my own money: an H&R “crack barrel” 12-gauge single-shot bought for $20 cash-and-carry when I was 16 at a flea market, something that would probably be frowned upon today.

Over time, as my grandparents and uncles faded away into old photos and memories, I still have had lots of “firsts,” such as my first 1911, first Glock, first 10mm, first AR, first AK, first bullpup – well, you get the idea.

While some would look back on my story and throw proverbial rocks at my family and childhood, saying my upbringing instilled in me fear of the unknown, I understand that instead, they filled my heart with the opposite: with love and the mutual respect of trust.

Moreover, I have contributed to other people’s firsts. My daughter is a great shot with an old P229 of mine.

I’ve got two grandsons and a granddaughter, who will be offered their firsts when they are old enough. At this stage of my life, I am looking at my gun safe differently and more in terms of what they will inherit one day.

What can I say? Guns are a part of life in my family.

Things change. Or do they?

A Print Icon Returns…

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Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, my grandfather had lasting subscriptions to three preeminent periodicals that every southern gentleman of the day was familiar with: National Geographic, Playboy, and Field & Steam— and I dearly attempted (and usually failed in the case of Mr. Hefner’s publication) to get my hot little hands on both the current issue and stacks of back issues haunting the ponderosa.

However, print is all but dead. Hefner passed in 2017 (long after he lost control of his magazine), in 2020 Field & Stream (and sister Outdoor Life) ceased publication of its print edition, and Nat Geo followed suit in halting the sale of its print magazine earlier this year.

Well, it looks like F&S at least may be trying to make a comeback.

Hitting the streets this month is a glossy 10×12 160-page print edition of Field & Stream, with a very familiar feel to it.

From the presser:

The inaugural 2024 Field & Stream Journal, officially out on June 5th, features a rich mix of stories, including a horse-packing adventure in British Columbia; personal essays of fathers and sons and their mutual love for wild places; a ranking of the best top-water lures ever; and trout-fishing tips for this summer’s cicada invasion. Eric Church also shares a tale of his own in the first installment of his brand-new F&S column, “Church Country.” His story, titled “Seed Ticks,” recounts the first time he visited the property where he would eventually build a fishing cabin. The humorous—and, at times, nail-biting—yarn takes readers on an outdoor adventure with his wife and father-in-law, complete with a car chase, jungle survival, and a full-fledged war on microscopic bloodsuckers.

For those interested, subscriptions will be a hefty $45 for two issues on a biannual publication schedule (Spring and Fall) or single copies for $25 plus shipping. Digital will be $15.

Visiting the largest (and oldest) after-market trigger maker in the country

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If you’ve never tried an aftermarket trigger in your favorite rifle, shotgun, or handgun, you’re missing out on one of the best upgrades you can make to your favorite firearm.

Since Harry Truman was in office, Timney Triggers has been producing easy-to-install, single-stage triggers for shooting enthusiasts. At first, the company focused on bolt action rifles, but it currently offers more than 170 models of triggers for all types of rifles, shotguns, and handguns. The company employs 65 employees in their home in Phoenix, Arizona. Today, Timney is the oldest and largest trigger company in the country.

Timney Triggers has been building the world’s finest triggers since 1946 and they recently opened their doors to me and my crew from Guns.com for a factory tour.

A new take on an old tradition

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One of the most commonly seen activities for soldiers in war is to personalize their rifles. Part occupying idle hands, part commemoration, and part easily set it apart from the others on the rack at a glance, it is something that has gone on for generations.

No matter if you are talking about muskets from the French and Indian War to AKs used in Afghanistan, it is a long-standing trait.

Powderhorn of 1st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Minuteman Daniel Kinne, dated 1775, carried at Bunker Hill , via Morphys

An Afghan forces soldier, who looks old enough to have fought as a Muj against the Soviets, with his personalized Kalash, 2007. Photographer: Leading Aircraftman Rodney Welch, Royal Australian Air Force

With that in mind, I thought the below story about the Walhalla High School Army JROTC rifle team from Walhalla, South Carolina, is just great.

The team has been personalizing their rifles for the past eight years with the caveat that they had to shoot a 530 at a sporter match before they can customize their stock.

Via CMP:

Now, reaching the honor of a painted rifle stock has become the ultimate focus of the varsity athletes. This season alone, four students have earned their custom stocks, including two freshman athletes, which has never happened in the history of the tradition.

“It gets established as the threshold for success,” COL Kevin Mangan, head coach of the rifle team, said of the rifle painting. “We have smaller goals set as well, like score 200 and a rifle is assigned to you, and at 250, you name your rifle – just little things to continue to work toward.”

Once an athlete reaches the 530 score, he or she gets to pick the subject of the art on the rifle stock. Mangan’s wife and daughters take on the graphic work along with Walhalla’s art department. From The Lion King to The Chronicles of Narnia to Hunter x Hunter, each athlete’s theme represents their own personalities and the hard work they’ve accomplished on the range.

To commemorate the rifle team’s tradition, Walhalla High School has allocated a trophy case in the student common area to display stocks of graduated athletes. So far, there have been 11 painted rifles, with more added each year.

“It has become the thing to accomplish for the Walhalla JROTC Rifle team,” Mangan said.

More here.

Know a high school-aged kid interested in a summer marksmanship camp?

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Public service announcement time here, via the CMP:

Camp Perry, Ohio– May 2023– If you’re a junior interested in learning more about rifle marksmanship, there’s still room within the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) Junior Rifle Camps!

Each year, the CMP hosts a series of hands-on, informative Junior Rifle Camps for high school-age students and coaches during the summer months. Participants in the camps receive valuable lessons on intermediate and advanced marksmanship skills through various exercises and demonstrations, all led by current collegiate rifle athletes.

CMP Junior Camps with open availability include:

  • Standing Camp 1, Camp Perry, OH– May 31-June 2
  • 3P Air Camp 2, Camp Perry, OH – June 5-9
  • 3P Air Camp 6, Casper, WY – June 26-30
  • Smallbore Camp 1, Elk River, MN – June 27-30
  • 3P Camp 8, Camp Perry, OH – July 3-7
  • Standing Camp 2, Tampa, FL – July 10-12
  • Standing Camp 4, Anniston, AL – July 19 – 21
  • 3P Camp 9, Anniston, AL – July 24-28
  • 3P Camp 11, Perry, NY – July 31-Aug 4

The camps are excellent tools in developing each athlete’s strengths within the physical and mental aspects of the sport while refining trouble areas that may need more attention. Students are able to apply the constructive lessons learned in camp to their own budding marksmanship careers, with many moving on to college programs and beyond.

The Junior Rifle Camps are designed to train rifle fundamentals and techniques through group discussions and personal guidance from collegiate mentors on the firing line. The schedule also includes instructional smallbore camps for even more opportunities to learn on the range.

All experience levels are welcome! Find a list of dates and more detailed camp information, including registration info, on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/youth/junior-air-rifle-camps-and-clinics/.

— By Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

Restricted 18+ in CA in compliance with CA State Assembly Bill 2571 prohibiting the marketing of firearms to minors in the State of CA.

How a John Wayne Movie Sparked Modern Suppressors

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I’ve been in the gun industry off and on for some 25 years, spanning from working the counter at a small-town FFL in my early 20s to full-time writing and editing. In that time, I’ve met some really smart and pioneering guys in the gun world, such as Mark Serbu and Jim Tertin.

However, probably the biggest brain guy in the gun industry in terms of suppressors is Dr. Phil Dater, MD, founder of Gemtech and a man considered by many in our industry to be the modern-day godfather of silencers.

Dater back in the day

Jake Kunsky, who developed quiet products for NEMO Arms, Gemtech Suppressors, Smith & Wesson, and Maxim Defense and now runs JK Armarment, recently sat down with the gun world’s “Dr. Phil” — now 86– and talked about a wide range of subjects for an hour.

Topics include

  • Where Gemtech got its name?
  • How Dr. Dater, a Radiologist by training, brought silencers out of nearly a century of obscurity?
  • How a microphone’s diaphragm affects decibel measurement?
  • What arguably the most experienced man in the industry thinks about various methods of measuring silencer performance?
  • How military and consumer requirements for a silencer differ?
  • Why the ATF Form 4 approval process took only a few weeks back in the 70s?
  • How John Wayne inspired the modern silencer renaissance?

If you have an hour and are interested at all in gun culture or suppressor history, check it out.

Army issues huge handgun ammo contract– including .38 and .45

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Mississippi-based Olin Winchester this week secured a nine-figure Pentagon award for assorted handgun ammunition.

Based in Oxford, Olin-Winchester was awarded a $145 million fixed-price contract to make .38 caliber, .45 caliber, and 9mm ammunition for the Army. The contract was issued by the Army’s Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois.

The company has been making M1153 and M1152 9mm loads as part of the U.S. Army Modular Handgun System (MHS) program since 2016, but the inclusion of .38 and .45 is interesting and points to stocks of specialized or legacy firearms still in use by the military.

While the Army used M1911s in SF units as late as the recent trips to the sandbox, the last “official” 38s bought by the Army were Ruger Security Sixes for use by Dept. of the Army guards at assorted armories and depots in the 1980s…but the Army is still buying .38-caliber ammo

More in my column at Guns.com.

On Deck for 2022: Colt Combat Pythons and S&W Firestorms

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Although they haven’t “officially” announced them, both Colt and Smith & Wesson seem to have new handguns inbound for this year that mines at the tried-and-true vein of gun culture nostalgia.

Smith’s new CSX (Chief’s Special X?), a single-action-only subcompact 9mm that is hammer-fired, has an alloy frame, and a 10+1 or 12+1 magazine capacity, could be a hit with folks that don’t want polymer striker-fired micro 9s and are more familiar with carry-friendly M1911s such as the Colt New Detective or Sig Sauer P938.

The S&W CSX

It also, in my opinion, looks a lot like the old Star Firestar M43, although with a larger magazine capacity.

The Star Firestar was made from 1992-97, and would probably still be in production if the Spanish gunmaker was around as these were well-received little guns

Then there is the Colt Python with a 3-inch barrel.

While Colt produced the original Python in several barrel lengths between 1955 and 1994, including 2.5-inch snubs and commanding 8-inch Python Hunter, Python Silhouette, and Python Stalker models, the big I-frame snake gun rarely came with a factory 3-inch barrel. This was reserved for a short run of “California Combat” guns and a batch of 500 “Combat Pythons” made in 1988 for Lew Horton complete with a special “K” prefix serial number.

This circa 1974 Colt Python with a factory 2.5-inch snub-nosed barrel is sweet, but folks just went ga-ga for the 3-inch version, and Colt could do well to put such a thing back in production

The rebooted Pythons, introduced in 2020, including both a 4.25- and 6-inch model, with nothing shorter. With all that being said, the new 3-incher could prove both a hit with collectors as well as providing a more “carry friendly” Python for a new generation of wheel gun aficionados.

Either way, SHOT Show doesn’t start for another two weeks, so get ready for much more new gun news…I got my bags packed.

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