Tag Archives: hunting

Hunting, Quietly

With the first commercially successful firearm suppressor – Hiram Percy Maxim’s “Silencer” – hitting the market around 1902, the devices drew initial praise from outdoorsmen.

That old “Bull Moose” Teddy Roosevelt loved them and even corresponded directly with Maxim on the subject of using cans for his hunting rifles.

Like Teddy, I can appreciate a big ol lever gun, complete with a suppressor. Plus, with up to 80 percent of American hunters not using ear pro in the field despite the fact that high-quality electric muffs and inserts can be had for under $100, suppressors are a legitimate safety tool.

In 1934, these simple gun mufflers went were unfairly criticized and then outrageously regulated by Congress under the National Firearms Act. At around the same time as the NFA was enacted, many states placed local bans on the legal possession and use of the devices, a punitive reaction based largely on misinformation. In short, people became irrationally afraid of something that was both inherently useful and misunderstood at the same time then got the government involved.

Meanwhile, in Europe, it is considered polite to be a gentleman hunter with a “sound moderator.”

Meanwhile, over on this side of the pond, in the past couple of decades, better education and advocacy have led to state after state repealing those old circa 1930s misguided restrictions. Today, the devices are legal for consumers to possess in at least 43 states and can be used by sportsmen in the field in most. Since 2011 alone, the American Suppressor Association points out that four states have legalized suppressor ownership and 18 have legalized hunting with the devices. 

I guess a lesson is that the more things change, they can always change back.

Colt brings back a Baby Snake

Colt had a new revolver at NRAAM last weekend. A “King Cobra” Target model that looks and feels a lot like a .38/.357 but is actually a 10-shot 22LR.

The King Cobra Target 22 LR is crafted from forged stainless steel construction with a one-piece barrel topped with an adjustable target rear sight and fiber optic front sight. It comes standard with Hogue overmolded rubber grips and is available with 4-inch and 6-inch barrel lengths, both featuring a 1:16RH twist.

Of course, it could have just been called the Diamondback.

While the current King Cobra series, reincarnated in 2019, hit the market as a 6-Shot .357 Magnum big brother of the new line of Cobra wheel guns, the new King Cobra Target .22LR is a return to the company offering double-action rimfire revolvers. Not the first rimfire “snake” gun– Colt marketed the original circa 1950s first issue Cobra in .22LR and made a .22LR Diamondback into the early 1990s– the new Baby Snake fills a hole the company had in its catalog, and by extension is a first for CZ as well.

This 1985-production Diamondback is a 6-inch .22LR model. Surely, it would have been easier and better for Colt to reboot this name than to call the new model a King Cobra of all things…

MSRP on the new King Cobra Target .22LR models is $999. When compared to other DA/SA rimfire revolvers, this is on par with the S&W 63 and 617.

Poking around at Daniel Defense

So a spent some time at Daniel Defense in Georgia recently, filming an episode of Select Fire. Marty Daniel has an interesting story, with the basis of his company starting because his golf game sucked.

They made their first rifle in 2009 and now, just a decade later, are cranking out 40,000 a year. Talk about growth.

European rifle makers resurgent

One of the interesting things I came across in my travels around SHOT Show last month was that some classic Central European arms makers are still in the business of making classic European arms.

Over at Mauser’s booth, besides offerings in their classic M98 line for $10K+ safari rifles (!) there was the new M18, a $699 bolt-action billed as the “People’s rifle” (Volkswaffe) or “People’s repeater” (Volksrepetierer) by the German rifle maker. It’s a pretty sweet design, complete with a detachable mag, hidden cleaning kit in the butt (hey, it’s a Mauser) and a wide offering of calibers.

More about that over in my column at Guns.com

As for Steyr, which of course continues to market modern polymer framed pistols, precision rifles to include the giant HS-50 and their iconic AUG line of bullpups, they are bringing back the Zephyr. Now I had a chance to get my hands on a Zephyr .22 that belonged to my great-uncle as a kid and absolutely loved it. The reboot includes a traditional Bavarian cheek piece and fish scale checkering on a walnut stock, and an action so smooth it will make you cry.

More on that after the jump.

Good news is: there were 11.4 million hunters in 2016. Bad news is: there were 12.5 in 2006

A report compiled twice per decade by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows increases nationally in wildlife watching and fishing, but declines in the number of hunters.

The survey, the 13th conducted by the USFWS since 1955, showed marked increases in the numbers of Americans engaged in observing and photographing wildlife and in fishing when compared to the 2011 data, but over the past decade, the number of hunters has dropped by more than 1 million– even as the general population is on the rise.

More in my column at Guns.com.

Download My New Firearms Book For FREE (Monday and Tuesday only)

Did you Say FREE, sir? As in I can get one for zip? For nada? For $0.00?

Got a Kindle ? Use Amazon.com? Then check out my non-fiction book for free for the next two days only !

Thoughts on Firearms Tactics and Training (From TDP Press)

 http://www.amazon.com/Thoughts-Firearms-Tactics-Training-ebook/dp/B0085GBNTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339885541&sr=8-1&keywords=thoughts+on+firearms

The work was taken from my column at Firearms Talk and my articles for several different magazines. From the jacket: ” Thoughts on Firearms Tactics and Training by noted firearms instructor, writer, and security consultant Christopher L Eger is a collection of more than 50 articles covering firearms training, tactics, interesting weapons and ammunition, and survival in a modern time. It offers fresh and unique perspective to help you survive and carry forward.”

Its 50 chapters, 206 pages. Chapters include The Mozambique Drill, One Armed Bandits, Weapons Malfunction Drills, Airsoft to Augment Your Skills, Training With Sub-Caliber Conversion Kits, Closing the Training Gap, Handgun Retention , Barricade Shooting, Police Sniper Training, CCW Items that No one Thinks About, The Brass Ring of Hitting your target, The US Army and Marine Designated Marksmen and Advanced Marksman Programs, The El Presedente Drill, When to Tell Someone about your CCW, Flashlight techniques, How to Get a CMP Garand, The FM Argentine Hi-Power, is the Hi Point C9 Pistol worth it?, the Army’s Ultimate 12-Gauge M4 Accessory, the M1 Carbine, The Joys of Being a C&R FFL Holder, the Pistol Caliber Carbine, Old Brit 38 Revolvers for Home Defense, The Light Tactical Rifle, Why a Home Defense Shotgun, The Designated Marksman’s Rifle,The Broomhandle Mauser Pistol, The Bergmann MP18 Submachine Gun, US Survival Knives in Space, Tony Stein USMC WWII Marine Medal of Honor Hero of Iwo Jima, Lyudmila Pavlichenko Female Sniper Queen, The British Swift Training Rifle of WWII, The PPSH41, The White Death, Stalin’s Sharpshooter’s Tool, Last of the Surviving M-14 Battle Rifles, Buying a Used Shotgun, The Modern Double-Barrel Shotgun, The .50 BMG for the Commonman, 380s For the Defense, What Round is More Effective 9, 40, 45?, Selecting deer hunting ammunition for military surplus rifles, Build Your Wilderness Survival Kit, Lets Talk About BOB, Why Cache Firearms, Zombies at the Door, Duels in Military History, Famous Minie Ball Pregnancy and the 1909 Wax Bullet Duel in Central Park

So go forth and get a free book for your kindle or e reader! If you like it and have an Amazon.com account then please leave a review. (If you don’t like it, learn to love it, ahah)

Thanks to everyone! Enjoy the freebee!