Editor | Luke Hartle |
---|---|
Digital Editor | Elwood Shelton |
Categories | Firearms |
Frequency | Monthly (Magazine) |
Format | Print and Digital |
Publisher | Gun Digest Media |
Founder | Follett Publishing Co. |
Founded | 1944 |
Company | Caribou Media, LLC. |
Country | United States |
Based in | Appleton, Wisconsin |
Language | English |
Website | https://gundigest.com/ |
ISSN | 1938-5943 |
Gun Digest Media is an American publisher specializing in firearms, shooting, ammunition reloading and concealed carry magazines and books. Its publications include Gun Digest Magazine, GunDigest.com, and the Gun Digest Annual. The brand was founded in 1944 with the release of its annual book, making Gun Digest one of the oldest firearms-specific publishers in the nation. Gun Digest is a sister publication to RECOIL, RECOIL Offgrid, RECOIL Carnivore, and Blade Magazine.
The brand was founded by Follett Publishing Co., a former book publisher in Chicago, which recognized a gap in the post-war firearms publishing market. The inaugural Gun Digest annual provided comprehensive information and reviews on firearms, establishing itself as a trusted resource for firearm enthusiasts.
Gun Digest underwent significant transformations over the years. It was acquired by Krause Publications in 1994, leading to its relocation to Iola, Wisconsin. Krause Publications was later purchased by F.W. Media in 2002, and eventually, Caribou Media acquired Gun Digest in 2018. The publisher is now based in Appleton, Wisconsin.
The Gun Digest annual has featured articles by renowned writers such as Jack O'Connor, Major Charles Askins, Col. Jeff Cooper, Craig Boddington, Wayne van Zwoll, and others, making it a cornerstone of gun journalism. The annual volume is renowned for its comprehensive firearms reviews, manufacturer listings, and current firearm values guide.
John T. Amber served as the longest-running editor of Gun Digest from 1951 to 1979. Since 1962, the publication has presented the annual John T. Amber Literary Award for outstanding gun writing of the year. Phil Massaro [1] assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief in January 2020.
Gun Digest Media is a prolific publisher of firearms books, specializing in gun values, gunsmithing, concealed carry, self-defense legal aspects, and specific firearm types such as the AR-15, .22 rimfire, and shotguns. Notable titles include Massad Ayoob’s Deadly Force and the industry-leading Standard Catalog of Firearms for illustrated gun value guides. Notible Gun Digest book authors have included Massad Ayoob, Dan Shideler, Bill Loëb and Patrick Sweeney. [2]
In 1982, Gun Digest expanded its offerings by purchasing the Gun List, a monthly tabloid-style periodical that provided extensive listings of gun shows and collector resources. In 2006, the Gun List evolved into Gun Digest Magazine. While the publication maintained a comprehensive list of gun shows and collectors’ resources, it broadened its focus to include firearms journalism. The magazine expanded its sections to feature in-depth gun reviews, ammunition reloading instruction, and shooting instruction.
Gun Digest launched GunDigest.com in 2001, providing a widely used online resource for shooting and firearms enthusiasts. The website offers a wealth of information, including product reviews, expert advice, and the latest news in the firearms community. The company also manages the GunValues.GunDigest.com, a subscription-based gun price resource.
A revolver is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six cartridges, before needing to be reloaded, revolvers are commonly called six shooters or sixguns. Due to their rotating cylinder mechanism, they may also be called wheel guns.
The .357 SIG is a bottlenecked rimless centrefire handgun cartridge developed by the Swiss-German firearms manufacturer SIG Sauer, in cooperation with ammunition manufacturer Federal Premium. The cartridge is used by a number of law enforcement agencies.
The 9×19mm Parabellum is a rimless, centerfire, tapered firearms cartridge.
The Beretta 950 is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Beretta since 1952. It builds on a long line of small and compact pocket pistols manufactured by Beretta for self-defense. It was intended to be a very simple and reliable pocket pistol.
Bowling pin shooting is a shooting sport in which the competitors race against one another to knock standard bowling pins from a table in the shortest elapsed time. Pin shooting is often described as one of the most enjoyable shooting games and one of the easiest means of introducing a new shooter into regular competitive shooting. Pin shooting appeals to both genders. There are many female pin shooters and many distinguished female pin shooters.
Combat pistol shooting is a modern martial art that focuses on the use of the handgun as a defensive weapon for self defense, or for military and police use. Like most martial arts, combat pistol shooting is practiced both for defense and for sport.
L. W. Seecamp Co. was an American manufacturer of pocket pistols located in Milford, Connecticut from 1981 to 2014. In 2014, Whalley Precision purchased the company and took over production of the pistols from their facility in Southwick, Massachusetts.
The Kel-Tec P32 is a sub-compact semi-automatic pistol using the short-recoil principle of operation that is chambered in .32 ACP. It was designed by George Kellgren. It is manufactured by Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc., of Cocoa, Florida and was designed for concealed carry by citizens and by law enforcement officers as a back-up gun.
The Colt Delta Elite is a modified series 80 M1911 pistol chambered for the 10mm Auto cartridge. It was first introduced in 1987 by the Colt's Manufacturing Company.
The Colt Commander is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun based on the John M. Browning–designed M1911. It was the first mass-produced American pistol with an aluminium alloy frame and the first Colt pistol to be chambered in 9mm Parabellum.
Kahr Arms is an American small firearms manufacturer focused on compact and mid-size semi-automatic pistols chambered for popular cartridges, including .380 ACP, 9mm Luger, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Kahr pistols feature polymer or stainless steel frames, single-stack magazines, and double-action-only striker firing actions. Kahr Arms is part of the Kahr Firearms Group, a US-based firearms manufacturer, which also includes Thompson Auto-Ordnance and Magnum Research. The Kahr Firearms Group company headquarters is in Greeley, Pennsylvania, with a manufacturing facility in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Colt Diamondback is a revolver manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, in calibers of .22 LR and .38 Special. Inspired by the successful Colt Python, the Diamondback was manufactured from 1966 to 1988 and was available in barrel lengths of 2½, 4, and 6 inches.
S&W Centennial is a family of revolvers made by Smith & Wesson on the "J-Frame". Depending upon caliber, the cylinder holds either 5, 6, 7, or 8 cartridges. Centennials feature a fully enclosed (internal) hammer, which makes them Double Action Only (DAO) firearms. Like all other "J-frame" Smith & Wesson revolvers, they have a swing-out cylinder. Centennial models have been made in different versions like PD "Personal Defense", LS "Lady Smith", and M&P "Military & Police"
The Ruger SP101 is a series of double-action revolvers produced by the American company Sturm, Ruger & Co. The SP101 is a small frame and all-steel-construction carry revolver, with a five-shot ; six-shot ; or eight-shot cylinder.
A tactical reload is the action of reloading a weapon that has only fired a few rounds out of its magazine, and retaining the original magazine. An example is an infantryman reloading before entering a hostile building, concerned about ammunition. Tactical doctrine states that one should always have a full magazine before entering the building or hostile situation, but it is also a bad practice to throw away ammunition in case it is needed.
The Colt Officer's Model or Colt Officer's ACP is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun based on the John M. Browning designed M1911. It was introduced in 1985 as a response from Colt to numerous aftermarket companies making smaller versions of the M1911 pistol.
Walter Wells "Blackie" Collins was an American knife maker who designed and popularized the assisted opening mechanism and various automatic knife designs within the art of knifemaking. He is cited by other knifemakers and collectors as one of the most innovative knife designers in the world and was an author and the founder of what became Blade Magazine. Collins died July 20, 2011, in a motorcycle accident near North, South Carolina.
John August Taffin is an American author from Boise, Idaho who writes several columns for gun magazines including Guns, Gun Digest, Sixgunner, Shoot! and American Handgunner. A former math teacher from 1964 to 1995, Taffin is regarded as an authority on single-action revolvers, handloading, handgun hunting, big-bore revolvers, and metallic silhouette shooting. Taffin has authored five books and over 500 published articles. His monthly published gun columns include: Siluetas, Campfire Tales, The Sixgunner, and Taffin Tests.
American Handgunner is a magazine dedicated to handguns, handgun hunting, competition shooting, reloading, tactical knife and other shooting-related activities in the United States. It is a sister publication to Guns and American Cop.
SWAT is a monthly magazine dedicated to firearms, law enforcement and other tactical-related activities in the United States with a special focus on SWAT police officers.