As far as generally available on-shelf gun magazines go, imho, I think SWAT is pretty decent. They seem to at least promote quality products and training, and seem pretty fair with their reviews. Although occasionally they’ll still throw something in that’s like 
why?
I’ve been through the majority of the other readily available magazines, and aside from the saving grace of (what I now know to be) a decent article here and there I can’t see going back anytime soon.
Raider and Combat/Survival look interesting- never heard of them before now.
For a time I worked for a large well know manufacturer in the shooting sports industry. The company would get copies of every single shooting sports related magazine you could possibly think of directly from the publisher.
What I learned is that most all magazines come from the same publisher and there is no such thing as an actual product review. All product “reviews” are actually refered to as “editorials” by the publisher and are paid for by the manufacturer of the product being “reviewed”.
The publishing companies would send the magazines to my employer every month with notes on the cover stating “Your editorial is on pages xx and x”.
This was in no way to be confused with the regular and obvious advertisements that the company also placed in the same publications.
I find SOF most interesting for it’s news reports.
Once in a while I glance at them on the grocery store’s news stands. But I haven’t bought but a very few in years. And all those have been something along the lines of the Surefire combat tactics issues.
I’m kind of surprised there are still so many left out there in publication. I never notice anyone buying them, and the magazines never seem to be depleted down as having been bought.
Back in the '80’s I read every gun magazine I could get my hands on save for the hunting specific related ones.
How about that article on the “partol rifle on a cop’s budget”? The guy buys a Bushmaster and before shooting it, adds an Adams piston conversion unit and a few other bells & wistles including a DBAL-A2 and a Trijicon scope, IIRC. Aparently he’s not too familiar with “The List.” :rolleyes: If you or your agency has money to drop on a DBAL, you or they can afford a damn Colt! (Yes, it’s stuck in my craw!)
Hijacking Rant: OFF
This was me back around 1999-2000. I’ve since noticed the trends of publishing the same article in several magazines, reviewing the same guns they did a couple of years ago, etc.
Are you still going out of your way to endorse LWRC? Please disclose the affiliation…
I’m still searching for that one magazine to finally answer definitively the whole 9mm vs 45ACP stopping power debate.
SWAT is about the only one I’ll pick up occasionally if a particular article catches my eye or I just want to piss people off on the ORD-SFO flight and I’ve already read my American Rifleman.
I think if you scrolled up the the terminal ballistic forum you could probably answer the 9mm vs.45 debate yourself just by reading…
Doc Roberts probably forgot more about terminal ballistic’s than simpleton gun rag writer will ever know…and his advice is FREE…
Thanks for the tip buddy, I guess I forgot the emoticon in my original post though. After over 20 years of reading gun rags, you will notice that about every couple of years they go through the same old 9mm vs. 45 debate in an attempt to sell magazines and rehash old articles. The .40 was a Godsend for them as it allowed them to add another ingredient and sell more magazines - hence my sarcastic reference to their ability to finally and definitively settle the whole 9mm versus .45 debate.
Maybe just maybe they will post Marshall’s latest “One Stop Shot” percentages as well :rolleyes: (please note sarcasm).
No sarcasm about reading the gun rag on the ORD-SFO flight though, I truly get a kick out of sitting next to some blue state snob, pulling out the NRA magazine or magazine like SWAT and violating their personal space.
Ahh, I understand…The 9mm-.45 debate will always rage, partly because of what you said, rehashing of old articles, and partly because people refuse to read up a little and educate themselves with factual information, instead they depend on disinformation from gun rags, and gun shops. I have a few friends who still hold on to the belief that the .45acp is the ray of death…you know the story, blah,blah,blah, in service for over 80yrs, blah, blah, dead germans, blah blah…Getting shot with a 9mm is like getting shot with a pellet rifle… It makes my head hurt when I hear this shit regurgitated…It’s amazing, in this day and age, how little people know, when all the information they need is right at their fingertips.
Goddammit! Why did you guys have to dredge up this shit? I thought I was through buying more handguns. But I just did a quick mental inventory and my .45s outnumber my 9mms by almost 2:1.
So now I have to put that Dan Wesson 9mm Guardian and CZ 75B Stainless back on my Xmas list.
I haven’t even picked up one of these ad rags and they’re still costing me money! :laugh:
I have been trying hard NOT to buy any more handguns…Im keeping my 9mm “collection” down to 3… I only have two .45’s of these, I use one regularly,(midsize M&P with a Apex FSS) and one 9mm regularly, (Walther PPQ), I’m happy with both…
Yes, I still have that issue.
Don’t forget the 1:9 twist chosen over 1:7 which apparently can’t stabilize 55gr ammo…
Between the Trijicon and DBAL he could have put together another whole rifle. And the author complains about not being able to find a ‘ready made, custom’ rifle under $2k…
Exactly what I meant about a ‘why?’ moment.
Yep, it gets real old after a while. That is what I like about it here at M4.net. Even though I’m just a dilettante compared to many here, there is a level of knowledge as well as a balanced and less emotional approach to guns that isn’t found on any other forum I know of.