10 Gun Writer Myths

10 Gun Writer Myths

by Zef Medina on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 10:13pm ·

First day of the month, my favorite!  All my favorite magazines come in the mail and I get a chance to read what the gun writers are advertising this month.  I know, I know, I'm being mean. This weekend a couple of friends and I were at a 3-gun match and started listing our favorite myths we love reading in the gun rags.

1. This (enter brand name here) is the best gun to come out!
2. The 5.56mm/.223 is going to replaced by the military any day now!
3. The .308 is what the troops want in the sandbox right now...
4. The M14 was phased out too soon, but its being used by Navy Seals right now!
5. This new (enter pistol caliber) is the best one stop shot in history!
6. This new rifle round (6.5/6.8/.300) is going to replace the 5.56!
7. I shot 1 MOA with this weapon...
8. and normally followed shortly after, I used Blackhills and Remington Gold (match ammo) when i tested this new blaster
9. I had no malfunctions with this weapon, it ran 100% reliable!
10. This weapon comes from a reputable manufacture...

First off, I'm not trying to cast doubt on all gun writers. Michael Bane of www.downrange.tv.com, explained it simply enough in his podcast. 'A gun writer makes his or her money writing and selling articles.'

Therefore if one writes a controversial article, does not hype well enough, or do not hype the big sponsor the magazine may not want to buy the article and they do not get paid.

With some of the seasoned writers I have noticed I can read between the lines, 'after I sent the pistol back to the factory it worked like a sewing machine!'

Granted not all weapons run 100% of the time with 100% of the ammo. I have used certain weapons that would not work with certain ammo. I either traded that weapon away, or found different ammo to use in it.

On the other hand, I have had several 'high end' rifles and pistols flat out not work. The big difference, the reputable companies took my phone call and shipped it back to me in about a week. And it worked as advertised.

The un-reputable companies shipped me back a weapon(s) that still did not work.  My #1 reason I do not own any AK's right now, but I'm not throwing stones, I want to keep sponsors! lol