Ayoob: The Guns of Cormac McCarthy

When I plucked the September-October issue of Smithsonian magazine out of my P.O. Box, the first article I turned to was “The Secret Life of Cormac McCarthy” by Richard Grant. As I skimmed it, a pull-quote leaped out at me: “He never left the house without a book. He never left the house wi...

By Massad Ayoob •

428-Inch Bull May Be Pennsylvania’s New Record Elk

Michael Skvarla of Port Matilda had planned a Maryland Sitka deer bowhunt for his 40th birthday. That changed when the Pennsylvania Game Commission notified him he’d drawn one of the state’s coveted elk bull tags. Just 15 were issued against 50,000 lottery applicants. “It was a ...

By James Chen •

Congress Must Rein In ATF’s Billion-Record Gun Archive After Qilin Breach

Qilin breached a separate ATF system, but the bureau’s massive archive of lawful gun purchases remains a threat to gun-owner privacy. Congress should force a full accounting, end informal record collection, limit retention, and change the law that feeds the archive—before a future administrat...

By John Crump •

Q4 2026 FFL Market Forecast: What the Data Says Now

August splits the market in two: adjusted firearms checks up 2.2 percent, NFA checks up 201.6 percent. Here is what the data says about FFL inventory, transfer revenue and the next 90 days.

By Mark Edwards •

Fudd Friday: Buy A Classic Surplus Rifle With A Twist

Despite the marketing success of the Winchester ‘73, the Springfield trapdoor rifle was more likely the rifle that really tamed the Wild West. The U.S. government equipped its cavalry and other troops with these robust, hard-hitting rifles. A repeater like Winchester or the competition sold...

By Zac K •
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