190west

Firearm? Check. Ammo? Check. Sight? Check. Targets? Check. Gunsmith? What?! A good gunsmith may not be part of your shooting gear, but it’s certainly an essential component to keeping your shooting life smooth-running and fully functional. From critical repairs and precision help updating and accessorizing to annual detailed cleanings of your firearms, a gunsmith can ultimately be a key factor in keeping a fine shooting firearm from turning into a paperweight or museum relic. But just as you wouldn’t trust your important car or home repairs to just any random person (at least I hope you wouldn’t), you should do a little homework before your gun breaks or you need help mounting a sight, rail, stock or other item before a hunting trip or shooting outing. It’s not enough that a guy (or girl) calls themselves a gunsmith and works in a gun shop; you’ll want to be sure they have the right skills and can perform the work you need with your specific firearm(s). Continue reading →

I had just stepped from church with my family when the text buzzed through on my phone. It was from one of the guys I own some hunting land with and it basically said, “There was a little incident at the farm yesterday. We were shooting tracers and set the cutover next to the house on fire. House is okay, but about 40 acres burned.” Continue reading →

It all seems simple enough. Always keep your gun pointed in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire, keep the gun unloaded until ready to shoot and know your target and what lies beyond. There are other rules, but follow these four and you’ll enjoy a 99.9 percent chance of never being responsible for an accidental discharge (AD) or worse, errantly shooting another person. Perhaps that’s why shooting remains one of the safest recreational activities there is. Continue reading →