An Early Milestone

THIS ISSUE of GUNS Magazine marks the completion of our first year and we should like to take the occasion to report to our readers on our progress.

Started to fill a void in the gun publication field, GUNS has devoted its first 12 issues to a popular, highly-readable, attractive presentation of all phases of gun sport. Recognizing that the field of firearms is more than just a highly technical specialty but rather a popular passtime for millions of Americans, GUNS has endeavored to dramatize and popularize all phases from collecting to Western interest, from pistol target shooting to trap and skeet.

The editors of GUNS see in the growth of the sport a healthy trend back towards the day when the USA was truly a nation of marksmen. We have attempted to counter the do-gooder, namby-pamby crowd who views every target shooter as a potential criminal. To us the freedom to indulge in gun sport is a basic concept of the founding fathers written into the Constitution and GUNS intends to do its utmost to defend that principle not only in these pages but in every other way possible.

Certainly the 25 million Americans who own firearms are also anxious to defend their rights. To them guns are an exciting, intriguing sport. The interest in gun sport is reflected in the remarkable growth of GUNS Magazine in a single year. Our circulation has doubled since our first issue. Thousands of gun enthusiasts have indicated their faith in our future by subscribing for periods anywhere from one to three years. Our subscribers are found all over the earth, from Sweden to Indo-China, from Argentina to Egypt.

Most heartening has been the response not only of advertisers but of readers to ads. Many gun dealers have reported that they have had a phenomenal number of inquiries and sales as a result of their advertisements in GUNS Magazine.

On the occasion of the completion of our first year in business, GUNS wishes to thank every one of its readers and advertisers for their wonderful support and express the hope that we can continue to merit that loyalty in future years to come.

This is the last historic issue of GUNS being offered online to commemorate the magazine's inception 50 years ago. The entire series, which I have linked to on a monthly basis, offers fascinating insights into the attitudes and culture of half a century ago.

The completion of this series also marks an anniversary for me--it is now one complete year since I began writing the magazine's Rights Watch column. I'm grateful for the opportunity to play a small part in the history of an industry icon.

I don't know if future issues from the past will continue being offered on the GUNS website--this series was initially intended just to celebrate 50 years of publication. I suppose if they hear from enough people...but that also depends on the success of their current efforts.

I hope I've been able to provoke your curiosity enough to at least buy a copy off the local newsrack. I hope if you do, you become a subscriber. And for purely selfish reasons, for good or ill, I hope you let the magazine know what you think of my columns.