Monday, December 04, 2006

GUNS Magazine, December 1956


Veteran vs. Sullivan Law

The articles published, month after month in GUNS have been so consistently imaginative, exciting, authoritative, and well, just excellent in every way that they will eventually lead me to an advanced stage of frustration. You see, I am a die-hard pistol enthusiast who is unable to get his hands on even an air-pistol, much less the real product. Why?

Because local and state laws prohibit the average citizen to possess pistols and revolvers, And I'm average...

The U. S. Government spent a great deal of time and money to teach me to shoot a pistol effectively. In fact, it even went to great lengths to provide me with the proper live moving targets: mostly North Koreans. Now I hate like blazes to lose this hard earned talent because of some silly and non-effective gun laws. The morning papers prove every single day that there is no shortage of weapons among the underworld citizenry of the city. In fact, even the younger elements seem well heeled. No doubt, with little effort, I too could get my hands on one of these "hot rods," but since I enjoy the status of an honest lawful citizen this method is and always will be out. Frankly, I'm up against it.

I sincerely hope that this letter will be published for it may help arouse the sleeping pen hands of other weaponless pistol enthusiasts. Perhaps if we make enough noise the sleeping councilmen down at city hall may take another look at our gun laws.

Ray Zanon
New York City
This was written 50 years ago.

Sorry, Mr. Zanon--not enough of your generation perceived the threat. And I can't say with confidence that enough of us do today.

The December 1956 issue of GUNS Magazine is now online.

Also in this issue:
  • "Is the Single Action the Perfect Revolver?
  • "How Good Were Indians as Shooters?"
  • "Why No Left-Handed Rifles"
  • "World's Biggest Gun Collection"
  • Classic ads of the period
  • And much more

2 comments:

Jay.Mac said...

I love looking at these old Guns magazines- particularly the ads for dirt cheap weaponry. Every month my wife has to listen to my exclamations of surprise at the cost of old Webleys or Mausers or Enfields, even though they're quite likely the same ads running every month!

Great stuff. Guns magazine deserves a big past on the back for releasing these free of charge. Let's hope it's a precedent some other gun magazines decide to follow.

E. David Quammen said...

Not only that Ray, but the New York poison has spread much farther than you can possibly imagine. In addition, the communism that you fought over in Korea, now has a solid base established right here in America. All our guys that put their rears on the line. Apparently did it for naught....