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American Cop Magazine - Nov/ Dec 2010...
Article on the SIG556 Patrol Rifle. Anybody know the assclown who wrote the article? His name is John Morrison.
I'll sum up the article for you. The SIG556 is the best thing since sliced bread. AR-15's are not flexible or balanced but they are inelegant and clumsy.
If you want to dance with the devil and win, you'll need to shoot and move with a SIG556.
:sarcastic::sarcastic::sarcastic:
VooDoo6Actual
10-25-10, 16:13
Imo, most Gun rags are completely FOS.
There are a few decent honest writers but few & far inbetween.
They get FREE SWAG regardless of how they try to spin it. I know a few of them and have ceased any contact with them because of my beliefs & ethics. Not their choice to be clear it was my choice.
No matter how they TRY to rationalize or marginize they are all about selling the SIZZLE and not the STEAK.
They are as corrupt as politicians.
I quit trying to teach a pig to sing.
It wastes your time & annoy's the Pig.
Try reading SWAT Mag for some real entertainment value.:sarcastic:
ForTehNguyen
10-25-10, 16:15
was Sig Sauer a sponsor?
:sarcastic:
SWATcop556
10-25-10, 16:29
I've found most gun rags to be lingwinded written endorsements of the exact same guns you see advertised within the same pages. "DPMS is wonderful" then you can count at least four DPMS ads throughout. I use to subscribe to several. Now I save the $$$.
Belmont31R
10-25-10, 16:40
SWAT and "Combat" (UK mag sold at B&N) are the only ones I buy anymore.
Small Arms Review is filled with good info but Im not really interested in most of the guns they cover. If an article gets my attention Ill pick it up.
The rest are mostly just long winded advertisements for a particular gun the author got to shoot for free and keep for awhile.
There are some good writers out there. Most gun mags are full of people writing about chit they know nothing about.
When I pick up a mag, I want to be impressed with the writers technical knowledge on the weapon. History of how it came to be, how it runs after THOUSANDS of rounds, accuracy (10rd strings please), what groups are using said weapon and why, etc etc.
If the writer knows less about the gun than I do then I am instantly bored and pissed (for wasting my time reading it). If I wanted to have an intelligent conversation with someone about said weapon, I would have just talked to myself. :sarcastic:
C4
I usually pick them up for the occasional bit of Ichiro gun pron, or something similar, but it's a bit like opening up People or Cosmo magazine and expecting something intellectually redeeming.
I was actually happier with the blatantly Surefire ran Combat Tactics, because I didn't have to turn three pages in to see the full page ad from the company that furnished the centerfold piece.
There are great articles in there from time to time, but most of those authors can be quite easily found on various forums (like here), and more accessible to pick their brains for the really valuable insight.
Business_Casual
10-25-10, 18:17
People still print things on paper? Huh, go figure.
B_C
Rmplstlskn
10-25-10, 19:16
The only time I read them (in the store) or actually buy them, is when someone like Vickers, Rogers, etc... have an article in it...
My last round of disgust was some mag reviewing a polymer pistol made here in USA somewhere that from the pics you could tell was the worst example of shoddy, poor molding and manufacture I had ever seen, and I'm not even an engineer. Yet the text spoke glowingly of this new pistol, how well made it was, ad nauseum, and that was the last time I have picked up a gun mag since...
Rmpl
*superimposed circle in picture frame* Subtitle: "Something something note flying brass something something."
Wowsers, brass comes out of the ejection port?
Were you perhaps expecting babies to come out of the ejection port? Mariachi bands? Rutabagas?
This is one of those rare instances where I'm far more likely to turn to the internet over print text. That said, a good author is a good author, regardless of which horror of a publication he's decided to write for. You can still find good info, but the expense to do so, in light of other sources....
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I think gun mags perpetuate the ignorance that M4C (and a few other Forums) continually try to eradicate...
There are some good honest writers but sometimes you can tell they "tone it down" to get published. I have seen 4 or 5 articles on the Taurus Judge but have only seen one writer (in SWAT) say it was junk. He said something to the effect, "Would you honestly grab a .410 shotgun to defend yourself, if not why would you grab a Judge?!" I've talked 2 people out of Judge's in the past month with that line.
I don't spend $4, $5, $6 (some are $9) on a magazine much anymore, cost too much for what you get. Out of all the crummy AR's out there, I don't think I've ever read a bad review about an AR in a gun rag. They always seem to have some redeeming "quality" that makes them gtg.
Sure would like to see "Consumer's Report" rate and review guns.
But maybe it's just me...
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I think gun mags perpetuate the ignorance that M4C (and a few other Forums) continually try to eradicate...
There are some good honest writers but sometimes you can tell they "tone it down" to get published. I have seen 4 or 5 articles on the Taurus Judge but have only seen one writer (in SWAT) say it was junk. He said something to the effect, "Would you honestly grab a .410 shotgun to defend yourself, if not why would you grab a Judge?!" I've talked 2 people out of Judge's in the past month with that line.
the short barrel unleashes the 410's awesome power :o
Strangely enough I ranted about this a while back as well. I have limited my purchase of most gun rags because I can't keep my food down most of time.
Most of what I read is akin to going to a massage parlor and getting a happy ending. Then you find out she was a he.
Bolt_Overide
10-26-10, 02:54
Buncha shills for shit guns imo.... gun mags are worthless these days.
As a part-time gun magazine writer I completely understand where you guys are coming from. But if you think these complaints are new, or think something has changed, you're nuts. Also, if you think it's somehow restricted to the firearm industry and not things like the automotive, golf, etc. industries you're similarly nuts.
There's two ways to look at this. One is to start out with an idealistic view of these things thinking that every publication is virtuous, honest, and in business to put forth the unvarnished truth no matter the consequences. Typically when one with this belief system discovers the truth they are crestfallen and lash out. The other is to simply understand them for what they are.
Some are better than others at sticking to what they see as the facts, and some have even lost advertisers because they refuse to retract statements their authors have made. But everyone is swayed to some degree or another. every. single. one. Whether by dollars, dogma, or friendship.
Hopefully my articles break the mold to some degree. I get offers to write about things I either know nothing about (like shotguns) or am not interested in (like ARs from certain makers) and I turn them down. I have a day job so I don't need the money (and the pay is so low that I'd have to write 4-5 articles/week just to replace my regular income) but those that depend on the industry to feed them are in a different boat and wind up taking those articles.
Remember, too, that just like owners, writers have different interests and priorities when evaluating firearms. Some are taken with anything new, some have inherently more positive outlooks, some are collectors more than shooters, etc.
I like hearing feedback, and if you guys take issue with any of my articles I'm always available here for chastising. :D
Rmplstlskn
10-26-10, 07:51
Also, if you think it's somehow restricted to the firearm industry and not things like the automotive, golf, etc. industries you're similarly nuts.
Even Easyrider? :eek:
Rmpl
These things I know as truth from Gun Mags..
An Ultimate 45 will only be top dog for 2 months tops.... then a new Ultimate will be introduced.
All malfs are Shooter induced and there are no bad guns....... or readily fixed with duct tape and multi-tool or a trip to the custom shop.
All Shooters/Writers are not what they used to be .......... but they still waste the time and ammo to show you what the gun might do with a good shooter.
:sarcastic:
I'll pick up the occasional gun rag to look at on the couch, on the crapper, or just because my job is working on the computer all day and there is only so much time you can spend staring at a computer screen before your eyes start bugging out. I keep my expectations low though and go into it knowing that 90% of the pages are going to be pretty worthless so that way I'm not let down.
American Cop Magazine - Nov/ Dec 2010...
Article on the SIG556 Patrol Rifle. Anybody know the assclown who wrote the article? His name is John Morrison.
There's also an article about this same rifle in the new January 2011 (WTF? isn't it Oct 2010) Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement. When I get home I'll see if its the exact same author.
I will say that particular issue did have a couple of good articles by some guy wearing a silly yellow visor;)
I'll pick up the occasional gun rag to look at on the couch, on the crapper, or just because my job is working on the computer all day and there is only so much time you can spend staring at a computer screen before your eyes start bugging out. I keep my expectations low though and go into it knowing that 90% of the pages are going to be pretty worthless so that way I'm not let down.
There's also an article about this same rifle in the new January 2011 (WTF? isn't it Oct 2010) Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement. When I get home I'll see if its the exact same author.
I will say that particular issue did have a couple of good articles by some guy wearing a silly yellow visor;)
The crapper is the ONLY place that virtually ALL current gun rags belong - but only for use in the dire event that you run out of toilet paper!
I've found most gun rags to be lingwinded written endorsements of the exact same guns you see advertised within the same pages. "DPMS is wonderful" then you can count at least four DPMS ads throughout. I use to subscribe to several. Now I save the $$$.
That's not a coincidence. An article is written on a firearm that a). the magazine decided on its own to procure and to review (rare) or b) was sent to their writer for review. Once the article is written, edited and ready for publication, the magazine contacts the manufacture and lets them know there will be a cover story/multi-page article on their gun and gives them their options for advertising in that upcoming issue. No manufacturer is going to turn down advertising when their product is on the cover or in an article.
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Gun mags are pretty obvious about who "butters their bread" but it just kills me when you see a review of the latest whiz-bang Taurus and on the opposite page or in the middle of the article, there just happens to be a big glossy Taurus ad. Yah, you can trust that review...
I think some Forums have the same problem too. Before I wrote this, I went to look real quick what ads are at the top of a Forum (whose initials are AR15.com) and the absolute first image to appear on the screen was a BM ad. Followed by a DPMS, then RRA, Del-Ton... Yah, you can trust that Forum...
I have subscribed to Consumer's Report for 20+ years and for the most part, they are pretty "on" with their reviews. Afterall, what can you tell about a car by driving it around the block? They at least get answers from actual owners.
So, I said all that, for all practical purposes, to equate M4Carbine to CR. I haven't noticed people getting squelched for giving thier honest reviews about any brand. I even saw statements of something to the effect that "LMT is fast becoming the newest BM..." and that "Kimber is going downhill fast...".
I think we are going to see magazines and TV start to deterioate even more because people know they are full of kaa-kaa. With TIVO, I haven't watched a TV commercial in months. In case you're wondering, there are 20 minutes of commercials every hour. TIVO is how I rebel against the liberal media.
Can you imagine if Shooting Times had come out with Rob's Chart first? Heck, they would have to take donations the next month to stay in business.
There are a couple of other good honest, serious Forums and for me, these Forums have just about completely replaced all of my gun magazines. Now, if I could rig up a PC on the crapper... :)
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Now, if I could rig up a PC on the crapper... :)
just sayin... (http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=IGLKH3VUoGlp8KE1)
Dirk Williams
10-26-10, 15:55
Ive been reading this shit for about 30/35 years now. It's kinda like a soap opera. You could have read one of the mags in 1975 and again in 1980 and again in 1995 and again in 2010. Same story different whore spitting it out.
It's simply a cycle what's hip today will cycle and another hip will manufest itself next year. Wait about 10/15 years and that first hip is the NEW hip.
It's the reality of mass media marketing. No different then what's being marketed on sites like this.
If products stayed status quo then nothing new would be being marketed for us gunfighters!
God I crack myself up sometimes.
D Williams
As a part-time gun magazine writer I completely understand where you guys are coming from. But if you think these complaints are new, or think something has changed, you're nuts. Also, if you think it's somehow restricted to the firearm industry and not things like the automotive, golf, etc. industries you're similarly nuts.
Exactly right. I am in a simliar boat.
It ultimately depends on the writer and on the magazine.
I've actually gotten some heat from fans and manufacters. In my articles in SWAT I have pointed out that the FN FS2000 sometimes had issues with doublefeeds when you insert a magazine when the bolt is locked back (the gun doesn't have a last shot holdopen so it is not an issue unless you manually lock the bolt back); I reported that both the MSAR AUG clone and the TPD version had to be sent back to the factory as they did not work reliably when they arrived; I mentioned issues with the grooves inside the triggerguard of the HK45 wacking the fingers of some shooters; I mentioned stiffness with the AUG A3 SA's charging handle.
The first time I wrote an article for SWAT, the editor made it clear that he wanted it to reflect "warts and all," which it certainly did. When he gave me the goahead to review the Caracal pistols he reminded me that he expected me to run the hell out of them, which I am in the process of doing.
When I do a firearms review I typically try to run 500-1000 rounds through it. Firing a lot of rounds through guns make a difference in that problems may crop up with the higher round count that may not be apparent when you fire a box or two of ammo through it.
I also have other people shoot it and solicit their thoughts on it.
I like hearing feedback, and if you guys take issue with any of my articles I'm always available here for chastising. :D
No more pictures with that yellow visor :laugh:
The only writers and articles I take seriously anymore, and the ones I enjoy, deal with historical firearms that you can't just go down to the store and buy, so there's no pressure on the writer or publication to sugar coat anything.
However, that's not the case with more modern firearms.
Case in point....I grew up reading Kokalis in the 80's and he had articles about firearms that most people here in the US would never have access too.
When he started having to write for Shotgun News, and shill the latest craptastical firearm that the gun monkeys at Century were churning out.....it was depressing. When he gets a chance to write about a historic piece, like a Bergman MP-35 subgun used by the Waffen SS early in WWII because the Wehrmacht wouldn't let them in to the supply chain of modern equipment.....then he writes like he used to be able to, without having to be a shill.
But, as has been stated here and continually restated over the last 27 years I've been reading gun mags, most writers and editors are whores.
I agree. Especially that article about the PoF SBR. He might as well have been giving them oral sex with that piece.
The only writers and articles I take seriously anymore, and the ones I enjoy, deal with historical firearms that you can't just go down to the store and buy, so there's no pressure on the writer or publication to sugar coat anything.
However, that's not the case with more modern firearms.
Case in point....I grew up reading Kokalis in the 80's and he had articles about firearms that most people here in the US would never have access too.
When he started having to write for Shotgun News, and shill the latest craptastical firearm that the gun monkeys at Century were churning out.....it was depressing. When he gets a chance to write about a historic piece, like a Bergman MP-35 subgun used by the Waffen SS early in WWII because the Wehrmacht wouldn't let them in to the supply chain of modern equipment.....then he writes like he used to be able to, without having to be a shill.
But, as has been stated here and continually restated over the last 27 years I've been reading gun mags, most writers and editors are whores.
Moose-Knuckle
10-27-10, 17:27
I have never subscribed to any of them, with that I have bought numerous ones through the years off the shelf as I like looking at the pretty picture while I'm on the thrown. SAR is one that I find to be informative.
I see Rob's and Rusted Aces and they are good reads. Anything written by Pat Rodgers and Larry Vickers I will pick up.
Fortier was probably one of the first modern writers to write about the FAL and AK with any frequency and have always done a good job talking about then new companies and products such as Mark Krebs, DSA, Arsenal.
But it appears that most of the gun rag writers cater to the mall ninja crowd.
Rmplstlskn
10-27-10, 17:48
Case in point....I grew up reading Kokalis in the 80's and he had articles about firearms that most people here in the US would never have access too.
Yes, the good ol' days... His days with SOF (haven't picked up that rag in over a decade), sneaking into Afganistan during the Russian war there, showing us captured Russian goodies, and then his own effort, "Fighting Firearms." I still have my issues of FF squirreled away and I re-read them from time to time...
There used to be a mag called "Gun Tests" that was pretty fair in their reviews and tests... I haven't seen that mag in ages...
Rmpl
Moose-Knuckle
10-27-10, 17:52
For fans of Kokalis's earlier work you should pick up a copy of this if you haven't already.
http://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Tests-Evaluations-Soldier-Fortune/dp/1581601220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288219817&sr=1-1
Rmplstlskn
10-27-10, 17:54
For fans of Kokalis's earlier work you should pick up a copy of this if you haven't already.
http://www.amazon.com/Weapons-Tests-Evaluations-Soldier-Fortune/dp/1581601220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288219817&sr=1-1
Thanks for the link, I'll check that out...
Rmpl
There used to be a mag called "Gun Tests" that was pretty fair in their reviews and tests... I haven't seen that mag in ages...
It's still out there AFAIK but it always struck me as a bunch of bubbas looking to subsidize their hobby, and they'd always choose the weirdest comparisons, like a 20" bushmaster free-float against a Colt M4 plastic handguards.
Crow Hunter
10-28-10, 07:44
It's still out there AFAIK but it always struck me as a bunch of bubbas looking to subsidize their hobby, and they'd always choose the weirdest comparisons, like a 20" bushmaster free-float against a Colt M4 plastic handguards.
Absolutely correct.
You can always tell there preferences: 1911's, M14's and revolvers, and big bullets. Typical gunshop rhetoric and it shows in their ratings.
However, they do report failures of products. I read it to see what has failed rather than what they rate the highest. I figure if it failed in their limited testing, it really won't get anywhere for serious use.
I did a comparison once for kicks. I looked back through 5 or 6 years worth of issues and tabulated up the failures of different types/brands of handguns. I think it was like 40% (don't quote me) of 1911 types that had to go back to the factory due to issues. 0% of the Glocks had issues but everytime there was a comparison, they always chose the 1911.
When it comes to gun rags. I only suscribe to SWAT and I only pay attention to certain writers in other mags. I will usually buy it if one of the writers I prefer, Rob, Ed, Pat, LAV and a couple of others, to support their writing. There are some however that I absolutely can't stand and usually won't even read their articles, or do so for entertainment. Some of them will occasionally be in SWAT (like this month:mad:) but generally seem to populate the other mags more often than not.
Something else on this subject that I thought of last night.
I'd be curious to know what people think writers get paid. Not guys with big names but just the rank and file. and what you think that pay scale is supposed to include (wrting only, pictures too, amount of shooting, etc.). Don't get cute and factor in things like "yeah but you get to keep a $1k gun" as that is often not the case and in the example of SWAT is actually against policy.
...
I'd be curious to know what people think writers get paid. ...
========================================
I'd guess for a contributing writer (one that didn't have a column) the pay would be $600-$800 for a quality article.
I'd think writer for a monthly column, would $1500 or so.
Just curious, does the pay vary by someone determining the article's quality, interest, etc.?
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Just curious, does the pay vary by someone determining the article is a quality, interest, etc.?
IME no, not really. Every publisher is different, but pay across one publisher for anyone not of a "name" is pretty much standard but may vary by size/length, not by quality or perceived interest.
After such debacles as the Suzuki Samurai review, I wouldn't trust Consumer Reports articles any further than the nearest trash can
Don't get cute and factor in things like "yeah but you get to keep a $1k gun" as that is often not the case and in the example of SWAT is actually against policy.
Just from reading articles, that seems to be the case of more "mainstream" rags like GUNS and American Handgunner. (I only read FMG rags regularly as I am on their comp list for some reason). I have read many times about the reviewer talking about having to send it back, liking it so much he pays for the gun in order to keep it, etc.
tracker722
10-29-10, 19:39
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I've never expected much out of a 100 round review. Frankly firearms are generally too personal and subjective to give a realistic one-time magazine review.
The only worth-while magazine reviews I have ever seen were from DIRT BIKE magazine when I was a kid. They would have every new bike for a given class (80, 125, 250 etc.) and do long term testing with a group of ridersthat ranged from novice to expert. Many charts would follow, rating them on everything from reliability to performance to rideability (an expert can fly on a bike that a novice can't and visa versa). Those tests led to many pissed off companies, and many very happy MX racers.
That type of testing is almost impossible to do with firearms.
I'm sure I could shoot 100 rounds out of a Colt and a DPMS and like them both. I might even like the DPMS more. Many of the guys writing these articles have no clue about HPT/MPI.
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