Sir,

I read the article, purchasing an Underwood M1 carbine and 500 rounds of ammo. Haven’t received the ammo yet, but they sent me a beautiful U.S.G.I. carbine.

You have to rely on the “luck of the draw,” however I was extremely pleased. The rifle is about half the weight of an M1 Garand and ammo is cheaper. It does not have the knockdown power of the Garand but suits my needs well.

It took about 7 weeks from the time they received the order until the rifle was delivered to my door.

Thanks for the article.

Ray

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I just finished reading Mr. Ayoob’s article on the Marlin 336 lever action .30 .30. I found it very informative and well written.

I was looking for info on a rifle I inherited from my father. It is a Marlin 336, but the letters after 336 are R.C. Is this another variation of the models he spoke of or just a mistake in the stamp?

I was looking for information on how to break it down for cleaning and lubricating and Mr. Ayoob’s description makes it sound easy.

Thanks

Gallegodarktiger

Congratulations on a classic rifle.

Mas

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Hello.

I read Massad’s article, “Consider the 20-gage Shotgun“, in the current edition of your magazine. It was an excellent piece. It was so good that I ordered a Remington Model 1187. I pick it up today.

However, I have a question for Massad.

He didn’t address the issue of scopes in his article. I didn’t order a smooth bore barrel as I plan to use this gun exclusively for deer hunting. Could I have his thoughts on the subject? Is there a real difference between shotgun scopes and rifle scopes?

Indiana doesn’t allow the use of high powered rifles for hunting because of population density. So if I’m going to use a scope should my zero point be at say 50 yds instead of 100 yds?

Also, I read an article in the latest NRA Rifleman magazine by John Barsness about the truths and myths around breaking in and cleaning a shotgun barrel. Wondered if Massad has read this article and if so what is his opinion on it.

I couldn’t find a contact e-mail address on your website for Mr. Ayoob so I’m sending this to you in the hopes you will forward my questions to him.

Thanks,

Stephen Neff

Walkerton, IN

Mas

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Thank you for disseminating Mr Silviera’s article.

While I don’t think the act will ever fly in the U.S.A. It is alarming. But there is much food for thought  in the effort.

We North Americans, U.S and Canada, are among the very few nations that use the Boxer primer in our ammo. The central flash hole in the cartridges makes it easy to punch the spent primer out and simple to reload the cartridge. Most countries use the Berdan primer with three off center flash holes, making it very difficult to remove the spent primer and reload the cartridge case. I believe this was intentional to prevent their people from reloading ammunition. Think about who uses which type of primer and their form of government and the truth will slowly sink in.

Here we should give thanks that our “Commie sit down to pee pen raised rabbit liberals” do not understand firearms or ammunition. The technology to serial number all ammo and I.D. Fired cases to the  gun they were fired in does not exist and the bureaucracy to do so would be enormous and ultimately be a failure. BUT!  A Federally mandated switch to Berdan primers would render all of our ammunition un-reloadable. I think an attempt to do this is coming “As sure as God made little green apples!”  Let’s  stay alert for the attempt!

Leon Kania
Ex Captain, 5Th Special Forces, Viet Nam

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To Whom It May Concern:

The [linked] article by Mr. John Silveira is woefully out of date. Leaving the article in its current state only adds to the misinformation, panic, and stridency generally found on the internet and in mass emailings of dire warnings regarding our personal liberties. The Ammunition Accountability Act, in every form and everywhere introduced, failed. It was never brought to a vote in any of the 18 states in which something of this nature was introduced, either dying in committee, dying due to no action taken, or even having been withdrawn. Though the tools of research and verification are at the fingertips of anyone possessing a computer and who could read the article at the above link, the tendency all too often is to immediately post such misinformation to everybody they know, distributing concern, unease, and panic, while contributing nothing constructive. There is no current threat from the Ammunition Accountability Act or anything resembling it anywhere in the Union.

As a matter of service to your readers, the author might compose a follow-up article, updating the fate of the bill in each of the states, or even just a paragraph denoting that the bills are currently a dead issue. Perhaps your editorial staff would undertake the project. Will it/they resurface? It is likely, even probable. And that would be the time to update once again, inform and motivate the reading/shooting public to the new threat. Letting old, inaccurate, outdated information stand serves no good purpose, informs no one, and only leads to useless spam, and frankly, de-sensitization of the reading/shooting public to real, clear, and present threats to our liberties and the 2nd Amendment.

Respectfully,

John L. Corstorphine, Jr.

John,

Thanks for calling that to our attention. The author just added to the article a couple of paragraphs updating the current status.

Dave

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Gentlemen:

I will soon be traveling through bear country and may be exposed to all but the biggest ones found in Alaska.  I won’t be hunting them at that time but I wish to know if a 12 Guage shotgun loaded with slugs will be enough to keep safe in that neck of the woods.

Your consideration is appreciated.  My other options, at the moment are a .270 or 30-06 sporting rifles.

Sincerely,
Chris Newport

A short, handy, rapid-firing 12 gauge shotgun with slugs sounds good to me. I’m partial to the deep-penetrating Brenneke slug load.

Best,

Mas

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I wandered to your site somehow, and find it absolutely amazing.

I have two cast iron fry pans, which I love. I plan to try the 200 degree seasoning method. I do clean them with salt and a nylon scrubbie and they are wonderful!

That was a pleasant article, but the one about civil unrest I found quite disturbing, mostly because it put into words things I have been thinking about for some time.  I also have read something about how the United States is currently divided into five districts with special military units and directives for each area, should the citizenry get out of line.  Pretty frightening stuff.  We personally are sure not prepared to deal with something like this, but have started to work toward putting in a wood stove, and stocking up on emergency supplies.

Again, thanks for addressing issues that most people don’t want to think about—but should.

I will visit your site often.

Brenda Halverson

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Hi there

I saw your article about obtaining an M1 Garand through the CMP and just wanted to ask you about it.

I have heard about this opportunity for quite sometime and since I have a love for history, especially WWII I think it would be a great honor to own my personal favorite weapon from WWII.  So basically I wanted to ask if you knew if this is still an available opportunity.

I have followed your link to the CMP website to become a member but am unsure how to get going with it. Also, I am a 22 year old. (do you need to be a certain age?)

Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing your tips on how to take advantage of this remarkable opportunity.

Garrett Pifer

Garrett:

The offer is still available and you are old enough to take advantage of it. Just go to the CMP website at and walk your way through the requirements.

Editor, BHM

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Hello.

I’m a Vietnam combat vet and experienced shooter with a note about your article, “Economical Battery of Guns…” Outstanding and informative.

My suggestion is that your staff consider adding Sabot Flechette rounds to a recommended supply of ammo for your 12-gauge shotguns.

After using the Flechette rounds in the army, they’re far superior to buckshot and extraordinarily accurate and effective up to 125 yards. I have a cache for my Winchester Defender.

Legal for citizens to own, although expensive — but, what’s your life worth?

Tony Swindell
Howe, TX

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Just read your article on ammo.

When you come across a round that shouldn’t be shot, how do you safely dispose of the bad round?

Thanks from a new gun owner,

Steve Martin
Indianapolis

If you have a bullet puller, you can safely disassemble defective cartridges, thus salvaging the components.

Mas Ayoob

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I know a lot about Massad Ayoob back in the early 1980′s. The article “Thoughts on ammunition” had several statements about the cost of ammunition. I have to be honest here, there is definitely a shortage and availability of handgun ammunition. For instance, for 2 months now,I go to my local  Wallmart  store to purchase .45 auto ammo. They can’t keep it in stock! The Counter person  that I know because I go there once a week says that as soon as they get there pallet load of ammo in,that customers come in and buy the whole thing. He said a customer came in and bought all 5000 Rounds of their .45 acp ammo in one shot. He also said they won’t get any more in for 7 to 10 days and even longer. When its put out on the shelf it won’t last more than  day. Needless to say I started to go to another Wallmart in a nearby town (Madera, CA) and also the Wallmart in (Clovis, CA), I live in Fresno, CA. It’s all the same story! The ammunition that is stocked at the few gun shops around, they want almost double the price. I can’t see paying 45 to 50 bucks for 50 rounds of .45 acp ammo for plinking! In fact some gun shops aren’t buying any ammunition because they say there is hardly any profit in it anymore!

Now I do 100% of my ammunition shopping at places like ammunitiontogo.com. (They carry police contract ammo not available to the public locally, but can be Legally sold to the public through the internet because it was a police contract that was cancelled). The round is called Federal Premium HST Tactical and Federal LE Hi-Shok Ammo.  HST Ammunition is some of the best Expansion ammo I have ever encountered and when its available,you jump on it!.

Widners
Ammoman.com
Graffs&Sons
Ammo Bank

Unfortunately, even as I write this, these big online ammunition dealers don’t have stock in some of the most popular calibers. .45 acp, .357 Mag, 9mm, are in big time demand.  Try finding some good .223 Remington ammo in 1000 Round cases that isn’t penetrator-tipped bullits.  It’s [difficult] to find this ammo. Even at the local gun shows, they don’t have much to offer, because they carry such small amounts now. I soon found out why. Because these people travel to show to show on a circuit, they have to only put out certain amounts of ammo so they will have some at each of their shows. One vendor who I talked to and a family friend said that he can’t stock enough supply to feed the demand and if he sold all of his ammo at just 1 show, he would lose out on the money on the rest of the shows because it’s the ammo that brings people to his booth and it’s his bread and butter. Basically it’s being rationed because they just don’t have the supplies currently at this time..

Note: If you have noticed, a brand called PRVI out of Russia is now making a lot of ammo that is cheaper than what our ammunition manufacturers sell their low line brands for. Interestingly this is some accurate and good ammunition from my own personal test. It’s all brass-cased, reloadable, non-corrosive primer and of decent quality. Their match grade.223 is some good shooting ammunition, so is their .45 and other calibers. There are some other connected brands from Russia called Brown Bear, Wolf, Silver Bear. While these work, there has been problems like Red Primer sealant build up, bad quality and primers installed backwards on rounds.

PRVI  is now one of my go-to brands http://www.prvipartizan.com/new.php. But guess what is going to happen now? Huge amounts of money will be taken away from domestic ammo manufacturers which will end up using lobbyist pressure to limit importation of this ammo because they want the sales and of course profits. Secondly, they will tax us to death on ammunition and make new laws to cause drastic increases and new tougher regulations that will make it more difficult to buy, sell and have legally! California is having a very hard time and I fear there is good reason for this.

I believe there is a bigger picture to all of this and it comes down to control.

Sincerely,

Rick Schreiner

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I read the article about the burial of the rifle to keep it away from the gun grabbers. The writer had some good advice I hope I never have to use. I hope the folks wake up and realize that the presidency is not a popularity contest and that elections have consequences.

Ken Hasenauer

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Massad Ayoob, in one of his blogs, said that he carries a Glock 27 most of the time. This is my choice also. I respect his knowledge on handguns and I would like to know what his choice for ammo is.

I am NOT a computer guru and I realize this may not be something you want to answer. If not would you care to point me in the correct direction?

Thanks alot

Craig Medford

Glasgow, Kentucky

I like a medium weight high velocity in the G27, usually use Winchester 155 grain Silvertip these days. Have it in the gun while I’m in Washington state right now, oddly enough.

Mas

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I’ve never replied to an article that you’ve written before but felt compelled to this time.

Your article on how to bury a gun and ammo for 15 years SHOULD never have been written. Emphasis on should. The sad fact of it is that the government has gone so far askew from the founding fathers ideas that articles of this type ARE necessary information.

I look forward to receiving your magazine and only wish it came every month. My best to you and your fine staff and keep up the excellent job.

Travis Schade
Grayling,MI

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Hello

My name is Dustin and my wife’s name is Diane.  I just stumbled across [the Backwoods Home website] today. I only recently began looking at sites such as this.

My wife and I have not spent much time shooting the past few years.  (In fact  from 2001-2006 we did not fire a  single round.) We just wanted to comment your article.  Miss Fitz’ Guide to Guns, Part II Ammo You Can Bet Your Life On was great We thought it was incredibly insightful and informative and easily understood by my wife (She also found it interesting).

Thank you so much we are looking forward to more.

Sincerely

Dustin and Diane Keener

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