Search this site

by Shane Jahn One of the most overlooked and important cartridges in our collection is one of the smallest and oldest. I’m referring to the 5.7x15mmR that made its debut in 1887. You’ll recognize it by its American name, the .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR). Not to be confused with the .22 Short, .22 Long, and a few others of the .22 genre, the .22 LR is its own man. Along with the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR), it is undoubtedly the most common of the .22 rimfires out there today. The latter 1970s saw advances in .22 LR ammunition when CCI brought out the Stinger. Other ammunition manufacturers quickly followed suit by trimming a little weight from hollow point bullets and beefing up velocities. All these years later we are still seeing advancements in .22 LR ammunition, and there is plenty to choose from.

by Steve Tracy This Gun Tale is dedicated to the memory of Greg Moats. He passed less than five weeks after we chatted at the Shootist Holiday in June 2026. We shared a mutual enthusiasm for the Browning Double Automatic. Greg had extolled the shotgun’s virtues during his many decades of writing and teaching. Moats was equally knowledgeable about firearms history, defensive firearms tactics, competition, and hunting. He will be greatly missed and remembered by all who knew him. —Steve Val Browning gazed out the window of his luxurious suite at the Morrison Hotel. The view was resplendent with Lake Michigan in the distance, and Chicago’s architecture was enhancing the city’s metropolitan ambiance. A light snow fell to the streets, and Browning considered the cold January morning as he absently knotted his tie. He slipped on his suit jacket and smiled, happy that he did not have to step outside that day. Instead, the elevator operator carried him downstairs to the 1955 National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) exposition, as it was hosted in the same building where he spent his night’s slumber. The distinguished-looking 60-year-old was the President of the Browning Arms Company, with dozens of patented firearm designs to his name as a third-generation gunmaker. His father was the brilliant firearms designer John M. Browning, and that mechanical genius gene had been passed down. The senior Browning had been proud to see his son Val follow in the family business. While many sons learned to exist quietly in the shadow of their brilliant fathers, others grabbed the torch and continued the family legacy. Val took the torch after his father’s passing and ran with it.

by Jim Wilson In my youth I knew a few of the men who had patrolled the brush country along the Rio Grande during Prohibition. They earned their keep during the smoke of little fights just like this one. The term “He’ll do to ride the river with” is often overused today. Those old border lawmen knew what it really meant... —Jim Damn this National Prohibition anyway! The idea that you can suddenly pass a law and people will just immediately quit drinking booze amazes me. What it’s done is make a whole lot of otherwise lawful people into outlaws, and it’s gotten some awfully good lawmen shot to pieces, too. Down here along the river, we’ve had to deal with a whole bunch of pack trains out of Mexico, hauling alcohol and causing trouble. Of course, the booze is just one little part of the problem. The real problem is that groups of armed men are invading our country, cutting fences, scattering livestock, and shooting at everyone that they happen across. Captain Wright’s not a drinking man, but it’s all this other stuff that has him really upset. He just doesn’t like for anybody to shoot up the citizens and otherwise cause trouble and havoc. That’s why we ride the river.

by Shane Jahn For a long time, I ignored the concept of the Bisley grip frame. It didn’t look like the traditional plow handle of the sleek Colt Single Action Army. Nor did it share the similar graceful silhouette of the classic Ruger Flattop, so it couldn’t be as good. Same can be said of the curved lever versions found on some lever action rifles. You don’t know what you don’t know. Preconceived notions are often wrong. I suspect I’m not alone in these exercises in ignorance and unfounded bias. Thinking the Bisley grip frame of the Ruger and Colt didn’t look traditional, Jahn once ignored them. Today, they are found on many of his go-to handguns. If limited to one factory handgun, he would choose Ruger’s Bisley. (Photo: Gary Eastridge)

It's true! Gun Tales Coffee is real, and there's a very good reason for it... America is built on big moments. The battles. The inventions. The hard decisions made by stubborn people who refused to quit. But America is also built on small moments. The first cup of coffee before daylight. An early walk while the world is still asleep. A late night at the reloading bench, with brass on the table and old stories running through your mind. The moments that belong only to you. Those small moments matter. They are where memories are made, grand plans for the future are forged, and the most unpredictable stories begin. They are the private pieces of life that eventually become family history, hunting stories, campfire legacies, and the kind of memories worth handing down. As America turns 250, we want to celebrate more than the grand chapters of our history. We want to celebrate the quiet moments where thoughts and dreams begin—the catalysts to all our victories through the years. That is why we created Gun Tales Coffee. Coffee is something that connects us all, an experience that we collectively share and enjoy in our most peaceful moments—early mornings, late nights, old books, worn leather, walnut stocks, your favorite chair, deer camps, front porches. Gun Tales has always been about stories. And we'd love to be part of the small moments where your future stories begin. What You Can Expect We've partnered with Temecula Coffee Roasters to make sure you get the highest quality, best tasting coffee in the country. We're expert story tellers, they're expert coffee roasters—a match made in heaven. We decided what our coffee should taste like—light, dark, blended, single origin, and so on. And after careful consideration, we have determined that the revolver world needs five new flavors of coffee: Sheriff Wilson's Byline Blend The Sheriff's blend brings dark and medium roasts together to support the working man—it's suited to early deadlines, long stories, and a desk crowded with priceless revolvers. Smooth, rich, and authoritative, it's made for readers and writers who understand that the finest tales usually begin with a second cup. Jahn's Hunting Grounds Shane's medium-light coffee is an African-origin coffee made for early starts, long days on the Big Game trail, and solitary hours when the rest of the world is still negotiating with their alarm clock. Bold, steady, and built for distance, it's the sort of cup that belongs beside worn boots, field notes, and a rifle that has seen more of the world than most men. Single Action Six Bean Preserving revolver culture with every cup, Single Action Six Bean is the Gun Tales house blend—dark roast only. Bold, simple, and deliberate, it's for those who believe the rituals of revolvers and coffee are worth keeping alive. A genuine blend of six types of beans, gathered from the finest coffee-growing corners of the world. Pistolero Puro Born in the high country of our neighbor to the south, medium-roast Pistolero Puro carries the bold character of Mexico, and the lingering spirit of the Old West. Originating in both Chiapas and Oaxaca, it's pure cowboy coffee for those who still appreciate saddle leather, sunbaked roads, and the old ways. Half Cocked Decaf Half-Cocked Decaf is for Gun Tales readers who want the aroma, ritual, and dignity of coffee but can no longer be trusted with the full-strength version after noon. Smooth, civilized, and mercifully free of consequences, this Central American blend lets you settle in with a good story without having to explain bad decisions later. Sit with me for a few moments while I try the very first cup and explain why Gun Tales Coffee carries a much deeper meaning. Thanks for being here with us.

by Shane Jahn Nostalgic. Uniquely American. Just plain cool. The lever action rifle is an icon of the United States. It stands as a symbol of our western culture. Since 1860, the lever gun has been answering calls from riflemen. It has seen battles against man, tangled with surly bears and defiant Cape buffalo, and accounted for all manner of wild game in the hunting fields. While there are numerous old-school versions still in existence, ranging from blue-worn shooters to showcase quality heirlooms, rifles of more modern ancestry are widely available for today’s outdoorsmen. Lever actions of traditional profile are still made here and abroad. Rifles with synthetic stocks and apparatuses of an extreme tactical nature abound to fill any gap or desire. Ammunition companies continue to cater to the lever gun. Just this year at SHOT Show 2026 we saw new ammo from Winchester with their American Lever Range line. Hornady and Remington are two other big names with lever action ammunition options. There are other small manufacturers like High Desert Cartridge Company and Hendershot’s, just to name a couple, who refuse to let the lever action go unfed. Some like Buffalo Bore Ammunition specialize in options that add a little spice to older cartridges chambered in strong, modern guns.

By Fermin Garza The 32 bore has come on pretty strong in the last several decades. As far as sixgun cartridges go, you should first know there are none as addictive as the 32 bore. My 32 H&R Magnum Single Sixes are quite powerful. The little Single Six frame is plenty tough to handle stout loads. I have been unable to injure any of mine with heavy loads. The 327 Federal is even better. It is my opinion that the industry is doing their level best to make these into self defense cartridges, but where they really shine is the field. A 3 or 4 inch barrel might make for a more concealable package but these cartridges really come to life with a 6-plus inch barrel. As an example, my 7 ½” Single Seven 327 Federal sends a 115 grain GCHP at just shy of 1500 fps. On tough Texas Jackrabbits it delivers a decisive WHOP and DRT performance. Elmer Keith and Skeeter Skelton were both fans of the 32-20, and both used the 32-20 as a field sixgun. Both chose the Colt SAA in 32-20 and used heavy loads for that time and platform. Back in those days, some 32-20 factory ammunition was designated “For Rifles Only,” and while Skeeter wrote that he shot the Rifle Only loads in his Colt SAA, they were definitely not for use in the other lighter-framed and thinner-cylinder 32-20s of the day. Skeeter's top load was 5.5 grains of Unique on a 105 grain gas checked bullet. If you own one of the petite classic sixguns produced early in the 20th Century, it is my advice to enjoy it for what it is and not shoot anything that might bend it. Those older sixguns have charm and grace on their own merits. Even with standard velocity loads, these classic Colt and S&W sixguns are quite formidable.

by Jim Wilson After the furor of the Lincoln County War died down, Billy the Kid and some friends formed an import/export company. That is, they would export New Mexico cattle and horses to Texas and Colorado where they were sold without the benefit of a legitimate bill of sale. Then this enterprising group would gather up some loose Texas and Colorado livestock, and take them back to New Mexico. One of the stalwarts of this gang was a former Texas cowboy going by the name of Billy Wilson. Billy had been born in one of the northern states but, as a child, moved with his family to southwest Texas. He learned the cowboy trade and soon ended up in New Mexico and running with Billy the Kid. Sometime during the livestock transfers, Wilson sold a herd of cattle in Colorado and the buyers paid off with counterfeit money. At this late date, we don’t know if Wilson was wise to this or not, but he was soon being sought on federal charges of passing phony money.

by Jim Wilson By now it shouldn’t surprise you folks to learn that I like single action revolvers. And, while I revere the classic Colt Single Action Army, my real love is the original Ruger Flat Top in .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. Great guns and cartridges right there, but they are also perfect vehicles for the various custom projects that might come to mind. A good example would be my recent project of converting a Flat Top .357 to .41 Special. Over the years I have had a number of custom gun projects completed and, along the way, I’ve learned a few lessons. Since custom projects take time and are expensive, it is a really good idea to take the time to search out the best gunsmith to do the work. Ask friends for suggestions, and view some of the gunsmith’s completed work if at all possible.

by Joel Nelson Joel Nelson is a lifelong shooter, hunter, cowboy, poet, and confirmed admirer of great guns. He has spent sixty years cowboying from Texas to Hawaii, which means he has fixed more problems with baling wire, leather, and vocabulary than most of us will ever encounter. For forty years, he has written and recited poetry, proving that a man can be handy with both a rifle and a rhyme. He doesn’t text or email, but he does have a pretty wife who can, which seems like the wiser arrangement anyway. Somewhere in all that living, he also spent fourteen months in the jungles of South Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division operating on a six man team, collecting stories that will never be told. Let's give Joel a warm Gun Tales welcome. —Matt I’d like to say I’ve been shooting since day one, but that would be too much of a stretch. You see, I began my shooting career with a handicap, although that term seems to be going out of vogue. Challenged seems to be more the accepted term in today’s sensitive society. So I was definitely challenged by both age and size. My dad was a ranch cowboy working for the Boone family east of Seymour in Baylor Co., and his only firearm at the time was a Mossberg semi-auto 22 that was fed via a teardrop shaped slot in the buttstock. The fore-end of the stock was hinged so it could be folded 90 degrees down for a handhold.

by Shane Jahn What is a woods gun? Depending on where we are, what we’re doing, and what our anticipated targets are, a woods gun can be most anything. Handguns, handy rifles, and even a short-barreled shotgun can serve us well for woods bumming. My unofficial definition most often relates to a revolver worn while out and about in the great outdoors, because they are what I prefer. I’ve always enjoyed hiking in vast stretches of uninhabited country. My woods guns can often do double-duty as a hunting handgun or serve as a defensive handgun if necessary. For the most part these wheel guns wear barrels no longer than 5.5-inches, although I have been known to carry longer guns at times. The cartridges chambered in these guns are ample to fill any gap required of them and good bullets are certainly a must. The 38 and 44 Specials can be puny when loaded with mild-powered round nose bullets. Top them with a good hard cast bullet with a wide meplat or jacketed hollow point of ample weight and velocity, and they become an entirely different animal.

by Matt Covert It’s Thursday. Jim and Shane are off at the 41st Shootist Holiday signing books like reluctant celebrities, and I’m here at home base putting the final touches on our book launch plan for Saturday. Somewhere in the back of my mind I’m already scheming the next big move for Gun Tales. But for today, two things feel important: Shane keeps encouraging me to take off my editor hat and write an article, and there’s no one here to stop me. Can you see where this is going? I’m quite familiar with writing. I used to write for a handful of small car magazines, and the formula was easy. Drive a new vehicle, come up with some absurd similes that can’t possibly be true, avoid specs at all costs, and focus on how it feels. Easy, when you know absolutely everything about the automotive industry. But there’s no hiding the fact that my knowledge about revolvers is tenuous at best. If someone told me their favorite round was the wildly popular 43.7 caliber millimeter, I would politely nod my head and make a note to look it up later. But then again, there’s value in new perspectives too. Here are mine. —Matt Revolvers are a questionable choice. In fact, there is almost no way to make a logical argument that revolvers are better than a modern polymer-frame pistol. They’re slow to load. They’re slow to unload. They have a low capacity. The sights are old. They’re heavy. They’re wide. They’re long. They take an hour to reload under stress. And they haven’t adapted to the modern accessory ecosystem. But at least they’re much more expensive, and ammunition is harder to find, and is also much more expensive.