Gary's Gun Notes #143

The hectic time of year is here. Thanksgiving was yesterday and Christmas is now less than a month away. I have all my guys working as many hours as they can to get as many guns finished for Christmas. Thankfully most folks don’t require delivery before Christmas but quite a few would like nothing better than to see a gun under the tree on Christmas morning. And to those folks, we will do our very best.

The various hunting seasons are dwindling down to a few late season hunts. Strangely enough we haven’t had any snow so far this year. For us that is unusual. Normally by this time we would have about a foot on the ground and a lot more in store in the months ahead. There is still plenty of time yet for a blizzard or two and when we do have snow that will help the hunters quite a bit. The snow will drive the elk down from the high country and into the fields and woods at lower elevations, and by lower elevations I mean around 7000 feet. So far it has been a good year for the most part with a lot of big elk and mule deer being taken. Due to the coyotes, our antelope population is very low but the do gooders keep whining that we shouldn’t shoot the poor defenseless coyotes who only eat grubs and berries. The liberal whiners are so stupid about coyotes and life in general.

Another large wolf was killed near here recently. This makes 3 or 4 that have either been run over, or shot that I know of and finally the Game & Fish folks are admitting that we do have wolves here. .

Last week I was invited to go on a bear hunt in North Carolina. This is where the really big bears are. It is not unusual to find 750 to 800 lb Black bears in North Carolina. That is bigger than most Grizzlies. They run a bit over 600 lbs for the most part. The good friend, Geoffrey Lee, invited me to join him on the second leg of their hunt starting Dec. 15. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it as that is our busiest time of the year but I wanted Colleen to go. I have taken several bear while she has only taken one cinnamon bear up in Washington state. Unfortunately she couldn’t make it either. We raise Jack Russells and she has 2 litters due during that time frame. My thanks go out to Geoffrey for the invitation.

I mentioned this at the HHC but it needs to be mentioned again. Kase is taking some time off. He has been building custom 1911s since he was about 15, and he turns 39 tomorrow, November 29th. In this business it is really easy to get burnt out, so he is taking some time off. We will still be building custom 1911s but none of Kase’s special editions.

Speaking of the HHC (Handgun Hunter’s Challenge) the next one is scheduled for April 2 thru 5. We already have 8 or 10 folks signed up. Irv Coutts and his lady, Sandy Prichard, let me know they signed up a week or so ago. I won’t start pushing the next HHC until after Christmas and the New Years when things calm down a bit. It has only been about 6 weeks since the last HHC but I am already looking forward to the next one.

The gun manufacturers are rushing trying to get new guns finished and out for Christmas buying. Ruger has introduced a new model to their LCR line up. This one is the LCRX, which is a 3” 38 +P. It has the exposed hammer which seems to be more popular than the hidden hammer. Ruger’s new adjustable sighted Bearcat should be out any day now. They premiered it at John Taffin’s Appreciation Dinner in Boise on Oct 18th. This is a really nice little gun and I know one custom gun guy that will have it out in 22 magnum soon after it’s release.

Another new one that is a really strange one, is the new Taurus Curve. This semi auto is actually curved to fit your hip. It is a really strange feeling and looking gun. It curves several degrees, enough to fit your right hip. Not sure if they plan to come out with a lefty. The magazine is actually curved and the gun curves in the middle. Almost impossible to explain here but the gun magazines will have an endless supply of photos when they get hold of it.

Henry rifle is coming out with a couple of new models. They are chambered in 30-30 and in 45-70. The Henry rifles are made here in the states and these two should see excellent sales if they get them out by Christmas. Fiocchi Ammunition has a new line up of cowboy ammo coming out. It will be chambered in 32 S&W long, 38 Short, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Special, 44-40 and 45 Long Colt. They were scheduled to do this a year or two ago but something set it back. Now I wonder if this is a good time to release it, with the cowboy action shooting beginning to fade out. I guess we shall see.

Recently Jay Leno was slated to address the folks at the SHOT SHOW in January. The liberal whiners started hassling him and the coward caved in. He was never a real gun guy but at least he wasn’t an anti gunner. But now he has caved in to the anti gunners. Probably just as well.

Recently we have premiered a couple of new and revised series of custom guns. We have completely revised our Wyoming Hunter, which was originally built on the Ruger Maximum frame. With the maximum frames being almost non existent these days it didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to promote a custom gun on that frame. Our new one is totally different and can be built on any standard new model Ruger single action revolver. You can see it here...https://reedercustomguns.com/revolvers/wyoming_hunter.htm

Another new one is our new Flattop Hunter. Our Flattop target has been very successful so I thought a hunting model to go along with it would be nice. It also can be built on any Ruger centerfire single action. Here it is...https://reedercustomguns.com/revolvers/flattophunter.htm

Another new one is our Perfect Packin’ Pistol. John Taffin has sought the perfect packin’ pistol for years so I figured we should give it to him. In fact the prototype revolver is being sent to John next week for an article in the near future. Here is the new Perfect Packin’ Pistol...https://reedercustomguns.com/revolvers/flattophunter.htm. The gun we are sending John is a bit different as it is finished in our satin Black Chromex and chambered in 41 Special...here is the special gun I am sending to John...

Another one we are revising is our Montana Hunter. Every series need to be refreshed with a new look from time to time and it was time to do so to the Montana Hunter. so that one is being revised over the next couple of weeks.

Our new Silverhawk is almost ready. I hope to be premiering it over the next week or so. It is a very unusual Redhawk. It comes with a 5 shot cylinder, full octagonal barrel with matching underlug. Full frame rework for more comfortable shooting of the bigger calibers. Special grips and sights too. A very special revolver for those that like to hunt with a double action. We have been working on this one for a couple of months now and I am anxious to get it finished.

In the most recent issue of American Handgunner good friend Roy Huntington, the head honcho there, did a small article on our new Kentucky Bowie that we came out with about a month ago. The response has been tremendous and I have my knife guy, John Morgan working overtime building enough of them to match the demand. The Kentucky Bowie is a bit different from our Tennessee Bowie of a year or so ago. It comes with a nice leather sheath and is priced right. You can see it here...https://reedercustomguns.com/information/knives.htm I designed it a bit different with a slightly smaller curved handle and more of a blunt nose, whereas most Bowies have that long tapered nose that Jim Bowie preferred. I know next to nothing about knives and knife designs. I just know what I like and I guess there are a lot of folks out there that like them a bit unusual too. My thanks to Roy Huntington for the kind words.

Just about every AR-15 maker has introduced a new version of their rifles, hoping for their share of the Christmas buying. Many have changed the looks drastically of their rifles, while some have added new calibers. Either way, if you are looking for an AR, now is the time to buy. Prices have been lowered even more for the Christmas buying season, so now is the time.

Recently I picked up one of the Airrow bow guns, for lack of a better name. It uses the action of the Ruger 10-22 and basically looks like a fancied up 10-22 until you look closer. it uses 22 blanks to fire it and uses 16” broadhead equipped arrows. The arrow slides down in the oversize barrel until it doesn’t show at all. Put the 22 blank in the chamber, aim and fire. The arrow comes screaming out of there at almost 500 fps. That is with a 75 grain Wasp broadhead. I plan on putting a 2X scope on it and bringing it to the HHC in April. May try out a big hog with it.

That’s it for now. Hopefully more to tell you about in next month’s column. Til next time have a great holiday season with your family and if you have a chance, take them hunting and shooting. They are our future.