Going shooting in the wilderness? Be safe!

Instead of belonging to a gun club or using a commercial range, many gun owners enjoy heading out into the countryside to shoot. In my area of the world, this is often an old gravel pit out in the woods. There are lots of such locations scattered around the Pacific Northwest, as they’re used to […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On August 30, 2019

Retrieving the rifle: an overlooked skill

One of the things I teach is the idea that the rifle is the gun we are most unlikely to have on our person when we need it. It’s the firearm that needs to be retrieved in order to use, and that affects how we train and practice.

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On August 23, 2019

Interchangeable chokes for defensive shotguns? Why not!

Instructor Georges Rahbani showing a kneeling position with the defensive shotgun If any firearm could be said to be overlooked, it’s the defensive shotgun. While not a tool for the inexperienced, it must be acknowledged that the shotgun loaded with a defensively-appropriate shell (preferably in the buckshot category) is a force to be reckoned with. […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On August 20, 2018

The importance of rifle balance

A recent talk with a colleague reminded me that in our zeal to embrace the new, we sometimes lose sight of the virtues of the past. Before you get all worked up and start calling me a “Fudd”, understand that I love the things modern technology has given us. Whether in firearms, electronics, or anything […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On May 14, 2018

The Pistol Caliber Carbine: the gun tactical hobbyists love to hate

If you ask a tactical hobbyist what he or she thinks about the pistol caliber carbine, you'll often be met with scorn. "They're not a rifle", they'll say, and that's true — but sometimes, not being a rifle makes them better for the person who isn't a tactical hobbyist. Here's why.

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On March 27, 2017

Steyr AUG surprise: an unappreciated advantage for defensive use

You might remember that I’ve spent the last 18 months living with the Steyr AUG A3 M1 bullpup rifle. During that time I’ve been rather exclusive, using the AUG in place of all the other centerfire rifles I know and love. (Of course I’ve shot a lot of rimfire rifles during that time, but I […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On July 18, 2016

The AR-15 does a lot of things well. Except this.

Sometimes I think I’m the only person in the shooting/self defense field who’s actually thinking about the average person: the man or woman who doesn’t want to become a soldier or a police officer, doesn’t want to look like one, doesn’t want to spend all their free time on a shooting range, and doesn’t care […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On June 6, 2016

Choosing the ‘pool gun’ for your family and home defense: what’s best?

If you keep a firearm for home defense (more specifically, defense of yourself and others while in your home — we don’t use lethal force to defend mere property), it’s entirely possible that there may be more than one person who is authorized, capable of or likely to need to use it. You may have a […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On February 26, 2016

What self defense ammunition is best for the 9mm carbine?

I’ve often said that I’m in favor of the pistol-caliber carbine, either autoloading or lever action, as a home and homestead defense weapon under some circumstances. Why the carbine? Because it affords the defender some advantages over the handgun as a defensive tool without the disadvantages of going to a full-powered rifle. First, it’s easier […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On February 1, 2016

.22LR rifle reviews suck. Here’s why.

The other day I posted an article to social media about Eley’s newest .22LR hunting ammunition, suggesting that people who’ve never tried really good rimfire ammo haven’t a clue how much difference in performance it can make in their rifles. That comment reminded me of a .22 rifle “test” I read a couple of months […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On January 29, 2016

What did you change your mind about in 2015? Here’s what I did.

I’ve come to the belief that one of the most profound questions you can ask anyone who purports to be an expert in any field (to include defensive training) is “what have you changed your mind about?” This isn’t an easy question to answer, and most people you’ll ask will try to wiggle their way […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On January 1, 2016

Do you need backup sights on a defensive rifle? It depends.

Do you need backup sights (BUS or BUIS – “backup iron sights”) on your defensive rifle? The answer is a solid “maybe”, because the choice might not be as clear-cut as you may think. This year’s Bullpup Rifle Experiment taught me a lot; not just about bullpup rifles, but about rifles in general and how we […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On December 14, 2015

The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Epilogue: the Steyr AUG magazine choice – do you prefer Original or Less Reliable?

Apparently this little series has established me as the “go-to guy” for Steyr AUG questions, because my email box has seen a big uptick in volume from people asking various things about the AUG and about bullpups in general. I’m glad that there’s so much interest in these intriguing firearms! As I’ve said, the reason I […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On October 9, 2015

The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 4: do they have a place in the home defense arsenal?

You can probably tell from the contents of this site, and from the books, videos and magazine articles I’ve done, that my focus is on a specific part of the shooting world: that of private sector self defense. I bring this up because there are big differences in the skills needed (and the way they […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On October 7, 2015

The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 3: what did I learn about the Steyr AUG?

(If you’re coming in late, please read Part 1 and Part 2 of The Bullpup Experiment for some background on the project!) While I got to play with several bullpups during the last few months, the vast majority of my hands-on experience was with the Steyr AUG A3 M1 model. As I noted in Part […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On October 6, 2015

The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 2: what did I learn about bullpup rifles?

If you’ve read Part 1 of The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, you’ll know that I started out this little project with a relatively simple goal: to find out what the bullpup rifle was all about. I wanted to learn what they were good for, what they weren’t, and perhaps even a little bit of why they […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On September 30, 2015

The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 1: why would I do such a thing?

As you may know, I’m a proponent of the rifle as a defensive tool — particularly for what I refer to as “perimeter defense”, which are threats at distances beyond which we think of the pistol as a more suitable tool, and for defense of a fortified or ensconced position (like being barricaded in your safe […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On September 28, 2015

Is the old lever action half-cock safety really all that safe?

We’ve all been taught about the half-cock notch on lever action rifles. How safe is it, really? When I was growing up lever action rifles (with the exception of the Savage 99) had no safeties. It was assumed, and taught, that the safe way to carry a lever action with a round in the chamber […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On May 19, 2015

Is the prone position useful in defensive shooting? I don’t think so, and here’s why.

It happened again just the other day: someone asked me about my Perimeter Defense Rifle class and was surprised when I told him that I didn’t teach the prone position. He seemed both offended and perplexed (which is an interesting combination of emotional states, I’ll admit.) He simply couldn’t fathom that someone teaching a […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On March 2, 2015

Thoughts on the .30-30 Winchester – is it all it’s cracked up to be?

. The .30-30 Winchester, more properly known as the .30 Winchester Center Fire (WCF), is one of the most popular cartridges in the world. Why? The .30WCF, more popularly known as the “thirty-thirty”, is a staple of deer hunting in this country. (Well, it certainly used to be, but I’m getting ahead of myself.) Introduced […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On December 15, 2014

Ed Harris says: “A Hillbilly Assault Rifle? You bet!”

. Ed Harris, ballistic experimenter extraordinaire, is back — this time with some details on his “lever action utility rifle”. As usual, he’s got some good ideas! —— Modern Sights to Upgrade the Lever-Action Utility Rifle by C.E. “Ed” Harris, Gerrardstown, WV I like the 1894 Marlin. I have three of them, in .357, .44 […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On December 8, 2014

I like all rifles, but lever actions have a particular place in my collection. Here’s why.

. The lever action may seem antiquated, but maybe its old virtues still have value in today’s shooting world! —— There’s been a lot of talk about lever action rifles lately. One well-known person in the industry wrote an article about how much he likes them, and another industry personality wrote a social media rebuttal […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On October 15, 2014

Is a rifle or carbine a good choice for home defense? Here’s how to decide.

I recently received an email asking about my thoughts on using a pistol-caliber carbine or a rifle for home defense. Sometimes it’s a viable idea, sometimes it’s not — and occasionally it’s only part of an overall solution. How can you know if it’s right for you? Self defense inside the home (which is a very […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On September 30, 2014

From my email inbox: what’s the best .22 ammunition for a rifle?

. A recent email asked about the accuracy of .22 ammunition, and which I found was the best in my rifles. I couldn’t answer that question, and here’s why! —— I’m sometimes amazed at the coincidences of life. I’m currently testing ammunition in a rather unusual (but awfully neat) .22 rifle for an upcoming article […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On June 9, 2014

The full squat: the most overlooked rifle shooting position?

Instructor Georges Rahbani teaches the squatting position If you’re a rifle shooter you’ve probably practiced standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone; but have you practiced shooting from the full squat? Maybe you should! —— When I got my first formal rifle training we focused on the traditional shooting positions, the ones that the NRA had been […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On April 23, 2014

You know what grinds my gears? YouTube videos where women suffer shooting big guns.

There’s a genre of YouTube videos consisting of women shooting guns with heavy recoil for which they’ve not been properly prepared. Those vids disgust me. For some reason a certain segment of the male shooting population loves to see what happens when a woman (old or young) is given a powerful firearm and allowed to […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On March 19, 2014

Keeping the AR-15 (and M4 carbine) gas system running.

I’m constantly amazed at the number of people who believe that the gas impingement system of the AR-15 rifle and M4 carbine is somehow a liability. So strong is this belief that there is today a growing subset of the industry making good money by adding parts to the original Stoner design in a misguided […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On December 4, 2013

Ed Harris: America’s Greatest, The All-Around .30-’06!

(Editor’s note: Today I’m pleased to bring you another Ed Harris article – this time all about the .30-06 cartridge. As you’ll soon learn, Ed is a HUGE fan of the ’06 and has probably done more experimenting with it than any ten people you’re likely to find. In it are Ed’s recommendations for bullets […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On April 6, 2012

Smoke detectors and your rifle: how does a red dot fit into this?

I recently read an ongoing discussion about red dot sights on defensive rifles, and it got me to thinking about their utility to the defensive shooter. First off, I like red dot sights when I’m shooting. My eyes are unable to focus cleanly on the front sight of a 16-1/2″ barreled AR-15, and the red […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On April 4, 2012

Ed Harris: My Observations on the Ruger Mini-14

My Observations on the Ruger Mini-14 by Ed Harris (Editor’s Note: Today Ed candidly talks about the Ruger Mini-14, a gun with which my wife and I have a love-hate affair. She likes the size, the handling, and the appearance, while I like that it uses a round which I already have in abundance! When […]

Posted by Grant Cunningham
On February 24, 2012

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