General Tips - My Gun Culture

Silence? Or Not So Much? Are Suppressors Really Hearing Safe?

By Tom McHale|2024-11-08T11:43:27-05:00November 8th, 2024|

The devil is always in the details. We hear about suppressors making shooting “hearing safe.” Is that true? Well, yes. And, no. It all depends. Here’s a brief look at some of the science behind silencing and suppression of firearms and what you need to know to be sure you’re not permanently destroying your hearing.

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At the Mercy of Reloading Component Shortages? Life As A Lead Scrounger

By Tom McHale|2024-11-08T11:45:58-05:00November 6th, 2024|

Out-of-control reloading component shortages, lasting years, are becoming a regular event thanks to pandering politicians and a hysterical media. So perhaps the time is not to start casting your own bullets. It’s fun, satisfying, and most importantly, puts you squarely in charge of your own destiny. Mike has some tips.

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Silence? Or Not So Much? Is it Safe to Shoot Suppressed Without Hearing Protection?

By Tom McHale|2024-03-29T12:17:30-04:00March 29th, 2024|

Suppressors reduce the sounds levels of gunshots—a lot. Technically, most of them reduce the sound signature to a level most claim is “hearing safe” or at least below the point of causing instant hearing damage. So, what’s the bottom line? Is it safe to shoot suppressed without hearing protection? The answer is… it depends.

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Easy Kitchen DIY: How to Stipple the Grip On Your Polymer Pistol

By Tom McHale|2024-02-14T14:57:15-05:00February 16th, 2024|

Doing DIY work on a gun can, and should be, somewhat intimidating. You don’t want to be messing around with things that might impact safety or reliability unless you really know what you’re doing. But there are plenty of projects on the lower end of the risk spectrum. One example is customizing the grip surface on a polymer-framed gun. It’s mostly a cosmetic and “feel” customization that doesn’t impact any of the fire control elements, so if you’re careful, you can do a grip-stippling job right at home using inexpensive and readily available tools.

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What You Need to Know About Self-Defense Training [VIDEO]

By Tom McHale|2024-02-14T14:56:50-05:00February 15th, 2024|

American Handgunner Editor Tom McHale welcomes James Queisner to discuss the must-knows of self-defense training. James is an instructor at Gunsite Academy and has written a few of American Handgunner's "Make Ready" columns focusing on training issues.

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Self-Defense Scenario Training with W.O.F.T.’s Philip Toppino [VIDEO]

By Tom McHale|2024-02-14T14:56:01-05:00February 13th, 2024|

Everyone offers a self-defense training program, but how many self-defense training centers put you in the middle of everyday training scenarios and help you practice your response over and over until you get it right? American Handgunner's Tom McHale attended a program at W.O.F.T., and his eyes were opened.

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How to Shoot Tiny Groups

By Tom McHale|2023-10-27T09:36:17-04:00October 27th, 2023|

Accuracy. It’s the bane of the range. We read articles about the latest, greatest gob of lead flinger and how it will shoot .0027″ groups from a quarter mile using leftover ammo from the War of 1812. Then we get our hands on one, and, well, the results don’t quite live up to the expectations.

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The Art of Reviewing a Semi-Auto Pistol – American Handgunner

By Tom McHale|2023-08-25T10:03:11-04:00June 7th, 2023|

Reviewing guns is 38% objective, 54% subjective, and 93% opinion. Those of you who aced Trigonometry might have figured out we blew right past the 100% limit, but that just goes to show that evaluating a gun isn’t an entirely quantifiable exercise. Now that I think about it, there is a word for a perfectly objective gun review. Specifications.

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False Assumptions! You Most Certainly Can Carry a Larger Gun

By Tom McHale|2023-06-06T10:25:06-04:00June 6th, 2023|

I’m saying you can carry a larger gun concealed — every day even. To be clear, I’m not talking about one more powerful or in a larger caliber. I’m talking about a handgun physically bigger than the pocket micro mini subatomic ultra-compacts all the rage these days.

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1,2,3,4… I Declare a Gun Lube War

By Tom McHale|2022-11-13T15:26:40-05:00November 13th, 2022|

Like all those “Housewives of Toad Suck, Arkansas” reality TV shows, capitalism is subject to the immutable and universal laws of unintended consequences. Take the gun lube market, for instance. We all need it, and presumably, there’s always room for a better mouse grease trap. So, in theory, I have no real problem with the onslaught of miracle gun lube products. Entrepreneurs everywhere have figured out you can package stuff auto repair shops purchase by pallet-loads of 55-gallon drums into teeny, tiny, plastic bottles with eyedropper attachments and charge a per-ounce price equivalent to platinum, and, these days, gasoline. It is not unusual for a container small enough to legally carry on an airplane to cost $15, $25 or even $40. If a container won’t cause anxiety and suffering among TSA agents, it’s small indeed.

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