Airgun articles on the web

by Tom Gaylord

If you don't subscribe to Shotgun News, you have missed out on a LOT of airgun articles. I have had a monthly column there since October of 2004, plus I've been writing feature articles for them since 2001.

Well, you don't have to miss out any longer. Pyramyd Air is now sponsoring all my columns on the Shotgun News website, so you can read them on your computer.

I hear from a lot of old Airgun Letter subscribers how they sure miss my articles. Well, folks, I'm writing about four times as much today as I did back then, but it's not going into a single publication. In fact, I feel guilty for neglecting this blog so much, but my other paying gigs have me going all the time! And I get to write as much as I want about almost whatever I want for Shotgun News. The column is monthly and only has room for 1600 words and 6 pics, but my articles are often 5,000 plus words and 20 pics! That's what I'm talkin' about!

Enjoy the articles and drop me a line if there are any requests for future articles.

Tom

An excellent new airgun resource book

by Tom Gaylord

A great new book!
For Christmas I received a copy of Richard Middleton's new book, The Practical Guide to Man-Powered Bullets, published in 2005 by Stackpole. This exciting book delves into all sorts of arcane questions relating to airguns and ultimately, I learned a lot from it.


If you're a serious student of airguns, you need this book.

The author isn't afraid to experiment, and he's also not bashful about telling his many mistakes. They come in the form of warnings, and are explicit enough to be rather effective - at least for me!

Middleton is a Brit, transplanted to the U.S., so he brings the British sense of humor and writing style but is now free to experiment with airguns to his heart's content. He is also a reader of Dr. Frank Mann's epic book, The Bullet's Flight, from Powder to Target, so he's done his homework and isn't likely to reinvent the wheel.

Towards the end of the book he ALMOST discovers Splatology, but misses by a hair.

Should I republish the R1 book?
Reading this great book makes me wonder whether I should have a second run of the Beeman R1 book. I see where the excess copies have just about dried up and people are starting to ask me where they can get one. We published 2,500 copies in the first run and it took 7 years to get rid of just that few. That's why I'm reluctant to take another plunge. I'll speak to some publishers at the 2006 SHOT Show next month and they may help me decide.