The future is now ... well, as far as firearms go, anyway. Sci-fi fans know that, all too often, futuristic films feature heroes wielding blasters forged from “unobtainium.” Their pistols and revolvers are either highly customized, like the full-auto Berretta 92FS used by the Grammaton Clerics (Equilibrium, 2002), 
or they are based on hard-to-find guns, like Han Solo's scoped Mauser C96 (Star Wars franchise). Either way, their rarity or expensive custom work commands exorbitant prices. This places these movie guns well out of the reach of the average enthusiast who just wants to punch some paper with a smile on their faces. With this in mind, here are a few current production guns that can scratch the sci-fi blaster itch!
Science fiction is science fiction, but sometimes "horror" is a fact ... and that's the subject of this week's installment of our October Spooky Series! Executive Editor Wendy LaFever writes, "Several years ago, on NRA Family, we asked our readers to guess which of six creepy campfire tales was a work of fiction. One of those six spooky stories was mine, a little piece called "Radio in the Cabin." It was too scary, and some of the details too raw, for an audience likely to include children." Details were changed prior to publication. This is what really happened.
Sadly, most of the things that go "bump" in the night can't be driven back with garlic or prayer. We put a lot of emphasis here on firearms as a way to defend yourself, but actually having to use your gun in self-defense should be a last-ditch resort. Once you’ve pulled that trigger, your life (and probably someone else’s) is changed forever. Knowing a little bit about violence and paying attention to the warning signs that something is developing will go a long way to keeping you safe without having to go to your gun. Here are three ways to avoid needing your gun.
For some NRA Women, guns are more than tools for self-defense and hunting ... they're the heart of our small business! Nobody knows this better than gun instructor extraordinaire Heidi Lyn Rao. This week, she has some terrific advice for those of you who'd like to earn money while helping new gun owners. First, you need to market your business. There are three things that you need to focus on when looking for students: Identify your target audience; reinvest in your business; and advertise. Students are out there; you just have to find them!
Once you've got 'em in the door, of course, you need to make sure they're learning. Training aids break up the lecture, Power Point, slide show, or any other type of presentation. There are six things that using training aids do to assist in teaching: attract attention; arouse interest; provide clear explanations; give unity to an idea; allow for more learning in less time; and aid in retention. Here's how to use training aids to your students' benefit.
Speaking of sisters doing it for themselves, wild turkey is absolutely delicious and almost certainly healthier than domestic turkey, and it makes for a fantastic feast. Although we think of turkey hunting as a springtime pursuit, most states—at least 40 by my last count—also offer a fall turkey season, and right now is prime time to take part and bag your own Thanksgiving bird. Some states even allow fall turkey hunting on Thanksgiving day, which is a really cool tradition assuming you’ve got a backup plan for dinner in case things don’t go your way. Here's how to harvest your own Thanksgiving thunder chicken!
On the topic of bird hunting, all types (including turkeys) invite a shotgun with a long reach and a gentle touch. Beretta’s A400 shotgun series has been a hands-down favorite among serious waterfowlers for years, earning a reputation for gentle recoil coupled with serious sturdiness. However, among seasoned waterfowlers, “gentle” doesn’t always mean the same thing as it does to the rest of us. Some of us still quail at the thought (see what we did there?) of running hard-kicking 3” goose-hunting shells all morning long, and that’s what the newly announced Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus 20 Gauge shotgun was designed to improve.
That's not all you can DIY this week! Building polymer-framed, Glock-style 9 mm semi-automatic pistols at home has been a popular pastime with shooting sports enthusiasts for quite some time. Components, kits and support gear sized for the compact Glock model G19 and its clones abound. This is because the G19 is among the most popular handguns yet devised. Although the next generation of smaller “micro nines” are designed to be more compact for easier daily carry, the G19 still offers a best-of-class balance of size, ammunition capacity and comfortable shooting characteristics. Here are 6 Reasons to Try Polymer 80's Easy AFT At-Home Build Kits!
The struggle to find the perfect concealment gear is real, and even more so for women, especially since on-body carry is largely regarded as the optimal method for being able to quickly access a defensive firearm. But with so many choices in holsters, deciding on one can be daunting—yet it never deters us from our search for fit, form and function. Safariland has just given us one more reason to believe in on-body carry, as it has expanded its concealment holster line with the addition of the Species inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster.
