It's Always Nice to be Published

One of the biggest kicks any writer gets is to see their work in print. Even if it's only an advertisement in the local paper that says, "Eat at Joe's" we all get a thrill in knowing that somebody is reading something we've written, tweaked, and sweated over.

So this month I was doubly thrilled to see my article, "Chopping and Changing: Personalizing a Fighting Handgun" in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of Concealed Carry Magazine. The article describes what are arguably the basic attributes that a self-defense pistol may need, and some of the ways to chop and change a pistol for it's owner. I had the opportunity to tour the Robar facility in Phoenix, Arizona, where they do some incredible gunsmithing and refinishing on practical, tactical firearms. (Big thank you to Robbie and the staff at Robar for their hospitality).

Also this month, I got a call from the editor of American Cop magazine to tell me that my article which compares the IRA-5, a 9mm short-barrel rifle produced by Iron Ridge Arms in Longmont, Colorado, to a short-barrel AR-15 for police work such as SWAT team building entries, appears in the January/February 2010 issue of American Cop magazine. (Another big thank you to Oliver and the guys at Iron Ridge Arms).

Both magazines are available by subscription only, so you won't find them on the shelf at your local store, but they are both quality publications, and both are available for download off the internet.