• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Loadout Room

The Loadout Room

Professional Gear Reviews

Hardcore Gear and Adventure

Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • TISAS_10100520_1__98179Tisas 1911A1 U.S. Army Review: Best Budget .45 ACP WW2 1911 Clone?
        • Photoroom_20250531_143432Pyramyd AIR’s Springfield Hellcat Pro CO2 BB Pistol Is the Ultimate Dry-Fire Trainer
        • image-112d3d00Helwan Brigadier 9mm Range Report
        • Photoroom_20250525_074933Juggernaut Tactical Frame Review: The Best Upgrade for Your 365
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • ac65a540-2ef3-4598-8d11-afdf53f46e94.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount HL-X: A Thoroughly Bright Review
        • Bluetti 2 handsfree power backpackBluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers
        • The Gallagator 10 day pack on the shoreline next to a hiking trail.Day Pack – Mystery Ranch Gallagator 10 – The Best Yet?
        • PXL_20240209_171721326Pic of the Day, It’s Graduation Time
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • Tom and Blake Sell TeaHow Sasquatch Tea Is Revitalizing a Stagnant Tea Market With Veterans and Outdoorsmen in Mind
        • redcat-blackwidow-articleheaderWar of Words: In the Ultra-Competitive Defense Tech Industry, Storytelling is a Secret Weapon
        • Photoroom_20250525_074933Juggernaut Tactical Frame Review: The Best Upgrade for Your 365
        • craft holstersCraft Holsters Makarov Tuckable IWB Holster Report
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Buying Guides
  • Shop
  • Advertise
Op-Ed

Modern Gun Magazines (The Paper Kind): Worth Ten Bucks?

June 10, 2018 by Robert Johnson Leave a Comment

Modern Gun Magazines (The Paper Kind): Worth Ten Bucks?

There’s an old adage about poker- if you’ve been at the table half an hour and haven’t spotted the sucker- it is you. This is how I recently felt when I paid TEN dollars for a magazine to pass the time.

Inevitably, the magazines have a very small handful of people doing the lions share of the articles. Inevitably, the articles cover just about…nothing. This magazine honestly contained a 5 step draw sequence, via photos that were potentially relevant in 1989. The guy in the pictures was of the necessarily shaved head type- complete with tactical pants and his war face on. I know I got shivers, and I’m secure enough within myself to admit it.

There were 2 articles on normal pistols that the authors had acquired, but of course, these firearms just were not quite good enough. Thus there were rambling lists of nonsensical adaptations and modifications to reduce/polish and pretty up a firearm that was fine to begin with. The really arrogant part was at the end of said articles when it came to the prices. In each case, the price was “N/A”. Really? So, if I’m a self described “newbie” and have drank your glorious Kool -Aid, I cannot know how much this absolutely marvelous gun costs? Buzzkill.

Another interesting article ( if you’re into narcissism) was from a guy who’d went to an acclaimed school back in 1989 (not the same guy with the shaved head, but I’m not making this up) and he was promoting the virtues of a revolver for self defense. As you often hear on late night infomercials, let me inject this phrase- “but wait, there’s more”. The revolver in question couldn’t even be in a conventional revolver cartridge, it was chambered in .45 ACP. This means that if you’re of a belief that 5 or 6 bullets are indeed enough to end a confrontation, these cartridges depend on a moon clip for reloading. This is assuming that you have a spare moon clip on your person (they’re really easy to hide) and that you have superhuman abilities in the reloading department.

And the article continued to get worse. The barrel has a screwdriver type slot on the muzzle, but under no circumstance are you, the end user, to tinker with it. This barrel was installed by experts, after all. To make this tedious and arduous dissertation brief, this barrel came loose in less than 250 rounds, and several shooters on hand could not hit a 2×2 foot steel plate at 50 yards. The bottom line left me perplexed. After all, this outdated tool that was well over a thousand dollars was the nexus of the article, and it FAILED. However, the author (slightly out of touch with reality) continued to sing its praises.

I look at the loss of my ten dollars as a teaching point for those who may be kind enough to digest what I type up for the editor. It seems fortuitous to pass on 10 things that I learned from being a sucker.

1-Accept the firearm you purchased to be fine as it is. It was built by professionals. The ability to become highly skilled with it is up to you. If you insist on changing something, put night sights on it.

2-Understand that obsessing over a firearm (especially a pistol), and spending thousands of dollars on it will look wonderful for you in court.

3-Understand that if you have thousands of dollars to arbitrarily fling to the wind, that equals more magazines, and lots of ammo to practice with.

4- On the whole mags/ammo thing- cut those funds in half, and take a quality class led by quality people- outdated illustrations from last century do not a ninja make.

5-Do not vilify me for saying revolvers are ineffectual. Horses once had a purpose, too.

6-No amount of hankering for the past makes up for our violent present. There will be no time out when your overpriced revolver barrel loosens. A 500 dollar semi-auto would be very handy at that point.

7-Buy the best equipment that you can afford. A multi thousand pistol sprinkled with fairy dust and unicorn tears does not a ninja make.

8-Read and learn from those who have been to the circus, and don’t pick up the souvenirs offered by the clowns

9-Understand that your situational awareness will see you through the encounter you weren’t even aware of. If you are plugged in to your surroundings, the meat eaters will likely pass you by

10-Situational awareness must be developed by you- and it is a lifelong commitment. The best sources for this come from those who do this stuff for real, and chances are, they will be happy to teach you. If they are not, chances are, they got their war face from a ten dollar magazine.

Stay Safe, and Train Often

Share This

About the Author

Robert Johnson Robert has nearly 3 decades of service in the private security sector and firearms training. His depth experience with firearms includes work as an instructor, armorer, and hobbyist. An avid fan of bending kydex, and building performance firearms, he has a heavy leaning toward the designs of Stoner and Glock.

See All Robert Johnson Articles

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

Primary Sidebar

Most Read

  • The Biggest Little Roundgun: The 3-Inch Kimber K6s
    The Biggest Little Roundgun: The 3-Inch Kimber K6s
  • Black Widow and the Brain: Palladyne and Red Cat Prove the Future Is Autonomous
    Black Widow and the Brain: Palladyne and Red Cat Prove the Future Is Autonomous
  • War of Words: In the Ultra-Competitive Defense Tech Industry, Storytelling is a Secret Weapon
    War of Words: In the Ultra-Competitive Defense Tech Industry, Storytelling is a Secret Weapon
  • My First Single-Action Revolver Purchase: Heritage Rough Rider .22 LR/.22 WMR Range Report
    My First Single-Action Revolver Purchase: Heritage Rough Rider .22 LR/.22 WMR Range Report
  • M4A1 Block I: The Special Operations Origins of an American Icon
    M4A1 Block I: The Special Operations Origins of an American Icon

Find Us on Facebook

Recent Comments

  • GomeznSA on MAC-10: The Wild History of America’s Most Iconic (and Overrated) Submachine Gun
  • Ajita Sherer on The BAR: Browning’s Battlefield Sledgehammer
  • Jared Mize on MAC-10: The Wild History of America’s Most Iconic (and Overrated) Submachine Gun

Latest From SOFREP

News

Evening Brief: Minnesota Lawmaker Assassinated, Military Parade Facts, Hegseth Scolded by California Dem

Featured

How Sasquatch Tea Is Revitalizing a Stagnant Tea Market With Veterans and Outdoorsmen in Mind

Editorial Cartoon

SOFREP Saturday Cartoon: Napalm Nostalgia and the Newsom’s Fantasy

Military

The Bolduc Brief: The Political Misstep of President Trump at Fort Bragg

Military Content Group

© Copyright 2025 Military Content Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers