You guys in the gun writing business really have your work cut out for you when doing reviews of new guns and/or gun related products. I know and understand that we "moderns" seem to "carry our feelings on our shirtsleeves" as the old folks used to say, and that people are very easily offended, and some seem to go around just LOOKING for something to complain about. That surely must make your jobs a real pain and challenge at times, and kind'a put you "between a rock and a hard place" at times.
Older, more traditional oriented guys like myself really miss some of the old commentators/evaluators like Elmer Keith, who pretty much said what he thought, without more than a passing respect for whose "feelings" may be hurt. He, and others, just cared about the simple truth of what he thought and found.
Many seem to complain that every new gun or product that comes out gets "rave reviews." While that's not always true, I can't help but have come to not fully trust new gun reviews these days, and there are many, many more like me out here in consumer land. That you guys get aspersions cast toward you isn't always fair, but it's just a result of the general "mood" that seems to pervade our country these days, and most critics seem to go too far in discounting what you write. It's a no-win situation for everyone, it seems!
With these facts acknowledged and in mind, I'd like to at least try to provide a little constructive (at least it's intended that way) criticism.
I think John Wooters was one of the old time writers that's now gone from the range, who used to use the old Joe Friday "just the facts ma'am" approach to gun reviews. He gave his opinions, and noted he was prejudiced by his simple preferences where applicable, and let the reader decide what he thought about new guns. I think this approach could, over a little time at least, lead to factories and their reps and lackies being more acceptable of genuine constructive criticism. It's tended to work in the past about as well as any type of criticism can. It just might prove valuable in that regard now.
There's also the old "yes, but" technique, also. Figuring out how best to deliver "bad news" these days is a touchy and very delicate subject, given the touchy and sometimes volatile nature of business, advertisers, etc., but if you don't give us shooters what we need and want, we quit buying your magazines. I now only pick up a Handloader or Rifle magazine, and sometimes a Shooting Times, when I see something in them I want. I don't subscribe to any, and haven't in a long time, and I miss the glossy mags, but just can't see sending my good money in for something that's just not really helpful or even very interesting now.
I offer these comments in hopes that you guys will once again figure out how to give us something more like what we used to have. I know it's a tall order, what with the "social" factors involved in business, commerce and publishing these days, but ... I really miss the old glossies, and would like to find more reason to subscribe again. I usued to subscribe to 4-6 or even more of them. Now it's zero, and like I said, I really miss them.
I'd hate like the dickens to be in your shoes, but to give you a little praise as well, I think you all did the right thing when Rem. recently took over Marlin. When the first Remlins, as they've now come to be called, came out and just flat didn't work, you kept it quiet, and sent them back telling Rem. of the problems, and refused, IIRC, to write them up until the problems were fixed. Rem. also is to be praised for doing the right thing and apparently (so I've heard at least) getting them to work now.
Life's never easy for anyone, but you gunwriters kind'a walk a pretty fine line at times, and it just seems to me that taking the easiest and "safest" way out has rendered your magazines and articles to be something less than fully satisfying in too many cases.
I don't have the expertise to offer real solutions to this, bu the gun and accessory companies can't get the word out unnless buyers subscribe and/or buy the mags, and it seems to me that this is a factor that both some editors and companies and advertisers leave out that they probably shouldn't.
Not casting aspersions here. Everybody needs to respond as best they can and know how in these litigious and volatile times, and publishing ain't an easy way to make a buck, I realize. Just thought it might be useful to submit my thoughts. You guys do an awfully good job sometimes, and those are the articles I now buy individual issues for, but I'd really like to subscribe to a number of magazines again, and just thought I'd let you know. I think there are a lot of us out here like me, too, that just don't show up on polls, and have to be guessed at as to how we affect the almighty "bottom line" that in fact DOES allow you to stay in business and produce some good reading and interesting and/or valuable info.
Thanks for all you do and try to do, but I'd really like to see some more honesty and personal opinion. It sometimes makes the articles worth reading.
