Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Whatever happened to John Barsness?

He ain’t in the current issue of Handloader!

That's because I retired from Wolfe Publishing this fall--after I'd written my last article for the 2022 issues of Handloader and Rifle. Have been semi-retiring for about four years now, one market at a time.

but still answers questions here with great knowledge ...

For that I am very grateful!

Thanks!

Will still post here, but only be writing regularly for Sports Afield and Rifle Loony News. Though right now am working on one for the 2024 Gun Digest annual, and may do occasional articles for other publications--if they interest me.

As my friend Charlie Waterman once noted. "Older writers almost never really retire. They just write less." Charlie was still doing a monthly column for one magazine when he passed away at 92.

Mother in Law kept up my subscription to Rifle/Handloader for years. She eventually let it lapse for about a decade and I had hit a point I felt like I was re-reading a lot of the same info. (Mule Deer was nowhere near as bad as some when it came to repetition).

She re-upped the subscription this year. Got my first Handloader the other day. I had even read Mule Deer had retired and was still disappointed to not see his article there.

He and Ross Seyfried will always be my two favorite gun writers. Brian Pierce rolls in at #2 (maybe he’ll keep writing for a while).

Congratulations Mule Deer! You’ve more than earned it! Thank you so much for the knowledge you imparted on those pages! FWIW, the #1A 7x57 in my safe is there just because of the pic you had in an article with yours leaning on a backpack about 20 years ago!

He’s still writing full-time where it matters the most at RIFLE LOONY NEWS, which IMO is great since I believe John does his best work there. BTW, rumor has it that he’s working on an exposé style book with a draft working title of “My Live Around the Campfire – Insights into the Gun Industry.” Sort of cross between O’Connor’s “Confessions of a Gun Editor” and Busse’s “Gunfight”. It sounds like a best seller to me…

Still on the masthead…..

Can’t begrudge him his retirement. I’m less than a year older, and haven’t hit a lick in 12 1/2 years😜

He’s long overdue.

I'll miss your articles, Mule Deer!

John,
Congratulations on your (semi) retirement! You've provided many hours of enjoyment and a wealth of knowledge with your articles--always the first article I read every month.
Rifle and Handloader won't be the same without you.

I'll have to subscribe to Rifle Loony News.

-Mike

Congratulations on your retirement. Please don’t let “retirement rot” set in to your writing.
By that I mean trailing edge repetition of concepts that are moving things forward in the field.

All the gun mags have worn out the same old articles year after year anyway. Read and re-read Gun Gacks and you’ll be up to speed!

Are you planning on continuing to write for Sports Afield for a while?

A long while I hope!

I don't know the first thing about the writing/publishing industry...but in almost 55 years in the metal trades workplace, breaking in new management or a new boss is tiresome in the extreme. The new leader, the younger, eager beaver, new broom sweeps clean types, no matter how brilliant or educated, wants to win his spurs and prove himself rapidly. Which is as it should be, any business should not stagnate, but the smarter young men will ask their staff...why do we do it this way? Can we improve on this? The hard charger type A's ask nothing and innovate change for change's sake...usually ending in a schidtshow and another rapid management change, starting the cycle all over again. I hope Wolfe's staff is not exposed to this, it's not fun. The history of the decline of the American Rifleman mag is a case in point...from the gold standard of excellence in the industry to a participation trophy in 20 years.

Is this another way of admitting to an increased level of maturity? GD

Mule Deer;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope that the winter weather has been at least tolerable down in your chunk of Montana and that you and Eileen are well.

Congratulations on the "semi-retirement", you've certainly earned it in my view though for sure as others have said I'll miss your work in the Wolfe stuff.

Since I've just renewed my subscription to both Rifle Loonie News and Sports Afield I'll still be able to keep up with your current work too.

All the best to you both this year and again congrats.

Dwayne

with John Barsness retiring what i see is going to happen the days of the older wood stock rifles and not as popular cartridges stories will probably be a thing of the past. John you had very educational gun stories and just a great read i will mis those stories. > so guys be ready the future stories from these newer writers we be reading more about black guns and new cartridges . John enjoy your retirement time and if you do get bored > well maybe another Gun Gack ? Pete53

It had gotten to the point where the only reason I'd buy a copy of Handloader or Rifle was if JB wrote about something that caught my fancy. The last copy of Rifle I bought had John's article about rifle triggers which I found interesting, but the entire rest of the magazine left me yawning, figuring I wasted $9. Pearce is ok but he ain't JB, I like Terry Wieland's stuff a lot and that's a plus, but Venturino hasn't written much new original stuff in a long time. The rest of their regulars are largely strangers to me, except Simpson and he seems to be on a never ending "Magnum kick".

I’ve been watching a good bit of Jeremiah, hat and all, on Handloader TV, and he seems pretty meticulous and knowledgable for a young man. His mag pieces are good too. I’ll continue to subscribe to the magazines, unless they replace John with Jim Zumbo or Dick Metcalf I guess. I let my subscription to SA lapse, as most of the hunting stuff is beyond my experience and reach. I can get John’s stuff on their website sooner or later.

Best of luck, John.