Well, Jerry Tsai has resigned from RECOIL Magazine over the HK MP7A1 “sporting purpose” dustup.
I’ve got mixed feelings about this.
On the one hand, my impression is that both the folks who run RECOIL and Tsai himself learned a hard lesson about what the Second Amendment means… and the fact that the phrase “sporting purpose” is nowhere to be found therein. I think they get it now, and I’d be surprised to see another such gaffe. They’re like the shooter who has his first AD… now that he sees what can happen, he redoubles his efforts when it comes to safety.
But on the other hand, I’m very happy to see the shooting community and the firearms industry speak so loudly in one voice. The instant firestorm that struck RECOIL over this was well deserved. It needs to be clear that people, companies, and organizations that think my right to own a firearm ends at the IPSC match, skeet field, or hunting preserve do not belong in my community.
However, I am still waiting to hear what happens to Joe Galloway, the guy who flat out lied to RECOIL’s readers when he tried to blame it all on Heckler & Koch. If he isn’t fired, then the one person who in my opinion clearly acted out of bad motives to cover up Tsai’s error is still there and I, personally, won’t have anything to do with RECOIL. There are already more than enough people who lie about gun companies and shooters… we don’t need to reward them with jobs in our industry.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
Tsai’s apology is notably devoid of weasel words. That’s refreshing in and of itself.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/09/robert-farago/statement-from-recoil-on-jerry-tsais-resignation/
The resignation is a joke, isn’t he part owner of RECOIL?
Wasn’t he the publisher? If so, who’d fire him?
According to a post on thetruthaboutguns.com, Joe Galloway has been suspended until further notice.
After perusing a copy of Recoil at Books-A-Million, it’s not for me. Too yuppie orientated for serious shooters in my opinion. I really don’t see us needing our own version of “Men’s Health” or “Maxim”. I’ll pass.
Anything that puts modern firearms in the same class of “normal” as high performance cars and the latest “i” whatever from Apple is good for those of us who carry and use modern firearms. There is a large portion of today’s society that thinks people that own AR-15’s and high capacity semi-auto pistols are all crazy militia members with bad intentions. It was good to have an offset to this where “3 gun competition” is as normal as beach volleyball. That is a good thing, even if its not everyone’s cup of tea.
It’s sad people have to lose their job over some poorly chosen words. Technically, HK is not selling the MP7 to civilians because of marketability and ATF rules. Mr. Tsai’s statement was “personalized” (added his paraphrase) instead of “factualized” (repeated HK’s statement on the matter).
I’ll take almost any opportunity to read about firearms. I’ve read Recoil and found it OK. It is definitely more “Men’s Health”-ish than other firearms magazines. Different isn’t always bad. But I also find Recoil to be more about/for the “tacti-cool” crowd. (Those that want to simulate military and special forces.)
One article I read said that a 5.56 AR is better home defense than a shotgun because of over-penetration. The author is an AR-15 trainer. I’m all for personal opinion, but this seems a little skewed, to me. Magazine articles need to consider they are even more responsible for what they say than the normal person.
It’s nice that a firearms magazine has a new layout similar to other popular magazines, which will make it more acceptable to non-firearms enthusiasts. But at the same time make DEADLY firearms equivalent to sports cars and athletics is a little irresponsible. Of course, I am all about 2nd Amendment rights and owning firearms, but putting them on the save level as other “toys” or luxuries is asking for trouble. With gun ownership comes responsibility of safety. Take away the safety and there is trouble. I think RECOIL magazine comes very close to turning guns in to toys.
I don’t think this is the last of the issues from RECOIL magazine.
I would REALLY like to see mainstream role models for the firearms industry. Someone really good at shooting, hunting, competition, etc. Someone with charisma that is good on TV and interviewing. Someone that promotes safety, responsibility, AND fun. Tom Selleck gets my vote! 🙂
Ghettosmack,
Re: 5.56 penetration indoors, it’s not just personal opinion. Here’s what DocGKR mentioned on the subject:
“Stray 5.56mm/.223 bullets seem to offer a reduced risk of injuring innocent bystanders and an inherent reduced risk of civil litigation in situations where bullets miss their intended target and enter or exit structures, thus 5.56mm/.223 caliber weapons may be safer to use in CQB situations, home defense scenarios, and in crowded urban environments than handgun service caliber or 12 ga. weapons”
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?4334-Home-Defense-Long-Guns
Gun writers have always been free to publish any gibberish they thought would sell. Aside from technical articles in The American Rifleman, which went away 25 years ago, there was never true science behind any of it.