Author: Thomas Christianson

Looking more like a work of art than a highly functional firearm, the Uberti 1866 Yellowboy Short Rifle in .45 Colt is an elegant combination of both art and function. With a distinctive brass receiver, a 20-inch octagonal barrel, walnut furniture, a tubular magazine capable of holding 12 rounds, and a smoothly operating lever action, the Uberti Yellowboy Short Rifle is a fitting tribute to the very first Winchester rifle, of which it is a replica. With a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $1,329 it is not the cheapest rifle on the market, but it is one of the prettiest. Background …

Recently, I have been testing a Therma Max Waffle Base Layer. I have found it to be warm and comfortable for everyday wear during cold weather. It is one of many excellent modern base layer options. Rodney Dangerfield, The Great Escape, and The Maquis For a couple of hundred years or more, base-layer-like garments in cotton or wool were popular among people who actually had to work outside during cold weather. Of course, they weren’t called a “base layer.” They were called “long johns” or “long underwear.” People wealthy enough to stay inside near the fire were less enthused about …

A half-century ago, in the days of my youth, most rifles had wood furniture, blued steel, and iron sights. In those days of long ago, the 6.5x55mm Swedish cartridge had already had a long and storied career, having been first adopted in 1894 by the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway. In the years that followed, it was used to hunt elephants in Africa, to hunt moose in Scandinavia, and to resist the German invasion of Norway. The strengths of the cartridge were so significant, that it is prominently featured in the plot of Stephen Hunter’s novel, The Bullet Garden. …