…not because I have articles and columns in them, but because these will be the collectible last print issues.
Both are planned to continue as online publications, at www.gunsmagazine.com and www.americanhandgunner.com.
Guns debuted in 1955 as America’s first dedicated newsstand gun magazine. American Handgunner hit the stands in 1976 as the first gun magazine devoted entirely to pistols and revolvers. I’ve written for both since the Seventies. They were widely considered the best of their kind.
Print magazines are rapidly disappearing along with daily newspapers. Magazine racks are shrinking or disappearing entirely from retail stores. It’s a sad thing for us Boomers to watch.
Sorry to se the end of print for both of these. Two questions come to mind – what will become of the unused subscription (paid through 2028)?
More importantly, what will become of The Ayoob Files? Will you continue that feature into the on-line only world?
Hopefully yes on Ayoob Files. I expect subscribers will either get a refund or another magazine.
I’ve reached out, now several times, to FMG about what happens because I just paid for 5 years of paper for both pubs earlier this year and they have not responded.
That’s some good news. I do look forward to your Ayoob Files.
Nothing says you can’t keep writing ’em and publish an “Ayoob Files: The Annual” as a book.
frankly, I’d like to see an extract reprint of JUST the Files articles in a three-ring-binder-friendly format where the reader can slide in pages of questions, annotations and other thoughts.
Sam,
Are you the Sam and Bonnie young from the High Point area NC
Bennett,
Yes, that’s us! Though we are based in King, just north of Winston-Salem.
Same question I have. I have several years’ worth of paid and undelivered subscriptions for both magazines.
Can’t pass up an opportunity for a plug: hard copies of Ayoob Files. No insult intended, but emphasis on examples dealing with legal issues.
Nothing is sacred any longer, this sickens me.
Oh wow, end of an era! I started reading these magazines back in the summer of 1990, right after my middle school graduation. Thanks for the heads-up, Mas!
Not much later for me, in college in the early 2000s buddies in Campus Security at my alma mater were avid readers too and would rib me about “when are you dropping off our next batch of gun porn.”
Still miss John Connor and the original Guncrank Diaries…
“When something is gained, something is lost.” I tried to find who said that, and AI talked about Anime. I’m sure the quote is older than any Anime.
As a longtime subscriber to both American Handgunner & to Guns magazine I was very surprised & extremely disappointed to read that their current issues will be the final print issues. I initially subscribed to both to read Massad’s columns & articles, which have always been the best to be found anywhere, but I soon became impressed by all of the other aspects of the magazines & writers as well. The glossy look & outstanding photography of those issues have never been equaled & I will miss that. I am glad that they will continue to be available online & I sincerely hope that they will successfully continue to provide us all with the outstanding reading material that we have come to enjoy. It’s bad enough that so many great gunwriters have passed away or retired already, & it’s even worse that now entire magazines are going out of print. There are still some other good gun magazines out there, but it’s probably only a matter of time before they disappear also.
It’s very disappointing to me that so many of my favorite forms of entertainment have disappeared already. They don’t make the kinds of movies that I want to see or play the kinds of music that I want to hear anymore, which were always major forms of entertainment for me. I hate to think that it might be part of our Creator’s way of preparing us to accept our own passing, along with the passing of our friends, family, & those whom we admire, but at least I’m still enjoying life, communing with nature, shooting, reading, & the company of others who are still with me. I must confess that I have also found several new forms of entertainment on the internet & elsewhere, so all is not lost. I hope all of you are doing well, too.
As I recall monthly issues of Guns and Guns & Ammo magazine cost 50 cents per issue back in the day. Field & Stream, Outdoor
Life, and Sports Afield cost 35 cents per issue. I cut grass so I could buy them each month.
Sad to see the hardcopies ending. I prefer the tactile feel of magazines and books. I’ve been reading all the gun rags, and following you Mr Ayoob, since the late 70’s.
I’ll really miss the beautiful photography of one Mr. Ichiro Nagata.
American Handgunner has been the best of its kind since the beginning.
Yep sort of piss’s me off only receiving 2 printed magazines out of a 2 year subscription and personally dislike reading digitally being I spend much of my day on a PC. Mas ever give a thought to publishing your very own rag. Sign me up for a lifetime subscription
It is a sad thing indeed that the printed format of these great magazines have come to an end, but given the state of the world today not much surprises me anymore. FMG’s online presence will hopefully continue for some time to come, I consider both Guns and American Handgunner magazines the best in the business.
I went to both gunsmagazine.com and americanhandgunner.com
At the top of both web site landing pages is a ‘subscribe’ button. That link takes you to a page with no links. No way to actually subscribe to the magazine, either print or digital.
About 3/4 of the way down the page is
Get All The Content (or More Handgun Content)
Get A Subscription and Never Miss a Thing
Subscribe
One takes you to
Campaign Not Available
Campaign is currently unavailable
and the other takes you to the same link-free subscription page.
I’d like to subscribe. They don’t seem to make it easy to do so.
It would be great if both magazines were offered on my library system’s Libby site like Guns & Ammo and Shooting Times currently are. Not sure if it is financially viable.
I was in the same boat as many of you having just renewed my subscription for 3 years. I emailed them and they responded very quickly that I would receive a refund in 2-3 weeks. The woman said she understood that I preferred a hard copy so it gave me the impression that there will be a digital magazine of some kind. I know I won’t read it digitally so I’ll take the refund.
I haven’t received a refund. Has anyone?
They told me 2-3 weeks when I emailed with them on 10/24 so I’m not expecting anything before early to mid-November.
They told me I’d have to submit actual receipts for my subscription cost.
I guess I’m sort of blessed. I have American Handgunner #1 and the last one. As well as a heck of a collection of ones in between. As well as a fairly large collection of Guns Magazine.
Once in a while, I pull out an old edition to take a trip down memory lane…. Sort of like taking out a gun that I haven’t used in a while from the safe.