An old friend has written an old-school adventure novel, complete with the politically incorrect language of rough men and in character with the inhabitants of the book.

The author is Ray Ordorica, and readers in the world of the gun will remember when he was editor of Gun Digest’s annual Handguns Illustrated.  Total disclosure: I wrote for him back in the day, as did my oldest daughter.

One pet peeve of gun people is fiction writers who have their characters wielding guns in impossible ways.  One popular novelist has his character whipping a huge Colt Anaconda .44 Magnum out of his pocket, which if you know that gun you realize will not occur in nature. It’s the same feeling you’d get watching a Robin Hood movie and noticing that the leader of the Merry Men is wearing a Rolex.

You won’t get that stuff from the gun-savvy Ordorica, who makes his action sequences real.  He has fun with the book, too, particularly in the whimsical names he has given some of the characters.  Prefacing the novel, Ray writes, “This is a work of fiction. Other than a few real persons mentioned, all the characters in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental and unintentional. If your name closely resembles any of the characters in this book, you have our deepest sympathy.”

The bad guys are really bad, the justice they receive is really harsh, and I hope you have as much fun reading it as the author obviously did writing it. The title is “Border Caper,” and you can order it here.

Being more of a non-fiction reader, I really enjoyed Ray’s “The Alaskan Retreater’s Notebook,” based on his personal experiences.

8 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve had to give up on more than one book when the hero checks the “Safety catch” on his revolver or talks about the “Steel jacketed bullets” (I always wonder how long a barrel would last with steel jacketed bullets and about the fireworks display as they flew out of the muzzle) in the “clip” of his deadly fully semi auto assault rifle.

    One fairly famous author of military thrillers lost me when his SEAL team sniper was picking off the bad guys with aimed shots from his sniper rifle from the back of a military 6X6 truck as it “flew down the rutted jungle trail” being pursued by the terrorists. Ever driven too fast on a dirt trail? Think about holding a scoped rifle up to your eye as you try that.

    • @ Michael Tadlock – Actually, there have been a few revolvers manufactured with a “Safety catch” over the years. Webley (English Company) made a small pocket revolver, in .320 caliber, that had one. However, this was more than a century ago. There have been a few other models too.

      Likewise, ammunition with steel jacketed bullets has also been made. Typically for military use or “Solids” for hunting African Big Game. Usually, the bullet’s outer surface is coated with some material (copper, polymer, etc.) to prevent the steel jacket from directly contacting the steel bore of the barrel.

      However, as a general rule for American firearms and ammunition, your objections hold true. Putting a safety catch on a revolver was always more of an European idea. They think in strange ways, sometimes! 🙂

      Most ammunition for hunting or target shooting uses some mix of lead, copper or gilding metal. Steel is rarely used for commercial ammunition.

      Despite the fact that some exceptions do exist, I think your observation is largely true. Most such writing is driven by ignorance of firearms rather than by sly references to obscure firearms technology.

      As for hitting the bad guys from a moving vehicle while it bounces down a jungle trail, well, it might be done with a mounted .50 caliber M2 firing in full auto. But, like you, I am highly doubtful of hitting anything with a scoped rifle under such conditions!

  2. Mas – Thanks for the recommendation about the book. I downloaded the kindle version and read it since yesterday.

    There are several authors who specialize in this kind of Anti-Politically Correct, action-packed style of writing. Besides Ray Ordorica, you will find that Stephen Hunter and Kurt Schlichter do similar work.

    So far, I have to say that I really like the novels by Kurt Schlichter myself. If you have not read them, I can recommend his novels entitled People’s Republic and Indian Country. I have included Amazon links to these books below:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0H7WQZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0714PQ7S1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

    As with Ray Ordorica and Stephen Hunter, Kurt Schlichter also does a pretty good job in getting the firearm information accurate.

  3. I read it too Mas, and enjoyed it. Agreed, the gunplay and gun tech was spot-on and the character names gave the book sort of a “not taking itself too seriously” vibe which was a bit of a bold stroke but did make it more entertaining.

    Did not know you were acquainted with Ray but I should have known. It happens to have been Ray who first put a Colt 1911 in my hand at about age seven…. I remember how HUGE it seemed! That was moment one of my continuing love for the Gov’t Model. Thanks, Ray!

    While I’m writing, Mas, allow me to also recall reading your work in the mid-or-so- ’70’s and being in awe. WOW, writing for gun magazines, this guy has been everywhere and done everything! I wanted to be like you. Now, after being in the gun industry myself for many years and writing for different publications, guess what happens when I read your current writing? I still say WOW. To this day I continue to enjoy and admire your style…. keep up the good work!

  4. The subject of revolvers with safeties is interesting. At least to me. I have found a couple of YouTube videos on the subject. See the following links:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BlZhQxLCC8

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWwzyBRFQMM

    Mas, you may find the first video particularly interesting since it deals with a police handgun. I would be interested on your “take” regarding this particular piece of police equipment.

    This video actually tells us at least two things:

    First, police handgun technology has, indeed, advanced over the last 100+ years.

    Second, the left-wing, politically correct, “do not hurt the bad guy” mindset was alive and well in Europe over a century ago. So, while technology may advance, human folly remains the same. Or, as they said on Star Trek: “The Bureaucratic Mentality Is The Only Constant In The Universe.” 🙂

  5. I’ve searched alternate sources and come up empty. How can those of us troglodytes who won’t do business with Amazon get their hands on the book? Who’s the publisher?

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