About 18 months ago, I decided it was high time for me to try my hand at 3 Gun. Life was good; I carved out some range time and found a friend to attend with me. He had some experience running matches, so he helped me kit up and learn some practice drills. We had a great time, even if he consistently smoked my stage times.

The shotgun is well suited to gunfights at close range, in fast moving situations of short duration. Pump-action shotguns have been the mainstay of both law enforcement and civilian shooters for many years. Automatic shotguns, such as the Remington 1100, Mossberg 930, and Browning Auto 5 have also been used by the military and police.

Everyone has that kitchen drawer. That’s the one where a book of matches, take-out menus, extra cell-phone power cords, pet treats, a pack of gum, and a hammer are kept. That is, of course, if you could only find them under the rest of the junk in there.

There’s a special bond Marines have with their rifles. If you know a Marine, just ask. I was imbued with that bond between my rifle and myself more than a quarter of a century ago as a jittery and shaved-bald recruit at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. It was there I memorized The Rifleman’s Creed. I also learned to shoot, maintain and fall in love with the tool of our trade in the military.

The revolver illustrated in these pages is a rare piece with only 15,000 made from 1951 to 1961. It is more rare than any Colt Python variation but doesn’t command the prices the snake guns do. Yet, the Colt .357 is perhaps as accurate as the Python and offers a shootable piece of history for less money than the snake guns.

American pride still exists! Perhaps as much as it did in the past, perhaps it is somewhat waning under our current political climate. However, this is not a day for political punditry. Instead, it is a day to honor the 21 million living U.S. veterans who either served or are currently keeping the wolf from America’s doors.

Getting into 3 Gun is a great excuse to pull out the gear you bought and have not used in awhile, or purchase the new toys you have had your eye on but needed the excuse. Either way, while 3 Gun is a gear intensive sport, it does not take a huge investment to get started. Over time though, there are certain pieces of gear that you’ll want to improve your game. Here is you your starter list.

When I am doing mundane things around the house or when stuck in the car for long periods, I imagine worst-case scenarios. For example, while stuck in traffic: “What if this traffic is backed up because an alien ship rose from underneath the highway and is now shooting deadly laser beams at everything in it’s wake? What would I do?” Or while doing dishes and I hear fireworks in the distance, I think, “If that was a dirty bomb just miles from my house, how would I react?” If the lights flicker for a second: “The storm of the century has knocked out all power and utilities. Quick, Suzanne! What is your first move?”

I am certain that I will never be accused of failing to make an honest comment when needed. As an example, some years ago a friend owned an Uzi carbine and thought it was the best thing in the world for home defense. I disagreed completely. The trigger action was too heavy to allow good hits, and it was difficult to get hits with on the combat range.

A few months ago, Federal Ammunition announced American Eagle Syntech—a new concept for range use. While there are many highly-developed loads for personal defense, seldom has much effort been expended in developing range ammunition. American Eagle Syntech is the first range-specific ammunition designed to reduce fouling and extend barrel life with a high-tech polymer bullet coating.

“I know what you’re thinking. ‘Did he fire six shots or only five?’ Well to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I kind of lost track myself. But being that this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well do ya, punk?”

A takedown AR makes good sense for your Go Bag, since you don’t necessarily want to reveal what you are carrying in a knapsack or bag. Three takedown ARs I have intimate knowledge of include the Windham Weaponry Model RMCS-4, DRD CDR-15, and Ruger SR-556 Takedown.

If there is one weapon that is on nearly every tactical shooter’s bucket list, it is the MP5, For most, spending quality trigger time with a MP5 was out of the question—until now. Zenith makes the MP5 delayed roller lock experience attainable. Don’t call the Zenith MKE Z-5RS a clone, knock-off, or wannabe MP5. The Zenith is a licensed version of the iconic Heckler & Koch MP5. Zenith Firearm in Afton, Virginia, imports a number of H&K-licensed delayed roller lock action models from MKE (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation) of Turkey.

Some like golf; I prefer filling a page with words. Others like baseball, and I like the shooting sports. While IPSC and IDPA are interesting, 3 Gun is the one discipline that challenges shooters with all three firearms—the rifle, shotgun, and pistol. Shooters are good folks to spend time with, and keeping sharp with your shooting skills is important. If you want to win, you have to start somewhere. If you have shooting experience and good quality (but standard type) firearms, then you are good to go for 3 gun. If you have tactical firearms with optics then you are ready as well.

I get many calls, emails, and letters asking about the ‘best’ handgun load. Unfortunately, many correspondents fail to share the intended mission of the load. This has an influence on the desired bullet weight, velocity, and penetration. As an example, I am perfectly happy to run the .44 Special or .45 Colt with a 255-grain SWC at 700 fps for cowboy action or target practice. If hiking in country in which the big cats or bears may be more than a nuisance, I will run the same bullet up to 1,000 fps.

When Dr. Dave Dolbee and I discussed this article, the wheels in my mind were whirling. I have used each platform, find both to be great guns, and think everyone should own more than one of each. However, the how and why I came to this conclusion need to be explained.

What do you get when you take some of the finest firearm engineers in the industry and ask them to design the smallest AR-based close combat weapon imaginable? Stipulations include that the gun needs to be piston-driven for the ultimate in reliability and ruggedness, modular for maximized flexibility, and chambered in .300 BLK so it will run a sound suppressor well. The culmination of that ballistic quest is the SIG MCX Rattler. This thing just drips cool.

The sport of benchrest provides the accuracy we all aspire to achieve and almost instantly makes every shooter a great shot.