“Cheap skills” are one of the quiet traps that catch shooters who believe they are doing the right thing simply because they occasionally show up at the range. The phrase sounds harsh, but it describes a very real phenomenon: nominal skills built quickly, casually, or without standards. A smooth draw from an appendix holster looks easy on a calm afternoon at the range. The real test is whether it holds up when the clock is running and the stakes are high.The shooter feels good about passing a casual test. They might even meet a qualification requirement. But under duress, time…

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Watch Full Video on YouTube

Watch Full Video on YouTube

Story by Dave Merrill, Photos by Dave Merrill and Patrick McCarthy “What the hell is that?”  The exclamation first caught my attention, but it was clear the gun was causing all the fuss. It was a black-and-FDE lever-action, but wasn’t a normal lever-action. It had a skeletonized buttstock, gold trigger and accents, but the fat barrel making it resemble a blunderbuss was the real draw. “Oh this? It’s a .45-70.” There are some things in life that you have to experience to fully understand, that you have to feel to comprehend. It could be as simple as the taste of…

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