ON BEING A GUNWRITER

I spent ten years on active duty in the United States Army. I graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School, also the Fort Bragg RECONDO course. While in the Army I was ranked an Expert, the Army’s highest rating for shooting skill, with both the M16A1 rifle and the Colt 1911A1 .45 auto. However I don’t BS anyone, no “During my fifth ‘Nam tour” stories here; I was a clerk in the Airborne. I left the Army with a deep and abiding love for guns – well, actually I went into the Army with that already – and the ability to type over 100 words a minute. A career as a gunwriter seemed the obvious choice.

I sold my first article to a nationally published gun magazine in 1989 while still in the Army. Since 1992 when I exited the Army I have made my living writing articles for gun magazines. Recently I passed the 1,000 magazine articles written-and-sold mark, and have had three books published.

My articles have appeared in magazines with titles like Petersen’s Handguns, Guns & Ammo, Combat Handguns, Soldier of Fortune, The Gun Buyer’s Guide, Tactical Guns & Gear, The Tactical Journal, The Complete Book of the 1911, The Complete Book of the AR-15, Testfire, Small Arms Review, Autopistols, The Blue Press, etc. Hey, it’s paid the bills.

Being a gunwriter has allowed me to fire pretty much any gun I’ve found really interesting, over the past 30-plus years. Currently my ammo expenditure is well up into the six figures.

You could say I’m kind of into this whole “gun” thing.

-Duane Thomas, Gunwriter