Firearms News October 2024 — HOWA 1500 Short-Barreled SuperLite

This Month in Firearms News

On the cover: Pack It In! HOWA 1500 Short-Barreled SuperLite

Four days of non-stop trekking across high alpine peaks in Alaska’s Brooks mountain range with a 55+ pound pack and 73⁄4 pound rifle/scope combo was taking its toll. My hunting partner and I were hunting Dall sheep approximately 180 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska’s northernmost mountain range and everything necessary for surviving 14 days of this grueling brand of high-country hunting was secured in our packs. These necessities included a sleeping bag, ground-pad, mountain-tent, freeze-dried food, cook-stove, raingear, spotting scope, binoculars, and other critical gear. Every single ounce counts when it comes to pack-weight, and in that regard, I had even cut my tooth-brush down to a mere nub with some bristles attached. It was early fall, 2006, and while advances in mountain hunting gear had come a long way, affordable ultra-light rifles were still nearly a decade in the future. This fact was not lost on me after my hunting buddy and I shot our sheep, simultaneously, nearly 12 mountain-miles away from our tethered-down Piper Super-Cub. With two definitive rifle shots, the already challenging 12-mile return trek to our aircraft abruptly increased to 36 miles. Quite simply, it is nearly impossible to pack your meat, cape, horns, and gear out of the back-country in one trip. This is where the phrase “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it” comes into play, because you have to cover the same rugged terrain three times, in relays, to extract all of your meat, trophy, and gear out of the alpine and back to your aircraft, ATV, or watercraft. 

[Continue reading "Pack It In!" in the October 2024 Issue]

Also, inside this issue: 

• Bear Creek Arsenal's BC-201 Rifle - This new .22LR offering from BCA has some great features, but how does it perform? Review by David M. Fortier, Executive Editor
• The Tisas Faith B380 – An old-school-style .380 pistol, reviewed by James Tarr
• Smith & Wesson's M&P 2.0 10mm Pistol by Patrick Sweeney
• Movie Guns : The Magnificent Submachine Guns of Sky Riders by Will Dabbs, MD
• Kimber’s KDS9c Pistol by Patrick Sweeney
• Carrying Concealed: Carrying a Reload by James Tarr
• Through the Looking Glass: Vortex's 1-10X Razor HD Gen III LPVO by Michele Hamilton
• In Hushed Tones: Gemtech's Integra by Patrick Sweeney
• Musings From the Ammo Bunker: The Return of Cheap 8mm Surplus Ammo? by David M. Fortier, Executive Editor
• The War Guns: The Nambu Type 11 Light Machine Gun by Paul Scarlata
• Codrea’s Corner: Ultimate Fudd Walz Represents Worst of 'Enemies Inside the Gates' by David Codrea
• Plus, important Second Amendment news!

Pick up a copy of "Firearms News September 2024" at your local magazine stand, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, or major book retailer. Firearms News prints a new, exciting issue every month, so be sure to get a copy or subscribe!

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