BOOK REVIEWS: MAY 2002

By Jeff W. Zimba

God, Guns, & Rock ‘N’ Roll
By Ted Nugent
ISBN 0-89526-173-1
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 97119
Washington, D.C. 20078
$16.95

Ted Nugent has been a tireless fighter in the never-ending war to retain our 2nd Amendment Rights and our American hunting traditions for several years. He is often at the center of controversy, refusing to back down to those driven by political correctness and taking the lead for common sense. His latest weapon to assist (and enlist) in these battles is his new book God, Guns, & Rock ‘N’ Roll.

This New York Times Best Seller consists of 315 pages of insight and experiences of the Legendary Motor City Madman that go from the stage, to the woods, to the range and everywhere in between. He invites the reader to into all aspects of his life, both public and private. Ted shares many of his trials and tribulations that reinforce his passion for the traditional American values present at the birth of our great Nation and the necessity for holding them dear to this day.

He is an accomplished shooter in many disciplines and in several chapters he emphasizes the necessity for practice, practice and more practice. He chronicles a few amazing shots with a variety of firearms that would be nothing short of unbelievable in most circumstances and he gives all credit to familiarity with the gun (and sometimes a little luck can’t hurt either).

Being more than proficient in the disciplines of archery, handgun shooting, rifle and shotgun shooting, is not enough to satisfy the ballistic hunger of Mr. Nugent. Of one of his real shooting passions is his love for the machine gun. Let me assure you that he is not just a casual fan of Sir Hiram Maxim’s invention, but is actually a serious enthusiast who never declines the opportunity to hose a backstop whenever possible. Just in case you are still unclear of his interest in our particular field of weaponry, I offer the following quote from Chapter 6; “The rapid sequential pulsation’s of an M16 held tight in my hands, virtually spitting out a torrent of lead, is truly ballistic heaven. My idea of a rainbow is an arch of flowing brass over my shoulder, piling up at my feet ‘til the barrel glows a sunrise orange and someone forces me to stop. Full auto is music to my ears and a sensual serenade to every bone, muscle and nerve in my body.” There are 36 more chapters of high-octane insight in this book.

Having sold more than thirty million records has not jaded Ted in any way. He remains very active in all aspects of firearms rights, the right (and responsibility) to self-defense, and youth education. He is the founder of Ted Nugent’s Kamp for Kids, and he is active in the Law Enforcement community. To call him an activist for the Second Amendment would be like calling the Mississippi River an irrigation ditch.

He is not one to just give lip service and he actually walks the walk in his quest to stay connected to the land and game so many died to provide us with. As a matter of fact he does not buy any meat at all, and only feeds his family with the bounty of his own hunts. You will be happy to know that no one in the Nugent household is going to bed tonight with hunger pains. I highly recommend this book.

The Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook
Revised & Updated Edition
By Duncan Long
ISBN 0-87364-687-8
Paladin Press, Inc.
Gunbarrel Tech Center
7077 Winchester Circle
Boulder, CO 80301
$40.00

True to his usual fashion, Duncan Long has provided the firearms community with another great book destined to reside in every serious reference collection. At over 325 pages, The Complete AR-15/M16 Sourcebook, covers all aspects of this rifle from it’s early beginnings to the most current configurations. Other than the obvious subject matter you would expect such as Operation, Cleaning, Troubleshooting, etc, chapters include: Failures, Problems and Solutions; Grenades, Launchers and Ammunition; Innovations, Spin-offs and Copycats; Selective-Fire Conversions and much more.

Many of the common variants of the AR-15/M16 are discussed in great length and detail as well as several of the lesser known versions and relatives such as the M231 Port Firing Weapon, the CMG-2, the XM106, the Colt ACR and many more. Several photographs and drawings are included in each chapter.

There is a giant section dedicated to accessories that range from bayonets to butt stocks and virtually everything in-between. Items include factory options as well as the immense pool of “after-market” parts and accessories.

This book is one of the most complete works I have yet to see relating to the “Black Rifle.” A beginner can easily become proficient in building and maintaining his AR-15/M16 with the assistance of this book, and those already well versed may be surprised at the amount of information they can learn about these guns as well. There is no doubt in my mind that this book has something to offer anyone with even a remote interest in these rifles.