Recoil Magazine

Yesterday I picked up the premier issue of Recoil... a touch on the expensive side for a gun rag, but I figured I'd give the new publication a shot (heh,) besides, it's a larger format than your standard magazine, the photos looked really good, and I needed something to occupy me during the downtime in my shift last night.

Quick and dirty: If I took ARFCOM and turned it into a well produced print magazine, this would be it.  Airsofters will geek, and Costa/Haley leg-humpers will probably be locked away for weeks after picking it up (they're not in it, but it's got that feel.)

More in depth... the articles vary as much as the requisite insanely expensive gun reviews (Nighthawk Predator and HK556A1,) a crazy expensive custom "bug-out vehicle," and an interview with JJ Racaza.  There's a full DIY article on polymer stippling, with step-by-step photos of the author going to town on an M&P pistol, and another showing how to thread the hole in your AR lower for the rear takedown pin retaining spring so you don't launch the thing across the room when you take the rear plate off (something I probably will do on future builds.)  Also very few ads, and none of that "cont. on pg. 87" crap you find in other magazines.

There are, on the other hand, advertisements involving scantily clad women, and (at least in the first issue) a lack of articles about techniques or tactics.  It really seems like more of a "gear-whore" centric magazine.  On that note, however, there is a great breakdown of all the gear featured on the cover of the issue right in the first few pages.  I think the only things they forgot where what socks and underwear the model was wearing (seriously... that's about the only thing they didn't mention.)  The "full-size custom" pull-out target is a bit of a let-down though, it's kind of small and looks quite gimmicky.

They don't have print subscriptions set up yet, so I'm not sure what the savings will be for that route (and I hope it's worth it, otherwise they'll need to drop the cover price down from the current $8.99 to keep me interested long-term) but it's probably worth looking at if your into that kind of stuff, and there is a lot of content crammed into one issue.