Guns, American Handgunner go digital only

[rugerguy]

sorry about anything 'digital' tough to do the crossword puzzles or 'jumble' and put the ink on the "screen" ,,,, let alone wrap up any scrap food or other garbage, or even to start a fire back in the "burn pile"...........screw 'em(n)

...... would drop them off at the VA, so maybe not anymore ..........:(

 

[remshooter]

glad you posted this .I get both magazines .i would have had to start calling them and ask why i not getting them

 

[KS25-06]

I just paid for renewal on Guns till Dec 28 and Handgunner till Jan/Feb 29, If those Aholes knew this was coming, why did they accept my money for renewals? I have enough trouble with a computer. We live in the outback of SW Ks. and we have very poor service for computers and cell phones. Just now read their message. Shows go to video, try that, video unavailable. Screw them and their digital crap. Have been a subscriber from the start, have every issue from the 1st one for both magazines. SCREW THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KS25-06]

Just called AH and Guns, they are cancelling my subscriptions and supposed to refund my money for the remainder of the subscriptions.

 

[fiasconva]

I think my Guns subscription expires soon but I 'd still like to read it online until it does. I can't figure out how to read the articles online. Do I need to register online with a subscription no. or what? And can anyone just go online and read it whether members or not? Any help with this will be appreciated. BTW, I like sitting in bed reading the mag after retiring for the night. Can't do that online so I won't be renewing. I don't know whether I'll miss that mag or not.

 

[peachhead]

My PRINT subscription to both magazines expires in August 2028 (my Guns&Ammo subscription expires in April 2026 but I won't renew, it's just not the same as it use to be) . I have received NOTHING from them addressing this matter.

Me either. You would think that subscribers would at least get an email or something.

 

[Joe Reilly]

I don’t think they have my email, a postcard saying a refund is coming would be nice.

 

[farley]

I just got an email from customer service at American Handgunner. I’ll be receiving a refund check in two or three weeks. I think a lot more people will be cancelling their subscriptions.

 

[sceva]

I e-mailed and asked them straight out if they are going digital only and, if so, how do I cancel.
I received this response;

"Thank you for reaching back to us!

I really do apologize but right now, we still did not get an update from the publication itself. Rest assured that as soon as more details are available, we will be notifying all of our subscribers.

Your patience is truly appreciated in the meantime.

Thank you for subscribing to American Handgunner and Guns Magazine."

Looks like maybe one hand doesn't know what the other is doing but I will be patient FOR a WHILE .

I subscribed in July after many (decades) of buying other magazines and so far the only issue I have received is the October Guns. Still waiting on the Nov Guns and the Nov/Dec Handgunner. This is not a good way to start subscribing.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I'm going to wait until I receive my November GUNS issue before I pursue the refund idea. If it's really the last one, i'd like to have it.

 

[RoninPA]

I'm going to wait until I receive my November GUNS issue before I pursue the refund idea. If it's really the last one, i'd like to have it.

Same here. After reading the email that sceva got, I'll give them some time to see what is going to happen before writing them off and asking for a full refund.

 

[vito]

This all reminds me of what happened with motorcycle magaines. I used to get 7 or 8 magazines a month, and while much of the material was covered in multiple magazines, they helped me get through the winter non-riding months. But one by one they disappeared. One that didn't disappear was "Rider", but the price for the printed magazine became ridiculous (I think its $54 a year now), so I switched to the digital version for (I think) $8 a year. The only actual magazine that I get that is motorcycle related in the AMA publication, which is a primary reason that I stay a member of the American Motorcycle Association. The only gun related magazine that arrives at my mailbox is the one from the NRA, "First Freedom". Magazines have essentially gone the way of the buggy whip.

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

Throwing a hissy fit and canceling your subscription doesn't help, or change what FMG publishing is dealing with by making this obviously difficult decision.
If you're unable to deal with, or make the changes that are necessary to continue receiving their content, in what is now the year of our Lord 2025...A full 1/4+ of the way into the 21st century, then you're part of the problem, and not the solution.

 

[gunzo]

Wow, I had 35+ years with AH & over 25 with Guns. They were starting to become redundant, so A tough choice, but cancelled out about 3 years ago. Not surprising to hear this, but still a bit sad that is the way some things go away.

 

[farley]

Throwing a hissing fit and canceling your subscription doesn't help, or change what FMG publishing is dealing with by making this obviously difficult decision.
If you're unable to deal with, or make the changes that are necessary to continue receiving their content, in what is now the year of our Lord 2025...A full 1/4+ of the way into the 21st century, then you're part of the problem, and not the solution.
View attachment 82286

 

[Yaworski]

If you're unable to deal with, or make the changes that are necessary to continue receiving their content, in what is now the year of our Lord 2025...A full 1/4+ of the way into the 21st century, then you're part of the problem, and not the solution.

Free market. They are no longer selling what I want to buy so I elect to not buy their product. I don't go to the movie theater anymore because I no longer like the theatrical cinema experience.

 

[Sam Summey]

Did not know that. His obit says that he was 62.

I guess he was older than my two older sons come to think of it. I used to see him at the SHOT Show. Didn't think he was that old, but then I am 77, his dad wrote about him him when he was 10-12 yo.

 

[Sam Summey]

Well, that might do them in.

Buying the competition is a BIG corporation way of eliminating the competition. Nothing good comes of it.

 

[wproct]

I have bought many hundreds of magazines in my lifetime. Some by subscription and many from the magazine rack. I kept them for many years and would go back fairly often to re-read an article that I remembered about. I finally recently threw away probably 50% of them. I remember things by visual image, and I could remember the cover picture that contained a certain article that I especially enjoyed, made it easier to retrieve them to read again. Kind of the same thing with my music cd's. I would really look forward to the ones I got through subscription, One of my all time favorites was "American Shotgunner" back when I was actively shooting trap. I would devour that magazine in one sitting. I don't think I would like digital magazines. Now newspapers, that's a different story. I like reading them on my laptop and I don't have a bunch of them to throw away, and I don't go back to read old newspapers again like I would magazines.

 

[Yaworski]

I knew Guns was going to pot when it was announced that Petersens (Guns and Ammo/Shooting Times) had bought Guns.

Huh? ST is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. Guns and American Handgunner are FMG Publications.

 

[sceva]

Throwing a hissing fit and canceling your subscription doesn't help, or change what FMG publishing is dealing with by making this obviously difficult decision.
If you're unable to deal with, or make the changes that are necessary to continue receiving their content, in what is now the year of our Lord 2025...A full 1/4+ of the way into the 21st century, then you're part of the problem, and not the solution.
View attachment 82286

So I am part of the problem, I accept that. I am 73 years old, I don't like sitting in front of a computer to read articles, I don't have a smart phone and have no desire to get one. What I like to do with my magazines is read them sitting up in bed evenings. I read some then put it aside until the next day. I read magazines or a book every evening and I enjoy that. If a publishing outfit finds it no longer profitable to turn out print issues so be it. BUT, I do not need to partake in the digital ones, They are not of my liking and since I have no use for them why shouldn't I cancel and get refunded for the unused issues. I asked when I subscribed last July and was assured that I was subscribing to the print issues; that is what I expected to receive and if Guns and American Handgunner is not going to supply them that should honorably cancel the subscription and issue refunds. As for profit; most magazines make their income selling advertising; by cutting out printing and postage they increase their income considerably. Will subscription costs to the consumer drop?

 

[Sam Summey]

Huh? ST is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. Guns and American Handgunner are FMG Publications.

I understand Kroenke just bought Guns and American Handgunner. 1st order of business was to stop printing the magazine and go digital.

 

[peachhead]

Throwing a hissing fit and canceling your subscription doesn't help, or change what FMG publishing is dealing with by making this obviously difficult decision.
If you're unable to deal with, or make the changes that are necessary to continue receiving their content, in what is now the year of our Lord 2025...A full 1/4+ of the way into the 21st century, then you're part of the problem, and not the solution.
View attachment 82286

I don't think anyone is throwing a hissy fit, but there is something to be said for having reading material in your hand. A print subscription now for the most part comes with a digital one too. Yeah I can look stuff up or see it in my phone, and I do at times, but IMO a digital only subscription should be much cheaper than a print one. I will see what happens when they make the official announcement I guess.
I'm not as old as a lot of people here but older than some I guess, and I don't think it is unreasonable to want the print version.

 

[contender]

I sent a polite email to the subscription dept of American Handgunner. Here's a copy of the reply I received.



"Thank you for contacting Customer Service.

I apologize for the inconvenience but we have not receive any update yet with regards to the ceasing print subscription. We will forward your concern with our higher escalation team to clarify this issue and so that we can have a resolution on this matter.

Rest assured that as soon as more details are available, we will be notifying all of our subscribers.

Your patience and understanding is truly appreciated in the meantime.

Thank you for subscribing to American Handgunner Magazine."

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

If you watched the podcast, Roy Huntington said he saw this decision coming five years ago. FMG is losing a lot of money on print issues. Paper prices, as well as every other of the necessary supplies associated with producing magazines, has increased substantially...And, so have soaring postage prices, which we've all experienced in recent years.
Subscriptions only cover 40% of the costs, advertising alone isn't getting it done...And any unsold issues returned, they just have to eat the cost on those.
Three of their most popular writers have passed away recently. And will surely be replaced by younger guys, with different interests than those they're replacing.
FMG is just making a forward thinking decision based on appeasing younger readers, which like it or not, are the future of the firearms industry...While at the same time, sacrificing the older guys who are unable OR unwilling to adapt.
Plus, if you're playing attention, MOST new firearms offerings anymore, are marketed towards the younger crowd...Who are perfectly fine with, and in fact, greatly prefer reading any publications on their devices. Heck, there's an entire generation now that know of no other way of doing such a thing.
I myself, have boxes of print magazines dating back to the 70's, and have nothing against them (other than the amount of space required to store them.) But, have nearly 200 issues of American Rifleman, and dozens of the other publications that I take right here on this very tablet I'm holding and typing this on.
Peachhead, I'm an early Gen X-er just like you, and we for the most part, grew up in the same analog pre-internet world as the older guys. But, as I mentioned in my other post, it's 25+ years into the 21st century, times and technologies are changing, and will continue to do so quite rapidly. You either have to adapt or be left behind...If that factual statement has ruffled any feathers, I do apologize.

 

[peachhead]

If you watched the podcast, Roy Huntington said he saw this decision coming five years ago. FMG is loosing a lot of money on print issues. Paper prices as well as every other of the necessary supplies associated with producing magazines has increased substantially...As so have the soaring postage prices, as we've all experienced in recent years.
Subscriptions only cover 40% of the costs, advertising alone isn't getting it done...And, any unsold issues returned they just have to eat the cost on those.
Three of their most popular writers have passed away recently, and will be replaced with younger guys with different interests than those they're replacing.
FMG is just making a forward thinking decision based on appeasing younger readers, which like it or not, are the future of the firearms industry, while at the same time, sacrificing the older guys who are unable...Or, unwilling to adapt.
And, if you're playing attention, MOST new firearms offerings anymore, are marketed towards the younger crowd...Who are perfectly fine, and in fact, greatly prefer reading any publications on their devices. Heck, there's an entire generation now that know of no other way of doing such a thing.
I myself, have boxes of print magazines dating back to the 70's, and have nothing against them (other than the amount of space required to store them.) But, have nearly 200 issues of American Rifleman, and dozens of the other publications that I take right here on this very tablet I'm typing this on!
Peachhead, I'm an early Gen X-er just like you, and we for the most part, grew up in the same analog pre-internet world as the older guys. But, as I mentioned in my other post, it's 25+ years into the 21st century, times and technologies are changing, and will continue to do so quite rapidly. You either have to adapt or be left behind...If that factual statement has ruffled any feathers, I do apologize.

If I'm ruffled by anything it's that I am a tech person (i used to be a programmer) and now I am regressing. lol
I use my phone constantly to look stuff up and should have no issues with a digital magazine, and have had them before. Heck I read my kindle app daily. So I don't know why it bugs me. lol

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Today I received the November 2025 issue, the FINAL GUNS COLLECTOR'S EDITION.

Several nice articles and a heartfelt goodbye editorial by Brent T. Wheat.

I'm going to consider cancelling the remainder of my subscription, which I had just renewed.

Sad.

 

[Larryburford]

This will alleviate my problem of renewing my subscription to them. They are two the best ones published in my opinion. I may get on a forum or two, but I don't sit and read digital magazines. This may be a good thing. If I don't see any of the new guns, I will not want to buy one. Primitive Archer went digital after 30 years of printed magazines and went completely under shortly after.

 

[sceva]

They just send out this "Canned Response"
I apologize for the inconvenience but we have not receive any update yet with regards to the ceasing print subscription. We will forward your concern with our higher escalation team to clarify this issue and so that we can have a resolution on this matter.
Rest assured that as soon as more details are available, we will be notifying all of our subscribers.

After finally receiving the latest issues and reading Mr. Wheat's article I responded to the above message that I thought that that was as final an update about ceasing print subscriptions as you could ask for, that I was not interested in digital, and to sadly cancel my subscriptions. Looks like they'll be issuing a lot of checks in the next 2 - 3 weeks; including one to me.

 

[fiasconva]

If enough readers cancel their subscriptions because the mags are going digital there is a good possibility that it will lead to the end of the magazines completely. Something has to fund their production costs.