Assistant Editor Dave Rose and Media Officer Kate Fantinel report on all the action from the 2014 Pacific Regional Shooting Championships, and we look into Australia’s handgun regulations and why some of our handgunners are failing to make it onto the world stage. Enthusiastic new hunter Christine Naus shares her experience in tracking and hunting forest pigs, while Peter MacFarlane takes a quick trip with some mates and secures a nice trophy buck. Con Kapralos reviews the Sako Finnfire II .22 rifle, Geoff Smith tests the Walther PPQ M2 9mm pistol, John McDougall shoots the Webley & Scott 2500 Sporter Sideplate shotgun, and John Hodson looks at the Sportsmatch GC2 air rifle. The SSAA has its say at the final Senate Inquiry public hearing in Canberra, and we reveal the SSAA’s new Gold Membership option for insuring firearms and fixed accessories.

We report on the Senate Inquiry’s Melbourne and Sydney public hearings, and profile the Firearms Intelligence and Targeting Team and its effect on the flow of illegal firearms in Australia. Senior correspondent John Dunn tests the Sabatti Rover Inox SS bolt-action rifle, Paul Miller breaks clays with the Beretta 486 Parallelo side-by-side shotgun and Ray Dennis restores a Hollis & Sons percussion side-by-side shotgun. We also review Trijicon AccuPoint scopes, Max-Guard gun bags, Pro Ears Ultra earmuffs, Marine Optics glasses and the STS Pocket Sized MOA Ruler. Mick Chapman returns home from hunting sika in New Zealand only to be sent out for more venison, and Tony Sharley assists chef Matt Moran on a duck hunt for his Paddock to Plate television show.

Senior correspondent John Dunn reviews the Lithgow Arms LA101 CrossOver production rimfire rifle, Will Godward tests the BSA R-10 Mk2 PCP air rifle and Royce Wilson looks at the Lewis Automatic Machine-Gun. Media Officer Kate Fantinel examines a recent media furore over eating kangaroo and the reality of how kangaroo moves from the field to the supermarket shelf, while junior hunter Franzie Ranacher recounts a pig hunting adventure in his home town of Bullo River in the Northern Territory. Rod Pascoe takes us back to the days of Lionel Hartley Bibby and his fast and fancy trick shooting, and we speak with six-time Olympian, SSAA life member and Australian Shooter columnist Russell Mark about his decision to step down from competitive shooting.

Media Officer Kate Fantinel takes a look at Landline’s television coverage of the SSAA Farmer Assist program and the on-the-ground efforts by one Farmer Assist member in managing wild dogs on a Queensland cattle farm. James Cheung examines the trend in tactical firearms and what makes a firearm ‘tactical’, while Leon Wright shares his success in hunting teal with the 20-gauge and Lionel Swift talks about the importance of location in securing deer. We review the Nosler Model 48 Patriot in .270 Winchester, the Montana American Standard in .30-06 Springfield, the Leupold VX-6 3-18×44 Custom Dial System scope and the Lightforce PRED3x rifle-mounted light, and we announce the first four recipients of the SSAA National Academic Bursary program.

We wrap up all the action from this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where the Australian Shooting Team finished on top of the shooting medals table, and we check out the SSAA rifle and pistol shooters who took on the world’s best in France and the United States and came up gold. Paul Miller reviews the new Walther Terrus .177-calibre air rifle, and John McDougall field-tests the Miroku Mk 11 Sporter shotgun. John Dunn reflects on the Savage Model 340 .22 Hornet rifle, and John Hill resurrects a Super Simplex reloading press. We report on recent findings about the effectiveness of baiting as a coordinated animal control method, and the Senate continues its Inquiry into civilian firearms ownership.

Con Kapralos tests the Christensen Carbon One Classic .30-06 and Paul Miller looks at the Sako 85 Hunter Left-Handed .243 Winchester rifle. Senior correspondent John Dunn hunts a trophy red stag with a Remington Hepburn .38-55-calibre rifle and trials a Meopta MeoPro 3-9×50 scope, and Ben Unten heads out with some friends to a family property and manages to knock over a few ferals. We interview NRA National Firearms Museum curator Philip Schreier about his visit to Australia and profile the 2014 WFSA shooting ambassador Theresa Vail, and SSAA National responds to a number of current political issues, including a Greens senate inquiry that may affect Australian firearm owners, and a misguided and potentially ineffective national ballistics information system.

This month marks 100 years since the start of WWI and in remembrance, Royce Wilson takes a look at the service rifles used by each of the countries involved in the war. Paul Miller reviews the Akkar 3 triple-barrelled 12-gauge shotgun and Bruce Wellington tests the Henry H001 rimfire lever-action rifle. Neal Finch from The University of Queensland shares some results from the 2012 Australian Hunter Survey, and Tim Blackwell tells us why he’ll always remember taking his first sambar stag. Enrico Hoover from New Zealand introduces us to a new long-range rimfire shooting competition that’s proving popular with new and experienced shooters alike, and we meet the shooting team who will be representing Australia later this month at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

SSAA Hunting Officer Matthew Godson discusses crocodile safari hunting in the Northern Territory, while Peter d’Plesse is reminded that hunters should always do themselves the favour of listening to the story of the land when seeking out their quarry. We have reviews on the Ruger American Rimfire .22LR and Sauer S101 Classic XT .30-06-calibre rifles, Browning B725 Sporter 12-gauge shotgun and Hawke Sport HD 3-9×40 IR AO scope, and John Broxburn discusses how we can find out whether our scope’s adjustments are just what they claim to be. We meet the members of the 2014 SSAA National Executive Board, and the SSAA sponsors two important causes: Australia’s first all-abilities children’s playground, and the charity Black Dog Ride for mental health awareness.