One gunwriter I remember is Chuck Taylor a former SF officer wrote for SOF and a few other military magazines and gun magazines. His articles were always pretty good.

I remember he tested the Glock 17, the Colt 1911 and the S&W 27 in the desert, the jungle and the arctic. Did a very thorough firing and function test of all three and his comments were priceless to me. the only gun that funtioned all the time was the Model 27.

he told me something I already knew, S&W revolvers rule.

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Stan

I have a combat handgunning book by Chuck Taylor. It's a good book. In it, he called the S&W 2" Model 15 the "Cadillac of snubbies".

I have to agree!

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'Merica!

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Get up offa that thing

His book from the 1980s, 'The Fighting Rifle', is pretty good for its time as well. It's more oriented towards the full sized battle rifle but well done.

Is Taylor still alive? He was a pretty good writer.

Charlie

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SWCA # 2294

Whatever did happen to Chuck Taylor? I used to enjoy his writing. I took one of his classes in '90?, he has had quite an adventurous life and was interesting to meet. I don't know what he was doing at the time as his main job, but it was with one federal DOD/LE agency or another.

Chuck has either "been there and done that," or he is one hell of a liar. I always enjoyed his articles, and had no doubts about his credibility.

He is a proponent of the 1911A1 and the 230 grain hardball load.

Chuck Taylor's ASAA -Stopping Power

"Were I to "play the percentages," or base my opinion on a more narrow examination such as (for example) a review of the files of the law enforcement agencies with which I have been associated or draw from my own personal experiences alone, I could legitimately state that .45 ACP 230 gr. "hardball" fired from a M-1911 Colt auto, is 100% effective!

How? Simple -- in all of the departmental shootings in which it was used, it worked. And because in five of the seven pistol fights in which I have been a participant, I used a .45 with ball ammo -- and it worked. I won all five with my first shot, my opponent collapsing before I could fire again. Five center hits, five one-shot stops, five DOS (dead on the scene)."

That's my man. Apparently, he is still holding classes.

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Georgia On My Mind

My favorite Chuck Taylor article was a test of bullet proof vests...which he wore as an assistant fired various weapons at him!

I took a multi-day 'police rifle' class from him in about 1985. I called him at his home before the class to get rifle purchase recommendations. He was friendly and extremely informative. The class was excellent. It rained constantly, and we began most strings of fire by flopping down in the mud on our bellies to prone. I really learned a lot. He was 'the real deal.'

At the time, he worked as a deputy sheriff for the county in which Paulden and Prescott, AZ are located, but that was a long time ago. I would assume he has probably retired from law enforcement by now.

I had lunch at the Shot Show with an old friend from Prescott. He knows Chuck quite well. My friend mentioned that Chuck is still living in Prescott and is doing just fine. Chuck is still writing an occasional article for one gun mag or another. ........... Big Cholla

Chuck Taylor still writes for Combat Handguns

Wasn't Chuck the guy that got in trouble for firing a 1911 underwater to win a bet at the SOF convention? I think it was about 1 o'clock in the morning in the main swimming pool at the Riviera hotel.

He came to Alaska back in the 80s to instruct handgun and subgun classes for law enforcement agencies. We had officers from as far away as New Jersey attend the training. He was an excellent instructor and "saw the elephant" many times in his life.

He still offers classes through the American Small Arms Academy.

There was a LOT of stuff that went on at the SOF Conventions at 0100...
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas....thank God!

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John

One thing about Mr. Taylor, he tell's it like it is and dosent seem to rush to judgement with just one quick gun test. His multi year test of the then new Glock 17 was the reason I bought one.

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Stay safe people!

I remember his evaluation on the Bren Ten, and the resulting hoopla it caused. While I didn't care for his "perfect Weaver stance" dribble, I respected his honesty on exposing some of the junk products as junk products.

The problem with Chuck is that he doesn't understand math. He writes of an extreme number of presentations, draw strokes, or shots fired.

I don't have the Combat Handgunnery book here with me, but it works out to an insane (and physically impossible) number of reps he claims. IMO it discredits him a bit. If he exaggerates how many times he performed a tac-load or slidelock reload with his Glock 17, he might exaggerate about other things as well.

firing the 1911 wasn't the big deal. what caused the problem was donovan shooting off explosives underwater in the middle of the night.

When you try and discredit someone, it helps to have some specifics. What do you consider an insane number? What do you consider physically impossible? You might be surprised at how much training some people do.

He used to cite armed encounters in, I think, "Handguns." I wondered if some of those stories were fiction.
He needed a disclaimer or introduction, telling whether they were factual.

I can see why he wouldn't mention names, but I wanted to know if the stories actually happened to someone.

His image is somewhat of a self-promoting chest-pounder. And I'm a little suspicious of some of his .38 snub data.

But people who've met him say that he is less bombastic in person. I gather that he is less inclined to regard himself as a sort of god than Cooper was. I did meet Cooper, and he seemed pretty impressed with himself, more so than any other gun writer whom I've met. And I've met quite a few.


T-Star

Jeff Cooper had plenty of reasons to be impressed with himself.

As long as the U.S.A. still recognizes freedom of religion, you can worship anyone you want.

I took a Urban Carbine class from him the weekend after the Columbine mass shooting.

The class was not as fun as it could have been. I felt he was a good instructor but since the class was all civilians he did NOT teach his best.

It felt like 50% of the class was blow hard entertainment, though I don't doubt he had seen combat and served with distinction.

I felt he disdained civilian shooters and was not teaching us at the same level he would have a military or police audience.

It was GOOD entertainment, OK shooting instruction.

Not worshipping him at all. Just a tremendous admirer of the man. He accomplished a great deal in his lifetime. The more you read of his writings, the more you spoke with him, the more of his training you absorbed, the more impressed you get. The man was a deep thinker and an astute observer of the human condition. He accomplished a lot.

Well, I suppose I'll try to dig the book out and provide you with some proof before I try to discredit him. As far as being surprised at the volume of training some do, I don't doubt a thing. I forget the most egregious example, but it was an order of magnitude beyond that which is physically possible.

An example (not Chuck Taylor) that I do remember was our local elementary school. They had a 1 million word reading program. Any 1st grader that reads 1 million words in a semester gets a prize. Most of them made it with time to spare. If you read at 30 words per minute every day (significantly faster than the average 1st grader) over the course of a 20 week semester, you would have to read 4 solid hours at that rate hours every day. Obviously, no 1st grader is doing that. To put it another way, that's roughly equivalent of reading War and Peace twice.

The point is the entire crew of idiots over at the school were bobbing their heads up and down and awarding these kids with 1 million word prizes halfway through the semester, when they themselves have not likely read 1 million words during the semester. They look like idiots because they just make stuff up. I'll try to remember to find Chuck's example as well, but don’t hang me in effigy if I forget.

May I ask the location of the class? Cooper was not associated with Gunsite in April of 1999. Cooper sold Gunsite in 1992 and eventually had a falling out with the new owner. During the interim he taught classes at various locations on occasion. He became a proponent of Clint Smith’s Thunder Ranch. Not until December of 1999 when Gunsite changed hands with new ownership did he associate himself with Gunsite again and retired in 2003.

None the less in 1999 he was in his 79th year and maybe age had over taken him thus diminishing his instructional abilities.

Everyones different I guess Buff, which is human nature. The more I read him and absorbed his training, the more I distrusted his knowledge of the subject until I got to the point that I wasn't impressed with him at all. He did have a major impact on the gun industry though, I just don't see it as a positive change and definately not as an improvement.

Sorry Dennis, we got you confused. The thread is about Chuck Taylor not Jeff Cooper.

I’m not confused at all. Subjects branch out into subtopics just addressing the subtopic. I have my thoughts on the main topic also but I’ll keep them to myself for the time being.

Chuck Taylor passed away May 5, 2020 from cancer.

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Smith, and Wesson, and Me.

Many of Chuck's guns have been and are being sold through J&G Sales, in Prescott, AZ.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Do they still publish "Gun Rags"??????????

Chuck Taylor also invented some pretty cool sneakers.

I'm not familiar with the name, but I may have read some of his material. Who did he write for?

Converse.

Thank you for the response. I've been reading gun publications since the early '60s, but never heard of that one; perhaps a different type of publication than what I am familiar with.

I think he mostly wrote for “Handguns” which has probably gone under. He wrote a column that was basically a knock-off of The Ayoob Files detailing alleged armed encounters in which a .38 Special or 9mm failed, then a 230 grain .45 hardball saved the day. For some reason, even mild swear words were censored, so you’d get a sentence like: As Bill blew the smoke from the muzzle of his 1911 he told Bruce - H*** buddy, I told you that d*** .38 was no good.

I’m pretty sure they were all made up.

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Rule of law, not a man.

That was kinda mean . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Thank you, Sig. I can recall "Handguns" but I don't think I ever subscribed to it.

Yeah....I feel sort of bad now.

Sorry to hear he has passed. I used to enjoy his articles. I remember reading one back in the late 80’s or early 90’s titled “In Praise of the LWOM” (Light Weight Officers Model). Soon after, at a gun show in Orlando, I happened across one and of course had to buy it. Loved that little pistol. Can’t remember what I traded it for. R.I.P. Chuck.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

S.W.A.T, Combat Handguns, Solider of Soldier of Fortune, Gun Digest, Tactical Life and several books.

Books;
The Fighting Rifle
The Complete Book of Combat Handgunning
The Combat Shotgun and Submachine Gun
Gun Digest book of Combat Handgunnery

Attached Images

Chuck Taylor in Vietnam.jpg (20.3 KB, 32 views)

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Smith, and Wesson, and Me.

I was pretty impressed with him..............

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV