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Gun Forums | View information about Gun Forums within our Reviews section by reviewing this area of our website. We provide a wealth of information online to help our visitors become better informed about Hunter Buzz. |
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Gun Forums
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Gun forums are everywhere on the web! They are sponsored by non-profit organizations, by commercial ventures or are just stand alone. They are large and long-lived, and small and new. Each has their own supporters and detractors.
The purpose of this review is to highlight the character of each gun forum, not to judge whether they are “good or bad”. Hopefully, the review will guide you to the best forum for you!
For all these reviews, I sent out the same message to the gun forum, asking for feedback on why members liked, or didn’t like, the forum in question. To date, two forums were aggressively hostile, so I decided to take a pass on including them here. Each of the others had specific virtues that would make them an appropriate home base or reference site for the gun enthusiast.
I am sure that I have missed some important and very popular gun forums. Please let me know (send an email via the contact section of this site) and I will review them in the future.
In the meantime, read on about gun forums reviewed by Hunter Buzz!
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Graybeard Outdoors
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Statistics
Members 11,200
# of Posts 269,000
Visitors/Week 50,000+
# of Forums 135+
Buy/Sell Forums 5
Forum Character
Graybeard Outdoors (GBO) is an outstanding forum with a clear focus on “Enjoying the Great Outdoors”. Its excellence is due, in no small part, to the active participation of Bill Graham, the president and CEO of Graybeard Outdoor Enterprises – or, as he is known on the forum, Graybeard himself! Members cite Graybeard’s involvement as helping to create a group of well organized and well maintained forums, and ensuring that GBO is run as a “tight ship”. As one member put it:
“GB reminds us of the boundaries, the purpose and the values of the site.”
If there is one thing that Hunter Buzz has found to be a critical success factor for on-line gun forums it is the character of the head guy. Hunter Buzz applauds Graybeard, the site's able Web Master (Matt) and a crew of excellent moderators for setting up a superior experience for gun and outdoors enthusiasts.
As for the character of GBO, it is hard to review a web site that has in excess of 135 forums. Clearly there is something here for everyone – firearms, hunting of all kinds, accessory discussions, trapping, active product testing and review with top manufacturers, etc. etc. Across the board, however, GBO appears to be civil with little hostility or vulgarity. Members are diverse, with both broad as well as specialized expertise and generally described as “top shelf”. Posters share their knowledge, are kind to others (newbies or old-timers) and are both courteous and fun. These member characteristics appear to be consistent across the many available forums.
Clearly, GBO is more than just another gun forum. Hunter Buzz gives it the highest grade possible and recommends that you visit the site, become a member and enjoy one the Web’s most popular gun and outdoor forums!
Website: Graybeard Outdoors
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Shotgun World
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Statistics
Members 12,300
# of Posts 258,000
# of Threads 35,000
# of Tech/News Forums 1
# of Buy/Sell Forums 11 (including sponsor forums)
# Content Forums 38
# of Regional Forums 10
Forum Character
Shotgun World is all about shotguns; what to buy, where to buy, how to use, a place to sell, for hunting and trap and skeet and collecting, reloading, politics and just about everything else you would want to know about the wonderful world of shotguns and shooting!
In other words, it is comprehensive and big, a great on-line resource! As an example, I personally bookmarked three separate pages as I cruised around the site for this review, each covering hard-to-find topics that interested me.
The content provided by the different forums can be very important to the shotgun owner or potential buyer. Shotgun reviews, specific accessories, and shotgun trouble-shooting are covered in numerous posts within the specific brand forums. For those of you who have had trouble finding objective reviews of a particular shotgun/model, this is one place you need to visit.
It’s also the favorite on-line of many of its members – not just an information repository. Folks are friendly, they respond quickly to questions and the forums appear to be well moderated! Most of the threads I looked at were civil and to the point, although the Politics forum gets down-right fierce at times!
One point of member controversy is that guests are allowed to post. Now, this can lead to unwanted “crank” posts that are irritating, but it also allows folks to try out the forum for a while before joining --- and, provides a forum for those who don’t feel comfortable with the sign-up process. I actually didn’t find too many off-topic “guest” posts -- the moderators must be doing their job!
The forums are very well organized and easy to navigate. The members are friendly. The information available, the resident expertise and member knowledge are all exceptional.
Hunter Buzz rates this gun forum very high – if you a shotgun enthusiast you must check it out!
Website: Shotgun World
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Family, Friends and Firearms
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Statistics
Members 2,000
# of Posts 302,000
# of Threads 29,900
# of Content Forums 26
# of Tech/News Forums 3
Buy/Sell Forums 1
Forum Character
It is not a coincidence that “family and friends” come before “firearms” in this forum’s name. Over and over, the members extol the friendliness of fellow posters and how this forum acts as a family. As one member put it, this forum is about “news, politics, history, education, books, movies, all kinds of firearms, weather, cooking, joking…”
Sounds a little like sitting around the family table for dinner!
However, as compared to my own memories of “family dinner discussions”, FFF is also described as being the “most civil” gun forum around. There are few snide answers to any question regardless of how often it has been asked and answered in the past; newbies and senior members are all treated with respect, and no “drubbing” is allowed. As one member put it, “even liberals can speak their mind and be respected for it!”
The forum’s response to Hunter Buzz lived up this characterization. I was treated with great civility at all times.
FFF has also recently innovated through the creation of two new forums that are only available to members who request special access: The Attic and The Basement. The Attic is a place for civil religious discussions with no bashing allowed. The Basement is “adults only” (but not “x rated”) where the discussions and jokes can get a little ribald and the pics perhaps emphasizing more “adult” characteristics.
The purpose of these forums is to allow for discussion that might be offensive to others (and/or entirely inappropriate for children) without changing the true family and friends nature of the FFF Forum. Hunter Buzz thinks it’s a good idea and looks forward to seeing how the experiment works out.
Finally, as a moderate sized forum (2000 members), FFF has a “Goldilocks” feel to it – not too big, not too small --- just right for a group of family and friends to get together!
Highly recommended by Hunter Buzz. Go visit it; it may be just the right forum for you.
Website: Family, Friends and Firearms
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Self Defense Forums
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Statistics
Members 4,600
# of Posts 130,000
# of Threads 10,000
# of Tech/News Forums 1
# of Buy/Sell Forums 1
# Content Forums 12
Forum Character
First, the Self Defense Forums (SDF) is NOT a gun forum. It is a forum dedicated to understanding, discussing, and executing effective self defense. Whether unarmed and/or using knives, guns or other weapons, SDF focuses on an integrated approach to self defense and deals with the techniques, tools and politics of self defense.
It is also a no-nonsense forum. The members are serious about self defense and don’t suffer fools very well. If you just want to chat about your guns and your gun biases, then SDF is not for you. For example, as members stated:
…“Glock vs USP vs 9mm vs .45 vs revolver threads are highly discouraged”
…“(we are)…not burdened with collector’s show and tell”
Some hunting forums have a similar character. They are not interested in what kind of shotgun you are carrying, but want to discuss how to use a shotgun (or a bow!) to hunt ducks, grouse, deer, etc. They are interested in becoming efficient and effective hunters, not gun collectors!
I was impressed with SDF. It is a pleasure to be on a site where the topics are serious and the members knowledgeable. Mind you, there is plenty of humor, but in general the members stay on topic in most threads. And, members appreciate the moderators, who run a tight ship, because it helps to maintain SDF’s focus. One note of caution, the language can get a little rough and the humor can be adult in nature, so I wouldn’t recommend this forum for the young kids in the house.
If you are interested in self defense, from home security and physical fitness, to the proper techniques and uses of weapons (including hands and feet!), then visit SDF. You’ll be impressed!
Website: Self Defense Forums
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Shootersville
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Statistics
Members 1,310
# of Posts 111,000
# of Threads 14,000
# of Tech/News Forums 3
# of Buy/Sell Forums 1
# Content Forums 18
Forum Character
Shootersville is an unusual, but very effective gun forum. It is unusual because many of its members have been together on two different gun forums for a long time – first on the defunct Shooters.com, --- now on Shootersville. It is also relatively small as gun forums go. As a result there is a core group of senior members and moderators who set the standards and values for the forum. And, their standards come across loud and clear: intolerance of personal attacks, respect amongst members, honest and sincere posts, civility at all times. It doesn’t get much better than that!
On the other hand, it may be a little difficult to break into the forum and feel “like family” immediately. Nevertheless, several members pointed out that they want new members, want them to feel comfortable, and go out of their way to welcome them. This is not a “closed” society and new members should give it a try. There is a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge in Shootersville waiting for the new member!
I was very impressed with the thoughtfulness of the responses to the Hunter Buzz request for comments. They were articulate, respectful and almost always on point, sticking to the subject of my inquiry. If you are looking for wise-cracking one-liner quip artists, this is not the forum for you.
Hunter Buzz recommends this forum. Give it a try!
Website: Temporarily Unavailable
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Pistolsmith Gun Forum
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Statistics
Members 9,000
Threads 113,000
Site Forums 7
Pistol Forums 24
Revolver Forums 4
Long-gun Forums 4
Hardware Forums 12
General Forums 15
Shooting Forums 4
Forum Character
Pistolsmith is unique among the gun forums that Hunter Buzz has reviewed. It was set up by a well known gunsmith to promote gunsmithing and related trades (like holstersmithing). Many of the professionals who work in this field are represented on the forum and contribute on a regular basis. Dane Burns, the forum owner, should be commended for establishing such a strong community, having attracted the knowledge and expertise to the site that all members can enjoy.
The forum itself (in its many sub-categories) is relatively serious, with most questions/comments related to gunsmithing and firearm usage. As one member put it, “the signal to noise ratio” of Pistolsmith is the lowest of any gun forum on the web. There were very few “attack” replies, little profanity and most posts were relevant to the question asked.
This is not to say that the forum members don’t have fun. They do! It’s just that they are a group of dedicated gun enthusiasts who like to discuss their firearms and firearm dreams.
This is definitely a forum to visit!
Website: Pistolsmith Gun Forum
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Assault Web Bulletin Board
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Statistics
Members 6,600
Information Forums 4
Gun Forums 15
Discussion Forums 6
Specialty Forums 7 (including 1 buy/sell)
International Forums 3
Admin Forums 3
Archives 4
Forum Character
The Assault Web Bulletin Board started as a Christian based forum, one where all were welcome if they were respectful of the forum’s roots and core beliefs. As a result, the forum tends to be conservative, civil and respectful across the board. This is not to say that there aren’t heated debates. There are! Or, that the community doesn’t have a good time. It does! What it does mean is this forum is largely free of flame and insult. Very refreshing!
The responses to Hunter Buzz’s inquiry were largely on the subject (with a few humorous and well-intentioned sidebars). The most common topic was the forum’s real sense of family and home – that the forum has resulted in many face-to-face meetings and members see other members as true friends. And, as with most other forums, members believe that the community, as a whole, has substantial resident expertise and knowledge to answer the hardest gun-related questions.
The character of this community is what makes the Assault Web Forum truly unique. It is well worth a visit as their spirit will appeal to many.
Website: Assault Web Gun Forums
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AR15
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Statistics
Members 55,000
Discussion Forums 8 – Too many sub-forums to count
Technical Forums Yes
Buy/Sell Forums Yes
Forum Character
AR15 is the 500 pound canary! It is a huge forum with all the benefits that size brings: fast answers to questions, diversity of expertise, breaking news (in many cases better than cable!), and a deep and broad knowledge base.
AR15 has also addressed some of the normal shortfalls of size: it has recently upgraded its system to make sure that speed and storage are not issues, and it has a major forum category, called “Hometown”, that lets you meet folks in your area of the world – e.g., there is a place to go where you can get the feel of a smaller, more intimate forum.
AR15 is also a very mature forum: little extraneous chit chat, and generally serious and polite responses. Perhaps most impressive of all, the average responder to my inquiry had already posted over 5600 times to the forum! These are forum members who are at AR15 for the long-term.
There is no way to review this forum without spending weeks/months there. It is a little like visiting the Smithsonian. It has it all. Hunter Buzz recommends it highly!
Website: AR15 Gun Forums
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Canadian Gun Nutz
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Statistics
Members 3,700
Threads 69,000
Discussion Forums 22
Technical Forums 1
Buy/Sell Forums 6
Forum Character
Members are described as knowledgeable and friendly, and from diverse backgrounds: military, law enforcement, authors, manufacturer reps, shooters, collectors, newbies and everything in-between! Responses to the Hunter Buzz inquiry were serious and humorous, via one-line quips or comprehensive multi-paragraph discussions. As with most of the other popular sites, members look for answers to their gun questions here – and get them! (One interesting fact – Hunter Buzz received more replies from Canadiangunnutz than any other forum reviewed -- in spite of its medium size!!)
This forum has a great deal of vibrancy, in a rough and tumble way. The moderators watch for unfair shots – but allow most everything else. For some, this could be a turn-off, but for the members, this is part of why they are so loyal to this gun forum. “Best in Canada” was repeated over and over again!
I like a forum with this kind of pride! Hunter Buzz recommends it highly for all Canadians and suggests that Canada’s southern neighbors should visit it from time to time to enjoy the sprit of the community.
Website: CGN Gun Forum Website
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The Guns Network
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Statistics
Members 30,300
Threads 184,000
Posts 1,600,000
Discussion Forums 8 (with sub-forums)
Technical Forums 0
Buy/Sell Forums 1
Forum Character
The Guns Network is the largest forum Hunter Buzz reviewed. With over 30,000 members, traffic is high and responses are spirited.
37 responses to my inquiry were all directed at the questions I asked, with serious and informative answers. The administrator even went out of his way to suggest that members honestly respond with what they liked and didn’t like about the site.
The membership was characterized as a community of diverse people who were well-informed and well-behaved. Moderators were described as “letting the forum” operate without a heavy-handed approach.
Most interesting, members described Guns Network as a force to be respected, one with political might regarding gun ownership, second amendment and the constitution. There was more “pride” in this forum than any other that Hunter Buzz reviewed.
Hunter Buzz highly recommends Guns Network to serious and enthusiastic gun owners for answers to their firearm questions and membership in a comprehensive and important community.
Website: Guns Network Forums
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The High Road
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Statistics
Members 12,000
Threads 88,000
Posts 1,100,000
Discussion Forums 18
Technical Forums 2
Buy/Sell Forums 4
Forum Character
Members were described as kind, respectful, polite, courteous, and knowledgeable. Moderators were described as balanced; letting debates occur, but ensuring that everyone was civil and respectful. Members help regulate themselves with senior members gently chiding those who overstep the boundaries of good social behavior.
This Gun Forum was described consistently as “family” by those who responded, with a genuine enthusiasm for the site. Most appreciated the fast responses to questions that resulted from a high traffic site with many knowledgeable members.
The character of responses was also diverse, some serious and some humorous, with a few shots at this humble reviewer, but with a general upbeat tone.
This is an outstanding gun forum and worth visiting!
Website: High Road Gun Forum
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The Firing Line
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Statistics
Members 19,400
Threads 146,000
Posts 1,365,000
Discussion Forums 18
Technical Forums 2
Buy/Sell Forums 4
Forum Character
The Firing Line has come back after a hiatus off the web. I do not know whether the statistics above reflect current active membership, or their archives. But, it actually doesn’t matter, as the number of views of the Hunter Buzz thread was second highest of all the gun forums contacted.
People were generally described as good people and very knowledgeable. Moderators were characterized as balanced in their approach. The high traffic ensured that quick responses to questions would be forthcoming.
There was a good degree of suspicion about my inquiry, but that isn’t a bad thing. After all, a reviewer unknown to the group, showing up and asking revealing questions, may not be up to good! As a result, there were some sarcastic shots and more than a few respondents who wandered from the original question.
Nevertheless, there was lots of genuine appreciation of the forum and, again, that feeling that the group saw themselves as a cohesive and tight community.
Well worth a visit!
Website: Firing Line Gun Forum
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Culver Shooting Page
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Culver Shooting Page has been around since 1998, a long time in the ever-changing world of gun forums. Unfortunately, they do not provide statistics as to the number of members, number of postings, how many times a thread was viewed, etc. Therefore, I have little to go on other than responses to my inquiry and a read of other threads on the site. My guess is that they fall into the “moderate” size based on the number of responses I received.
More important, the members were very responsive to Hunter Buzz, courteous and respectful. As with most forums, positive feedback centered on a sense of family, mutual respect and the ability to get answers to firearm-related questions.
The only negative mentioned was forum speed! BUT, a new system is being installed as this review is being written, with the promise of increased functionality and speed.
(NEWS -- as of July 10, the new system seems to be humming along. I have no problem with speed -- the editor)
Finally, this forum has a different format from others – one which several of the members cited as the reason they liked CSP. That alone is worth a visit to the CSP forum!
Check it out!
Website: CSP Gun Forums
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FAL Files Forum
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Statistics
Members 14,800
Threads 95,000
Posts 820,000
Discussion Forums 20
Technical Forums 4
Buy/Sell Forums 0
Forum Character
Fal Files is irreverent and funny. One of the respondents called it “Fal Files raw.” I found myself laughing out loud as I went through the responses (even the second and third times!).
There were lots of short quips and comments having nothing to do with the thread, but there were also serious answers that emphasized the knowledge of the members and their ability to answer serious questions. The hands-off approach of the moderators was cited as a plus.
The members all clearly enjoy themselves and are one large wacky family that has a knowledgeable membership for answering serious gun-related questions.
If you like humor and are willing to mix it up a little, then go visit FAL Files!
Website: FAL Files Gun Forums
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HK94 Gun Forums
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Statistics
Members 3,800
Threads N/A
Posts 73,000
Discussion Forums 34
Technical Forums 2
Buy/Sell Forums 1
Forum Character
Members describe themselves as knowledgeable and polite. The forum has a lot of debate, but it is civil, albeit sometimes brutally honest. Several members cited the experience of many law enforcement and military members as a plus.
Responses to my inquiry were a mixture of serious, thoughtful responses and one line quips, humor without anger, and not wacky in any way. One response also said that they always checked the facts before flaming – and, that you just don’t flame family. The moderators help keep everyone in line.
Clearly, the HK94 members enjoy each other! The forum is small enough that you can get to know folks in a relatively short period of time.
Finally, this forum has the largest number of specialty forums attached to it. So if you are looking for a specific answer to a specific gun question, this site may be able to help you out.
It looks good. Check it out!
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Gun and Game Forums
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Statistics
Members 2,400
Threads 19,500
Posts 135,000
Discussion Forums 15
Technical Forums 3
Buy/Sell Forums 0
Forum Character
Gun and Game is a small forum. The member response to Hunter Buzz’s inquiry was a bit off the point (only 3 responses discussed why the forum was a good place to visit), with a healthy degree of skepticism about this reviewer’s ultimate motive. One member mentioned his wish that there was a classified forum for buying and selling.
The key to joining a community like Gun and Game is to discover whether the attitude of the key contributors is what you want in a discussion group. I found many of the Gun and Game threads to be good reads. Therefore, I recommend you take a look at Gun and Game and judge whether it is right for you.
Website: Gun and Game Online Forums
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CMP
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Statistics
Members 2,300
Threads 3,200
Posts 18,000
Discussion Forums 2
Technical Forums 1
Buy/Sell Forums 0
Forum Character
The Civilian Marksmanship Program was authorized by the US Congress. An affiliation of clubs and association across the country, CMP promotes safe and responsible firearm ownership and usage. It is a site worth visiting and an excellent program, regardless of whether you us their forum or not.
The forum itself is small and highly focused on the firearms that are distributed by CMP to their club members. If you are in the market for some government surplus firearms, CMP appears to have a good program. If you have questions about these types of weapons, you can probably get some good answers here. But, if you are looking for a general discussion gun forum, CMP is probably not the forum for you.
Nevertheless, make sure to visit the CMP site and look at the First Shot on-line CMP magazine. It’s worth a visit!
Website: CMP Gun Forums
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