It is ludicrous that some look at my bachelor lifestyle and suggest I have a problem with the "L" word. To put an end to such rumors once and for all, I am here to publicly proclaim:

I Love My New Gun!!!!

I know that in today's media environment we tread very lightly on this subject and attempt to use words that somehow sugar-coat the reality that for guys like me, guns are fun. I have always owned them; have always loved to shoot just for the sake of shooting. I started out letting the air out of woodchucks and have been moving my way up the food chain ever since. I display them in my house and I am proud of the stories and memories that each one in my collection rekindles.

Hats off to Thompson Center, a rifle manufacturer hailing from our northern New England area that has in a few short years proved they can compete with the big dogs in the sporting arms business.

My new 50 caliber Encore is beautiful; to look at, to hold, to shoot. For all those readers suffering from the same fascination with firearms let me help you visualize;

Real Tree Hardwoods synthetic stock and forearm, matching Real Tree Nikon 2x to 7x scope. I went with the blued barrel and action instead of the stainless just because I like the look.

I don't buy guns very often and really don't own very many. One of the things that makes my new gun special is that it was a "get well soon" gift. Back in November, I was recovering from surgery to sew my left bicep back together following of all things, a little fishing mishap in the arctic. It wasn't easy watching all my friends and customers packing up and heading off on hunts while I sat at my desk, arm in a sling. Seemed to me it was about time that somebody did something nice for Glenn, so I took matters into my own hands and drove up to R&L Archery in Barre and placed the order. Rick Sanborn will tell you that I had been threatening to buy this exact gun for over a year. After all buying something as important and wonderful as a new gun requires study, research and serious soulful pondering.

For those that may not be familiar, the Encore is more than a muzzleloader. It is, as advertised, a complete shooting system with interchangeable barrels converting it from muzzleloader to a single shot shotgun or a rifle available in dozens of center fire calibers. My original intent was to buy it with a rifle barrel in 300 Win. Mag. caliber. I just love the idea of carrying a single shot cannon into the moose or elk woods. The rifle barrel is still at the top of my "really need to own" list.

Back to the "love" thing for a minute; I often carry my gun around the house, I prop it up where I can look at it. I haven't killed anything with it yet but I surely will in the seasons to come. Even now, it stands in the corner of my office. It's just to damn pretty to put away.

For those who may be considering purchasing an Encore or for readers who already are in a relationship there are two accessories that are in the "must have" category. First, get rid of the factory installed recoil pad and spend the money for the one manufactured specifically for the Encore by Simms Vibration Laboratory. Like all the Simm's products, their recoil pad is essential equipment for either the muzzleloader or the heavier rifle calibers. The second item is a hammer extension. My friend Jimmy Staves of Hat Trick Charters is a long time Encore fan and when I saw him at the sport shows this year I had a question I knew he would know the answer to:

With a scope on this gun there is very little clearance between the hammer and the rear scope flange making it awkward to get your thumb in there and get the gun cocked.

I said, "Jim, what's up with that?"

Jim, who charters on Ontario but has a big customer base in Vermont, sent me up to Datillio's in Burlington. There, just as Jim had promised, I found this nifty brass fitting that slips over the hammer, locks down with a set screw and completely solves the thumb clearance problem.

So it's true that when you are in love you can rattle on about life's simplest pleasures and although it may not be politically correct, in my world, it's a wonderful thing to love my guns.