“Gun is only one letter away from fun,” GUNS Editor Brent T. Wheat is known to say at times. To illustrate this concept, FMG Special Projects Editor Roy Huntington showcases an “arguably over the top” Springfield Armory Range Officer Target Model enhanced by master craftsman Ken Kelly of Mag-na-port in the August issue of GUNS.

With a laser focus on cosmetics, the SA 1911 got Mag-na-port’s famous porting, EDM lightening cuts and bronze Cerakote finish. Kelly applied careful engine turning (jeweling) to the slide sides, safety, slide release, hammer, trigger sides and magazine base plate. As Huntington heartily advises, “It’s truthfully a good idea to splurge at least once and end up with a fun-gun that breaks the conventional mold for you.”

It can be argued that three guns changed America. In “A Dark Day In Dallas,” Will Dabbs, MD details how the firearms involved with the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy — and subsequent deaths of Dallas police officer JD Tippit and Lee Harvey Oswald — fundamentally changed the landscape of American gun culture.

A Walther Arms’ PDP PRO-ACRO awaits one lucky winner of the August GUNS Firearms Package Giveaway. Key features of the 9mm include an integrated Aimpoint ACRO P-2 red dot, direct milled slide, tritium night sights and a dynamic performance trigger. The giveaway package also includes a Wedge XT flashlight from Streamlight and a Tuna Compact knife from CRKT. Valued at $1,810, readers are encouraged to enter the free drawing by visiting GunsMagazine.com/giveaways.

Additional highlights of the August issue include tips from Shotguns Editor Tom Keer for traveling hunters who venture to our northern neighbor’s territory in “Bonjour, Canada!” The good old .45 ACP is making a comeback, and Massad Ayoob outlines how it stacks up against the 9mm in the Handguns installment. Having “suddenly” discovered mortality, Wheat contends he no longer cares about discretion, prudence or precaution because he is on a mission … He reveals his new modus operandi in “Go For It! Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late.”

Discover more content at GunsMagazine.com. Purchase the August issue of GUNS or order a subscription at fmgpubs.com. Digital versions are also available.