January/February 2026

ON THE COVER:
Valley Forge Winter 1777-1778, an original oil painting by Kevin J. McDonald.

CONTENTS:
3 Letters from Our Readers
7 Prime Possibles
9 People to Watch Sweet William — Andrew Scott Wills
11 Doin’ It Yourself Painted Robes of the Illinois Country — T.C. Albert
21 Shooting the Bull A Pistol Match at Paul Bunyan — Mike Nesbitt
29 18th Century Traveler The Model 1842 U.S. Pistol — Matt Wulff
37 Dispatches from New England Where the Fair Winds Blow — Vincent C. Spiotti
45 The Builder’s Bench Brass Casting, Part II — Jim Parker
51 Buffalo Trace 1765 Decent Way of Going Barefoot, Part II — Nathan Kobuck
63 On the Game Trail African Exposures — Bill Hammer
72 Eric Ewing: From Long Island to Long Rifle — Andrew Scott Wills
81 Hiss… A Most Excellent Sar-pent, Part III: Cobra Corals in the East & Pit Vipers in the West — Ted Franklin Belue
93 Classified Ads
95 Index of Display Advertisers
96 For the Bookshelf