Breathe and squeeze... BLAM! *introduction*

I'm not a military man nor was I ever in law enforcement. I am simply a normal American citizen from southeastern Indiana who has a love of firearms that has exploded over the past couple years. As a boy and young man I spent summers playing with my dad's Marlin Model 60 22LR or my cousins' Daisy BB guns in the backyard in the middle of nowhere. I was also in the Boy Scouts of America out of Versailles, IN which taught me much about being outside and how to survive in the elements; From trips to Tennessee to hike the Appalachian Trail to Minnesota to spend a week camping and canoeing in the boundary lakes between the US and Canada. I went through high school and college without so much as touching a gun until I picked up a Hi-Point C9 9mm handgun in 2012. Despite being the cheapest 9mm that I could afford, I still remember the feeling I got when I gripped that pistol in my hands and tore up a Shoot 'N See target from 25 yards. I felt the urge to learn everything I could and get my hands on every firearm I could. I have since traded that pistol in for a motorcycle but, even though it was my least favorite firearm to date, it awakened a love of the gun culture within me.

Firing my Hi-Point C9 for the first time! Wilbur Wright State Park, Indiana.

Since the Hi-Point, I have amassed a very small but growing collection and joined the NRA and NAGR Frontline Defenders in order to help defend our rights to do so.. I am still learning anything and everything I can. What have I learned? Not nearly enough! So, without further ado...

Welcome, ladies and gents, to Blued Barrel Gun Culture! 

My name is Christian and as the title of this blog suggests, we will discuss various subjects related to firearms. For those who don't know, a Blued Barrel is a barrel that has been chemically coated to give the steel a very dark, black/blue look and also provide some measure of corrosion resistance. As I love the look of blued steel and the enemy of ignorance is education, this blog was born. Here, I will provide reviews of any and all firearms that I can get my hands on, as well as those that I cannot (but will eventually I can assure you!) We will also discuss methodology and philosophy regarding firearms as an integral part of American culture and history. I am not following any preset plan for my posts so be prepared to jump from topic to topic. I am also in the process of learning MANY things about firearms in general so we will all learn together. This being my first blog, bear with me as I learn the ins and outs. Ready, Steady, GO!