So I'm listening to downrange radio,

http://www.downrange.tv/blog/down-range-radio-250-bloggers-vs-established-media/13152/

And Mikey basically sums up the inferiority of most gun bloggers by splainin' to us stupid ones that guys like him, and Jeff Quinn are "insiders" to the industry. Meaning they get all the swag, all the strokes, and all the test and eval pieces and free ammo, and use their "million of rounds" of experience to bestow their wisdom on us mere mortals.

But get this, and it only confirms my thinking on these fellows:

Bane basically admits to not giving us consumers the straight dope on a gun, saving any negatives for the manufacturer in a private setting. In this way, he says, we get better stuff. And he keeps his rockstar status with manufacturers. He trades shiny reviews for access and free stuff.

I say, BULLSHIT.

I seriously doubt the gun-makers give a flying fuck about what Micheal Bane and Jeff Quinn think. What they think about mostly is money. What Bane and Quinn think about is "let the good times roll, treat me like a fucking pasha, and I'll never say a bad thing about whatever shit you foist on the consumer. Just keep sending me stuff, especially those massaged ringer guns M'kay?"

The truth of the matter is that these 'industry insider' bloggers are totally willing to let at least one generation of so-so, to not very good, to total crap go out to consumers, to maintain their insider status, rather than tell yo they had even the most minor of malfunction, or state any criticisms of design. Go to Gunblast.com. Read the reviews, watch the vids. These guys wouldn't tell if the I damn thing exploded in their hands.

The term "Industry insider" need to be replaced by "Gun Biz Whore".

Now, I enjoy shooting vids and reviews, but I wouldn't trust an "insider" in any purchase decision. (nor any NRA publication for that matter. Selling ads seems to be the priority there).

Totally agree. I'm in the snow sports industry and "bloggers" are the same way. They never find fault in even the worst product. I think the internet breeded a billion no nothing suckups. The only honest way to research I have found is through public forums. Maybe most of the people who post are posting complaints, but its an easy way to get a feel for the real problems out there.

I don't mean to come down on bloggers generally.

Especially ones who review stuff they paid for themselves. And there are a few out there that will call a spade a spade.

But there are a growing number of elites I can't tolerate.

In that one piece, Bane specifically criticized forum posters as a mere peanut gallery, where only complainers turn up. Meh. Bane and his ilk don't know the difference between a review and an advertisement.

AKA GUN SLUTS. 'nuff said.

If a gun is shit... I'll tell you it's shit.

If all the bloggers had your integrity, we wouldn't have anything to bitch about. If the politicians and bureaucrats were like you, we would have really fucking great knock down drag out campaigns worthy of Superbowl coverage and commercials !