Jerry Lee - Gun Digest 2013

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31ST ANNUAL

W e are very pleased to announce that the recipient of the 31stannual John T. Amber Literary Award is Tom Turpin. A long-time contributor to Gun Digest, Tom is being recognized for two reasons: first, for his story in the 66thedition, Fit For A Lady. This story profiled Osa Johnson and a custom Mauser that was made for her more than 80 years ago. Osa and her husband, Martin, were adventurers who traveled the world filming documentaries of their journeys to Africa, Malaysia, and the South Sea islands from 1917 until the mid 1930s.

Tom is also being honored for his many years of devotion to the custom gun trade and his annual report in these pagesalways well illustrated with excellent photographyof the finest examples of the gunmakers art. He was a protg of the great John Amber himself, editor of Gun Digest from 1950 to 1979, and for whom our Literary Award is named. Amber played a major role in promoting the art of the custom gun within these pages as the trade began to grow in the 1950s. We asked Tom to give us his thoughts on John Amber.

I distinctly remember when I first met John T. Amber. It was in April, 1978, at Alexandria Palace in London, England. I had known who Amber was since the early 1950s, when I first discovered Gun Digest. I corresponded with him in the late 1970s about writing an occasional piece for him, which led to our meeting. John and his entourage consisted of a good bit of firearms history. I met John, William B. Ruger, Don and Norma Allen, Al Lind and his wife, and Jim Wilkinson of Rifle Ranch fame, all at the same time. I was truly a kid in the candy store that day.

For some reason, JTA took a liking to me, and took me under his wing, nurturing my budding outdoor writing career along nicely. In addition to publishing some of my early work in Gun Digest, he also introduced me around the industry, advising me about who I needed to know, and perhaps more importantly, those I needed to avoid like the plague. His help was invaluable. Over time, he became almost a surrogate father to me.

For this reason particularly, among many others, I am so deeply honored to receive this award carrying his name. I am also honored every year to provide, under my byline, Johns favorite part of Gun Digest, the custom gun and engraving section.

Tom Turpin was born and raised in Kentucky. After graduating from what is now Eastern Kentucky University in 1959, thanks to the ROTC program, he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the United States Army. He entered active duty in the spring of 1960. Early in his army career, he shot competitively on several rifle teams, ending up shooting in the 3rd Army matches at Fort Benning, GA.

Toms nationally published writing career began in 1972 when Petersens Guns & Ammo published his first article. At the time, he was living in Alaska, during a tour of duty with the US Army. Not long after that, he had a few articles published in Gun Digest and Guns Magazine. During the seventies and eighties, Tom was very busy balancing a military career, including a couple of tours in Vietnam, an outdoor writing career, and raising a family. He also served as a design consultant to the German firearms manufacturer, F.W. Heym and, from time to time, assisted the German optics company, Schmidt & Bender. Toms military career ended in retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel after 26 years active duty, at the beginning of 1986.

These days, after more than 40 years in the writing business, several hundred published articles, three books and substantial contributions to several more, he is still at the keyboard. In addition to being a contributing editor to Gun Digest, he is a freelance contributor to many other publications in the field. His book, Artistry in Wood & Metal, originally published by Safari Club International, was reprinted by Krause Publications in early 2012, and is now on the market.

An avid hunter, he has hunted on four continents. A great fan of the late Jack OConnor, Tom has found the sage advice contained in OConnors writings to be very accurate. As such, his favorite hunting caliber for most situations is the .270 Winchester. Tom and his wife Pauline live and work in the wonderful high desert community of Sierra Vista, Arizona, along with their two Labradors, three German Shorthairs, and 22 Japanese Koi fish. The elk steaks still taste wonderful, the scotch still provides a tranquilizing effect adding to the pleasure of life, and at the ripe old age of 73, Tom is looking forward to his next hunt, and his next story.