Safe Queens (and why they’re OK)

About this episode

The episode discusses the feelings of discomfort among hunters regarding unused guns and the realization that not every gun needs to prove its worth through use.

There’s a tendency—especially among hunters—to feel a little uncomfortable about the guns we own but don’t use, as if a shotgun that isn’t carried in the field is somehow failing its purpose. Or worse, that we’re failing it. I like to think that January has a way of softening that self-accusation. Because when the season is over, and the pressure to choose is gone, you realize something important: not every gun is meant to earn its place through miles walked or birds taken. Some earn it...

People in this episode

Host: Ryan Doughty

Topics covered

• hunting
• guns
• self-accusation
• seasonal reflection
• gun ownership

Keywords

• hunting
• guns
• self-accusation
• shotgun
• gun ownership
• seasonal reflection

More episodes of A Break in the Action

• Is the 12 gauge dead? · June 12, 2026 · 53 min
• The Traveling Wingshooter: Building The Ultimate Bird Hunting Rig · May 18, 2026 · 49 min
• A Sporting Weekend at The Preserve · May 11, 2026 · 1h 6m
• American Bests · April 14, 2026 · 58 min
• Forgotten British Gunmakers with Simon Reinhold · March 15, 2026 · 1h 38m
• Reviving a London Gunmaking Legend: Frederick Beesley · March 9, 2026 · 42 min