Flogger, your research time would be much better spent searching for other sources.
I think this an instance of "even an old blind sow finds an acorn occasionally."
I believe that either the 7.62x54 Russian or the 7.62 x 51 (.308) is indeed superior to 5.56 (.223) on structures or vehicles, or any number of other targets, with the possible exception of varmints. So what? I trust my personal testing and intuition on the subject far more than Chuck Taylor's "research." At various times he has also expressed a very high opinion of the 1911 and the CZ-75 pistols, the Browning .50 machine gun, and the FN FAL. Again, so what? These opinions do not establish Taylor as an authority. I think Taylor is like many other writers, in that he'll espouse whatever views seem to sell his current article.
That said, Taylor is a pretty good instructor, and when he was instructing at Gunsite in 1980, he was a good pistol shot. He also had some pretty interesting firearms on
hand. I used to have a good deal of respect for Taylor, but have recently come to believe that the low opinion of him held by many has a solid basis in fact. By the way-- Several months after I attended the API250 course at Gunsite, I had occasion to again visit with Col Jeff Cooper, and asked him about Taylor. To his credit, the old gentleman merely said that he and Taylor had had a "difference of opinion," and he no longer employed Taylor. It was obvious that Jeff wished no further discussion on the subject.
My personal beef with Taylor has to do with his "Handguns in Service" column in the May 2000 issue of Handguns magazine. He writes the full lyrics of a song called "The Gringo Pistolero," and then proceeds to detail an entirely fictional account of the story behind the song. The song was co-written by Tim Henderson and Allen Wayne Damron. It is LOOSELY based on exploits of US Army Captain Leonard Matlack, in 1920. Tim and Allen both readily state this. The song is just a good story, with characters changed a lot, except for the very real Mexican bandito chieftain, Chico Cano. NOT Cana, as Taylor writes.
Now, I imagine Taylor had some old timer "run a windy" tale at him, but he took no pains at all to verify it from primary sources. The article is entirely fictional. Something of the sort MAY have happened along the border at some point, but the song was not written in connection with it.
AND, Taylor has never sought permission from either Henderson or Damron to use the ENTIRE set of lyrics in an article written for profit. Major violation of copyright law, and a lawsuit is pending, with legal counsel underwritten by ASCAP.
I feel that this matter, alone, is enough to call Taylor's credibility into serious question.
FYI, the story of the Leonard Matlack rescue expedition is well detailed in Elton Miles' excellent book, /I/ More Tales of the Big Bend. /I/
There--I've been wanting to get that off my chest for over a month, and it's done. Rant over. Best regards---
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---The Second Amendment ensures the rest of the Bill of Rights---
