The Holidays are here again, and once again you may find yourself scrambling to find the right gift for the firearms enthusiast in your life. Now, a gift doesn’t always have to be ammunition or a rifle case. Though I don’t know any shooters who would be disappointed with either of those. But, for the non-shooter looking for a gift, the question always is what kind of ammo, or what kind of rifle case. And, as we all know, that’s a rabbit hole many people aren’t willing to go down simply searching for a Holiday gift. But, there are a bunch of shooting adjacent gifts that are fun and usable, and easily accessible to non-shooters. The Bolt Action Pen from Turner Mastercraft is one of these.
Now, being a writer, I’ll admit I’m partial to pens. Some are tools, and some are works of art. The Bolt Action Pen is both of these. Artistically, the pen is beautiful. The front metal is shaped to resemble a rifle cartridge with a copper nose resembling a bullet, that unscrews to allow replacement of the ink cartridge. The rear metal is shaped like a rimless case head, complete with a round insert resembling a primer, and a head stamp. The rear metal also houses the action of the pen. No push button here. Instead, the writing point is actuated by a sliding bolt handle that can lock in the writing position. To retract the ball point, you have to unlock and slide back the bolt handle just like on a bolt action rifle. I think that’s pretty slick, and I think once you’ve tried it, you’ll think that too. The metal finishes off with a pocket clip shaped like a scoped hunting rifle.
In between the metal ends is a gorgeous piece of hand turned wood that grabs your attention. The wood is thin layers of Vermont Birch that have been laminated together, and dyed in a variety of colors. The wood is then hand turned on a lathe by master pen maker Pete Turner, and given an epoxy finish for durability. The final product is a thing of beauty that will last a lifetime. The metal parts even have a lifetime guarantee.
As a tool, the Bolt Action Pen is an outstanding writing instrument. I write a lot long hand, and I have found this pen to be one of the most comfortable pens I’ve ever used. The barrel diameter is just right for the hand. The pen is also very well balanced, with the weight heavier at the rear so it rests on the web of the thumb and takes pressure off the fingers. Also, being left handed, I have no problem manipulating the action of the pen. It may sound strange, but not all pens are ambidextrous. This one is. Overall, I can write for a long time with this pen without any cramping or hand fatigue. As you no doubt know by now, I think this is a great pen.
The other nice thing about the Bolt Action Pen is that you don’t have to worry about running out of ink. It takes standard Parker ink or gel refills that you can pretty much get anywhere.
Lastly, and what initially caught my eye, is that the pen is offered with a locking foam-lined case that resembles a Pelican gun case. It makes for a unique pen holder, and has taken a prominent place on my desk.
The one snag you may run into looking for a Turner Mastercraft pen is actually the result of COVID. Turner Matercraft has been a fixture at the Eastern States Exposition in Massachusetts for years, and that’s where I found their pens. These pens are art, and hand made. But COVID had a really bad impact on small, artisan operations by shutting down all the fairs and art shows. And, it’s taking a long time for that community to recover. In that atmosphere, Turner Mastercraft has gone to an abbreviated show schedule, and has stopped mail order. But, the good news is that they post their show schedule on their website: turnermastercraft.com. If you’re in the area of one of their shows, I highly recommend you search them out. I think the quality of their pens is as good, or better, than Mont Blanc, and their prices are much more affordable. They also make a variety of pen types, not just the Bolt Action Pen. So, if you’re looking for a unique gift for a shooter, that’s heirloom quality, the Turner Mastercraft Bolt Action Pen fits the bill.
Tactical & Target 