Hunter is a firearms enthusiast , well known in the gun community for firearm detail in many of his works of fiction . He himself shoots as a hobby , saying " many people do n't understand , shooting a firearm is a sensual pleasure that 's rewarding in and of itself . " In an interview with NPR on February 16 , 2011 , in relation to the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others , Hunter defended the public availability of extended magazines and claimed it was not clear that the 33-round magazine used by the shooter , Jared Lee Loughner , played a part in the incident . He had previously stated in his op-ed piece in '' The Washington Post '' that extended magazines are particularly valuable for the self-defense of women and the elderly , who he said could use them effectively as an alternative to semi-automatic rifles or shotguns . He points out that " women generally do n't care to put in the training needed to master rifles and shotguns . Nor can the elderly handle long guns adeptly . "
shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others
2011 Tucson shooting
Stephen Hunter