Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association’s Publications Division is pleased to announce that Brian C. Sheetz has been appointed Editor In Chief of American Rifleman magazine, succeeding Mark A. Keefe, IV, who was recently appointed to the position of Editorial Director.

“Brian Sheetz has distinguished himself throughout his 23-year career on the American Rifleman staff. His knowledge of firearms, industry partners, and insights to NRA members have uniquely positioned him to be the new Editor In Chief of the ‘World’s Oldest and Largest Firearms Authority,’ Publications Division Director Doug Hamlin said. “American Rifleman readers and viewers will not miss a beat in the weeks and months ahead,” he added.

An NRA Life member, Sheetz is a shooter, hunter and gun collector, with particular interests in M14-style semi-automatic, Mauser bolt-action, bullpup and “scout” rifles. He has competed at Camp Perry, hunted from Africa to Alaska, and participated in a wide variety of firearm industry training events and factory tours around the world. Sheetz earned a bachelor of science degree with majors in English and Journalism from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., before working in community journalism as a photographer, writer and editor.

Since joining the staff of American Rifleman in 1998, he has written hundreds of bylined and non-bylined articles on numerous facets of firearms, ranging from detailed reviews of new guns to retrospectives of classics. Since 2003, Sheetz has appeared on-camera in a variety of segments for “American Rifleman Television,” the magazine’s associated property, which airs weekly on the Outdoor Channel.

“Brian Sheetz has been at my side producing monthly issues of American Rifleman for twenty-three years,” Keefe said. “NRA members can be confident that the American Rifleman brand is in the best of hands and that its quality content and high editorial standards will be upheld.”