The Armory Life Presents This Year’s Cantius Award

“Yes!” Scott’s answer to our invitation out to The Armory Life headquarters to receive this year’s “Cantius Award” as our contributor of the year was emphatic and unhesitating. I would soon learn that Scott’s enthusiasm was driven not only by his appreciation for being selected as our winner, but also because of the photo shoot we had planned to support his acceptance of the award. More on that in a moment.

A Little Etymology

First, let’s touch on The Armory Life’s Cantius Award itself. The contributor of the year Cantius Award, now in its fourth year, is given to a writer the editorial staff has determined provided uniquely valuable content for the site for that year.

Scott Conditt is shown here doing his best impression of his literary hero, Hunter S. Thompson — an enigma who brought a surreal perspective to his own work. Image: Jake Miller/Springfield Armory

For those curious as to the award’s name itself, it was chosen due to its connection to the history of one of Springfield Armory’s most iconic firearms — the M1A rifle, based upon the M14 service rifle.

Scott Conditt with Springfield Armory Kuna pistol Cantius Award — Conditt was awarded both a Springfield Armory Kuna 9mm pistol as well as a burgundy Cantius Award jacket. Image: Jake Miller/Springfield Armory

Cantius refers to the middle name of John C. Garand, creator of the iconic M1 Garand rifle. The M1 Garand proved itself in battle throughout World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War. In addition, the M1 Garand provided the foundation for the development of the M14 rifle, a rifle still in U.S. military service.

Going Gonzo

In discussing the visit with Scott, our team was brainstorming some concepts for the photoshoot and happened to off-handedly mention journalist Hunter S. Thompson of “Fear and Loathing” and “gonzo-style” journalism fame. That struck an immediate chord with Conditt and spawned an in-depth conversation and detailed plan for the shoot.

Scott Conditt tests solar powered hunting gear — The author tops a rocky slope with the Dark Energy solar panel attached to his hiking pack. Its low weight barely registered, but it kept his devices topped off.

“American literary icon Hunter S. Thompson’s been one of my favorite authors since I was a teenager. I even named my firstborn son after him,” Conditt told me. “Thompson was absolutely brilliant in how he captured the American story, painting vivid and surreal visuals like no one else,” he continued. “He was an enigma, and that’s what made him resonate for me. His writing was unfiltered, intense, and yet rang deeply true.”

Clearly, we had our photo shoot plan.

Sears & Loathing

Scott was selected as this year’s winner of the award — which earned him a signed certificate, his own example of the rare burgundy The Armory Life jackets, and a Kuna 9mm — due to his contribution of content covering cutting-edge tech in the firearms and outdoor community.

Scott Conditt tests thermal optics for The Armory Life — Conditt adjusting the Flex 2 thermal sight on the shooting range. He found it was a good match for the SAINT Edge rifle.

From his reviews of thermal reflex optics to solar-driven off-grid power sources to mastering the Echelon’s Variable Interface System and more, Scott wowed us with his expertise as well his ease at clearly conveying the information. It’s obvious he loves guns and technology, and it came across in his writing.

“Being awarded the Cantius Award by The Armory Life means a lot to me. I admire The Armory Life for its strong editorial voice and talented contributor base. To be recognized for my work and placed alongside that group of writers is a real honor. It’s something I’m deeply proud of,” he explained.

Personally, as Editor-in-Chief of The Armory Life, I couldn’t be prouder to present this award to Scott. He has been a part of the site and magazine since their early days, and I have known him for more than 15 years.

Viridian sights tested by Scott Conditt for The Armory Life — In this article, Conditt examined five different Viridian green dot options — all on the same Springfield Armory Echelon pistol.

“This holds personal meaning for me because Mike Humphries was the first person in the firearms industry to give me a shot at writing and photography back more than 15 years ago,” he explained. “That early opportunity helped shape my career and further fuel my passion for the 2A space, and I’ll always be grateful for it. Working with TAL continues to be one of the most rewarding parts of what I do as a creative.”

Changing Perspectives

Our congratulations to Scott Conditt for being this year’s Cantius Award winner. We have been truly impressed by all his hard work over the past year as well as the quality of the content he created, and look forward to seeing what he has to offer for the next!

Editor’s Note: Click here to browse all of Scott Conditt’s articles for The Armory Life.

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