Gear Reviews

BudK https://www.budk.com/product/M1-Garand File this one under go figure. I am a big fan of the knife importer BudK and I was really excited when I saw that they are importing a reproduction of the Model 1942 US bayonet that was originally made for the M1 Garand, and that also fits the M1903 Springfield. The original [...]

Littlestone Ammunition is a Monroe, Georgia, based company specializing in custom handgun ammunition for personal defense, hunting and competition. The Littlestone website currently lists loads for .380 Auto up to .460 Rowland. Sneaking a peek at their “Coming Soon” section reveals available caliber expansion will extend the product range from .32 Auto to .500 S&W at some point in the future. The Littlestone Excel Elite ammunition line is crafted by hand from the highest quality components. Every round of Littlestone ammunition is hand inspected before it gets packaged and shipped to the customer.

Shot timers aren’t the sexiest addition to your shooting gear. Most are bulky, a bit boxy even. If you’re not a serious competitor, using a timer might even seem a bit pretentious, like you think there is something that needs to be timed. Yet a timer is one piece of gear that marks you as a serious shooter. A good timer implies that you’re serious about competition and serious about improving your speed. And now, thanks to the Shotmaxx from Double-Alpha Academy (DAA), the shot timer has gotten more functional, more stylish and a whole lot smaller.

With the ever-growing popularity of the modern sporting rifle platform (I call it a platform because there seem to be an infinite number of configurations), there is a growing trend toward carbines and short barreled rifles (SBR’s). Since these are used for fast, dynamic, short-range work, non-magnified electronic dot sights and backup iron sights work well on these rifles. Smaller and lighter has become the trend, which is good as long as the sights are functional and reliable.

Looking for an inexpensive way to top off a Remington 870? Firefield has a versatile option. The Agility 1X30 Dot Sight for 870 shotguns is a straightforward design that works exactly as advertised and comes in way below the price point of some dedicated shotgun optics.

I started with it in a Remington 870 tactical in 12-gauge, a short shotgun that I use the most on the range and for home defense. The Firefield is perfect for both. It comes with a built-in saddle mount, so all you can place it on is the Remington 870, which it was designed to fit. I did not like the limitation imposed by that design, but it does make for a simple and straightforward mounting solution.

It boggles my mind when someone proudly exclaims that they are free from worry should a disaster strike, because “I’ve got a generator!” That’s great for a hurricane or a blizzard, but what are you going to do if there is a real collapse and your fuel runs out? Did you, in fact, just waste [...]

A few weeks back, I walked into my gunsmith’s shop to have him do some work on a rifle. I knew he was partial to his Springfield XDS, and I’ve never seen him without a gun on him, ever, but I didn’t expect to see the pistol just stuck in his waistband. In all fairness, his shop is in his basement, and he was practicing home carry, which we highly endorse, but the pistol tucked into his waistband—without a holster—that just seemed so…relaxed.

I’m a holster snob. I’ve got my favorite makers, favorite styles, preferred materials. I’ll try anything out, but when it comes down to concealed carry, I’m not going to do experiments on behalf of any product review. So know that I take this seriously. When I first saw a Sticky Holster, I wasn’t terribly enthusiastic. It seemed too relaxed for my taste. I’m not one to tuck a pistol in my waistband, even at home, and that’s what the Sticky Holster is—a holster you tuck into your waistband.

Silencerco If you haven’t experienced the joy of shooting a Silencerco suppressor, you’re missing out. They’re setting the bar pretty high for the quiet side of tactical and sport shooting. And now they’re taking it farther with muzzle brakes. This one, the MAAD Brake, is 50-state legal and will light up a dark range like [...]

The concept of “match ammo” surprises some people. Guns go bang and the bullet makes a hole in whatever the gun is pointed at, right? Yes, and while almost all ammo will function and do some damage downrange, there is a huge variation to how precisely the ammo is manufactured. You can set the automated ammo machines for 5 rounds a minute or 500 rounds per minute. But at 500 rounds per minute, the precision of the ammo sharply declines. It takes time to make sure that powder is measured precisely, that primers are seated corrected, and that bullets are inserted and secured evenly. Handloaders know this, because they do all of these steps one at a time, when making “match quality” ammo, but with the high price of ammo these days, it has become profitable for more and more new manufacturers to get into the game of match ammo and produce some really amazing results.