Gun Reviews

The SIG Sauer M400 Forge looks like somebody accidentally stuffed a premium parts list into a $999 rifle and sent it out the door. With a hammer forged barrel, TriggerTech trigger, Romeo MSR Gen II, and thoughtful details most rifles in this class do not even flirt with, this one lands like a direct shot at the entire value AR-15 market.

The EAA Witness2311 CMXX comes out swinging with flat-shooting manners, a built-in comp, and a price that makes the 2011 crowd a lot less intimidating. It is not perfect, and the trigger started out rougher than advertised, but this compact double-stack definitely has enough going for it to make budget-minded shooters pay attention.

Springfield’s 4-inch SA-35 keeps the soul of the Hi Power alive while making it faster, handier, and easier to carry. If you already like the full-size gun, this trimmed-down steel 9mm may be the one that really gets under your skin.

My Seekins PH3 in 6.5 Creedmoor didn’t just print one pretty group. After a quick factory tune, it drilled repeatable sub half inch clusters and held that precision to 775 yards.

The American-made Charles Daly Honcho looks like a budget-minded 12-gauge bruiser built for tight spaces and rough work. But once the shooting starts, this compact pump reveals a split personality: smoother and better finished than expected, yet still saddled with reliability issues serious enough to kill the deal.

The Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 is not just another striker-fired 9mm trying to chase the usual names. After range time, carry time, and real instructor use, this pistol proved flat-shooting, reliable, optics-ready, and good enough to make a longtime Glock carrier reach for something else.

The Mauser Karabiner 98k is not some dusty museum prop that only matters to collectors. It is a hard-kicking, history-soaked bolt gun that still shows exactly why the Mauser action became the gold standard for combat rifles and hunting rifles alike.

S&W’s Performance Center Bodyguard 2.0 Carry Comp is a tiny .380 that shoots flatter than it should, carries easier than most, and only needed one fix at the sights.

The Browning BAR Mk II Safari is one of those rifles that can make a bolt-gun loyalist raise an eyebrow after the first shot. It is classy, quick on follow-up shots, and surprisingly gentle in a caliber that still gets real hunting done.

The Altor 9mm is crude, awkward, and about as far from a refined carry gun as you can get. That’s exactly why this odd little single-shot pistol makes such a provocative modern echo of the FP45 Liberator, and why its implications reach way beyond the range.

Henry’s walnut-stocked 9mm PCC already stood out in a market packed with lookalike carbines. The M-LOK version adds just enough modern utility to make this brushed-bronze oddball feel even more at home on the range, around the homestead, and anywhere a traditionalist wants a carbine that still knows what century it lives in.

Seekins Precision has redesigned their rifle actions and bolts for high pressure. Now, they’re rethinking the barrel itself for a new generation of cartridges that run hotter, hit harder, and punish old-school barrel design in a hurry.

Springfield Armory and Aimpoint did not just bolt a red dot onto an Echelon and call it innovation. The 4.0FC COA feels like a factory-built optic pistol that actually starts where most plate-mounted guns stop, with a lower, cleaner, tougher setup that makes a whole lot of sense the moment you pick it up.

Colt finally gave the Python its polished blue skin back, and the 3-inch version might be the sweet spot of the whole line. It looks like a safe queen, carries like a serious belt gun, and shoots well enough to make you forgive a few snake-like quirks.

A 6.2-lb Savage 110 wearing carbon fiber in all the right places, including a Proof Research barrel, then casually stacking a 0.46-inch best group in 308 Win. If you have ever wished the 110 could go full mountain mode, this is it.

In the last year or two, I’ve leaned into snub nose revolvers and have been lucky enough to test a variety of calibers and have come to adore both the LCR in 9mm and the S&W 940.

The Ruger LCP Max takes the old pocket .380 formula and finally makes it feel modern. For California buyers especially, this little pistol delivers real sights, real capacity, real concealability, and a price tag that makes it awfully hard to dismiss.

Uintah’s UP-10 blends AR ergonomics with bolt-action precision, staying compact, quiet, and flat-out useful with both subsonics and supersonics.

In most states, your squirrel hunting gun needs can be covered with either a rimfire rifle, a shotgun, or a muzzleloader. But which one do you choose? 

Fast to shoulder, light in the woods, and still pure Americana, the Winchester Model 94 remains a freezer filler and a bucket list lever for hunters who actually hunt.

Smith & Wesson’s M&P22X brings full-size ergonomics, a crisp 3.5 pound trigger, 20+1 capacity, and suppressor ready convenience to the .22 LR lane. We ran it with irons, a red dot, and a can to see if this rimfire really shoots laser flat and stays reliable.

If you live in the Golden State, you’re aware that there are significant limitations on which firearms you’re legally allowed to possess. That means Californians interested in exercising their Second Amendment rights must pick and choose from a CA-compliant roster of handguns

Sig jumps into the 2011 game with the P211 GTO and it flat-out rips. We ran plates and a match to see if this ROMEOX-equipped 9mm really stays glued to target.

This budget-friendly 6.5 Creedmoor hunts light, cycles smoothly, and stacks tight groups. After Ruger fixed an early extraction hiccup, the rifle flat-out performed.

The Beretta 92 series absolutely dominated action movies in the late 80s and early 90s. It made appearances in Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Kuffs, and more than I care to list.

The Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo feels like a compact 9mm built with a mission, not a marketing meeting. We ran it suppressed and compensated, and it stayed smooth, flat, and stubbornly reliable.

A faithful throwback with modern shootability, the Cimarron Model No. 3 American brings Old West speed reloads and shockingly tight groups to today’s range.

I carried the Echelon 4.0C for a year through desert dust, frozen peaks, and long range days. It stayed reliable, carried comfortably, and earned a real spot in my rotation.

AAAA maple glam with real teeth. In 6.5 Creedmoor, the X-Bolt 2 Medallion Maple stacked tight groups, ran smooth, and looked like a custom without the custom bill.