Gun Reviews

The Browning X-Bolt family has grown from an excellent hunting rifle into a sprawling X-Bolt 2 lineup covering lightweight mountain guns, long-range rigs, carbon-fiber builds, and almost everything between.

After more than 1,300 rounds and 12 months of regular carry, the Kimber CDS9 has become my go-to EDC. It is accurate, distinctive, and flawless for me unsuppressed, although suppressor testing exposed one weakness worth knowing about.

The $529 Glenfield Model A looks every inch like a budget hunting rifle, but our 6.5 Creedmoor test gun punched out .78-.92 inch groups with its favorite ammunition and went 120 for 120. Ruger’s revived Glenfield name may be cheap where it can be, but this rifle puts the important money in the right places.

The FN SCAR 15P crams battle-proven SCAR DNA into a 7.5-inch 5.56 package that is compact, brutally loud, impressively reliable, and capable of groups just over 1 MOA with the right ammunition. After running it hard, suppressed, hot, and dirty, I liked it enough to buy it.

The H&K VP9B backs German engineering with exceptional ergonomics, an optics-ready slide, and a factory trigger that only gets better as the rounds pile up. I started as a skeptic and ended up questioning my usual plastic fantastic.

The Springfield Prodigy 3.5 AOS packs 18 rounds into a compact double-stack 1911 built for concealed carry, then backs it up with approximately 500 rounds of malfunction-free testing and a best 15-yard group of just 0.61 inches.

The Benelli M2-G1 brings a new Rear Piston Operated gas system to a hard-use tactical shotgun. I fed it cheap birdshot, rusty water-damaged shells, suppressed strings, and rapid fire, and several hundred rounds later it still had not malfunctioned.

The Lipsey’s S&W 632 puts six rounds of .32 H&R Magnum into a 13-ounce J-frame that nearly disappears in a pocket. It shoots accurately, carries easily, and delivers more authority than its small caliber reputation suggests.

Lightweight, compact, AR-mag compatible, and wearing a 16” threaded barrel, the Ruger American Ranch 300 BLK checks nearly every box for a suppressor host. Add a 0.8″ best group and whisper-quiet subsonic potential, and this little bolt gun starts making a lot of sense.

The PTR-91 puts the HK G3’s roller-delayed Cold War muscle back in your hands, complete with hard-running reliability, excellent iron sights, flying brass, and accuracy that still earns respect at 100 yards.

The Savage 110 RF Elite Precision takes the full-size Model 110 concept into .22 LR with serious competition hardware, a clever reversible bolt throw, and impressive accuracy. After two months of range work and varmint hunting, the bigger question is whether all that performance is enough to justify its $2,399.00 MSRP.

After more than 250 rounds, the optics-ready Walther WMP proved accurate, comfortable, and ridiculously fun. Its 15+1 capacity, .40-inch best group, and surprising .22 WMR energy make this full-sized rimfire far more than a casual plinker.

The Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 A.I. BE.S.T. is a premium waterfowl shotgun built to laugh at ugly weather, run filthy conditions, and throw impressively tight patterns. It is expensive, no doubt about it, but this thing feels purpose-built for hunters who want top-end reliability and field-ready refinement.

The CANiK PRIME RADIAN packs Radian’s RAMJET and AFTERBURNER recoil-control package into a 17+1 micro-compact 9mm that shoots flatter than its size suggests. It is not cheap, and the trigger on this sample did not quite hit classic CANiK greatness, but the range performance makes a strong case for this carry-ready package.

The Ruger 10/22 has spent 62 years turning new shooters into lifelong rimfire addicts. We tested a factory Carbine and a custom build to see why this simple .22 LR still refuses to surrender its crown.

Striker-fired pistols dominate today’s handgun market, but that does not automatically make them the best choice for every shooter. We put revolvers, single action, DA/SA, DAO, and striker-fired handgun actions under the microscope and on the range to see where each one shines.

The 22 Creedmoor launches heavy .224 bullets fast, shoots brutally flat, bucks wind, and delivers almost no recoil. This former wildcat has become a serious option for predators, PRS competition, long-range steel, and even deer-sized game.

Ruger’s new $749 Harrier ran flawlessly and delivered sub-MOA best groups with every load tested. The trigger needs help, but this affordable, mil-spec-compatible AR-15 shoots like it has something to prove.

The Colt Python 3 inch is already a gorgeous .357 Magnum, but two weaknesses kept it from perfection. Harrison Snake Sights and Hogue Monogrips changed that in a hurry.

The Browning X-Bolt Speed SR pairs a handy 20-inch suppressor-ready barrel with the hard-hitting 7mm PRC, then backs it up with repeatable sub-MOA accuracy at 100 and 300 yards.

KelTec completely reworked its original P50 concept with a drop-free 50-round magazine, machined receiver and smarter controls. We ran the KP50 hard, suppressed and unsuppressed, to see whether this 5.7x28mm oddball is genius or gimmick.

The Springfield Prodigy COA pairs double-stack 1911 performance with an Aimpoint optic that sits remarkably low and stayed locked on zero. After several hundred rounds, +P loads, mag dumps, quick-draw drills, and hits at 100 yards, the pistol finished with zero malfunctions.

Born from Cold War military requirements and carried into the civilian mainstream by the AR-15, the .223 Remington became America’s most popular centerfire cartridge for a reason. From low recoil and staggering rifle variety to its complicated relationship with 5.56 NATO, this little cartridge still has plenty to say.

The Chiappa Rhino 60 DS 10mm looks like a sci-fi prop, fires from the bottom chamber, and somehow makes full-power 10mm Auto feel far more civilized than it should. I ran it with defensive, hunting, and range ammo to see if the weird design is real engineering or just revolver theater.

The FN Reflex combines a surprisingly good trigger, .85-inch best-group accuracy, and flawless reliability in a palm-sized carry gun. This little 9mm ran clean, dirty, and gritty without giving us the first problem.

Five shots, one old-school cylinder, and 30+ years of carry experience make the CCW revolver harder to dismiss than the high-capacity crowd wants to admit. The J-Frame is not for everyone, but in the right role, this little wheel gun still has teeth.

The Browning X-Bolt 2 Special Max LR SPR blends hunting-rifle practicality with enough long-range muscle to make steel ring past 600 yards. With a suppressor-ready 18-inch barrel, adjustable MAX stock, crisp DLX trigger, and consistent one-MOA performance, this 6.5 Creedmoor makes a strong case for the do-it-all rifle slot.

The revived S&W 396 Night Guard in .44 Special promises the perfect middle ground between snubnose carry and full-size shootability. It starts strong, shoots well, and then delivers the kind of reliability failure that turns nostalgia into frustration fast.

The best micro compact pistols cram serious capacity, real shootability, and everyday carry comfort into guns that almost disappear under a shirt. From the SIG P365X to the Wilson Combat SFX9, these five tiny carry pistols prove small does not have to mean helpless.