Gun Reviews

Sometimes I like to do dumb things with firearms.  Dumb as in use it in the ways they were never intended to be used. One day while bored earlier this year I decided it was time to bring the Garand back to life.

The TRS (Tactical Ready Series) Commander 1911 from Nighthawk Custom carries a hefty price tag of $4,399.00. Which has many readers asking themselves, “How the hell can any pistol be worth $4.3K?!”

The Florida-based company’s recently released Sidekick looks like a Colt, but its features and functionality take cues from more modern roots.

Last year, I reviewed the new STR-9, a 9MM semi-automatic pistol from Stoeger Industries of Istanbul, Turkey, for this very digital platform. Best known for its workhorse shotguns, Stoeger launched itself into self-defense handguns with the STR-9—and it did a workman-like job.

Marlin Firearms made big news recently by launching its first rifle since being acquired in 2020 by Sturm, Ruger and Company: the Marlin Model 1895 SBL chambered in the potent .45-70 Govt., and manufactured in Mayodan, North Carolina. Ruger, as was widely reported, purchased Marlin after the Remington Outdoor Company declared bankruptcy and its assets were sold, including the Marlin brand.

In the past several years, Bergara has gained a reputation for building exceptional custom rifles. They have long been known for making some of the best rifle barrels in the industry. The company recently announced a new .22 rimfire rifle, the BMR, or Bergara Micro Rimfire.

Maxim Defense entered the fray just a few years back as a disruptor to the “same old, same old” firearms industry. They were initially known for their debut PDW brace and stock, a marvel of engineering. Through what we can only assume was a vision on Mescaline, Maxim managed to shorten the normal buffer system of an AR to 1/3rd the length while retaining full spring strength and buffer weight. Not just regular buffers either. They make them all the way up to H3, which is near double standard. Which would prove to be important later, like this week.

A while back, we took our initial look at the Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun. The Tactical was an evolution from the 1301 competition, a gun which I needed no introduction to. The 1301 represents the pinnacle of semi-auto shotgun technology, and that is coming from a Benelli guy. The 1301 absolutely stole the show when it was introduced in 2012.

Throwback to early 2020, and FN released their smallest handgun in decades: the FN 503. Geared towards conceal-ability, FN states that “compromises in shootability, accuracy, and reliability with slim CCW handguns are solved.” This pistol utilizes single stack magazines to give it a total width of 1.1 inches. The slim design makes concealed carrying easier and more comfortable than other large options. 

y guarantee on the Lupo, and I found that to be true with all three brands of ammunition when shooting from 100 yards and off a sandbagged rest. 

Last year I had an itch to start shooting a new division in Steel Challenge. I specifically wanted to shoot in Rimfire Pistol Open aka RFPO. At the time, the Ruger Mark IV pistols were going for $800 and up. Not wanting to spend that much, I started looking at other options and was intrigued when I came across the newly released Taurus TX22 Competition.

It has been a minute since the Springfield Armory Hellcat was introduced, and the little gun that could has certainly been making some waves. A contender to the micro 9mm title belt, the Hellcat came out swinging. Not only did it offer the highest capacity in its class, but it quickly garnered a reputation for toughness and reliability. So today, we are going to take a look at some of the new developments for your Hellcat.

As a self-admitted shotgun nerd, I love the idea of the Mossberg Shockwave and TAC 14 firearms. These short little firearms aren’t shotguns, at least under U.S. law. As weapons, they are pretty dang niche, but as fun guns, they are tough to beat. Plus, anything that gives the ATF and gun grabbers heartache gets a thumbs up for me. Today we are looking at my favorite of all of these ‘firearms,’ the TAC 14 Hardwood.

850 for the blued and $900 for the stainless, these should be solid options in the mid-tier 9mm 1911 market.

Springfield Armory is launching two new 1911 pistols in their Garrison series, now chambered for 9mm Luger.

I went pretty quickly from near-total ignorance of Robinson Arms products to full-fledged fanboy in the space of shooting a few magazines of .300 Blackout in an XCR-L in SBR configuration some time back. I was interested to see how it would perform with the iconic Russian round, and it met every expectation.

The great thing about modern production pistols is the ability to plug and play or mix and match. Taurus recently announced the newest G3 pistol at the 2022 SHOT Show. The G3x combines the full-size frame of the G3 with the short slide of the G3c. I received one of the new models a week before its announcement at SHOT Show.

Shotgun nerds like me are always wary of weirdness, and shotguns attract lots of weirdness. A lot of these weird firearms are often just unreliable gimmicks. I can tell you two things. First, the SRM 1216 is beyond a gimmick, and two, yep, it’s pretty freaking weird.

Continuing the evolution of Springfield’s much beloved Saint line of semi-automatic rifles comes the Saint Edge ATC and ATC Elite. ATC stands for Accurized Tactical Chassis. This monolithic chassis is at the foundation of the rifle’s accuracy and Springfield’s sub-MOA guarantee. The rifle comes in 2 models, the regular Edge ATC and an Elite model. 

The CZ Scorpion went from being a single sub-gun and large format pistol to an entire series made up of rifles, pistols, and even a bullpup. One of the latest models is the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S2, aka the Micro Scorpion. The Micro Scorpion took the standard Scorpion and shrunk it a fair bit. They sell it with a folding brace, a collapsing brace, and a brace-free variant. This little (but big) pistol gives you something PDW-sized for home defense and for a ton of fun at the range.

Earlier this year, Devil Dog Arms (DDA) announced that its 1911’s were available in optics-ready versions, and I immediately asked for their 5 Tactical model in 10MM, specifically cut for the Trijicon SRO optic. I’d used and reviewed DDA’s 1911’s in the past and they were first-rate—accurate, reliable, and solid. But I had yet to use one of their 10MM models.

The author purchased the Girsan MC312 Gobbler as a last-minute replacement before a successful hunt for Rio Grande turkeys and reports that the gun far exceeded his expectations for such an affordable semi-auto shotgun.

Ultimately the AA19 doesn’t just give you a pretty gun. It’s a highly functional gun that’s easy to control, accurate, and very ergonomic. The AA19 provides you with a whole bunch of goodies prepackaged into a compact, combat-ready handgun.

Today is 3/22/22 and it’s no coincidence or accident that SIG Sauer is announcing their newest pistol, the SIG P322. It’s not a P320 or a P365 but it’s obvious, as soon

Do I believe in love at first sight? No, not necessarily, but I do believe in love at first pew. I instantly fell in love with the SIG P320 AXG at the range. From the first short and light trigger pull to the last. It reminded me of why I fell in love with metal frames and continues to reinforce that love.

We have a new contender for the crown this week from Seekins Precision, an absolute stunner in the bolt action category. Seekins has already impressed us with the Havak series, but the new HIT model is something else completely. Hold onto your hats, this one is going to create some waves

Of all the fighting shotguns out there, the Mossberg 590A1 has always been one of my favorites. I was issued one in my days as a Marine for a short period, and since then, I’ve been a fan. The 590A1 would form the basis of the fighting shotgun for the United States military. One of the latest models blends all the military’s requirements with a dose of old-school cool to form the Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde.

The Hellcat Pro is poised to be that in-between Goldilocks pistol that can serve equally well as a concealed carry handgun and a duty gun worn openly OWB.

Heritage Manufacturing proves that if you do one thing well enough, you can make a fortune doing it. Heritage makes the Rough Rider Revolver and has for decades. They’ve taken that same gun and spun it into a wide variety of models and platforms with numerous barrel lengths. On the long side, we have the Heritage Manufacturing Ranch Rifle, and on the short side, we have the Barkeep. With its teeny tiny 2-inch barrel.