Gun Reviews

Following World War II, a group of nations were consolidated into what we referred to as Yugoslavia, ruled by a man named Tito. Not owing his ascension to power to the Soviet Union, but still being a communist, he proclaimed that Yugoslavia would go a third way, part of neither the East nor the West. The Yugoslavian military adopted the basic pattern of the Soviet AKM rifle and made some alterations to adapt it to their doctrine. Rifle grenades were thought of as a huge force multiplier by the Yugoslavians, which resulted in several of those modifications.

Glock Gen. 5 has been released. The wait is over. The newest Generation includes a few cosmetic changes and functional upgrades.

Legendary custom builder Ed Brown just unveiled their new hotness, a hunting- and competition-ready longslide 1911 chambered for 10mm Auto.

I am relatively new to the .17 HMR cartridge. When it debuted in 2002, I was guilty of downplaying its effectiveness. Most of my life, Uncle Sugar bought me all the centerfire rounds a growing boy could want, so I didn’t have to worry about training ammo. Now that I have to buy my own [...]

Long range shooting is an expensive endeavor. A good rifle, nice scope and ancillary gear can easily set a marksman back several thousand dollars. Shooters on a budget, or those who want to get in a lot of training repetitions, may pick up a rifle that mimics their main long-range rifle relative to weight and feel, but that uses a less expensive round.

There are few manufacturers that have a long-storied history in the defense industry as Winchester. Undoubtedly, few things are more formidable or reliable in battle than a 12-gauge pump action shotgun. Winchester’s Model 1897 has proven over time to be a reliable firearm for protection of America’s finest.

The one rifle to have if you could only have one. Ruger nailed it. Their new Gunsite Scout Rifle in .450 Bushmaster is a fantastic all-around firearm, offering the power to take down large game and the maneuverability to carry in the thickest brush.

The CZ-75 is a legendary handgun design. It is to Eastern Europe what the 1911 is to the west in many ways. The iconic design and silhouette became the ubiquitous standard image of “handgun” on the other side of the iron curtain like the Browning classic Gov’t model did over here.

The Big Five, or Dangerous Seven, or whatever you prefer to call the collective of African game animals that can easily end your life certainly gets the lion’s share (pun fully intended) of the spotlight, but the plains game, or more properly put, the antelope species, are much more abundant and affordable. Much has been written about the proper guns and cartridges for African hunting, but it seems there is still considerable confusion about what is needed to effectively hunt the lighter African game.

The VP9 is not really all that large a pistol, but it is a full duty-sized gun. And while some folks can and do carry it concealed, I prefer something much smaller for everyday carry. I don’t want my life or my wardrobe to revolve around my carry gun. So, for those of us who are average height and build, and wear normal clothing, a smaller version is much appreciated!

The U.S. Marine Corps wants to order 50,000 additional Heckler & Koch M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles for wider infantry use.

SIG Sauer is offering a voluntary upgrade package to P320 owners at no cost to address recent concerns about drop safety.

To port or not to port? As with selecting any pistol, there are drawbacks and benefits. For those who are recoil sensitive and like to plink on the range — Smith & Wesson has got something for you. With the release of the M&P 2.0, there is also some other relatively new expansions from the M&P line. This week I got my hands on two very impressive pieces from the Performance Center, the 9L and 40 ported.

Since its introduction in 2007, the 6.5 Creedmoor has taken off like wildfire and Thompson Center (T/C) has delivered a rifle chambered in 6.5 that will go head to head with rifles a few weight classes above it. Thompson Center is one of the oldest names in American hunting. They’re known primarily for their muzzle loading guns that are without peer.

The new Pedersoli Howdah double pistol from the Italian Firearms Group is an historic design with a lineage that dates back to late 19th century Europe and development of the first Howdah-style double barrel pistols for big game hunters.

It seems like Savage rifles garner a love hate relationship with much of the shooting population. Some people love them because they’re an affordable rifle with features and a level of performance that hits well above their price point. Savage rifles are known for shooting exceptionally well while possessing a great adjustable trigger and a barrel nut system that makes barrel swaps relatively easy.

Texas-based Aeroknox may not be a well-known manufacturer right now, but with eye-catching products like these that won’t last much longer.

Introduced at SHOT 2016 for the first time, the Legion faithful have spent about 18 months pacing the floor and clicking the SIG website for the announcement that the pistol will finally be available. Well, the devotees need wear no more holes in their socks – the P220 Legion has arrived.

When the original KSG hit the streets so many years ago, it set the firearms world ablaze. It was the must-have new toy for a variety of reasons. Now the KSG-25 offers 24-plus-one shells of buckshot and slugs at your fingertips! An entire box of shells onboard, with the reliability of a pump shotgun. Yes, please! I will take one.

Mini red dot sights (RDS) on pistols are not a new thing. Arguably they’re one of the fastest growing trends in the pistol shooting world, but they’ve been around for quite a while. I built my first USPSA Open gun from a Glock 22 in 1995 using a slide-mounted Firepoint mini RDS. Back then, however, [...]

The mysterious ASP was the result of some 212 modifications on the stock Model 39. The most dramatic modification was the reduction in the size of both the slide and frame.

There are few more iconic rifles than the .22. Many of us have spent our youth plinking at targets and eradicating the tin-can population with a trusty bolt-action in .22. If you are like me, you have probably had the same .22-caliber rifle for a very long time. Savage has stepped the game up this year with the A and B series rifles — they’re out of the box tack drivers at a price point that won’t break the bank.

The .50 caliber in question was the RN-50 from Serbu Firearms, Inc. This Tampa, Florida based company is one that I have a great deal of respect for. The founder Mark Serbu is a mechanical engineer that is best know for producing the BFG-50: a .50 BMG caliber, single-shot rifle. Serbu Firearms produces high-quality firearms that are either: cool, unique affordable and specifically engineered to stick-it-to-the-man. The RN-50 accomplishes all four. 

I have long been a fan of the Springfield Armory when it comes to 1911s. Much like the Dos Equis beer guy: I don’t always shoot single stacks, but when I do, the odds are high that it’s a Springfield. This week, GunsAmerica got a first look at the new Range Officer (RO) Elite models.

There are a few places to purchase the kits, but AR15Mold.com provides a kit for molding a lower receiver in any color. And thus, began our mold pouring journey. I started this process extremely skeptical. However, I have yet to see an AR lower made of anything besides aluminum or carbon fiber that lasts.

With a company name of Fabricca Armi Isidoro Rizzini (FAIR), this little 20-gauge jewel has definitely pulled off an under promise and over deliver scenario with the Iside model. FAIR is a northern Italian firearms manufacturer that has been in business since 1971. They have been building and providing fine firearms for years and are now imported by the Italian Firearms Group (IFG) operating out of a facility built in Amarillo, Texas.

The evolution and revolution of the 1911 are both alive and doing well. Modern machining and the lessons learned from 30 years of competition means even these classics can get the best triggers, sights, finishes and magazine wells available. These may be the Classic Division guns but they are leaps and bounds better than most of the 1911s of old.

The active pursuit of dangerous game is far and away my favorite style of hunting. The gear required for hunting dangerous game — specifically the rifle — must be rock solid, as with failure comes the potential for loss of life.

The bill to surplus more than 100,000 1911 pistols through the Civilian Marksmanship Program is inching closer to passage.