Gun Reviews

The Ruger SR556 Takedown is a removable barrel system on an already great piston driven AR. It’s a bit pricey, but the novelty alone isn’t the full story. It also swaps out for .300BK with just a barrel and mag change, and Ruger sells the kit. Not the most accurate weapon once it heats up, but worth a look.

Talo Distributors is working with top manufacturers, engravers and finishing companies ring in 2017 with a couple of gorgeous new exclusives.

New for 2017, Springfield is introducing the XD Mod.2 in a 4” Service Model. This gun was clearly designed to fit into multiple roles, such as a duty gun, concealed carry or competition.

The Hi Power 9mm from Nighthawk Custom takes a classic John Moses Browning design and upgrades it and enhances it for todays shooters.

The R20FFTM from Windham Weaponry is a top-quality .308 AR at a very reasonable price. Packing in Magpul gear, great performance and a surprisingly reasonable price point, this one is well worth a look if you want a “bigger brother” AR for your collection.

The AR-10 PRC 260 in .260 Remington gives precision rifle shooters a high-end rifle that can accurately deliver this capable cartridge both suppressed and unsuppressed. It is expensive, but for those who want everything this has to give, it is worth the price.

The new B series of rimfire rifles from Savage offers shooters a lot of bang for the buck. These bolt-action rifles have high-quality stocks, AccuTriggers and much more to help you wring out the most performance from the handy little rimfires.

It would be easy to dismiss this gun as novelty. With a standard capacity of 25 rounds — 40+1 with mini-shells — the KSG-25 is a beast.

Based on their advanced T3x action the TAC A1 model is a fully adjustable, modular bolt-action rifle with a sleek rail system, new for 2017.

The new EMP 4” Lightweight Champion Concealed Carry Contour Model from Springfield Armory has taken an approach that improves on the sound (and popular) EMP concept by combining the best of both worlds: A gun that you can love to shoot as much as you enjoy carrying all day.

A great mystery in the world of classic revolvers is the story of the 1860 Army cartridge conversions. Were they made by Colt’s, or were they merely the creations of gunsmiths addressing a demand from consumers? Read on to find out the story behind these and how you can buy one for yourself.

Shooters on tight budgets are always looking for a great deal. So, it was welcome news when Stevens announced the addition of three compact models to expand out their popular value line of 555 shotguns. Already, the flagship 555 in 12-gauge has earned high praise from shooters and outdoor writers alike for its modest beauty, solid performance and ridiculously wallet-friendly price (under $700) for an over/under shotgun. These three new compact models (in 20-gauge, 28-gauge and .410-bore offerings) only build on that reputation and provide a host of options for the sub-gauge fan.

The Taurus Judge was a controversial handgun when it was presented, and remains so today to a degree. But even the most skeptical nay-sayers raised at least one eyebrow and the notion of a fairly small revolver that could fire .45 Colt and .410 shotshells in whatever order or manner the owner saw fit.

While I was testing the Kel-Tec PF-9, everyone I encountered fell into three camps: Those who simply hated the brand, those that felt the gun was such a strong value that perhaps it should replace precious metals as a form of physical currency, and those who had never formed an opinion of the pistol at all. I was a never able to find anyone that had experience with the gun, but was ambivalent about it.

Two weeks ago at the Smith and Wesson factory, I got my hands on something truly exciting, and the day has finally come that we can talk about it. That pistol is the M&P M2.0, a terrific new version of an already great pistol design. It is exceedingly rare that a company listens carefully to all the wants of its consumers, and actually puts those features in its next generation of product. I am very happy to report that S&W is one of those companies.

At the 2016 SHOT Show, Windham Weaponry announced that they would be showing a groundbreaking new rifle that would allow the user to convert between calibers by changing out the barrel, mag well, and bolt carrier group—all while utilizing the same lower and upper receivers. They were going to have three versions available, with up to four caliber options in one AR platform rifle.

The Performance Center Ported Shield in 9mm takes the highly popular Shield CCW pistol and adds numerous upgrades. Read on for the full review.

If you’ve fired different types of shotguns, it’s obvious that recoil can be all over the map. Some load and gun combinations are relative pussycats, allowing one to fire hundreds of rounds per day with no ill effect. Others make you want to start sticking safety pins to your shirt and run for the nearest safe space. With recoil in mind, I got an itch to check out a 20-gauge pump shotgun for home defense. That brought me to the Stevens 320 Pump in 20 gauge.

To be taken seriously in any high-stakes 1911 debate, you must know when to raise an eyebrow in approval and when to scoff. And if you want to raise the collective blood pressure and volume level of everyone in the room, just say three words: “polymer framed 1911”. Okay, the last one was really a number, but you know what I mean. But, with a gun like the Witness 1911P from EAA, we may want to reconsider this reaction.

The Savage Rascal single-shot, bolt-action .22 LR rifle is a great way to get young people excited about the shooting sports. And, thanks to a new $25 rebate program from Savage, you can get a very affordable rifle for an even better deal!

In recent years, the changing threat matrix has resulted in many protection details transitioning from 9mm subguns to comparably sized platforms chambered for a rifle cartridge. While some agencies and military units make do with the M4 Carbine, others operate in environments not suited for the M4. What is needed is a submachine gun-sized carbine in 5.56mm. This is exactly where the LWRC IC PSD carbine comes into its own.

Why develop a .410 fire extinguisher shotgun?

I cut my teeth on Remington rifles and have owned my fair share of custom and factory offerings but I kept hearing how superior the Tikka rifles were. There was a time when I just considered that big talk and now that I’ve had a Tikka T3X Compact Tactical in my hands, I don’t think it’s all talk.

A Canada-based firearms accessory manufacturer is working on an adapter kits that let SKS shooters use AR-15 lower components.

For those of us for whom carrying a 1911 for EDC is the right choice, the Kimber Ultra TLE II makes for a great choice. It is compact, reliable, powerful and downright beautiful.

There have been multiple efforts by companies to create guns in that same mold as the revered CZ-75, but few have come as close to bringing a solid version to market as TriStar. The best part of this effort is the notably affordable price of their offering here in the US. Say hello to the C100.

Building on this strength is what the company describes as the next evolution of the FN 15 design. The FN 15 Series will now take on what is described as a “streamlined, family” approach and feature a newly designed FN handguard with M-LOK technology. This will include the new DMR II as well as the Tactical Carbine II.

What do you do when you need a gun but “can’t” carry one? You know, when the bulk and size of a CCW firearm is just not practical for your situation? No solution? Then you clearly have not considered North American Arms and its line of radically downsized revolvers that weigh mere ounces. These things are truly tiny, and the Sidewinder is no exception.

Ever since the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum came on the scene in 2003, there have been a bunch of folks trying to figure out how to cram the cartridge into a rifle—especially a lever-action rifle. It’s an American obsession ever since the cowboy days: A guy “needs” to have a lever-action rifle chambered for his handgun cartridge.