Things have changed at Winchester since the mid-19th century, the New Haven, Connecticut plant is no more, and ownership of the company has changed as well. One thing has remained though: Winchester rifles are synonymous with reliability. There have been many different models, and many variations on a particular model. Herein, I’m tackling the Winchester XPR rifle, a modern bolt-action designed to handle it all, at a price that won’t see you sleeping on the couch.
Gun Reviews
Show First
A Sub-MOA Winchester for $550? The XPR Bolt-Action – Full Review.
Published: May 23, 2017 { 13 comments }Loaded for Bear: Dan Wesson Bruin 10mm Long Slide – Full Review
Published: May 22, 2017 { 13 comments }Love it or hate it, the 10mm round deserves respect. Both the chambering and the 6.3-inch barrel that Dan Wesson equips the Bruin with make it a great choice for hunting—especially with 10mm cartridges loaded to their full potential. Pigs, deer, and bear within close range will fall prey to the Bruin.
Ahead Of Its Time: The Retro Classic Franchi LAW 12 Scattergun
Published: May 18, 2017 { 8 comments }While the cumbersome SPAS 12 died a natural death around the turn of the millennium, its cousin the LAW 12 was a prescient piece of iron indeed. I traded out of my old LAW 12 a couple decades ago but recently found another one and righted that past wrong.
Big Boar Buster: Going Hog Wild with the New Savage MSR 10 Long Range .308
Published: May 18, 2017 { 28 comments }If your goal is to exterminate as many pigs as possible, your best bet is to shoot as many as you can very quickly. That’s a task best suited to an autoloading rifle. I also prefer something more powerful than a .223 Remington, and that’s why I chose Savage’s new MSR 10 Long Range rifle for a recent Texas hog hunt.
A Street-Legal Spec Ops SAW? The FN M249S Para – Full Review.
Published: May 17, 2017 { 29 comments }Do you need an $8,500, 16-pound semi-auto 5.56? Of course you do! Read on to learn more about the new FN M249S Para that is part of the company’s Military Collector Series line of products.
STI Hex Tactical 2011: A 9mm Triple-Tap Machine—Full Review.
Published: May 15, 2017 { 12 comments }I have never owned an STI pistol, and until I received the Hex Tactical for this review, I had only shot them a few times, during “hey, try this out” sessions on match days. I was impressed on those occasions and was eager to have this model – a relatively new one from STI, all to myself for testing. Spoiler alert: I wasn’t disappointed!
Red Dot Pistol Shoot-Off: Clay Picks the Best Optics-Ready 9mm
Published: May 12, 2017 { 34 comments }In the interest of a look toward the future, we decided to have a shoot-off of some of the most popular brands of 9mm pistol with a factory red dot mount option. There can be only one! So, let’s get them out on the range and in the hands of some different shooters and see what comes out on top.
Over/Under Gobbler Buster: Browning’s Cyngery Ultimate Turkey Shotgun – Full Review.
Published: May 11, 2017 { 9 comments }The over/unders (O/U) can make for a great turkey gun. Having two different chokes on tap lets you match the range to your bird, and no other gun gives such fast follow-up shots. The new Browning Cynergy Ultimate Turkey Shotgun gives you that and a whole lot more.
It’s Hammer Time! Springfield’s New 9mm XD-E – Full Review.
Published: April 29, 2017 { 49 comments }Springfield Armory has taken their mastery of small gun ergonomics in a new direction with the release of the XD-E. The E stands for external hammer, which is a feature many people look for in a carry gun. If you are in the “don’t trust strikers” crowd, this gun was absolutely made for you.
U.S. Military Branches Exploring New Cartridge Options
Published: April 26, 2017 { 59 comments }SOCOM is looking for a new mid-to-long-range round for snipers. At the same time the Army is looking at ways to improve the range of front-line troops.
Winchester 1887 Lever Shotgun – The $350 Century Arms PW87 Full Review – Cowboy Time Machine
Published: April 23, 2017 { 19 comments }When I was cowboy shooting at SASS matches back in the mid-90s, my holy grail cowboy gun was the Winchester 1887 lever action shotgun. It never made any sense to me that the most competitive shooters used a ’97 pump gun, and up until I found an ’87, I shot strictly side by sides. Sure, [...]
D3-9SD Integrally Suppressed 9mm: The Ultimate Urban Carbine?
Published: April 22, 2017 { 13 comments }Over the last several years the firearms industry has exploded with AR-15 style rifles. Once the realm of large manufacturers, an increased demand and the potential for profit has spurred the launch of countless new rifle companies. At a more detailed level the market has seen an increase in ARs chambered in 9mm.
Foreign-Made Colt Revolvers? The Fascinating Story of the Collectible Colt Brevetes.
Published: April 20, 2017 { 1 comment }Sam Colt’s firearms had always been counterfeited in abroad but the numbers were small and Sam was, as usual, strapped for cash and so little could be done. Sam Colt and his London solicitor decided that the manufacture of copies would be allowed to continue as long as a royalty of 10 francs per firearm was paid. All revolvers made according to the agreement were to be marked COLT/BREVETE as proof of “licensed” manufacture.
Colt Announces New Competition 1911s, Lower Pricing
Published: April 19, 2017 { 16 comments }The competition-oriented Colt Gold Cup Trophy expands on the National Match design with even more high-end, semi-custom features.
A 3.5-Inch Group at 850 Yards? Tikka’s Amazing T3X TAC A1 6.5 – Full Review.
Published: April 18, 2017 { 82 comments }Normally, I am a buy American kind of guy. I drive a Ford truck, I drink Coors, and go out of my way to buy work boots made in the USA. Sometimes, however, we want something a little bit exotic. And the Finnish Tikka T3X TAC A1 is quite possibly the most impressive rifle I have ever picked up. And I have shot a couple rifles in my day.
Born for Combat, Refined for EDC: First Look at the New FN 509 9mm – Full Review.
Published: April 16, 2017 { 40 comments }We here at GunsAmerica first heard about what would become the FN 509 back in January, 2016 at SHOT Show. There were plenty of looks back and forth between the FN folks, followed by a polite “We’ll get back to you” when asked about it. Fast-forward 12 months to the 2017 SHOT Show, and FN responded with an invitation to a meeting at an undisclosed location in Las Vegas. At that meeting, we were given the opportunity to fire a few hundred rounds through the FN 509. We received our sample of the 509 a few weeks ago after promising not to discuss it publicly until April 17th, 2017.
Taming the Ten: A Reverse-Recoil 10mm? The KRISS Vector Gen II – Full Review.
Published: April 13, 2017 { 12 comments }The KRISS Vector revolutionized the pistol caliber carbine concept with the release of the first model, chambered in .45 ACP. A carbine in .45 ACP wasn’t very revolutionary – even Bonnie and Clyde had one of those – but what was revolutionary was the operating design of the Vector.
Hammer-Forged Steal: Steyr’s $850 Pro Hunter – Full Review.
Published: April 13, 2017 { 13 comments }The Steyr firm can trace its roots back to the mid-1860s, in Steyr, Austria, and they’ve always prided themselves on producing rifles that have been on the cutting edge of technology. Their Pro Hunter is no exception, being a reliable, if futuristic-looking, bolt-action repeater that is designed to take the worst the elements can throw at it.
Trigger Tech: Are Light Triggers Safe & Heavy Triggers Deadly? Clay’s Take.
Published: April 11, 2017 { 19 comments }The idea of forcing a firearm to have a heavy trigger clearly is the brainchild of lawyers. This from the same no-talent ass clowns that made an industry of medical malpractice and can debate for hours “What the definition of is, is” directly related to perjury. Yes, I’m looking at you William Jefferson. Anyway, my belief is that only a complete moron would think a trigger that is harder to pull makes anyone safer. Also, coffee tends to be served hot. You’re welcome.
Fire-Breathing, Multi-Cal 1911: Rock Island Armory’s .22 TCM/9mm Combo – Full Review.
Published: April 10, 2017 { 13 comments }The Rock Island Armory TCM TAC Ultra FS HC Combo is a race ready 9mm double-stack 2011 with a twist. In less than 2 minutes, the 9mm can be converted to fire the blazingly fast .22 TCM.
Making the Best Even Better: Benelli’s New Super Black Eagle 3 – Full Review.
Published: April 7, 2017 { 5 comments }For more information, visit . To purchase on GunsAmerica.com, click this link: . Twenty-six years after the introduction of the original Super Black Eagle by Benelli made waves among waterfowlers and shotgun fans in general, the company continues to set the standard for auto-loading shotguns with its third variant of the inertia-driven scattergun. When first [...]
A Wheelgunners’ 1911? Dan Wesson’s Valkyrie & Silverback – Full Review
Published: April 6, 2017 { 5 comments }While Dan Wesson might have earned its reputation for radical revolver designs, it in recent years has developed a solid line of high-quality 1911 pistols. So what do you do when you have a product name known for high quality and demanding standards? Well, if you are CZ-USA, you double down on that quality and expand the line.
A Recoilless Snubbie .357? The 7-Shot Smith & Wesson Performance Center 586 L-Comp – Full Review
Published: April 4, 2017 { 47 comments }How would you feel about shooting a .357 Magnum revolver with virtually no muzzle flip? That’s exactly what the Smith & Wesson 586 L-Comp is all about. Let’s take a closer look.
Bird of Another Feather: Beretta’s A350 Xtrema Max5 12 Ga. 3.5″ Waterfowler – Full Review.
Published: March 30, 2017 { 2 comments }When my editor gave me the opportunity to try out the new A350 XTrema Max5 from Beretta, I was happy to oblige. The last Beretta shotgun I looked at here was a prima donna – the Beretta 692 Sporting B-Fast over and under. While that one was certainly made to shoot and admire, I might have a little heartburn tossing it into a John boat in the middle of January. This 3.5-inch, 12 gauge A350 Xtrema Max5 model is all about maintaining a working gun reputation, but that doesn’t mean it skimps on classic Beretta features.
A 9mm Turkish Delight? The Compact Canik TP9 SF Elite – Full Review.
Published: March 30, 2017 { 38 comments }As I examined this new Canik, I was thinking “Is this gun really the giant-killer that people who are much more tactical and cool than me are calling it?” Well, I set out to determine that for myself.
A 3-Gun Heavy Metal Hammer? CMMG Mk3 3GR .308 Rifle – Full Review
Published: March 29, 2017 { 13 comments }Are you a shooter that likes the biggest and baddest guns and chamberings? Well, then the 3-Gun Heavy Metal class is just the thing for you. And, if you are this kind of shooter, then the Mk3 3GR .308 from CMMG was developed just for you.
A Sniper Snubbie? The 50-Yard Accurate Kimber K6s DCR .357 Mag. – Full Review.
Published: March 29, 2017 { 62 comments }The Kimber K6s DCR gives wheelgun enthusiasts a great new option in the snubbie EDC gun category. Small, compact, packing a great trigger and holding six rounds, the K6s is a great option for those looking for something new and exciting in the revolver realm.
CZ Makes a Glock? The New P-10 C Polymer Striker-Fired 9mm – Full Review.
Published: March 24, 2017 { 43 comments }The CZ P-10 C, which is quite a lot to spit out, is the latest foray of CZ into the polymer frame market. We haven’t seen a striker-fired CZ in quite sometime, and it looks like the Czech engineers spent that time in the lab though, turning out a very good pistol for the US market.
A 5.56-Sized .308 AR? The POF-USA Piston-Operated Revolution – Full Review.
Published: March 23, 2017 { 56 comments }Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF-USA) looked at the 7.62mm AR design and began to crunch numbers and inspect designs. They believed that there was a way to merge the two worlds of the 7.62mm AR and AR-15. Essentially to make a gun that has .308 performance with a 5.56 size. They decided it was time for a revolution.
Henry All-Weather Lever Actions – Two Gun Review
Published: March 22, 2017 { 18 comments }A big chunk of the Henry portfolio is in rimfire and pistol caliber rifles and carbines. It was only within the last handful of years that Henry started to make some full powered rifles, which they call the “Large Caliber Rifles”. These rifles, like pretty much all of the Henry offerings, are down right handsome. We are talking classic styled rifles with Walnut stocks, deep rich bluing on the steel and of course the traditional Henry brass frame. They are sexy looking long guns that make it hard not to treat as safe queens. But these are rifles that can be a great field, truck or saddle guns. Henry now has the perfect compromise with the All-Weather Lever Actions that are available in 30-30 and 45-70.
























