Clay Martin

The VX-Freedom still proves you do not need mortgage-payment money to put dependable Leupold glass on a rifle. But in 2026, the harder question is whether the VX-3HD or VX-5HD gives you enough extra performance to justify climbing the ladder.

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.

I always get excited about testing Daniel Defense rifles. They built the upper for the SOPMOD kits we had back in the day (and still do for all I know), and it was a huge leap forward over the old busted M4s we had prior to that. Black Creek, GA, has always turned out tough, high-quality products, and the M4V7 Pro is no exception.

The Henry .45-70 is an heirloom-grade lever action with brass-frame swagger, side-gate loading, and enough thump to make bear country feel a little more negotiable. It is cowboy nostalgia with modern teeth, and yes, wagon train is still not included.

Ah, the classic EOTECH 512. It is perhaps especially fitting that we have one in for testing, since it was such a star during America’s longest war. EOTECH was an instant hit with the US Military and came to the attention of many of us when the GWOT started in 2001.

Now, to be honest, I did not expect the Mk 47 to even work. I have been sold this bill of goods before and had yet to see an AR/AK hybrid that did anything besides look hideous.

Two different firearms that didn’t work required that I deal with Customer Service as a regular guy. This is how it worked out.

Discover the innovative and high-quality designs of Hera Arms, a German manufacturer leading the charge in modern AR-15 features.

In the highly competitive compact handgun market, it is rare to see a real contender to the crown. But the 509 Compact MRD is just that.