Sam Trisler

The Walker is a modern reproduction of a piece of American History. It is a sidearm you could carry during black powder season. It is an exaggerated wild west gun that is as much fun to handle and hold as it is to shoot, maybe more. And it is a revolver capable of .357 like ballistics that you can buy without filling out a 4473. It’s all of these things, I think, which makes it so compelling. On with the review~

The Remington 700 Ultimate Muzzleloader is unlike any front loader I have had my hands on. The bolt-action front loader is as close to a Remington 700 as you can get, which should open more doors for early season hunters who may have doubts about muzzleloaders. But is it the ultimate, hard hitting, long range early-season hunting gun?

I have always thought of the bluing process as a kind of dark art. Some of the finishes look like they could only be achieved by a mad scientist and his minions mixing chemicals in a secret lab complete with a Jacobs Ladder and some bubbling flasks. The truth is not too far off. But you don’t need a minion to do this, just a 650 degree pot of salt. Niter bluing is one of the simplest of the bluing processes and it gives some of the most vibrant colors.

Some see the M1 Carbine as a antique, a collectable that’s nostalgic at best. They’ve never seen Fulton Armory’s carbines. The Fulton M3 Scout Carbine builds on the M1’s classic design. But don’t mistake this for some historic homage, or a safe queen–Fulton’s M3 is an ideal choice for home defense. And it shoots one clean r.

Kimber’s take on the perfect concealed carry 1911 is a commander length single action with a bobbed grip and a built in laser. It draws fast, is easy to get on target, and hits hard. If you are looking for a functional 1911 that looks as good as it shoots, check out Kimber.

While there are some 1911s out there that are less expensive, they are coming in from overseas. There’s something very American about the Mil-Spec which is, above all, a nod to a very American pistol. For that, Springfield Armory deserves a special kind of credit. Here’s an affordable American made homage to American history, one that can be both a nostalgic icon and a solid carry gun. Hard to beat that combination.

Most conventional cleaning set-ups require multiple small parts and pieces. They get filthy, and require constant manipulation. You don’t want to touch the crap you flush out of a gun barrel, and wearing gloves can be a hassle. Now you have something that is easy to use, requires no assembly, and is easy to dispose of. And best of all, a bag of RamRodz is selling for less than $9.

The Burris FastFire line of red dot sights is known for quality at a low price point. The same is true for the latest addition to the line—the FastFire III. It is practical and perfectly functional and comes in around $240. The 8 MOA dot version is ideal for a shotgun, and I we’ve beaten the hell out of this one, and I’m here to say that the FastFire can handle the abuse.

It seems like we are rushed more and more, all the time in our “fast food” culture. That even applies to range time, sadly. It is a lot of fun to rapid fire a polymer pistol and rip through a 30 round mag on an AR. But sometimes you just need to take your time and enjoy some slow-motion at the range. The Ruger Bearcat makes you slow down. This scaled-down single-action rimfire is great for practicing the basics and poking holes in tin cans, but it is more than a novelty.