Tom McHale

The Gemtech GMT-300BLK suppressor is, as the name implies, designed specifically for use with the 300 AAC Blackout cartridge. While you can use it on any 300 Blackout rifle with a 7.5-inch or longer barrel, it was really built for short barrel rifle configurations. It’s small and light as far as centerfire rifle silencers go, so it’s a great fit for short, light, and handy carbines. Take a look for a full review of this really interesting suppressor.

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.

While most premium self-defense ammo will cost you over a buck per round, Remington’s HTP line appeals to the more budget conscious crowd. Packed in boxes of 50, it sells for about the same as most self-defense ammo packaged in boxes of 20. Doing the fancy math indicates that it’s a little less than half the cost of the most expensive stuff.

I love AR-15 type rifles as much, and probably more than the next guy. But if we’re to be honest with each other, I think we can agree that the standard mil-spec trigger kind of sucks. Obviously, a trigger upgrade doesn’t make the gun mechanically more accurate, but it does make it a heck of a lot easier to shoot the rifle more accurately. That’s part of the design goal behind Blackhawk’s AR Blaze Trigger for AR-15 rifles.

There’s just something about shooting rimfires. Even with all the cool calibers I get to test out, I never, ever tire of shooting rimfire pistols and rifles. Maybe they just bring one back to the pure joy of plinking. The lack of noise, muzzle blast, and recoil isn’t a bad thing either as you can focus on the pure enjoyment of shooting. Even with the higher prices of rimfire ammo these days, you can do a whole lot more shooting for your dollar.

Rotary action pistols are somewhat rare when compared against more traditional tilting barrel designs. With a rotary-action pistol, the results are similar, but the method differs. The barrel and slide still remain locked together for a hot second until pressure drops. However, as the slide travels back, the barrel rotates, rather than tilts, to unlock from the slide.

I’ve always been a big fan of .357 Sig caliber. Yeah, I know, it’s got more recoil and muzzle blast than 9mm. On the other hand, it comes darn close, and sometimes matches, the performance of the classic 125-grain .357 Magnum round. It’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of that cartridge.

So, how do you get a good grasp of the world of optics? Well, we have you covered right here at GunsAmerica.com. By reading this exhaustively researched and detailed 12-part series on optics, you will get the info you need to not only make an informed purchase.

The topic of discussion was whether you could get started reloading your own ammunition for less than $200.