Feature Articles

With the release this week of the variant, the Springfield Armory AR-15 family comes closer to completion. Not content to just chop down a SAINT and slap a forearm brace in place of the buttstock, Springfield has added some design features that make this AR pistol the one to beat. SPECS Type: Direct-impingment semiautomatic pistol Cartridge: 5.56x45mm [...]

Like you always do, you’ve done your “homework” and researched the crap out of your next purchase: be it a Smart TV, a camera, handgun or tires for your truck. And as a result of your data collection efforts, you eventually decide on an item knowing that it has “almost” all the features and qualities you had on your wish list.  It is a pretty good bet that the guys who engineered the new SAR 9 from SAR USA have felt the same way.

The Holy Grail of tactical shotguns has always been a detachable magazine feeding system. Several have come to market, but none of them worked well. Even those based on the ultra-reliable AK-47 fell short. For some reason, scaling up to 12 gauge just doesn’t feed the way it should. This week, we got our hands on the latest attempt to reach this bar. We have good news. For once, someone may have solved it

The muzzleloader can be a freezer-saver; many states offer a special season after, or sometimes before, the regular rifle season, and there may even be an additional tag involved. I have had deer seasons where the centerfire rifle went unfired for the entire season, and the muzzleloader was relied on to put meat in the freezer.

Among the multitude of autoloading handguns that a shooter has at his or her disposal, John M. Browning’s most famous pistol design still remains a perfectly viable choice, well over a century after it appeared.  The M1911 and the M1911A1, of the First and Second World Wars, respectively, showed the effectiveness of Browning’s brainchild, as well as the new cartridge designed for it: the .45 ACP, or Automatic Colt Pistol. The ACP marked a return to a .45 caliber sidearm for the military, as the M1892 revolver – firing a .38 Long Colt cartridge – didn’t have the power level that soldiers needed, and the Philippine Insurrection brought that quickly to light.

The Desert Eagle is a unique and iconic firearm. Though the Deagle, as most die-hard fans refer to the gun, has long been associated with the nation of Israel, naturally a gun this manly was originally born in America. The US patent application for this gas-operated pistol was approved in January of 1983 under the auspices of Magnum Research Inc. The gun earned a second patent in December of 1985. After Israel Military Industries refined the design the gun went into volume production.

ArmaLite began as a tiny little division of Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation in the early 1950’s. Fairchild built a variety of trainer and transport aircraft during and after World War II. Their most recognizable creation was the 1970s-era A10 Warthog ground attack fighter. Gene Stoner was the chief bottle washer at ArmaLite, and their mandate was to contrive the most technologically advanced military firearms designs on the planet. With a modest team of engineers, a few resources, and a remarkable excess of vision, these guys first strived to apply cutting-edge aviation technology to the development of small arms. Their efforts changed the way the world makes guns.

Times have changed. In the past, there’s was a claim about pistol suppressors that, up until recently, still had relevance. The claim was that compared to rifle suppressors, pistol suppressors made less sense. On the other hand, a suppressed rifle can hang harmlessly and comfortably on a sling or sit on a bipod allowing the operator to load mags, and do other administrative duties without having to put the firearm in a less than ideal location. This theory held water until now, with the release of SilencerCo’s Maxim 9.

As we age in the firearms world, it is often easy to forget the challenges presented to someone new to shooting. I live in the West with miles of public land. I have my own pile of steel and targets from when I ran a training company. So while I am normally not a user of indoor ranges, I was excited to see the new system Action Targets is installing across the country.