reviews

Taking the idea of “light and fast” model to new levels, the Civil Defense projectiles weigh in at well under half that same caliber traditional bullets. For example, the 9mm projectile weighs just 50 grains. Compare that to 115 or 124 grains for common 9mm defense rounds. The .45 ACP bullets weigh in at 78 grains as compared to a more traditional weight range of 185 to 230 grains. The result is blistering speed.

The Compass rifle from Thompson/Center offers shooters a sub-MOA capable rifle ready for the hunting fields at an amazing MSRP of only $399.

To this day, my trusty Beretta 92 FS is among my favorites. Well used, with holster wear on all the rights spots, I can pretty much guarantee that it’s never going to leave my “go-to” collection. In fact, I’ve bought a second threaded barrel so I can shoot it suppressed and added Crimson Trace Lasergrips to modernize it a bit. Given my good experience with the full size 92 FS, I was keen to try the new and smaller 92 Compact model.

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.

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.

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

Based on sales figures and some good, old-fashioned SWAG math, there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 million AR-15 rifles floating around the country, give or take a couple of million. And guess where all that AR popularity started? Armalite.

This MasterPiece Arms (MPA) rifle is impressive. When I opened the box of this puppy at my FFL, I floated into a state of rifle euphoria. And, the fact that it is from a company that made its name producing semi-automatic versions of stamped sheet steel SMGs makes it all the more impressive.

One of the standout features of the Beretta PX4 Storm is the rotary action short recoil system. Like most other 9mm and up centerfire pistols, it uses a short recoil system that temporarily locks the slide and barrel together for a hot second during recoil, allowing the pressure to drop to manageable levels. After a fraction of an inch of rearward travel together, the slide and barrel separate, allowing extraction of the cartridge, recocking, and chambering of a new one. The PX4 just goes about that locking and unlocking process in a very different way with the rotary system.