Tactical

As prices are falling, and the heat of the proposed sanctions seems to be fading, it is time to look at buying an AK. Despite the rumors to the contrary, a moron can take the faithful Kalashnikov design and make it into a real lemon. If you take the time to inspect for the following problems, you can almost guarantee yourself a rifle that will outperform and outlive you.

In many ways, the upper and lower receivers on an AR-15 are just shells that hold pieces and parts together. But the barrel? Now we’re getting complex. How much you can expect from your rifle depends in large part on its barrel. Here are some things to look for and some answers to the complicated questions.

I’ve had lots of conversations with gun-geeks about barrels and lowers. We can talk triggers until we’re blue in the face. But I’ve yet to anyone truly debate the AR upper. Uppers are just not that sexy. But this is a crucial aluminum shell that holds some of the AR’s most active components. It can’t be overlooked!

Regardless of the rifle, if magazines exist for it, some of them are terrible. This is hard to believe for AK owners, who have only ever seen their rifle run flawlessly, but there are in fact, AKM magazines of questionable quality and reliability. So how do you distinguish between gold and crap?

When sanctions shut down the import of many AK-47s, many of us began to get a bit twitchy. While the supply of AKs didn’t dry up as some gun-control nuts would have liked, Century ramped up plans for this rifle: the RAS-47. This 7.62 x 39 is made in America and a fine example of the entry level AK. Read our review.

In the market for a new tactical, urban everyday carry blade? Check out Pro-Tech’s Godson. It’s a must-see.

Break out the calculators–we’re doing some math. This isn’t count-on-your-fingers math, either. We’re talking about the Mil-Dot reticle scope and its use. And this is valuable information for anyone who shoots long range. This isn’t Mil-Dot Made Easy–we’ve done that one already. This is the advanced lesson.

When deciding how you want to build an AR-15, the lower often takes center-stage. The lower receiver ties the whole rifle together. And it is a popular stating point for most builds, which means there are numerous options for material construction, style, and how much effort is required to finish them.

SIG’s P320 platform is a frontrunner in the upcoming modular handgun trials. The new .45 ACP version is a full-sized pistol that performs like the rest of the P320 line, which is winning people over. But this P320 has a couple of surprises. How will the .45 ACP version stand up to the modularity standards that define the upcoming tests? Read our review.