What Alexander Arms set out to achieve with the development of its .50 Beowulf round ended with a cartridge that mimics the ballistic performance of the .45-70 Gov’t cartridge and is designed to be fired from a short-action, AR-15-style rifle. Suited for big-game hunting, as well as military and law-enforcement applications, …

Savage Arms has a reputation of building budget-friendly rifles that perform when it counts, and that’s particularly true of the company’s AXIS II rifle lineup. Most of the options in the company’s AXIS rifle lineup are geared toward hunters and field use, but in 2020, Savage expanded the lineup with …

More SUBSCRIBE The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “Firearms Commerce in the United States, Annual Statistical Update 2019,” provides a variety of information on firearm production domestically, but also includes precisely how many guns each nation imports into the United States for the commercial market. Here’s a …

Ever since the introduction of the company’s M2.0 lineup of handguns, Smith & Wesson enthusiasts have clamored for a refresh of the company’s popular Performance Center lineup of M&P handguns, particularly the optic-ready C.O.R.E. models. In early 2020, Smith & Wesson delivered with a collection of Performance Center-tuned handguns packed …

The number of NICS background checks conducted by the FBI in 2019 came in at 28,369,750, the highest mark since the agency began the program in 1998. After an adjustment for the volume of concealed-carry permit applications, renewals and other administrative use of the system, Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) …

The new Walther CCP M2 pistol in .380 ACP is designed for those who find it difficult to operate and shoot a compact 9 mm pistol. Created to be easy to rack and easy to shoot, the CCP M2 features tool-less takedown and reduced recoil (compared to 9 mm) for …

Every year, Shooting Illustrated staff members gather to review the firearms, optics, gear and ammunition launched in the past year. Out of this group, they choose the best of each category, which become the recipients of the next year’s Golden Bullseye awards. For 2020, SI staffers chose the Legacy Sports Citadel RSS1 as the Shotgun of …

Ruger jump-started the post-World War II single-action revolver market with the introduction of its .22-cal. Single-Six in 1953, a scaled model of Colt’s legendary Peacemaker. It combined traditional external form with modern internal mechanics, based on the input of handgun experts—such as six-gun guru Elmer Keith. It would introduce a …

Following on the heels of its rollout of the CPX-4 and an all-new CPX Red Dot lineup, SCCY Firearms announced the launch of an entirely new handgun design in its DVG-1. Initially, SCCY offerings featured a line of hammer-fired guns under the CPX moniker, available in a number of popular calibers and …

Every year, Shooting Illustrated staff members gather to review the firearms, optics, gear and ammunition launched in the past year. Out of this group, they choose the best of each category, which become the recipients of the next year’s Golden Bullseye awards. For 2020, SI staffers chose the Mossberg MC1sc as the Handgun of the …