Article first appeared at American Rifleman. My recent trip to Smith & Wesson’s academy required only one night’s stay, but whenever I visit the storied gunmaker’s Springfield, Mass.-area facilities, I’m reminded at every turn that its reputation was not built overnight. This time, the purpose was to shoot the company’s …

Article first appeared at American Rifleman. Having become familiar with John Browning’s Masterpiece at an early age, I have always had a 1911 close at hand. I have owned 1911s from companies such as AMT, Springfield Armory, Randall, Colt, Auto Ordnance and Kimber, as well as some lesser-known manufacturers. While …

Article first appeared at American Rifleman. Although 2016 was a bumpy ride politically speaking, it was a time of positive growth and change for Savage Arms. Starting the year off with a new stylized “S” logo, customers were kept properly supplied with high-quality, affordably priced bolt-actions,  rimfire semi-autos, and even …

Article first appeared at Shooting Illustrated. It turns out both good—and rare—things are worth waiting for. Case in point: Back in 2009, I began the process of transforming a SIG Sauer P556 pistol into an NFA-based short-barreled semi-auto rifle project with the goal of giving said firearm a face-lift so …

Article first appeared at Shooting Illustrated. Steel targets are some of the best training tools you can buy. Steel saves you time, because you don’t have to walk downrange to assess your shooting. This is especially true of the steel that is static or does not fall over when hit. …

Article first appeared at Americas 1st Freedom. This feature appears in the January ‘17 issue of NRA America’s 1st Freedom, one of the official journals of the National Rifle Association.   Now and again, we feel like we’re caught in an infomercial, albeit a good one: “But wait! There’s more!” Funny how …

Article first appeared at Americas 1st Freedom. This feature appears in the January ‘17 issue of NRA America’s 1st Freedom, one of the official journals of the National Rifle Association.   Like many Western figures, Pat Garrett’s (right) story involves twists and turns, skirting both sides of the law. Though he was …

Article first appeared at American Rifleman. Ruger is adding three new models to the growing Mark IV family of rimfire pistols, which include a bronze anodized Mark IV 22/45 Lite model, as well as Mark IV Hunter and Target models that feature wrap-around target grips. The Mark IV 22/45 Lite …

Article first appeared at American Rifleman. Honor Defense, a new American firearm manufacturer, launched its product line last year with the release of the Honor Guard 9 mm Luger pistol, a compact, striker-fired semi-automatic with a lightweight polymer frame that accepts single-stack magazines. This gun successfully borrows and blends several …

Article first appeared at American Rifleman. In my business, colleagues and I often grouse about what we call “the race to the bottom”—manufacturers vying to see who can produce the least expensive sporting rifle. No need to name names; examples are obvious and include most of the more popular brands. …