Rock Island is a company known for its importation of variants on the classic M1911 design. The company’s M1911-style .380 Baby Rock launched an entire line of “BBR” concealed-carry pistols (the .380 Baby Rock is now called the “BBR Standard”). This year, Rock Island is adding a new model to its BBR line-up, …

Every service rifle that has ever been adopted by any military has gone through some kind of design development evolution that paved the way from prototype to acceptance and production. Nowhere is that truer than in the U.S. during the development of the M1 rifle. That process was long, drawn-out and …

In 2021, Rock Island Armory shook things up in the defensive-pistol world when it launched the STK100, a striker-fired 9 mm pistol with a frame made from aluminum instead of injection-molded polymer. For 2022, the company continues its commitment to “Total Metal” firearm construction with the TM22 rimfire rifle. Some have described the blowback-operated, …

Pistol: Taurus GX4XL (MSRP: $469.99) Proving that the company still has its finger on the pulse of the concealed-carry community, Taurus expanded its excellent GX4 line of pistols to include the new GX4XL, a slightly longer version of the popular GX4. The XL version adds about a half-inch to the overall length …

The name Elbert Hamilton Searle may not ring a bell with some firearm aficionados, but mention the word “Savage,” and two of its most popular vintage guns immediately come to mind: the iconic Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle with its unique rotary magazine and the Savage Model 1907 semi-automatic pistol and its …

Over the past three decades as a service provider to the hard skills industry it’s been an honor to co-instruct with several top professional defensive tactics (DT) and firearms trainers. In my humble opinion one such noted trainer who is an adept in both the world of DT and small …

When President Joe Biden (D) recently gave a speech in Monterey Park, Calif., announcing his latest executive order on guns, the so-called “mainstream” media lapped it up. “Biden Issues Executive Order to Expand Background Checks For Gun Purchases,” read a Reuters headline. Others, including foreign media, quickly jumped on the bandwagon. “U.S. President …

New ATF Data on FFL burglaries, robberies and the number of stolen guns confirms the firearm industry’s Operation Secure Store® makes communities safer. Keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals takes a monumental effort. Partnerships between neighborhood gun store retailers, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) …

Every once in a while, I run Into something that just makes me cringe, and that’s the person who says, “Well, I just bought a gun and a box of bullets, so I’m good to go—after I figure out how to load this thing.”  Whether he or she knows it …

With so many manufacturers bringing so many new products to SHOT Show every year, choosing a “Best Of” can only be a strictly subjective endeavor, especially as every competitive shooter has his or her own interests and biases. With that disclaimer, and acknowledging that it is impossible to see everything …