Shooting requires protective equipment. Proper ear and eye protection are an absolute must anytime you’re going to a range day or other event that’s going to involve live fire. Too many shooters have learned the hard way that your senses are precious and damaging or losing them while enjoying the shooting sports is a tragedy that’s almost always preventable. When it comes to eye pro, there are plenty of quality, ballistic-rated options on the market from companies like Wiley X, Oakley, ESS, Magpul, and many more. Some of TFB’s prior coverage of shooting-related eye pro is listed for you below.

One of your favorite online retailers of firearms, ammunition, gear, and equipment has just stated via their social media outlets that all online sales of American-made products made between June 22nd till July 4th will now have 2% of the proceeds to the Firearms Policy Foundation. The Firearms Police Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition are both organizations that wholeheartedly back the 2nd Amendment as their primary mission.

If you’re an experienced shooter, by this juncture you’re painfully aware of how brutal the ammo supply has been over the last year and change. Supply has been down, costs have gone up, numerous price increases have been announced, and there’s been precious little end in sight for months. Starting in early 2020, the industry saw something of a perfect storm of pressure factors squeezing the supply chain and skyrocketing demand. The cascading effects of Covid-related logistical issues, civil unrest, panic buying/hoarding, vast throngs of new first-time gun buyers in record-breaking numbers, and political/governmental concerns wreaked havoc on the balance of supply and demand for virtually every type and size of cartridges and shells, other than a scattering of more niche calibers like SIG’s 300 H’AMR offerings. TFB has covered the ammo shortage and related matters, like new gun owners, and a sampling of some of those articles from the past year are listed for you below.

Following last week’s editorial on cryptocurrency, I received a solid amount of emails from readers who see the benefits of blockchain technology as applied to the firearms industry. Rob McNealy, creator of the TUSC Cryptocurrency dropped me a note to say that their coin was specifically designed for gun companies and shooters alike. His quote and additional information about TUSC can be found below.

Shield Arms has published a press release announcing the launch of their sister knife company called  Norden Knives. The new company is located in Montana and their knives are made in-house. Norden means North in Old Norse and the n-shaped symbol of their logo is inspired by the Nordic rune Uruz. The company states that its vision is “to establish Norden Knives as the premiere knife supplier that is still obtainable to the everyday outdoorsman“.

When we think of the Heckler & Koch G36, we might immediately think of the issues with heat dissipation which saw the Bundeswehr launch its (still) ongoing search for a new service rifle. For some time there have been murmurings that Steyr were working on an improved version of the G36 – it turns out the rumours were true. Steyr Arms, in conjunction with Wilcox and US-based Corax Defence, have announced the development of the G62 – an upgrade kit for the G36. In fact, Steyr’s key claim is that they’re “turning a good rifle into the best rifle on the market”. The G62 is not a new rifle, instead, it replaces key architecture.

Podcasts are a great way to pass the time alone in a car when you’ve grown tired of whatever newfangled pop music that is being blasted on repeat 24/7. Sightmark, a fairly well-known optics company in the industry has just started their own podcast with the “On the Mark” podcast and host Jeff Hamilton (would have been way cooler if they had a guy named Mark hosting the podcast). While a lot of people generally think of Sightmark as a solely budget-minded company, I recently learned that Sightmark also offers an entire lineup of “ M-spec” optics which seem to be of much higher quality and design than their off the shelf red dots you can find at most sporting goods stores. Sightmark is currently on their 4th episode and they’ve already had some pretty great guests including Aaron Cayce of Phoenix Weaponry and Austin Rohr with Superior Outfitters who talk at length about both Texas gun laws and African safari hunts.

More work is always a good thing and 1791 Gunleather seems like it has its hands full with their Miami, Florida operation. The company is adding 40% more staff to their facility in Florida due to their rapid and continuing growth. This is in line with other growth we’ve seen from the firearms industry as more people than ever are buying firearms for the first time with many of them being handguns for self-defense. Most people getting handguns for self-defense will be in need of a holster so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing explosive growth from this sector of the industry.

Despite the growing list of banned firearms in Canada, the firearms community continues to grow. Canadians can now gain access to Big Horn Armory’s models of lever action rifles. Lever action rifles are legal in Canada and don’t share the same ammunition capacity restrictions that centerfire semi-automatic guns do. In addition to the standard lineup of models, Big Horn Armory is also offering custom-order rifles to Canada’s sportsmen and hunters.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has just added a new tool for their officers – the Beretta 1301 Tactical Shotgun. The Beretta 1301 was recently reviewed over on TFBTV by James Reeves who has dubbed it “ The Best Shotgun for the Money.” It would seem that the PA Game Commission agrees as the organization just started fielding their 250 new 1301 shotguns during May of this year.

Tucked away in the Salt Lake Valley, and hidden underneath 72,000 sqft of manufacturing space lies the SilencerCo Batcave.  Located beneath the manufacturing floor is a massive collection of firearms inside a range spanning 75 yards.  During a recent visit, TFBTV’s very own James Reeves and I had an opportunity to tag along and photograph this massive collection.

There are more new gun owners than ever running around these days and while many of them are being trained by their friends and family, there are probably still many people out there who are in serious need of basic firearms instruction as well as navigating their own path through firearms ownership. Smith & Wesson released their GUNSMARTS Series a little less than a year ago and the show is hosted by my good friend Ken Scott. Smith & Wesson and crew are back with GUNSMARTS Series 2 which includes slightly more complex subject matter like how to join a gun range, firearms familiarization, gunshop etiquette and even dispelling some myths of gun ownership.

Magpul Industries is an almost ubiquitous name when it comes to the firearms industry. My first AR and now some of my pistol are hosts to some of Magpul’s durable and reliable polymer magazines. Today on the show we’ve got John Canipe from Magpul Industries to tell us all about the company, how things were for the company during 2020 and where Magpul and its product lineup is headed for 2021 and beyond. We’ve recently been able to pick up steam on the podcast front so you should have a steady stream of listening material for your morning or evening commute. Thanks as always for turning in to TFB’s Behind the Gun Podcast and for making content like this possible.

Ranger Point Precision has a passion for all things manly. Whether it’s motorcycles, firearms, or movies with guns in them, Ranger Point Precision has always got its finger on the pulse of the “gun guy” world. Ranger Point Precision also recently released their “6 Hollywood Gun Mistakes” and we’re going to share it for you here.

Silencer Shop, the largest suppressor distributor in the U.S., is launching the 4473 Cloud service for FFLs. Before your eyes glass over and you jump to your other daily news sources – for example:  live shark tracker, or naked yoga on YouTube (find it yourself) – anything that brings the firearms industry from the stone tablet age into the digital world is a great thing.

Readers of this blog are surely aware that CZ Group, or Česká Zbrojovka Group, were about to acquire Colt Holding Company LLC. Since all of the necessary regulatory approvals from U.S. and Canadian authorities have now been secured, the acquisition is fully closed and in a recent announcement, CZ welcomed Colt and Colt Canada to the group.

Stealth Project is a Minnesota-based suppressor manufacturer that has a pretty unique lineup of suppressors. Stealth Project Suppressors markets their silencers as being free from point of impact shift, hearing safe, and free from the risk of baffle strikes. Nathan Stieren, the CEO of Alliance Outdoor Group announced that Stealth Project would be added to the family of brands on May 21st.

In an effort to support the very places that many of Vista Outdoors’ brands and customers love, the company has announced the launch of the Vista Outdoor Corporate Foundation. The non-profit organization is intended to support conservation and outdoor access efforts in order to preserve these things for future outdoor enthusiasts. Upon opening the foundation, an initial $3 million contribution was made.

One of the oldest names in the firearm business has also been one of the most troubled ones as of late. Remington Outdoor Company – as they were previously referred to at their largest and grandest point in recent history – has fallen from grace for multiple reasons to the dismay of many loyal gun owners. Now, under new ownership and with a new name to boot – RemArms, LLC – they are looking to hopefully a brighter future with aspirations of restoring the once illustrious Remington name to its full glory.

TROY Industries has just announced that they will be moving both their headquarters and manufacturing plant to Clarksville, Tennessee. You may be familiar with TROY Industries from their popular line of sporting rifles including the unique TROY Pump Action Rifle (PAR). The move, which is taking place to “ensure the success of the company” citing the “changing climate for firearms manufacturers” as the impetus for the relocation. The 5-year plan will begin in June costing $7.2 million and creating 75 new jobs.

The firearms industry is certainly not one unfamiliar with the occasional lawsuit. A good deal of proprietary information goes into gun design and production, so most companies are understandably protective of their patents and other intellectual property. From time to time, this can lead manufacturers of firearms and accessories to sue each other over infringements on their protected work. Some examples (among many others) of previous lawsuits upon which TFB has reported are below.

I don’t have to remind most of you that gun manufacturers and merchants are under a lot of pressure these days in regard to their relationships with various financial organizations. Many banks and credit card processing companies have either severely hampered or completely severed all of their dealings with the firearms industry and this has left both sellers and buyers high and dry when sometimes making transactions. Stryk Pay is now offering a new pro-gun friendly means of credit card processing that is further backed up by a network of second amendment-friendly banks.

About six months ago, in November 2020, TFB reported that SIG SAUER was making moves to add some additional space to their facilities in Epping, New Hampshire. The new building was described as a “showpiece” by the civil engineering firm working on it, and was reputed to be a sizeable addition that would cost somewhere around $13.5 million. This plan is now coming to fruition, as the ground has now officially been broken on the project. Once completed, this building will add more than 40,000 square feet of space for everything from a SIG museum, a retail component, indoor shooting, and more. Dubbed the “Experience Center”, this two-story building will greet visitors upon their arrival to SIG’s 140-acre complex located roughly 1.5 hours’ drive north of Boston, Massachusetts. It is expected to give people more reason to visit the area, as well as to create some additional jobs for local residents. SIG has issued the following press release to announce the recent ground-breaking ceremony.

German hunting arms manufacturer Krieghoff annually releases a “Gun of The Year”, one of their firearms with a custom engraving theme dedicated to a certain person, event or place. In 2019, the Krieghoff Gun Of The Year was a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, the 2020 gun was engraved with Galapagos Islands wildlife. The 2021 Krieghoff Gun Of The Year is an over & under shotgun (likely a K-80) called The Spartan Gun and it’s dedicated to the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) and 300 Spartans. The gun is engraved with battle scenes, Greek motifs and the ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ inscription.

We are fortunate in this day and age to have near-constant access to the internet meaning we can always have something or someone to listen to that is catered to our specific interests. One of my interests is suppressors and lucky for me and every other stamp collector out there, Silencer Shop has just announced their very own podcast – The Silencer Shop Podcast. The podcast launched on May 4th and will be a podcast featuring suppressors, firearms, firearms history, prominent 2nd amendment leaders’ stories, and interesting people the Silencer Shop team has met along the way.

Nosler Inc continue their efforts of helping the millions of first-time firearm owners. Back in February, we reported about Nosler’s Project 48, an initiative to recruit industry experts to produce content related to firearms safety, handling, maintenance, legal aspects, etc. The company’s latest contribution to educating the new gun owners is in a form of a video where professional hunter and Nosler Pro-Staff member Randy Newberg tells useful tips for those who plan their first trip to the shooting range. In the video, Randy talks about types of ranges, the rules they may have, firearms safety, range officer commands, the equipment you’ll need to bring with you to the shooting range and general range etiquette. Without further ado, let’s watch the video.

Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. is a publicly traded company listed on the USA’s second-largest stock exchange, the Nasdaq, under the ticker symbol SWBI. After they announced their split from American Outdoor Brands in 2020, and following the massive uptick in firearms sales over the last year or so, the company appears to be doing well. They employ more than 2000 people, and last reports put their revenue at $678.39MM. At the time of this writing, shares of SWBI are up a staggering amount from one year ago – over 160%! In addition to the storied Smith & Wesson firearms brand, the company owns a number of subsidiary entities. One of these, since Smith & Wesson’s purchase of them in 2007, has been Thompson/Center Arms.

Much digital ink has been spilled over the last several years regarding the US Army’s NGSW ( Next Generation Squad Weapons) Program. Most of the rifles/carbines and machine guns currently employed by America’s soldiers are not particularly modern, by any stretch. Today’s M4A1 has seen some notable updates and improvements, to be sure, but at its core it’s still based on the same M16 that first entered service in the Vietnam era, more than half a century ago. The 5.56×45mm NATO round it uses has come under fire from time to time, for being perhaps a bit too anemic for its purpose. This same cartridge is used by the belt-fed M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon), which was designed in the ’70s and has been in service since 1984. Though some update attempts have been explored since then, none came to fruition.

Bergara Small Batch is a new series of custom firearms recently announced by Bergara North America. Comparing to small batch whiskey, the company describes the guns that will be included in this series as “Refined in Spain, Barreled in Georgia” which apparently means that these custom builds will be done by American gunsmiths in the Bergara North America premises in Lawrenceville, GA, based on the main components imported from their factory in Spain.

It’s not every day that you see a new brand in optics, but Armament Technology Inc. (ATI) has released both a new brand and a new optic called the  SAI 6 1-6x24mm Riflescope. The brand name SAI Optics stands for S – Speed, A – Accuracy, I – Integrity. Some of the features include first focal plane reticle (FFP), a proprietary rapid aiming feature, VSOR rangefinder, 10 settings of illumination and a 5-year limited lifetime warranty.