About a decade ago I discovered a ‘cheat code’ for my love of shooting firearms – silencers. With the right suppressor, the right host (gun), and the right ammunition, the enjoyment of shooting is elevated to the next level. So, after many years, about 200 silencers, and hundreds of thousands of rounds on target, it wasn’t a surprise that Silencer Shop asked me to share this ‘cheat code’ in the form of a beginner’s guide to silencers. If you are new to the world of quieter shooting, or you could use a refresher on the process, stick around while we discuss the basics of buying, transferring, and using suppressors.

In  Part 1 of this article, I talked about the first prototypes of Yugoslav AKs, in  Part 2 we dived into the history of M70 rifles with milled receivers, Part 3 was dedicated to the most common Zastava M70s and this chapter will go over Zastava AKs developed during the collapse of Yugoslavia.

If we roll back the clock 30 some years ago, Colt was not known for making semi-automatic pistols (1911s, Mustang 380, etc); rather, in the eyes of many consumers they were known for being a revolver manufacturer (Python, Diamondback, Anaconda, and countless others to include both double-action and single-action). Yes, for many decades they have made both as well as AR-15s, but the average shooter knew Colt for being an iconic wheelgun manufacturer. After the conclusion of the NRA Annual Meetings (NRAAM) 2024, we got to see an avalanche of new revolvers announced from Colt, once again. It appears that the Colt CZ Group – the holding company for Česká zbrojovka, CZ-USA and Colt – is making a strong push to restore the old glory that Colt once had within the revolver market. Colt revolvers are on the rise, and with this latest spark of creativity and an adventurous spirit, there is no telling what Colt revolvers we might see next.

Welcome everyone to the  TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb below, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article, I figured with Memorial Day around the corner it may be a good opportunity to talk about M1 Garand maintenance or even a touch of general firearm maintenance and conservation. The last time we did something like this was with a Glock and a Glock Armorer’s Book. Perhaps you have Pappy’s M1 and want to clean it according to the military manuals or you just want to be on top of preservation. Let’s dive right in!

In Part 1 of this article, I talked about the first prototypes of Yugo AKs, in Part 2 we dived into the history of M70 rifles with milled receivers. In this article, we’ll take a look at the stamped receiver M70B1 rifles.

We’re back again with another roundup of fresh firearms-focused podcasts in TFB Podcast Roundup 130. Each week we’re bringing you a new set of podcasts from across the web that cover a wide variety of topics including gunsmithing, hunting, precision shooting, war stories, competition shooting, gun industry news, and much more. In addition, we’re also featuring the most recent episode of TFB’s own Behind The Gun Podcast which airs every week on Thursday mornings. If you’d like to check out the full episode list for TFB’s Behind The Gun Podcast, you can find it here on the TFB website or on your favorite podcast app. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s selection of gun podcast listening.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we took a look at optimal versus practical carry guns. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to give it a read. This week, I wanted to look at a topic that often times comes up more in the summer months which is carrying off body in carry bags. With the explosion in options for carry bags on the market today, is it a good idea to carry your gun in a bag? Let’s take a closer look if carry bags are a good option.

The ATF published (yet another) new administrative rule that impacts many American gun owners. We previously covered the “engaged in the business” rule when it was proposed last year. The final version of that rule is now published, but it has already been stayed by a judge. Let’s look at what this rule says, and who it applies to.

Welcome to TFB’s Wheelgun Wednesday, our weekly foray into the world of wheelguns. This week, we’ll take a look at the Smith & Wesson 36, which is a 5-shot, small-frame revolver chambered in .38 Special. The Model 36 is a purpose built self-defense revolver, which is also associated with detective work during the 20th Century. Is it still a viable self-defense weapon for the 21st Century? Let’s see.

In the world of rifle accessories, the amount of products available today is nearly endless. With multiple versions of every product out there, it’s important to know what you want and what some quality options are in each category. Regarding Back Up Iron Sights (BUIS) there are typically a few variations of folding or fixed sights. Some will say offset should be in a variant but typically those fold as well. For people just getting into shooting, they oftentimes don’t know what to look for or what they want when it comes to iron sights. Let’s take a closer look at the breakdown on back up iron sights.

Welcome everyone to the 237th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only have Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many different types of firearms, ammunition, and bits of history. Last week we talked about the fondly remembered Winchester 250 lever action 22LR rifle. A lot of you seemed to indeed have fond memories of the rifle and a few of you even commented that you still owned and shot yours which is something we always love to see (safe queens are boring). I was going over some recent show footage from SHOT 2024 and I came across the Rock River Arms 17HMR Gas Operated Blowback 17HMR Rifle. If you can’t watch the video, the rifle basically uses a hybrid of a bearing-locked breech, with a direct impingement system in order to give the 17HMR cartridge to properly build pressure before cycling. A lot of commenters on that video asked the question “Why can’t you do a gas-operated 22LR gun?” Today we’re going to try and at least partially answer this question. I’m not a firearms engineer, but I’ve learned a few things over the years about this tiny little cartridge that I think you’ll agree make it a poor choice to build a true gas-operated firearm around, which is why you don’t see them often.

Welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 90! We’re back with more deals on guns, gear, ammunition, and accessories from some of our most frequented online retailers like Primary Arms, Natchez Shooters Supply, Palmetto State Armory, Brownells, and more. Whether you’re looking for deals on new or used guns, ammo to add to your reserves, or specific accessories like flashlights, range bags, optics, bipods, and magazines, each week we’ll have new sets of deals that might fulfill one of those needs and save you a few dollars.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the brand new YHM 338 Bad Larry Suppressor. Last week we took a trip back in time to my first suppressor purchase – the 9mm Liberty Mystic. This week we dig in to a bit of alloy metallurgy with a look at the properties of some of the most popular silencer alloys. Should you buy a titanium or steel suppressor? Let’s take a look.

As red dot sights and optics-ready slides continue to take over the mainstream, we have seen more and more job-specific red dot optics at increasingly competitive prices. The C&H Precision COMP enters the fold as an affordable large windowed competition-geared optic. Looks and prices are all good and fine but how does she do at the range? Let’s dive into the review!

We’re back again with another roundup of fresh firearms-focused podcasts in TFB Podcast Roundup 129. Each week we’re bringing you a new set of podcasts from across the web that cover a wide variety of topics including gunsmithing, hunting, precision shooting, war stories, competition shooting, gun industry news, and much more. In addition, we’re also featuring the most recent episode of TFB’s own Behind The Gun Podcast which airs every week on Thursday mornings. If you’d like to check out the full episode list for TFB’s Behind The Gun Podcast, you can find it here on the TFB website or on your favorite podcast app. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s selection of gun podcast listening.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we looked at an accessory guide for summer carry guns. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to give it a read. This caused a couple of good questions from readers about optimal carrying guns and how to figure out what kind of handgun you should carry daily. These questions made me start thinking about some of the drastic differences an optimal carry gun is compared to something realistic to carry daily. Let’s take a closer look at optimal versus realistic carry guns.

Welcome back to  Wheelgun Wednesday, our weekly article series where we cover everything related to revolvers. Today’s topic is a look at one of the candidates for the title of “World’s Largest Revolver”: the M.R. New System Arms Cucciolo.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the brand new YHM 338 Bad Larry Suppressor. Last week we took some initial shots with the YHM Bad Larry 338 rifle suppressor. This week we take a look at the compatible mounts and muzzle devices that can lock in the Bad Larry to your host firearm. Which one is right for you? Let’s take a look.

Welcome everyone to the 234th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only have Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

In retrospect, 2023 may have been the year of the 2011. Manufacturers big and small brought out models both cheap and expensive. Relative newcomer Jacob Grey Firearms was part of that trend with the TWC 9. When they offered to send one to TFB for review, I jumped at the opportunity to take it for a spin.

We are back here for Wheelgun Wednesday once again covering the Charter Arms Professional series with only one revolver to go. This has been an interesting ride, to say the least. If you have been following along all of these weeks, you know what you may be in store for today. If you’re just tuning in, let’s try to catch you up to speed. This is a 6 gun grouping of revolvers that receives an extra special touch of attention and care from Charter Arms. While they carry the moniker of Professional, these are not military or police contract revolvers of any kind (that I am aware of). They are simply mindfully constructed wheelguns meant for concealed carry for the everyday enthusiast. These Charter Arms revolvers from their Professional series are chambered in either .32 H&R Magnum (which is a unique cartridge choice when they could have opted for .327 Federal Magnum) as well as .38 Special/.357 Magnum. Today, we will be covering the Charter Arms Professional VI as the final revolver in this wheelgun odyssey. Let’s dive in!

Griffin Armament makes a variety of silencers and related accessories. One of the most interesting is their A2 Adapter. It allows any silencer with 1.375×24 rear threads to mount to standard AR flash hiders. I got my hands on one and tried it on several different guns, and thought my experience would be worth sharing.

Like an itch we can’t scratch… a toxic girlfriend we can’t quit… or a can of Pringles where you “can’t just have one” (who remembers that ’90s TV ad?), we are back taking a gander at some more Charter Arms revolvers this week on Wheelgun Wednesday. If you have been following along (or not), Charter Arms manufactures a “Professional Series” that could be viewed as a semi-Custom Shop quality lineup of revolvers. They are all chambered in .32 H&R Magnum or .357 Magnum with varying aesthetic finishes, appearances, and feature sets. So far, we have covered 4 out of the 6 Professionals which logically brings us to the 5th. So, today we are going to take a look at the Charter Arms Professional V .357 Magnum/.38 Special to see what makes this wheelgun special from the rest of its Professional brethren. Let’s dive in!

In Part 1 of this article, I talked about the history of AK rifle production in East Germany, and  Part 2 was dedicated to my personal experiences with East Germany AKs. In Part 3, I want to talk about less-known variants of DDR AKs and their destiny after the Berlin Wall fell and communism in East Europe collapsed.

When it comes to revolvers, Smith & Wesson is one of the names associated with quality revolvers but as semi-autos are taking over more and more of the market, I have a few of their various revolver models, but never dove into any of the 686 variants and decided to dive into a new model and give it a proper shakedown. Brownells had a 3″ 686 Plus model on sale and I decided to snag it for this review. Let’s take a closer look at the Smith & Wesson 686 Plus Deluxe.

In Part 1 of the article, I talked about the origins of AK production in Hungary.  Part 2 and Part 3 were dedicated to the most well-known Hungarian AK – AMD-65. In Part 4 I will talk about less-known Hungarian AKs.

The journey forges on! For this week on Wheelgun Wednesday, we are attacking another revolver out of the Professional Series. We are going on Week #4 of our side quest which logically brings us to the Charter Arms Professional IV in .32 H&R Magnum. This Professional is a bit different from others that we have previously covered in its aesthetic, form, and function. What we shall quest for today is if this .32 H&R Magnum – the Professional IV – is better than the other that kicked off this series – “The Professional” aka “The Professional I (One)” aka “Professional.” Like an undercover spy, let’s sneak our way through the makings of this revolver so you can hopefully make that decision for yourself.

Welcome everyone to the 230th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only have Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Welcome back to TFB’s Rimfire Report, where we cover all things relating to rimfire cartridges. This week, we’ll take a jump back to the time when Beretta decided to create a pistol with a frame-mounted safety. All joking aside though, we’ll take a look at the science fiction-styled Beretta U22 NEOS chambered in .22LR. Even though the Beretta NEOS has since been discontinued, you can still find them for sale here and there at decent prices and Beretta still stocks some parts. Let’s take a look.