Good shoes take you to good places, and apart from underwear, are probably the most important part of any EDC, Every Day Carry.

Owning, shooting, and collecting guns is awesome, but as with any hobby, there are pros and cons to everything, and I thought I’d take a moment to discuss several of those annoying little truths about owning guns. These negative aspects of gun ownership are mostly First World problems, and they’re not always deal breakers when you’re itching to get to the range, but like the title says, annoying little truths.

Lightweight plate carriers are insanely popular options for added layers of protection within the civilian market. Premier Body Armor is proud to announce the release of their new Discreet Plate Carrier featuring a streamlined design that still allows for the use of rifle-rated plates, but does away with a lot of the standard MOLLE webbing that makes up the bulk of other types of plate carriers allowing the Discreet Plate Carrier to be more easily worn underneath regular clothing.

Throughout the Holiday weekend, I had a number of great conversations with friends who also enjoy shooting. One of the longest conversations we had one night over our preferred alcohol, was about what handguns we would keep if we could only own five for the rest of our life. Although highly unlikely to happen, it’s always fun to go through and pick what five handguns you would keep to carry for the rest of your life. Let’s talk about my choices out of my collections for the guns if I was stuck with only five carry options.

Brownells just announced a new HK416-pattern upper receiver kit, the BRN-4. This piston-driven upper is compatible with standard AR-15 lower receiver groups.

5.11 has an extensive catalog that can be intimidating. Many items come and go – some are absolutely fantastic and some aren’t missed – but there are five specific staples that I have used for years which I recommend without reservation. Even several TFB writers and editors have given in to my repeated endorsements of the five below, and are now themselves converts. 5.11 is having their annual Black Friday sale, which means you’ll be getting up to 40% off of select items today. Maybe some of these will be on the list. Whether you’re picking up something for a spouse, your cameraman, something from your favorite tactical OnlyFans operator’s wish list, or for yourself (you definitely deserve it by the way…unless you are a TFB Disqus commenter), here’s the gear that has made me a believer after extensive use.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves is at B&T (Brugger & Thomet) with Karl Brugger himself to talk to Karl about his top five favorite guns of all time. Karl gives us a walk through his collection of incredibly rare guns including a Makarov PB, the folding machinegun UC-M21 aka the ARES FMG, which was the predecessor to the Magpul FMG and the B&T BWC, rare versions of the H&K P7, and even a B&T in there, of course.

Welcome back to another episode of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week we talked about what and what not to carry every day. If you guys missed it, be sure to head over and check that article out here. For most guys out there it’s a goal to get their spouse into shooting so it can be an activity for both to enjoy. That’s easier said than done in most cases but with a little practice and confidence boosting, it’s more than possible to be a couple who actively trains and concealed carries. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of carrying as a couple.

Reactive targets are a great way to spice up any firearms training session. Not only is it great fun but the instant results you get back from the target are a great way to hone your skills by providing you with quick feedback about your accuracy. Steel targets are undisputedly the most common and popular option for reactive targets and are used in virtually every shooting discipline to provide trainees, competitors, or those just having fun, with a fun visual and audible experience that can make shooting paper targets seem boring in comparison. However, steel targets are not without their drawbacks. For one, they are quite expensive, second, they’re super heavy and often require specialized rigging equipment to get set up further increasing the cost. Finally, steel targets even when set up correctly can still throw spall and ricochets back at you or those nearby causing injury. This is where the reactive targets from THROOM shine. THROOM is in the business of making high-quality polymer targets that are a safer and more affordable alternative to steel targets. THROOM Targets recently sent me some of their target kits to review so today I’ll take you through the process of what it’s like to set them up, and how they’ve held up over the last handful of months.

Ferro Concepts has just dropped a brand new piece of kit for all you gear junkies out there. The new Single Elastic AR pouch is a USA-made elastic, nylon, and thermoplastic constructed magazine pouch that can also accommodate other mission-specific gear like tourniquets, small radios, and flashbangs. The new Single Elastic AR Pouch will be released initially in all of the most popular camouflage and flat color patterns and retails for around $40 per pouch.

Grey Man Tactical’s expanding line of Rigid MOLLE Panel (RMP) series vehicle and bag accessories has just been updated with a new package deal specifically kitted out and customized for UTVs and hunters. Thew new UTV Dual Horizontal Gun Rack kit comes with all the hardware needed to mount two long guns to the rack, as well as a few additional accessories for stowing extra gear and equipment you might need on your next hunt or patrol across your private property.

Over the last few years, SIG has really proved the versatility of the P320 platform. In past articles, I’ve looked at the various aftermarket compensators like the Parker Mountain Machine JTTC compensators and shown they are effective at reducing muzzle rise and felt recoil. SIG has decided to throw their hat in the ring with a compensated Spectre variant with a lot of interesting features I wanted to test out. Let’s take a closer look at the SIG Sauer P320 Spectre Comp.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week we talked about the concept of carrying stock firearms versus carrying fully customized firearms. If you missed last week’s article, don’t hesitate to check it out with the link here. With the introduction of the internet and easier access to information about carrying, there’s been a rapid introduction of various concepts and styles of carrying from different instructors. Although this flood of information is great for the community, it can be really tough to decide what exactly you need to carry on your body and what you should carry in your vehicle or bag. Let’s take a closer look at what to carry every day.

FoldAR’s compact and quick deploying AR pistols have just received a fresh new update for 2023. The compact folding AR pistols will still remain compliant with NFA regulations keeping them off the registry but will now include a new adjustable gas bolt carrier group, Red Rock Outdoor Gears Large Rover slingpack, as well as a new 300 BLK variant. What’s unique about the FoldAR MoBetta pistols is that they allow the user to have a compact package in virtually any barrel length while remaining reliable due to the adjustable gas block system.

Many of you will know the name MIL-SPEC Monkey from our previous work with him on TFBTV’s various morale patches. “Monkey”, as we call him, has been a military gear and weapons aficionado for quite some time with his study beginning within the video game industry while working on the  America’s Army video game project that was commissioned and published by the United States Army. From there, Monkey was able to get real-world experience with a lot of in-use military gear and this sparked an interest that eventually lead him to where he is today. In today’s episode of the podcast me and Monkey talk about our thoughts on some products from TriggrCon 2022, how camouflage has been constantly changed and adapted over time, as well as his story on how he got into the business of making patches. Please welcome MIL-SPEC Monkey to the show!

The venerable .223 Remington cartridge is considered by many to be the most popular and common in-use cartridge across the United States for rifles. The intermediate cartridge was designed in 1962, received SAAMI certification in 1963, and was eventually developed into the 5.56×45 NATO cartridge in the 1980s as SS109 or M855. Whether you use .223/5.56 as your go-to cartridge in an all-around peace-of-mind firearm or you a dedicated pest control or traditional hunter, having accurate shot placement is made a lot easier with dedicated optics that take the guesswork out of your holdover. Today for TFB Weekly Web Deals 31, we’ll be taking a look at some fresh fall deals on optics specifically designed around the .223 Remington cartridge.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about jackets that were specifically designed for concealed carry and their validity. If you missed the article last week, be sure to check it out with the link here. This week, we will take a closer look at the trend of customizing carry guns and if they make a massive difference when it comes to self-defense. The aftermarket sector of the gun industry is a massive part of the market and there’s a reason there are so many products for various defensive handguns. Does it make a huge difference though? Let’s take a closer look at stock guns vs customized guns.

Snakestaff Systems has announced a new Everyday Carry Tourniquet (ETQ). They want you to think about their ETQ as the SIG 365 of TQs – both are small and designed for carry and concealment. Some of the features include a carabiner windlass lock to hold the windlass securely in place, a textured windlass to increase grip if there is blood and a chem light that breaks upon application.

For decades, chronographs were a device set up in front of the firing line. That all changed with the introduction of the MagnetoSpeed as they mounted the chronograph to the barrel. So is this change an improvement or not? Let’s find out in this review of the MagnetoSpeed Sporter chronograph.

Hornady’s 2023 product releases include the new Ammo Cabinet. It offers organization and secure storage for ammunition and reloading components. The Ammo Cabinet is also compatible with Hornady’s Square Lok accessories.

Kydex holsters are hard to get right. Despite these types of holsters probably being the most common and widely accessible holsters both in retail stores and online offerings, there are still a lot of fundamental features that some legacy holster makers have yet to incorporate into their designs to match the needs of the modern concealed carrier. A+I MFG’s  two owners, Aaron Jones, and Ian McGaughey are both lifetime firearms owners and shooters with Aaron enlisting in the Marine Cprots as a 0621 (Field Radio Operator) in 2015, and Ian growing up shooting, hunting, and fishing. Both Aaron and Ian are pretty excited about their expanding lineup of holsters and they recently sent me a Glock 48 Kydex Holster for review. Today we’ll look at what they’ve sent and give you all an overview of what their holsters offer in terms of price, features, and construction quality.

Hornady’s 2023 product announcements continue with the Square-Lok organization system. It uses a system of vertical panels to mount various shelves or hooks. Users can customize the placement of these accessories to organize their guns and gear to their liking.

Hello and welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 30! Happy Halloween from all of us here at The Firearm Blog! Whether you’re just getting back from running your children around the neighborhood for the night’s festivities or reading this in between visitors, I’m sure you could all use some extra gear, guns, and ammunition. Most of your favorite online retailers and even a few who don’t often run deals are offering up pretty good sales on all sorts of firearms equipment including hearing protection, aftermarket triggers, lower parts kits, ammunition, and even complete firearms! Let’s check out what we’ve got for this week!

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about various shooting drills to help incorporate movement into your range sessions. If you missed last week, I’ll be sure to leave a link to the article here.  For the majority of the United States, the colder months are upon and that means layering up to keep warm during these cold winter months. Naturally, some of you will be switching out your carry guns to larger full-size carry guns with the addition of more jackets and warm layers. Over the last few years, there has been an increase in concealed carry related jackets but are they worth it? Let’s take a closer look to answer the question are concealed carry jackets worth it?

At the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries, early cyclists/velocipede enthusiasts seemed to be plagued, however, with curious and often aggressive canines.  This was apparently enough of a common occurrence that René Galand, son of prolific revolver inventor Charles-François Galand, came up with a firearm and cartridge specifically designed for cyclists to shoot at pursuing dogs. The 5.5mm Velo-Dog cartridge was a 30-ish grain .22 diameter centerfire cartridge, though its energy was roughly equivalent to the .22 long.(1)

Allen Engineering is a well-known name in the world of clone rifles. Their AEM5 silencer is the “clone correct” option for a Mk12 build. Recently, Trajectory Arms announced that they would be taking over production of the AEM5 silencers.

Welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 29! It’s no secret that there are those out there that seek to restrict and reduce the amount and type of firearms, parts, and accessories that we have access to. If you keep your thumb on the news cycle closely, you’ll notice there is almost always some sort of bill or upcoming legislation that threatens your right to own certain types of firearms or even innocuous items that aren’t even classified as firearms. Today we’ll be featuring deals I’ve found on some of the most controversial or vilified parts and firearms that you can stock up on now to help hedge your bets against any potential bans that may prevent you from purchasing them in the future. Even if you’re not worried about any potential bans or restrictions, these are all parts and firearms that you could always use an extra or two of in your armory.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we looked at the importance of quality holsters and some of the different choices available on the market today. If you missed last week’s article I will leave a link to it here. When it comes to training at the range for carrying concealed, accuracy and connecting shots on the target is just the beginning of the story. Movement and being able to shoot while moving or firing from cover is one of the most important skills you can practice once you’ve become confident with your static shooting ability. Let’s take a closer look at some movement drills.

The classic leather shooting sling is a bit of an anachronism today. Most rifle slings today are nylon with QD flush cup mounting and quick length adjustments that can be made on the move. The M1907 is the exact opposite; it is leather, is a pain to adjust, and shines in stationary marksmanship situations. It also looks extremely good on a classic rifle. Let’s take a look into assembling and using this old-school sling.

Welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 28. We’re really fortunate these days to have access to some of the best optics the industry has developed for military and civilian hands. New optics like the recently released Holosun EPS and EPS Carry, or the new WHISKEY6 3-18x44mm riflescope are just two of the great new options that have been released this year. However, there are a lot of older optics that still hold their weight today and can get the job done just about as well as some of the more modern options we have now. A lot of these older optics are often on sale and can be picked up for some pretty deep discounts that might just make up for their lack of modernized features that the market is constantly demanding. Today we’ll be featuring a handful of closeout deals on EuroOptic.com featuring these optics as well as a couple of other optics deals we’ve found from some of your other favorite online retailers.