In the world of weapon lights, there are some pretty big names from SureFire to Streamlight. They both offer some great options for both pistol and rifle lights. I am a big fan of both the SureFire X300 line of weapon lights or Streamlight’s TLR-1 HL offerings. Inforce broke into the weapon-mounted light market a few years ago and offered a variety of models like the APL and APLc. The previous generation of Inforce lights was made out of polymer to keep the weapon light down on weight. It was a great option for people who wanted to keep the weight down on their guns while having a decently bright weapon light. Things have changed with the new Wild2 weapon light as this light has an aluminum housing. Let’s dive more into the new Inforce Wild2 weapon light.

In this episode of TFBTV, James goes over the pros and cons of 3 of his favorite pistols: Glock 43, Glock 43X, and Glock 48. More importantly, James, Brannon, and Ryan test these three subcompact Glock pistols against each other at 10 feet, 20 feet, and 30 feet to see which performs the best in “real life” distances.

Most individuals who are relatively new to the concealed carry market will typically go the way of semi-autos and be done with it. There’s still a large group of individuals who carry a revolver on a regular basis, and I will admit I am usually one of those people. There are a few advantages to both along with a few things that each system has issues with, in their own ways. Let’s dive deeper into the great debate of Revolver vs Semi-Auto.

Christmas is a wonderful time of year where families get together when there isn’t a world pandemic and have a great time celebrating everything they have in life. It’s also the time of year where the big jolly fat man slides down the chimney and leaves gifts for all the children of the world. For many, Santa is a beacon of hope and reason to work harder at being a better person but to others, he may look differently.

Christmas time is right around the corner and there’s still enough time to order gifts for that special someone in your life who carries a firearm daily. With ammo being in short supply this year, it may seem like a challenge to find that perfect gift for your friend or spouse. Whether it’s something for training at home or gifts to make it easier to carry gear daily, there are plenty of options out in the market to surprise someone with. Let’s jump into 5 great gifts for a concealed carrier for Christmas.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves trains with ex-Navy SEAL Bill Rapier of AmTac Shooting. Bill walks us through the fundamentals of carrying and shooting a pistol, including grip, trigger press, proper workspace, and the circle of awareness. This was all taken at Surefire’s “Back to the Bills” 2020, the sequel to the 2019 “Battle of the Bills” Surefire training event.

When you start to dive deep into the concealed carry market, it is easy to become overwhelmed. There are so many different options whether it’s firearms, holsters, ammo, or magazine holders that it can be difficult to pick at first. Fairly often, it takes a while to find your perfect setup and have a system that works for you. We often talk about how to find the right systems for you and your lifestyle but what about when those things start to wear out? We are often so caught up in finding the perfect setup we don’t think about when we should be looking to refresh or replace our gear. Let’s take a look at certain items and when it’s time to start replacing your gear over time.

Whether it’s because of the latest scare with COVID or the instability of society, there has been an explosion in new gun owners and individuals conceal carrying in public. I can’t tell you how many times I get questions on a weekly basis about different topics so I’ve decided to put them all together and talk through each one. I get a wide variety of questions but here’s a list of the most common ones I get when it comes to carrying concealed. Let’s dive into the concealed carry basics.

In the world of SIG pistol upgrades, there are a few different companies that make aftermarket upgrades for the SIG P-Series. In the past, I’ve really enjoyed the factory upgraded models like the Elite and Legion series handguns for their functional upgrades. Grayguns has done most of the initial work on the Legion handguns with their P-Series triggers. They have recently released the ELS Trigger System for the P-Series of handguns. This trigger looks similar to the SAO Legion triggers that come standard in various SIG models. Let’s dive into the Grayguns ELS Trigger System for the SIG P-Series handguns.

James has a confession. There’s a cheap gun that he not only likes – but actually carries (SOMETIMES) to defend himself with. He’s kept this as a secret from you because he knows that you’ll judge him. It’s time to come clean, you dirty boy.

Last week a buddy gave me a call and asked to come over to show me his new carry style. He walked into my house with a Rugrats fanny pack with a pair of white new balance shoes. Now my buddy Sean is a father who lives in the suburbs along with being the proud owner of a sweet Toyota minivan. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight in front of me, but to my surprise, he pulled out a Glock 19 and said it fits perfectly. At that moment, I felt confused, angry, and disgusted all at once but let’s jump into the terrible truth about fanny packs.

Belly Band holsters have been a favorite carry style of mine for some time now and I find that I use this method of carrying about 90% of the time. The primary reason for my choosing to carry in the belly band holster style is because of its increased level of comfort during my daily activities combined with its supreme concealment characteristics.

Guns & Ammo has named their 2020 “Handgun of the Year” and it is the Springfield Armory Hellcat which will not come as a surprise to many people for how exceedingly popular it has been since its debut last September 2019. It has been in a constant battle with the SIG Sauer P365 for micro-compact superiority and either one laying claim to the title of “Handgun of the Year” would be duly deserving. The full press release for the nod of “Handgun of the Year” from Guns & Ammo can be read below as presented by Springfield Armory:

When we all started shooting or took hunters safety, there was always a set of rules we learned when it came to gun safety. One of the most important rules when it comes to safe firearm handling is knowing what your target is and what’s beyond it. On the surface, it’s a pretty simple work but when you start looking at it through the perspective of a concealed carrier, it becomes complicated rather quickly. There are a number of ways to train to minimize risk when it comes to hurting innocent lives and a number of considerations to keep in mind when carrying concealed. Let’s dive into the importance of knowing what’s beyond your target.

The state of the gun economy is fairly strong in current times. If anything, it’s almost doing too well, which has created problems for shooters. The market for ammunition has taken a huge hit with the demand skyrocketing as a result of first-time gun buyers and people buying due to uncertainty. With supply this low, there are only a few options to keep up the training and hone your skills. You can either buy ammo at double or triple the rate of what it was before the rush or another option that’s much more budget-friendly, is the use of snap caps. Let’s dive into how training with snap caps can be a useful tool.

In this episode of TFBTV, Hop debunks the top 5 appendix carry myths. Can you bend over when carrying appendix? Can you drive a car? Are you going to shoot yourself in the junk by accident? Why is Hop such a stalwart adherent to the dogma of appendix carry? Is he in a cult or something?

When picking out a handgun for carrying concealed, it can be difficult to pick the perfect model. Whether it’s capacity, ascetics or how it feels in your hand. One thing people often don’t think about is the type of firearm that will best fit their body type. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve gone over the different methods to carry a concealed handgun, but sometimes you’re limited because of physical restrictions. Whether that’s a slim slender build or being a big guy, various body types will ultimately be a big factor in what handgun you can carry comfortably. Let’s dive into the various choices there are when it comes to guns for different body types.

Back in April, I wrote up the initial differences between the XCompact and the RXP XCompact and in June I wrote a review of the RXP XCompact. I loved the RXP XCompact and ended up turning that into a range gun with the Parker Mountain Dual Compensator barrel system, but the standard P320 XCompact stayed the same for the last year. When I started carrying the XCompact regularly, I wanted to really push the gun and see how it did long term over the last year with a fairly high round count every range session. After almost a year and 5,000 rounds, let’s take a look at how the SIG Sauer P320 XCompact did.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about the advantages of carrying strong side and how it can be beneficial when it comes to training and consistency. Over the last two weeks, I’ve received a number of messages asking about different carry styles and what the advantages were for certain carry styles. You guys asked so I will happily break down the various carry styles and go through them. Let’s dive into the top 5 concealed carry styles.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves chats with Jack Carr about the pistols and holsters that Jack – a former Navy SEAL and a New York Times best-selling author – carries on a day to day basis. And note that these two carry nerds are filming this video from Clint and Heidi Smith’s house on Thunder Ranch! You may be surprised by Jack’s two picks. Hint: They are both from the same company. (And as usual, this is not a sponsored video – i.e., these are the guns Jack really carries every day, not what we got paid to tell you he carries every day). We also talk books, podcasts, and social media. Check it out.

Over the last 6 months, there has been an explosion in new gun owners and people who decided to start carrying a concealed firearm. As a result, the amount of variety and stock of handguns in gun stores are limited and down from where they were before the lockdown. With the increased numbers of new handgun owners around, there’s been an increase in weapon accessories as well. There are plenty of people asking what they should put on their carry guns and what the best accessories are for them. Let’s dive into different weapon accessories and what are the best options for your specific needs.

Lately, I’ve read a ton of articles about how AIWB (Appendix Inside the Waistband) carrying is the latest and greatest method of carrying.  Everything else is outdated in comparison according to people who appendix carry. Now I know that’s a broad generalization but there’s been a number of writers talking about the latest and greatest. Appendix carrying is popular among the concealed carrying crowd but there are several other carry methods. I’ve read a couple different articles lately, and was surprised to see a few guys saying strong side carry (4-5 o’clock position) was for fudds. These authors also made the claim strong side carry is outdated.

During the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest this year, there has been a nationwide rush on firearms and ammunition. We all can feel the struggles every time we go to the gun store or online dealer for ammo. Part of this is the fact there are more first-time gun owners in society now. These new owners are typically people who want to get better with their firearm for concealed carry but don’t know where to start.

The new TSM-13G is Nightstick’s latest entry into the ever-growing market of weapon-mounted handgun lights. TSM-13G is a subcompact light meant to be mounted to SIG Sauer handguns like the SIG P365, 365XL, and P365 SAS. In addition to being compact, the TSM-13G also features an integrated laser and only adds 1.3 ounces to the overall handgun weight.

In this episode of TFBTV, Hop explains why you shouldn’t buy a single stack handgun for concealed carry. With the advent of high capacity slimline pistols like the SIG P365 or Springfield Hellcat, and increasing adoption of appendix carry, you don’t have to settle for 6 + 1 rounds of 9mm any more.

Last week, I talked about the importance of one-handed shooting and practicing with both your support and dominant hand. There were a few great debates in the comment section and I loved how you guys digested that. I went to the range early Saturday morning with three close friends who are all experienced shooters and did one-handed drills. We added time and a bit of physical exertion into the mix and some strange things started to happen.

In this episode of TFBTV, Bill Rapier, 20 year Navy SEAL and owner of AmTac Shooting (https://www.amtacshooting.com/) teaches James Reeves, Seattle Cop Chris Tran (@christranfiveoh), Roger Barrera of QVO Tactical, and Andrew Wright of Surefire how to handle a carjacker who has entered your vehicle on the passenger side. It’s a quick and easy four-step solution to that nagging common problem we all deal with on a daily basis (at least in New Orleans). Check out today’s video and see these guys put in the reps.

When going to the range to practice for carrying concealed, I’ve talked about the importance of practicing skills. Whether it’s drawing from your holster and firing or making your hits in a short amount of time, these skills will be invaluable if you’re ever caught in a situation where you need to defend yourself. What’s not always talked about though is the importance of one hand manipulations and the ability to shoot with your support hand if your dominant hand becomes incapacitated. There have been a number of cases where certain individuals have had to shoot one-handed or use their support hand in self-defense situations. Let’s dive into the importance of being well rounded with your firearm.

Comp-Tac is a popular holster manufacturer specializing in Kydex holsters for everyday carry applications. Comp-Tach has just recently unveiled its newest Appendix Inside the Waist Band (AIWB) holster – the eV2 Infidel. The eV2 Infidel has a handy hybrid design that’s adjustable to different carry positions aside from AIWB.

In the early days following their founding just seven years ago, Holosun’s optics sat firmly in the “budget” category. I think it’s fair to say that in general they were not particularly highly regarded. Although some shooters liked them just fine, others certainly did not, and at first, they didn’t appear to be a threat to unseat any titans of the gun glass world. However, as is usually the case with companies who survive the struggles of their first few years, they’ve made notable improvements since their humble genesis, and have taken some pointed lessons learned. Holosun in 2020 is not the same as they were in 2015, and today ever more shooters are becoming believers in products they wouldn’t have considered in the not-so-distant past. Consumers have taken notice, as have competitors, with Holosun’s pistol red dots, in particular, seeming to be gaining a fair amount market share.