Most people know Wilson Combat for their high-end handguns, particularly 1911s. Bill Wilson and his team in Berryville, Arkansas have been putting out highly regarded custom firearms for decades, and today they offer an impressive menu of guns with equally impressive price tags. Even with the hefty cash outlay involved, many shooters assert that these guns are some of the best around and well worth the cost. Wilson Combat does get outside the 1911 world from time to time, and recently released a collaboration with SIG Sauer in the form of a high-end custom variant of the P320. Another non-1911 foray extends to the long gun game, with some AR-15 and PCC offerings. Firearms distributor Davidson’s, known for their exclusive versions of many manufacturer’s guns, offers some Wilson exclusives as well. Now they’ve announced an exclusive model of Wilson Combat’s 5.56 AR, dubbed the PPE, with the following press release.

Pen guns are unusual creatures in the menagerie of firearms designs. And no, that’s not a reference to the horror show “PEN-15” rifle assembled by TFB TV’s James “Questionably Frequent Phallic Jokes” Reeves with his motley crew of Mailroom series viewers and Discord members. Actual pen guns are firearms that are considered to be disguised to look like innocuous simple tubes like writing pens, hence the name. They are classified in the “Any Other Weapon”, or AOW category under the NFA (National Firearms Act of 1934) along with other such oddities like knife guns or umbrella guns. They are understandably uncommon, and most regular people who have production versions, like TFB’s own Nick C with his Braverman Stinger, consider them to just be “range toy” novelties. However, pen guns have a fascinating deeper history rooted in espionage, intrigue, and assassination.

“Every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. All other conditions are secondary.” When General Alfred M. Gray Jr. first spoke these words many years ago, he probably didn’t anticipate just how ubiquitous they would become for the Marines who were to follow. Prior to becoming the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1987, Gray used the experience and lessons learned from his time in Korea and Vietnam to oversee significant updates to USMC training, including the emphasis on marksmanship from whence his famous quote came. Although some infantry Marines scoff at the idea that their non-combat counterparts could be their equals when it comes to the art and science of the gun, in general, the “ every Marine a rifleman” idea has taken root over the last half-century or so.

Following a discussion by the US House Armed Services Committee about the ‘Modernization of the Conventional Ammunition Production Industrial Base’ on 22nd September True Velocity released a statement explaining how their technology and processes can be leveraged to update ammunition manufacturing. During the hearing, General Edward M. Daly, Commanding General, Army Materiel Command explained that the Army is looking to reduce single points of failure within their current system and reduce reliance on external/foreign material sources.

Earlier this week the Mexican government claimed that it has caught a United States Citizen attempting to bring 13,000 rounds of smuggled ammunition through the border crossing at Nogales which is right across from the State of Arizona. At the time of writing the perpetrator has been taken into custody by the Mexican government.

High Speed Gear, Inc. (HSGI) produces some of the most popular shooting-related accessories in the business. From belts to bags, holsters, chest rigs, plate carriers and more, if you’re looking for a piece of gun gear there’s a decent chance they make something you could use. The products for which High Speed Gear is best known, however, are their TACO pouches. These mag pouches are used by warfighters, competitive shooters, and plenty of others. Last year HSGI was contracted to supply the US military with more than 30,000 TACO pouches in conjunction with Heckler & Koch’s fulfillment of the Army’s SDMR (Squad Designated Marksman Rifle) contract.

Glock is no stranger to a good lawsuit. For many years now, this titan of the handgun world has made repeated headlines for a smorgasbord of litigation. They’ve filed suit against others, they’ve been sued, and numerous times members (or former members) of the operation have even gone after each other. Thankfully, TFB TV’s own James “Not Disbarred Yet” Reeves has thus far avoided a lawsuit target for leaving his G17 out in the rain earlier this year. All the way back in 2014, the Austrian-based firm sued an airsoft company over unlicensed replicas. Six and a half years later, this lawsuit has finally concluded, as detailed in the following press release.

The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) foundation that specializes in youth shooting and guidance programs. The SSSF contributes to the next generation of shooters in the United States by providing youth development programs with adult coaches to foster sportsmanship, responsibility, honesty, ethics, integrity, and teamwork among other valuable life skills. In addition, they also award scholarships to student shooting athletes.

The German Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) have revealed further details on the tender as well as the future timeline for the procurement of the Bundeswehr’s next service rifle system.

There is no debate that COVID-19 has changed the world in a significant way. The firearms industry is often subject to the ebbs and flows of society but in particular, the situation surrounding COVID-19 has significantly impacted both firearms owners and the industry itself. The guys over at Bear Creek Arsenal have collected 10 key statistics about firearms sales during COVID-19. Big thanks to those guys for gathering this data.

Although they do sell some modern firearms, Royal Tiger Imports‘ bread and butter are historical and surplus guns. From British Lee Enfields and Italian Carcanos to German K98 Mausers and French rifles with unusually fun names, Chassepot Fusil Gras Artilery Muskatoons, if a gun is old and a bit patinated, odds are Royal Tiger has an interest in it. And when it comes to the firearms of the US military’s yesteryear, among the most important would have to be the M1 Carbine.

SIG Sauer is a worldwide leader in the design and production of firearms, and has been for many years. This is common knowledge. What is a bit less well-known is that SIG is also heavily involved in the training aspect of firearms, not just in manufacturing. They well understand that it isn’t good enough just to have quality guns, we must also be experienced, trained, and proficient in their use. To this end, they maintain the SIG Sauer Academy in Epping, New Hampshire. They describe this facility as:

Although you may not be too familiar with the Sellmark name itself, you are likely very familiar with some of the more customer-facing brands of which Sellmark is the parent company. Probably their best-known brand in the consumer market is Sightmark, a prolific manufacturer of inexpensive optics. If you are into the thermal/night vision game, you will likely be aware of Pulsar, whose optics have been helping people see and shoot in the dark since 2008. Kopfjager’s shooting rests and tripods are built for precision shooting, and Firefield’s optics and accessories are geared toward providing budget-friendly options for training, MilSim, and plinking. Now Texas-based Sellmark has partnered with Phoenix Weaponry and Hornady as well as their own internal brands to offer a charity auction for the benefit of the Texas Game Warden Association. See their press release below for details.

One of the few positives to come out of the dumpster fire year that has been 2020 is the fact that the last six months have started opening more peoples’ eyes. Whether due to pandemic panic, supply chain interruptions and goods shortages, or civil unrest, more Americans than ever are coming to realize that firearms ownership is a good thing. And beyond that, more people are thinking about bigger-picture preparedness. After all, as most seasoned firearms enthusiasts are aware, your gun collection alone is not enough. Your experience, expertise, and legitimate training with said guns are all critical as well. And looking even beyond that, if you really want to be prepared – that is, if you’ve adopted a true preparedness mindset – defensive firearms are only one component of planning. In addition to being a premier firearms school, KR Training in central Texas thoroughly understands these elements. That’s why they, along with preparedness author and thought leader Paul T. Martin, have announced a new virtual preparedness conference with the following press release.

A new Osprey Publishing book titled “The PIAT: Britain’s Anti-Tank Weapon Of World War II” written by none other than TFB’s own Matthew Moss has been published recently. As the title implies, the book tells about the history and design of PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank), an iconic British WW2 anti-tank weapon. Developed in a secret British R&D organization colloquially known as “Churchill’s Toyshop”, the PIAT proved to be a successful replacement of the outdated Boys anti-tank rifle and a much better tool for British and Commonwealth troops for piercing holes in Panzers.

When SIG Sauer released the original P365, it quickly became a hit. It made TFB’s “Prancer’s Perfect Pistols” list for Christmas 2018, it earned Reader’s Choice honors in 2019, it was listed as a “Best Summer Carry Gun”, and James “Sky’s Out Thighs Out” Reeves declared it a game-changer in his “Guns of the Decade” list, among a host of other accolades. Today SIG advertises their P365 series as “America’s #1 Selling Handgun”. The SAS version followed the original, and given the smaller P365’s success, many pistoleers cheered when SIG came out with its big brother: the aptly-named P365XL.

Hoppe’s No. 9 – if you’re a firearms enthusiast, you almost certainly know it and love it. That familiar, pungent, acrid aroma is so ubiquitous in the gun world that you can even get candles and air fresheners scented like the classic 117-year-old cleaning concoction. It’s been one of the most popular firearms maintenance products for decades, and over the years they’ve expanded their product lines to include a plethora of other offerings to further help shooters keep their guns in good order. Recognizing the brand’s prominence, Davidson’s has brought them into the fold. With the following September 15th press release, this top-tier firearms wholesaler/distributor has announced that they will now be offering Hoppe’s products in their expansive catalogue. The release reads as follows.

If you’re a regular TFB reader, you will likely already be aware of the lawsuit that Trijicon filed against Holosun earlier this year. In short, the lawsuit alleged that Holosun infringed on Trijicon’s “Optical Sight” patent, #US8443541B2. You will likely also know that the suit has already been settled and that Holosun recently released a statement about it. This statement was exceedingly brief and general, and mentioned that “…terms of the settlement were not disclosed.” Now with a September 8th press release, copied below, Trijicon has issued their own decidedly brief statement on the matter. There is one interesting point in it that seems to color the resolution with a markedly different perspective.

Firearms dealers are having a crazy year. Whether you have a front-line brick-and-mortar storefront, a range that also sells products, you’re an online retailer, a home-based FFL, a distributor like RSR Group or pretty much any other gun-related business, 2020’s weirdness has almost certainly affected your business. Some of these effects have been positive – demand for guns and ammo has never been higher, and millions of Americans are becoming first-time gun owners. New, higher background check numbers have continued to come out throughout the year, and internet sales pretty much across the board have seen a major boost as circumstances have led buyers to accelerate the already-extant shift toward online shopping and away from in-person purchases.

The venerable 1911: love it or hate it, view it as outdated or enduring, it’s hard to argue against the design’s historical importance. It served as the US military’s standard issue sidearm for the majority of the 20th century, through multiple conflicts including two World Wars (not that any 1911 fanboy would ever let you forget that fact). Millions have been made and sold, from the original version to more modern takes on it from companies like Wilson Combat, Springfield, and many more. While plenty of them have been intended as hard-use handguns, others have been more artistically inclined and meant to be admired more than fielded. With a September 15th press release, Davidson’s has announced a collaborative version with Colt and Baron Engraving which falls squarely in the latter category. The release reads:

Primary Arms Optics has been putting out solid scope options at a variety of price points for years now. Among their other popular products like red dots and variable-power scopes, you will find a selection of prism scopes. In July, TFB reviewed a new addition to the Primary Arms lineup: their SLx Gen III 5X optic. Our reviewer, Luke C., was generally positive about the 5x version as a budget-friendly or entry-level choice. In addition to that version, Primary Arms is also now shipping the lower-powered 3x model, and advertises both of these new iterations as upgrades over previous models. Their press release on these two prism scopes reads as follows:

Over the years, TFB has brought you some occasional tidbits about the GM6 Lynx. In 2018 it featured in a “Picture of the Day” post, in 2016 Nick brought you some cool factory tour content, and in 2014 he gave you a cool video of this behemoth in action. This unusual rifle is almost undeniably cool, but there have been two primary problems with it so far. For one, access: the Lynx is made in Hungary by a company called SERO International – and they don’t appear to have a US-based direct subsidiary or sister company to provide this .50 to potential buyers in the states. The second issue has been cost. On the rare occasion you could find one, you were looking at a price tag probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000. Not exactly budget-friendly for most shooters!

The federal government’s previous ban on bump stocks has been granted a petition for a rehearing after the earlier decision to uphold the bump stock ban was reached previously. The Original ban which went into effect in 2018 and made bump stock devices illegal to possess, will now be reheard by in the 10th Circuit court.

In January of this year, SHOT Show 2020 went on just as so many had before. Throngs of industry professionals milled about, discussing the next big things for firearms, ammo, optics, shooting accessories, and more. As the months of Coronavirus precautions have continued to extend well beyond the initial expected timeframe, it has lead some people to wonder about SHOT Show 2021. Would it require reduced capacity? Would it involve adjustments to the venue to spread people out more? Would it even happen at all, or might it be cancelled outright like the 2020 NRA Annual Meeting in Nashville was, just a few short months after SHOT Show 2020? Fortunately – at least for now – it appears that we are still green-lit for Vegas in January 2021. SHOT Show’s organizing body, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is taking measures to assuage people’s Covid fears but still carry on with the industry’s largest (and arguably most important) convention this coming January. To this end, they have announced that the gun cleaning and maintenance mavens at Otis Technologies have agreed to supply SHOT 2021 attendees with a veritable ocean of hand sanitizer. The NSSF’s press release detailing this new specialty sponsorship reads as follows.

When shooters hear the name Steyr Arms, most probably think of the AUG right away. The iconic Austrian bullpup’s distinctive aesthetics are hard to forget, after nearly half a century it’s still in use by a host of military and police units around the globe, and it enjoys a loyal fan base. Many people likely don’t even realize that Steyr produces a plethora of other firearms designs in addition to the AUG. From their M9-A1 and A2 MF 9mm pistols, to their Merkel line that includes models like single-shot rifles and over/under shotguns, to a menu of bolt-action rifles, there’s more to Steyr than you might think.

SAR USA is the exclusive American importer for 140-year-old Turkish gunmaker Sarsilmaz. Although they are not a major household name in the US, their parent company produces a significant number of firearms for many countries all over the world. Their catalogue includes a dozen handgun models chambered in 9mm and .45 ACP, and as you might expect from Turkey, a line of shotguns. Their shotguns come in both semi-auto and break-open flavors. Sarsilmaz is also the sole pistol supplier to the Turkish Armed Forces.

Boyds Gunstocks has been in the firearms industry for nearly four decades, since their founding in 1981. The South Dakota-based shop specializes in aftermarket rifle and shotgun stocks made out of a variety of hardwoods. They have amassed an impressive amount of expertise in this niche over the years, and today they can make stocks for a massive array of different firearms from a list of over two hundred supported manufacturers. From Adams Arms to Zavasta and in between, they’ve got your wood stock needs covered. They can even outfit some old-school or obscure makes and models, like JC Penney and Sears (yes, they used to sell guns – many moons ago!) with replacement wood. You can even have them outfit your modern AR-15 with wood furniture, with brands like BCM, Knight’s Armament, and Spike’s Tactical on the options list.

Competition in the firearms and firearms accessories market benefits consumers. It stands to reason, right? One of the best ways for a company to earn your business and make you a customer is to put out superior products. If they produce something that you want to buy more than you want to buy a different manufacturer’s comparable offering, they win your business – and in the process, you also win by virtue of improvements and innovations to which you gain access. Another option for a company to make themselves and their products more attractive is to sell them at a lower price point. Most consumers are mindful of their spending; they have to be judicious about how many of their dollars they are willing to relinquish and to whom for what. Buyers in general want good value – some of which will involve the quality and features of the product in question, but cost combines with other considerations to comprise a comprehensive value proposition. It’s not enough just to make a product; you have to sell it at a price that people are both able and willing to pay. Trijicon and Holosun both understand these precepts well, and they recently locked horns over how one another was going about their business.

Many cities, including the one I most recently resided in, have tried and often failed to implement the “gun buyback” program concept – New York is no exception. Basically, the city will offer to buy firearms from citizens in exchange for a paltry sum of money – no questions asked. A recent NYC gun buyback conducted in Queens this year failed to procure even 50 firearms from the Borough’s 2 million-plus residents.

India and Russia media reports suggest that the deal for India to procure and produce the AK-203 rifle has been agreed upon. The deal will provide the Indian Armed Forces with a much needed new service rifle.