By now most shooters are familiar with the major players in the weapon light game. Surefire set the standard, Modlite and Cloud Defensive continue to push the envelope, Streamlight offers viable budget-friendly alternatives, and a host of other manufacturers position themselves at various levels of the market. Pistol lights are one area that has seen increasing use and demand in recent years, as more people than ever are opting to outfit their defensive or duty handguns with an integrated source of illumination. While some buyers opt for lights like Surefire’s X300-U that extend beyond the gun’s muzzle, others value a more compact form factor like Streamlight’s TLR series, some of which include a visible laser. Now with the following press release a lesser-known company, Nightstick, has announced their own entry into the compact pistol light/laser race with the introduction of their rechargeable TSM-11G. The release reads:

More news in the world of pistol optics, as Shield Sights brings a new Glass  RMSc edition to the game. In the wake of Holosun’s notable success with their 507K and 407K red dots, and hot on the heels of the release of Trijicon’s long-awaited RMRcc, Shield is updating their OG slim-frame pistol sight. Given the explosion in popularity of optics-ready slimmer-framed pistols like SIG Sauer’s P365 and P365XL, Glock’s 43X and 48 MOS versions, and the Springfield Hellcat, the market appears to be showing a clear demand both for handguns like these as well as the small optics that are designed to fit them. Most optics-ready slim-frame pistols from makers like SIG Sauer, Springfield, Walther, Canik, and Glock have adopted the standardized footprint of the Shield sight, and most other optics brands (Trijicon being a conspicuous exception) have followed suit.

Houston, Texas-based Comp-Tac Victory Gear had already been producing a variety of holster types, as well as other gun-related gear, for many years before they were purchased by HSGI in 2017. Since this merger, they have continued to expand their product lines and offer continually growing holster support for new handguns as the market’s demand directs. With Smith & Wesson’s pistol product lines experiencing ongoing growth, the need for new S&W-compatible holsters never seems to cease. After last year’s release of the M&P9 Shield EZ, as well as its upgraded Performance Center version, yet another new holster need was born. Comp-Tac got to work on it, and now with the following August 2020 press release, they have announced that five of their holster models will now include fit options for the M&P9 Shield EZ.

Viridian Weapon Technologies has been in the weapon-mounted laser business for just shy of a decade and a half. In that time they’ve expanded their product lines to offer numerous other gun accessories as well, including a laser-integrated AR hand stop, holsters, and more. They’re also currently poised for additional future innovations based on a burgeoning partnership with gunsmithing tool shop Real Avid. Other than their lasers, one of Viridian’s products that has been gaining in popularity lately is their FACT weapon-mounted camera. Given the challenges faced by modern law enforcement agencies, as well as the transparency and oversight demanded by the taxpaying public in many communities, this technology makes sense for many departments. Now with the following August 31st press release, Viridian has announced that the Nye County Sheriff’s Department has opted to get on board with the FACT as well. The release reads:

For nearly two decades, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, or USCCA, has sought to provide education, training, and legal protection for responsibly armed citizens. Their main focus is to support Americans who want to be prepared for possible self-defense and home-defense encounters, particularly in the area of legal protection after the fact. They style themselves as “…the nation’s fastest-growing organization dedicated to educating, training and providing legal protection for responsibly armed Americans. Founded in 2003, the USCCA exists solely to serve and support more than 400,000 members who have the commitment and courage to be their families’ first lines of defense.” However, they understand that defensive shooting is only one component (albeit an important one) of an individual’s or family’s larger preparedness mindset and planning initiative. If nothing else, 2020’s tumultuous events have shown this all too well. To this end, USCCA has announced a new preparedness training program with the following August 31st press release.

We all have dreamed about having our own time machine. Some of us would travel back to witness historical events, visit with distant ancestors or to memorize next week’s winning lottery numbers. But those of us who are true firearms aficionados often drift off to a place where classic, rare or historic guns are actually obtainable. Once your hands were filled with pre-1986 machineguns, most collectors would gravitate towards their core interests. For me, one of those guns would be a low serial number, new-in-box GLOCK Gen 1 G17. Today, Lipsey’s and GLOCK have offered us the next best thing: a classic edition GLOCK P80 that takes you back to where it all started.

Real Avid, some of the firearms industry’s top tool-masters, produce a host of excellent products to help home gunsmiths. These DIY gurus offer tools like the Master Sight Pusher, the Level-Right Pro precision reticle level, a comprehensive AR-15 armorer’s kit, and many more.

By now we’re all painfully aware of it: nearly all makes and models of firearms and ammo are being sold at utterly blistering rates. In-stock inventory has become harder to find than TFB TV’s James Reeves sober at a wedding. TFB reported on this trend several months ago, and it has done nothing but continue to climb over the summer months.

FN America‘s current AR-15 lineup – dubbed the “FN-15 Series” – includes eighteen models, ranging from 5.56 and 300BLK pistols to a competition-purposed model to California-compliant versions and more. FN also provides variants of these fighting rifles to various military and law enforcement groups around the globe. Primary Arms already carries dozens of FN America products, from complete firearms to magazines and more. Now Primary Arms has announced that they are adding a collection of FN’s AR barrels to their product menu.

It appears that a year after the introduction of the newly upgraded SA80 A3 the British Army is introducing a series of small but significant tweaks to improve weapons handling. The changes come following user feedback on the SA80 A3 / L85A3 rifles which have been overhauled by Heckler & Koch in a contract worth  £15 million (or nearly $19 million).

When Hollywood’s film and TV creators need prop guns of virtually any flavor, they turn to the first word in silver screen firearms: Independent Studio Services. In their forty-year history, ISS has grown from one man and his garage to become the largest prop house in the world, with eleven locations in the US and Europe. A major component of their impressive 1.5 million piece inventory is the largest private armory in North America, with more than 15,000 firearms. ISS can provide period-correct historical weapons, blank-firing modern guns, they can customize existing weapons and dress them up to be futuristic sci-fi pieces, and more. Their prop guns, armorers, and technical advisors need so many blanks for all the productions they work on, ISS even founded a sister company, High Desert Theatrical Blanks, just to manufacture screen-purposed ammo. The key gun guru behind this massive operation is lifelong firearms professional Larry Zanoff.

If you’ve ever shopped for gun stuff for more than a few seconds, chances are pretty good that you’ve come across Primary Arms. What started as a small budget optics maker has spent the last thirteen years growing into one of the firearms industry’s most prolific retailers, frequently mentioned in the same breath as major shops like Brownells, Optics Planet, and Midway USA. With supported brand names numbering in the hundreds, in addition to their own house-brand scopes and other equipment, this Texas-based operation offers a superfluity of guns and gear for a vast array of shooting-related disciplines. Now their host of loyal customers has a new reason to keep shopping with them, as they’ve announced a new “ Bonus Bucks” rewards program in the following press release.

For most gun people, the derringer pistol concept immediately brings to mind motifs of the Wild West. After classic late 19th-century firearms like Colt revolvers and Winchester or Henry lever-action rifles, derringers occupy their own solid niche in the story of the American frontier. Countless western films and TV shows have solidified this in our minds. No doubt you can picture it: when he enters the saloon, the cowboy leaves his rifle in its scabbard on his horse’s saddle at the hitching post outside, and the barkeep insists on keeping his brace of wheelguns behind the bar. But the seasoned trailhand isn’t stupid; he still has a knife hidden in his boot and a trusty derringer concealed in his shirtsleeve’s cuff, just in case a friendly poker game turns sour. Although this scene is set a century and a half ago, today the folks at Bond Arms still embrace the derringer.

When you want to learn more about virtually any firearm or piece of shooting-related gear, the internet offers numerous resources and options for you to do so. In addition to manufacturers’ websites themselves and the industry’s premier digital publication, The Firearm Blog, video-centric choices are also immensely popular. TFB’s own YouTube-based operation, TFB TV, provides educational and entertaining content to nearly a million subscribers. Given this environment, it makes sense that companies are getting on board by producing their own in-house videos, like Hoppe’s “How to Clean” series. Now with an August 19th press release, Savage Arms has announced that they are doing the same.

As a major supplier of inexpensive optics, Primary Arms Optics is continually seeking to provide shooters with new budget-friendly options. To this end, Primary Arms offers their SLx line of scopes and red dots, which are available with MSRPs of $479.99 or less. Many of these scopes are available with Primary Arms’ proprietary ACSS reticles.

Since 1969, Phoenix’s Galco Gunleather (originally from Chicago and called “The Famous Jackass Leather Company”) has produced a vast spectrum of shooting accoutrements. From holsters to concealed carry purses and fanny packs to med kits, their products offer something for nearly everyone who carries. If you do carry a firearm, its typically a good idea to pack some extra ammo.

A New Zeland man was caught earlier this year with a loaded replica pistol and live ammunition during a flight from Picton NZ to Wellington when it was discovered in a routine security scan. The passenger – Derek Ruait admitted that he was unlawfully carrying the pistol when he was confronted while trying to board his Air New Zeland flight.

This morning, August 14th, 2020, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down California’s law against magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Those who have been following this case for some time may recall that back in March 2019 the Honorable Judge Benitez temporarily struck down California Penal Code section 32310. This is the section of California law that relates to magazine capacity limits. Specifically, it makes it illegal to have any “large-capacity magazine”.  Punishments ranged from a $100 fine per magazine up to a year in county jail. That ruling resulted in “Freedom Week”, also known as the California Airlift or the Great California Magazine Rush, before the ruling was stayed pending a hearing by the 9th Circuit.

Since their founding in 2007, Sightmark has become well entrenched in the budget optics category. From red dots to riflescopes, flashlights, and laser sights, the bulk of their product offerings sit well under the $500 MSRP mark. Even their night vision lineup lives at less than $300 MSRP, a fraction of the price commanded by the NODs market’s typical baseline PVS-14 monocular. Given the lower price points usually accompanying Sightmark products, you might not expect much from them. They seem like they may be better suited for rimfires and range toys rather than serious fighting guns and duty rifles.

The gunsmithing gurus at Real Avid offer an expansive line of tools for your firearms-fixing needs. From their build tools, optics mounting equipment, cleaning gear, and more, if you work on your guns at home chances are they have a product that can help you. Now with an August 4th press release, Real Avid has introduced a new addition for you pistol smiths: the Master Sight Pusher tool.

This episode of TFBTV is an interview with SIG Sauer where James Reeves asks Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer at SIG, these 20-ish questions that Patreon and SubscribeStar supporters mailed in. James nerds out in this interview and Tom gives us the details on the SIG MPX (maybe in 10mm?), The SIG MCX Spear, the news on SIG Germany, SIG’s new 3D printed cans (the SLX, SLH, and MOD X), the P320, and even talks about the gun SIG is proudest of making. There’s all of that and more in this special episode of TFBTV.

Plenty of shooting-related endeavors can benefit from, or in some cases require, the use of long-distance glass. Sometimes spotting scopes fit the bill, but other times what you really need is a binocular. As we draw closer to the hunting season, binoculars are certainly something to consider for your fall deer-chasing loadout. And while most of us would like to have a higher-end set, that’s not always in a hunter’s budget – or it may be that an inexpensive bino is simply more appropriate for your hunting/shooting situation. In this case, Bushnell has you covered. In an August 7th press release, they have announced that the new Powerview 2 series of binoculars is shipping now. The release reads as follows.

In December of last year, TFB first reported on a forthcoming new bolt-action rifle from SIG Sauer, the Cross. SIG gave us a better look at this bolt gun at SHOT 2020, and TFB TV got their hands on one as well. With an initial offering of three calibers and two finish options, SIG let us know at that time that they were shooting for a summer 2020 release date. They positioned this new offering as a hybrid between traditional hunting rifles and modern, lightweight precision rifles. They also emphasized the similarities, particularly with regard to controls, with the AR-15 platform. The idea with these was to provide an easier, more seamless transition from one of the world’s most commonly-used firearms, with which so many shooters are already familiar and comfortable. After months of waiting, this hotly-anticipated rifle is finally on the way to dealers and end users. In an August 6th press release, SIG has announced that it is shipping now. The release reads as follows.

Optics powerhouse Nightforce carries an interesting and unusual history. Most people express surprise when learning that one of recent history’s most preeminent scope manufacturers, one whose glass is trusted at some of the highest tiers of many militaries including that of the US, started life as a light company founded by an Australian dentist. Since the 90s, Nightforce has grown to produce some of the most sought-after riflescopes in the industry. One of their most notable is the NX8 series. While the 1-8x NX8 LPVO is a favorite of many AR shooters, the line also has options for long-range enthusiasts as well, with 2.5-20x and 4-32x models. Now those higher power options are expanding, as Nightforce has just announced new next-gen second focal plane versions of these models for an August 5th launch date. Here’s what Nightforce has to say about the new F2 glass, specifically the official description for their SFP 2.5-20x.

Vision enhancement technologies like thermal and night vision used to be like wizardry to the vast majority of civilian shooters. These borderline magical, mythical devices were almost never seen by those outside the military or some law enforcement agencies, much less actually used or owned. Today, much of that has changed. Now civilian night vision goggle ownership has become far more accessible and common among shooting enthusiasts, and less cost prohibitive than it used to be. Beyond just being fun, the practical applications of these tools are particularly valuable among hunters. Certain pest animals like feral hogs and coyotes can devastate hunting grounds and disrupt agriculture, and in many places, it’s perfectly legal to hunt these menaces at night. In days past, the only way to accomplish this was by virtue of visible lights, which almost invariably spook nocturnal animals and make night hunting more difficult. But with the proliferation of products like commercial-spec PVS-14s and AGM thermal monoculars, low-light firearms work is more accessible than ever.

The US military is constantly seeking to develop the next best thing in warfighting technology. Some of the most important pieces of this technology are our weapons systems. TFB has recently reported on some of these initiatives, like the new M110A1 Squad Designated Marksman Rifle, the Next Generation Squad Weapon program, and a potential heavy barrel upgrade for the M4. Of course, any kind of firearm, new or old, is going to have to have ammunition. In this realm, it is well-known that Federal is one of the best in the business. In addition to products like their renowned hunting rounds, every day carry, and target loads, they are also a major supplier of bulk military ammo. This does not appear to be changing anytime soon, as an August 4th press release details a new contract for them to continue supplying the US DoD for the Next Generation Carbine Technologies program.

The mount masters at Reptilia Corp. are at it again. They’ve given us excellent light bodies, they’ve given us RMR add-on mounts for LPVOs, they’ve given us solutions to add devices like the Wilcox RAPTAR to our scope mounts, and more. With a professional pedigree that includes prior experience at beloved companies like Magpul, Advanced Armament Corp., SilencerCo, and Crye Precision, it’s no wonder the Reptilia staff keeps cranking out the hits. Now with their latest product release, Reptilia is expanding your mount capabilities to include micro optics like the Aimpoint H- and T-series or the Comp M5, as well as the many other makes and models that use the same footprint. Meet the new Reptilia ROF-90 for 30mm Geissele Super Precision mount and Aimpoint Micro, shipping now. Reptilia’s official product description reads as follows.

True Velocity have announced that they have supplied the US Army with 170,000 rounds of their polymer cased 6.8mm TVCM ammunition. The delivery was made in May in support of the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon first phase of prototype testing.

After an 18 month investigation, the office of the Attorney General of New York has announced their intentions to dissolve the NRA based on allegations of financial fraud and abuse. The NYAG lawsuit claims that the gun rights organization and some of its leadership were involved in financial misconduct of millions of dollars. The organization has suffered criticism over the last few years after reports of alleged lavish spending of membership funds and donations. Most recently, the 2020 NRA Annual Meeting was cancelled due to pandemic concerns.

Turkish gunmaker Hatsan is known for their widely varied line of Escort shotguns. In addition to scatterguns, they also make a series of air rifles – even one that shoots arrows. These airguns can serve as fun plinkers, teaching/training tools, or handle some small game hunting and pest eradication duties. If you’re tired of squirrels getting into your carefully-tended backyard garden, Hatsan may have a gun for you. Now with an August 4th press release, they’ve announced a new multi-caliber air-powered weapon: the aptly-named Hydra.