When it comes to revolvers, no company is going to re-invent the wheel (or the wheelgun), but they can always be refined. That is exactly what Ruger has done with two of their Redhawks. In both a 4.2″ and 5.5″ barrel configuration they have added in sleeve and shroud barrels to help improve the accuracy.

Ruger no longer has the expansive caliber selection they used to in their No. 1 line-up of single-shot rifles, but they are not letting this model go away permanently either. Ruger recently announced they are chambering their Sporter model in .450 Marlin for those who love a caliber that thumps!

Most firearm enthusiasts enjoy being shade-tree mechanics of their firearms. There is a sense of satisfaction building your own firearm or even modifying one to your personal tastes. To cater to that segment of shooters ERGO created the MAST (Modular Armorer’s Stand). A simple, but useful platform to hold your pistol while you do your DIY gunsmithing. Likely the most modified and readily available pistol for aftermarket parts is your basic Glock. With that knowledge, that was an obvious first choice for ERGO to introduce their MAST for.

Fortunately for the former, Cimarron has added another choice to their 1851 Percussion Revolver lineup: The 1851 Navy “Laser Engraved”.  Per Cimarron:

Tactical flashlights worn on the wrist, known as wristlights by SureFire, have continued to develop since TFB first reported on them in 2013. At that time, the adornment was little more than a flashlight with a max output of 180 lumens with a steep initial price of $495. That particular light-only variant evolved significantly in both quality and consumer price – now seen on SureFire’s website for $169.

It is nearing the end of the calendar year once again so it is time for Guns and Ammo to announce their different firearm awards for 2017. In the last issue of the year and the most recent, December 2017, Guns and Ammo published that the Barrett Fieldcraft™ won their 2017 Rifle of the Year award.

Diamondhead USA’s most popular handguard is their VRS-T-556 series of free-float rails. To keep in line with current trends within the firearms industry they now have their VRS-T-556 available in an M-LOK configuration.

The Lake City Army Ammunition plant is known for making lots of NATO calibers for our military. Not only does our military appreciate their work, but many civilians like both Lake City brass casings for their own reloading purposes and the loaded ammunition they produce. Both of which are known for consistent, high quality.

Rest in Peace Interim Combat Service Rifle, we hardly knew thee. The Army’s ICSR program has joined the much more ambitious Advanced Combat Rifle program of the 1980s and the more recent ill-fated Individual Carbine program in the annals of US Army rifle procurement history.

Hornady has upped the ante of their Dangerous Game™ eXpanding (DGX) bullet by making the DGX Bonded. By making the DGX bullet with a copper-clad, steel jacket that is bonded to the lead core you get significantly improved performance on large game.

With the development of wildcat calibers that eventually become more common and less wildcat over time it is difficult for reloading companies to keep up with published, verified data. Nobody knew 10 years ago that the 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor or 6.5 Grendel would be as popular as they are today, but here we are.

If any firearm company in the last month has been kicked around more than Slidefire, I would like to hear about it. After a horrific event of historic magnitude occurred in Las Vegas where a Slidefire stock was used they have been completely murdered in the press.

Earlier this year, Tom Gomez did an excellent write up of the XDE (in 9mm). Today, Springfield Armory is releasing the XDE in .45 ACP. We had an opportunity to shoot one at the Springfield Desert Duel (the first week of November) and it definitely stays true to the characteristics of the XDE line, both very concealable and much easier to rack, due to the “low-effort” steel slide, which makes the slide easier to rack by an estimated 30%.

Advanced Firearm Accessories (AFA), LLC is becoming widely known for their AF Loader which is the world’s first automated speedloader for handgun magazines. We first ran an article about AFA LLC and their marvelous automated speedloader back on September 26th. A short time thereafter while utilizing a site called IndieGoGo to crowdfund their endeavors, they watched that stream of funding resounding slam shut. No forewarning. No nothing.

The firearms accessories company IC13, in coordination with Lunar Concepts has come out with a modern-day equivalent of the Second World War or Vietnam era bandoleers, albeit in a much less expendable version as the en-bloc clip and M14 magazine bandoleers were designed for. IC13’s INVRT is a PALS equipped bandoleer that comes in either Multicam, Ranger Green, Coyote, and Black. Essentially it is a traditional bandoleer with an additional strap and quick releases for both. On the front, it has vertical PALS webbing that allows users to attach single STANAG pouches in a row across the chest, in addition to a compact medical kit that IC13 offers as well. On the other side of a velcro section, there is horizontal PALS webbing to ideally attach a pistol magazine. Although IC13 makes all these accessories themselves as apart of their INVRT line, users can choose their own accessories to put on the bandoleer.

The Canik TP series of handguns has exploded in popularity over the last few years due to their competition ready quality at an extremely affordable price point. Being that the Canik TP series of pistols come from Century Arms, which is not entirely a household name brand, not many aftermarket parts companies offer accessories for them. One company who has finally jumped on board is TruGlo. You can now purchase from their Tritium Pro line of night sights a set for your TP series pistol.

The latest, just-released SAINT Edge has been upgraded with a number of proprietary features custom built for this rifle.

CMMG has announced that they have a new pistol caliber carbine (PCC) on the block, and it is not just the same ol’, same ol’ like you have come to expect from PCC rifles. Their new MkGs Guard 9mm has the looks and functionality to be a champion, but that does not win matches, protect yourself or win over your range buddies. What can though, is a highly reliable PCC when a lot on the market are suspect or not 100% reliable everyday of the week.

Something new is coming next year from Big Horn Armory:  The AR500 in .500 Auto Mag.  Billed as “the most powerful short range semi-auto in the world”, the ballistics on the new cartridge are most impressive if confirmed. Out of an 18″ barrel, numbers for some of Underwood’s and Doubletap’s loads well exceed ME for the .458 SOCOM and even Brenneke Black Magic Magnum Slugs.  These massive rounds aren’t so slow, either.  Many are moving along at over 2200 fps, not bad for 350-400gr bullets.  For comparison, this somewhat comparable to .458 Win. Mag/375 H&H Mag-level performance at short range.

SureFire have been awarded an additional contract to provide the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with suppressors, muzzle breaks and blank firing adapters.

Plasma Rounds! Are they real? Or are they fake? Well, to cut a long story short they are real, but not quite on the magnitude where you can challenge a Death Star. One YouTuber by the name of NSA_Listbot has created his own railgun mostly from 3-D printed parts and can make it function as either a more potent single-shot or a slightly weaker semi-automatic rifle.

Earlier this year, Tom Gomez reviewed Springfield Armory’s SAINT AR-15 and provided an excellent technical look at the rifle. Today, Springfield Armory is releasing a pistol variant.

Maglula, the company known for making very simple yet extremely effective magazine loaders and unloaders, has some more tricks up their sleeves to save our thumbs. Currently, they have a magazine loader and unloader in development for the Ruger BX-25 magazine. I, for one, am always on board for tools that make my range experience easier and more efficient. Basically, more time sending lead down range and less time monkeying with my equipment.

The cavalcade of S&W M&P 2.0 news continues, with S&W announcing new sights available as of October 25th.  The new version uses TRUGLO’s excellent TFX (Tritium Fiber-Optic) sights.  For those of our readers who don’t know, the TFX series of sights are an excellent, constantly bright combination of snag-free CNC-machined steel fiber optic sights with Tritium for low/no light use.  This particular version of of the M&P 2.0 comes with a full-size grip and 4.25″ barrel in either 9mm or .40S&W.  They are also done exclusively in a flat dark earth finish as well.  Though the M&P 2.0 full size line does include a .45ACP version, a TFX-fitted .45 has not been announced as of yet.  Product numbers are 11767 for the 9mm and 11768 for the .40.  MSRP is reasonable at $699, which is $100 more than a plain full-size M&P 2.0.  This is a real value for the upgrade, being that TFX sights on their own retail for around $170.

Shotgun manufacturer Mossberg is capitalizing on the popularity of their new firearm model by introducing a 20 gauge Shockwave variant. A quick reminder – even though the Shockwave has a 14 inch barrel and is chambered for shotgun shells, the overall length (OAL) exempts it from National Firearms Act (NFA) registration. No $200, to wait times no registration.

While reloading and hand-tailoring ammunition will give you the most accuracy for a specific rifle you own not everyone has the time, means or knowledge to do that. So Hornady, with their Precision Hunter line of ammo, have looked to fill that void of highly accurate ammo already boxed on the shelf for consumers.

A lot of us who carry on a daily basis will spend a lot of time in our vehicles. It is just a part of our frantic and productive lives. Whether you work from your vehicle in various capacities or you need to hit the grocery store to grab some milk for supper, many of us find ourselves carrying pistols in our vehicles. So what do you do with your pistol once you are in your vehicle?… Does it get tossed in the center counsel? Glove box? Side door? Or do you have a true safe place to store it?… Hornady wants to solve that conundrum for you with their new RAPiD Vehicle Safe.

We at TFB reported on October 9th, courtesy of Hrachya H., that Lobaev Arms from Russia had previously set the long range shooting world record. They used a wildcat cartridge based off of the .408 Chey Tac called a “.40 Lobaev Improved” to accomplish the tremendous feat. What the .40 Lobaev Improved offers, similar to Ackley cartridges, is an increased case capacity. Unbeknownst to the Lobaev Arms team, an American shooting team had reached out even further without their knowledge because they had not gone public with it yet. That American shooting team was led by former Navy SEAL Sniper Charlie Melton.

When it comes to cleaning and polishing your once-fired brass there are a lot of options out there for consumers. You can go with vibratory tumblers, sonic cleaners, different types of media, additives and selecting a duration for your brass to be cleaned is a consideration also. A less common, but a choice that is becoming more popular is incorporating steel pin media. To turn the idea of cleaning brass on its head, instead of vibrating, why not rotate? The new Hornady Rotary Case Tumbler is a marriage of all of these ideas.

One activity that probably all reloaders hate is sifting media out of their cleaned pieces of brass. Should you de-prime first or not? Will it be easier to get all the media out? Did I miss any? Why has no one thought of an easy way to do this mundane task in the reloading process?!