Short guns are all the rage these days. Small firearms are great in some specific applications but generally speaking, there are some sacrifices that need to be made. One of these issues is that with a shorter barrel, there’s less real estate for your support hand. This, paired with sometimes productive muzzle devices, and muzzle blast can become an issue. There aren’t many smaller PDW-style guns than the Strike Industries Strike Modular Chassis. If you want to give your SMC more capability and cut down on blast, this is the Blast Shield for Strike Modular Chassis – Alpha.

Safariland has been one of the most notable holster brands for many years. Their duty holsters are prolific, as well as many of their other options for alternate styles of carry, like concealed EDC. Their quick attachment mechanisms are also wildly popular, such as the QLS (Quick Locking System) fork and receiver plates, which have been adopted by some other brands and are utilized by shooters for numerous uses, from military to competition and more. This Florida-based manufacturer has now announced the addition of two new holster models to their catalog, embracing the proliferation of red dot-equipped pistols. Check out the press release below for details about Safariland’s new optic-ready 6390RDSO and 6354RDSO holster models.

Grayboe has updated their Phoenix stock to become the Phoenix 2. This Rem 700-footprint stock is a reshaped and improved version. Let’s take a look at some of its features.

Dave Lauck, of DL Sports has been cranking out some new modifications for revolvers lately, some of which we’ve covered here at TFB. His latest projects include a newly contoured Enhanced Cylinder Release for Smith & Wesson wheelguns, as well as new Hard Use Sights for Ruger Redhawk and GP100 revolvers. The new Enhanced Cylinder Release is for use on S&W K, L, N, and X frame revolvers.

Creedmoor Sports continues to expand their lineup of reloading tools with the new Shoulder Datum Tool. When used with calipers, it can provide a comparative measurement of shoulder setback after sizing. This tool has six separate openings that allow measurements of 79 SAAMI calibers.

Having a grip toward the front of your handguard, if used properly, can add a lot of stability to your rifle while standing. Just the same, firing from the prone position or from a table, a bipod will take away a significant portion of your natural sway. Not knowing exactly what the situation ahead will require of you, how do you choose which one to attach to your firearm? You don’t have to! Strike Industries has added its expertise to the grip/bipod attachment concept. The Strike Bipod Grip is both a bipod and a grip (have I made that clear?), meaning you don’t have to choose, and it is now available in FDELINE.

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely a shooter. Either that or you’re a politician looking for reasons to ban items that keep people alive. Assuming you’re the former, that means that you’ve spent countless hours learning how to make holes. Hopefully, you also practice plugging holes. The third hole-related topic is preventing holes. Body armor is still legal in most states, and is used by lawful citizens, firearms instructors, and law enforcement officers. If you’re on the hunt for plates, Strike Industries is now distributing Hyperion Armor RF2/Level III+ plates.

Vortex Optics has added a new member to their family of binoculars. The new Triumph HD 10×42 is an HD model at an affordable price point. Let’s take a closer look at the specifications and features.

Apex Tactical makes a wide range of handgun parts and upgrades. The venerable Browning Hi-Power is one of the guns that Apex has paid attention to. They recently announced a new mag well and extended magazines for that gun.

Despite what the keyboard warriors tell you, revolvers are not dead. Plenty of people still carry wheel guns for a variety of reasons, and for that, they need defensive ammunition. Just added to their list of options is an expansion of the Freedom Munitions X-Def line. Now available for your defensive needs, the lineup now includes .38 Special defensive loads.

Shield Arms shook up the concealed carry scene with their 15-round flush-fit Glock 43X/48 magazines. They have continued to improve that design and to add new accessories. The newest optional upgrade is a +2 extension for the S15 magazines.

I remember at one of my first gun shows, I was enthralled by the, by today’s standards, extremely long vertical grip with the bipod in it. I think it also had a spot to mount a light. That one piece of gear probably weighed almost a pound. Coming from a time when people put everything they could on their guns, it’s a giant relief that we’ve gone in the opposite direction. Firearms are slicker and accessories like VFGs and handstops have shrunk. New from Strike Industries, the Mini HandStop follows this trend, with an added bonus of cable management.

Riton Optics has added a new first focal plane 1-10×24 scope to their lineup. The new 5 Tactix LPVO features an illuminated MRAD reticle and capped turrets. It also includes a throw lever for fast magnification changes.

Cutting your slide for an optic can be expensive. Well, at least if you want it done right. It also limits you to only using optics that fit the footprint you chose. Plate systems work, but if you’re looking for a Glock, in my experience, the MOS guns are not as easy to find as they should be (optics compatibility on a “perfect” combat handgun should be standard by now, but that’s for another time). On top of all of this, there are so many red dots out there, committing to just one can be difficult. If you’re among the shooters who aren’t ready to cut your slide or choose one dot, the Strike Industries Scorpion Universal Reflex Mount Version 2 might be right for you.

Having a compact firearm no longer requires giving up your weapon’s capabilities. More and more people are finding that a rifle caliber carbine that folds makes a great defensive weapon when stored in a pack. For those who operate inside a vehicle for work, a folding stock makes life much easier. What if that folded stock prevents you from reaching the trigger, though? Well, Strike Industries has a solution for that. This is their Dual Folding Adapter, which allows the stock to fold to either side. Leave your braces buried in the backyard because this version is for use with a stock only.

Springfield Armory continues to expand its lineup of 1911 pistols with the Operator 9mm. Springfield’s Operator series needs little introduction and dates back several years. This latest version is a steel-framed, railed 9mm option.

Fulton Armory is an established name in the world of match-grade service rifles. Along with their existing line of M-14 rifles, they just announced a Black Hawk DMR tribute model. It is not a clone but is optimized for urban DMR use.

Silencer Shop needs little introduction in the NFA space. Since their founding in 2011, they have grown to become America’s largest suppressor distributor. They have made great strides in simplifying the NFA purchase and transfer process, making silencers more accessible to more shooters. Now they have also announced a partnership with Ruger to offer a new exclusive version of the popular Mark IV rimfire pistol. This new model is called the Ruger Mark IV Silencer Shop Host, or SSH for short. As you might expect from a group like Silencer Shop, the Mark IV SSH handgun is designed to be optimized for suppressed shooting. Check out all the details in the Silencer Shop Host press release copied below.

The re-emergence of SIG SAUER‘s P210 handgun has generated a fair amount of buzz over the course of the last few years. The original Swiss-made pistols were much beloved for decades, and many of those models are still in service today, primarily in Europe, nearly two decades after the original line’s cessation of production. The P210’s resurrection in its current US-made form, with the modern Carry and Target models has generally also been well-received. Now a new variant has been added to the series, with SIG’s announcement of their new P210 Carry Custom Works. Get the details on this fresh pistol model in the official announcement and product description paragraphs copied below.

Especially when beginning your journey into firearms, finding a holster that can serve double duty is valuable. Many of my students are new to firearms and are planning to carry concealed. However, new shooters aren’t always comfortable drawing from concealment, nor should they be until they’ve received real training. One brand that understands this well is Alien Gear Holsters. Their latest holster is an IWB design that can also serve as an OWB holster with a simple conversion. This is the new Photon Holster from Alien Gear.

Mission First Tactical, or MFT for short, produces a wide variety of firearms-related components and accessories. From buttstocks and grips, to rail systems and muzzle devices, to holsters and more, their product catalogue covers a fair amount of ground. Among MFT’s product lines is a series of polymer AR magazines. Their standard Extreme Duty (EXD) 30-round mags carry a $12.99 MSRP, but MFT has produced several dozen special edition versions with various graphics printed on the bodies. Their “Magazine of the Month” releases avail a limited run of one of these special designs, and now MFT has announced their latest version. In honor of the Star Wars “May the Fourth Be with You” homage, their May 2023 monthly offering displays a Beskar-pattern graphic, as a nod to the TV series “The Mandalorian”. Check out MFT’s press release below for details.

In an effort to keep your carry gun from snagging on your clothes, most modern micro-compacts are smooth. Corners rounded, edges smooth, these firearms are built for a specific purpose. However, in this process, some feel that these pistols are too smooth. Shooters understand the need for texture in strategic places, one being the magazine release. Strike Industries has just released their version of a textured magazine release for the SIG Sauer P365 series. This is the Strike Magazine Release for P365 from Strike Industries.

Armaspec has a new Ambidextrous Safety Selector called the Fulcrum. It’s intended for use on the AR10 or the AR15 platforms. Depending on the setup of your lower, it’s available with short 45-degree, full 90-degree, or 45/90-degree throw cores. The contact points are textured to increase thumb traction.

Riton Optics has been in the firearms glass game for a decade now. This Arizona-based operation offers a catalogue of more than three dozen models of riflescopes and red dots, along with a smattering of mounts, rings, and other parts and accessories. The “Conquer” series is their most numerous scope product line, with seventeen current models. Second to this is the Primal series, which has recently gained a new addition to bring it to twelve scopes. The newcomer is their latest 3 Primal 3-18×50 version, and Riton recently issued the following press release to announce its arrival.

Absolute, 1.93, lower 1/3rd. How do you decide? Well, now you don’t have to! Strike Industries entered the optic game with their SIOPTO SCOUTER, so it makes sense that mounts would be next. If you ever had issues deciding on which height to run, the new Strike Variable Optic Mount could fix that.

Nobody likes standing next to a shooter who uses a muzzle brake. Fortunately for the user of the brake, there are products that can help you save your friendships. The Strike Industries Oppressor and Oppressor Lite are not new products, but Strike is known for listening to its customers. Color trends have been angled toward OD green for some time now, which is why Strike Industries has now released its Oppressor series in ODGline.

SIG SAUER first introduced their CROSS rifle in 2020. The original AICS-fed CROSS bolt-action is available in .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .277 Fury with either a 16″ or 18″ barrel length. Since releasing the original, SIG has also come out with a PRS model which takes the barrel length up to 24″. Now they’ve announced a new addition to the series, called the CROSS STX. This newest model takes a middle ground in terms of barrel length, measuring 20″, and offers some other differentiating features such as a full-length 20 MOA top Picatinny rail and an SLH/SLX suppressor-ready QD flash hider. Get further details in the official CROSS STX product description copied below.

Known for their quality and durability Nightforce Optics has added the new MOA-XT reticle to its lineup.  The reticle is designed for quick holdovers for shooters more familiar with MOA rather than MILS.  Available in NX8 and ATACR series optics MOA-XT reticle-equipped scopes are already shipping to dealers.

Lucid Optics has produced a fair variety of different optics over the years. Their current product catalog spans three models of rifle scopes, several red dots, a 4x prismatic optic, a spotting scope, a binocular option, and more. One recent addition is their E7 red dot model, initially announced a few months ago around SHOT Show’s timeframe. The E7 is a fully enclosed micro red dot using Aimpoint ACRO-style mounting. Its boxy shape also evokes the ACRO, along with similar competitors like the Holosun AEMS. The E7’s size makes it look like it could occupy a similar niche as the above-mentioned optics, serving as either a larger pistol-mounted unit or a relatively smaller option on a carbine. Get some additional details on the E7 in Lucid’s press release, copied below.

The Brownells BRN family of upper receivers continues to grow with the addition of the BRN-9. This 9mm upper joins the 5.56, .300 BLK, and 7.62×39 options which are already available. Let’s take a closer look at what the BRN-9 brings to the table.