Gatorz eyewear has a longstanding history of being durable, and the MILSPEC Ballistic Magnum is certainly no exception.  Designed and used by shooters and operators the world over, the ballistic series pairs durability alongside ANSI 787.1 mil-spec safety requirements.  Gatorz was kind enough to send a pair over for me to review this past month.  Here’s what I found.

As part of a renewed focus on quality control and enhanced features for its customers, Taurus has just launched a new grade of firearms, their “Executive Grade.”  The first of the Taurus Executive Grade firearms to hit the market, the Executive Grade 856  revolver, looks a bit like a matte stainless 3″ 856 Defender combined with the bobbed hammer of their 2″ 856’s, topped off with square-butt checkered Altamont walnut grip stocks that fully encompass the frame.

Friday is here and you know what that means. Night Chenanigans! I mean Friday Night Lights. A while ago I wrote about MP5 lighted forends. Well, now it is time to delve into lasers. There are easy ways to do this but those often have compromises and we will detail certain criteria for mounting an MP5 laser.

In the world of quality gear, there are a number of choices when it comes to high-quality boots for all-weather use. There’s no shortage of quality Goretex lined boots that offer support and are built to keep water out as much as possible. Back in January of 2021, I wrote about the Salomon Spu Sponte MKIII s which is the heavier all-weather boot. This time I wanted a lighter boot for summertime that acted more like a gym shoe. I ended up picking Salomon’s newest model and gave them a whirl. Let’s take a closer look at the Salomon’s New Speed Assault 2 boots.

When it comes to roller delayed blowback guns like the MP5 or G3, your options for triggers are rather limited. You can either buy another German trigger or have someone polish a factory trigger hoping for better results. Well, ShootingSight came out with their Heckfire drop-in trigger for MP5s and G3 clones. Let’s take a look at it.

Last year’s ammunition crisis is probably over but we’re still left with its lingering effects. Despite the cost of ammunition, the importance of training and practice still hasn’t changed and that is why many have adopted the use of dry fire training devices like the Mantis X system, or even the Stikeman Laser Firearms training system. These systems can be a great training tool whether you’re at home or traveling and can be a solid supplement to live-fire training exercises. Virtual-Shot is one of the newer training simulation devices on the market and it combines dry fire practice with augmented reality technology through the use of your phone to provide you with a fun method of practice that you can do from the comfort of your home. Today we’ll be reviewing the Virtual-Shot Mobile Shooting Simulation System and its associated mobile application to see how it stacks up against the current lineup of other at-home firearms training devices.

ARMAX is a unique gem in the firearms universe. Previously published between 1987-1996 by the Winchester Firearms Museum, it has been reincarnated.  ARMAX indeed owes its name to the Winchester Repeating Arms Co, as it was an old trademark of Winchester’s from the 1920s. Why the Museum chose it as the title for its journal is, however, “a mystery”. In its new configuration, ARMAX now encompasses firearms technology and history from the past 200 years from all over the world.

A few years ago Kinetic Development Group (KDG) came out with their Optics Hub. It is a way to up-armor a Leupold MK4 spotting scope while potentially working with other spotting scopes. Its main feature was that it gave the user the ability to attach accessories to your spotting scope. However, there was one accessory that was not really possible, night vision. Well, now the KDG NOX (Nighttime Optic Extension) has come out for mounting night vision in front of a spotting scope. Let’s take a closer look.

Throughout my life, there’ve been a few things I’ve always wanted to cross off my bucket list. After being cooped up for over a year, I decided early in 2022 that I would travel around the country for various training courses. A friend recently told me about a small training company in the northern part of North Carolina that I had to check out. I hopped in my truck and made my way down to Moyock, NC for quite the weekend. Let’s take a closer look at my experience with Aggressive Defensive Solutions firearms courses.

Lee Sporting reached out to us to see if anyone at TFB would be interested in checking out their Sporting Trigger Group for the MP5. As an ardent fan of the MP5 platform, I volunteered as tribute. Lee Sporting has made their Sporting Trigger Group utilize an AR-15 FCG (Fire Control Group) which has secondary ergonomic benefits. So let’s take a closer look at this cool upgrade for you MP5 afficionados.

Friday the 13th is here but rather than consider it to be unlucky you have Friday Night Lights to shine a light and give you hope. Today we will take a close look at a thermal device that has got the thermal users all excited. The IRay USA RH25 Rico Micro. It is an all-in-one thermal device that works as a monocular, clip-on and thermal weapon sight. The best part is that there is not much compromise and the price is actually not terrible. So let’s get into it and check out the RH25 Rico Micro!

If you’re looking to be discreet on the go, Savior Equipment has you covered with their new Pro Touring Single Rifle cases.  Designed to fool your neighbors into thinking you actually play tennis, these bags discreetly transport everything you need for a quick trip to the range. Savior was kind enough to send over both variants of the Pro Touring for me to test and review.

In the world of modular handguns, nothing really is as customizable as the SIG Sauer P320 system. As many of you know, I am quite a fan of building up P320 handguns with different aftermarket parts. Just a couple of weeks ago, I posted about the new Micro Comp from Parker Mountain Machine. While testing out the Micro Comp, I also installed my first grip module from Wilson Combat. As many of you know, Wilson Combat makes some phenomenal handguns, and I figured I would try out one of their P320 grip modules to see how it was. Let’s take a closer look at the Wilson Combat P320 Compact Grip Module.

Thanks for joining us for another Wheelgun Wednesday at TFB, where we cover all things related to revolvers. This week, we’ll take a look at the Taurus 66, with a satisfying 7-round capacity, chambered in .357 Magnum. The Taurus Model 66 was first introduced in 1978 as a six-shot revolver and gained its plus one capacity in 1999. Let’s dig in.

Recently CZ has announced their new Scorpion PCC onto the market. The previous scorpion has been a favorite on the market since its release in 2014. With a fresh look and some control changes, the new Scorpion 3+ has people talking about the new variants of the popular Scorpion line. I managed to get my hands on one and after a few months of range time, I can confidently give the new Scorpion a fair shakedown. Let’s take a closer look at the new CZ Scorpion 3 Plus.

Oh hello there. Are you here to check out the InfiRay (iRay) Clip 1 clip-on thermal imager (COTI)? Well, you have come to the right place. Friday Night Lights is a weekly ongoing series dedicated to nocturnal technology. Those consist of night vision, thermal, lights and lasers. So without further ado, let us dive into the iRay Clip 1.

Iron sights for pistols are probably one of the most prevalent frequent upgrades seen within the firearms market. Stock sights are often just fine for range work and even precise shooting in some cases, but aftermarket options like the ones from XS Sights can often offer the end-user more flexibility when it comes to effectiveness during all hours of the day. This is why night sights are often selected by concealed carriers as their standard iron sights. Night sights most commonly use tritium vials embedded within the front and rear sights (sometimes just the front) in order to give the shooter a standard notch and post sight picture during the day, and a three-dot sight picture in low light shooting conditions. XS Sights R3D (Radio Active Material 3-Dot) night sights have recently been introduced to two new platforms – the H&K VP9 OR  CZ P-10. Today we’ll be taking a look at both offerings to see what they can offer shooters who own either platform.

The MDT ORYX Chassis appears to be a product that is gaining a lot of momentum. In my gunshop, I have had a couple customers mention it in conversations. Most were liking the price point and took a “wait and see” attitude. The chassis has been on the market for a few years so, many are out there. MDT was cool enough to provide an ORYX Chassis for Remington 700 LA (long action) for review.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its various guns, gear, ammunition, and sports! Last week we talked a little bit about fixing up a High Standard Flite King using 3D printing to accomplish the task. So far it has worked out very well and further testing after I’ve made adjustments to the feed lips on either side of the magazine body has essentially solved the feeding issue and I’m also happy to report that the new follower is still holding up very well even after repeated range trips. 3D printing is truly a skill set you want to add to your list of home-brewed gunsmithing techniques if you like to be self-sufficient. This week we’re back to testing ammunition – specifically 29-grain Federal Punch 22LR Personal Defense. This ammunition is marketed by Federal as being the first “practical” option for self-defense in the 22LR category.

In the past, I have written up reviews on both the single and double port P320 compensators from Parker Mountain Machine. Like many of you, I almost always have different gun projects in the works and I wanted to test out some different products for my smaller P320s. One of the more recent things that caught my eye was the P320 Micro compensator for compact and subcompact slide lengths. I have enjoyed shooting with the full-size compensators but the micro made me wonder how much performance can come from a small comp like that. I’ve had this set up installed the last few weeks and after around 850 rounds, I have enough time under my belt to tell you my thoughts. Let’s take a closer look at the PMM P320 Micro compensator.

Welcome nocturnal aficionados to another installment of Friday Night Lights. Today we take a look at a relative newcomer to helmet-mounted administrative lighting. Streamlight has expanded their Sidewinder series of military lights and made the Sidewinder Stalk. It is a helmet light that has a variety of attachment methods and is dual fuel and multi-spectrum. Let’s take a closer look.

Wilson Combat has always been a company unafraid to let people know exactly what they produce as a company, with uncompromising quality and extreme precision.  They have also never been afraid to ask premium prices for their work.  Most Wilson firearms are 2500 dollars or more depending on how you spec them out.  So when I first heard about their new 15-round SFX9 9mm pistol being marketed as a carry gun with an MSRP of $2,895, I had to give it a try.  The new variant of the SFX9 follows a trend many companies seem to be jumping on with a short slide and barrel and a larger mid-size frame allowing for a higher capacity.

The Taurus G3XL is one of the latest offerings in the market of double-stack 9mm concealed carry pistols.  While the pistol isn’t as slim as the Glock 48 or as refined as the SIG P365XL, it’s extremely affordable and still reliable enough for concealed carry on a budget. Taurus made the correct decision to step away from its own proprietary sights and the G3X and the G3XL now offer Glock sight compatibility. This allows you much wider access to a variety of OEM and aftermarket options for sight augmentation including dovetail mounts for red dot optics, night sights for low light shooting, and sometimes even just more aesthetic-looking sights. Tyrant Designs sent me out a pair of their new Two-Piece Glock aluminum sights so I thought it might be fun to replace the factory Taurus G3XL sights with the Tyrant Designs Glock sights to see how well the two products could be melded together and to see if Taurus’ claims of Glock sight compatibility measured up.

The Athlon MIDAS HMR rifle scope is in its own series with a 2.5 to 15 magnification range, which is a good start for up-close to medium range work. The MIDAS HMR is one of three scopes Athlon sent us to review, and of the three in this review series, is the cheapest option, but they offer a wide range of optics for almost any budget. The three scopes, ARES ETR, HELOS BTR, and this MIDAS HMR have roughly the same magnification range with several different features and price points between them. Let’s see what the MIDAS HMR has to offer.

On this Friday Night Lights, we will take a look at an L3Harris Clip-On Night Vision Device – Long Range (CNVD-LR). Clip-on night vision devices are used for seeing farther at night than a typical NVG on your face. They are often mounted inline in front of a day optic like a rifle scope or spotting scope. I will compare this to other well-known clip-on night vision devices and see how the CNVD-LR stacks up against them.

A few months ago, I bought and tested the full-size AP5 from Century Arms. Made in Turkey by MKE, the full-size AP5 turned out to be a great clone if you wanted something to customize without worrying about ruining something like an original SP5 from HK. Last month, I decided to pick up its little brother, AP5-P, from a local gun shop to see how the smaller variant shook out. This gun took on three different variations from stock to braced and then moved to its final form of being an SBR. Let’s take a closer look at the Century Arms AP5-P.

Earlier this year American Marksman informed me they were importing Arsenal 7.62×39 from Bulgaria. In the wake of the Russian ammo import ban, this was music to my ears.  So in the midst of a great steel-cased ammo drought, American Marksman was kind enough to send over a couple hundred rounds of this freshly minted Bulgarian ammo for testing.

When it comes to modern sporting rifles or AR-15s, long gone are the days of humdrum, predictable configurations. Manufacturers are crafting complete rifles that are more gnarly than ever and if you are savvy enough, you too can build a rifle that will turn heads at the firing line. You simply need a bit of know-how, source some quality components, and make your vision become reality. For a shooter like me who loves the aesthetic of classic revolvers yet keeps in stride with new technology, Sharps Bros offers an appealing plus highly-functional option for the AR-15 platform. Today, we will look at their enhanced Livewire AR-15 Lower Receiver as well as additional components of theirs such as the Badlands Integrated Muzzle Brake and Blast Deflector to see how they fare in ease of build and durability. Let’s dive in!

“ Long live the lever gun!“ These were the words we frequently heard late last year as Ruger announced that they would be leaving the Marlin firearms brand more or less intact after its acquisition. However, despite the announcement, there were understandable concerns that were voiced on whether or not the new rifles made under the auspices of the Ruger would be up to scratch. However, all of you here who read TFB were more than excited to hear the news and thought that the mating of Ruger and Marlin was basically a match made in heaven. I too shared your excitement and today I’m excited to share my experiences with the new Ruger-made Marlin 1895 SBL 45-70 Govt. rifle. Today we’ll take a look at what Ruger did differently, what they kept the same, and how the new rifle measures up in the world of lever guns.

There are some holsters that become part of your wardrobe. Put your leg through here, staple this to your leg, tie that to your belt. While more intricate holster designs can sometimes give you some advantages, who has the time? Sometimes you just need a simple and reliable holster that you can throw on quickly. In my quest for Hellcat Pro holsters, I’m trying out the Black Arch Holsters Rev-Con.