This is a review of the KST1000 Shot Timer by Kestrel Ballistics. When Kestrel is mentioned as a company, most people think of their weather and wind meters. Rightly so (and we’re going to review one of those soon enough), but they also make an excellent shot timer that is designed and made in the USA.

This is a review of the brand-new Pulsar Axion XQ30 Pro, a pocket-sized thermal monocular. Unlike quite a few of the thermals we review, the price of this thermal monocular should also fit most people’s pockets. To begin with, the small size of this device has to be mentioned. Previously, a small-sized thermal has always meant a compromise in image quality, but modern technology and development can also put old truths and preconceptions to shame. Let’s see how the XQ30 Pro performs!

My first encounter with the Spohr brand began at IWA 2022, where Mr. Spohr’s incredible revolvers immediately caught my eye. The build quality was evidently superior, and the hefty price tag was justified with a visual inspection and an enlightening conversation with Thomas Spohr himself. He explained that the high cost is attributed not to extravagant materials (although, of course, Spohr uses only top-tier materials and does indeed dabble in things like Damascus steel, if you are kinky that way) but to the use of top-tier processes, meticulous hand-fitting, and avoidance of cheaper manufacturing methods like Metal Injection Molding (MIM) drive the price up. 

This is a review of the Schmidt & Bender 3-20×50 PM II Ultra Short riflescope, as a part of my mission to review all of the PM II models. I am very fond of the Schmidt & Bender 5-20×50 PM II Ultra Short, which is a perfect fit if you want to make your quality AR platform perform better. I own one, and I kind of wanted (at least) one more. Enter the Schmidt & Bender 3-20×50 PM II Ultra Short, which attracted me with its larger magnification range.

The world continues to seemingly become infatuated with the modern lever action rifle. Some may call them tactical lever actions. Perhaps the actual difference is the number of holes and M-LOK slots one has over the other. Regardless as Rossi continues to expand its lineup of excellent products they have answered the call for a modern lever action 30-30 with the R95 Triple Black 30-30. Does its performance live up to the modern upgrades it touts? Let’s dive into the Rossi R95 Triple Black review!

The LTT Beretta PX4 is taking the handgun world by…Storm? It took me years to warm up to this firearm, but I may have finally come around to it with the most recent developments from Beretta and Langdon Tactical to the PX4 Storm Compact Carry 2.

Designed in 1898 by John Moses Browning and later modernized and revived in 2014, the Browning A5 shotgun doesn’t just have a solid reputation for being a great waterfowl and upload game hunting gun, but also a rich history as a sport shooting and combat weapon during its early days. I recently had the chance to review a new-production Browning A5 shotgun that had been fitted with XS Sights’ aftermarket photoluminescent vent rib sights. In stark opposition to XS Sights’ tritium-powered night sights, their photoluminescent sights provide end-users with a more cost-effective low-light option that still provides a boost to sight visibility, without the unnecessary ultra low-light capabilities (I don’t think anyone is waterfowl hunting in the dark). Today we’ll talk a bit about the Browning A5 shotgun, how it’s evolved over the years, and also see what the XS Sights Universal Standard Dot Shotgun Vent Rib does to improve the legendary Browning A5 semi-automatic shotgun.

“The PDW in your pants,” FLUX Defense calls it (informally). And damn if it isn’t true. The FLUX Raider 365 is arguably the smallest and thinnest 9mm PDW available (well, it should be available next month). As a truly on-body concealable PDW, it stands out in a crowded market. In this review, we take an in-depth look at the FLUX Raider 365, comparing it to the 365 Macro pistol and putting it through an extensive accuracy test.

In the last couple of years, the resurgence of the Hi Power pistol has taken the market by storm. Both Springfield Armory and FN have come out with their own variants of the iconic pistol. While my write-up of the Springfield Armory SA35 is coming soon, I have spent a fair amount of time with the FN High Power and after a couple of months shooting the FN, I can tell you my experience with this modernized classic.

Garmin made some real shockwaves when it introduced the Xero C1 Pro Chronograph. It fits the advanced technology of a radar chronograph into a handy little pocket-sized tool with a simple setup and operation. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype.

Since 1996 Jaki Ltd. of Finland have been manufacturing suppressors. The company was founded by Jussi and Aki Nyyssönen, and they initially began by designing and crafting suppressors for their own personal competitive firearms. With time, almost four decades, the company and the products have evolved. To my knowledge, Jaki’s products cannot be found in the USA, but since TFB stretches on a global level with lots of international readers, it can sometimes be of interest to study various products even if they’re not available.

A while back, Leapers reached out to the crew at The Firearm Blog and asked if anybody would be interested in reviewing one of their new 1-8 LPVOs. I was particularly intrigued by this, as I was not aware that Leapers/Integrix was creating military spec optics, and I thought that they only made scopes for airsoft guns or pellet rifles. I have already done a first impressions piece on the INTEGRIX IX8 1-8X28 LPVO that you can read here. I will be briefly going over the specs here so if you want more of that information, check out the first impressions piece.

In retrospect, 2023 may have been the year of the 2011. Manufacturers big and small brought out models both cheap and expensive. Relative newcomer Jacob Grey Firearms was part of that trend with the TWC 9. When they offered to send one to TFB for review, I jumped at the opportunity to take it for a spin.

Griffin Armament makes a variety of silencers and related accessories. One of the most interesting is their A2 Adapter. It allows any silencer with 1.375×24 rear threads to mount to standard AR flash hiders. I got my hands on one and tried it on several different guns, and thought my experience would be worth sharing.

When it comes to revolvers, Smith & Wesson is one of the names associated with quality revolvers but as semi-autos are taking over more and more of the market, I have a few of their various revolver models, but never dove into any of the 686 variants and decided to dive into a new model and give it a proper shakedown. Brownells had a 3″ 686 Plus model on sale and I decided to snag it for this review. Let’s take a closer look at the Smith & Wesson 686 Plus Deluxe.

Steyr announced the new Scout Mk II late last year, and we now have one of the first shipment guns on hand for review. However, good reviews take time, and there is not much info about this gun yet. So, here is a first look at the Scout Mk II while that review is in process!

Lead & Steel is a relative newcomer in the world of firearm optics. Their first outing, the Promethean LP-1, is a rugged red dot sight for long gun use. It features a “donut of death” reticle with up to a 150,000-hour battery life. Lead & Steel sent one out to me to test, and I’m excited to write up my thoughts after the better part of a year using it on various review guns.

Bear Creek Arsenal has had a wide selection of AR15-based rifles and components, including pistol caliber carbines, AR-10’s on up to .300 Win Mag, as well as AK platforms. Today we’ll take a look at the 16-inch Bear Creek Arsenal BC-15 upper receiver fitted with their Cold Hammer Forged (CHF) barrel  I used this upper with a number of different optics and various types of 5.56x45mm NATO loads, so let’s take a look at how it did.

The EG-19 is TYPE-A’s take on a modified Glock 19. It comes with a number of upgrades over a standard Glock 19 that certainly improve the overall shooting experience and feel of the pistol in my opinion. Back in December I first got my hands on the TYPE-A EG-19 pistol and on Wednesday we published the first part of my review of this pistol. This is Part 2 of the TYPE-A EG-19 pistol review.

Welcome back to Part II of the Beretta 80x review. In Part I, we took a look at the design and features of the gun. This part of the review will focus on shooting and carrying it, which I did a lot over the last few months. Let’s get into it.

Back in December I first got my hands on the TYPE-A EG-19 pistol and was pretty enthralled with it. I still like this pistol overall but in the course of the past few months, a few blemishes have formed that make this pistol not as attractive to me. The EG-19 is TYPE-A’s take on a modified Glock 19 as I’m sure you could have guessed from its name. It comes with a number of upgrades over a standard Glock 19 that certainly improve the overall shooting experience and feel of the pistol in my opinion.

Mounting and moving optics around is a very common thing for a gun writer. I am always on the lookout for new scopes and mounts to use in reviews. When the opportunity to review the Anubis Defense “The One” scope mount came around, I jumped at the chance. 

The Beretta 80x was a major surprise when it was announced at SHOT Show 2023. The Cheetah line was pretty popular a few decades ago, but it seemed that the days of bigger-than-mouse-gun .380 ACP pistols were gone. So how does the 80x stack up? Is there a place for a pistol like this in 2024?

Primary Arms has been steadily improving and expanding its range of optics. The lineup of prism scopes has grown and undergone revisions, and the MicroPrism family is the current flagship. This review will cover the SLx 3x model, which sits between the 1x and 5x versions.

This is a review of the Pulsar Merger LRF XL50 High Definition Thermal Binoculars. High definition thermals for commercial use started appearing last year, and in 2024 we will see more and more of them. This review is TFB’s second on the subject of HD thermals, and my first. The device reviewed here is a private purchase, and it’s been my companion since the spring of 2023. After almost 10 months of ownership, it’s time to conclude what I’ve discovered.

In the world of modern rifles, there are countless options on the market. Whether it’s a bullpup, AR15, or other type of rifle, there’s a wide variety of options in the semi-auto rifle market. In the past, I’ve looked at the AKM platform and prefer the ergonomics of the AR15. There are plenty of options on the market that mix the two systems together. I recently saw some of the IWI Galils chambered in 7.62X39 and decided to try them since I have almost no experience with them. Over the last few months, I’ve had time to shoot and experience the Galil ACE. Let’s take a closer look at the IWI Galil ACE Gen II.

This is a review of the Sightmark Citadel 1-10×24 HDR. This is an affordable riflescope for short- to mid-range shooting and hunting. It comes either with a CR1 reticle (for close- to mid-range shooting and quick target acquisition) or an HDR reticle, great for close- to mid-range hunting. Both reticles are in the second focal plane.

This is a review of the Infiray Outdoor Tube TS60 which was introduced just now at the IWA OutdoorClassics 2024 exhibition in Germany. TFB got an exclusive opportunity to try it out about two months before its official release, and here’s the story in words and images.

From time to time, we cover boots here on TFB, because if you’re using a firearm, you’re more than likely using footwear at the same time. Unless you’re one of the silly people who have to take photos of your gun with your toes in the background. Today, we’ll take a look at the Sector Side Zip Boots from LA Police Gear. Even though LAPG has been a law enforcement distributor for nearly a quarter century, they’ve also been a strong supporter of non-LE civilian sales as well, so let’s zip into how they held up for me.