Back in April, I wrote up the initial differences between the XCompact and the RXP XCompact and in June I wrote a review of the RXP XCompact. I loved the RXP XCompact and ended up turning that into a range gun with the Parker Mountain Dual Compensator barrel system, but the standard P320 XCompact stayed the same for the last year. When I started carrying the XCompact regularly, I wanted to really push the gun and see how it did long term over the last year with a fairly high round count every range session. After almost a year and 5,000 rounds, let’s take a look at how the SIG Sauer P320 XCompact did.

In a market flooded with attachments and accessories for ARs, it’s hard to find pieces that make a difference. For years I was using Bravo Company’s KAG grip and overall it’s great value for the money. For $20, you get a fairly tough hand stop for your AR that can handle a fair amount of punishment without any issues. I was checking out a video online and saw an updated version of Dan Brokos’s hand stop and ultimately decided to order one. I’ve been using one for the last 3-4 months and figured it’s time to give it a proper shakedown. Let’s check out the LFT Brokos Brace Hand Stop from Dan Brokos of Lead Faucet Tactical.

Thermal spotters have many uses, anything from hunting to finding missing persons. They can greatly improve your hunting efficiency, as you can scan a part of the forest or a section of a field and quickly detect what’s out there. In fact, they work both day and night.

Vendetta Precision is a small company out of Wisconsin. They sent me their Vendetta Precision Contoured Bed Rifle Chassis (VP-CBRC), an aluminum chassis for a Savage long action receiver. I am a Savage fan and use them in my builds almost exclusively. Giving me an excuse to rebuild a rifle is always welcome.

Good afternoon subsonic adventurers and welcome to the 145th edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new R9 suppressor. Last week I laid out ideas on some of the best 9mm pistol hosts currently available. This week we head back into the ‘best millimeter’ world with a special treat – a 9mm bolt action rifle and an integral suppressor – both from my friends at Curtis Tactical. Some of you are scratching your heads saying “why would I want a bolt action 9mm host?” The rest of you are rubbing your hands together with a Gollum-like look in your eyes. Let’s take a look and see why this could be a significant milestone for quiet shooters.

This week on Friday Night Lights we will take a closer look at Unity Tactical’s Hot Button. Unity Tactical is known for their night vision height FAST mounts. Their TAPS Sync is another light/laser button tape switch but is very different from the Hot Button. We will focus on the Hot Button and show you why it is one of the best options for a remote tape switch.

What with ammo prices the way they are, a topic that I’m sure is on everyone’s mind is how do you practice shooting without having to spend say, 50 cents per round for every round of 9mm that leaves your barrel? The standard answer has always been “dry fire”. Dry firing is great advice, but it doesn’t provide the level of feedback necessary to remain proficient. Nothing can replace actually shooting your guns, but you want to close that gap as far as possible, right? Enter the laser training cartridge. This nifty little gadget helps to fill some (but not all) of the gap between dry fire training and practical shooting.

Savior Equipment makes some really nice rifle cases. I have one of their 42″ double rifle cases and it is my primary rifle case for transporting rifles to the range. However, I have been looking for mobile firearm storage and recently discovered that Savior makes two racks, the Shorty Rifle Rack and Mobile Firearm Rack.

The Aimpoint CompM5 series of sights is a hybrid between the well-known models CompM4 and the Micro T-2. Is the CompM5s the best of two worlds? With the Aimpoint CompM5s in my possession since springtime, it’s now time to come to a conclusion. I bought it from a local shop and mounted it on my Heckler & Koch MR223.

-“Would you like to review the Zeiss DTI 3/35? Zeiss brand new and first-ever thermal spotting camera?”

I have to admit that I am a sucker for nostalgia and even tributes to nostalgia. I had the honor to review and handle a piece of history in that of the M1A action and also the comfort and maneuverability of a shorter barrel and compact and sturdy stock. I of course am referring to the obvious 308 elephant in the article, the Springfield Armory M1A Tanker 308 Rifle. Love the idea of having a reliable time-proven and tested action along with some classy vintage style? Let us dive right into the  M1A Tanker 308!

We all know that tracers exist. They have pragmatic uses, especially when shooting full auto at night. When used responsibly they can be fun. However, tracers are really bright. They are like miniature flares. While they help you see where your rounds are impacting they have an opposite effect for those under fire. The recipients of your miniature signal flare showcase can see the tracers and figure out where they are coming from, assuming they didn’t catch the rounds first. Well, apparently there are such things as dim tracers. These infrared tracers are dim to the naked eye and really only show up under night vision. I ordered some and put them to the test.

A spotting scope may not be an absolute must for long range hunters and competitors, but it sure is a nice addition to your setup. To be able to call your or your friend’s shots to give him impact point corrections you also need a reticle, a feature that most normal spotting scopes lack.

Throughout my testing of the Buy vs Build 1911 series, I have come to realize there are various levels of quality 1911 magazines. I treat my 1911 magazines like modern polymer magazines and will let them drop freely onto the concrete while jamming a fresh mag in and keeping the lead onslaught continuous for the paper target bad guys.

Lasers on guns is nothing new. Most require a Picatinny rail to mount said laser or it is somehow integrated into the gun like Crimson Trace’s line of grip lasers. However Viridian has gone in a different direction with their latest and made a laser that actually fills a gap in the industry for low profile lasers. The HS1 finger stop has an integrated green laser.

Do you remember when mobile phones became common and new models with even better performance were released faster than you could apprehend?  Thermal Imaging seems to be in a similar “zone” at the moment. A Golden era, which can be both good and challenging for the consumer.

In the early days following their founding just seven years ago, Holosun’s optics sat firmly in the “budget” category. I think it’s fair to say that in general they were not particularly highly regarded. Although some shooters liked them just fine, others certainly did not, and at first, they didn’t appear to be a threat to unseat any titans of the gun glass world. However, as is usually the case with companies who survive the struggles of their first few years, they’ve made notable improvements since their humble genesis, and have taken some pointed lessons learned. Holosun in 2020 is not the same as they were in 2015, and today ever more shooters are becoming believers in products they wouldn’t have considered in the not-so-distant past. Consumers have taken notice, as have competitors, with Holosun’s pistol red dots, in particular, seeming to be gaining a fair amount market share.

An opportunity arose to review the new Ghost Gunner 3 from Defense Distributed and I swooped on it like a boomer on a 1911. The Ghost Gunner 3 is a completely new machine from its predecessors. Like the Daft Punk song, the GG3 is Harder, Better, Faster. Besides completing AR-15 lowers, the Ghost Gunner can help make a bunch of other guns and with some third party support you can open up the Ghost Gunner to perform other tasks like engraving your lowers. You can also mill other lowers like a Polymer 80, AR-10 and 1911. They are working on codes and jigs for an AK but that has yet to come out.

The QTNVG comes from the same Chinese manufacturer as the ATN PS-31 housing. The objective lenses, battery cap and power knob are all the same.

When packing for the range, it can oftentimes become a real pain trying to fit all your gear into one or two bags when you have to take out multiple guns for long term testing without packing everything but the kitchen sink. About six months ago I started looking for a new range bag that wouldn’t scream tactical but would be big enough to take a good amount of gear with the ability to stay relatively small.

Earlier this morning we announced that the Trijicon RMRcc is now available to the public to fit all of the most popular concealed carry, full size, and optics ready pistols on the market. The want and desire by shooters for a dedicated micro red dot by a big-name manufacturer has been strong for a while now, and it is finally here! Yes, there are some already out there, but they are produced by foreign manufacturers, seem nearly unattainable to the average consumer, and are not rack-your-gun-on-a-door-frame-by-the-optic durable.

Southern Cross Small Arms is an Australian company based in New South Wales. They specialize in manufacturing quality rifle chassis at an affordable price. We had a chance to review one such chassis offering from Southern Cross Small Arms, the  TSP X (Tactical Shooting Platform).

Good morning substars (copyright 2020 – Pete) and welcome to another installment of TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new R9 suppressor. Which coincidentally is our topic today  Last week we discussed damaged suppressors and the legal and regulatory hoops owners have to go through to make repairs. Repeal (and F) the NFA. This week we finally bring you a look at the the YHM R9 suppressor – a 9mm can with benefits. I’m usually not a fan of do-it-all wonder silencers. Is the R9 the exception? Let’s take a look.

Night vision is typically worn on the head. It allows for the most immersive experience and interaction with the world by having your night vision goggles in front of your face. Most people use a helmet, either a bump helmet or a ballistic helmet. Helmets are great but for some people, it is unnecessary for particular activities. Helmets are bulky and in some cases heavy. A skullcrusher can be small and lightweight. They allow you to use night vision goggles without needing a helmet. We will take a look at a couple options.

This riflescope was my first entry into the world of Schmidt & Bender, and I bought it second hand from a friend for a fair price. The box says 3-12×50 PMII LP P4F DT 1 cm, which means that it has an illuminated P4F reticle with 1 cm clicks. What makes the 3-12×50 PMII interesting is that it’s probably one of the most proven and tested scopes ever, and is or has been used by a long list of Military or Police units around the globe. The scope is used on everything from .308 to .50 caliber weapons.

An opportunity arose from my friend Jon Barrett at Kahn Media. Kahn Media represents ROUSH Performance. ROUSH Performance is famous for modified Ford vehicles like the Mustang and Ford Raptor. Jon reached out and asked if I would be interested in checking out the new limited version ROUSH Ford F-150 5.11 Tactical Edition.

Federally speaking, firearms manufactured before 1899 are only regarded as antiques.  Legally, they occupy the same regulations as muzzleloading black powder firearms, meaning that they can be bought and sold without a 4473.  Just because a gun is old, however, doesn’t mean that ammo is impossible to find.  I recently acquired an 1896 vintage Winchester 1894 and needed ammo for it.  My general rule is “no safe queens”, and that includes an antique such as this.  In my search for .25-35 Winchester (WCF) ammo, I found that one of the easily available loads still being produced is in Hornady’s LEVERevolution line.

For this week’s Friday Night Lights we resume our Dual Tube Spotlight and look at a new bino NVG from ATN. The ATN PS31 is an articulating housing that resembles an L3 PVS-31 but it has features that set it apart from the pinnacle of dual tube night vision goggles.

Back in December of 2019, I was brought out to the Smith & Wesson facility in Springfield, for the unveiling of what I would consider being one of the most important handgun releases within the last year – the Smith and Wesson M&P 9 Shield EZ. Designed to be easy to load, operate, and shoot, the Sheild EZ has fast become a favorite pistol for many. Naturally, this led to the pistol being given the Performance Center treatment with upgraded features and a snazzy new look. Smith & Wesson was able to send me out a copy for review and here I’ll give you my thoughts on what went well and what didn’t go so well (for me at least) with the Performance Center upgrades.

Shooting long range is becoming easier and easier. Off the shelf guns can get sub MOA precision and reach out to 1,000 yards with relative ease. One component that is crucial to achieving good results is the good glass. A good scope is almost more important than the rifle itself. I got an opportunity to review a U.S. Optics scope and I figured I would get one for long range so they sent me the FDN 25X.