Looking through quality glass is a life-changing experience. Where you once thought that your Walmart binoculars or $150 Amazon scopes were “just as good”, you now felt as if you had supernatural powers. Not long ago, mind-bending optical clarity first required receiving an inheritance or a bank loan. But in 2020, a mid-priced optic can provide the user with a professional view of world without the tuition payment costs. At the risk of alienating you with my bad puns, the CS.1 Maven spotting scope is a real eye opener for an obtainable price of $650.

What a crazy five months it’s been; from lockdowns to social distancing and masks to travel bans, the world has transformed us into hermits. But, unless you live in a state where even outdoor recreation is restricted, exploring nature has been one of the best ways to maintain sanity. Our friends at 5.11 Tactical air dropped some relief packages early on in the year to help with our adventures, and for the last five months, I’ve been putting them through their paces. Let’s take a look at some 5.11 bags, packs and boots that have helped me to escape the viral madness.

When it comes to tactical accessories, they typically come from military use. However, in some cases competition world can sometimes lead the way. Offset mounts for red dots are nothing new. 3-Gun shooters in Open Division are allowed multiple optics and some of the fastest shooters will run an offset red dot along with their magnified optic of choice. It is just faster to roll the gun to get a 1x sight picture with a red dot for faster target acquisition and close-range shooting. Well, lately a couple companies have taken this concept and are making it for the tactical crowd with night vision use in mind. TREX Arms has their T.REX Offset Mount while Valhalla Tactical has their RUKH offset mount.

The Ithaca Model 37 started life in 1937 in Ithaca, NY.  The design is derived from the JMB designed Remington model 17.  Chambered in 12 and later 20 ga, the 37 had a few interesting facets of its design that made it somewhat unique.  One was the slab sided, bottom ejecting receiver.  The other was the ability to slam-fire when the slide action was cycled with the trigger held back.  This was not by accident, but an ability afforded by via a second sear that would release the hammer when the bolt had gone fully into battery (sadly discontinued in the mid-1970’s).  Ithaca 37s were used by the United States military in WWII and in Vietnam by both US and ARVN forces. Interestingly enough, Trench Gun models of the Ithaca 37 marked with the ordnance bomb issued during WWII can be worth over $10,000!

Besides being fun to shoot, guns can also be works of art or marvels of engineering.  Understanding the man or men who designed a particular firearm can give one a better appreciation for the firearm in one’s hand.  Whether its Peter Paul von Mauser, John Moses Browning, Hiram Maxim, or our subject for today, Samuel Colt, it is incredibly interesting to read the writings of their journals and actions of their lives.  Understanding the who, when, where, and why paints a much fuller picture of the “what” – the gun in one’s hand.  In this case, that gun is an icon of America: The Colt Revolver.

After the new Specialist Long Range Precision Rifle Bag from Savior Equipment was released this spring I got the opportunity to try it out. I’ve now had it for about three months and it’s time to look at how it performs.

In the past couple weeks SilencerCo has been teasing that they had a new product coming down the pipeline. Logic would make us assume that it is another silencer, but SilencerCo very recently also dropped a NEW Enhanced BCG (Bolt-Carrier Group) so you never truly know. They also had left us with some fun word-play to see if we could read between the lines:

When the Vortex Razor AMG UH-1 came out, it was a great alternative to other holographic sights like the EOTech HWS. It is robust, has fewer parts and does not require a hood to protect it. However, there was one drawback to the UH-1 and that was the lack of a night vision compatible setting. Well, now Vortex has come out with an updated version. The AMG UH-1 Gen II will now work harmoniously with night vision goggles.

Earlier this year we gave you a head’s up about the new upcoming products from Pulsar Thermal Imaging. Time flies and I’ve had the opportunity to examine and use both the Pulsar Accolade 2 LRF XP50 thermal binoculars and the Pulsar Trail 2 LRF XP50 thermal riflescope for a few months.

The CMMG Banshee/Resolute line of PCCs is one of the more impressive systems that has come out lately.  Instead of being straight blowback, it is a radial delayed blowback system. This enables the Banshee to be able to withstand higher pressure cartridges like 10mm Auto, and have softer felt recoil and less gas to the face than a conventional blowback firearm would.  Previously compatible with Glock, Colt SMG, and FN Five-seveN magazines, the Banshee/Resolute line has a new series compatible with SIG P320 magazines: The Mk17.

Ruger has just released their most patriotic rifle yet with its Fourth Edition Vote 2020 10/22 rifle. Ruger sent me a copy recently to get a closer look at and as with all the collectors series rifles, this one has some quality workmanship put into it as well as some neat additions to the package that make it truly collectible. So today we’ll be looking at the fourth rifle in the 10/22 collectors series and see what it’s all about.

Earlier I reviewed the DBAL-D2 and DBAL-A4. While the DBAL-D2 is a big bloated workhorse and the DBAL-A4 is Steiner’s flagship laser device, the DBAL-A3 is probably the most popular weapon laser out of their catalog. The DBAL-A3 comes in a variety of power options and finds its roots in an older model variant. Let’s take a deeper look at the DBAL-A3.

Over the years I have seen several pictures of rifles on tripods, and finally, the temptation grew to get my own system. With some money to burn, I still wanted to keep the budget fairly low. I also wanted something light, so I decided to look for solutions made in carbon fiber. The tripod I was looking for was going to be used for cameras, spotting scopes and rifles. The choice fell on the INNOREL RT90C, which I bought from the INNOREL Official store on Amazon. The price was roughly $300.

The Firearm Blog continues its mission of reviewing as many of the Schmidt & Bender PM II Riflescopes as possible. Previously we had a look at the top-seller S&B 5-25×56 PM II and the S&B 1-8×24 PM II ShortDot Dual CC, one of the few riflescopes with reticles in both planes. In this review, we’re going to take a closer look at the 3-27×56 PMII, a High Power version with an impressive 9 power magnification range. TFB’s “system” also includes a Spuhr mount and the Aimpoint ACRO C-1 red dot.

Pen guns are stereotypically an NFA item. They are considered AOW (Any Other Weapon) because of their concealed nature. Pete has an integrally suppressed AOW pen gun. However there is another option, the Braverman Stinger is a non-NFA pen pistol.

After a bit of waiting, the Shadow Systems MultiRole (MR) 920 handgun was shipped to me. Being a hit at SHOT Show 2020 they have seen a huge increase in demand. No surprise from me as I am a true believer in their MR918, it is still my EDC. As I said in my earlier review, Shadow Systems pistols are the real deal (read it here).  When I spoke with their general manager back in January he told me about their upgrades in the new model. I took away from the conversation the concern of them fixing something that was not broken. Why change the MR918? There is NOTHING wrong with it. Well, I have had the MR920 for over a month, let me tell you I could not be happier!

Whether you work in a gun shop, collect firearms or scour the internet looking for great photographs of guns, it is easy to get drowned out scrolling passed the endless pile of cheap 1911 pistols. It has been a trend since the patents of the beloved grandfather of modern firearms, John Browning, have expired that companies around the world make clones and even chincy copies. Militaries skirted patents and produced copies even when they were not expired to have such a profound design defending their soldiers.  Springfield  Armory’s  Defend Your Legacy Series MIL-SPEC 1911 is affordable but it is definitely not cheap. This is one of those very few examples where the “You get what you pay for” phrase does not apply. Want to know more? Let’s dive right into the  Defend Your Legacy Series MIL-SPEC!

The Leupold LCO, or “Leupold Carbine Optic” is a robust Red Dot Sight (RDS) with a 1 MOA dot. Leupold’s LCO product information states that they put each optic through their “Punisher” test, but I decided to put it through a couple extra paces anyway when I received the opportunity to review the LCO. The RDS is a unique optic on several levels, which I’ll expound on in this dive into the Leupold LCO.

In the world of night vision hunting, thermal monoculars have become indispensable. For a long time, the BAE SkeetIR has been the monocular of choice for many serious hunters. Recently a Chinese thermal company has come out with a monocular to rival the SkeetIR. The iRay MH25 has been colloquially dubbed the “China-Skeet”. I got to borrow one and check it out.

The Magpul MP5 SL Handguards and other furniture were announced back at SHOT Show 2019. You may have seen Will’s post here on TFB, they are now available. As soon as they were announced I ordered them for my HK SP5 and Omega MP5K-PDW clone. Let’s take a closer look at the Magpul MP5 SL handguards.

I first encountered an early version of Leupold’s Freedom RDS at SHOT 2019.  Full credit goes to TFB’s Nick C., who noticed the sight during the setup day prior to Industry Day at the Range.  The sight was interesting enough, being an American-made RDS at a reasonable price point.  The 2019 version of Leupold’s Freedom RDS had a gold ring as part of the VX line. For 2020 it is updated with a “Black Ring” to bring it more in line with the “Mark” series of riflescopes.

Welcome back to  The Rimfire Report! In this ongoing series, we review, discuss, and explore the various aspects, firearms, and practices of the rimfire world. This week we’ll be reviewing the Taurus 942 small frame revolver in 22LR. This pocket-sized pistol can do just about anything from concealed carry duty to recreational plinking.

Over two years ago, when I only had a PVS-14, I wrote about budget POV cameras for night vision. POV cameras are nothing new. There are those sunglasses that have a built digital camera. I used to invert a GoPro over my left eye when I was learning to shoot USPSA. But filming what you see when you wear night vision is a little harder. There is one established POV recorder called the LPMR by BecauseOperator. However, a relative newcomer to the night vision POV recorder game is the ANVRS MK3 by Unobtanium Gear. In this article, I will compare the two POV recorders as they are similar in function but are drastically different from each other.

Earlier I reviewed Primary Arms’ MD25 red dot sight. Well, they also have a new GLx 2X Prism with ACSS CQB-M5 reticle. It is a simple, compact, lightweight 2x optic and they make a version that is set for .300blk/7.62×39. I requested it specifically to test it on two .300blk guns, my Troy Pump Action Rifle and the Pork Sword.

The CZ Scorpion Evo is one of the most popular pistol caliber carbines. It is affordable and is a lot of fun to shoot. It was brought into the US as a pistol but after a short while, CZ USA started offering it as a full carbine. While rifles are cool they are a bit long. What if we could make a CZ Scorpion bullpup pistol caliber carbine? Back in September 2018, Manticore Arms teased the firearm industry. They made a CZ Scorpion Bullpup. We requested to review one as soon as it was announced. Well, it finally arrived and it is a mix of frustration, piqued curiosity, and pure elation. Let’s go deep into the CZ Scorpion Bullpup.

Welcome back to The Rimfire Report! In this ongoing series, we review, discuss, and explore the various aspects, firearms, and practices of the rimfire world. This week we have a special rimfire upgrade review for the Rimfire Report – the Franklin Armory BFSIII 22-C1 Binary Trigger. This is a binary trigger upgrade for the stock semi-auto Ruger 10/22 trigger pack.

Good afternoon dear readers and Happy Independence Day for all our fellow Americans. Welcome back to another edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by our friends at Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturer’s of the eagerly anticipated YHM R9 suppressor. Last week we debuted the Dead Air Nomad-TI, an excellent edition to their 30 caliber lineup. This week we go slightly off-grid with a Suppressed Pen Gun from Cotton Branch Custom Firearms – a two stamp Any Other Weapon (AOW) and silencer in a discreet form factor. No, I’m not an assassin in training; pen guns are unique firearms and suppressing one has been a goal of mine for a number of years. Let’s take a look.

When shooting with night vision it is a lot easier to shoot with an infrared laser than it is to shoot passively looking through an optic like a red dot. You have better situational awareness and a clearer sight picture. There are only a handful of trusted manufacturers that make MFAL (Multi-Function Aiming Lasers) and Steiner is one of the top three. For this week’s installment of Friday Night Lights, we will take a closer look at Steiner’s flagship laser, the DBAL-A4

Primary Arms has always been a decent option for budget-minded individuals looking for some entry-level options into the magnified optics world. Today we’ll be examining the recently released SLx Gen III 5X Prism Scope I was sent for testing and evaluation. The series so far has been a great success commercially but Primary Arms has also taken some strides to improve the quality over previous generations of the SLx series of optics.

Did you know that an M.A./N.J. compliant PTR-9R is identical to a non-compliant 9R? Except that it ships with 10-round magazines. I didn’t, at least not until PTR sent me one to review. Opening the box on this beauty has probably made it into the top 5 of my favorite moments working for TFB. There’s just something incredibly sexy about an MP5, or in this case, an MP5 clone. Heckler and Koch worked some kraut space magic into that gun.