Last November, I had the opportunity to attend Gunsite for a media event put on by Lockdown. The main focus of the event was the new SecureWall product. After the event’s conclusion, the attendees were all sent a starter kit to build our own “gun room” (well, a good start anyway).

My first handgun was on sale when I bought it. Starting your journey into firearms can be tough when you’re young. Shooting is an expensive activity. However, there comes a point in every shooter’s life when they have the resources to make a more substantial purchase. Handling a high-end, custom firearm is an eye-opening experience. Like moving from a Ford Edge to a GT, money can buy performance. Of course, it all comes down to the shooter’s abilities, but a smooth, well-crafted gun can deliver reliability and consistency. One company that’s well known for its top-tier quality is Nighthawk Custom, which boasts that each of its guns is crafted by one gunsmith. I recently got my hands on the Nighthawk Custom President, this one chambered in 30 Super Carry.

Raven Concealment is probably best known for their Vanguard minimalist holsters. However, they also make a full range of IWB and OWB holsters. Their Perun holster is designed for strongside OWB carry and is available in standard or light compatible versions.

The 10mm Glock has a cult following among outdoorsmen. Glock 40 combines the reliability that Glock pistols are famous for with the revolver-like punch of the 10mm Auto cartridge. Glock already made full-size and compact models but added a long-slide model in 2015. So how does it shoot, and what is it capable of?

The Pelican 1755 Air Long Case is the newest addition to Pelican’s Air series lineup. The Air series is designed to be 40% lighter than other polymer cases, while still retaining the durability and dependability that Pelican is known for. With big plans and a very long rifle, I asked Pelican if I could review their new 1755 Air Long Case, and here’s what I found.

Salutations and a warm welcome on this Friday night. Last week we took a look at the Wilcox RAPTAR S. Well, today we have something that has been long awaited from Nocturn Industries, their TAPB (Tanto Articulating Powered Bridge) aka Daisho bridge.

The laws of physics can be so annoying. As much as we’d like to be perfect shooters every time, there are universal rules that we fight against. A great example of this is recoil. Isaac Newton famously wrote, “To every action, there is always opposed an equal reaction.” As the bullet leaves the barrel, it’s our job to tame the reaction. Compensators were designed to help combat this. If you look at the guns used by high-level Open Division shooters, you’ll notice the lack of muzzle flip. This is thanks to solid fundamentals, as well as mechanical advantages like comps. Today, we’ll be looking at the Strike Industries compensation system, which consists of their Strike Threaded Barrel and Strike Micro Threaded Comp.

Are you nocturnal or crepuscular? Well, either one you are all welcome to this week’s Friday Night Lights. Last week we looked at a somewhat obscure full-power laser, the ATILLA-200. This week we take a look at a long-range laser rangefinder with MFAL capabilities, the WILCOX RAPTAR S.

KommandoStore is one of the major players in surplus South African web gear. The venerable Pattern 83 chest rig and battle jacket have started drying up and prices are climbing. KommandoStore started making a reproduction Pattern 83 chest rig to meet that demand. They also created a modernized model, called  Pattern 84, which is the subject of this review.

If you’ve ever wanted to see things with no magnification, then see things with more magnification, then an LPVO might be for you. The low power variable optic has exploded in popularity over the past few years. I’ve been behind a few of them myself, and I understand the appeal. Today, though, we’ll be talking about a specific model. Vortex makes optics that are priced from budget to second mortgage, which is one of the things I love about them. I tend to stick closer to the budget side of things, which is why I’ve decided to review an LPVO from their popular Strike Eagle line. This is the Vortex Strike Eagle 1-8×24 FFP riflescope.

Welcome back to another article in our weekly Friday Night Lights series. Last week we took a look at a long-since-discontinued cooled thermal imager called the FLIR SeeSpotIII. Well, today we take a look at a laser aiming module of the same vintage. Circa 2003 NVEC Inc came out with the ATILLA-200 laser/illuminator.

The Ruger ReadyDot was released earlier this year around the time of NRAAM 2023 to a lot of controversy, and skepticism – and for good reason. It’s blatantly clear that red dot-equipped pistols are quickly becoming the norm within both the competitive and defensive handgun shooting world – if they in fact haven’t already. One of the major advantages that red dots offer to a lot of shooters is a better sight picture overall – especially if you have degraded eyesight. As you start to age, your eyesight tends to get worse and this is why it’s the belief of Scott Jedlinski, a prominent red dot-focused pistol instructor, that going to the red dot will be an eventuality rather than an option if you want to keep shooting as you get older. Beyond that, red dots on pistols offer all shooters a distinct advantage over iron sights in that red dots provide you with a single focal plane sight picture versus a three focal plane sight picture with a set of iron sights (target, front sight, rear sights). In short, it’s an easier way to positively ID a threat while having your sights already on the target. I tend to agree with pretty much all of this and also think that red dots are in fact, the way of the future in terms of what is “normal.” However, red dots often have a lot of drawbacks for newer or uninitiated shooters. First, they’re quite complex to learn not just how to shoot when transitioning over from iron sights, but they’re also quite complex to zero, and there are so many red dots out there that it’s hard sometimes for even seasoned shooters to know what new red dot that has just hit the market will fit which gun – enter the Ruger RedyDot. Today we’ll check out the ReadyDot and see how it performs under a variety of shooting situations to see where it fits in within the pistol red dot world.

Lately, I have been on a thermal device kick. Last week we took a close look at a BAE RED-I which allows the user to remotely view a video signal in a wearable microdisplay HUD. It was used with thermal weapon sights like the PAS-13. Well, today we take a look at an older PAS-21 aka the See Spot III by FLIR. It is a MWIR thermal imager, which is pretty . . . cool. Get it? Cause it is a cooled thermal. Sigh.

In the world of micro pistols, there’s a wide variety of options on the market today. Things get tricky when you start going into the lower-budget options and finding a reliable choice for everyday carry becomes harder. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not impossible with things like the Taurus options and other manufacturers coming out with entry-level budget-friendly carry guns. Canik is no different with the release of its METE MC9 into the market. This little package has a fairly impressive capacity with everything you need in a kit for sub $500. Let’s take a closer look at the Canik METE MC9.

Welcome to another edition of TFB’s Wheelgun Wednesday! This week, we’ll take a detailed look at the Taurus 856 TORO revolver, which is an optics-ready model straight from the factory. The Taurus 856 was already a capable six-shot, small-frame revolver, but the optics-ready T.O.R.O. treatment adds more versatility for those that prefer red dots on their concealed carry weapon. As cool and trendy as red dot sights are on handguns, they can add a bit more complexity to set up, and we’ll take a look at the hiccup I had mating these two systems. Let’s dig in!

Good evening everyone and welcome back to another Friday Night Lights. Last week I wrote about the PAS-28 MRTB, a medium range thermal bi-ocular. Well today is tangentially related, it is the BAE Oasys RED-I (Remote Eye Display – Imager). A monocle HUD for remote viewing thermal images.

This is a review of the Pulsar Merger LRF XP50 Thermal Binoculars. The closest thing we’ve ever had a look at here is the almost three-year-old review of the Pulsar Accolade 2 LRF XP50, and things have certainly moved on during that time. Apart from one thing, everything has been improved!

It’s been a little over a year since the SIG Sauer P365 X-Macro was released, and it’s become a popular choice for those looking for a compact handgun that doesn’t sacrifice at all on the performance side of things. Last year, TFBTV’s Hop and I had the opportunity to head out to New Hampshire for the initial release of the SIG P365 X-Macro and had a bit of trigger time with it there. Since then, I’ve acquired my own copy of the P365 X-Macro to use and carry around and I’ve been doing that on and off for the better part of a year now. The question is, after a year of use, do I think the P365 X-Macro is worth the investment? In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the P365 X-Macro to see how it’s held up over time, as well as how it does its job as a concealed carry handgun. So without further ado, here is my P365 X-Macro review – one year later.

One of my all-time favorite carry guns has to be my Silver Slimline Glock 48. I’ve had this handgun going 4 years now and I’ve carried it extensively more or less in its original configuration save for an aftermarket trigger shoe and a flared magwell. Recently I decided to give the OEM Glock night sights that were on the pistol a swap and to do that I worked with the guys at Meprolight to get a solid set of day/night sights to go with the Glock 48. Fast forward a couple of weeks and I had three new pairs of sights to pick from. To install them, I enlisted the help of recently released the XS Sights DIY Sight Pusher Kit, which is designed specifically for Glock pistols. In this review, I will share my experiences using both the XS Sights DIY Sight Pusher Kit and the Meprolight Hyper-Bright sights to see whether or not you’d want to pick either of these items up for your own home gunsmithing needs.

Palmetto State Armory needs no introduction; they are one of the biggest names in American firearm manufacturing. Though they started out as an AR-15 supplier, their offerings have grown to include Glock clones, large-frame ARs, and AK-pattern rifles. That AK lineup has expanded from basic AKM rifles to more niche items like the AK-105, a shortened and modernized AK-74. Let’s take a closer look at this pistol and how it runs.

Welcome back FNL enthusiasts. Did you enjoy last week’s article on the Oasys UTB? Well, today we take a look at another thermal bi-ocular, the PAS-28 MRTB aka PhantomIR by Elcan Raytheon.

Mesa Tactical has been upgrading police shotguns for many years. Their range of accessories fits many popular models, including the legendary Benelli M4. But do those same parts also fit on a Turkish clone like the Aksa S4? Let’s find out!

Raven Concealment is perhaps best known for its ultra-minimalist Vanguard series of holsters. Those tiny trigger covers are among the smallest holster options available. Raven’s lineup includes several other models, including their Eidolon IWB holster.

I acquired a Daewoo DR200 a couple years ago and like any other gun, the Daewoo rifles have their own cult following. Thanks to a Facebook group for Daewoo owners, I found Richard Pierce and his DR200 upgrades.

Imagine an M-16A4-style rifle but with an 18-inch barrel. The Anderson Manufacturing A4 Short Rifle is just that. This unique setup is a blend of old and new. Let’s see how it performs.

Thankfully, suppressor use and ownership have become more and more common in recent years. As shooters become more aware of the passive dangers involved with shooting, like lead poisoning and hearing loss, steps are being taken to reduce health hazards. Suppressors are probably the most effective tool we have against hearing loss. If you didn’t hear that last sentence, it might be time to pick one up! However, silencers (or suppressors, use whichever you want, nobody cares) have some drawbacks. The primary problem is that they get very hot. This means mirage during precision shooting. It also means some very hot pants during rifle-to-pistol transitions. MODTAC, a company local to me in Colorado, makes rigid suppressor shields to mitigate both of these issues. They have a few models but today we’re looking at the MODTAC U-RAC.

Over the last few years, SIG has released a couple new variations of their P320 line. Last year, I wrote up a review of their Spectre Comp which you can find the link to here. Their newest member of the P320 family is the new P320 AXG Legion. This model takes the concept of a compensator integrated into the slide from the P365 Spectre Comp. The larger expansion chamber of the P320 in conjunction with the AXG metal frame and this P320 feels different from the other variations. Let’s take a closer look at the SIG Sauer P320 AXG Legion.

Brownells introduced their Match Precision Optics (MPO) line of scopes a few years ago, and that line has grown to include a few low-power variable optics (LPVO). They announced a new 1-6×24 model at SHOT 2022. It recently became available for purchase and is the subject of this review.

The Israeli arms market is one that has grown exponentially in a number of ways over the last couple of decades. Much like other Israeli-based companies, Meprolight works very closely with their home military, the Israeli Defense Force, to develop and battlefield test their products to provide customers in the 134 different countries worldwide that they support with optics that are not only durable but full of features and specifications that are actually useful out in the field. Meprolight recently sent me a T&E copy of their Meprolight TRU-VISION red dot sight. The TRU-VISION is intended to be a durable, compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient red dot that can serve every need ranging from casual range use and training to night vision operations out on the front lines. Today we’re going to take a look at the Meprolight TRU-VISION red dot sight to see how well it performs out in the field, and how well the optic adheres to its stated claims on the Meprolight website.

Hello and welcome to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is about the rimfire firearm world and its many types of firearms, shooting sports, ammunition, and history! Last week we had fellow writer Nic L fill in to talk about the Winchester Xpert rifle. While I personally haven’t had a whole lot of time with the rifle myself, I can say that I think its most significant selling point might simply be that it accepts commonly used, widely available, and relatively inexpensive Ruger 10/22 magazines. Speaking of Ruger, this week we’ll start diving into my first impressions of the recently released Super Wrangler. The Ruger Super Wrangler blends the affordability and ruggedness of the Wrangler series, with some of the features from the Single Six series of single-action revolvers to give customers a middle ground that might just cover all of their bases. So is the new Ruger Super Wrangler really adding something of value to Ruger’s single-action rimfire revolver line or was this move an unnecessary addition? Let’s find out!