Guides

Despite all of the lasers, tech accessories, and modern features, the AR platform is more than half a century old. Originally chambered in .308 as the AR10, Eugene Stoner made a rifle that was chambered for a round that was full of compromises, the 5.56 NATO. To be fair, we certainly like the 5.56mm: it’s… Continue reading The Best .300 Blackout Uppers in 2023

Arguably one of the most vital elements of the AR-15 is picking the right upper receiver group. After all, your upper provides the lock-up between the bolt and barrel, leaving you with either an accurate and dependable firearm or something that offers little more than consistent frustration. If you want to build an AR for… Continue reading The Best AR-15 Upper Receivers in 2023

There are plenty of benefits to converting your AR with a 9mm upper receiver. The flexibility of PCCs has driven their popularity over the past 20 years, making them the go-to choice for those who want a multi-role pistol caliber rifle, and one of the main reasons I have one in my collection. With all… Continue reading The Best AR9 Uppers in 2023

The AR-15 platform in its standard caliber, the 5.56mm NATO, is an excellent rifle, but at 500 yards or so, the round’s limitations become pretty apparent. It was, after all, intended as a multi-role combat rifle and not a long-range tack driver. That’s why, in recent years, people have been going with bigger pills and,… Continue reading The Best .224 Valkyrie Uppers in 2023

Long the domain of bolt-action tack drivers, the AR-15 can be a solid long-range performer, so long as you’re using an upper made for hitting targets at range. Granted, you can shoot any gun at long range, but some are certainly better suited for it than others! There are many AR-15 variants, chamberings, and barrel… Continue reading The Best Long Range AR-15 Uppers in 2023

The 6.5 Grendel has become one of the more popular choices for long-range shooters in the last several years. When compared to the 5.56mm, the larger round of the 6.5 adds long-range oomph where the 5.56 NATO can fail to impress. In this piece, we’re going to cover some of the best 6.5 Grendel upper… Continue reading The Best 6.5 Grendel Uppers in 2023

The S&W M&P 2.0 Compact is the best handgun for beginners. The M&P line has a ton of options, making it easy to find the right caliber & size for you, and it’s a proven pistol, with the Shield carried by many LE officers across the country.

In the world of scatterguns, doubles are steeped in tradition, and pumps are very rugged and reliable, but the fact is that semi-auto shotguns are best for most. If that is, you pick one up that’s built to perform. The technology and engineering that powers semi-automatic shotguns have never been better, so prior concerns about… Continue reading Best Semi Auto Shotguns: Shoot with More Speed & Precision

The PSA AR-15 complete lower is the best AR lower for most people. It’s a complete lower that’s less expensive than all but the very low end of the spectrum, but it doesn’t skimp on the important buts — being built from 7075-T6 aluminum and Magpul furniture. Plus, if you like PSA’s products but are on a… Continue reading Elevate Your AR-15 Build with These Top Lower Receivers

The .224 Valkyrie rifle is fairly new to the market, only introduced commercially a few years ago, but it has nonetheless proved appealing to many modern sporting rifle users and competitive shooters – and for good reason. Taking advantage of better ballistics with a flatter trajectory and less drift, the “Valk” is capable of delivering… Continue reading The Best .224 Valkyrie Rifles in 2023

Ask just about any shooter what rifle they started with and they’ll tell you it was a rifle chambered for .22 LR. This rifle makes sense for young and beginning shooters – and most people, once you upgrade from a BB gun, you get a rimfire rifle. This makes plenty of sense. A .22 LR… Continue reading The Best .22LR Rifles in 2023

The .458 SOCOM (Special Operations Command) round is a powerful defensive round with roots in military history. The best .458 SOCOM Upper Receivers seamlessly handle the firepower this round produces and are engineered to perform in the harshest combat conditions. We’ve provided our selections in both complete and stripped uppers so you can pick the… Continue reading The Best .458 SOCOM Uppers in 2023

The Ruger 10/22 is an iconic and beloved rimfire rifle — easily one of the most popular on the market today. It’s affordable, reliable, and customizable to an unbelievable extent so that any Ruger 10/22 can become something truly and uniquely yours. Today, we’re going to take a deep dive into this classic rifle, from… Continue reading A Guide To The Ruger 10/22

Guide to Everything AR The AR-15 is arguably the most common rifle Americans own, and then can be found at just about every LGS. ARs are also relatively simple to build on your own. Whether you plan to buy or build an AR, someone has to have the proper tools to put it together. Thanks… Continue reading Real Avid AR15 Armorer’s Master Kit Review [Hands-On]

Selecting the perfect M4 style upper receiver can be confusing, especially when it comes down to all the assorted flavors that are floating around out there. However, we have done the homework to answer those questions and guide you to the best options in what to look for in a good M4 upper.

Have you ever walked into Home Depot or Lowe’s and been overwhelmed by how many brands of tools there are on the shelves and what all those tools do? It’s hard to know what brand makes the best products, what tools will last a lifetime, and what is crap.  Shopping for AR-15 tools is similar… Continue reading Real Avid Tools Review [Hands-On]

Daniel Defense rails are some of the most popular options for serious AR-15 tinkerers and builders and are a great choice for anyone starting a new build or looking to upgrade a stock rail. The only problem is, Daniel Defense makes about 80 million different kinds of rail setups, so it can be difficult to… Continue reading A Guide to Daniel Defense Rails

Our hunger for the latest and greatest in firearms innovation — replete with technical performance details and cutting-edge technology — is insatiable. And, while we love a kitted-out AR as much as the next guy, firearms — like any other tool — can be even more interesting when designed for specific purposes. If you’re looking… Continue reading The Best Single-Shot Shotguns

The history of Bersa S.A. Founded in the mid-1950s by a trio of mechanical engineers – one of them formerly from Beretta – Bersa initially focused on producing parts for the now-defunct arms manufacturer Ballester–Molina.  And eventually moved into producing handguns and other standard consumer firearms.  The first Bersa 22 Long Rifle pistol was called… Continue reading The Best Bersa S. A. Handguns

Black Aces Tactical specializes in shotguns that deliver performance and value for the cost of entry and cater to almost any need you might have for a scattergun.  They’re up-and-comers that might not be the biggest name in shotguns just yet but are poised to make a more prominent name for themselves if they can… Continue reading The Best Black Aces Tactical Shotguns

What is the best precision rifle? Sniper and precision rifles are mostly enjoyed by target shooting enthusiasts and hunters. While you can’t get the top-of-the-line rifles utilized by special forces in the military, there are plenty of civilian rifles that are ideal for these purposes. Let’s break down some of the best sniper and precision… Continue reading The Best Sniper & Precision Rifles

Building an AR-10 from the ground up is a great way to save money, makes for a fun project, and is the best way to make sure you end up with something that really fits your needs once the rifle is finished and in your hands. But just like all great houses have to start… Continue reading The Best AR10 Lowers

Whether you’re in the process of building an AR-15 or are looking to accessorize one you already own, an angled foregrip can be a helpful tool for anyone. You would think that choosing one would be straightforward, but because everyone has a different hand size or shape, a different purpose for the gun — and… Continue reading The Best Angled Foregrips

The Palmetto State Armory PA-15 is the best .300 Blackout gun for most people. Their PA-15 line offers a solid variety of .300 BLK firearms — both rifles and pistols — and PSA has a knack for packing all the right essentials into their firearms while balancing the price point in a way that keeps… Continue reading The Best .300 Blackout Guns in 2023

7.62×39 rifles are some of the most popular in the entire world. That’s because they’re the primary type of AK-47, itself arguably the most successful rifle in human history. These guns are close competitors with 5.56×45 NATO firearms, packing more of a punch up close in exchange for slightly less accuracy at a distance. Today,… Continue reading The Best 7.62×39 Rifles

In the AR-15 world, it is a little known fact that .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO vary just a tiny bit when it comes to pressure and chamber dimensions– and the .223 Wylde chambering was designed to pull off the magic trick of walking the tightrope between the two, and doing it accurately. In this… Continue reading The Best .223 Wylde Rifles in 2023

The Terminator series, The Fast and The Furious franchise, John Wick. What’s at the center of these movies, other than overpaid actors and scenes that rely too heavily of CGI? Pistol grip shotguns. Hollywood features them for a reason; they are damned cool. Feature films make these shotguns look good, but are they the stars… Continue reading The Best Pistol Grip Shotguns

The scout rifle, as a concept, came largely from the thinking of Col. Jeff Cooper, a Marine who spent much of his life planning, practicing, and teaching practical shooting.  As part of his work, Cooper wanted to create a generalist rifle that would be useful for the real conditions found in hunting big game, especially… Continue reading The Best Scout Rifles

Double-barrel shotguns may not be enough on their own to complete the collection of a serious firearms enthusiast, but they are still a great gun to have in your battery (so to speak). The double-barrel shotgun is fantastic as a sporting shotgun — whether for sport shooting or hunting. And a double is a better… Continue reading The Best Double-Barrel Shotguns

The PSA PA-15 AR Pistol is the best AR pistol for most people. Palmetto State Armory tops our list this year thanks to an incredible mix of value and availability — with a huge array of models, calibers, and feature sets across their AR pistol lineup.

The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America, in large part because it’s incredibly versatile. You can change-out most components – upper and lower receivers, furniture, triggers, and just about everything else – and there are enough third-party options to make your head spin. Plus tweaking your rife to get it just right is… Continue reading The Best AR-15 Tools & Kits

For generations, the AK-47 was the spooky gun in grainy TASS footage of May Day parades in Red Square, or seen in the firing into the air, pistol gripped by random guerillas in far off lands. However, today, Mikhail Kalashnikov’s most famous invention is increasingly familiar to American gun owners while the guns themselves are… Continue reading The Best AK-47 Rifles of 2023

Guide to Shotgunning Let there be little doubt — the 12-gauge pump-action shotgun is probably the most recognizable firearm on the planet — both in terms of how it looks and that unforgettable sound of racking the slide. We love pump-action shotguns and decided it was high time to pull together a Best Of list… Continue reading The Best Pump Action Shotguns

Picking the ideal tactical shotgun doesn’t have to be hard if you follow a few simple steps to cut through the bluster and propaganda to find something that really works.

Chances are, if you’re a gun owner looking for a new pistol – be it self-defense or something new for time at the shooting range – you’ve likely come across one (or a half dozen) of the ubiquitous Austrian wonders Gason Glock made famous. Glock pistols are consistently top sellers in the civilian market charts… Continue reading Best Glocks: Rated and Ranked for 2023

For many shooters, our first exposure to a firearm was the shotgun. Unfortunately for many, this first experience was all too often with dad’s 12-gauge, which is a bit like shouldering a thunderbolt when you’re 10 years old. Aside from a bruised shoulder and ego, that negative experience can turn off a lot of new… Continue reading The Best .410 Shotguns

The CZ Drake Top Break is the best over/under shotgun for most people. It’s a reasonably-priced break-action shotgun with solid walnut furniture, but it won’t set you back as much as some much more expensive options, which has made them very popular with hunters and sport shooters. CZ is also a brand known for producing solid,… Continue reading The Best Over-Under Shotguns

The Typhoon Defense X12 is the best AR12 shotgun for most people. They pair a familiar AR layout with a twin gas piston setup, helping with reliability and creating a smoother operation than other AR12s. It’s also got a surprisingly good trigger, giving you a reliable home defense or competition shotgun with loads of room… Continue reading The Best AR-12 Shotguns for Anyone in 2023: From Tactical to Sport

The PSA PA-10 is the best AR-10 for most people. Palmetto State builds reliable, performant rifles with a huge collection of options — often at lower prices than competing brands. Those looking for a shorter, premium Carbine-length barrel would do well the check out the Daniel Defense DD5 — it’s a bulletproof, high-quality rifle.

The Kel-Tec KSG is the best bullpup shotgun for most people. The pump action is reliable and the KSG system is both proven and has a solid aftermarket — and the 14-shot default capacity isn’t enough the KSG-25 allows you up the ante to 25 on tap.

Revolvers are a staple American firearm and arguably some the best self-defense weapons you can buy. Wheel guns tend to be small, simple to use, easy to conceal and work in any type of holster, either open carry or beneath your shirt. More than that, most of them are chambered for cartridges that are powerful… Continue reading The Best Revolvers

The POF Revolution is the best .308 pistol for most people. While expensive, Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF) has done a bit of a magic trick in scaling a .308 pistol down to 5.56 proportions. By using all the same parts as the 5.56 Revolution counterpart, the .308 variant is lighter than other semi-auto .308 pistols… Continue reading The Best .308 Pistols in 2023

The most common shotgun gauge used around the world has always been the 12-gauge shotgun, but many new gun owners are discovering the smaller 20-gauge offers advantages over its larger kin. A 20-gauge shotgun pairs useful loads with manageable recoil and an overall lighter gun, making it approachable for a wider variety of users than… Continue reading The Best 20-Gauge Shotguns

What are the best Ruger firearms you can buy? Sturm Ruger & Company, generally known as Ruger Firearms or just Ruger, is one name in American firearms that everyone should know. Founded by Bill Ruger and Alexander Sturm in 1949 (both gun designers by trade) the focused on inexpensive handgun geared toward target shooting before… Continue reading The Best Ruger Handguns

The AK platform is, arguably, more popular than ever. The original (and nearly indestructible) rifle as developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, the AK, has been the firearm of choice for militaries, revolutionaries, and guerillas across the globe for generations. The pistol variant has been shortened down and modernized, giving us the AK-47 pistol — a fun… Continue reading The Best AK Pistols in 2023

Guide to Everything AR There are hundreds, if not thousands, of handguard makes and models out there, and often the first thing a new AR owner wants to do once they unbox their new black rifle is put a rail on it.  And this lust for rails makes sense — they’re the foundation of every… Continue reading 6 Top AR-15 Handguards For More Railed Utility

The Sig Sauer P365 is the best Sig pistol for most people. The P365 range has expanded well beyond the revolutionary carry pistol, with a serious collection of variants, configurations, and calibers to be discovered. At one inch wide, you have an all-metal pistol that’ll go from concealed carry to home defense to range time… Continue reading The Best Sig Sauer Handguns

Beretta is a household name in the world of 9mm semi-auto handguns and has been making them continuously for generations. We give you all you need to know to carefully select the right one.

Is Smith & Wesson’s second-generation M&P Compact one of the best polymer-framed handguns on the market today? I put this striker-fired pistol through its paces and help you determine if this affordable 9mm is right for you.

Gun Basics When it comes to gun handling, trigger discipline is one of the essential skills to master. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time gun owner or have been around firearms your entire life. When it comes to firearms, always maintain proper safety fundamentals.

Gun Basics Learning how to build an AR-15 is essential for not only custom ARs but also for developing a thorough understanding of how the parts and pieces of your rifle fit together. This can help with triaging issues as you use it and for mastering the AR platform over time.

Gun Basics A gun is a tool just like any other, and if you take care of it by keeping it clean, it will last you a long time. Cleaning a gun properly is essential, but proper lubrication is just as, if not more, necessary.  A firearm is comparable to a car. Cars require regular… Continue reading Gun Cleaning 101

The Remington 870 — the greatest selling pump-action shotgun in the history of firearms — is famous with sportsmen and has also been the gold standard for dependable and ultra-reliable tactical models for users both in and out of uniform.

There is no more daunting goalpost in the gun community than assembling or otherwise building your own AR-15 but, by keeping in mind some basic considerations and doing your homework, that goal can be easily attained. This article is part of our ongoing Guide to Everything AR.  

Guide to Everything AR While the AR-10 and AR-15 started on different sides of the same coin, today that coin is growing thinner as they increasingly get on the same page on many fronts. With that being said, let us take a look at how these two rifles shake out when compared next to each… Continue reading Firearm Faceoff: AR-10 vs. AR-15

What are the best Browning firearms you can buy? John Browning is a pillar of American firearm design. He has made major contributions to the world of firearms – in military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms. His contributions made such an impact that both shooters and firearms historians consider him a legend. Who… Continue reading The Best Browning Guns