Pistols & Revolvers

Bersa has been around for as long as I can remember, with a rich history of manufacturing — the company’s Bersa Thunder .380, a pistol frequently compared to the Walther PPK, built much of that reputation. Today we are reviewing Bersa’s first entry to the 2011/double-stack 1911 pistol category: the Bersa M2Xi 9mm pistol. The… Continue reading Bersa M2Xi Review: I Fired 2,400 Rounds vs. Staccato & SA

We tested the Glock 44 for accuracy, reliability, and G19 holster fit including trigger data, CCI Mini Mag groups, malfunction logs, and buying advice. Quick Summary: The G44 is a reliable, low-cost G19 trainer that, when using the right ammo, is the perfect low-cost training companion for double-stack Glock 9mm owners, new-shooter introduction, or budget… Continue reading Glock 44 Review: I Fired 1,000+ Rounds & Tested 9 Holsters On Glocks Rimfire Trainer

Taurus is no stranger to handguns, as they’ve been in the business for decades. While many of their handguns have likely been used by law enforcement and militaries, today we are looking at a ground-up-designed duty-grade pistol from Taurus. The Taurus TX9 is a 9mm pistol positioned to compete with the likes of Glock service… Continue reading Taurus TX9 Review: Results From My Months-Long Test of All 3 Sizes

From rimfire revolvers to viable concealed carry options, here are our top 22 LR pistol picks for every situation. From Browning to Walther, find your perfect fit.

Ruger kicked off its past 75 years with a humble little .22 LR semi-automatic pistol that Bill Ruger himself crafted in a garage workshop. Now in its fourth and cleanest iteration, the current Mark IV brings with it a one-button takedown process that revolutionizes its maintenance. All the complexity users had to overcome on past… Continue reading Ruger Mark IV Review: I Tested With 1,000+ Rounds. My Take On a Classic.

Perhaps the most common and effective means of home protection, given purpose-driven selection and the proper training in use, is a good defensive handgun. With that in mind, let us take a look at some of the better options out there.

The 9mm pistol is the staple handgun for many Americans. These weapons are versatile, affordable, and easy to learn to use, but sifting through the mountain of 9mm pistol models, sizes, configurations, actions, brands, etc. has led more than one aspiring handgun owner to abandon their search altogether. No need to stress. Below, you’ll find… Continue reading The Best 9mm Pistols in 2026 — Tested, Ranked, and Ready to Buy

We put the Glock 45 Gen 6 through its paces with live fire, optics testing, and holster checks. Here’s what has actually changed — and whether it’s worth the upgrade.

Springfield Armory has a reputation problem. For years, the XD series occupied an awkward middle ground in the striker-fired pistol market — functional enough to earn a loyal following, but never quite escaping the shadow of Glock’s dominance or achieving the tactical credibility of SIG’s P320. The guns worked, sure, but they were rarely anyone’s… Continue reading Springfield Echelon 4.0FC Review: My 2,000+ Round , 3-Month Daily Carry Test

There are many things I never thought I’d see in the firearms world, a bullpup AR15, an 8×57 M1 Garand, and a suppressed shotgun are a few that come to mind. But a red dot mounted on a small frame revolver is a bit more believable, and today we are looking at the first example;… Continue reading Taurus 856 TORO Review: I Fired 500+ Rounds With Zero Malfunctions On The Carry Revolver

The Ruger Wrangler has quickly become one of Ruger’s most popular offerings and is a fan favorite among rimfire shooters on a budget. These kinds of inexpensive plinkers are fun to shoot, but with many brands that focus on fun can mean sub-standard quality and, uh, generous tolerances. That said, Ruger has a reputation for… Continue reading Ruger Wrangler Review: My 500-Round Take — Worth $180 in 2026?

The evolution from primitive weapons to modern self-defense tools has been nothing short of remarkable. Long gone are the days of relying on stones or pointy sticks — since the invention of firearms, humans have always sought better and more effective ways to protect themselves. Enter the TASER Pulse 2, a less-than-lethal tool that promises… Continue reading TASER Pulse 2 Review: My Summer Carry Verdict

The CZ Shadow 2 has dominated competition shooting since 2016, racking up national championships and filling holsters at USPSA matches across the world. But at 46.5 ounces with a manual safety and no firing pin block, the full-size Shadow 2 was always a competition gun first—everyday carry capability was theoretical at best. That changes with… Continue reading CZ Shadow 2 Carry Review: My 3-Month, 2,500-Round Test

The Springfield Armory Kuna delivers authentic roller-delayed blowback operation at a price that disrupts the premium pistol caliber carbine market. While enthusiasts have long coveted the smooth-shooting characteristics of HK’s legendary MP5, its $3,000+ price tag kept that dream out of reach for most shooters. The recently introduced Kuna changes that equation entirely. Manufactured by… Continue reading Springfield Armory Kuna Review: Tested With 1,000+ Rounds of Roller-Delayed Fun (I Never Cleaned It)

PCCs and subguns have exploded in recent years. PCCs being a pistol caliber carbine and subguns large format pistols with an SMG-like appearance, both styles offering short barreled rifle mobility but in the easy-to-control (and wallet-friendly) 9mm caliber. One of the guns that spearheaded this explosion of popularity is the CZ Scorpion. Scorpion pistols have… Continue reading CZ Scorpion Reviewed: My Take vs. the SIG MPX and Kuna

In the vast landscape of firearms, pistol-caliber carbines (PCCs) occupy a unique niche. Neither fully a pistol nor a rifle, these hybrid weapons have sparked debates and discussions among gun enthusiasts for decades. But what is it about PCCs that has kept them in the limelight for so long?

While dozens of companies are busy making 1911-style pistols, only one name stands above all others as the inventor of the original– Colt. With over a century in the game they kicked off, Colt is still the GOAT when it comes to John Browning’s Government model. We turn back the clock to investigate how Colt… Continue reading The Colt 1911: The History & The Glory

Ready to dive into the world of Česká Zbrojovka (CZ) pistols? CZ’s history, craftsmanship, and proven performance have delivered some of the most beloved firearms in the shooting community. From the heart of the Czech Republic, a land with a rich legacy in arms production dating back to the early 1900s, CZ has established its… Continue reading The Best CZ Pistols: Czech Value & Precision

Can a traditional 1911 manufacturer compete in the modern 2011 arena? We fired 847 rounds through Kimber’s 2K11 answer to find out. For thirty years, Kimber built beautiful single-stack 1911s that purists loved and competitors ignored. But with Staccato dominating the high-capacity 1911 market and polymer pistols eating everyone else’s lunch, even the most traditional… Continue reading Kimber 2K11 Review: I Fired 800+ Rounds Through The Double-Stack 1911 Over 6 Months

When it comes to choosing the best concealed carry handgun, the options seem endless. In the firearms world, models like the Springfield Armory Hellcat and Smith & Wesson Shield have had a significant impact, shaping trends and setting standards for reliability and capacity among concealed carry guns. Their popularity and influence continue to drive innovation… Continue reading Picking Best Concealed Carry Gun: All Calibers & Carry Styles

The polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol market has been dominated by one name for over four decades: Glock. While the Austrian “plastic-fantastic” maker’s reliability and simplicity earned well-deserved respect, their reluctance to make serious innovations beyond incremental updates issued as “generations” has left the door wide open for American manufacturers to step up with something better.  Enter… Continue reading Ruger RXM Review: 1,500+ Rounds & 3 Months of Daily Carry With The Magpul-Designed Glock Alternative

Taurus and I have, well, let’s call it history. For years, the Brazilian gunmaker occupied a niche in my gun safe—affordable alternatives that worked but never felt finished. I say this because the triggers were mushy, the finishes wore quickly, and quality control sometimes felt more like quality suggestions. So, when the Taurus GX4 showed… Continue reading Taurus GX4 Review: My 2,500-Round Verdict After 18 Months

The Glock 19 is the most popular carry handgun in America, but is it really all that it’s cracked up to be, or has it just become the “default” choice? The vanilla ice cream of the handgun world? Well, I’ve owned and carried the G19 for years, and honestly, I’m not sure. I’m a fan,… Continue reading Glock 19 Review: I’ve Fired 4,000+ Rounds. My Honest Take

The best handgun for a woman is one she can shoot accurately, handle comfortably, and, if she wishes, conceal easily. No single choice will satisfy all these factors for all women. As with men, finding the right pistol is a process. And as we look for “the one,” it helps to have a jumping-off point.… Continue reading Best Handguns for Women: 6 Picks for Any Scenario

Despite their pedigree and depth of experience, Walther Arms seems to be the true underdog of the firearms manufacturing industry, never reaching the ubiquity and prominence of the Glocks and S&Ws of the world. While everyone else was chasing the micro-compact carry gun trend, Walther zigged when the industry zagged, creating what might just be… Continue reading Walther PDP Review: My Long-Term Verdict

A category of handguns that didn’t even exist before 2018, the micro compact 9mm is exploding in popularity, with almost 20 models currently in production. Let’s look at what these guns are, why they are important, and how they stack up against each other.

The Browning Buck Mark has remained one of the most popular rimfire pistols for decades now, but how does this classic .22 hold up against the modern market? We wanted to find out for ourselves, so we brought one out to the range to see what was what. Overall, we wanted to find out how… Continue reading Browning Buck Mark Review: My Take on This .22LR Classic

What is it about the vaunted .45 ACP cartridge that keeps it as one of America’s most self-protection and competition rounds? We examine this classic round, break down why it has survived and thrived for generation after generation, and provide a selection of great handguns that are chambered for it.

Glock’s first “crossover” design that borrowed from the lineage of two proven 9mm Glock pistols, the G19X has been around for just over a half-decade and is something of an overlooked gem. We’ve got the scoop on this Coyote-colored war horse.

Glock is a household name that most Americans know, whether they’re pro or anti-gun, thanks to Hollywood and television featuring Glocks in thousands of productions. Glock’s catalog has expanded significantly over the years, but regardless of the Glock in hand, the platform has created some of the most reliable and popular handguns on the market… Continue reading Glock 17 Review: Why Still Run It, Even 100,000+ Later

With over 19 million Americans holding concealed handgun permits and millions more carrying in constitutional carry states, the pocket pistol has emerged as one of the most popular concealed carry options. But what exactly qualifies as a “pocket pistol,” and when does it make sense to carry one?

Based in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil – Forjas Taurus is a manufacturing conglomerate founded in 1939. Originally focused on tool and die forging, the company now consists of a variety of divisions that specialize in metals manufacturing, plastics, body armors, helmets, and civil construction – as well as Taurus Armas, its firearm… Continue reading The Best Taurus Revolvers

If it’s good enough for the US Military and multiple law enforcement agencies across the country and worldwide, it should be good enough for you, right? That’s what I figured when I got the opportunity to pick up a surplus SIG Sauer P320 M17 from the West Point Military Academy’s competition pistol team. The SIG… Continue reading SIG P320 M17 Review: My Early Verdict, Zero Malfunctions

The 10mm Auto isn’t for everyone, and that’s exactly why it’s perfect for some of us. While the shooting world has spent the last decade rehashing the same tired 9mm versus .45 ACP debates, the 10mm has quietly carved out a niche that no other semi-automatic cartridge can touch. It’s not the most popular handgun… Continue reading The Best 10mm Pistols: Top Choices and Essential Buying Tips

Patented on Valentine’s Day in 1911 by firearms genius John Browning, the M1911 has been in continual production and use for well over a century – and for good reason – it’s an instantly recognizable classic that has improved on Browning’s original design time and time again.

Bottom Line Up Front: The S&W M&P9 M2.0 Subcompact is the best subcompact 9mm pistol for most people. Beyond its easy-to-use, concealable design, the M&P line has an incredible number of options, calibers, and models — making it hard to beat when it comes to ensuring you can find the right pistol for you.

For more than a century, wheel guns have been a staple in the world of concealed carry. Throughout this vast expanse of time, handheld firearms have seen tremendous innovation, leading many to gravitate towards the efficiency and convenience of semi-automatic firearms, especially in sought-after calibers like the .45 ACP and 9mm. However, it’s an oversimplification… Continue reading 9mm Revolver Evolution: The Best on the Market

Smith & Wesson is a legend for a reason– they have a special place both in past firearms history and today’s gun industry. One of only two publicly-traded firearms companies, Smith is a giant in the field and has so many 9mm pistol variants that it can be a little daunting to try and figure… Continue reading Ultimate Guide to Smith & Wesson 9mm Models

The Beretta Model 21A, commonly just called the Bobcat, is an ultra-compact semi-auto pistol offered in .22LR and .25 ACP. With a single-stack magazine that gives the user 7-8 rounds, it is fun to shoot, can be dependable in operation with the right ammo, and is easy to load and operate with its “tip-up” barrel… Continue reading Beretta Bobcat Review: My Take After 30 Years & 4,000 Rounds

Canik Firearms calls the TP9SFX “The Choice of Champions.” And with all the features packed into its price point, it’s hard to argue with that sentiment. If you’re entering the competitive shooting world, this gun is ready to take home the gold right out of the box.

Undoubtedly one of the most popular handguns ever made, the Beretta 92 has been around for a solid half-century and has no signs of going away any time soon. We detailed the 100-year history of Beretta’s pistols previously, but the 92 is a beast of its own. With that, how do you pick a good… Continue reading Beretta 92 Guide: Every Model, and Which One I’d Pick

The P365 XMACRO is a standout in the world of concealed carry firearms. With its impressive recoil control, high round capacity, and adaptability for a variety of shooters, it has quickly become a favorite among enthusiasts. All those attributes make the P365 XMACRO a top choice for anyone seeking a reliable and versatile concealed carry… Continue reading Sig P365 XMACRO Review: I Fired 1,000+ Rounds, Zero Issues

The CP33 has many features that make it versatile. Hunters and competitors like its high-capacity magazine. Its long Picatinny rail is great because it will allow a wide variety of sights. The generous grip will fit nearly anyone’s hand. The CP33 features almost no recoil, making it easy to handle and adaptable for various targets.… Continue reading KelTec CP33 Review: My Take After Years of Ownership

With a striker-fired answer to the 2011 game that keeps “The Lord’s caliber” at its center, the FN 545 series hits the market with an up to 19-shot capacity in .45 ACP and makes an excellent choice for a lot of users. I put it through the wringer over the past few months and have… Continue reading FN 545 Review: My 1,000-Round Verdict After 4 Months Of Testing

Few brands resonate with American firearms heritage like Smith & Wesson, a cornerstone in American firearms culture for over 150 years. Renowned for pioneering numerous innovations in firearm design and function, today we delve into one of S&W’s newer pistols: the M&P M2.0 chambered in 10mm. There is quite a lineup of competition for the… Continue reading S&W M&P 10mm M2.0 Review: My Range Day Verdict

Building on a 25-year legacy of making polymer-framed striker-fired semi-automatic pistols, the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro is often overshadowed by some other micro compacts with more prominent name recognition but the Hellcat deserves an honest look by anyone seeking a dependable and capable handgun for personal defense. We’ve been evaluating our test gun for months… Continue reading Springfield Hellcat Pro Review: My 4,000-Round, 1-Year Take

Ruger is a well-known American firearm manufacturer — one of the largest gun manufacturers in the U.S. — and has a rich history of producing guns that Americans love. While the company has made nearly every kind of firearm there is, their handguns continue to be a top seller. Today we bring you a review… Continue reading Ruger EC9s Review: My Take After Months of Carry, Zero Malfunctions

The CZ P-10 S is the 9mm subcompact offering in the popular P-10 lineup. It’s a scaled-down version of the P-10 C that’s similar in size to the Glock 26 but carries two more rounds. You may be wondering if it’s just another striker-fired polymer-framed subcompact gun. And the answer is yes, but with CZ… Continue reading CZ P-10 S Review: My 700-Round Take (Nearly My New EDC)

We live in an epoch where movies are constantly remade, conspiracies come true, and firearms patents have long expired. While the clone wars are still a few years off, the battle of clones is already upon us. The Glock clones. Glock has arguably designed some of the best pistols of the last century, many of… Continue reading Shadow Systems DR920 Review: My Honest Take (More Than A Glock Clone)

There are some exciting new developments in the firearms market, it seems like there is a new product release every time you turn around. Polymer-framed pistols are one of the places where many companies are putting their focus, and with the recent court rulings, I would expect to see more.  Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has… Continue reading PSA Rock 5.7 Review: Months of Shooting, Zero Failures

The Glock 48 is a compact size, striker-fired, polymer framed concealed carry pistol. It’s a single-stack pistol that’s part of Glock’s Slimline lineup, which fits (size-wise) in between the single-stack and double-stack categories. If you’re familiar with Glocks, think of it as a skinny G19. It’s also very similar in size to Sig Sauer P365XL.… Continue reading Glock 48 MOS Review: My 3-Year, 1,000-Round Carry Take

Last fall, Springfield Armory announced the release of their new 1911 double-stack pistol, the Prodigy, in 5-inch and 4.25-inch versions. These pistols are squarely aimed at the 2011-style 9mm pistols used by competitive shooters and also found a market with people who traditionally carried a 1911 but wanted more capacity in a carry gun. The… Continue reading Springfield Prodigy Review: My Honest Take On SA’s 2011

Polymer-framed pistols have been taking the handgun market by storm these past few decades, it’s a phenomenon I can get behind as I’ve been quite pleased with the results. One of the big names that have become quite popular is the Canik brand, a Turkish-made brand imported by Century Arms that has found its stride… Continue reading Canik METE MC9 Review: Zero Malfunctions on My Range Day

Semi-automatic rimfire pistols have been a bit of a conundrum in the past, it seems every manufacturer has tried to make one that is both reliable and feature-filled. But there always seems to be a shortcoming or compromise. When I first put my hands on the Taurus TX22 years ago, I had a preconceived notion… Continue reading Taurus TX22 Compact Review: Me & My Kids Loved It

The Taurus Judge is a unique and versatile firearm that has gained a reputation for its ability to fire both .45 Colt and .410 shotshell rounds. With its rifled barrel and double-action trigger, the Judge is a popular choice for self-defense, hunting, and recreational shooting. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the… Continue reading Taurus Judge Review: I Fired 300 Rounds, Zero Malfunctions

Manufacturing innovation has greatly advanced firearms technology and opened the door to an incredible array of new products for the shooting public. Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has long been known for offering economic firearms, and its freedom-over-profit business model has helped perhaps millions of Americans reach their second amendment goals. Today we will be visiting… Continue reading PSA Dagger Review: My Take on the Budget Glock Clone

One of the most underrated and primarily unknown polymer pistols available on the market today is the Canik SFx Rival. This full-size pistol is loaded with features out of the box that manufacturers like Glock and Smith & Wesson can’t beat, with a price point that’ll shock you. And the best part about the Canik… Continue reading Canik SFx Rival Review: My Thousands of Rounds in USPSA

The Ruger LC9, which stands for Lightweight Compact 9mm, is exactly what the name describes—a small self defense pistol designed for concealed carry. Developed through Ruger’s Voice of the Customer program, the LC9 was named Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence’s Handgun of the Year in 2011. I purchased mine in 2011, shortly after it was… Continue reading Ruger LC9 Review: My Brutally Honest 12-Year Verdict

The market for polymer frame, striker-fired pistols has never been larger. That’s not a bad thing because it means we have options, options that allow us to choose the gun that’s just right for us. Today we are looking at a rather new option, the FN 509 LS Edge. The FN 509 LS Edge is… Continue reading FN 509 LS Edge Review: My Take? A Fantastic Modern Defensive Pistol

The story of Canik pistols mirrors the age-old tale of the underdog. When the TP9 was first introduced to the market, the price tag coupled with the then-unknown brand name meant that for many people the words “quality” and “Canik” couldn’t co-exist. Years after being first introduced to the US market, Canik has become one… Continue reading Best Canik Pistols: Carry, Competition, & Home Defense Picks

The FN Five-seveN pistol helped usher in the 5.7x28mm round it is named after and, now in its third generation, has benefited from a series of upgrades that have brought it into the 2020s with ease. We look at this icon from the last days of the Cold War and weigh the new MK3 MRD… Continue reading FN Five-seveN Review: 400 Rounds Of Hitting Steel at 130+ Yards

The KelTec SUB 2000 is undoubtedly one of the most interesting PCCs ever built. Pistol caliber carbines have come and gone in popularity, but the SUB-2000 has remained popular and produced for over two decades. Why? It scores high in the basics of being a good gun. It’s reliable, easy to use, and accurate. Beyond… Continue reading KelTec SUB2000 Review: My Dirty-Ammo, Drum-Fed Torture Test

HK’s VP9 pistol is one of the most popular full-sized firearms on the market today. Its wide acceptance and popularity have given rise to several versions and variants, and you can now find an HK VP9 in a compact, tactical threaded barrel model, an optics-ready VP9, and even one dedicated to competition shooting. Heckler &… Continue reading HK VP9 Review: I’ve Fired 6,000+ Rounds Teaching With It

The Glock 22 (along with its siblings, the compact G23 and subcompact G27) are Glock’s .40 Auto pistols and have been incredibly popular with law enforcement across the US for decades. They offer up pistols chambered in the larger LE-focused cartridge while being identical in size to the 9mm G17, Glock 19, and G26 pistol… Continue reading Glock 22 Review

The most classic and timeless of American firearms, the 1911 has sleek lines that are instantly recognizable and a fan base that has spanned centuries. However, is this gun still a great choice for defense, competition, and collectors? We cover a selection of the best 1911 builders so you can make a fully informed choice… Continue reading Top Custom 1911s: Rated and Ranked

The .357 Magnum is an American classic and has been a popular round since its introduction nearly 90 years ago. It’s a powerful round that doesn’t quite stray into “oh God my wrist” levels of recoil like some of its magnum brethren, but it still has a legacy of reliably handling a variety of game… Continue reading The Best .357 Magnum Guns

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 Gaston Glock made famous. Glock pistols are consistently top sellers in the civilian market charts… Continue reading Top Glocks: Which Model Reigns Supreme?

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

Is the slimline Glock 43 the best striker-fired concealed carry firearm on the market today? We put this polymer frame single stack 9 under the microscope then melted it down on the range to help determine if this svelte subcompact is right for you.

Is the subcompact Taurus G3C the best budget polymer handgun on the market today? We take this striker-fired polymer frame pistol through its paces and help you determine if this affordable pistol is right for you.

The no-nonsense Glock 29, a pint-sized 10mm subcompact, is a handgun that trends towards the unique and offers a lot for the person with the will to master it.