Resources

Modern small arms ammunition can be confusing due to the myriad common types, calibers, and sizes involved, but with a little research, navigating the “bullet aisle” at your local gun store is a snap. We’re here to hold class on the essentials. This article is part of our series on Gun Basics. If you’re in… Continue reading Bullet Sizes: Understanding Sizes, Types, and Calibers

Guide to Shotgunning Without the traditional sights found on rifes, effective shotgun shooting relies more on fit than other kinds of long guns, but what does “fit” mean and just how important is it? Gun fit is certainly an important factor in effective shotgunning, but maybe less important than some people contend. We all know… Continue reading What is Shotgun Fit & How Important Is it?

Guide to Shotgunning Since their introduction in the 16th century, shotguns have been built in a huge variety of designs, evolving from early muzzleloading configurations to embrace the introduction of percussion ignition in the 19th century, adding a hinged breech in the 1830s, and eventually, with the advent of modern self-contained cartridges that includes primer,… Continue reading The 5 Shotgun Types

Gun Basics The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a little-known government-chartered organization that aims to carefully cultivate youth firearms safety and training across the nation, and they fund it by selling Army surplus rifles and pistols to the public. Here’s why they do it and how to get in on the program while it lasts.

Guide to Shotgunning The AR-15 is on everyone’s lips these days, with the proliferation of established brands and up-and-comers entering the black rifle game all the time, but the oldest of firearms — the humble shotgun — remains incredibly useful, versatile, and downright fun. With a scattergun you get a firearm that will chew through… Continue reading 5 Simple Rules for Selecting Your First Shotgun

Guide to Everything AR The third-most abundant element on the planet, aluminum is used in tens of thousands (if not millions) of everyday objects, but it’s not the easiest material to produce. In order to achieve the stability, oxidation resistance, and strength it’s known for it needs to be combined with other minerals in a… Continue reading ARs, Aluminum & Anodizing: Three Bound Mice

Guide to Everything AR Unless you assembled your upper and lower and plan to build your rifle from the ground up, chances are you purchased (or plan to purchase) a complete rifle, and with millions of used ARs on the market, it’s certainly reasonable to pick up a used rifle to save a few bucks. … Continue reading 3 Things to Do Before You Take That Used AR Home

Guide to Everything AR While most, the business end of their AR-15 just involves “the barrel” — but that hollow steel tube is a pretty astonishing product of manufacturing prowess, both straightforward and decidedly nuanced. If you’re serious about your AR’s accuracy and performance (or want to be) you could do worse than studying the… Continue reading AR Barrels Explained: From Basics to Bores to Ballistics

Gun Basics The world of firearms is vast and full of many different types of guns with various actions, functionalities, and a slew of different calibers. With the variety of guns in the world today, there’s something for everyone, which is what I love most about the gun industry.  Today we’ll cover the terrain of… Continue reading The Major Gun Types: A (Long) Primer

Guide to Everything AR Every autoloading AR-15 has an action that is gas-operated, meaning it uses exhaust gases from the spent propellant to work the bolt. To help clarify this often murky ground we’ll cover the world of gas systems, how they work, and the realities of ports and gas system lengths.

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.

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. This article is part of our… Continue reading How to Build an AR-15

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

Seasoned hunters usually have a list in their minds of the firearms they want to own. Ideally, the guns you own will give you a wide array of options to hunt both small and big game. It’s also helpful to have firearms that use common and inexpensive calibers, and having guns that aren’t chambered in… Continue reading Hunting Season Firearms You Should Own

Weaponry and humans have a long history. Weapons were used as far back as 400,000 BC. Throughout human history, they have been used for hunting, for sport, and for both law enforcement and criminal activities. Weapons have created entertainment, envied collections, and self-defense strategies for as long as there has been written history. Weapons have… Continue reading Who invented the first gun? A brief history of firearms.

Resources for understanding wound ballistics We want to make you aware of the wealth of wound ballistics information available to you from sources other than newsstand gun magazines. Our objective is to provide you the knowledge tools you need to fully understand the qualities a bullet must have in order to be reliably effective in… Continue reading Gun Wound Ballistics Data

Below you will find a complete reproduction of the FBI’s “Handgun Wounding Factors and Effectiveness” report. This is a useful document for any shooter as it details the FBI’s thinking and policy on the deployment of lethal force via handgun.  S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation  HANDGUN WOUNDING FACTORS AND EFFECTIVENESS  FBI ACADEMY… Continue reading FBI Handgun Wounding Factors

Table of Contents NICS Background Checks The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Check System (NICS) is the system used by FFLs to process background checks for gun buyers, and the FBI does a fantastic job of reporting and breaking down NICS data. We’ve used that data to provide a high-level look into gun sales. Granted, the… Continue reading Firearm Statistics

Gun Basics References to firearm condition standards are those that have been established by the National Rifle Association regarding the physical status of antique weapons  ACP: Abbreviation for automatic colt pistol. Action: A firearm’s working mechanism (typically the receiver or frame and breech bolt) that facilitates its firing and loading/unloading. There are a variety of… Continue reading A Firearms Glossary

Gun Basics

Gun Basics If you decide to own a firearm, you must learn how to use it safely and store it in your home. Gun safety rules are important to learn to ensure that you and everyone around you are never in a position where you could be injured or killed by mistake. This can easily… Continue reading Firearm Safety Tips

Gun Basics Owning a gun is your right, but you have to exercise that right responsibly. A gun is a dangerous weapon that must be used and stored safely. Teaching kids about gun safety prepares them to be conscientious, responsible citizens and gun owners.