It would be hard to find two more complementary market sectors than firearms and tactical knives. As a case in point, I imagine you’re likely reading this article simply because you’re the kind of person who appreciates a quality tool in whatever form it takes. Similar to what drives the engineering teams at Springfield Armory, there’s no shortage of knifemakers who go to bed and wake up thinking about how to create a product people can stake their lives on. According to the author, there isn’t a bad choice in Cold Steel’s knife catalog. Just about everything the company manufactures…
The Tiger II tank, officially designated as Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B and introduced in 1944, was Germany’s most advanced heavy tank of World War II. Known as the Königstiger (King Tiger) by the Germans and often referred to as the Royal Tiger by Allied forces, it was designed to dominate the battlefield with unmatched firepower and armor. Tiger II tanks in formation for a wartime propaganda newsreel at the armor-training ground in Sennelager, Germany. Image: Bundesarchiv/CC-BY-SA 3.0 While the Tiger II boasted many superior specifications, its operational impact was limited by mechanical issues, fuel shortages and Germany’s deteriorating war position. Design…
When you are faced with a deadly threat, you may only have fractions of a second to respond. Are you prepared? Do you have the right gear and training to respond when you must? Let’s say that you do. What if that response does not work? The most basic of self-defense training is the center-mass shot. Making sure that you can effectively hit in the upper, central portion of a silhouette target is one of the most basic skills you should master. But what if those hits prove ineffective? Shooting an attacker in the high center area of their torso…
Let’s get this out of the way up front. I believe the 1911 pistol is just about the finest handgun ever made. A well-built, custom 1911 represents mechanical elegance, history and performance all rolled into one. In my opinion, a pistol of that caliber deserves to be carried in nothing less than a high-quality leather holster. According to the author, when you invest in quality materials and skilled craftsmanship, you receive an investment that can last a lifetime. The Galco Masterbilt line follows that same philosophy. For years, I’ve been a fan of Galco leather holsters. Two long-time favorites of…
Editor’s Note: The author received a Springfield XD Mod.4 pistol on loan from the company for the purposes of writing this review. I’ve always appreciated the Springfield Armory XD series for what it is: a simple, reliable and accurate 9mm pistol. While the original may have more than two decades under its belt, I appreciate a gun with a solid reputation for performance. That’s what the XD handgun is known for: being a dependable, no-nonsense striker-fired pistol. The Springfield XD Mod.4 continues the legacy of a dependable striker-fired 9mm, blending familiar ergonomics with updated features for modern shooters. Image: Carson McDaniel…
During the Second World War, the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Yamato was feared due to its immense size and power. She was the most heavily armed battleship ever built, with nine 18.1-inch (460mm) main guns, the largest ever mounted on a warship. Each shell weighed nearly 1.5 tons and had a range in excess of 26 miles. Yamato was also the heaviest warship ever constructed and the most heavily armored, leading to a belief she might be “unsinkable.” The super-battleship Yamato carrying out sea trials in October 1941. Image: Mr. Kazutoshi Hando/U.S. Navy Still, today, she lies at the bottom of the…
We take a look at some of the lesser-known service rifles that helped shape America’s first 250 years.The history of our country is absolutely awash in firearms, to the point that it’s impossible to fit all of them into a single article. In lieu of a list that would make your eyes glaze over, I look at a selection of rifles that are significant to our country in terms of the small arms theory of the time and the cartridges that they fired in our mutual defense.Again, while this list is not comprehensive, every one of the rifles in this…
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NEW from Osight comes the XE AMRS and SE 6MOA enclosed red dots! Packed with features, extremely affordable, and available now. OSIGHT XE AMRS The Osight XE AMRS has a ton of features to talk about, from the industry-first 2/6+32 MOA Advanced Multi-Reticle System to the innovative collapsible backup rear sight, plus features that you know and love like a large window, side-loading battery, and more. Built to do it all, the XE AMRS is great for CCW, home defense, competition, rifle, pistol, shotgun, and anything else. The 2/6+32 MOA Advanced Multi-Reticle System gives you the choice between a 2…
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At their core, iron sights are just simple mechanical alignment tools to bring the bore of your gun in-line with your target. We’ve seen an endless variety of sights in the past — some with special coatings and components to catch the eye, with and without the ability to make adjustments, others which rely on scientific or quasi-scientific principles, or some combination thereof. Some are faster, others more precise, all with various levels of utility for a given shooting problem. Gizmos and features aside, they’re essentially the same when you strip them down to the soft center. The rise of…
The new CANiK Prime Radian combines the best of CANiK with the best from Radian Weapons to bring an upgraded pistol at a budget price!New from CANiK comes the Prime Radian! A collaborative pistol based on the CANiK METE MC9 PRIME and enhanced with Radian Weapons components. A 9mm EDC pistol, the PRIME RADIAN is micro-compact sized with a 5.47-inch overall height, a 3.83-inch barrel, and 24.70 oz weight, sporting a full 17+1 capacity.FEATURESBuilt on the METE MC9 PRIME micro-compact platformRadian RAMJET™ barrel and AFTERBURNER™ compensatorRadian BACKSTRAP+MAGWELL for enhanced controlSemi-auto, striker-fired operationChambered in 9x19mm Luger17+1 round CANiK micro-compact magazine capacityNight…
The Brief: A homeowner in Blue Springs, Missouri, fatally shot an intruder during an early morning burglary on June 19, 2026. Police arrived to find the suspect dead inside the residence. The incident has prompted local discussions regarding personal safety and the effectiveness of home defense strategies in suburban neighborhoods. Missouri law, including the Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground statutes, generally protects residents using deadly force against forceful home entries. Authorities are investigating the evidence for the prosecutor’s office, though legal frameworks suggest the homeowner’s actions likely meet the criteria for justified self-defense. BLUE SPRINGS, MO — A normally…
The Brief: A driver died after crashing an SUV into a San Tan Valley home, where a resident fatally shot him. The impact caused severe structural damage and injured two occupants. Believing the breach was a violent threat, the male resident used a firearm in self-defense during the chaotic aftermath. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident under Arizona’s Castle Doctrine, which justifies deadly force to prevent forcible felonies within a dwelling. While the homeowner was released without immediate charges, the case will undergo a standard legal review by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office. SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ…
The Brief: A Memphis tenant shot a masked intruder discovered burglarizing his apartment. After an initial confrontation, the tenant fired additional rounds as the suspect fled the scene. Police later located the critically injured suspect nearly half a mile away following a blood trail. The stolen property was recovered nearby. The incident highlights legal complexities surrounding Tennessee’s Castle Doctrine and the use of force against retreating targets. While the law permits defense against imminent threats, firing at a fleeing individual introduces significant liability. The shooting remains under review to determine if the tenant’s actions were legally justified. MEMPHIS, TN —…
I love 1911 handguns. There is something about the short and light trigger that helps me shoot 1911 pistols more precisely than any other pistol platform. Quite simply, the 1911 pistol hits “home” with me. The craftsmanship engineered into a 1911 supersedes other semi-auto pistols by far for me. I enjoy the solid construction and the comfortable shooting with the 1911. This lineup of Springfield Armory 1911 and Prodigy pistols shows how far optic-ready slides have come on the classic platform. From left to right we have a 3.5″ Compact Prodigy AOS, a 4.25″ TRP Carry Contour AOS, a 5″…
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