SHOT Show 2020 is in the rear-view mirror. Bigger than ever, at least as measured by the number of companies exhibiting, this year was chock full of new announcements and optimism. In all the years I’ve been going, I’ve never received so many pre and mid-show press releases. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, who runs […]
About Tom McHale
A Little to the Left… and Other Gun Safety Horror Stories
The very human propensity to harm ourselves is only surpassed by our ability to judge each other. Sure, we joke about earning Darwin Awards, but the term “Hold my beer and watch this…” didn’t just emerge from the primordial soup. Nor did it begin with the advent of YouTube “I’ll be famous now, alive or […]
New Year’s Shooting Resolutions
So, it’s halfway through the first month of 2020 and most of us have already failed at maintaining those New Year’s resolutions. I know I’ve already given up Tactical Prancersize. Not that it doesn’t have potential, I just need to spend more time watering my plants… There are some resolutions I’m going to keep, but […]
An Inside Look at How AR-15 Barrels Are Made: DC Machine
DC Machine is the biggest machining company you may never have heard of. However, you are likely familiar with Palmetto State Armory, located in Columbia, South Carolina. PSA is one of the fastest-growing gun companies in the history of ever. While the operate a handful of retail stores, they sell lots and lots of guns and […]
Should I “Clean” My Airgun?
The term “airgun” covers a broad set of categories. It’s kind of like using the phrase “internal combustion vehicles.” Those might be cars, trucks, motorcycles, golf carts, tractors, and even airplanes. In the “airgun” world there are long guns and handguns, but you’ll also find devices that launch anything from paintballs to plastic BBs to […]
Mid-Range AR Cartridges: .223 Remington, 300 AAC Blackout, and 6.8 Remington SPC
Recently, a friend and I have been discussing “in-between” caliber options for the AR-15 platform. There are a plethora of proven options for close-range shooting with a light to moderate recoil tax. Think about the classic AR-15 chambered in .223 Remington and the 300 Blackout. There are also great options for long-range shooting too. 6.5 […]
How Do You Buy a Used Gun?
The nifty thing about firearms is that they’re designed to last a long, long time with reasonable maintenance. I’m not even an antique aficionado but I regularly shoot pistols and rifles in my small collection that were manufactured in 1936, 1944 and 1945. Others shoot guns much older than that.The longevity of firearm service life […]
2019 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Gun Person in Your Life
It’s that time again to fill your favorite gun person’s gear bag with new stuff. Of course, there’s no reason you can’t use the holidays as an excuse to buy coveted items for yourself while you’re at it.Here are a few of my favorite ideas this year. To cover the budget bases, we’ve got options […]
Best Handgun Sights by Type – We Range Test Express, Post & Notch, and Red Dots
One of the easiest things to personalize on a handgun is the sight system. There are a zillion sighting options on the market, each promising to be the ideal solution, so how do you decide? You’ll find post and notch solutions, fiber optics, u-notch, straight eight, and red dots, just to name a few. Heck, […]
Is the .40 Dead?
The .40 died before it was born. That’s a rotten way to start a fulfilling life, but there you have it. Thanks to a shortsighted, bean-counting corporate management team way back in 1978, the .40 B&S, the predecessor to what we now know as the .40, was denied production resources. The wildcat cartridge development effort […]