Liberty Ammunition’s Civil Defense ammo subscribes to a different theory for rapid incapacitation. We tested two varieties, the 9mm and 45 ACP rounds to see how they stack up. Taking the idea of “light and fast” model to new levels, the Civil Defense projectiles weigh in at well under half that same caliber traditional bullets. For […]
A Ton Of Rifle For Your Money: Thompson Center’s Compass, Full Review
I first fired one of the new Thompson Center Compass rifles at a pre-release event and was immediately hooked, so I talked the editors here at GunsAmerica into publishing a full review. Why? It’s a very affordable rifle that shoots and handles like a very unaffordable rifle. What’s not to love about that? My first […]
Ammo Test: Winchester PDX1 Defender Segmenting Slug
What do you do if you don’t feel that a 12-gauge slug doesn’t have enough stopping power? OK, so maybe if you ever feel under gunned with a shottie slug you’re fighting Godzilla, but, hey, it could happen. You could try to stuff a 40mm grenade in there, but that requires all sorts of complicated […]
Reloading: Bullet Materials and Shapes
Bullets are bullets, right? Well, not really. There are a wide array of variables in bullet shape, weight, materials, and construction. Each of these variables can have a dramatic impact on the performance, and safety, of any given load. In other words, loading recipe data for one 147-grain, .308 bullet may be incorrect, and even […]
Gun Review: Beretta 92 Compact INOX 9mm Pistol
You never forget your first… gun. My first “real” handgun was a Beretta 92 FS. If you’re not familiar, it’s become kind of a classic 9mm pistol, especially since a variant, the M9, was adopted as the standard US military sidearm back in 1985. You remember that year, right? The worst song ever (We Built […]
Gemtech’s GMT-300BLK Suppressor for 300 Blackout Rifles – Full Review
Suppressing a 300 Blackout rifle presents a unique opportunity because the exact performance attributes are known in advance. Allow me to explain. If you’re trying to make a generic .30 caliber rifle suppressor, you’ve got to plan for a wide range of potential pressure and general abuse. You don’t know whether, and how frequently, the […]
Stevens 320 20-Gauge Pump-action Shotgun: Full Review
I’m thinking a 20-gauge shotgun for home defense is kind of like Miller Lite. You know, all the great taste, but with half the calories. If you’ve fired different types of shotguns, it’s obvious that recoil can be all over the map. Some load and gun combinations are relative pussycats, allowing one to fire hundreds […]
Windham Weaponry’s Big Boy AR-10 – Full Review
While media fairies prone to hysterical reactions tend to place the AR-15 in the same death and destruction category as plutonium bombs, Zika Virus, and John Travolta’s singing in the movie Grease, it’s really just the little brother of another popular rifle design – the AR-10. How much littler? Ballistically speaking, you can compare the […]
Ammo Test: Remington HTP 185-grain .45 ACP
Premium defensive ammunition is crazy expensive. However, I suppose if you ever have to use it for its intended purpose, it’s worth every penny. While most premium self-defense ammo will cost you over a buck per round, Remington’s HTP line appeals to the more budget conscious crowd. Packed in boxes of 50, it sells for […]
Trigger Technology: Blackhawk’s New Blaze Trigger for AR-15 Rifles
I love AR-15 type rifles as much, and probably more than the next guy. But if we’re all to be honest with each other, I think we can agree that the standard mil-spec trigger kind of sucks. Of all the (standard, not premium) rifles I’ve handled over the years, there are very few that have […]