Defense
Ruger to Pause Blackhawk, Vaquero and Other Single-Action Revolvers
Production of the current-generation LCR, SP101, GP100, and Bearcat is suspended immediately. Ruger says it will complete its final 2026 runs of the SR1911, LC Carbine, PC Charger, PC Carbine, LC Charger, Redhawk, Super Redhawk, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, Single-Series revolvers, Vaquero, No. 1, 77-Series rifles, Hawkeye and Ruger Precision Rifle.
SIG Sauer’s New XRAY5: The Solid-State Matrix Red Dot Explained
Every pistol red dot sold today works on essentially the same plan. An LED emitter sits on a carrier plate, and screws and springs nudge that plate to adjust windage and elevation. The SIG Sauer XRAY5 drops that plan entirely and is pitched as the world's first solid-state advanced red dot. SIG Sauer calls it "Precision built, precision kept," and sums up the thinking in one line: "Zeroed In Seconds Not Magazines." Let’s take a look at something completely new!
POTD: Beware The Fangs - The TTI Sand Viper Bites Back
Every serpent has a tell, and this one carries it right under the muzzle. The TTI Sand Viper hides a built-in bladed stand-off the company calls its fangs, a little menace on an otherwise refined 2011 from Taran Butler's Simi Valley shop. This is TFB's Photo of the Day, and it shows the Coyote Bronze DLC frame and polished slide wearing a Coyote Brown Trijicon SRO in an ultra-low optic cut.
Concealed Carry Corner: Traveling With Your Carry Gun
Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about ways someone can build skills at the range specifically for carrying concealed. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to look at some of the prep work I do when I get ready to travel. In past articles, I’ve talked about traveling and the best way to fly with a concealed carry handgun. This is more about how to prepare and be prepared when traveling around the country. Let's take a closer look at the best way of traveling with your carry gun.
After Dark: SIG Sauer's Custom Works P320-NIGHTSHIFT
Most pistols are built to look the same at noon and at midnight. The P320-NIGHTSHIFT is built to look like it only comes out after dark. This is a SIG Sauer Custom Works P320, billed as "Custom Works. After Dark," and the first thing you notice is the contrast. A pale Platinum Cerakote covers the optic-ready slide and the full-size SXG steel grip module, and against it sit parts finished in Burnt Titanium PVD: the controls, the trigger, the magwell and the compensator. The grip panels are custom Hogue pieces with a Circle Cell pattern, so the whole pistol reads as a deliberate design instead of a parts-bin build. I might not love the pistol itself, but I love the looks - let’s see if you agree?
Brace Yourself: Taurus Introduces the Brace-Ready TX22
Taurus has expanded its TX22 rimfire lineup with the Brace-Ready TX22, a version of the popular .22 LR pistol built to accept a stabilizing brace. Released in 2019, the TX22 has built a strong following among rimfire shooters. The new model keeps the familiar platform but adds an extra point of support for better stability and control.
TFB Behind the Gun #239: Gemtech to Gutting the NFA w/ Owen Miller
On August 5, a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas ruled that the NFA's registration and approval requirements for suppressors, SBRs, and SBSs lost their constitutional footing the moment Congress zeroed out the $200 tax. Two months later, the DOJ has confirmed it won't appeal, and plenty of us are still trying to sort out what we can and can't do at the gun counter. So I called up Owen Miller, Vice President of the American Suppressor Association. Before joining the ASA in 2016, Owen spent more than a decade running compliance at Gemtech, so if anyone can explain where the lines sit right now for owners, manufacturers, and FFLs, it's the guy who used to live and breathe the paperwork.
San Diego County Sues 3D Filament Manufacturer Over "Ghost Guns"
The 3D-printed gunmaking revolution is here and now, with home enthusiasts now able to crank out fully-functioning firearms from their kitchen table. While Glock clones and pistol-caliber carbines are the most common examples you see, you can find 3D printing plans for stuff as diverse as a Gatling gun. Suppressors, grips and many other accessories are also now 3D-printable.
POTD: 296 Ducats, 296 Pistols, 500 Years of Beretta
Five centuries ago, a payment of 296 ducats reached Bartolomeo Beretta, and the paperwork has never looked better. On October 3rd, 1526, that transaction became the first documented entry in the history of the world's oldest industrial dynasty, and Beretta has now turned it into a pistol.
Wheelgun Wednesday: S&W Model 14 Target Revolver
This week for Wheelgun Wednesday, we are taking a look at the venerable Smith & Wesson Model 14 revolver in .38 Special. These guns have a reputation for accuracy and dependability from the era when bullseye shooting was the most common handgun sport. I picked this one up to put it back on the line in CMP Service Revolver competitions, so let’s discuss how it has played out.
Galco Combat Master 2.0 Now Fits the Glock 21
Galco has added the Glock 21 to the fit list for its Combat Master 2.0, the updated take on the company's long-running pancake-style OWB belt holster. According to Galco's release, the new offering works with or without a carry optic, which is the headline for anyone running a slide-mounted dot on a full-size .45.
ROMEO5X-AMR Combo Kit Switches Reticles When the Magnifier Moves
Most red dot and magnifier setups are roommates. They share a rail, and that is about it. SIG Sauer wants the ROMEO5X-AMR Combo Kit to be more like a tag team. The red dot and the JULIET3-MICRO AMR magnifier come in one box for $499.99, and the two actually talk to each other. You won’t hear them talking, but your eyes will see the trick. This is a lot more than the usual bundle.
XS Sights Releases New Glock Upgrades During "Glocktober" Sale
First up, the new XS ACRO footprint optic plate for Glock Gen6 pistols, as well as the R3D 2.0 night sights for Glock 43X/48 COA pistols, are on the market now. Here’s how XS Sights describes these new offerings, if you aren’t familiar with their versions for other pistols:
TFB Review: ATN ThOR 6 Elite LRF 640 3-24x Thermal Scope
Seeing an animal at night is half the job. Knowing how far away it is decides the shot. The ATN ThOR 6 Elite LRF 640 3-24x handles both from one eyepiece. It pairs a 640x512 thermal sensor and 50 mm lens with a laser rangefinder that reads out to 1,000 meters. ATN has also cut its minimum advertised price (MAP) by $1,500, from $4,495 to $2,995.
POTD: Korth Mongoose in .44 Magnum
We have a perfect setup for this Photo Of The Day. The partnership between Nighthawk Custom and Korth represents a rare convergence: German precision engineering married to American gunsmithing and sales. Founded in post-war Ratzeburg by locksmith Willi Korth, the company built its reputation on revolvers that required months to complete, each machined from billet steel by hand with uncompromising attention to detail. Take the time to admire the Korth Mongoose .44 Magnum in these images.
SAAMI Standardizes the 5.56 Commercial (5.56 COMM) Cartridge
For decades, there has been an odd gap in the standards world. There has never been a publicly available standard for 5.56x45, even though millions of rifles are roll-marked for it. SAAMI has now filled that gap from the commercial side with 5.56 Commercial, abbreviated 5.56 COMM, introduced by Hornady.
Springfield Armory SA-35 Gets an Eye-Catching Polished Blued Finish
Springfield Armory has given the SA-35 a finish that earns a second look. This version of the pistol wears a deep, lustrous polished blue across its carbon steel frame and slide, and checkered walnut grips with natural grain complete the picture. It is the "wood and steel" look of classic arms making, polished until it catches the light.
Argentina Adopts IWI ARAD Rifles
Argentina's Ministry of Defense has completed acceptance testing of the first batch of IWI ARAD-5 and ARAD-7 rifles acquired via Israel's Ministry of Defense, according to an announcement from the Argentine government. Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Carlos Alberto Presti presided over the presentation ceremony at the Patricios Infantry Regiment on October 2, 2025, joined by Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Marcelo Alejandro Dalle Nogare and service chiefs from all three branches.
Springfield Armory Launches Three Echelon Pro Comp 9mm Pistols
Lasers are doing the stippling now. The new Springfield Armory Echelon Pro Comp line arrives with a grip texture called LightForged, where precision lasers sculpt and reform the surface of the grip module to create a highly defined pattern with the look and feel of custom hand stippling, but with greater consistency and control. The process allows precise shaping of texture geometry and placement across the grip, and it debuts here with Badlands, an aggressive cracked-earth pattern engineered for confident grip and control.
Strike Introduces the AR Rapid Bolt Deploy Lever for Ambi Control
The Strike AR Rapid Bolt Deploy Lever provides a streamlined interface for true ambidextrous operation. The upgrade attaches to an existing mil-spec bolt catch paddle via a secure two-screw installation and adds an easy-to-reach lever for fast right-hand bolt releases.
Silencer Saturday #453: NFA Sea Change In Wake Of ATF Guidance Letter
Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday, brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturer of the new Victra 20-gauge shotgun suppressor. The ATF released its long-awaited guidance letter regarding changes to the National Firearms Act today. It is a banger. The long and short of it is that the NFA, as we have all known it, is essentially dead. This is breaking news and I scrapped the initially planned article for today to cover this with some initial reaction and thoughts.
September NICS Numbers Show The Industry Is Still Alive And Well
NICS stands for National Instant Criminal Background Check System, an FBI database that licensed gun dealers must use to determine whether or not a potential purchaser is legally barred from buying a gun. Obviously, if you know how many NICS checks happen in a month, you have a very rough idea how many guns were sold in that month—but it’s not quite that simple. Private sales between individuals obviously don’t rely on the NICS database, and in some jurisdictions, authorities require NICS queries for a concealed carry permit or other checks. Or a NICS query could cover multiple firearm purchases. Some jurisdictions use other systems instead of NICS. So, using the FBI’s NICS numbers to definitely state how many guns were sold is kind of like playing Whose Line Is It Anyway? … as Drew Carey used to say, “where the points are made up and the rules don’t matter.”
POTD: GIGN FSP Demonstrates Ukraine-Tested Diplomatic Extraction
The GIGN's Force Sécurité Protection brought Ukraine to Eurosatory 2026, staging a scenario rooted in hard operational reality. Since February 2022, the FSP has deployed repeatedly into contested territory, evacuating diplomats threatened by active fighting across front lines and missile strikes.
Fudd Friday: The Poor Man's Safari Cartridge
Welcome back to another edition of Fudd Friday. This week, we are looking at a cartridge with a dedicated fan base that many shooters have never heard of. The .35 Whelen uses common components to create an affordable American competitor to legendary safari cartridges like the .375 H&H or 9.3x62 Mauser.
Federal, Mossberg and Palladyne AI To Develop Shotgun Drone
Federal Ammunition, Mossberg, and Palladyne AI have announced the launch of a joint development of SwarmShot a "purpose-built ammunition, an airborne weapon module". The new consortium plans for SwarmShot to first be developed as a modular mission add-on for Palladyne AI’s Gremlin-X Group 1 quadcopter mini-bomber with future plans to develop an integration kit for compatible third-party drones. The consortium's announcement explained: