Reviews

In a market dominated by striker-fired pistols, you are always hearing about Glock, Smith & Wesson, but rarely Beretta. At times it feels like the Beretta APX series doesn’t get the same limelight as other pistols in the same category, and I can't figure out why. When many Americans hear Beretta and think of the U.S. Army’s last-generation service pistol, the M9, maybe that's the problem. Is it possible that the M9 is so well known in pop culture that Beretta hasn’t been able to dethrone the old king? With that being said, I think the APX series is well worth consideration!

Taran Tactical Innovations has built its reputation on limited-edition exclusivity, and this Viper set represents that philosophy distilled into its most literal form: two pistols, one box, thirty examples worldwide. Photographed at EnforceTac 2026, this particular pairing presents the stark contrast TTI favors in their collector-tier releases. One pistol wears a polished silver finish, the other a high-luster gold, each occupying a custom-fitted space in the presentation case.

Weatherby Inc. has a long, long history of building high-end hunting rifles, but all those rifles have something in common. They’re chambered for the modern cartridges of their era because Weatherby was built to innovate from its founding. That’s changing now, kind of; Weatherby has announced its first muzzleloader, the Model 307 MZY. But is it really a step backwards, or a step sideways, then forward?

When EAA announced they’d acquired the production facility, they didn’t mince words. They very much plan to establish manufacturing operations in the U.S. As their PR puts it:

We all have a broom or shoe closet at home that houses all of our firearm cases. Big, small, medium, large… you probably own countless sizes, but how well do they actually fit? Were they made with any purpose in mind? [Federal Premium enters the chatroom] Federal has created mindful cases for suppressor use and quick-slip covers for fast transport that were crafted with intention. Now, they are shipping to dealers for our future purchase!

Leupold's new LCO Pro F2 represents the kind of iterative leap that happens when a company has the confidence to walk back to the drawing board with a successful product. The original LCO won devotees for optical clarity and build integrity, but the F2 isn't a tweak; it's a redesign that addresses what serious shooters actually ask for.

Platform selection for concealment, the holster and print-management realities that separate a workable off-duty setup from one that stays in a drawer, and the mindset differences that matter more than the hardware when an off-duty officer encounters a threat.

If you have been following along, you know I have already put time into both the Beretta 21A Bobcat Covert in 22LR and the Beretta 3032 Tomcat Covert in .32 ACP over on our sister site AllOutdoor. Both came factory-threaded with dark walnut grips and both were a pleasure to review. Something always nagged at me about stopping at two, though. The original Beretta pocket pistol, the one that started all of this, was the 950 Jetfire in .25 ACP. The 21A carried that torch for a while before Beretta pulled the plug on the chambering, and they did that well before the Covert lineup existed. Nobody is rushing out to buy a .25 ACP as a primary carry gun. “Better than nothing” does not exactly move product. Still, there is no Beretta 21A Bobcat Covert .25 ACP. Beretta never made one. So I did.

Few firearms carry as much cultural weight as the MP5K. Its silhouette is immediately recognizable to anyone who has paid attention to special operations units over the past four decades, and the SP5K-PDW is HK's answer for those who want the genuine article in a civilian-legal configuration. Manufactured at Heckler & Koch's factory in Oberndorf, Germany, on the same production lines and by the same workforce that has been building MP5s for years, it shares the roller-delayed blowback operating system that defines the platform's reputation for smooth shooting and mechanical precision.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we discussed the basics of printing and how to avoid printing. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to take a closer look at some of the unique challenges of riding a motorcycle that are different from riding in a vehicle or other options. Let's take a deeper dive into concealing on a motorcycle.

Doves are migratory birds, but they can be hunted with lead shot, unlike waterfowl such as geese or ducks. But although many hunters believe lead shot is superior to steel shot in many ways, the reality is that modern shotshell design can find performance advantages to new non-toxic pellets as well.

On today's episode of TFB's Behind the Gun Podcast, I'm happy to welcome Jeremy Hammons and Drew Markel, the founder and co-owner of One Horse, a brand-new 100% American-made AR-15 manufacturer out of Brownstown, Indiana, with a little bit of pedigree from Anderson Manufacturing, which recently shut its doors for good. Today we'll dig into the One Horse origin story, what their current lineup looks like, including their new One Horse Express, and where the company is headed next in this constantly changing market. Please give a warm welcome to Jeremy and Drew!

I recently had a great opportunity to try out Zeiss’ new V3 Lineup of Rifle Scopes on a beautiful ranch in Oklahoma. While I had always known about the scopes that Zeiss makes, I honestly think of them as a photo and video lens company first, given my background as a photographer and videographer. Nonetheless, Zeiss invited me out to a media event last week to show off these optics and let us writers get some trigger time behind them.

Photo Of The Day: When precision matters and the clock is against you, a solid rifle-optic pairing becomes non-negotiable. The Schmeisser Pro Hunter, dressed in Flat Dark Earth with its 18-inch barrel and .223 Remington chamber, paired with the Schmidt & Bender 3–18×42 META scope, represents exactly that kind of no-nonsense approach to distance work. This is one of Europe’s finest AR-15s, with one of the best optics.

If there was ever a company with street cred in the concealed carry game, it is Charter Arms. Their Bulldog revolver of the late 1970s, chambered in .44 Special, was a hard-hitting, no-nonsense hideaway piece that had the lines of a classic European hand cannon of the late 1800s (think: Webley’s MP, or their classic British Bull Dog revolver). When most American hideout guns were chambered in .32 rimfire or .22LR, the British (and their Belgian copycats) were making hard-hitting pocket pistols for gentlemen of taste.

Meridian Defense's new Trench-103 doesn't chase the worn-in aesthetic; it claims to earn it. Inspired by improvised field-painted rifles emerging from modern trench warfare, the rifle pairs a hand-finished Cerakote treatment with a production process that refuses shortcuts. Every Trench-103 is individually finished by hand, meaning each example wears its own scars, or spray marks at least. No assembly-line "battle-worn" cosmetics, no cookie-cutter paint templates.

Weatherby's new 250th Anniversary Mark V isn't just another limited-edition rifle timed to capitalize on patriotic sentiment. It's a deliberate declaration, built on a frame that's been holding American hunters' ambitions since 1957, honoring 250 years of the freedom that let Roy Weatherby walk into a California storefront with nothing but an idea. That same freedom built this company into a Wyoming dynasty. That same freedom built a nation. This rifle is where those stories intersect.

Military Armament Corporation is an SDS Arms brand, and they have been putting out some interesting guns at prices that are hard to argue with. The MAC IX is their newest offering, a 9mm direct blowback pistol that feeds from MP5-style magazines and runs on AR-15 controls. It is a hybrid concept that works better than it sounds: familiar ergonomics, widely available magazines, and a suppressor-ready barrel right out of the box. SDS was kind enough to send yours truly a sample. Let's dive right into the TFB review of the MAC IX!

Not all limited editions are created equal, and only a few become a Photo Of The Day here on TFB. When Show Low Manufacturing and CNC Firearms teamed up on the Blackjack Omega, they put together a genuinely spec'd build rather than just slapping a special finish on a catalog gun.

Dead Air and Medford have carved out their own lanes in their respective markets: one built on precision sound suppression, the other on knives engineered like they're designed to outlast their owners. This collaboration feels inevitable in retrospect. The Dead Air x Medford Knuckle Knife is a limited run of 150 serialized blades that takes a page from actual trench-knife design and runs it through Medford's overbuilt playbook. The result is a knife that doesn't compromise on utility or toughness, which is exactly what you'd expect from both brands.

The Springfield Armory Echelon is the pistol of choice for a lot of shooters because of its wide package of accoutrements and modern features. The only gripe that some shooters raise is that the more tricked out variations might be too expensive for their budget. So, Springfield has heard that request and lowered their price-point with the unveiling of the Echelon Alpha!

KAK Industry has a new bolt carrier designed for optimal use with forced reset triggers. The Dead Blow Carrier (DBC) uses special internal weights to help keep everything operating in sync. Let’s dig into it.

Federal, Remington, and a lot of the ammunition brands under The Kinetic Group (TKG) umbrella are known for securing military and government ammo contracts. Now, TKG is announcing once again that they have secured a rifle ammunition contract with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) for 4 types of rifle ammo.

Concealed carry guns don't have to be expensive. Here are our picks for the best concealable handguns under $500. Price points are always a little squishy as things go on sale or get scarce during times of shortage, but these picks are all consistently around that price point. This list is not in strict order, but it lines up with my impression of sales volumes based on my time behind the gun counter.

Photo Of The Day, and we find ourselves on the wrong side of the M7 Next Generation Squad Weapon. Transition to a new service rifle means more than issue and familiarization, particularly for units committed to near-peer readiness. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment "Battle" are putting the M7 through its paces at Schofield Barracks, moving through the deliberate progression required for operational confidence.

If you have spent any amount of time on the range with a KelTec P17, you already know it looks like it fell out of a prop bin on a low-budget sci-fi set. The telltale signs of a KelTec’s typical clamshell polymer construction and boxy lines have earned it comparisons to everything from a Nerf gun to a prop from a video game nobody can quite put their finger on. FarrowTech decided to stop pretending the resemblance was a coincidence and leaned all the way in with the FT-M kit. This conversion kit dresses the P17 up as a reasonably faithful (but compact) stand-in for the M6D Magnum, a firearm frequently seen throughout the Halo series. Today we’ll check out this roughly $100 aftermarket conversion kit to see what it does to your P17 pistol.

PHLster is best known for its Enigma holster platform, which does not require a belt. There is now an even smaller version for use with micro-sized handguns. The Enigma Micro scales down the setup for use with guns like the S&W Bodyguard 2.

We recently reported that Folds of Honor was proud to announce that they had assisted 1,613 scholars graduate this past year. Their next big announcement is the America 250 or USA 250 clothing collection that they now have Live on their website to celebrate America’s 250th birthday this year.

Safariland has a new family of belts developed in conjunction with Haley Strategic. The BASELINE series has both slick and MOLLE-covered models. Keep reading for all the details.

Welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 195, brought to you by Strike Industries, manufacturer of innovative, high-performance firearm accessories. We’re back with more deals on guns, gear, ammunition, and accessories from some of our most frequented online retailers like Strike Industries, as well as 5.11 Tactical, Primary Arms, Natchez Shooters Supply, Palmetto State Armory, Brownells, and more. Whether you’re looking for deals on new or used guns, ammo to add to your reserves, or specific accessories like flashlights, range bags, optics, bipods, and magazines, each week we’ll have new sets of deals that might fulfill one of those needs and save you a few dollars.