Reviews

What happens when you take a few engineers from Q, a 60-year-old bolt gun design, a few cases of beer, and lock them in a room? You might get something like the Q Fix Rifle. By the way, I'm told this is 100 percent how the Fix was developed. A few months ago, I was able to build my own Fix rifle at Q in New Hampshire and had a blast interacting with all the guys that work there. Today, I bring you my initial impressions on the rifle after 100 rounds through it. I'll also layout how I have the rifle currently set up.

This Photo of the Day centers on a modern precision-oriented hunting setup built around a Schmeisser Pro Hunter finished in FDE, shown working through both daylight and thermal conditions. This is a setup a lot of people are looking for, to be able to work day and night, and to be able to swiftly change from one advanced setting to another without losing optical quality.

Welcome back to TFB’s Small Business Spotlight! In this weekly column, we take a look at small firearm-related businesses. Today, the spotlight's on Mystery Operations, a company from Marfa, Texas that hosts Run & Gun matches.

Kimber Manufacturing has expanded its 2K11 lineup with the introduction of the new 2K11 Comp series, answering one of the most common requests since the platform’s debut in late 2024. Just over a year after the original 2K11 launch, the addition of compensated variants marks the next evolutionary step for Kimber’s high-capacity, 1911-style handgun family.

FN UK has been awarded the UK Police Primary Carbine System (PPCS) Framework Agreement with its FN 15 Advanced Semi-Automatic Rifle (ASR), making the platform available for adoption across UK police forces. With the framework now in place, all UK police services are able to procure the FN 15 ASR as an approved primary carbine option.

Derya Arms has announced the launch of the TM22 Flash, a new tactical variant of its popular TM22 rimfire platform. Designed to emphasize speed, precision, and modularity, the TM22 Flash becomes the flagship model of the TM22 series and is now shipping through authorized dealers with an MSRP of $249.

In a 2-1 decision issued Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that California's ban on openly carrying firearms in counties with populations exceeding 200,000 is unconstitutional. The ruling affects roughly 95% of California's population and represents one of the most significant Second Amendment decisions since the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

The Kestrel 5700X WEZ is the 5700X family member equipped with Applied Ballistics’ Elite solver, plus a built-in Weapon Employment Zone (WEZ) analysis. It keeps all the weather measuring and basic ballistics features Kestrel is known for, but adds a statistical layer that quantifies the probability of hit (P HIT) and shows how different uncertainties (wind, range, muzzle velocity, shooter consistency, etc.) drive that probability. That makes this unit aimed squarely at long-range shooters, instructors and system evaluators who want to move beyond single-shot solutions and into error budgeting and decision-making. You can use it as a beginner, and probably to infinity in terms of how advanced you’d like things to be.

Photo Of The Day: You could say that my appreciation for carbon fiber parts, especially from Lancer Systems, comes from the way the material balances form, function, and durability in a way few materials can match. Carbon fiber offers strength without the penalty of weight, and on a rifle, that translates directly into quicker handling, less fatigue, and a more responsive feel. Things that could mean faster transitions from target to target, and give me an edge over other competitors. Going to the gym and keeping fit sometimes only helps you so much, and you need more components to win.

Happy New Year to everyone! As we settle into 2026, many of us are probably either already in the process of acquiring or have already acquired some brand-new suppressors or, perhaps even other NFA items. Whatever it was on your wishlist, one that has been on mine for quite a while is Angstadt Arms’ Vanquish AR-22, which was announced just a few months ago in 2025. While no single component of this complete SBR is a “new” item, what Rich and his team have done over at Angstadt Arms is nothing short of awesome in my opinion, and today I’m happy to be able to give you my initial impressions on the SBR version of the new Vanquish AR-22 rifle.  

Palmetto State Armory has expanded with a suppressor lineup with two new BT5-pattern units designed around Inconel construction: the Sabre BT5 5.56 Inconel and the Sabre Compact BT5 Mini 5.56 Inconel. Both models are offered in flat dark earth (FDE) and black finishes, giving shooters a choice in appearance while maintaining consistent materials and internal geometry across the series.

"SEC. 1062. MODIFICATIONS TO AUTHORITY FOR TRANSFER AND SALE OF CERTAIN SURPLUS FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, AND PARTS." is an incredibly dry and bureaucratic title. Still, it may represent some exciting news for American gun collectors. Keep reading for all the details.

Welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 169! We’re back with more deals on guns, gear, ammunition, and accessories from some of our most frequented online retailers like 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.

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday, brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new Victra-12 shotgun suppressor. It is now 2026, and tax stamps for most items are $0! But how is the infrastructure that creates those stamps holding up? Here are some collected data points that give us some ideas.

Boom, it finally happened, the S has HTF'ed. Luckily for you, you have been stockpiling ammunition since you could go to the store by yourself. But wait, all this time have you been stocking the right ammo? Keep in mind the ammo that you have is what you'll be using for hunting, defending yourself, training, and trading. So let's hope you picked not only a good caliber, but also the proper ammo types. 

Today’s Photo of the Day features U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Deondre Dennard firing a Mossberg 500 shotgun during a non-lethal weapons course at Camp Pendleton, California. The training, hosted by Marines from 1st Law Enforcement Battalion in 2020, covered proper employment of non-lethal force in both policing and combat scenarios. The shotgun, often underrated, is actually one of the most powerful firearms available to civilians. At the same time, it’s extremely versatile, as it can throw a lot of different types of ammunition out of the barrel.

If your childhood was anything like mine, you were subjected to the women of the family watching the 6-VHS-tape version of Pride & Prejudice repeatedly. And while the allure of that show always escaped me, it turns out there is an equivalent for me: Sharpe. Watching hours of Sean Bean wielding a Baker Rifle through the Napoleonic Wars is enough to make anyone want their own. Pedersoli has now made that possible!

We are in the run-up to SHOT Show 2026, and new product releases are starting to roll in. Ruger's lineup of AR-15 rifles is undergoing some changes for 2026. The new Harrier models replace the AR-556 family and include some updated features.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about fixed blades versus folding knives and whether they are a good idea to carry as a secondary weapon. 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 look back and reflect on some of the most carried guns of 2025 for me personally. I tend to keep track like an absolute crazy person, and in order of days carried, let's check out my top 5 carry guns of 2025.

Listen to Behind The Gun on TFB – https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/podcast/

Over the last few years as I have developed as a shooter, and as my range trips have become more organized and scheduled I have found the need to be able to look down range and scope out targets without using a gun mounted optic. Historically for me this solution has been a spotting scope, however after making use of several sets of binoculars during a long range rifle competition last fall I have been in the market for a pair of my own. Comparing the usability of a spotting scope to binoculars it was much easier to spot shots, trace, and impacts with the latter than I had thought it would be, hence my desire for a set of my own. Knowing this, when I was given the opportunity to get my hands on and review a set from a relative newcomer in the optics game I jumped right on board. 

Every year, Krieghoff introduces a Gun Of The Year, a highly embellished version of one of their firearms. The Krieghoff 2025 Gun Of The Year is called Spirit Of The Deep. It's a K-80 over-and-under shotgun engraved with various marine creatures and scenes.

Pietta just announced the PDA 357, their take on the Colt Python. Posted it on social media 11/20 with some noir-style marketing graphics and a "not just a replica" tagline that's doing a lot of heavy lifting. Rumors about this gun started popping up as early as March 2025, so it's been in the works for a while. Now it's official.

Welcome back to another TFB review. This week, I wanted to look at the Craft Holster Panther outside the waistband (OWB) holster. For the most part, inside the waistband (IWB) style holsters are typically the most commonly used holsters, but the classic outside the waistband belt-mounted holsters are some of the best choices when the weather starts to change. I’ve had the Craft Holster Panther OWB rig for a few weeks now and have plenty to say about it. Let's take a closer look at the Craft Holsters Panther belt holster.

On Christmas Eve, Ruger announced a new generation of the Red Label shotgun. The Red Label III is a 20-gauge over/under shotgun, made by Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company. Let's take a look at all the details.

Federal is now shipping its first 6mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge load. This 6mm ARC load is part of the Gold Medal line of target ammo. Keep reading for all the details.

Galco has a new holster design for outdoorsmen who spend a lot of time in thick foliage. The Brush Hog has a protective flap over the top of the pistol to keep sticks, thorns, and such out of the gun. Keep reading for all the details.

Spanish riflemaker Bergara is joining the ranks of the silencer manufacturers. The new BTi30 is a 3D-printed titanium can with HUB mounting. Let’s take a look at all of the features.

During the Cold War, there were requests for many specialized weapon systems, as modern armed conflicts are fundamentally different from the cataclysmic wars of the last century. Fortunately, full-scale military operations the size of Verdun or Kursk seem not to be the course of future battle. Instead, modern conflicts are often prolonged and low-intensity, with a heavy reliance on small specialized teams. Warfighting doctrines have largely adapted to this reality and configured their weapon designs to meet soldiers' needs in these modern environments. Discretion is often key to avoiding disturbing local elements and maintaining a low profile for one’s own survival. For that, next-generation silenced weapons are necessary.

Photo Of The Day: A competitor from one of the fifteen international teams engages distant steel during the 2021 U.S. Army Special Operations Command International Sniper Competition at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), North Carolina, back in 2021. To the best of my knowledge, the carbine is the Secret Service’s KAC SR-16 CQB MOD 2.1, and it seems multiple targets are being engaged using the secondary red dot sight.