Reviews

Rosco Manufacturing, established in 2017 and based in Rhode Island, is a firearms company specializing in producing barrels and firearm components. The company focuses on creating reliable and precise products designed to meet the needs of both civilian firearms enthusiasts and professionals in law enforcement and the military. Drawing on industry experience, Rosco has developed a reputation for balancing craftsmanship while not leaving a massive hole in your wallet. By employing modern manufacturing techniques and maintaining strict quality standards, the company offers a range of barrels in various calibers and profiles, and now upper receiver groups too!

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! As part of this ongoing series of entirely rimfire-focused topics, I’ve been going through as many different types of .22LR ammunition as I can get my hands on, and running them through a series of standardized accuracy and velocity tests using a Bergara B14R rifle and Garmin’s extremely handy Xero C1 Pro chronograph. In the past, we’ve had the opportunity to check out everything from CCI’s very much loved Standard Velocity ammo, to some of Europe’s best budget offerings like last week’s S&B Club 40 grain. This week we’re checking out another rather odd ammo I picked up while browsing a local outfitter - Browning PRO-22 40 grain. This ammo is marketed as a varmint hunting/recreational shooting cartridge and today we’ll run it through our normal series of tests so I can give you my thoughts on the ammo.

This is a review of the high-end MDT Lightweight CkyePod RRS BTC with Doublepull Legs. Behind all these words and abbreviations hides a premium, highly versatile bipod designed for precision shooters, hunters, and tactical users. Recreational or casual users beware, as you may not fully have the need to utilize all the advanced features, and you certainly won’t appreciate its premium price over more basic bipods.

Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! I’ve been getting some fresh new batches of different ammo for testing, so this week we’ll be checking out a rarity over here in the States - Sellier & Bellot Club 40 Grain 22LR.

One of the most anticipated new releases from Palmetto State Armory was the “Krink” AK when it was announced at SHOT Show 2023. The AKS-74U is a grail gun for many shooters, but it is a hard one to find, and expensive if one can be located. A PSA Krink would make that gun both affordable and available. I asked PSA to send me one to review, and it is time to talk about how it performed.

The Strike Industries Enhanced Grip Module for P365s is a good-looking grip module, aimed to give you a little bit more performance out of your carry piece. Strike Industries sent one out for a review, and I'll give you an honest review and opinion.

In the modern sporting rifle world we are in a bit of a crossroads; a midlife crisis, if you will. We, as the gun community, are blessed to have hundreds of options when it comes to purchasing an AR-15 platform rifle. Some poor, some OK, and quite a few are good. To differentiate yourself from the pack, you either need to be a stalwart name that has been around for decades or deliver something authentically unique and inspiring to the table. A new, up-and-coming company in X2 Dev Group is positioning themselves to do the latter. They have a highly customized upper and lower receiver set as well as other proprietary features blended into their build that will hopefully have you reaching for your checkbook. So, today we are going to take a look at the X2 Dev Group AR-X LightFighter .223 Wylde rifle to see if its premium price tag also delivers premier performance. Let’s dive in!

Welcome back to another TFB review. In recent years, the AK market has taken a hit with the loss of cheap 7.62x39 and 5.45x39 ammunition. Whether it’s because of import bans, supply problems because of world conflicts, or just higher demand over the last few years it can be rather tricky to get ammo for AKs like it was in the past. This week, I’m looking at the new 5.56x45 AK from Century Arms. There has been a push to create an AK that users can shoot easily without searching for paying a higher amount for ammo. 5.56 AKs could not only keep the AK market alive in America but also offer a cheaper option. Let’s take a closer look at the new Century Arms BFT556 AK.

Welcome back to another TFB review. The concealed pistol market has countless options from a wide variety of manufacturers. Smith & Wesson was one of the first major manufacturers to release the original Shield back in 2012 with the single stack variant that allowed people to carry easily with a single stack 9mm pistol. Fast forward 12 years and Smith & Wesson has dropped their new pistol which is the Shield Plus Carry Comp variant from the performance center. I’ve been carrying the Shield Plus for the last couple of months and during that time I have a good idea of what it’s like to live day in and day out. Let’s look closer at the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus Performance Center Carry Comp.

This is a review of the new Nocpix VISTA H50 Thermal Monocular. The Vista series thermal imaging monoculars are engineered for use both day and night, offering users a thermal image even in adverse weather conditions such as fog, smog, and rain. Thermals are effective at detecting targets beyond obstacles like branches, tall grass, and dense foliage. The Vista thermal imager is a great tool suitable for a wide range of applications, including hunting, observation, security, terrain orientation, and search and rescue operations.

Smith & Wesson's X-Frame revolvers have long been associated with massive power and equally massive recoil. The newish (2022) Model 350, chambered in .350 Legend, breaks that mold. After sending over 100 rounds downrange through this seven-shot behemoth, I discovered something unexpected: an X-Frame that's actually fun to shoot, while still maintaining serious hunting credentials.

I’ve had the opportunity to try out the new Vectronix Vector X, from Vectronix Shooting Solutions (VECSS). This is a premium laser rangefinder binocular, available in a variety of magnifications and configurations, with an ecosystem of gadgets and ballistics applications to predict and improve the chances of hitting at long range. It’s really nice to see a focus on the civilian consumer market segment, and this kind of product is highly welcome.

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the new SIG Spear or the XM7. Many discuss whether it's a worthy replacement for the venerable M4 and the pros and cons of moving to a higher-power cartridge. Many discuss the theoretics of a near-peer threat with armor and extended engagement distance while others talk about a reduced combat load of ammunition and the inability of your standard grunt to take advantage of the extended range of the 277. I have always found myself drawn to platforms like the ACR and SCAR that touted themselves as M4 replacements, so I decided to get my hands on one and put as many rounds through it as I could to see if it's something worth picking up as a civilian. 

When CZ markets their Bobwhite G2 Intermediate as a scaled-down shotgun with a 14-inch length of pull for "teenagers and those of moderate stature," they're missing the real story. After spending time with this 20-gauge side-by-side both in the grouse woods and on the trap range, I've found the "intermediate" designation has less to do with accommodating smaller shooters and more about creating an exceptionally practical field gun. That half-inch reduction in the length of pull? It's almost unnoticeable. The 26-inch barrels? Now that's where things get interesting - let’s dive in.

Red dots have been all the rage in the last 5 - 10 years both from an optics manufacturing standpoint as well as firearm manufacturers. More and more firearm and optic companies have joined the optics-equipped bandwagon to make shooting handguns that much more enjoyable - and easy to see - with a red dot. Within this renaissance, we have seen a burst of popularity for “enclosed emitter” red dots, too: optics that are fully housed in a box to protect the red dot from outside elements. While they can appear boxy to some with the endearing moniker of “mailboxes,” it is difficult to doubt the advantages that they can afford you. So, today we are going to look at 2 enclosed emitter red dots from Meprolight: the MPO Pro-S (Shield footprint) and their MPO Pro-F (RMR footprint) to see which one might be best for you. Let’s dive in!

The Springfield Armory Echelon has been out for barely 15 months and it has made quite a name for itself within the firearms industry. What began as a single firearm offering that didn’t reinvent the wheel yet offered everything imaginable in a single pistol, it has now branched out into a full-fledged suite of handguns. You have the OG pistol (the original), Cerakote colors, a Comp version, and our very own James Reeves from TFBTV even reviewed the Echelon upon its debut giving it high praises. Now, Springfield has brought something new to the table with a compact iteration of their workhorse, wonder pistol. The Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C 9mm is a nod to this version being a compact model with a 4” barrel. Will this slightly leaner pistol still retain all of its big brother’s traits in a smaller form factor? Or, will the Echelon 4.0C not measure up? Let’s dive in!

The P320 Max isn’t just another flavor of P320. It was optimized to compete in the USPSA Carry Optics division. It was built with feedback from Max Michel. If you're unfamiliar with Max Michel, he is one of the greatest practical pistol shooters of the modern era. No exaggeration. He has also won many things with the P320 including multiple World Records. I bought one several years ago, and have shot about 8 or 9 local matches with it. Here's my review.

The micro red dot market has become increasingly crowded, with options at every price point promising various features and innovations. The Meprolight MPO-DS enters this space with a straightforward proposition - though whether straightforward is enough in today's market is what we're here to explore.

TFB Review: Pulsar Merger LRF XT50 - 1280x1024 HD Thermal Binoculars

Can a gun have a soul? The ancients wouldn’t have considered that such a silly question. They firmly believed that everything had a spirit—even inanimate objects. That carried over even after the Christianization of the West. It was once a near-universal belief that certain relics of saints were imbued with the Holy Spirit. Even certain weapons were believed to have supernatural attributes, most famously Excalibur (or Caliburn), the sword wielded by King Arthur.

Welcome back to another TFB review. This week, I’ll be looking at the Geissele Super Duty rifle. Geissele is known for its high-quality AR15 triggers and parts but in the last few years, they have started producing complete rifle units. There are a number of high-quality options for AR15s in this price bracket so what will be different for the Geissele? Let’s take a closer look at the Geissele Super Duty rifle and see how things go.

I carry a concealed firearm most days. Luckily, I’ve never had to draw it and use it, although there were a few times I thought I might have to. In a self-defense scenario, your draw time matters greatly. The Mantis Laser Academy helps you practice your draw and track your shots through dry fire at home. There are a few other benefits that I'll cover in this review as well.

OTF (Out-The-Front) blades are insanely popular these days. While there are tons of low-quality, Chinese-made knockoff OTFs out there, one of my favorite Florida men, Jason Bayne, the owner of Backup Tactical, teamed up with knifemaker Andre De Villers to create the new, American-made Stinger OTF knife. Not only is the Stinger 100% American-machined and assembled, but it also boasts higher-quality steel, precision hand-fit assembly, and is available in four blade styles and four anodized finishes. Jayson was kind enough to send out a knife for me to check out and today we’ll compare it with what I already know about OTF blades to see how this one stacks up as a daily carry knife.

DNT Optics is a new player in the optics space. Most of their lineup focuses on night vision and thermal optics, but they also have a new traditional rifle scope. Known as TheOne, it is a first focal plane 7-35x56 scope designed for long-range use. I am always game for trying a new scope, and when DNT offered to let me try one out I agreed.

I’ll confess that I’ve wanted to get my hands on an M&P9 M2.0 of any variation for quite a while now. Of course, I’ve held them in stores and thought they were particularly ergonomic and subjectively good-looking handguns, however, everything I really needed to know remained waiting for me to put some rounds downrange. Smith & Wesson was happy to scratch that itch and I was excited to receive a Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Full Size Metal Carry Comp for review.

As a Smith & Wesson fan, I jumped at the chance to test out the M&P9 M2.0 Compact Carry Comp series pistol. I had high expectations for this striker-fired pistol, which were mostly met, but I encountered a couple of downsides that might be too much to overlook.

Welcome back to another review from The Firearm Blog. Over the past few weeks, I have put up a review of my SIG Sauer Spear LT. If you happened to miss my review on the Spear LT, be sure to click the link here to check it out. With the latest version of the MCX line of rifles, I wanted to look at the original model to see what changes have happened and why the original MCX line of rifles was so popular and continues to be desirable. Let’s take a closer look at the original SIG Sauer MCX vs Spear LT

The Meprolight MPO-F is a closed-emitter pistol sight with an RMR footprint. It was designed to be a very durable optic, to meet the needs of military and law enforcement operations in any environment. Meprolight sent me one out for review, and I’m ready to give you my full and unbiased opinion and feedback on the optic.

When I first saw this silencer over a year ago at Silencer Central's headquarters, I was impressed by how such a small package could pack such interesting technology. The BANISH Speed K TI represents something pretty unique in the suppressor world - a 3D-printed titanium can that weighs next to nothing while still promising hearing-safe performance. After getting some quality time with it both at the factory and now on my own rifles, I've got some thoughts to share about this lightweight wonder.

We are living in a renaissance for red dots on handguns. It is a glorious thing. It was not that long ago that your only options were a Trijicon RMR (good, but insanely expensive), a Burris FastFire (unexciting, but OK), and a hoard of untested, foreign red dots that now don’t exist anymore. Flash-forward to today and the moment you walk through a gun shop’s door you are tripping over options. If you want to spend $1K on a handgun red dot, there is some manufacturer out there making one with thermal, a million hour battery life, and GPS plotting (I’m kidding, but what if). What about the other end of the spectrum? How low can we go on price and still get a “bulletproof” red dot?