#TFBReview

At different parts of your life as a gun owner you'll eventually run into a situation where you inherit a firearm, whether that be from a relative passing away, a handed down gift from an elder family member, or in the case of this particular Mossberg 500 brought into your collection by your significant other. While I have zero gripes about the tried and true Mossberg 500 platform and its abilities, at times the accessories that people decide are the right fit for them aren't the best out there. Case in point, this shotgun came to me with a telescoping stock and pistol grip from ATI. This is not an ATI hate piece so I will leave my opinions and observations to a before and after based on my changes. To upgrade my new Mossberg I chose the Mesa Tactical LEO Gen 2 Telescoping stock adapter, specifically model 92630.

The Maven Optics S1.2S-25-50x80 Spotting scope was provided by Maven for this review, and while I am allowed to keep this optic after the conclusion of this review, it will not impact my current or future opinions on the brand and their products. The Maven Optics S1.2S - 25-50x80 has been used extensively over the past 9 months on the range and at a local farm.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program offers screaming deals on used, refurbished Daisy 853 competition air rifles. They are only $140 shipped! So I decided to pick one up for positional shooting practice in my basement during the highpower rifle winter off-season. Is this a worthwhile purchase for you too? Maybe, maybe not. Hopefully, this review will help you sort that out.

Glock gets a lot of hassle online for sticking to the same product profile. Each new release looks a lot like the last one. But now, sometimes the new ones are actually the old ones. Lipsey’s showed off a 17L Gen 1 reissue at SHOT Show 2024, and it caught my eye. They were recently on sale with a healthy discount, so I picked one up because I could not help myself.

If you’ve read my review of the   Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Full Size Metal Carry Comp last November, then you know I was a little late to the M&P party. Having held them at gun stores, I was keenly aware of the M&P’s ergonomic advantages, and being a Glock shooter, I’ve never been averse to polymer, but for some reason, getting one of these handguns out on the range evaded me for years. Given that I skipped a few grades ahead with the ported, metal frame, Performance Center model, the experience proved overwhelmingly satisfying. So, when Smith & Wesson   announced the Metal Compact series earlier this year, I jumped at the chance to review the   M&P9 M2.0 4-Inch Metal Compact Thumb Safety version.

The good old M1A, it's a rifle we have talked about over and over again here at TFB. While its a design that is coming up on being 70 years old, there are still many people today who love this rifle. Whether it's for the rifle's historical importance, aesthetics, or a personal connection, it's a firearm that simply won't die even in the year 2025. With myself being someone who always dreamed about owning an M14 / M1A ever since watching Black Hawk Down when I was a teenager, you can imagine my excitement when Springfield Armory agreed to send me one of their M1A Standard Issue rifles to review. With this rifle, I aim to answer one simple yet apparent question: is the M1A still relevant in 2025?

The AR-15 market continues to be saturated, but one thing will always remain: threading the needle of quality and affordability will always matter. Very few people are looking to spend $4K - $5K on a rifle; conversely, you feel pretty worried if you’re purchasing one for around $400 - $500. The sweet spot that most buyers are looking for is $1,000 - $1,500 in price. That territory is where Springfield’s AR-15s have lived for a long time. We’re going to review one of the newly announced Springfield Armory SAINT Victor V2 rifles in a Coyote Brown Cerakote today, which retails for $1,279 to see if it, too, can thread the needle on quality and affordability. Let’s dive in!

Springfield Armory has refreshed the Saint line of rifles and pistols. They sent a pinned-and-welded rifle out early for review so I could run it prior to release. Across a range of shooting situations it has proven to be a solid example of the current state of the AR-15.

Let’s get real for a second ladies and gents... if you’ve spent more than one range session wiping sweat off your hands, digging your hands into gravel while working on shooting from prone, or trying to keep a solid grip while your palms feel like they’ve been dipped in canola oil, you’ve probably wondered if gloves are worth it. I sure did. And not just out of curiosity, I wanted to see if gloves could actually enhance my training, not just protect my hands. So I grabbed a pair of Viktos Operatus XP gloves, hit the range, and ran over 1,000 rounds through both pistol and rifle platforms to see how they held up. What I discovered might surprise you, especially if you're a woman looking for gear that actually fits and functions for smaller hands.

Springfield Armory announced their newest polymer handgun iteration on 19 August, with the unveiling of the Echelon 4.0C Comp 9mm. This is a small tweak to the original Echelon 4.0C in that you now have the option of an integrally compensated barrel and slide from the factory. We are going to run through a full review of this pistol to see if this Echelon variant and its compensated barrel are worth the hype. Let’s dive in!

Howdy, folks! Patrik Orcutt here, comin’ at ya with a deep dive into the Leupold SX-5 Santiam HD 27- 55x80 mm spotting scope with its slick angled eyepiece. I’ve been haulin’ this bad boy around for 9 months, puttin’ it through the wringer at the range while zeroin’ rifles and out on my buddy’s ranch spottin’ cattle.

The firearms market in 2025 is a dynamic landscape, shaped by economic pressures, supply chain challenges, and evolving consumer preferences. One of the most significant factors impacting shooters today is the soaring cost of ammunition. Centerfire rounds, such as 9mm, 5.56, and .308 Winchester, have seen dramatic price increases due to raw material shortages, inflation, and high demand. For many enthusiasts, the expense of ammo has made frequent range trips or extended shooting sessions less accessible, pushing shooters to seek cost-effective alternatives without sacrificing the joy of the sport.

With countless rifle scopes flooding the market these days, it can certainly feel overwhelming when trying to pick what glass you want to throw on a rifle. Optics have come a very long way in the past few decades, with many companies making high-quality products that some people have never even heard of. This was my experience when it came to the brand Maven and their extensive line of optical offerings until last year, when they sent me their RS.4 - 5-30X56 FFP Rifle Scope for testing and evaluation. Before we get into the review, I think it might be important to talk about the company Maven, as they are pretty new to the market in comparison to some legacy brands.

No matter what you think about Q’s brash style, outrageous naming conventions, or frontman Kevin Brittingham’s smashmouth offense, there is no questioning the dedication of what has to be one of the most enthusiastic teams I’ve come to know in the firearms industry. You see, to know Q is to understand where that all comes from, and my personal experience with the company’s staff and products alludes to a deep pride in everything they do. Considering what I know of innovators both past and present, I can’t say I find this disposition all that surprising. I might even compare it to the swagger of a star athlete at the peak of their game, willing to put it all out there, push boundaries, and carve their own unique path. Well, it seems the mad engineers are back at it again, and I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the last few weeks with their latest creations, the   SPEAKEASY and   BLIND TIGER .30 caliber silencers.

Jacob Grey first turned heads here on TFB back in 2023 when James Reeves affectionately stated rocket scientists are building their guns. This being somewhat true, Jacob Grey has been slowly growing a cult following for their magnificent 2011-style pistols that carry an equally magnificent price tag. Today, we are going to take a deep-dive look at another new model in the TWC Hex 4.25” Ported 9mm. Is this pistol clear for takeoff and meteoric success? Or, will it fail to clear the atmosphere? Let’s dive in!