Napoleon Bonaparte had miraculously escaped from the island prison of Elba, somehow raised a new French army, and was awaiting the full weight of the allied hammer to fall upon his men. A depiction of French troops flocking to Napoleon after his escape from Elba. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) The British, Austrians, Prussians, and Russians had all vowed to commit 150,000 men to face Napoleon, hoping to get rid of him forever. A Series of Mistakes At that moment, 794,000 allied forces were preparing to head his way. And Napoleon? His army stood at 160,000 men. Napoleon knew the allied forces wer ..read more

In a world where striker-fired pistols are as common as dirt, it can be tough to figure out if one is actually better than the others. Most of the offerings on the market work well and perform similarly, so it really comes down to two things for me — the details and the value. Canik TP9 Elite SC Canik has been putting out some absolutely fantastic pistols lately, but I decided to get my hands on their slightly older TP9 Elite SC to see if it still had the same value and attention to detail I’ve come to love in other Canik guns. I also wanted to know if sub-compact guns are still relevant in a ..read more

If you read any of my writing, you know I am always willing to talk and learn about shotguns. Shotguns have been my favorite firearm since my first gun was a Remington 870 in .410. I got that shotgun for hunting, and we took a great many squirrels, rabbits, and even a bird or two together. They were often our primary weapons in the swamps of Florida. While I lived by the pump gun in my youth, I’ve since branched out. Shotguns can be the ultimate hunting weapon depending on your environment. They are very versatile tools that can take a wide variety of animals, from squirrels and birds up to d ..read more

The year 2023 has been an interesting one for the gun industry. Like many other industries, the gun industry goes through spurts, fads, themes, or whatever else you want to call it. PSA Rock 5.7 A few years back, it was pocket .380s. Recently it has been micro 9s. But this year seems to lack a single cohesive theme. In fact, it’s all over the place, and I’m all about it. It seems to be the year of creativity, trying new things, and even bringing back a few old things that most of us have missed. We are at a point in the industry where we are saturated with the basic setup of polymer frame stri ..read more

In some states, generations of hunters have been limited to shotguns and muzzleloaders for filling their deer tags and chest freezers. In these states, legislators and wildlife commissions decided long ago that scatterguns and black powder rifles were the only safe ways to harvest whitetails, especially in densely populated areas. Not everyone can take their favorite rifle out But the times, they are a-changin’. Some states are loosening restrictions and allowing hunters to use straight-walled rifle cartridges to harvest whitetails.  Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering swap ..read more

The Spanish-American War was over, and because of this, the Philippines were no longer under Spanish control. When the Americans arrived in 1899, the Filipino fighters turned their anger away from the Spaniards and towards the US instead. A wounded American being carried away on a stretcher in the Philippines, 1899. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) Among those with resentment toward the Americans were the Moro warriors. The Moro were seemingly invincible during combat. What was particularly confusing about fighting against the Moro was that no matter how many times they were shot, they seemed to be ..read more

The world of magnified optics is flush with options for those shooters needing to reach out with some clarity at distance. Narrowing the field, there are a lot of low-powered variable optics (LPVO) too. The high-end scopes available on the market are amazing but can have you considering a second mortgage. But there are good options that do most of what you need without breaking the bank. We can agree we should have options that provide good performance at a low price — optics that don’t suck. Primary Arms recently sent us their latest SLx 1-6 to test out, and after putting it through the wr ..read more

Live in a state with an assault weapons ban? Hate featureless rifles and fixed magazines? Ashford Armament introduces the Bolt Retention System (BRS) — a solution for AR-15 fans to stay state compliant but enjoy otherwise banned features such as pistol grips, telescoping stocks, and standard capacity detachable magazines. How does it work? The BRS interrupts the firing cycle after a round is fired and catches the bolt in the rearward position. To chamber the next round, users simply tap the BRS to release the bolt. Check it out in action here. This interruption means that, in applicable state ..read more

Before carrying concealed, I hadn’t worn a belt in over a decade. The thought of wearing a stiff gun belt made me cringe, and I tried to get away without it for a while. Belts, belts, and more belts. Ultimately, I learned that a good belt makes all the difference in concealment, and I went on the hunt for female-friendly options. Today, we’re going to dive into gun belts, talk about why you need one, and then run through some of our favorite models for concealed carry and the range. Keep reading! Summary of Our Top Picks Best Leather CCW Belt Crossbreed Ladies Reversible Carry Belt Low pr ..read more

You can never have too many magazines, especially for something like a 1911, which already has a relatively low capacity by modern standards. Extra magazines allow for faster and more convenient reloading while at the range and give you a backup should you need more rounds in a defensive situation. So many magazines…so little time. Of course, extra magazines are only helpful if they work.  1911 Firing diagram The 1911 (our fav picks) is not exactly known as a paragon of reliability, so you definitely don’t want to exacerbate any potential issues with low-quality mags. But, with so many di ..read more