What’s the best weapon light? I’ll be honest and say I don’t know. That’s kind of like asking what the best car is if I don’t know what you’re going to use it for. But if you ask me what is the most versatile weapon light or what the best value in a weapon light is… The OLIGHT PL-Pro Valkyrie is going to be my first answer. Remember the 4th rule of firearm safety? Of course you do. “Know your target, and what lies beyond your target”, or words to that effect. Unless you were gifted with superhuman abilities, that pretty much left out shooting at night, right? Well, it did until technology caug ..read more

When I hear 7.62 x 39, my brain always answers with “AK-47”. And why not? Billions of rounds of 7.62 have been feeding Kalashnikovs and their imitators for seventy something years now. Well, there’s a new Western consumer for all that steel cased surplus goodness – the Ruger American Ranch Rifle in 7.62×39. The Ruger American Ranch line has been out for a few years now but the line has recently been updated. You can get the Ranch Rifle in a number of different calibers including 350 Legend, 5.56 NATO, 300 Blackout, 450 Bushmaster and yes, the pride of Russia -7.62×39. The Case for 7.62×39 So w ..read more

If I had a dollar for every gun that was characterized as a “Glock Killer” I’d have, well…  several dollars. At least. The Canik TP9SF Elite may not be the gun that causes Glock to shed its mortal coil, but the Austrian maker would be wise to look over its shoulder now and again. I first put my hands on a Canik pistol about five years ago when I spent some time with a Canik TP9 SA. The SA “Single Action” was like all Canik TP9 pistols, “inspired” by the very fine Walther P99 series pistols. Having owned actual P99s, at the time I was not overly impressed. Yes, it was inexpensive and like ..read more

The roots of the home defense shotgun. We start our updated 2020 list of Home Defense Shotguns under $300 with a little background. The modern “Tactical” shotgun can trace its roots back more than a century. John Moses Browning’s pump action shotgun design wasn’t the first pump-action shotgun, but as with many of the designs that sprung from the genius firearm designer’s mind, it laid the foundation for the modern products, like the home defense shotgun, to follow. The Model 1897 Winchester based on Browning’s design saw a lot of action in the Philippines in 1898 and again in Mexico during the ..read more

If you’re older than cell phones, you probably grew up watching every TV and movie detective worth his salt getting it done with a snub nosed revolver in their hand. No, no petroleum by-product polymer Wunder-guns for these guys. And despite all the science and technology brought to bear in modern firearms, the iconic snub nose revolver is still getting it done. Snub. Snubbie. Roscoe. Bulldog. Belly Gun. Short barreled revolvers have been with us for well over a hundred years reaching back into the second half of the 19th century. They were lighter, smaller and more concealable than their full ..read more

Everyone loves something that make them look good, maybe even better than they really are.  The right tools, the right guns, unlock that potential. The Springfield Range Officer Champion 9mm 1911 is like that, it’s as good as you are. In my case, maybe better. I’ve sometimes been accused of burying the lede, so let’s get this out of the way. The Springfield Range Officer Champion 9mm reviewed here shoots above its weight (and price) class. It’s tight. It’s right. And it has me wondering why I didn’t get my hands on one earlier. The Springfield Armory AMMDOG Reviews recently wrote about t ..read more

What’s almost five feet tall, one hundred and twenty-eight years old, and can still hit bullseyes at 250 yards? That’s right, it’s the US Springfield Model 1884 “Trapdoor” Rifle. This historic rifle is both beauty and beast and after one look you’ll know that “They sure don’t make ‘em like that anymore.” By the time this particular rifle had rolled off the line in 1892, The Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts had already been producing arms for over 100 years. Springfield spent the first half of the 19th century producing muskets. Over those years the US Government owned Springfie ..read more

After putting about 2000 rounds through this little pistol, I think it’s high time we did the Ruger SR22 Review for 2020. It may not be perfect, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a better semi-auto 22 caliber plinker at this or any price. The Ruger SR22 is a compact .22 caliber rimfire pistol. It is semi-automatic and utilizes a straight blowback action to cycle the pistol. The SR22 sports a polymer lower and an aluminum slide, tipping the scales at a bantamweight 17.5 ounces. The AMMDOG test pistol is the traditional model, which is all black except for a patch of bright red under the ..read more

With much of the country (and world) practicing social distancing to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, you’ve probably found yourself with some extra time on your hands. I know my gun ranges (both indoors and out) are currently shuttered, which makes reviewing guns a little difficult. It can be frustrating for sure, but we just need to suck it up and get through it. When the gun range is closed… the tough get going – or something like that. However, there is at least one silver lining in this situation for many folks. The time you normally spent on other activities can be re-channel ..read more

The Sig Sauer Romeo 5 red dot sight is one of the best-selling rifle sights in the US right now. We decided to have a look and see why. There’s an awful lot of competition in the budget priced sight market but Sig Sauer has managed to distinguish itself. The Sig Romeo 5 offers great performance and features and has wrapped them into a distinctively styled case. It’s a good look. It’s Stealthy? Sig calls it “Stealth ID”, noting “the deflection armor trapezoidal surfacing breaks up the shape and visibility of the optic”.  All right, I think the marketing guys may have overindulged on th ..read more