An ambi safety can add a lot of functionality to your AR-15. Here we take a look at Aero Precision’s PRO model.
The problem with most AR-15 ambidextrous safeties is the tiny little screws holding them together. The even tinier Allen wrenches meant to tighten them are one moment’s oversight from bending to uselessness.
On a personal note, the wings of ambi safeties tend to be too big for me, and the offside one interferes with my trigger finger. But that’s my problem. Yours, and ours, is assemblage. Well, Aero has solved the problem.
The M4E1 Pro ambi safety selector kit comes with the center shaft, which is cut to work as a safety, two wings, and the spring and plunger to work them.
Now, if your rifle already has a safety on it, the spring and plunger are both superfluous. But they’ll be handy as spares.
The neat trick to the Aero approach is that the wings are both separate parts from the shaft. The center shaft is cut for clearance and to block the trigger when on “safe,” so you’ll have to pay attention when you install it. However, the shaft also has square bosses on the ends. These fit into the recesses in the wings.
The wings have clearance holes on the front so you can disassemble the Aero Pro ambi safety if you need or want to.
And the real trick? There are captured, spring-loaded plungers in the shaft on the ends in those bosses. So, once you have figured out which side is up, press one wing over the boss, use a small-tipped tool to depress the plunger and snap the wing onto the shaft.
Yes, it’s that easy. Press the assemblage into the receiver (with the correct parts assemblage of trigger, disconnector and hammer already there) and press the existing frame-installed plunger down for clearance. (If you’re building from parts, the frame spring and plunger go in just before the pistol grip goes on.)
Once the one-wing-and-shaft assemblage is in place, press the other wing over the boss and use your sharp-pointed tool to depress the plunger. Once it snaps in place … well, you’re done.
No more fiddly little Allen-socket screws of minuscule thread size to fuss over. If you ever want to disassemble it, use a small press pin to depress the plunger. Yes, Aero thought of that and the hole for the plunger goes through the wing, so you have access.
The Aero Precision ambi selector is easy to install and clever as all get-out.
You have your choice of black, OD Green, or Kodiak brown so you can mix or match your new ambi safety to your AR-15 lower or next build project.
Now, some might object that $65 is a bit much for a safety selector, and if you don’t need an ambi, that’s probably correct. After all, you can buy a plain-Jane GI one for, what, $8 plus shipping?
But if you need an ambi, or you feel the need for an ambi, you might as well make life (installation life that is) easier.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
CLINTON, SC – Wraith Metalworks is proud to announce their place as Presenting Sponsor of CANCON 2026, at the Clinton House in Clinton, SC on May 6th through 8th.
A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small business, Wraith Metalworks was founded in 2020 first as a self-made think tank for tackling suppressor-related innovation. In early 2025, after years of multi-faceted problem solving, they entered full-scale R&D. By August of 2025, Wraith suppressors placed 1st, 2nd, and 5th at TBAC Suppressor Summit in the “ML” (Muzzle Left) category, out of 141 different 5.56 suppressors tested. Their focus on dynamic problem solving and rapid iteration—built around additive manufacturing—allows the Wraith team to re-optimize designs or solve end-user-specific suppression problems with functional testing in a matter of days, instead of months or years.
Their system-forward approach has created an entirely new methodology to suppressor construction that offers unprecedented flexibility for consumers. The Wraith Modular Suppression SystemTM offers several distinct advantages over legacy suppressor lines:
Multiple formats – Different diameters and lengths so you can optimize for specific missions and hosts instead of settling for “one size fits most.”
Multiple baffle designs – A large library of interchangeable baffles, each tuned for specific outcomes (sound, back‑pressure, flash, recoil, etc.), and cross‑compatible across our models.
True user‑serviceability – The ability to re‑configure, maintain, and upgrade at the component level rather than throwing away or sidelining entire suppressors.
Wraith currently offers three core suppressor sizes: the Sentinel at 1.88″, the Ambush at 1.575″, and the Raider at 1.45″. The Sentinel and Ambush feature annular flow channels along the outside of the can body, which significantly improve airflow control and exit hygiene, reducing turbulence and helping manage gas where it matters most.
Says Bill Abrams, Chief Executive Officer: “For us at Wraith Metalworks, CANCON is more than an event—it’s the center of gravity for the suppressor community. It brings together serious shooters, top manufacturers, and a culture that actually values performance over hype. There’s no better place for us to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the best in the industry and meet the shooters we build for. We’re excited to be part of that energy, to spend time talking shop on the line, and to let people experience the Sentinel system in a place that’s all about suppressed shooting.”
For more information about tickets for CANCON 2026, Presented by Wraith Metalworks, check our website at CANCONevent.com.
Vortex has just added 10×28 and 12×50 models to its popular Triumph HD binocular line.
Vortex is known for its great-value glass, like its Triumph HD binoculars, and now the company is adding two more options to the line. The original Triumph HD binoculars were 10×42, but for those who needed something a bit smaller or with a little more magnification, they’re now available in 10×28 and 12×50 configurations as well.
Vortex said this about the new Triumph HD models:
The Triumph® HD 10×28 is smaller and lightweight without giving up resolution. The Triumph® HD 12×50 adds reach, detail, and brightness for more open-country glassing and scouting where a tripod can make all the difference.
Details about the new binos are what you’d expect from the Triumph HD line, namely, compatibility with tripods, excellent HD glass with fully multi-coated lenses and a tough rubber exterior and nitrogen gas purged interior for resistance to shock, fog and water. Of course, if you manage to bust them, they’re covered by Vortex’s unconditional VIP Warranty as well.
The Triumph HD 10×28 model has an MSRP of $130 and comes with a carrying case, a neck strap, a lens cloth, tethered objective lens covers and eyepiece covers. The Triumph HD 12×50 has an MSRP of $180 and comes with a Glasspak binocular harness, a neck strap, a lens cloth, snap-fit objective lens covers and eyepiece covers.
We take a look back at the life and times of the iconic M14, as well as where it stands today.
Retro has been all the rage in recent years, and the interest level in guns from the Cold War era has skyrocketed. Ignoring the nuclear reality of the geopolitical situation during the time period, the guns in question have become something of a cozy nostalgic experience against the constant barrage of bad international news and rampant domestic consumerism in the industry today.
Simpler times, if you will.
The past few years have seen a growing appreciation for the early War on Terror era and its various attempts to adapt Cold War systems to the needs of the time, among them the venerable M14. We look at the state of the rifle today and what might be to come for the legendary rifle.
The Best Rifle for a War Already Fought
There are certainly quite a few opinions surrounding the M14 and its merits. It has been accused of being too large, too powerful, not powerful enough, both very accurate and not able to hit the broad side of a barn, the shortest-lived service rifle and yet the one that kept coming back when the going got rough.
It seems like everyone has an opinion of this rifle, but the only true tragedy is that the gun didn’t come sooner. We could have had a rifle very similar to the M14 as early as the 1920s, but the government was hilariously concerned about soldiers losing magazines and wasting ammo, a thing that went so far as to be mockingly chalked up to as British custom (the SMLE had detachable magazines and a 10-round capacity).
For no reason that made sense, the U.S. government was deeply concerned with this and had been for decades, going so far as to put magazine cutoffs on the 1903 Springfield and doubting the need for stripper clip-fed bolt guns with the choice of the Krag rifle in the 1890s.
The M14 was designed to be able to use stripper clips to load a magazine, just like a Mauser.
The experiences gained in World War II and Korea birthed the M14, and I stand by the fact that it would have been a great rifle for those conflicts … had it existed. For the naysayers, note that the Germans and Russians already had various attempts at detachable-magazine, full-power semi-auto or select-fire rifles that were developed actively in the war. The issues they encountered with the G43 and SVT40 (updated SVT 38) made them generally subpar, especially to the American M1 Garand.
Not only could they simply not make enough of these rifles; the ones that were produced were often of poor quality and the reception, especially of the later war G43s and the SVT series in general, for both accuracy and durability. The concept was solid, the execution not so much.
The desire to have this type of rifle was present in the American mind but unrealized in practice, and thankfully the M1 Garand was proven to be superior to Axis rifles in all ways except the issue of a detachable magazine. It should be noted that the Axis powers and Russia tried to mass-issue autoloading rifles, but they failed due to wartime stress. There were, of course, attempts to remedy this issue with the M1, but the war ended before any serious progress had been made. The M1’s lack of detachable magazine was notable, and it was, to many firearms experts, already obsolete during its production run.
The (Unwitting) Rifle of the Future
The American side of things had been slowly working on a general program for rifle improvement for some time, but there was a good deal of bureaucratic uncertainty involved and many competing ideas leading to a foot-dragging between various factions and their ideas of what was needed in service rifles.
After WWI, experiences gained led to a search for a self-loading rifle. This led to famous designs like the Pedersen rifle and the Garand, and it included a heavy debate on the merits of “small bore” rifles, namely chambered for .276 Pedersen. Of note is that most other world powers were capable of delivering on a detachable magazine semiautomatic rifle, while America wasted time much in the same way that they resisted bolt actions and stripper clip-fed rifles in the pre-WWI era.
These are all commercial rifles, but their namesakes all served together in various conflicts through the ’60s and ’70s. Top down: Brownells M16A1, James River M14 and brand-new CMP M1 rifle. These three represent a progression of small arms ideology.
This amorphous program was referred to as the U.S. Light Rifle Program and led to many, many designs, both failed and successful. The general goal of the post-WWII program was to find a successor to the M1 Garand, and that is exactly what happened, just not in the most direct way. The program was lengthy, and there were many facets covered in both rifle and cartridge design.
The M14 came to us as the result of this program; however, the rifle did attempt to do a lot. In utilizing a compacted Garand-style action combined with a cartridge that was for all purposes very close in ballistic performance to .30-06 in the M1, the M14 was a guaranteed performer in terms of power. Making it select-fire and including magazines with capacity equal to the BAR (Browning automatic rifle) checked those boxes, making it able to provide squad support. Its overall size and weight made it easy to carry and point. On paper it was a great rifle, and in practice it was, too—but not in every role the military needed it for.
Like many jack-of-all-trade concepts, it was a compromise on several points, namely its powerful 7.62 NATO chambering and difficult handling in full-auto. World militaries at this time had only tinkered with what we call intermediate calibers, and the Western powers didn’t understand them well, comparing them to sub-machine guns in most period literature. A big culprit was the German StG44, what would be known as the granddaddy of assault rifles, of course chambered in the 8mm Kurz, an intermediate rifle round. The rifle was also referred to as the MP44, as in machine pistol.
What should be understood about the M14 and 7.62 NATO was that it was considered “normal” for the time, and the intermediate calibers like the USSR’s 7.62x39mm were effectively laughed at; the American mind was fixed on traditional rifles and long ranges. Intermediate cartridges were not taken seriously until they were encountered head-on.
The M14 and M1, field-stripped. The two rifles disassemble the same to this point, but afterward special tools are required.
The idea that American and NATO forces had for their 7.62x51mm rifles was solid, but ultimately it would result in a back-and-forth with Eastern Bloc powers, resulting in the small-bore race in the 1960s. The 5.56 NATO eventually inspired the USSR to start looking for smaller and lighter options, and here we are today.
But, for the M14, going small had its hidden advantages. As wars changed and the demands of battle proved too much on the 5.56 NATO, the M14 was called back into service time and again. Sure enough, the War on Terror saw a complete resurgence and change of reputation for the M14, and it went from something of a pariah to a saving grace. Today, it’s held in high esteem thanks to its evolution into the storied EBR, and it’s now enjoying a resurgence in media and video games, with just a touch of nostalgia.
The M14 Today
So, there has to be a point made here that the civilian M14 and military M14 are not exactly the same rifle, despite accepting most of the same accessories. You can think of it the same way as any semi-auto “version” of a full-auto capable military weapon.
The simple reason this happens is because there is a wide commercial demand for these types of guns out of a simple desire for identical cosmetics. People love them, and they are fun. While nobody is going to say that a BAR or Tommy gun is going to be a great modern option, they will always turn more heads at the range than another AR. And, even at that, the retro AR options are always a bit more fun if you ask me.
The civilian M14 doesn’t have a specific designation, and the M1A moniker belongs only to Springfield Armory. Calling a civilian semi-auto M14 an M1A is wrong unless it was specifically made by Springfield, the company that is responsible for bringing the original rifle to market in the 1970s after the government restricted the sale of converted military receivers to the public. Unfortunately for enthusiasts, the original receivers are machine guns and far harder to get, especially for people wanting to shoot at the time. That said, if you are into it, transferable select-fire originals are still around and don’t command outrageous prices compared to many legal machine guns.
The internals of the military M14 are different from the commercial guns, but the actual differences are not all that cosmetically significant. More people have seen and handled the commercial rifles at this point so the selector switch cutout isn’t a missed detail. Hardcore military clone builders can get their hands on a dummy switch and a corresponding stock pretty easily. The M14 today is somewhat unsupported by the aftermarket, and this has left a large gap after years of popularity decline.
Where Did the M14 Market Go?
So what happened to the M14 after all these years, and what is the deal with the surge in interest for it? The direct answer is that it simply lost relevance, as modern, AR-based designs filled in military roles and the stopgap measures eventually stopped appearing in the media. The M110 family started replacing the M14 EBR variants fairly early on, despite the incredible popularity of the latter in War on Terror media.
The classic 2000s-era guns we know and love were, for the most part, short-lived. The M4, M16A2 and A4 rifles that featured heavily were phased out for a variety of newer variants that were more easily able to accept the ever-changing accessories being used. Rail systems became popular, as did lights and lasers. The demands placed on rifles like the M14 proved too high for the old warhorses, and, despite being praised as reliable and universally loved for their aesthetic quality, they couldn’t keep up.
The civilian side of things saw the market dry up considerably, as military demand dwindled. And, having lived through it, the M14 peaked commercially around 2010, where it then sharply dropped off. Political trends in the country were gravitating toward support of the AR-15, which was the target of the Obama administration, but by his re-election in 2012, the entire 2A community was firmly behind preventing limits on the AR, the zombie thing was trending (just a reminder we did do this), and the M14 simply dropped off in popularity. The AR was truly the new big deal, and that trend has lasted to the point that the M14 market virtually went extinct.
This isn’t to say the M14 ceased to exist. The rifle remained popular in match shooting and some long-range events until it was also pushed out by the growing popularity of sports like PRS. It simply couldn’t adapt to the demands of changing rules, gear and advanced cartridges. However, these days the mood has changed, and the M14 is again being looked at, as things grow uncertain in the world and consumers burn out on modern guns. The retro wave has lasted far longer than anyone could have guessed.
The State of the M14
Today, companies are still making parts and accessories for the M14, but they are decidedly few in number. The main companies making this type of rifle are Springfield Armory, Fulton Armory, Bula Defense and LRB. There used to be quite a few more, including Chinese Norinco versions, but they have not been available in some time. Of note is that there are more companies making the M14; the James River rifle featured here has a Bula manufactured receiver.
The James River receiver reveals that the rifle is made of almost entirely Bula Defense parts. The M14 market is small these days, and it’s not unusual to find mixed parts or alternate stamps.
Stocks are available, but, again, few in quantity, as production never really ramped up after the drop off. Wood stocks can be had fairly easily as well as synthetic. Companies like Boyds make them, but you’ll need to be familiar with a bit of hand-fitting in some cases. Surplus stocks and a variety of fiberglass versions can be found on the surplus market as well. Forums and gun shows are a good way to source truly retro parts if you’re going for a certain look.
US Tactical Supply is currently releasing new production versions of the classic EBR chassis, but again, these are not exactly drop-in. You’ll need to be familiar with working on the M14’s barrel and gas system or get it sent off to be professionally installed. As with many of these older guns, they were not designed with modularity or easy servicing in mind. If you want it done right, you might not be able to do it yourself.
Barrels and small parts are a mixed bag. There’s still a good amount of like-new surplus floating around in terms of period-correct parts. Companies like Criterion make a number of barrels appropriate for the M14, but installation is a more professional endeavor. Headspacing is best left to a custom shop, as it’s a complicated procedure unlike the easy install on AR rifles or modern pre-fit bolt guns. Many of the quality barrels are chrome lined, and companies like Fulton Armory are experts at their installation, for which you can’t use a chamber reamer. The barrels must be intricately timed and headspaced to the receiver and the bolt. Suffice to say, it needs to be done right.
If you want a good look at the M14 accessory market today, well, this is most of it. There has been a decline in accessories for years now, but you can still readily find scope mounts, scout mounts and specialty parts like Fulton Armory adjustable gas blocks and suppressor mounts.
Optical mounts and the like are still widely available, and you can have your choice of receiver-mounted versions or scout style, like those from Ulitmak. I have had success with both of these, but again it should be noted that these are truly not the same as installation of parts on an AR. Installing an M14 receiver optic mount is a bit of a pain and, while not exactly 10/10 difficult, it does require know-how.
You might be sensing a trend here that these rifles aren’t exactly easy to work on.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More Classic Military Rifles
The Karabiner 98k: The Best Combat Bolt-Action Rifle Ever Made
Magpul’s Sub-Compact Enhanced Handgun Grip is now available for the Ruger RXM.
The Ruger RXM was one of the most successful new handguns to come out last year, and recent grip releases from Magpul have only given more reasons to own the modular pistol. Because the RXM’s serialized component is its removable Fire Control Insert (FCI), it can be freely swapped between different grips along with the pistol’s upper, allowing for more freedom to modify the grip size compared to traditional pistols with serialized frames.
Featuring a Glock 19-size upper, the RXM also comes standard with a G19-sized Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip (EHG). Magpul recently launched the G17-sized Full-Size EHG, however, and now the company has released the G26-sized Sub-Compact EHG as well. This means you can have all the benefits of a concealable grip paired with the advantages of a longer sight radius and more barrel length. That’s a pretty nifty combination, and as far as I’m aware, the only way to achieve that with a genuine Glock is to permanently cut down the frame of a G19.
Besides the shorter grip size, the Sub-Compact EHG has the same features as the other Magpul EHGs. Namely, it sports texturing on its front and back straps, side panels and forward index pads. It also has an undercut trigger guard, a flared magwell, a mag release scallop and an accessory rail.
The Magpul Sub-Compact EHG is available in black, FDE, OD green and Stealth Gray and has an MSRP of $40.
Charter Arms has just launched the Boomer series, snub-nosed revolvers that feature ported barrels.
Ported barrels are a very hot trend for carry pistols at the moment, and Charter Arms figured, why not give the same treatment to their revolvers? The result is the new Boomer series.
Based on Charter Arms’ Bulldog line, the Boomer revolvers feature 2-inch extruded 416 stainless steel barrels with twin vertical ports for reduced muzzle flip, trenched rear sighting systems and concealed hammers. The lack of a traditional front sight or hammer should really help facilitate a snag-free draw, but you’re probably not going to win any bullseye matches with it. Let’s be real though, this is a belly gun. The Boomer revolvers are being offered in 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum, and each of those are available with either a stainless steel or black passivate finish. All versions ship with a black rubber grip.
Nick Ecker, Owner, President and CEO of Charter Arms, said this about the new series:
We couldn't be happier to offer this updated version of our hugely successful Boomer Revolver … Customers have praised its concealability, accuracy, and design. This new series offers the ultimate in defensive revolvers.
Charter Arms' new Boomer revolvers have MSRPs that range between $451 and $545 depending on the model.
Bullet setback is more common than you think, and it’s dangerous. Here discuss how to deal with it and why you should carry an EDC knife.
When it comes to everyday carry, most of the discussion swirls around guns, holsters, ammunition and training. Sometimes we get so caught up with these topics that we overlook the little things, and as it has often been said, the devil is in the details.
Here are some EDC considerations concerning ammunition, along with an introduction to a knife that’s just too good not to mention.
Carry Ammo Replacement
Police departments usually mandate the replacement of carry/duty ammo at least once per year. Some do it twice a year, each time they qualify. This is a great time to replace carry/duty ammo because it can shoot during qualification, providing another opportunity to verify the reliability of that ammo with duty handguns.
You should be doing something similar.
Don’t overlook the importance of an EDC knife and the routine replacement of your carry ammo.
Ammunition is very resilient and can last for decades if stored and cared for properly. When I was working the street, an elderly lady gave me a 1911 magazine loaded with .45 Auto ammo she’d found in a dresser drawer. She said her deceased husband had brought it back from World War II. I took it to the range and shot it, and it worked just fine, so why all the fuss about replacing carry ammo?
Over time, especially with exposure to wide temperature swings, gun lubrication and even perspiration, brass cartridge cases can corrode and that corrosion can impact reliability. (This is one reason most carry loads utilize nickel-plated cases.) Also, moisture and sweat could possibly cause primer and powder degradation.
For less than $100, you can replace all your carry ammo at least once each year and find a little peace of mind. However, you might need to replace your carry ammo more frequently if you unload your defensive pistol often.
Bullet Setback
When a cartridge is chambered in a pistol, the force of the bullet impacting the feed ramp can sometimes push the bullet deeper into the case. This is called bullet setback, and it can be dangerous.
In the 1990s, bullet setback in the .40 S&W cartridge was common due to repetitive chambering. Bullet setback has clearly occurred in the .40 S&W cartridge on the right.
In the mid-1990s, when the .40 S&W was becoming the law enforcement cartridge of choice, there were a rash of incidents where Glock pistols went kablooey during firearms qualification. It was discovered that those officers had been unloading their pistols at the end of each shift and then rechambering the same cartridge before the next shift. This created bullet setback, which substantially raised pressure. It’s estimated that 0.10 inch of bullet setback in the .40 Smith & Wesson can cause pressures to double.
To avoid this, some shooters will move the round they take out of the chamber to the bottom of the magazine. It’s rare that a single chambering can cause bullet setback with high-quality ammo, but for those unloading and reloading all the time, that round at the bottom of the magazine will eventually make it to the top and be rechambered again.
You could mark each unchambered cartridge with a permanent marker so you’ll know when it resurfaces, or you could just toss it and replace it with a new one. (My carry guns remain loaded all the time, and in the event I do need to unload, I mark the cartridge and move it to the bottom of the magazine.)
If you throw away cartridges you’ve unchambered, you are essentially replacing your ammo—one round at a time, so annual or semi-annual ammo replacement is not necessary. The downside is that you do not get to shoot that ammo. If you mark each round when you unchamber it, eventually you’ll have marked all the ammo in your gun and extra magazines. Then, you can shoot it up—checking for reliability—and replace it. Most modern ammo is resilient enough to be chambered in a pistol twice without experiencing bullet setback.
Giant Mouse ACE Elmer
No, this column is not about knives; it’s about defensive handguns. But a knife should be a part of your everyday carry just as much as a handgun, because you could end up in a hand-to-hand self-defense situation where you’ve lost your gun or your gun doesn’t work. (Maybe it stopped working because of corroded ammo or bullet setback.)
The Giant Mouse ACE Elmer is a great self-defense knife for everyday carry.
There are several considerations for an EDC knife. It should be atom-splitting sharp, light, compact and unobtrusive to carry, and it should either be a fixed blade or a folder that you can open to a lock with one hand.
I rely on other Giant Mouse blades for hunting, general-purpose cutting and survival/bushcraft-type chores, so I was excited to see their newest EDC knife. It’s built for Giant Mouse by ProTech, and like all the Giant Mouse ACE series knives, it’s made with premium materials. It’s called the “Elmer,” and while this might seem like an odd name for a knife, it won’t be after you hear the story.
The genesis of this knife is a man named Elmer. Elmer served in the 36th Texas Infantry Division during WWII. He survived five major invasions, beginning in the desert chasing Rommel and ending up in Berlin rubble. He returned home and carried on, the way so many like him did. This knife is cool and confident, and more deliberate than decorative, and it honors a great American.
The Elmer is an automatic knife with a single push button for opening and unlocking. It has a CPM MagnaCut stonewashed and slightly upswept 3.2-inch blade that’s 0.107-inch thick and has a Rockwell hardness of 62. The handles are either blue or black aluminum with a milled titanium pocket clip for right side, tip-up carry, and it weighs 3.2 ounces. The action is fast, the lockup is positive, and out of the box you can shave with it.
But this blade is better suited to tendon cutting or bicep-splitting action, and in a pinch, it’ll peel an apple or pick a splinter, too. It rides comfortably in your pocket and is lightning fast to deploy. If you want one, you best make your move now: The Giant Mouse ACE Elmer is a limited edition and retails for $365.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
BLADE Show Texas will kick off the ’26 show slate in style.
Knives and knifemakers planetwide and most everything else keen, utilitarian and covetable will inundate the 5th Annual BLADE Show Texas March 20-21 in the Fort Worth Convention Center.
The show will host over 400 exhibitors and thousands of knives from such countries as Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and elsewhere, not to mention top American custom knifemakers, ABS master and journeyman smiths and knifemaking members of the Knifemakers’ Guild; the lion’s share of members of the South Texas Slipjoint Cartel; the BLADE Show Texas custom and factory knife judging awards; and some of the world’s leading factory knife companies, including current and past winners of BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards.
Get ready for some Texas steel set on sizzle.
The Fort Worth Convention Center will be crawling with cutters, with gobs of custom and factory knives—from low end to high end, stock removal to forged, fixed blade to folder—tomahawks, swords, sharpeners and more. And if the exhibiting makers don’t have what you want, the exhibiting custom knife purveyors and factory retailers probably will—and if they don’t, they can put you in touch with who does.
For knife hobbyists and novice and veteran makers alike, the show’s comprehensive selection of knifemaking supplies and suppliers will have the materials, tools and equipment to make the knife of your dreams. From the latest steels, handle materials, hardware and sheath materials to most every knife part extant, the show’s suppliers should have it.
Knife Awards
Zero Tolerance will be among the top factory exhibitors featuring the sleekest folders and fixed blades. ZT’s ultra-lightweight (1.9 ounce) 0117 Duralock folder in CPM MagnaCut stainless
steel and carbon fiber will be among them.
Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $300.
The knife judging competitions will recognize the best of the show’s custom and factory knives that are entered. The custom award categories, with last year’s winners in parentheses: Best in Show (Dionatam Franco); Best Bowie (David Lisch); Best Fighter (Dionatam Franco); Best Damascus (Pedro Fornari); Best Hunting Knife (Josh Fisher); Best Folding Knife (Tom Overeynder); Best Kitchen Knife (a Luke Dellmyer/Richard Patterson collaboration); Best M.A.C.K. (Jared Oeser); Best EDC (Evan Nicolaides); Best Art Knife (Paul DiStefano); Best of the Rest (Josh Taylor); and Best Slipjoint (Evan Nicolaides).
The factory award categories, with last year’s winners in parentheses: Best in Show (Poikiloblade); Best EDC (Dauntless Manufacturing); Best American Made (Dauntless Manufacturing); Best Imported (Poikiloblade); Best Fixed Blade (QSP); Best Folder (a Pro-Tech/Vero Engineering collaboration); and Best of the Rest (Vero Engineering). The custom and factory knife judging is reserved exclusively for show exhibitors, all of whom received packets with complete details on category descriptions, judging rules and more prior to checking into the show.
What's Next
World-class South African knifemaker Bertie Rietveld (left) returns to help headline the international contingent of knifemakers.
BLADE Show Texas will be the first of three BLADE-Show-sponsored events for 2026, the other two being the grandaddy of them all, the 45th Annual BLADE Show June 5-7 at the newly named Cobb Convention Centre-Atlanta (formerly the Cobb Galleria Centre), and BLADE Show West 2026 at the Salt Palace Convention Center Oct. 9-10 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Savage has just announced the next generation of the venerable Model 110 with 15 new models to choose from.
The Savage Model 110 has been around since 1958, and while the line has been well-loved in the meantime, Savage just decided to give it a facelift. Initially featuring 15 new purpose-built models available in a wide range of chambering options, the next-generation Savage Model 110 boasts a slew of excellent upgrades throughout.
110 Core Hunter Pro.
One of the most significant upgrades is the new AccuFit V2 system integrated into the stock. Using Savage’s Quick Set Dial (QSD) system, the length of pull and the comb height can both be finely adjusted on the fly without any tools. Some models that feature a pistol grip will allow for changing the grip size with different modules as well. The stocks’ ergonomics have also been generally improved. Other upgrades to the new Model 110 rifles include smoother bolt travel, an improved extractor claw and a dual ejector system. Savage says the AccuTrigger system has been improved as well, and the rifles will now ship with reliable-feeding synthetic magazines that are backwards-compatible with legacy 110 models.
110 Trail Blazer.
Beth Shimanski, Vice President of Marketing at Savage Arms, said this about the new line:
The 110 is our longest standing rifle, and for good reason … This model has helped make Savage Arms what it is today, and it will be a part of the future of Savage for a very long time. Building on the next evolution of AXIS that was launched in 2024, the new era of the 110 exemplifies Savage’s ability to maintain our standing as heritage brand while staying at the forefront of innovation.
MSRP for the next generation Model 110 starts at $720 for the Trail Blazer model and goes all the way up to $3,640 for the Ultralite Elite V2.
We discuss some highlights from Clayton Cramer’s Lock, Stock and Barrel to learn more about the origins of American gun culture.
American gun culture is often portrayed as a modern invention, an outgrowth of industrial manufacturing, clever marketing or frontier mythology. According to this view, firearms were rare in early America, ownership was limited, and widespread civilian gun use emerged only after the Civil War.
That story is neat. It is also wrong.
The historical record tells a far different story, one in which firearms were not merely common, but expected; not reluctantly tolerated but legally required. In early America, gun ownership was not a lifestyle choice or political statement. It was a civic duty.
Few works document this reality more thoroughly than Lock, Stock, and Barrel: The Origins of American Gun Culture by Clayton Cramer, which draws directly from colonial statutes, travel accounts and original source material. The picture that emerges is unmistakable: American gun culture did not have to be invented. It arose naturally from the conditions of colonial life.
The Myth of Rare Guns
The idea that early Americans lived largely unarmed gained traction in the late 20th century through revisionist scholarship that claimed firearms were scarce and tightly regulated. Those claims did not survive scrutiny. Key works were exposed as deeply flawed and sometimes fraudulent. Yet, the narrative persisted in more subtle forms.
The appeal of that narrative is understandable. If guns were rare and socially disfavored in early America, modern gun control appears less like innovation and more like restoration. But history does not cooperate.
When Gun Ownership Was Mandatory
Colonial lawmakers did not fear an armed population. They feared an unarmed one.
In 1619, Virginia enacted one of its earliest statutes requiring men “fitting to bear arms” to bring firearms, swords and ammunition to church. Worship was not exempt from danger, and preparedness was considered essential, even in the pews.
South Carolina and Georgia followed similar paths. By the mid-18th century, South Carolina required every white male to attend church armed, with churchwardens tasked with inspecting weapons and ammunition. These laws were enforced, not symbolic.
Maryland went further. In 1641, settlers seeking title to land were required to possess a “serviceable fixed gun,” along with powder and lead. Firearms were not just tools of defense; they were prerequisites for full participation in colonial society.
These statutes reflect a worldview fundamentally different from our own. Arms were not viewed as threats to public safety. They were seen as safeguards of it.
Guns Beyond the Militia
Modern discussions often attempt to confine early firearm ownership to militia service, suggesting that guns were collective instruments rather than personal tools. But militia laws assumed private ownership. Individuals were expected to supply their own arms, maintain them and keep them ready.
Firearms lived in homes, traveled on roads, guarded farms and protected families. The same musket that might be inspected at muster was used to hunt, defend property and respond to emergencies. There was no sharp divide between “military” and “civilian” arms.
Even age restrictions cut the opposite way of modern law. Teenagers, often as young as 15, were legally required to possess arms for militia duty. There were no colonial prohibitions on youth ownership. Responsibility, not restriction, was the governing principle.
Guns, Travel and Everyday Life
Firearms were not confined to moments of crisis or formal militia service. They were integrated into the routines of everyday life. Colonial laws frequently required travelers to be armed, recognizing that roads were dangerous and law enforcement sparse or nonexistent. In some colonies, individuals traveling alone were prohibited from doing so unless armed, while groups were expected to ensure that all members carried weapons sufficient for collective defense.
Hunting further reinforced firearm ownership and proficiency. Game was abundant, markets were limited, and refrigeration nonexistent. A firearm was often the difference between sustenance and hunger. Accounts from travelers and settlers routinely describe the ease with which food could be obtained through hunting, precisely because firearms were so widely owned and competently used.
Even indentured servitude did not break this expectation. In several colonies, masters were legally required to provide firearms to servants upon completion of their term, ensuring they could fulfill militia obligations and provide for themselves as free men. The right—and responsibility—to be armed was not reserved for an elite class. It was part of becoming a full participant in civic life.
These practices underscore a critical point often missed in modern debates: Firearms were not exceptional objects requiring justification. They were assumed necessities, woven into the fabric of work, travel, worship and community defense.
Pistols, Repeaters and Reality
Another common myth holds that early Americans owned only long-guns and had little interest in pistols until manufacturers like Colt created demand through advertising. The record again says otherwise.
Newspaper advertisements for pistols appeared in American cities as early as the 1720s. Gunsmiths routinely made and sold handguns throughout the colonies. Repeating firearms (pepperboxes and other multi-shot designs) existed well before the 19th century.
Samuel Colt did not invent America’s interest in handguns. He met a market that already existed.
Culture by Necessity
Gun culture in America was not born in boardrooms or advertising campaigns. It emerged from necessity. Colonial life was dangerous, unpredictable and decentralized. Survival required competence, preparedness and self-reliance.
Firearms were part of that equation, not as talismans, but as tools. The law reflected that reality, reinforcing ownership rather than restricting it.
Understanding this history does not require romanticizing the past. It requires honesty about it.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
While the best handgun caliber is still an often-debated question, it’s far less heated than it used to be. Fans of .45 ACP, 10mm Auto and 5.7x28mm all have their arguments, but even their most dedicated users will usually begrudgingly admit that 9x19mm Parabellum is the most sensible cartridge choice for most shooters these days. Whether you want it for self-defense, participating in shooting sports or just having fun at the range, we thought we'd share our thoughts on what the best 9mm pistol options are in today's market.
Why A 9mm Pistol?
There are a lot of reasons. First is ubiquity. The handgun world has standardized so widely on 9mm that those who shoot it are spoiled for choice across the board. Ammo availability, ammo variety, handgun options, holsters and aftermarket accessories, the list goes on. Whatever your handgun needs are (outside of rimfires), you’ll have the most options, the highest availability and the best ammo prices with a 9mm pistol.
Of course, 9mm wouldn’t have reached this dominant position in the marketplace if it didn’t shoot and perform well, too. While it may not be “the best” at a singular task like some other handgun cartridges, 9mm shines as a Goldilocks, do-it-all cartridge.
It’s small enough to allow for relatively large magazine capacities while still being powerful enough (with the right ammo) to effectively stop human attackers, and it does all this without having too much kick. With the right gun, 9mm can actually be incredibly soft shooting, and this makes it a popular choice for competition as well. With the exception of individuals with hand strength issues or other handicaps, just about everyone can handle a 9mm pistol.
How We Chose The Best 9mm Pistols
Due to just how common 9mm pistols are, it’s certainly the handgun cartridge that we Gun Digest editors have collectively spent the most time shooting. We have wheelgun aficionados and .45 freaks among our ranks as well, but given that they review new guns too, we have all spent a lot of time behind many different nines.
Based on our combined experience shooting these 9mm pistols as well as each of their general reputations, we weighed the most popular models against each other using factors like reliability, shootability, ergonomics, features, accessory support and price. In the end, these are what we agreed were the best 9mm pistols for each respective category.
This pick is probably a bit predictable, but that’s a good thing. The Glock 17 has become practically as ubiquitous of a handgun as the 9mm cartridge itself, and it needs no introduction let alone an essay espousing its virtues, so we’ll keep things short.
Used and loved by police forces, militaries and regular Joes since its introduction in 1982, the Glock 17 is essentially the gold standard for full-size self-defense 9mm pistols. You simply can’t go wrong with one. We love the current newest model is the Gen5 that features some nice improvements, especially the customizable backstrap system to custom if it to your hand. But we find older and/or used model will serve you just fine. Check out LEO trade-ins to find some great deals.
The gun is boringly reliable, shoots great and boasts the widest aftermarket support for any handgun model out there. One of the thing we love most about the G17 is finding the right holster, spare parts, extra mags and accessories isn’t a problem at all.
Perhaps the only downside to the Glock 17 we found is that new-production Gen5 MOS (optics-ready) models are presently only available to law enforcement, but that’s easily solved by getting a G47 MOS instead if you want to mount a red dot. The G47 is basically a G17 with a shorter dust cover. It could also be easily remedied by getting an aftermarket slide. Another point worth mentioning is that the Glock 17’s qualities are true of basically every other Glock model, so don’t read this as solely an endorsement of the 17. The Austrian company offers both larger and smaller 9mm pistols that are equally excellent.
Best Compact Defensive 9mm Pistol: Sig Sauer P365XL
Pros
Very comfy to carry concealed
Optics-ready
Great shooter for its small size
Plenty of holster/accessory options
Cons
Not great for huge hands
12-round mags will leave some wanting
Sig P365XL Specs: Action: Striker-fired Capacity: 12+1 Barrel Length: 3.7 Inches Overall Length: 6.6 Inches Width: 1.1 Inches Height: 4.8 Inches Weight: 20.7 Ounces Safety: With or without manual thumb safety Optics-Ready?: Yes MSRP: $685
The Sig P365 is probably the most popular concealed carry gun currently on the market, and it’s easy for us to see why to see why. Its small, slim profile combined with its relatively high capacity made it an instant sweetheart amongst concealed carriers. Our editor's have carried the pistol extensively and overall find it among the most concealable and comfortable 9mm to have on person. We also found it the pistol as easy to shoot as it is to carry comfortably carry. Impressive, because that’s a hard balance to strike.
Sig offers a few different model variants, but our pick for the best is the P365XL as we believe it strikes the best balance between concealability, shootability and capacity, but the standard model is great too if you want something a bit smaller. Holster and accessory support is nearly as good for the P365 as it is for Glocks at this point, and all versions come optics-ready out of the box as well.
Our only real complaint is both minor and understandable, and that’s the P365XL’s capacity of 12 rounds with flush-fit mags (two included). That’s not bad, and a necessary concession for the gun’s small size, but some people like having a few more rounds on tap. Those individuals will simply need to settle for a larger compact 9mm pistol like the Glock 19.
There are plenty of good competition 9mm pistols available these days, and many of those are affordably priced as well, but none offer the same great value as the Canik SFx Rival. We believe this is an excellent first competition handgun for those looking for as little setup or fuss as possible. In this niche, we think the Rival is without rival.
Out of the box, besides the pistol, you get two 18-round mags, a holster, a few optic plates, three backstraps, three magazine release extensions and plenty of other goodies, and it all comes in a plastic hard case. Of course, none of that matters unless the gun is good. And it is.
We love the feel of Rival SFx especially flat-face trigger, which does it's part in making the break feel lighter than what it is and facilitating good finger placement quickly. Additionally, it feels good in the hand thanks to its double undercut trigger guard, interchangeable backstraps and aggressive texturing, and the external magwell makes speed reloads a breeze. The slide is optics-ready too, of course, and its dimensions allow it to compete in IDPA, IPSC, and USPSA without restrictions. Plus the pistol is lights-out accurate, extremely feature-rich and modular.
Of course, what we like best about this Canik is you get all of these assets for less than $700. Impressive.
To us, the biggest downside of the SFx Rival is its relatively lightweight polymer frame. It’s not a snappy shooter by any means, but some extra weight to absorb recoil would definitely be appreciated for a competition gun. A lot of people agree, which is why Canik also makes the all-steel SFx Rival-S. Frankly, if you can swing the extra $200 or so bucks, we suggest the steel version. But for those on a budget, the polymer model is still a great value budget competition gun.
Though we didn't run into any trouble with our SFx, we have seen a small number of owners report having issues that had to be sent in to be fixed. Frankly, this is a budget gun at the end of the day, so less-than-perfect QC is to be expected. As long as you’re the original purchaser Canik’s warranty should have you covered.
It’s available in either gray with gold accents or in solid black.
Many people consider the CZ Shadow 2 to be the gold standard of modern competition pistols. In the days of yesteryear, it was tricked-out 1911s, but today if you go to any shooting match involving handguns you’re bound to see a lot of CZ Shadows 2s sitting in holsters. And that’s for good reason, this gun is great at its job.
An evolution of the classic Cold War military sidearm, the CZ-75, the Shadow 2 is simply the bigger, more athletic younger brother of the Czech Wonder Nine. The 75 was already known for its exceptionally low bore-axis, but it’s even lower on the Shadow 2 thanks to the addition of an undercut trigger guard and a redesigned beavertail. We found these features makes the pistol incredibly easy to shoot quickly and accurately. The hefty steel frame helps with that too given its ability to eat up recoil and ask for seconds. This entry specifically outlines the optics-ready model because we like red dots, but if you’re dedicated to irons, you could save a few bucks by getting the standard model instead.
The trigger is awesome, but it’s also this gun’s one potential downside. That’s because like the CZ-75 the Shadow 2 is a double-action/single-action pistol. Some shooters love DA/SA, and when you feel the crisp single-action pull of a Shadow 2 you’ll understand why. But there are also a lot of shooters today who grew up on striker-fired pistols and get thrown off by DA/SA guns’ two distinct trigger weights. If you hate DA/SA, there are some very nice striker-fired competition pistols to consider instead, but we think that the Shadow 2 is one of the best-shooting out-of-the-box competition pistols you can buy.
Some say that a 1911 chambered in anything besides .45 ACP is heresy, but we love shooting 1911s so much that we even like them in 9mm. In fact, it’s not historically inaccurate either, as the Colt Commander was originally offered in 9mm and this Tisas is commander-sized as well.
With self-defense and competition covered by the other entries, we wanted this slot to go to a gun that’s fun to shoot, affordable and something that would add a bit of wood, history and class to a list otherwise dominated by modern designs and plastic fantastics.
We estimate that of the many new shooters who have standardized on 9mm as their handgun cartridge, most of them don’t own a 1911, and it’s probably because they don’t want to stock up on .45 ACP too. The obvious remedy to that is to simply get a 1911 in 9mm, and we think the Tisas 1911 Tank Commander is the best option for the price.
It’s a no-frills, commander-length 1911 chambered for 9mm with a ring hammer and Colt Series 70-pattern internals, and each pistol ships with two 9-round magazines, a hard case and a cleaning kit. It shoots as you’d expect of a 9mm 1911—nice—but there’s nothing special about the Tisas that will blow your socks off. However, in our experience, these have very good reliability and are well built for their price. The sights are slightly larger than original GI-pattern irons, an improvement, but they’re still black and pretty small.
If you’re dedicated to 9mm but don’t have any classic or classy handguns in your safe, we think this Tisas would make for a very fine addition.
Yes, and many experts would even argue that a 9mm pistol is the best choice for self-defense. It may not be as powerful as 10mm Auto or .357 Magnum, but cartridges that big are difficult to shoot quickly and accurately as well. For most people, their ability to make good hits with a 9mm will be more effective at stopping a threat than having a bigger bullet. Further, defensive projectile technology has progressed leaps and bounds, so modern 9mm self-defense ammo provides excellent, reliable expansion and penetration.
Are 9mm Pistols Good For Beginners?
Yes, for the most part. Sometimes it's best to start a first-time shooter with a .22 LR, but unless they're small children, they should quickly be able to graduate to and handle a 9mm pistol. For able-bodied adults looking to get a pistol for defense, sport shooting or plinking, 9mm is the best choice.
Does 9mm Kick Hard?
Not particularly, but it depends. Somewhat simplifying things, a handgun's recoil is mainly a factor of the pistol's weight and the power of the cartridge in question. A very small, light 9mm pistol loaded with a powerful +P will definitely kick hard, but a full-size steel gun loaded with range ammo will not. Generally speaking, 9mm is not considered to be a hard-kicking round.
I take you through Douglas Barrels’ factory to show you how they’ve been handcrafting super precise barrels for over 75 years.
When I began wildcatting the 2Fity-Hillbilly cartridge—now the .25 Creedmoor—a decade ago, I had two rifles made up for it. The second rifle was a Remington Model Seven with a 1:8 twist barrel, and when Hornady introduced the .25 Creedmoor, I was excited to finally have factory ammo for my rifle. Unfortunately, Hornady’s factory ammo is loaded with bullets that require a 1:7.5-inch twist, and the ammo did not shoot well in my rifle.
So, I was left with a dilemma: Do I keep handloading for my rifle … or re-barrel it?
I’d ordered my 1:8 twist 0.25-caliber barrel from Douglas Barrels in Charleston, West Virginia, and my personal gunsmith Jerry Dove at Dove’s Custom Guns installed it on my Model Seven. With my handloads, that rifle shot very well. I used it to take a big nine-point whitetail in Nebraska and several other deer. Since I already have a brand-new Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT rifle in .25 Creedmoor—with the correctly twisted barrel—I didn’t see much sense in refinishing my Model Seven into another .25 Creedmoor. Instead, I sent the rifle to Douglas Barrels for the installation of a different barrel in a different caliber and chambering.
The author with his rebarreled Remington Model Seven (center) with Travis Beasley (left) and Travis Asbury (right) of Douglas Barrels.
A Legacy Barrel Maker
When I was much younger, I was heavily involved with traditional muzzleloading rifles, and back then you could not be around muzzleloading rifle enthusiasts without them talking about Douglas Barrels. When I first learned about Melvin Forbes and his tack driving featherlight New Ultra Light Arms rifles, I found out he used Douglas Barrels exclusively. That’s the barrel Melvin put on my first NULA rifle, which was chambered in .35 Remington.
Douglas Barrels has a stellar barrel-making reputation that began in 1948 when a hobbyist gunsmith named G.R. Douglas founded the company. By 1954, Douglas was fully committed to fabricating premium, “ultra-rifled” custom gun barrels. Douglas pioneered a unique push-button rifling approach, where a handmade carbide button is pressed through a barrel hydraulically, and using a gear-driven process, the button displaces instead of subtracts metal to form cleaner rifling than is achievable with the cut rifling practices. The company has occupied the same building since inception.
When it comes to modern barrel making, machines and automation play a part, but there are some things humans need to do with their hands if you want a high-quality barrel.
Douglas Barrels has a long history of supplying winning shooters, long-range professional marksmen, and the U.S. Military with ultra-rifled barrels that have delivered results. The walls at Douglas Barrels are covered with awards of the unrivaled success their barrels have achieved. Also, Douglas Barrels is the only gun barrel manufacturer to have had a barrel on the surface of the moon during the Apollo missions—and the rifle Bradley Cooper’s character used in American Sniper was fitted with a Douglas Barrel.
Aside from their unique 75-year technique of gear-driven push-button barrel rifling, some other things set Douglas Barrels apart. Unlike some of the big-name barrel makers you read about in all the gun magazines and see splashed all over social media, Douglas does very little advertising, and they have not engaged in big marketing campaigns. They’ve never needed either to get business—the word of mouth of satisfied customers has and always will be the best marketing available. This allows them to offer their services at very competitive prices.
Everything at Douglas Barrels, from the barrels they turn out to the tools they use to make them, comes from within their own shop and is tried to absolute precision.
The other difference is experience: Not only does Douglas still use the same techniques and even the same machines they built their reputation on, but the experience of their technicians is unrivaled in the barrel-making industry. They have an average time in service of about 20 years. Travis Asbury—the plant manager at Douglas Barrels—has been with the company for 2 decades. Asbury’s father worked for Douglas Barrels, and Asbury’s first visit to the company was on his way home from the hospital the day he was born.
Unquestionably, when it comes to precision barrel making, there are mechanical tolerances that must be maintained, but Asbury and some of the other long-term Douglas employees also have that “feel” for what’s right and what’s not. It’s a skill that can only come from crafting, looking at and gauging thousands of barrels by hand and by eye, for many years.
Master barrel maker Travis Asbury scrutinizing a finished barrel after air gauging at Douglas Barrels.
When I was visiting Douglas, Asbury tossed a newly bored barrel on the rack where a light could shine through it, and he told me to look through the bore and see what I thought. I did, and the barrel looked damn good to me. Asbury said, “Let me see.” In a matter of seconds, Asbury said, “I’m glad you don’t work here. That barrel is sh*t. It will never leave this factory.”
Two years ago, Rodney Chiodo and a couple of his close friends purchased Douglas Barrels. Chiodo is a businessman from Pennsylvania, but more importantly, Chiodo is a hunter, shooter and handloader. Just a few minutes after I met Chiodo, we were talking about the different ballistic advantages of various cartridges, handloading techniques and about the deer we did and didn’t kill last season. Years back, Chiodo had purchased a barrel from Douglas, and he’d driven down from Pennsylvania to pick it up. He became enthralled with the company, the employees, and the character of both. When the opportunity to purchase Douglas Barrels presented itself, Chiodo was all over it like a rut-crazed buck on a hot doe.
Hand tools are part of the process at Douglas Barrels because—though they use some automation—their craft is tied to humans with unparalleled barrel making skill.
The new ownership is committed to maintaining the high standards Douglas Barrels is known for, but also in helping Douglas step into the future. They’ve made substantial investments in new machinery, rededicated the company to maintaining their industry-leading four-week delivery times, created an all-new customer-friendly website to make online barrel ordering easier and hired a new metallurgist. Douglas Barrels now implements MET (Metal Enhancement Technology) and a new lapping-type process for all their barrels. During my visit, it was refreshing to see that this legacy company will continue to deliver even better barrels as they approach 100 years of business.
Douglas Barrels sources the best chrome molly and stainless-steel that is available worldwide for the barrels they craft.
Proof in Precision
But, back to my rifle. As mentioned, one advantage with Douglas Barrels is that they will not only make you a barrel in the caliber you want, at the length and contour you want, and with the twist rate you want, but they will also install that barrel on your action and chamber it for whatever cartridge makes your heart go pitter-patter. Douglas has a large catalog of carrel contours, but one of the coolest machines they have is a barrel contour duplicator. This allows Douglas to match the contour of the barrel they make you to the barrel they’re replacing on your rifle.
With my rifle, I made it rather easy for them: The first Douglas barrel I ever owned was the 0.35-caliber barrel on my NULA rifle in .35 Remington, so I specified a 0.35-caliber barrel with a standard Remington contour and a 1:12 twist rate, chambered in .35 Remington. The common twist rate for a .35 Remington is 1:16, but I wanted to specifically shoot the Tipped Controlled Chaos bullets from Lehigh Defense, and Mike Cyrus of Lehigh Defense suggested the 1:12 twist rate.
Douglas Barrels’ master gunsmith, Travis Beasley, made the barrel, installed, crowned and chambered it, and like with all the barrels Douglas makes, it was air-gauge tested and—most importantly—it held up to the eyeball scrutiny of Asbury.
Travis Beasly talks Richard Mann (left) through the barrel-making process at Douglas Barrels.
Cyrus picked the re-barreled rifle up for me, and while he had it, he worked up some handloads for the Lehigh Defense 180-grain Tipped Controlled Chaos bullet. After he dropped the rifle off, I tested it with those loads and two factory loads, including a hardcast load from Buffalo Bore. The handloads shot great, but the real surprise was Federal’s factory 200-grain load that averaged almost three-quarters of an inch. I think G.R. Douglas, Chiodo and even Asbury—with his keen barrel-peering eyes—would have been proud of how it performed. I sure was.
In today’s world, you’d not expect a custom-crafted rifle barrel installed and chambered on your action at the cost of less than $700—all finished up in less than four weeks—to deliver dime-spitting accuracy. But the guys at Douglas didn’t think it was a big deal at all. Hell, they’ve been making barrels that shoot like this and doing the same thing for a long, long time.
Handloads with the 180-grain Lehigh Defense Tipped Controlled Chaos bullets delivered consistent sub-inch groups.
Shooting Results: Remington Model Seven w/18.5-inch, 1:12 twist, Douglas Barrel
Load
MV
ME
SD
Precision
180-grain Lehigh Defense TCC
2,375
2,255
11.1
11.1
200-grain Federal Soft Point
1,936
1,664
31.9
0.79
230-grain Buffalo Bore “Heavy” Hardcast
2,063
2,175
22.5
1.24
Notes: Muzzle velocities are the average of nine shots measured with a Garmin XERO C1 chronograph. Precision is the average of three, three-shot groups.
Contact Information:
Douglas Barrels 5504 Big Tyler Road Charleston, WV 25313 (304) 776-1341 DouglasBarrelsLLC.com
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
A quick look at .17 Remington Fireball, another brainchild of P.O. Ackley.
One of many wildcats dreamed up by P.O. Ackley through the years was the .17/221 Fireball, which is the .221 Remington Fireball case necked down for bullets measuring .172-inch in diameter. When Las Vegas gunsmith Vern O’Brien started building custom rifles around the small Sako L461 action, he obtained permission from Ackley to chamber them for the .17/221 but decided to rename it the .17 Mach IV. O’Brien offered the same chambering in custom single-shot pistols built on the XP-100 action, but called it the .17 Mach III, due to lower velocities from their shorter barrels.
As is commonly seen in more than one wildcat, dimensions can vary slightly among makers of chamber reamers, which means that even though at first glance the .17 Remington Fireball appears to be the old .17 Mach IV with a different name, a closer inspection may reveal minor dimensional differences. For this reason, Remington discourages the firing of .17 Fireball ammunition in rifles chambered to .17 Mach IV and vice versa.
General Comments
Even though case dimensions of the .17 Fireball can differ a bit from those of the .17 Mach IV, the two cartridges are virtually identical in powder capacity and for this reason their velocity potential is the same. Capable of accelerating a 20-grain bullet along at over 4,000 fps, the trajectory of the .17 Fireball is quite flat, and mild recoil makes the little cartridge lots of fun to shoot.
Contrary to what has been written about the .17 Mach IV in the past and will likely be written about the .17 Fireball in the future, neither cartridge is capable of matching the velocities of the .17 Remington, which is on a modified version of the more capacious .223 Remington case. It has also been written that bullet jacket fouling builds up more rapidly in a rifle chambered for the .17 Remington, but the original author of Cartridges of the World found this to be untrue when the three cartridges are used in barrels having bores of equal quality and smoothness.
.17 Remington Fireball Loading Data and Factory Ballistics
If you like snubbies, you’ll want to check out the new Lipsey’s Exclusive Smith & Wesson Field Ethos Model 36.
Smith & Wesson has been releasing a lot of really cool distributor-exclusive revolver models lately, and the latest is this Field Ethos Model 36 from Lipsey’s. While Smith clearly didn’t cut any corners when it comes to this J-Frame’s form, it looks like it has plenty of function, too.
Chambered for .38 Special +P, the Field Ethos Model 36 has a 5-shot capacity, a 1.88-inch barrel and, thankfully, no lock on its side. It has a bobbed hammer, but its double-action only trigger pull should still be buttery smooth thanks to its Performance Center action job.
Other features of this Model 36 include a gold bead front sight/integral notch rear sight, a beautiful carbon blued finish on its cylinder and frame and a Tyler Gunworks premium walnut boot grip. The revolver also comes with the Field Ethos logo engraved on its side plate.
MSRP for the Lipsey’s Exclusive Smith & Wesson Field Ethos Model 36 is $1,100 and it’s available now.
We address some of the downsides, and upsides, of carrying a revolver for self-defense.
The Western lawman. Cop movies set in the 1970s and ’80s. Detective pulp novels with dames and private investigators. Wyatt Earp. Roger Murtaugh getting too old for this sh*t. All these share two common traits: unironic mustaches and deadly wheel guns. But there’s more to the revolver than history, pop culture, and a throwback to ancient days.
Wyatt Earp.
There are people in the gun world who wonder why this far into the 21st century anyone would choose a revolver over a modern semi-auto pistol. Well, we’re glad you asked. We’re reminded of the late Pat Rogers and his old axiom: “The mission drives the gear train.” In short, for some people, and some situations, the revolver can be the dreaded “just as good as,” or an even better.
While it is true that the modern military-grade semi-auto service pistol has replaced the revolver for hard use in defensive carry, police and military service, this in no way means the revolver isn’t a capable handgun for defensive and sport use.
To start, let’s address what’s often perceived as an issue when revolvers are considered for defensive carry use: the deadly duo of low ammunition capacity and slow reload speed.
Ammunition Capacity
This is actually a non-issue for the concealed carry paradigm. We can learn quite a bit by examining what has happened in real-world incidents. To borrow a line from Tom Givens, when speaking of experiences from his students who’ve actually been in defensive shootings: “three shots in 3 seconds at 3 feet” is still what a typical defensive shooting looks like.
It’s here that it’s worthy to note Givens is also famous for saying, “The primary cause of needing to reload is missing.”
The gunfight a cop has is often very different than the one a concealed carrier has in the streets—and even then the wheel gun usually holds enough.
To pursue this idea further, we draw on the research of friend and mentor Keith Jones. Jones is a Vietnam combat vet, nearly 40-year police officer, multiple gunfight winner, very competent researcher and gun guy. Back in the days when coppers only carried revolvers, Jones looked at the experiences of the officers in his area. He found that in 199 incidents, from 1970 through 1988, there was only one (!) instance where the officer had to reload to prevail in the fight.
Everything else was settled with the five or six rounds available in the wheel gun.
The patrol officer shootout is often a very different fight than we see in the concealed carry/defensive pistol realm; suspects fight more aggressively to avoid arrest, multiple suspects are more likely to be involved, and there’s a duty to pursue. Yet in these 199 incidents, the revolver clearly had enough capacity to get the job done.
Claude Werner, a gifted instructor, noted researcher and generally the smartest guy in the room tells us the average number of shots fired in the defensive gunfight is 1.43.
Reliability
An underappreciated advantage of the revolver is the rate of malfunctions that occur in real-world fights. Although the military-grade semi-auto service pistol is clearly more tolerant of abuse and hard service than the revolver, all semi-auto pistols are subject to malfunction when the shooter uses a weak grip, is floating the gun one-handed, if the ammunition is underpowered and if the pistol is poorly lubed and/or full of dust bunnies.
While the “six for sure” mantra of revolver proponents is a myth, it’s a fact the revolver is vastly more tolerant of a poor grip and garbage ammunition.
While the “six for sure” mantra of revolver proponents is a myth, it’s a fact the revolver is vastly more tolerant of a poor grip and garbage ammunition.
Even though yours truly started in the defensive handgun world in the days when cops carried by-God-steel-framed-revolvers and leather gear, uses for the wheel gun nowadays include backup gun/lightweight carry gun, hunting/“kit gun,” general fun shooting and training gun.
Being an old cop, using the snubby as a backup gun was a natural thing. Over the years we have tried several semi-auto backup guns but have repeatedly come back to the snub due to some very concrete advantages that this platform gives versus the semi-auto pistol.
An airweight snub, such as an S&W 642 or a Ruger LCR, generally carries on an ankle or in a pocket better than any semi-auto pistol. It also draws more cleanly and consistently when pushing speed. The snub can be reliably fired with hard muzzle contact, clothing interference or even through a pocket. The shape of a snubby often makes it conceal better than a similarly sized semi-auto, and this shape also makes it easier to get a shooting grip on the gun when carried in deep concealment.
In extensive testing, shooting and training with various pocket pistols over the years, not one can equal the reliability of an S&W or Ruger snub. The perceived advantages of higher capacity and faster reload speed are siren songs, but the .38 snub still wins the reliability game—along with the aforementioned cleaner draw and speed to a first-shot hit.
Accuracy
It’s boringly common to find service-grade revolvers in .38 Special and .357 Magnum capable of 1- to 1½-inch groups off of a rest at the 25-yard line. The same cannot be said of service pistols. Groups as small as 6 inches at 100 yards with a 4- or 6-inch .357 Magnum revolver, fired in single action, from a rollover prone isn’t terribly difficult.
This level of accuracy starts to shade into carbine territory. For this reason, the midsized .357 Magnum revolver, such as an old Ruger Security Six or S&W model 66 or 681, can easily be a “go to the woods” gun.
Ease Of Training
An advantage of the double-action revolver over many of the modern striker-fired pistols so popular now is the revolver is easier to use for dry-fire practice and for “ball and dummy” training at the range.
The DA revolver can be dry-fired repeatedly without the need to reset the trigger, and when used in specific drills, the ball and dummy exercise can be done without the need to buy or load dummy rounds into the gun. Dry practice is typically underappreciated as a skill builder, but it’s critical to the development of trigger control. Trigger control is the toughest pistol skill to learn, and the most easily perishable when neglected.
The revolver has a simpler manual of arms and it’s impossible to “forget” that one has a round in the chamber after the magazine is removed, which can be a real advantage to the novice shooter.
While the snubby as a defensive firearm is often thought of as an “expert’s gun,” that idiom hasn’t panned with either officers or students.
Here’s a recent personal example: A gentleman decided he wanted to buy a defensive firearm but had no idea where to start. At the range he was able to handle and fire several semi-auto pistols and revolvers. He preferred the simplicity of the revolver and eventually bought a Ruger LCR in .38 Special. In follow-up sessions at the range, he went from having never fired a gun in his life to being able to keep 100 percent of his shots in the “down 0” zone of an IDPA target out to 10 yards.
He achieved this level of marksmanship in less than 100 rounds fired in conjunction with approximately four hours of practice.
Versatility
Revolvers still maintain a significant edge over semi-auto pistols for large game hunting or large animal defense. While big-assed semi-auto pistols such as the Desert Eagle exist, they’re far from being handy, easy to carry or quick into action. They look cool in movies though. Service-sized pistols such as the Glock 20 in 10mm simply pale in available power level when compared to even middle-of-the-road loadings for the .44 Magnum. Said .44 Mag is itself easily outclassed by things like a heavy-loaded .45 Colt, .454 Casull, and more. While you can hot rod a semi-auto, it can also bring its own issues such as stoppages due to excessive slide velocity.
From silver to black, irons to optics, 9mm to magnums—the 21st century still has a ton of revolvers around. Try one out.
A 4-inch .357 Mag has the ability to safely fire any .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammunition that will chamber in the gun. This includes defensive carry with JHPs, snake and rodent whacking with shot loads, plinking and small game with wadcutters, predator control with lightweight hollow points, deer hunting with heavier versions of the same and bear protection with high-penetration ammo.
For just plain fun that translates well to serious purposes, it’s hard to beat live fire with a good .22 revolver. For this reason, some favorite handguns are .22 wheel guns. Though we’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite, the Ruger LCR in .22 LR and the S&W 317 and 43c are currently seeing the most use for training and plinking. Each of these guns displays a high level of accuracy, with near zero recoil. Each is capable of reliably firing .22 CB, short, long, and long rifle ammunition, in either standard or high velocity loadings—not possible with a semi-auto pistol.
But What About Reload Speed?
To address the persistent issue of the worry about the need to reload in a defensive shooting scenario, note that revolver science has been well developed over the past 100-plus years.
For the snubs, ensure the chamber edges are chamfered or otherwise smoothed to avoid catching the bullets during the reload. This simple step in prepping the defensive revolver for carry is similar to making sure your semi-auto pistol has a flared magwell or mag funnel for speed reloading. In the revolver, it pays off in dividends.
There are a number of methods and accessories and doodads for revolver reloads that have been developed over the years, and most of them work well if you put in the work yourself.
For concealed carry, a Bianchi Speed Strip makes for a small package. Instead of completely filling these up, having four rounds instead of five or six significantly reduces your time to target. Getting that last round or two in the cylinder takes more time than the previous four. It may sound strange but do it on the shot clock for yourself.
If you can get away with a larger footprint, Jetloaders or Safariland Comp speedloaders can give you a reload of under 5 seconds with practice. USPSA reload speed this isn’t, but it’s certainly better than fumbling with loose rounds.
There’s also an old-school copper skill of reloading two with eyes down range, in case you need to close the cylinder and engage an aggressive bad guy (a hard won lesson from the Newhall fight …).
Carry The Damn Thing
It’s no small comfort that research has yet to find a case where a police officer was able to access a backup gun and didn’t survive the fight. The lesson here for cops is this: Carry a backup gun and quit worrying about things like magazine or ammo interchangeability with your primary pistol.
This same lesson translates to the concealed-carry world. “What gun?” and “How many rounds on board?” are vastly secondary to the ability of the carrier to have the gun with them at all times. And the ability to draw quickly from concealment. And place one to three effective hits on target at a car length or less.
If you can’t find an instructor who can teach you these skills, seek out a crusty old cop; he’ll know what to do.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these 7 new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.
TALO Exclusive Girsan MC1911 Negotiator in .38 Super
It’s true that 1911s in .38 Super don’t get enough love these days, but it’s an excellent chambering option. It also pairs very well with gold accents, and that’s exactly what’s being offered with the new .38 Super TALO Exclusive Girsan/EAA Corp MC1911 Negotiator. This 5-inch barrel 1911 has a 9-round capacity, an adjustable rear sight, a fiber-optic front sight, a lightening cut slide and a skeletonized trigger. It features a hand-tuned action and Picatinny rail as well, and the cherry on top is its titanium nitrate “gold” finish on the barrel and accents on its barrel bushing, magazine release, hammer, safety and beavertail. MSRP: $1,060
Chiappa Rhino 60DS L-Frame in .44 Magnum
Finally, the Chiappa Rhino in .44 Magnum is here. The .44 Magnum is a big, powerful round with pretty stout recoil, so it’s the perfect match for the kick-taming nature of the Rhino’s low bore-axis, bottom-chamber firing design. The revolver’s weight and strength stay balanced despite the larger size thanks to its 7075-T6 aluminum frame, steel barrel and steel breech shield. The ergonomics have been improved as well thanks to the addition of twin finger stops and a revised interface for the Hogue rubber grip. Other details of the .44 Magnum Rhino are its 6-inch barrel, six-round capacity and fiber-optic sights. They’re available with either a black, white nickel or gold PVD finish, and each Rhino ships with a hard case and an owner’s kit. MSRP: $1,745
Sightron S6 10-60x56mm ED Field Target Scope
Airgun, small-caliber field target and benchrest shooters have reason to be excited following Sightron’s announcement of this rifle scope. Designed to withstand the recoil of everything from the heaviest big-bore airguns to .50 BMG rifles, the S6 10-60x56mm ED was tested and shock-rated to 1,000Gs for more than 10,000 cycles. That’s a pretty tough piece of glass. Speaking of glass, inside the scope, there are 15 Japanese optical-grade glass lenses, as well as two Extra-low Dispersion elements designed to massively boost optical resolution. Camera-grade multi-coatings also help to increase the scope’s light transmission, contrast and clarity while reducing color fringing, flare and chromatic aberrations. You have the choice between two new purpose-built reticle options—MOA-2FT and MH-FT—and it can be ordered with or without its 145mm diameter magnetic side-wheel for rapid adjustments. MSRP: $1,800 scope only // $2,000 wheel bundle
WOOX 1913 Compatible Stocks
A lot of new guns these days come with a segment of 1913 rail on the rear of their receivers for attaching a stock or a pistol brace. As this method of stock attachment has grown in popularity, so has the aftermarket of available stock options, giving shooters more choice than ever when deciding exactly how they want their gun to look and feel on the shoulder. WOOX has entered the fold with its new line of 1913 compatible stocks, and while the aesthetics won’t appeal to everyone, those who want to add a dash of wood and class to an otherwise black gun will find WOOX’s lineup an attractive new option. The family features two models currently—the 1913 Edge and the 1913 Woody—but both are available as either a fixed stock or a folding stock. MSRP: $230 fixed // $300 folding
Henry Repeating Arms SPD Predator
Henry is calling its new SPD Predator “the most accurate lever-action rifle ever built.” Chambered for .223/5.56, it’s built on the same architecture as Henry’s Lever Action Supreme Rifle … but with a few tricks up its sleeve to increase its accuracy potential. The most important one is a match-grade 416R stainless-steel barrel tension-wrapped in carbon fiber. Topped off with a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle, this barrel will provide shooters with better rigidity, faster cooling and less weight. The SPD Predator also features a forged carbon-fiber Picatinny rail for optic mounting, a gray laminate buttstock and forearm with an adjustable comb system, a crisp, user-adjustable trigger tuned at the factory to 4 pounds and compatibility with standard AR-15 magazines. Oh yeah: It ships with a Harris S-LM bipod, too. MSRP: $2,510
SIRT TruBreak
Trigger control is one of the most crucial aspects of handgun shooting, and dry fire is a great and cheap way to refine your skills at home. SIRT just released an interesting new gadget that takes trigger control practice to the next level. Called the TruBreak, the device will only break and reset the trigger if it’s pulled back perfectly straight. If your press drifts to either side, it will result in a dead trigger and require you to slap the bottom of the fake magazine well to reset it. Fair warning, SIRT says it’s extremely addictive to play with and that people are calling it a “fidget spinner for shooters.” For a toy that will improve your shooting skills, being addictive isn’t so bad. MSRP: $50
MDT STS Buttstock
Standing for Skeleton Traditional Stock, MDT’s new STS buttstock is the solution for shooters who want the accuracy and modularity of a modern precision chassis but with traditional rifle ergonomics. Designed for the LSS Gen3 Chassis System, the STS features an overmolded rubber grip, tool-less cheek riser adjustability, vertical buttpad adjustability, an integrated M-Lok rail for bag rider attachments and a QD sling mount. Length-of-pull is adjustable as well, and the package ships with four spacers. It’s offered with either a black or FDE finish. MSRP: $400
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
