Smith & Wesson has just announced the M&P Shield X, a new subcompact iteration of the Shield series.
For the last few years, almost every new concealed carry pistol released was a 9mm micro-compact, but it seems that sub-compact 9mms are now experiencing a bit of a resurgence. The latest example is Smith & Wesson’s recently announced M&P Shield X with its 3.6-inch stainless steel barrel.
The M&P Shield X has all the modern features shooters have come to expect of modern carry pistols. Namely, it’s optics-ready (RMSc/K footprint), features an accessory rail and has an impressive 13+1 capacity of 9mm with flush-fit mags or 15+1 rounds with the included extended mag. A 10-round compliant version is available as well. The Shield X frame also boasts ergonomic improvements like a lengthened grip, undercut trigger guard, and extended beaver tail. Other features include aggressive front and rear slide serrations, an Ameriglo Trooper LumiGreen front night sight and a blacked-out serrated u-notch rear sight. The Shield X also has Smith & Wesson’s ClearSight Cut, a feature designed to prevent red dot optic windows from becoming fouled.
Grant Dubuc, Director of Product Innovation at Smith & Wesson, said this about the new carry pistol:
When designing the Shield X, a key focus was enhancing ergonomics to deliver a superior fit and feel across all hand sizes. Drawing inspiration from the Bodyguard 2.0, we introduced several refinements to the frame including undercutting the trigger guard, adding a slight beaver tail, and slimming specific areas at the back of the frame. These changes allow the shooter’s hand to sit higher on the frame, improving control and comfort without compromising concealability. Combined with added features like a rail, extended barrel, aggressive serrations, and upgraded sights, the Shield X is the ideal everyday carry 9mm.
The Smith & Wesson Shield X is available with or without a manual thumb safety and has an MSRP of $599.
When it comes to hunting preparation, zeroing your rifle from a bench pales in comparison to competing in NRL Hunter.
We are in the golden age of competition shooting, with different forms and flavors for every marksman. One of the underappreciated but rapidly growing organizations is NRL Hunter. Fusing traditional hunting scenarios with modern competition standards, NRL Hunter elevates the skill cap and educates people nationwide that marksmanship in the field isn’t shooting fish in a barrel.
In essence, it tests your skills to find, range and shoot targets from between 100 and 1,000 yards while layering the difficult conditions you might face while on a hunt. Even for seasoned competition shooters or hunters, this game isn’t easy.
But—it is satisfying, illuminating and oh so much fun.
The Soul of a Hunter
As the name suggests, NRL Hunter was started to benefit hunters. While many skills are necessary for a successful harvest, one of the most difficult to learn or practice is field marksmanship. Shooting off a bench at a paper target doesn’t address the critical skills needed for a real shot taken at an animal in the wild.
Stress, wind reading, knowing your rifle, your ammo and your limits are aspects that can make or break a hunt. Being able to put those skills to the test and improve yourself makes not only for more successful hunting but also more ethical hunting.
For many who shoot NRL Hunter, this is the whole allure of the game. And if you have a once-in-a-lifetime hunt coming up or just want to improve your shooting skills, NRL Hunter is a great place to push yourself.
Gamers Play the Game
Not everyone you meet at an NRL Hunter match is there prepping for elk season. Shooters focusing on hunting are probably the minority. While NRL Hunter is a great way of practicing for the big-game season, it is still a game. Steel elk don’t hear you stalking, AR500 bobcats don’t smell you, and no timers are counting down in the woods.
For a lot of the shooters, NRL Hunter is simply a fresh new format for precision matches, forcing different and interesting skills and giving people a good excuse to build a new rifle. Count me in that category. Matches that push my skillset or force me to learn something new are always attractions, and NRL Hunter does it in spades. It has quickly become my second favorite format to shoot.
Basic Rules
The exact rules should be consulted before your first match, but to give you a taste we can boil them down to CliffsNotes.
Every stage is shot “blind,” meaning you don’t know what you’re getting into. You don’t get to watch other competitors shoot the stage before you, and learning anything about the stage before you shoot is strictly forbidden.
Every stage is 4 minutes and allows a maximum of eight shots. Scoring is “2-1 dead target.” Hitting the target with your first shot earns 2 points, if you miss your first shot you’re allowed a second. Impacting with the second shot earns 1 point. If you miss both shots, the target can no longer be engaged. If you hit the target, it’s considered neutralized, and you move on to the next target at the stage.
Each stage consists of some combination of up to four targets and up to four positions. If you have four targets, you will only have one position. If you have four positions, you’ll have one target. There are also combinations in between, like two targets/two positions. The positions are not fixed and can be selected by the hunter while on the clock. A “new” position must be at least one arm’s length away from the old one.
Each stage is given left and right limits, so you know what area you’re looking in to find the targets. On the start buzzer, the shooter needs to find the targets, range the targets, get into position and shoot.
Trust me, the 4 minutes to accomplish all this go fast.
Equipment
Gear won’t win matches or put meat in the freezer, but it can help. If you’re an established long-range shooter or hunter and you want to test your gear and your skills, you probably won’t need to buy anything new. But if you want to get all the juice for the squeeze, a few tools are game changers.
My loadout included:
Eberlestock UpRanger
Armageddon Gear Game Changer Shmedium with Git-Lite fill
Fix It Sticks Long Range Competition Toolkit
Sig Sauer Kilo 10k Gen II
Kestrel Ballistics 5700X Elite
Longtucky Supply Bino Pouch
Leofoto Tripod with Really Right Stuff Anvil-30 ballhead
L3i Design Solutions Tac Table
The general strategy for a stage is to use a tripod to glass and find your targets, then get into position using any combination of tripod, bipod or shooting bag to take the shot.
Range-finding binoculars help speed and smooth out the process since finding a target and then switching tools to range the target eats valuable time. Add in a ballistic solver, such as my Sig Sauer Kilo 10k Gen II, and the process becomes even easier. It gives range and dope with the press of a button.
One thing to keep in mind is that gear is only useful if it’s easy to access. Most shooters use a chest rig of some kind to make life easier. Longtucky Supply just released its Bino Pouch not long before my California-based Mason Valley match, and it’s a winner. Magnets seal the hood, and Velcro makes the entire pouch adjustable to any size or shape of binos.
A solid bag to carry all your stuff in is a requirement, since stages are spread out and often over broken landscapes. The Eberlestock UpRanger has served me well for several years and is easy to recommend.
One piece of gear that didn’t arrive in time for the match was the new MDT Champion Backpack. While I didn’t get to use the new bag in Mason Valley, I have used it at PRS matches since then, and I highly recommend it. Giving yourself a portable workstation comes in handy when you’re in the bush.
Custom Lightweight Precision Rifle
Most of the gamers shoot in Open Heavy, giving them a maximum of 16 pounds of rifle to play with. Since the hunting aspect is what appeals to me in NRL Hunter, I shoot the Open Light class. This has a 12-pound limit, forcing competitors to use a rifle they more likely would in the field.
To make that goal but still pack on as many luxuries as possible isn’t easy—but it is doable. Here is how my Hunter rifle shakes out:
Rifle Action: Faxon FX7 Barrel: Faxon “Gunner” Profile, 20 inches, 6.5 Creedmoor Scope: Vortex Razor LHT 4.5-22×50 FFP Scope Rings: MDT Lightweight Chassis: MDT HNT26 Muzzle Brake: Area 419 Hellfire Match Suppressor: Silencer Central Banish MeatEater Trigger: TriggerTech Special Grip: Kung Fu Grip Timer: MDT Crush It timer Ammo: Black Sheep Ammo 143-grain ELD
This rifle has performed far better than my wildest hopes. Everything about it has been perfect from the first day … almost.
Faxon Firearm’s FX7 is a sleeper of a rifle. The action is a six-lug, 70-degree bolt lift Remington 700 footprint coated in ArmorLube DLC and made from 416 stainless-steel. Its assets include an integrated recoil lug, integrated 20-MOA Picatinny rail, interchangeable bolt handle, M16 style extractor and uses a standard R700 trigger.
The action is smooth and well-made, and it handles dust and grime better than any bolt rifle I’ve used previously. But my favorite part of this build is the barrel. Faxon Firearms offered the “Gunner” profile in AR-15 and AR-10 barrels for years but applying that idea to a bolt-rifle barrel has been magical.
Barrels are what pack on pounds to a rifle, and it’s hard to cut that weight without running into problems like overheating, drifting POI or groups that explode open. The Gunner profile is built to mitigate all of those. Starting thick, it quickly tapers down to an almost pencil profile before opening up at the very end to host a threaded muzzle. The result is a 20-inch 6.5 Creedmoor barrel that only weighs 2.45 pounds. With my handloads, this is a comfortably .75 MOA rifle shooting 10-round groups with no downtime for heat.
Cutting all this weight left room in the budget for a suppressor, but only if it was light enough. Silencer Central’s new MeatEater by Banish comes in at only 10.3 ounces but offers a full 32dB sound reduction and helps cut recoil with the inclusion of a muzzle brake at the end of the suppressor. If you haven’t added a suppressor to your match or hunting rifle, I cannot recommend it enough. Making life quieter and easier to stay on target is a must-have for any rifle system.
The MeatEater is not the least expensive suppressor you can find, but the full titanium build and added muzzle brake are entirely worth it.
For glass, Vortex provided the Razor LHT 4.5-22×50 FFP. This is an interesting scope that ticks a lot of boxes and is almost perfect for NRL Hunter. While mostly a hunting scope at heart, it has enough features to make it effective in a match environment. A rock-solid zero stop, perfect tracking, great Christmas tree reticle and impressive glass worthy of the Razor name, it has all the hallmarks of a last-generation top-tier competition scope. But at only 21.7 ounces, this was built to not weigh you down.
Part of where the LHT saves weight is the 50mm objective lens and 30mm main tube. While enough to get the job done, this does limit the light-gathering ability of the scope. But even on my last stage of day one at Mason Valley, where we went way past legal hunting light, I could still find the gray steel of my last stage against the gray rocks. For what this scope is designed for, it’s impeccable.
MDT’s HNT26 was the chassis of choice for this project. My feelings on the HNT26 have gone back and forth between love and hate, but after a weekend shooting NRL Hunter, it’s settled on love. The HNT26 feels lightweight. It should, since it’s 26 ounces. But in your hand, out of the box, it feels too light. Don’t let that fool you, because this chassis can take some insane abuse.
Two long days of competition lead to progressively caring less about being gentle on your equipment, none more so than the chassis. But even being banged on boulders, dropped on cacti or dumped in the sand, the HNT26 ate it all.
The only failure point on the chassis was the grip and that happened a couple of months before the match. The carbon-fiber grip of the HNT26 is a shell epoxied to a plastic piece that connects to the rifle via a standard AR-15 grip interface. That epoxy on my grip just failed and disintegrated—slipped right off in my hand. Reaching out to MDT, it turns out my grip was one of the unlucky few in a specific batch of grips where something went sideways with no way for QC to catch the problem until they were in the hands of users. Oh, well. These things happen.
While MDT offered to replace the grip, I didn’t love it, so I was fine with using something else. I like near-vertical grips on my precision rifles, and this NRL Hunter rifle was no different.
The Bubba in me reached for one of my spare Die Free Co. Kung Fu grips because it was the perfect shape and texture. A little Dremel work to remove the beaver tail, and it was perfect.
To finish it all off and actually put lead on target, Black Sheep Ammo provided a pile of their 143-grain ELD match-grade ammo. Made in Union, Missouri, Black Sheep is a newer brand of ammo manufacturer focused on quality over quantity. I’ve used almost everything they make, from 115-grain 9mm to this 143-grain 6.5 Creedmoor, and all of it has been impressive. Accurate, low SD/ES, and dead-nuts reliable. Plus, the brass is great for reloading as well.
Mason Valley Match
Just a hair outside of San Diego County in Southern California, you can find Mason Valley Ranch, a piece of land that hosts one of the best NRL Hunter matches in the nation. This was my second time shooting this match (once in 2023 and once in 2025), and both have been outstanding, though not without challenges.
Boasting 20 stages, it makes for a packed course of fire across just 2 days, with 12 stages shot on Saturday and the last eight shot on Sunday.
The madman in charge of Mason Valley is Serge Ducourneau; assisting the madness was Ben Gallimore. The Mason Valley match has become infamous for how the stages are designed to push shooters in every aspect. The targets weren’t easy to find, and like real animals, they were often where you wouldn’t expect them. Mason Valley is also infested with Sasquatch of a few types. These tall, skinny targets require wind calls with no margin for error.
The targets and the machinations of the match directors are only half the battle. The environment is the other. There was a 50/50 chance of precipitation and a 100-percent chance of wind. Though, it turned out mild by Mason Valley standards with temps in the mid 60s and wind gusting to only 35 mph
The course of fire is spread out across a wide area, and shooters walked 2-3 miles over both days. Most shooters have a love-hate relationship with Mason Valley. On the one hand, it’s an unforgiving match. On the other hand, it’s the challenge that keeps us coming.
As for the match, while Serge and Ben designed some truly diabolical stages, they weren’t all dialed to 11. Most of them were approachable, but some of those ate my lunch (curse you, Sasquatch!). All of it was educational.
And that’s the rub of NRL Hunter: If you’re willing to step up, the matches offer more education, excitement and fun than you can shake a rifle muzzle at.
If you’re not willing to accept the challenge—possibly a fat goose egg on your score—maybe try something less stressful … like watercolors or stamp collecting.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Ruger’s American rifle is more than just another affordable bolt-action. It’s an American success story.
Every so often a rifle comes along that is so utilitarian—and affordable—that it becomes nearly ubiquitous. Everyone, it seems, either has one or wants one. The Ruger American is one such rifle. Following its introduction in 2011, it rapidly became one of America’s most popular affordable bolt-actions, and sales quickly exceeded Ruger’s expectations. To date, Ruger has delivered well over a million of them in 28 different chamberings and more than 250 distinct models.
What most people don’t know is that the American was intended to be something entirely different. Ruger engineers initially tried to create a more affordable version of the company’s venerable M77 Hawkeye flagship bolt-action rifle, but they could only go so far working with the legacy design.
A Clean-Sheet Design
That prompted a decision to go with a clean-sheet design, and three experienced Ruger engineers were assigned to the project. Step one was gathering input from a “Voice of the Customer” campaign to find out what customers really wanted. Ruger’s polling produced some interesting results.
“With enough folks polled, many features or choices canceled out,” says Mark Gurney, Ruger’s innovation director. For example, about one-third wanted push feed, one-third wanted controlled-round feed, and one-third didn’t care. Much the same applied to decisions over whether the safety should be a tang or wing design, and whether the ejector should be a plunger or fixed type.
In the end, several factors emerged as constants. The rifle needed to be accurate and have a good trigger. It needed to be rugged. And reliable. In other words, it needed to be a Ruger.
From the time Ruger committed to the American, it took a little over a year to bring the design to life. A team of manufacturing engineers were added to the effort during the development cycle and Ruger stood up the first dedicated American rifle production line in Newport, New Hampshire. In 2016, in response to demand, Ruger added additional production capacity in its Mayodan, North Carolina, facility.
The Original American
When first introduced, the American was a no-frills rifle designed to hit a certain price point. It did that handily. Original MSRP was just $449 (it retailed for less), but from the beginning, the rifle delivered performance on par with guns costing far more.
The rifle was, unsurprisingly, originally chambered for some of America’s favorite cartridges, including .243 Win. and .308 Win. in short actions, and .270 Win. and .30-06 in long actions. It was equipped with a 22-inch free-floated hammer-forged barrel (with a recessed crown) attached to the action with a barrel nut for precise headspacing and enhanced accuracy.
The bedded action was mated to the stock using Ruger’s innovative Power Bedding System, which also contributed to the gun’s accuracy. That system used two aluminum V-blocks embedded into the synthetic stock that mate up with a pair of cuts in the action. It was a simple but clever design that worked quite well.
Use of a full-diameter bolt with three locking lugs and dual-cocking cams allowed for a short, 70-degree bolt throw and ample scope clearance. Smoothness of cycling varied a bit on these early guns. I handled some that were quite smooth and one or two others that felt a little stiff, but loosened up with lubrication and use.
The rifle employed the Savage-like bladed-style Ruger Marksman Trigger, but it differed from similar designs in one important respect. The blade locked the trigger, versus the sear, so the sear couldn’t trip no matter how low the pull weight was set. The pull weight was user-adjustable within a range of 3 to 5 pounds. The action used a two-position, tang-mounted safety that did not lock the bolt down.
In a departure for Ruger, the top of the action did not have the milled slots used on Hawkeye rifles for directly attaching Ruger scope rings. Instead, each rifle shipped with two single-slot Weaver-style bases to attach to the receiver.
The rifle had a matte black, glass-filled polypropylene stock. It wasn’t the stiffest stock in the world, but that shortcoming was negated by the stiffness of the action and the free-floated barrel. Stocks were equipped with a recoil pad that did a decent job of mitigating recoil. Stippled panels were impressed into the forend and grip to improve purchase in inclement weather. The rifle fed from a well-designed detachable, four-round rotary magazine that slid rounds smoothly into the chamber.
Visually, the original rifle didn’t look like anything special. At the time, it didn’t exactly stand out on rifle racks overflowing with other guns with black polymer stocks, but once people found out how well it shot, sales took off. In buyers’ eyes, beauty was in the rifle’s performance.
Unfailing Accuracy
I’ve had a fair amount of experience with Ruger American rifles, both in the field and on the range, starting with an American Predator model chambered in 6mm PRC. That rifle had a green synthetic stock and a fairly stiff-cycling bolt that made a bit of a zip-zip sound, which was somewhat common on early models and has since been corrected.
That rifle, which weighed just 6.6 pounds, had a 22-inch medium-contour barrel. Like all American rifles of that time, it had Ruger’s Power Bedding System, a tang-mounted safety, the Marksman adjustable trigger and a four-round flush-fitting rotary magazine. The push-feed action’s bolt had three large lugs, a generously sized extractor, a plunger ejector and a short, 70-degree throw. I wasn’t overly impressed with the rifle’s appearance, but my attitude toward the gun quickly changed when I put rounds downrange. On a day with the wind blowing full value at 12 mph, a Hornady load produced five-shot groups averaging 0.78 inch and a best group of just over half an inch.
I was even more impressed when I discussed the rifle with my friend and fellow outdoor scribe John Barsness. He shared a photo of a group he shot with the Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor with his handloaded ammo. All five shots went into a single ragged hole. That’s impressive performance for any rifle, let alone an inexpensive one. At the time, that American had an MSRP of $529, and you could find it at a real-world price a bit south of $400.
Every Ruger American rifle I’ve tested since then, regardless of chambering, has proven to be unfailingly accurate. Each has turned in sub-MOA groups with ammo it liked, which is more than I can say for some rifles costing far more. That inherent accuracy, combined with its affordable price tag, accounts for much of the Ruger American’s continued popularity in the years since its introduction.
Versatility in Spades
With that sort of performance and price, it’s no surprise that the rifle quickly gained a following and found itself at home in deer blinds and pickup trucks across America.
When first introduced, the American was offered with only a black synthetic stock. Initial chamberings were limited to a handful of popular cartridges. The lineup would quickly expand. In the rifle’s second year, Ruger added .22-250 Rem and 7mm-08 Rem. Ruger American Rimfire models appeared by 2015. Magnum chamberings, including 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win. Mag., arrived in 2016.
Magnum calibers were prototyped very early in the American rifle’s life, but it wasn’t until 2016 that Ruger built them in any quantity. Today, only .300 Win. Mag. stands as the legacy magnum cartridge in the lineup, though some models have been chambered in 7mm Rem. Mag. and .338 Win. Mag. in the past. Such rounds have been mostly replaced by 6.5 PRC and 7mm PRC, which work with the magnum-sized American receiver and bolt, and feed well from Ruger’s three-round magnum box magazine. These magnums have quickly grown in popularity, especially with long-range shooters and Western hunters.
In 2016, the .450 Bushmaster made it into the lineup without a great deal of notice or fanfare, but it climbed into the number-three spot about a year later. It remains a staple of the line, and is a good choice for black bears, whitetails or hogs.
Over time, a few chamberings have been subtracted from the American lineup, but overall, the list has grown. As of this writing, some models are chambered for an astonishing 18 different cartridges, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see others added. Ruger has never been shy about embracing innovative cartridges—or partnering at times with ammo manufacturers to make them—so you can expect continued flexibility in its choice of chamberings for the American.
Notable Early Models
2014 was a banner year for the Ruger American. That’s when a slew of new models were added to the lineup. They included the All Weather and All Weather Compact models (Ruger introduced the Compact the year before). The All Weathers had 22-inch matte-stainless barrels, while the Compact variants had shorter lengths of pull and shorter barrels, and were designed for shooters of smaller stature.
One of the most important introductions that year was the Ruger American Ranch, which was, as its name suggests, designed to be a handy companion for dealing with situations that call for a quick-handling, maneuverable rifle. The Ranch differed from the standard American in several important ways.
First, it was chambered in 5.56 NATO, which is useful for dealing with predators, and in .300 Blackout, which is potent medicine for feral hogs. Barrels measured 16 inches, which was even shorter than the 18-inch barrels on Compact models, making the rifle easier to whip out the window of a pickup truck when needed. Notably, the barrels were threaded for use with suppressors. The American Ranch also came with a Picatinny rail in place of the more traditional optics mounting system, making it easier to change optics. The gun even looked like a ranch rifle with a flat dark earth finish on the stock. It weighed only about 6 pounds. MSRP at the time was $489.
Another important addition to the line that year was the Ruger American Predator, which sported a moss green composite stock. It featured a heavier-tapered, threaded 22-inch barrel, and came with a one-piece rail for mounting optics. As its name implies, the Predator was quite useful in the hands of predator hunters thanks to the fact that it was chambered for such varmint-dispatching rounds as the .204 Ruger, .22-250 Rem and .223 Rem. Despite its name, the Predator was capable of much more because it was also chambered for .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win. Rifle weight in most chamberings was 6.62 pounds. Its MSRP was also $489.
The year 2014 was also when Ruger made southpaws happy with the introduction of a Ruger American Left-Handed variant. When first introduced, the lefty model was a standard American model. Initial chamberings included .22-250 Rem, .223 Rem, .243 Win, .270 Win., 7mm-08 Rem, .30-06, and .308 Win. The MSRP was just $449. The Left-Handed rifle is still available in several chamberings in the American Predator rifle.
If you were willing to spend a couple of hundred dollars more that year, you could get an American packaged with a Redfield Revolution 3-9×40 scope. Later, packages were added with different scopes.
Over time, Ruger introduced new magazine styles to the American lineup, including AI-, AR- and Mini-Thirty-style magazines in addition to the existing flush-fitting rotary mag. 7.62×39 was the first new chambering added to the line with this capability, but AR-sized cartridges have benefitted the most from the addition of new types of magazines. Today, Ruger supports .350 Legend, .400 Legend, 6mm ARC, .22 ARC and 6.5 Grendel with AR mags from the factory in select rifle versions.
Going Wild
One of my favorite additions to the American line came in 2018 with the Go Wild. It featured an upgraded Go Wild camo synthetic stock, Cerakote finish, AI-type magazine, muzzle brake, and a Picatinny rail for optics. The Go Wild had an MSRP of just $629. I initially tested the model in 6.5 Creedmoor chambering, and was more than a little pleased with the results. The action cycled more smoothly than earlier models I had tried. Four of five tested factory loads turned in sub-MOA groups (the fifth load held 1-inch average groups). I used that rifle on a challenging West Texas desert mule deer hunt to cleanly drop a 3X3 management buck.
That rifle stood up to harsh conditions, including a terrific dust storm, and performed like a champ. I was so enamored with the rifle that I bought it, and it would still be in my inventory save for the fact that my son kept hinting that he thought it would make a fine birthday present. I later used another American Go Wild rifle chambered in 7mm PRC to swat a management Axis buck into the freezer. I only had one load to test in that rifle, but it also proved to be quite accurate, with average groups measuring 0.67 inch and a half-inch best group.
Current first-generation American rifle versions include the Standard, Predator, Ranch, Go Wild, Hunter, Compact, and a package option equipped with a Vortex Crossfire II riflescope. The Standard model, with a 22-inch barrel, is offered in seven popular chamberings. MSRP is $599.
The original Predator rifle has options that include 10 different chamberings, black or moss-green stocks, and varying barrel lengths. Depending on the model, magazines included flush-fit, AR-, or AI-style. MSRPs range from $610 to $699. Real-world prices are considerably less.
The Hunter model is notably equipped with a specialized Magpul Hunter American stock, featuring fully adjustable length of pull and comb height, and enhanced ergonomics. Hunter rifles are chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Win. Some versions have shorter, heavy contour barrels. MSRP is $1,019, making this the most expensive rifle in the American lineup.
The Best Ruger American Yet
Fans of the Ruger American got a present with the Christmas Eve 2023 introduction of the Ruger American Gen II rifle, which improves considerably upon the original. The Gen II looks quite different than first-generation Americans, but improvements are more than skin-deep. The action still employs a one-piece, CNC-machined stainless bolt, but it cycles more smoothly and no longer has the characteristic “zip-zip” cycling sound of the early bolts. The bolt still has a short 70-degree throw to provide ample clearance for scopes. An oversized bolt knob is a definite plus.
The Ruger American Gen II improves considerably on the original American, but is still affordably priced.
Ruger upgraded the Gen II’s safety from a two-position type that did not lock the bolt down to a three-position, tang-mounted design that allows you to cycle rounds through the action with the safety in the middle, engaged position. It also locks the bolt down in the rearmost position. These features mark a big improvement over the safety in first-generation rifles.
Among other improvements, the Ruger American Gen II now has a three-position safety that locks the bolt down.
The Gen II still uses Ruger’s Power Bedding integral block system, but the free-floated barrel is now deeply fluted to shed weight. The rifle I tested, chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor with a 20-inch barrel, weighed just 6.5 pounds, making it light enough for backcountry hunts. The muzzle is threaded for adding a suppressor or different muzzle brake, and Cerakote protects all the metal.
At 6.5 pounds, the Ruger American Gen II rifle is rugged and light enough for backcountry hunts.
I have always found Ruger American rifles to be well-balanced in the hands, and that holds true for the Gen II.
A New Modular Stock
Also new with the Gen II is a modular stock design with a removable black comb, an effective recoil pad, and a removable spacer to adjust the length of pull. The standard Gen II’s stock has a textured black-and-gray splatter finish that nicely complements the dark gray Cerakote on the barrel and action. The splatter finish improves grip on the rifle, and the Gen II stock is noticeably stiffer than first-gen stocks.
New on the Ruger American Gen II is a modular stock with a removable black comb. It also sports an effective recoil pad and a removable spacer to adjust the length of pull.
Happily, the Gen II addresses one design element that has always annoyed me. The trigger could always be adjusted, but it was a pain to do so because you had to remove a spring-loaded magazine release latch to access an action screw to remove the barreled action from the stock. I always found that lever to be difficult to get back into place. More often than not, I left trigger pull weights at their factory settings. The latest version of the magazine well has a notch that allows you to access the rear action screw with a 3/16-inch ball end hex wrench, greatly simplifying the trigger adjustment process.
I have always found Ruger American rifles to be consistently accurate, and the Gen II was no exception. In testing, a Gen II chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor produced sub-MOA groups with four of five tested factory loads. That accuracy came in handy at the conclusion of a mile-long stalk on an aoudad ram on a remote West Texas ranch. That’s rough country, where shots can be long, and aoudad can be tough to put down. The Gen II was up to the task.
The author used the new Ruger American Gen II in 6.5 Creedmoor to down this aoudad on a challenging West Texas hunt.
The standard Gen II rifle is currently offered in 18 chamberings, ranging from common cartridges such as the .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, .30-06 and .300 Win. Mag., to straight-walled rounds (.350 Legend and .400 Legend) and newer options such as 6.5 PRC and 7mm PRC. Barrel lengths, magazine styles, and capacities for American Gen II rifles vary by chambering.
There’s also a quick-handling Gen II Ranch rifle, offered in nearly a dozen chamberings, with a flat dark earth/black splatter-finished stock and shorter barrels measuring a bit more than 16 inches.
Gen II Predator rifles, available in 18 chamberings, have a Burnt Bronze Cerakote finish and a green stock with black and bronze splatter texture. They feature 22-inch barrels to achieve greater velocities.
Continuous Improvement
As the Gen II rifles amply demonstrate, Ruger has continuously improved the American rifle over the years. In 2017, for example, Ruger changed American barrels from six-groove rifling to five-groove, claiming it reduces bullet deformation, makes barrels easier to clean and ultimately results in greater accuracy potential.
“It’s the hidden details that help us win with continuous improvement,” says Matthew Willson, Ruger product manager.
“Engineers spent a lot of time working to improve bolt feel and made improvements in the bolt, receiver, and bolt stop that all played a part in making Gen II feel better than American rifles had in the past.”
An important part of that process is what Ruger engineers call “tolerance stack-up” analysis. This involves, for example, looking at the magazine, magazine well, mag latch, stock, receiver and barrel to ensure all the components align to put the magazine at the correct height to feed a cartridge into the chamber smoothly.
Ruger’s Voice of the Customer Campaign was a key factor in designing the Gen II American. Ruger collected information from a broad group of customers, including consumers, industry insiders, buyers at independent and chain retailers, and wholesale and law enforcement distributors.
Information was gathered via mechanisms ranging from formal surveys, questionnaires and focus groups to informal feedback and even social media. Says Willson, “We had quite a list going into American Gen II development from years of feedback compiled at shows, shoots, retail events, customer service interactions, and even through the ‘Tell the CEO’ function of the Ruger website.” Ruger listened, and the results are reflected in Ruger’s best American rifle to date, the Gen II.
Looking Ahead
By the time you read this, Ruger will likely offer the Gen II American in additional versions and chamberings. As noted, Ruger currently offers seven traditional American rifle models and three American Gen II models, but that will change.
“The original adaptation of American Rifle will remain for now, but will see a reduction in models so we can focus production on the highest-demand models of Gen II. The American Gen II will continue to grow with new configurations and calibers,” says Willson.
The MSRP for all Gen II rifles is just $729, and you can often find them for a little more than $500. All indications point to the Gen II being on the same trajectory to success as the first-generation Americans. It’s a refined rifle, and has more of the features today’s shooters want, but it still reflects the core Ruger American attributes: accurate, reliable and affordable.
Ruger has a long and rich legacy of creating American-made firearms that deliver solid performance at an affordable price. The Ruger American does that in spades, and that will likely ensure its ongoing popularity into the foreseeable future.
The Ruger American is an aptly-named rifle. It’s a great success story, and few things are more American than that.
Smith & Wesson has just released two new firearms chambered for .22 LR, the M&P FPC 22LR and the M&P 22X.
Rimfire enthusiasts have a new pair of .22 LR firearms to consider following Smith & Wesson’s announcement of the M&P FPC 22LR and the M&P 22X. The two guns can share magazines, too, making the pistol the perfect companion to the folding carbine.
The M&P FPC 22LR is optics-ready and features a folding stock that brings the overall length from about 30.4 inches down to about 16.4 inches. It feeds from 20-round magazines and the 16.25-inch barrel is threaded 1/2×28 for attaching suppressors (thread protector included). M-LOK slots on the handguard are present as well for mounting accessories. Other features worth mentioning include the two spare magazine slots in the stock (the FPC 22LR ships with three mags total), the crisp, flat-face trigger, reversible magazine catch and interchangeable backstraps. MSRP is $549.
As for the M&P 22X pistol, it uses the same 20-round mags as the FPC 22LR, has a slim grip for improved ergonomics and sports a crisp, hammer-fired trigger. The M&P 22X is also optics-ready, suppressor-ready (the 4.1-inch barrel is threaded 1/2×28) and has a Picatinny rail for mounting accessories. The pistol ships with two magazines and comes with a fiber Hi-Viz LiteWave H3 front sight and black serrated square-notch rear sight installed, along with additional replacement red, white, and green fiber optics. MSRP is $499.
A look at the logistics and legitimacy of the quarter-bore .25 Creedmoor cartridge.
Neophobia is the fear of new things, and though it’s most often thought of in relation to kids who fear trying new food, it also applies to shooters.
A lot of shooters scoff at the introduction of any new cartridge, not because they cannot fathom its usefulness and application, but because it challenges the status quo or the ballistic norm they exist in.
These folks often say things like, “What does it do that another cartridge cannot?” Or maybe they claim a new cartridge is an answer to a question no one was asking. I expect that, when it comes to the .25 Creedmoor, many afflicted with neophobia—maybe even you—will utter a similar phrase.
The .25 Creedmoor is nothing more than a 6.5 Creedmoor necked down to fire a 0.257-caliber bullet. It is the newest quarter-bore in almost two decades.
This neophobic response to new cartridges has always rubbed me wrong. That’s partly because every new cartridge does fill a need, even though that need might be very niche. But it’s also partly because it is through the development of new cartridges that we ended up with things like the .308 Winchester, .223 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor.
New cartridges are just examples of evolution, driven by advancements in ballistic understanding or need, and both these things were instrumental in the creation of the .25 Creedmoor.
Quarter-Bore History
Cartridges with a 0.257-inch bullet—a quarter bore—have traditionally been very popular with hunters. The first such cartridge was the .250 Savage, or .250-3000, which loaded to 45,000 psi, was the first American-made cartridge to break the 3,000-fps mark. The .250 Savage would push a 100-grain bullet to around 2,800 fps. It became immensely popular with hunters, because with its 1:14 twist rate, it provided them with a single cartridge that would work very well for varmints with lightweight bullets and for big game with heavier bullets.
The advantage the .25 Creedmoor has over all other Creedmoor cartridges is that it can handle bullets weighing from 70 grains all the way up to 138 grains.
Not long after Savage introduced the .250-3000 in 1915, Remington legitimized a wildcat cartridge gun writer Ned Roberts created. In 1934, Remington called this cartridge .257 Roberts and wisely gave it a 1:10 twist rate to handle longer and heavier bullets than the .250 Savage could.
However, for some ridiculous reason, most of Remington’s .257 Roberts factory ammunition was loaded with a round-nosed 117-grain bullet. Furthermore, they requested that SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer’s Institute) approve the cartridge at a pressure of only 45,000 psi. The .257 Roberts would outperform the .250 Savage, but not by much.
Currently, with only two factory loads available, the .25 Creedmoor is mostly a handloading option.
Fortunately, other ammunition manufacturers began loading +P .257 Roberts ammo at 50,000 psi that would push a 100-grain bullet to about 3,100 fps. However, the cartridge is at its best in a long-action rifle.
The best ballistically performing quarter-bore cartridge was introduced in 1944: It’s .257 Weatherby Magnum, and it can launch a 100-grain bullet to about 3,600 fps. Like the .257 Roberts, it also had a 1:10 twist, and the cartridge was very popular for a while, but there were two problems with it. First, it came with an intense muzzle blast, and while the recoil was not terrible, it seemed a bit stiff for a rifle that a hunter wanted to use for rock chucks and mule deer.
Too much of a good thing is possible.
In 1969, Remington tried to fill the gap between the .257 Roberts and the .257 Weatherby with a new cartridge called the .25-06 with a 1:10 twist. It was a .30-06 necked down to fire a quarter-inch bullet, and it would squirt a 100-grain bullet out of a 24-inch barrel at about 3,200 fps.
For about 2 decades, the .25-06 was very popular, but by the ’90s, many American hunters were beginning to transition to specialized rifles. No longer was the dual purpose—varmint and deer—rifle enough. With modern manufacturing techniques, rifles were becoming more affordable, and hunters wanted a specific rifle for every different thing they wanted to hunt.
The industry’s last real attempt at a quarter-bore dual-purpose cartridge was in 2004 when Winchester introduced the .25 WSSM. This short and fat cartridge offered performance similar to Remington’s .25-06, but it was about as popular as a toothache. Also, with the lawsuit against Winchester from former gun writer Rick Jamison, Winchester discontinued all their WSSM cartridges to avoid paying him royalties.
Enter The Creed
Given the fact that the dual-purpose rifle cartridge had lost a lot of its appeal—clearly proven with the failure of the 2008, AR-15 compatible, .25-45 Sharps cartridge—the concept was mostly abandoned. This was also the year Hornady introduced the 6.5 Creedmoor, which, though it was a hit with competition shooters, didn’t really catch on until the notion of shooting at stupid long distances was buoyed by the American Sniper movie in 2014.
What made the 6.5 Creedmoor appealing was that the cartridge case was short enough to work with very long and high ballistic coefficient bullets, but it still fit inside a short-action rifle, like a standard Remington 700 or even an AR-10. It also did not kick hard.
By 2015, the 6.5 Creedmoor was on its way to rock star status, and Hornady tried to capitalize on it with the 6mm Creedmoor, which was a 6.5 Creedmoor case necked down to work with a 6mm bullet. Like the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6mm Creedmoor came with a fast twist rate that allowed for the use of high coefficient (BC) bullets.
Compared to the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 6mm Creedmoor has been only marginally successful—I think partly because it cannot handle the heavier bullets hunters like to use for game larger than deer.
Early .25 Creedmoor Development
While Hornady was screaming the praises of the 6mm Creedmoor, I saw the practicality in creating a better quarter bore by necking the 6.5 Creedmoor down to 0.25-caliber. The cartridge would essentially duplicate, if not outperform, the .257 Roberts, but it would also work in a short-action rifle. With the help of two other West Virginia gunsmiths—Jerry Dove and Mike Cyrus—I created that cartridge in 2015 and, sort of tongue-in-cheek, called it the 2Fity-Hillbilly.
The author has been hunting with a wildcat .25 Creedmoor for a decade. It has proven to be a deadly coyote cartridge with 70-grain Hornady V-Max bullets.
I began hunting with it immediately, and with lightweight 70-grain bullets pushed to around 3,600 fps, it was instant death on groundhogs and coyotes. But with heavier bullets like the 100-gain Partition at about 3,200 fps, and 110-grain AccuBond and ELD-X bullets pushed nearly as fast, it was a serious deer killer.
The author took this Nebraska buck with a .25 Creedmoor about five years ago. The rifle is a custom Remington Model Seven with a Douglas barrel built by Dove’s Custom Guns in Princeton, West Virginia.
I tried to get Hornady to legitimize the cartridge through SAAMI, but they were not interested. In fact, instead of going with the 2Fity-Hillbilly—which is the .25 Creedmoor as a wildcat—a decade ago, their next Creedmoor was in 2023 when they legitimized the .22 Creedmoor. The .22 Creedmoor is sort of a modernized—fast twist—version of the .22-250 Remington. As with most modern rifle cartridges introduced in this new century, specialization has been the guiding force.
Then, somewhat surprisingly, in 2025, Hornady announced they had gained SAAMI approval for the .25 Creedmoor. For now, they’re offering only two loads that include a 128-grain ELD-X Precision Hunter load at 2,850 fps and a 134-grain ELD-Match load at about the same speed. According to Hornady, “The .25 Creedmoor is the end result of our constant pursuit of maximizing ballistic potential. This cartridge fills that competitive niche between 6mm and 6.5mm—providing shooters the absolute best blend of moderate recoil, flat trajectory and superior wind resistance.”
A Big Niche
It’s great that Hornady has answered the call of others who were competing with the .25 Creedmoor in a wildcat form like mine. With its 1:7.5 twist, it will handle very aerodynamic bullets and shoot right with the 6.5 Creedmoor at distance. However, the real appeal of this cartridge calls back to the true forte of the quarter-bore cartridge, which is dual-purpose use on varmints and big game. It will shoot light bullets that the 6.5 Creedmoor cannot, and it will shoot heavier bullets that are too much for the 6mm Creedmoor.
This is a five-shot group fired from a Proof Research Glacier Ti rifle in .25 Creedmoor with a 20-inch barrel, using Lehigh Defense 102-grain Controlled Chaos bullets.
The question is: Are shooters and hunters ready for another dual-purpose cartridge, or are they committed to different rifles for everything they do? The long-range precision ability of the 6.5 Creedmoor has driven many shooters to purchase expensive rifles so they can extract all the cartridge has to offer. The problem with a different rifle for every pursuit is that if you want maximum performance in every area, you must buy an expensive rifle for every cartridge you use.
According to Hornady, 17 different rifle manufacturers will be offering rifles chambered for the 6.5 Creedmoor. Proof Research is one of those.
The .25 Creedmoor allows for the purchase of a single, nice and expensive rifle that you can use to do most anything you want. It fills the traditional 0.25-caliber niche and does it better than any previous cartridge in any caliber.
It can be hard to predict the commercial success of a rifle cartridge. Throughout history there have been some that offered practical and great ballistics, but they simply never appealed to the masses. Will anyone care about the .25 Creedmoor?
Competition shooters have been all over it for the past few years, which is the main reason Hornady decided to legitimize it. I expect it will see some success in that venue if factory rifles built for competition materialize. I, however, believe the hunting field is where the .25 Creedmoor has the most to offer. After all, that has always been the appeal of quarter-bore.
Hornady is offering two factory loads for the .25 Creedmoor: this 134-grain ELD-Match load and a 128-grain ELD-X Precision Hunter load.
The .25 Creedmoor offers great varmint and predator application with lightweight bullets. With bullets in the 85- to 100-grain weight range, it’s superb for antelope and deer, and with heavier bullets, it will also work for larger game. And finally, with the new, long and skinny, high BC 0.257-caliber bullets, the .25 Creedmoor is an excellent, flat shooting, low-recoil cartridge for recreational or competitive long-range shooting. The .25 Creedmoor has taken the dual-threat—varmint and big game—suitability of the quarter bore and expanded it into extreme long range, making it a true triple threat.
Arguably, the .25 Creedmoor is the best triple-threat cartridge ever created and ultimately approved by SAAMI. None of this is a surprise to me. It’s exactly what I envisioned back in 2015 when I made it.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Taurus has just unveiled the Taurus 817, a new .38 Special snub-nose revolver with a 7-round cylinder.
What’s better than a 6-shooter in your belt? A 7-shooter. And that’s exactly what Taurus is now offering with the Taurus 817. If you enjoy snubbies for self-defense, this one is worth taking a look at.
The Taurus 817 features an all stainless steel construction and is rated for .38 Special +P, so it should eat up hot defensive loads without a problem. The 817’s 2-inch barrel helps keep things compact while its rubber grips help tame recoil. The grips are interchangeable with Taurus Judge and Tracker grips as well. Other features of the 7-shot revolver include its DA/SA trigger, exposed hammer, notch rear sight and a front sight that’s removable and interchangeable with Taurus 856 sights.
As for specs, the Taurus 817 has an overall length of 7 inches, an overall height of 4.78 inches, an overall width of 1.53 inches and an overall weight of 30 ounces unloaded. MSRP is $649 and it’s available now.
Lessons from William Aprill on criminal violence and the self-preservation mindset required to survive.
February 2018, I had the opportunity to take what would become one of the most impactful training classes of my life, Unthinkable: Tactics and Concepts for the Gravest Extreme taught by William Aprill and Greg Ellifritz. This wasn’t your average pistol class or defensive tactics course. Instead, it challenged students to explore the psychology of violence, criminal victim selection and—most importantly—the internal mental shift required to survive the worst moments imaginable.
Today, I reflect not just on that class, but on the legacy of Aprill—a uniquely gifted trainer, mental health professional and former law enforcement officer—who we tragically lost too soon. The gun training world didn’t just lose a teacher; we lost a scholar, a mentor and a man who dared to examine the darkest corners of human behavior not out of morbid curiosity, but to help others better defend themselves against it.
Understanding The Criminal Mind
Aprill often said he didn’t teach people how to shoot better; he taught them how to think better. That was clear in Unthinkable, where we spent hours digging into how violent criminal actors actually think and operate. Unlike many of us whose lives are governed by laws, ethics and empathy, criminals often grow up in an entirely different moral ecosystem—where violence is normalized, manipulation is survival, and victim selection is a tradecraft.
Aprill’s background as a mental health professional and former deputy sheriff gave him rare insight. He understood not just the behavior of criminals, but their developmental path. He pointed out that, for example, the average age of a first felony arrest for offenders who go on to kill police officers is just 11 years old. By the time they’re in their 20s, many of these individuals have spent more than a decade refining their ability to identify soft, unaware, compliant targets.
As Aprill explained, criminals select victims using the same kind of fast, instinctive thinking that concealed carriers rely on in a defensive encounter. But unlike us, their entire lifestyle is often geared toward sizing people up, probing boundaries and exploiting weaknesses. We might shoot 200 rounds at the range in a month. They’ve been living their “training” every day for years.
Deselection As A Way Of Life
One of the most transformative ideas I took from Aprill’s class was the concept of deselection. Put simply, the goal isn’t to win a fight—it’s to avoid being selected for the fight in the first place. “Criminals don’t want to fight,” he said. “They want to win.” If they sense that you’re paying attention, carry yourself confidently or might present too much of a problem, they’ll likely move on.
But this isn’t something you can fake at the last second. You can’t slap on a “tough guy” mask when you’re walking to your car in a dark parking lot and expect it to work. As Aprill emphasized, deselection must be a lifestyle. Your posture, your awareness, your decisions all must consistently broadcast the message: “I’m not worth the trouble.”
He illustrated this with a simple example. Walk like a meerkat. Scan overtly. Look people in the eyes. Criminals, he explained, don’t want to be seen. If they think you saw them, that alone can often break the attack cycle. Awareness, even more than armament, can be your most potent form of defense.
Violence Without Hesitation
While most training emphasizes the hardware—gear, guns, gadgets—Aprill focused on the software. Are you psychologically prepared to act with violence if you must? Not just draw and shoot, but strike, claw, gouge or even beat someone to death with a blunt object if it’s the only option?
He didn’t romanticize it. He didn’t glorify violence, but he also didn’t sugarcoat what survival sometimes demands. He made clear that in the gravest extreme, our polite, civilized sensibilities can become a liability. He encouraged us to rehearse not just techniques, but mental scripts to visualize the level of force we might need to use and to grow comfortable with it—not because we want to use violence, but because when it is necessary, hesitation can be fatal.
Training For The Mind And Body
The Unthinkable class offered practical skills—escaping restraints, disarming attackers, tactical first aid—but its real value was the shift it created in mindset. Aprill and Ellifritz helped bridge the gap between theoretical preparedness and actionable readiness. Aprill’s portion in particular was unique in that it wove together neuroscience, criminal psychology and tactical application in a way that few instructors even attempt, let alone master.
For those in the gun world who obsess over drills, groupings and gear, Aprill’s message was both a challenge and a wake-up call: If you’re not training your mind, you’re only halfway prepared.
A Legacy That Endures
With Aprill’s passing, the firearms community lost one of its most brilliant and compassionate voices. But his impact lives on through the countless students he educated and inspired, and through the trainers who now incorporate his insights into their own curriculum.
David Yamane of Gun Culture 2.0 called Aprill “so far ahead of so many in the gun training community he may well have been on Gun Culture Version 4.5.” That sounds about right. His work was a rare synthesis of empathy and hard realism, of academic rigor and tactical relevance. Even though you can no longer take the Unthinkable class with Aprill, a lot of his work is available on the internet, and Yamane has made a nice compilation available on this website at Gun Culture 2.0.
I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have trained under him, and as a tribute to his legacy, I encourage everyone reading this to dive into his recorded lectures, revisit his interviews and most importantly, apply what he taught.
If you’re serious about self-defense, do yourself this favor: Take a course that challenges not your shooting ability but your thinking ability.
And carry Aprill’s message with you. Train your mind to embrace awareness as a constant task, cultivate the ruthlessness needed for counterassault and embody the principles of deselection—projecting strength and vigilance to deter predators. By internalizing these lessons, you become hard to kill, hard to fool and the kind of person a violent criminal actor passes by, choosing an easier target instead.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
A good grip is paramount to good shooting. Here we discuss how to establish one from the holster.
There’s a lot of discussion about using the “correct” grip when you shoot a pistol, but not so much about how to obtain that grip. It’s possible to make a good shot without a good grip. It’s also possible to make consecutive good shots without a good grip.
However, it’s almost impossible to make a single or consecutive good shots efficiently and swiftly without a good grip.
The problem is, if you do not establish a good grip before you start shooting, everything that follows is what lawyers like to term “fruit of the poison tree.”
With a properly established grip on your pistol, the muzzle of the pistol should be in line with your forearm.
A Fruit-Free Diet
Establishing that good grip before the shooting begins is paramount to shooting success, especially from a self-defense standpoint.
This means you must get your grip—a good grip—when drawing from the holster. Of course, it would also apply to accessing your pistol from your pocket, purse, glove box or even your lock box at home. For this discussion, however, we’re focusing on drawing from a holster.
Another way of looking at the importance of initially establishing a good grip is to use a baseball analogy. If you’re a batter standing at home plate and you wait until the pitcher pitches the ball before you establish the proper grip on the bat, you’re not going to hit a home run. At best you’re going to bunt.
It’s the same when it comes to getting a grip on your pistol. If you don’t do it correctly when you draw from the holster, at best you’ll probably just be slinging lead in the direction of the threat. The possibility even exists that, without the proper grip, you might actually drop your pistol.
In a worst-case scenario, imagine that during the time it took you to draw, your attacker closed the distance and now you’re engaged, hand to hand. If you do not have a solid, good, controlling grip, you could lose your pistol in a struggle.
Consistency Is King
There are several things to consider concerning the establishment of a proper grip. Holster location and the cant of the holster are very important. This is something you will need to discover and tune based on the pistol and holster you use, as well as carry location and cover garments. However, the interaction of your hand with your pistol should not vary. Your hand’s approach to the pistol and its establishment of a good grip should remain consistent.
Notice how the shooter has prepped his hand with the positioning of the fingers and thumb to best address the pistol in the holster
When I’m moving my hand toward my holster, I like to have my hand arranged in a configuration that will best allow me to properly index it to the pistol. This helps me obtain my shooting grip before the pistol ever leaves my holster. What I’ve found that works best for me is to open my hand like I would prepare for a handshake, with a 90-degree angle between my thumb and my index finger. Then, I also like to hold my middle finger, ring finger and little finger grouped together but separate from my index finger. It’s sort of like a modified version of the Vulcan “live long and prosper” hand gesture used by Mr. Spock on Star Trek.
Essentially, what I’m doing with this hand configuration is prepping the interaction of all my fingers and thumb for the job they must do when they contact the pistol. The first thing that should happen is the web of my hand should firmly slide into the arch of the grip, positioned as high as possible. As I feel this happen, it confirms I’ve obtained the proper initial position, and this tactical sensation drives the action of my fingers and thumb.
If you do not initially position your hand on the pistol correctly, rectify this misalignment before you attempt to draw the pistol.
If, however, this interaction with the web of my hand and the grip does not feel right, this is the time—the only real opportunity—to correct any misalignment before I try to draw. Once my pistol comes out of the holster, I’m mostly stuck with the grip I have.
Next, my middle, ring and little fingers simultaneously wrap around the grip of the pistol, while at the same time I make sure I fully extend my index—trigger—finger and slightly angle it away from the pistol/holster. While all of this is happening, my thumb is finding the manual safety—if the pistol has one—and it gently settles there in a preparatory attitude, waiting for further instruction.
Once your draw progresses to this point, you’ve seriously reduced the opportunity to reconfigure your grip.
At this point I have control of the pistol, and I can extract it from the holster.
The situation should drive any further action by the thumb on the safety and the index finger on the trigger. The finger should only find the trigger when your sights are on the target, or when you’ve orientated the pistol toward the target. Your thumb should only deactivate the safety when you’ve decided to shoot.
Repetition Rules
As simple as this process sounds, it takes many, many repetitions to perfect it. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this is something you can work on with dry practice, in the comfort of your own home, with a for damned sure unloaded pistol. The key is to conduct numerous repetitions from the holster to the point where you’ve fully extended the pistol toward the target and can make a trigger press. Ending each dry practice repetition with a trigger press allows you to evaluate if the grip you have established is conducive to fast and accurate shooting.
When I was a cop, I would continually place my hand on my holstered gun, establishing that proper, pre-draw feel. I knew if I ingrained that into my very being, I could make a good draw and have a good grip. As someone who carries concealed, you can do the same thing. No, walking around town reaching for your gun all the time is not what I’m suggesting, nor what I did when I worked the street. But in addition to dry practice, when you’re alone throughout the day, you can work to establish that proper first feel.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
We shot and carried a ton of concealed carry guns. Here are the handguns we find fit to cover your six.
Finding a handgun you can confidently use and comfortably carry every day is crucial. With countless options available, navigating through the various sizes, styles, calibers, and price points can be overwhelming. That's where I come in—to guide you through some of the top choices for concealed carry guns currently on the market.
How I Chose The Best Concealed Carry Guns
I’ll start by saying that selecting these concealed carry guns was a team effort. Each of these guns was shot, tested and carried by myself, Gun Digest staff or long-term and trusted freelancers. This avoids myopia, a one-person perspective on each of the firearms, and allows us to take into account different body types and backgrounds to give these guns a square day in court. Our experience ranges from certified handgun instructors to law enforcement and military. Oh yeah, there’s a master gunsmith in the mix too. Of all the pistols and revolvers carried, these were the ones that proved head and shoulders above the rest in the concealed-carry market when it came to reliability, comfort and accuracy.
Next to capacity, the real advantage of the P365 is carry comfort. It’s easily concealed and comfy to carry.
Pros
Great sights
Excellent Capacity
Optics-ready options
Cons
Ships with only one pinky extension
P365 Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 10+1
Barrel Length: 3.1 inches
Overall Length: 5.8 inches
Overall Height: 4.3 inches
Overall Width: 1.1 inches
Weight: 17.8 ounces
Sights: XRAy3 Day/Night Sights; Optics Ready
MSRP: $600
Is it fair to say this is the pistol that changed the face of concealed carry? Honestly, it’s not too much of a stretch. The Sig P365 has proven among the most monumental handguns to hit the market in a spell, serving up what many consider the perfect on-person self-defense package. That is a tall boast, but one the demure 9mm more than fulfills.
Above all, what makes the P365 such a spectacular heater is its size. The 3.1-inch barreled pistol is a mere 1 inch in width and tips the scales at a scant 17 ounces or so, creating one of the most concealable and easy-to-carry pistols out there. Sure enough, there are concealed carry guns, but in nearly every case they’re a compromise in power or capacity. Not so with the P365. Shipping with two 10-round magazines, the mighty mite has a payload identical to many compact models that come in nearly twice its size. Not enough on tap? Simply solved, given there are 12- and 13 or 15-round extended magazines available to improve your firepower.
Shooting-wise, the micro-compact shocks for a pistol its size. An abbreviated sight radius provides a challenge for those unfamiliar with the touchiness of small guns, yet Sig arms shooters with the tools to keep it steady. In addition to aggressive grip texturing, the striker-fired’s respectable trigger ups the gun’s accuracy potential. To boot, the 9mm is also quite easy to manipulate—an often overlooked asset.
Another point that sets the P365 apart from the rest of the micro nines and concealed carry guns in general is its modularity. The gun's fire control unit is interchangeable, in turn, you can upsize or downsize the grip. Furthermore, this feature allows you to swap parts from other P365 models–of which there are many–to create your perfect pistol. However, we can promise the outcome will look good.
As for nits to pick, the gun is stout in recoil, but no more so than any other micro-compact. And Sig only includes one pinky extension with the pistol. Even with medium-sized hands, I find the P365's grips too short for comfort.
These points aside, there's little arguing Sig cooked up a game-changer with the P365.
As pointed out, the Sig P365 is a game-changer. The Springfield Armory Hellcat is proof. Quickly embracing the micro-compact concept, the Illinois concern cooked up a direct competitor to the popular Sig. In many respects, it produced a concealed carry gun option that runs neck and neck with the original.
No larger than a compact .380 ACP, the striker-fired is among the smallest 9mm options available today. By the tape, it measures 1 inch in width and 6 inches in length and weighs in at 18 ounces. Pretty dang concealable and easy to carry by anyone’s standards.
At the same tick, the Hellcat offers everything you’d expect out of a much larger concealed carry pistol—especially capacity. Out of the box, the 3-inch barreled pistol boasts more firepower than nearly anything in its class, shipping with an 11-round magazine. Invest in a 13-round extended-capacity magazine, well folks, you’ll holster an iron flirting with a full-sized pistol’s capacity.
Outfitted with adaptive grip texturing, the Hellcat offers a positive grip when you need it, yet the ability to reposition your hand when you need to. A flat-faced trigger combined with a featherweight break and short reset ups the pistol’s accuracy resume, as well as allows it to run when needed.
Breaking from the herd, Springfield opted for a slightly new sighting system, jettisoning the traditional three-dot sights for a U-notch. Similar in concept, the execution differs in that shooters place the fiber-optic front pipe in the white outlined U-notch. A fast and intuitive system, few will miss the old way of building a sight picture. Additionally, the OSP model offers a slide cut for mounting optics, if a red dot is more your cup of tea.
The Wilson Combat EDC X9 offers a great balance of features; this is indicative of a quality carry gun. It fits the author well, but if it doesn’t fit you, find a different gun.
Pros
Superior build quality
Sublime trigger
Factory customizable
Cons
Expensive
Heavy
EDC X9 Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 15+1, 18+1
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Overall Length: 7.4 inches
Overall Height: 5.25 inches
Overall Width: 1.4 inches
Weight: 29.09 ounces
Sights: Tactical Adjustable Battlesight with fiber optic front sight
MSRP: $3,3210
If you were to build a race gun to a concealed carry pistol’s specs, you’d likely come out with the EDC X9. This is the most highly tuned and performing pistol of our picks—with a price tag to match. But for the uncompromising souls looking to protect their six, the pistol is a perfect match.
At its core, Wilson Combat’s 9mm is a 1911, but one upgraded for modern self-defense. To the traditional side of the design, the hammer-fired gun inherits the exceptional 1911 trigger, which is light and fast. Unlike the original, Wilson has stripped the grip safety—though, for obvious reasons, the gunmaker has kept the thumb safety.
The EDC X9’s ergonomics are impeccable with the gun fitting the hand perfectly and Wilson’s XTAC pattern grips further enhance the comfort while ensuring a firm hold. Its aluminum frame adds a bit of heft to the compact pistol, but it’s far from prohibitive—comparable to a Glock 17. And the weight is a blessing of sorts, making the X9 extremely mild-mannered.
Despite a terse 4-inch barrel, the pistol can accurately fire well past typical defensive ranges. At close quarters, it’s lights out. Not only does the trigger and heft of the gun aid with this but also its Wilson Combat Battlesight and fiber-optic front, which provide quick and clear target acquisition.
In testing, the EDC X9 proved highly reliable, handling a wide range of 9mm ammunition without issue—it chewed through everything from 115-grain ball to 147-grain hollow point without a hitch. Much of this is thanks to Wilson Combat’s Enhanced Reliability System, a proprietary system designed to optimize functioning with the varying power levels of 9mm ammunition.
We lay out a pretty good case in our EDC X9 review of why this pistol is money well spent.
EDC X9 Deals
Brownells
$3,358
Palmetto State Armory
$3,358
Gritr Sports
$3,210
Best Classic Carry: Glock 19
Proven in military and law enforcement use, the G19 has plenty of defensive credibility.
Pros
Accurate
Reliable
Aftermarket parts
Ease of maintenance
Cons
Grip angle
Plastic sights
Mushy trigger
Glock 19 Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 15+1
Barrel Length: 4.02 inches
Overall Length: 7.36 inches
Overall Height: 5.04 inches
Overall Width: 1 inch
Weight: 21.16 ounces
Sights: Polymer white dot front, outline rear
MSRP: $600
It’s difficult to knock off the king. And certainly, the Glock 19 still has its place on the throne of best concealed carry guns.
While a larger option than many of the modern sub-compact options, I find it difficult not to love how this momma-bear option operates. It’s still very concealable, at the same tick, large enough to make it extremely manageable and accurate. Of the guns tested, this G19 provided some of the best groups at even longer engagement distances.
Not to mention, the pistol is almost boringly reliable. Perhaps this is one of the greatest achievements of the pistol, no matter what you feed it the gun will chew through it. Much of this is thanks to a painfully simplistic design that offers few opportunities for malfunctions to occur. The other bonus to this is facet, the gun is extremely simple to upgrade—if you happen to find what rolled out of the factory unsatisfactory.
Sights, I’d say are one of the areas many consider must-change—though the factory set isn’t unusable. Trigger is another one that can use some pepping up and upgrades are legion in this area. I’ll admit, I don’t hate the G19 trigger and it’s more than passible for a self-defense gun, but there are much better options out there.
One last point, while the Glock 19 is concealable—folks have been keeping it under wraps for decades—it is large by today’s standards. It’s 21 ounces unloaded and 1.26 inches in width and has a height of 5 inches. A bit of a load if you go jogging in your jorts.
On the affordable end of concealed carry guns, the Dagger Micro stands nearly alone.
Pros
Affordable
Glock 43 compatibility
Durable
Cons
Ships with one magazine
Few holster options
Dagger Micro Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 15+1
Barrel Length: 3.41 inches
Overall Length: 6.5 inches
Overall Height: 4.7 inches
Overall Width: 1.1 inches
Weight: 15.9 ounces
Sights: Three-dot
MSRP: $300
A remarkable blend of affordability, compactness and practical features, the PSA Dagger Micro hits a lot of the right notes. Surprising, given it’s the South Carolina concern’s first foray into this end of the market.
First off, as a budget concealed carry gun—one with a sub $400 price tag—don’t expect any originality. The Dagger Micro is what it is and that’s a Glock clone. Still, there are advantages to playing copycat, such as compatibility with G43, G43X and G48 pistols. And for those who have shot Glocks, well, by golly, the PSA carry gun should prove very familiar.
Overall, the pistol is fairly refined for the price point, with nice ergonomics, beveled edges and aggressive cocking serrations for enhanced manipulation. The trigger leaves a little to be desired—especially given the hinged bottom—but is responsive. And the grip is just right, with a sandpapery texture that keeps the gun where it should be—your hand.
Nicely, the gun ships with 15 round magazine, a significant upgrade over many in the compact class. Yet, PSA only gives you one. I suppose they needed to save money somewhere. And anyone familiar with the 3-dot sight system will know what to do when they pick up a dagger. Additionally, the pistol has an optic cut that accommodates Shield RMSc footprint optics for those who prefer red dot sights on their carry gun.
Reliability is another strong point for the Micro Dagger, it digested everything we fed it in testing. When it comes to a concealed carry pistol—no matter the price—this facet is priority No. 1.
Dagger Micro Deals
Guns.com
$450
Palmetto State Armory
$300
Best Carry Revolver: Ruger LCR
The LCR made concealed carry revolvers relevant again.
Pros
Highly concealable
Reliable
Good double-action trigger
Cons
Integral sights
Double-action trigger not great for begginers
LCR Specs
Caliber: .327 Federal Magnum; other calibers .22LR, .38 Special, .357 Magnum
Capacity: 5-8 depending on caliber
Barrel Length: 1.87 inches
Overall Length: 6.5 inches
Overall Height: 4.5 inches
Overall Width: 1.28 inches
Weight: 13.5-17.1 ounces depending on caliber
Sights: Ramp front, integral rear
MSRP: $739-$859
Despite rumors otherwise, the self-defense revolver isn’t dead. Or it hasn’t been since Ruger introduced its LCR (Lightweight Compact Revolver).
The minute snub-nose nearly single-handedly breathed life back into the flagging defensive revolver market when it hit the scene in 2009. And why not? At 13 to 17 ounces in weight and 6.5 inches in overall length, it is among the most concealable guns on the market today. This, in some respects, also gives it a dual purpose—not only is it a capable primary concealed carry gun, but it’s also svelte enough to serve as a backup.
Aside from concealability, the Ruger has also enhanced one of the key drawbacks of the double-action-only revolvers—its trigger pull. The gun utilizes a friction-reducing cam that lightens the trigger pull considerably and makes it surprisingly smooth. Even so, it’s still a stout 8 pounds to trip the hammer, which might not prove ideal for those brand new to shooting. Also, the sights—an integral rear and blade front—aren’t the easiest to master for more precise shooting. But at defensive range in defensive scenarios are more than adequate.
Ruger offers a bevy of chambering options for the LCR, from .22 LR up to .38 Special and 9mm. Though it’s a bit of an oddball, we liked the gun in .327 Federal Magnum, a hard-hitting compromise that is forgiving in recoil.
Our Ruger LCR review show why this revolver is such a hot-shot (especially in .327 Fed Mag).
LCR Deals
Palmetto State Armory
$837
Bass Pro Shop
$569
Gritr Sports
$669
Best .357 Magnum: Ruger LCRx 3-Inch
While it doesn't quite get everything out of the .357 cartridge, it certainly makes it more of a magnum than terser concealed carry revolvers.
Pros
Good ballistics
Accurate
Cons
Limited capacity
Double-action trigger not for beginners
LCRx 3-Inch Specs
Caliber: .357 Magnum; other calibers 9mm, 22 WMR, 22LR, .38 Special
Capacity: 5-6 depending on caliber
Barrel Length: 3 inches
Overall Length: 7.5 inches
Overall Height: 5.8 inches
Overall Width: 1.28 inches
Weight: 17.3 ounces depending on caliber
Sights: Ramp front, adjustable rear
MSRP: $859
The LCRx is the absolute mamma bear magnum for concealed carry revolvers, offering shooters everything they want in a .357 Magnum—especially the power. The secret sauce here is the gun’s 3-inch barrel that milks the ballistic potential out of the magnum cartridge.
While the snub-nose .357s have more pop than a .38 Special, even a +P .38, it falls considerably short of the cartridge's normal performance standards. In return, you get more muzzle blast and pain. However, in my chronograph testing, the LCRx is just off a 6-inch .357 Magnum and dang near identical to a 4-inch model. All while being quite a bit more concealable.
The 5-round revolver is heavier than its little brother LCR, coming in at 21 ounces. This isn’t only due to the extra bore, but also the stainless steel frame—required for the more powerful cartridge. Despite this, it remains very concealable.
The trigger is similar to the LCR, making the gun manageable and accurate—though it still isn’t an option for those who haven’t mastered the double-action trigger pull. There are other aspects shooters should keep in mind with the revolver, as well. It has adjustable target rear sights, providing more accuracy. And its hammer has a spur. While I haven’t found either to pose a problem, each are a potential snag point and might prove uncomfortable for some, depending on how they carry. At 5 o’clock outside the waistband, it wasn’t an issue for me.
Does the extra inch matter? Check out our LCRx review to find out.
LCRx Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$718
Omaha Outdoors
$660
Gritr Sports
$669
Best .380 ACP: Ruger LCP Max
It has the chops to hold down primary and backup carry duties.
Pros
Extremely concealable
Capacity for size
Good holster selection
Cons
Short sight radius
Small grip
LCP Max Specs
Caliber: .380 ACP
Capacity: 10+1
Barrel Length: 2.8 inches
Overall Length: 5.17 inches
Overall Height: 3.6 inches
Overall Width: .82 inch
Weight: 10.6 ounces
Sights: Tritium front, u-notch rear
MSRP: $479
The third version of this iconic .380 pistol finally delivers what shooters have asked for, particularly its sights. I can't say enough how much I disliked the integral sights on the LCP II (now a .22 LR in Ruger’s catalog). Not only do I not care for fixed systems, but they provided only a rudimentary sight picture. On the other hand, the white outlined rear sight of the Max and tritium front creates a very usable and intuitive system.
One of the best features of the Max is its excellent capacity for what is certainly a pocket pistol. With 10+1 on board with its flush-fit mag and 12+1 with its extended, shooters should feel comfortable with its firepower. However, Ruger slightly widened the LCP’s grip to expand it to a double stack. Not that this is a bad thing. With a little more meat on the handle I found the pistol more comfortable in the hand; add the extended mag and even my medium-sized hand could fit almost completely on the grip.
I had no issues hitting center mass out to 10 yards with the Max, even so, I wouldn't classify the pistol as a tack driver. I don’t think this surprises anyone with a 2.8-inch barreled gun, weighing all of 12 ounces loaded. And while it's not a beast to shoot by any stretch of the imagination, it’s also not one I figure most folks will take to the range for fun.
All of that said, what the gun lacks in shootability it more than makes up for in concealability. I toted the Max around via a pocket holster and an IWB holster, both are more than feasible and comfortable. Short Speedos, you can carry the Max confident you won’t give yourself away.
LCP Max Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$409
Omaha Outdoors
$369
Gritr Sports
$365
Easy To Manipulate: Smith & Wesson Equalizer
Tailored to those who may not have as much hand strength, the Equalizer acquitted itself well enough as a concealed carry pistol that it's more than fit for those who don't need an easy-to-rack slide.
Pros
Easy racking slide
Optics ready
Low recoil
Cons
Grip Safety
Reset not very audible or tactile
Equalizer Specs
Caliber: 9mm
Capacity: 10+1, 13+1, 15+1
Barrel Length: 3.68 inches
Overall Length: 6.75 inches
Overall Height: 4.5 inches
Overall Width: 1.04 inch
Weight: 22.9 ounces
Sights: White dot, optics read
MSRP: $599
Easy-to-manipulate semi-auto concealed carry pistols have earned a much-needed niche in the firearms world. There are plenty of folks—through age, infirmity or just plain hand strength—who find semis difficult to manipulate. Smith & Wesson took a hard look at this class of pistol and developed the best example yet.
OK, so emblazing its name—Equalizer—across the slide is about as attractive as tailfins on a Corvette. That, however, is a rare chink in the 9mm pistol’s armor. Living up to its name, nearly anyone can operate the slide and get the gun into action.
While it appears just another striker-fired compact, the design point that makes the pistol so manipulatable is that it's hammer-fired. Essentially, it’s a Shield EZ—long-time S&W favorite—but a double stack, shipping with 10-, 13- and 15-round magazines. Aiding the pistol’s operation externally are large and aggressive cocking serrations and cocking tabs at the rear.
Honestly, I have to admit, the pistol is a shockingly nice one to shoot. Accuracy-wise, I found it on par with S&W's popular M&P line, but with a much crisper trigger—one of the benefits of a hammer. Certainly, the gun is on target enough for defensive action. The Equalizer also lives up to its billing with its highly manipulatable slide that able hands can run lighting fast.
A drawback I found to the system is holstering the pistol. Too much tension on your holster, the gun can rack when put away. I found counter pressure on the back of the slide with my thumb eliminated this issue.
It's a beast, but that's what you need for the backwoods.
Pros
Powerful chambering
Reliability
Versatile
Extended range
Cons
Large
Longer trigger reach
Recoil
Glock 20 Specs
Caliber: 10mm
Capacity: 15+1
Barrel Length: 4.61 inches
Overall Length: 8.07 inches
Overall Height: 5.51 inches
Overall Width: 1.12 inch
Weight: 39.86 ounces
Sights: White dot front, white outline rear
MSRP: $599
Most only consider two-legged predators when shopping for concealed-carry guns. Certain circumstances call for a pistol that can handle more than upright threats. For backwoods protection, the Glock 20 exceeds nearly all others.
A 10mm, the pistol provides enough punch to batter your way out of the tightest situations and take everything down short of coastal brown bears. Even there it’ll likely make them think twice. At the same time, it is feasibly concealable, particularly in garb you’d wear into the hinterlands. That said, it’s no lightweight by carry pistol standards—weighing in at a hefty 30 ounces unloaded. A good gun belt and perhaps an OWB holster go a long way in making the G20 a more manageable CCW gun.
Surprisingly, the G20 is a very manageable pistol, even with pitching hot loads. The weight does its part in taming the 10mm's jump, but so do the grip's ergonomics. Get past the Glock rake—of which I’m no fan of—and the standard model fits medium to large hands well and offers enough texturing, including the front and back straps—to keep the gun in place. I can take or leave the finger grooves.
It’s also lights-out accurate, particularly the MOS model outfitted with a red dot. With practice and a good trigger squeeze, the gun can consistently hit well past most defensive ranges. However, for many, tight and accurate splits may take some practice.
Hogs, cougars, two-legged threats—the G20 has you covered.
Above all, becoming an armed citizen is a lifestyle choice. By this we mean, your life will conform around your concealed carry gun. Don’t let this scare you off. It’s less daunting than it seems, yet it merits comment.
It takes more than a gun and a holster to become ready to carry.
After purchasing a concealed carry gun, plan on finding a reputable firearms instructor and enrolling in his or her classes. Generally, they’ll offer different levels of training, from basic pistol courses many states require to procure a concealed carry permit, to instruction on advanced concepts such as dynamic shooting, low-light engagements and mindset. Legal education is a must as well. America is a patchwork of self-defense laws, so be certain you find something tailored to where you live and travel so you have a well-formed idea of when, where and how you can justifiably use lethal force.
The greatest demand going armed makes is mastery of your firearm. Just like buying a guitar doesn’t make you a musician, purchasing a concealed carry gun doesn’t make you an expert in self-defense or the use of lethal force. You must educate yourself, practice and continue doing so. Essentially, it’s a lifetime undertaking. Don’t throw up your hands, because it’s the hardest work you’ll ever love with a side benefit of a lot of range time.
Once you have basic instruction under your belt, plan on refresher courses in the future. In the meantime, practice. We won’t prescribe a particular regimen here, because it will differ for each armed citizen. Your training should result in knowing your concealed carry gun inside and out, from muzzle to butt and all the quirks in between. Range time is the most obvious arena for learning and excelling with your pistol or revolver. But a solid routine of dry-fire drills at home works miracles on a learning curve and doesn’t cost a thing.
The other lifestyle aspect that comes with a concealed carry gun is clothing. Yup, that wardrobe is going to need updating … most likely. Unless you’re still mired in the baggy days of the grunge movement, it’s a safe bet much of your wardrobe won’t keep your gun concealed. Or, if it does, you’ll feel plum uncomfortable. Again, we won’t touch on the fine points here—there are loads of them. Just expect to make a clothing investment along with your concealed carry gun.
Concealed Carry Holsters
Hand-in-hand with clothing is a holster. You didn’t think you were going to tuck that baby in your waistband naked, did you? This is a vast topic, given the numerous types of concealed carry holsters on the market today:
IWB
OWB
Shoulder
Ankle
Belly Band
Pocket
Various Off The Body
Each has pros and cons and fit certain armed citizens, but not all of them. However, essentially all of them do the same job: retain the gun, cover the trigger (among the most important), protect you and the gun, enhance concealability, make carrying comfortable, and facilitate a smooth draw and re-holster. That’s a mouthful.
Get ready, because you'll try many holsters before you find the right system for you.
Stick with Kydex for your AIWB holster. Leather will become soft over time … which is a bad trait for an appendix rig.
Kydex is almost always a solid choice for holster material.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the magic bullet so that you hit the perfect holster your first time out. Nobody does. All we can say is, expect plenty of trial and error—and a closet shelf of rejects—before you find the ideal hanger for your concealed carry gun.
CCW Gun Fit
No two concealed carry guns are alike nor are two armed citizens. In turn, the pistol that works for you might be unwieldy to your friend. What this comes down to is fit, and there are two basic factors pertaining to concealed carry guns.
How the gun fits your hand
How the gun fits your style of carry
Most new shooters tend to think all guns are alike. They pick a trustworthy name and assume all is right with the world. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Concealed carry guns need to fit your hand properly, facilitating a fundamental high grip, otherwise, there can be control issues. Even the relatively mild-mannered 9mm is jumpy if oversized compared to a particular shooter. Gunmakers have engineered some wiggle room into their guns; most new polymer-framed pistols come with replaceable backstraps and palm swells of different sizes allowing for a level of customization. Take the time to find the make/model that fits you best. A good tactic is to go to a range that has a good selection of guns for rent, and give the ones you’re interested in a test drive. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.
Figuring out which one out of the many concealed carry guns to choose from takes a close examination of yourself and your lifestyle.
As to carry fit, the whole idea behind a concealed carry gun is to keep it concealed. Depending on who you are, how you carry and your particular lifestyle, not every gun will fit the bill. While a 250-pound trucker might easily keep a Government-size 1911 under wraps with no problem, a 98-pound lady business executive might find it more challenging. Think hard about your usual attire (yes, you’ll update some of it), daily routine and potential carry methods as you go through the buying process. These will provide guide marks steering you to the ideal choice out of all the concealed carry guns.
The Best Caliber For Concealed Carry
Hoo boy … here’s a can of worms. Ask 100 people the best caliber for a concealed carry gun and you’ll get 100 answers—probably including 8.5 Mars, .455 Webley and some other oddballs. The topic is so divisive friendships have been lost and gun forums burned to the ground arguing what’s top dog. Presently, the most popular concealed carry calibers are:
.380 ACP
.38 Special
9mm
.40 S&W
.45 ACP
10mm
.357 Magnum
So, which one is right? The dirty secret is, all of them.
Given ammunition advancements over the past 20 years, particularly bullet design, every one of the cartridges can save your life. The rub is, some of the smaller and lower velocity options—.380 ACP and .38 Special, we’re looking at you—require more homework to find acceptable self-defense loads. The big boys—10mm and .357 Magnum—require more skill to wield effectively. Don’t let either factor turn you off any of those if the particular concealed carry gun that fits you is chambered thusly. Just expect to spend more time making them work.
Is there a right choice?
That leaves us with 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. These are the most popular self-defense calibers on the market. Again, we can’t choose for you, only point out each that is an effective option, capable of neutralizing a threat, and are widely available. You need to find what you shoot best and that comes in a make/model that fits your lifestyle. A range that rents guns is invaluable for puzzling this out. Take each for a spin before you buy!
What about a .22 LR and other small fries? While inadvisable for most armed citizens, if that’s all you can get or effectively shoot, it’s better than nothing.
What Is The Best Length For A Concealed Carry Gun?
Compact pistols have a 4-inch barrel and micro compacts a 3- to 3.5-inch barrels. We find these lengths the easiest to carry. However, the longer the barrel of a gun the more accurate it is due to a longer sight radius. In turn, the best length for a pistol is one that facilitates the most accuracy, while being easy to conceal.
What Is The Best Caliber For A Concealed Carry Gun?
There is no consensus on which caliber is the best, though, the 9mm is the most popular. For the most part, .380 ACP is considered the minimum caliber for self-defense.
What Is The Best Concealed Carry Handgun Holster?
One that completely covers the trigger, for starters. Aside from a way to carry your concealed carry gun, a holster is a safety device. From there, much of it is a personal preference. I personally prefer inside the waistband (IWB) holsters, because they provide the most concealment. However, in the colder months, I will use an outside the waistband (OWB) holster for comfort.
What Is The Best Concealed Carry Gun For Women?
While many gun salesmen push small and light revolvers, my choice for most women would be a compact or micro compact pistol. The trigger pull is lighter and more predictable. For women concerned about being able to manipulate the slide, the Smith & Wesson Equalizer would be my first choice; for those looking for less recoil, the Springfield Hellcat with a compensator would be an excellent option.
We take a quick look at a cartridge that’s kinda like .338 Lapua, the .338-378 Weatherby Magnum.
In response to special requests from close friends, Roy Weatherby chambered a few rifles for a cartridge in which the case was formed by necking down his .378 Magnum case to .338 caliber. This took place as early as the 1970s, but it wasn't added to the Weatherby lineup of loaded cartridges and rifle chamberings until 1999.
The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum is sometimes confused with the earlier .338-378 Keith-Thompson wildcat, but because the K-T version is on the shortened .378 Magnum case, loading data are not interchangeable between the two.
General Comments
The .338-378 Weatherby Magnum is in the same performance league as the .338 Remington Ultra Mag and .338 Lapua, and, from a practical point of view, that’s not saying a whole lot.
The smaller .340 Weatherby Magnum generates considerably less recoil, yet Weatherby rates it only 100-fps slower than the .338-378 Magnum and at about the same speed as the .338 Remington Ultra Mag., when the three cartridges are loaded with 250-grain bullets.
.338-378 Weatherby Magnum Load Data/Factory Ballistics
Looking to tame your heater? Here we take a quick look at Vantage Point Armory’s pistol comps.
Comps on pistols are the hot new thing. But what if you already have a pistol and want a comp?
For the most part, it means a new barrel, a comp and perhaps even some pistolsmithing work to get it all behaving properly. And, if you’re doing this to a striker-fired pistol (anything not 1911, really), once the comped barrel is on, you can’t get it off without removing the comp from the barrel.
Instead, look to Vantage Point Armory. Their comps slide onto the accessory rail of the frame, match up with the slide and barrel, and provide a setup that doesn’t require comp-barrel surgery to remove.
Once in place, the comp follows the contours of the slide.
The solution is simple, but it only works for some pistols. (They have a list with 10 very popular pistol models.) You use the lock bars and set screws that come in the kit. Slap the lock bars into the accessory rail slots, slide the comp on and bolt the comp rails through to the lock bars. That’s it. The comp now diverts some of the muzzle blast gases to tame recoil and reduce muzzle rise.
You can even, with some models, still mount a light onto the pistol once you’ve installed the compensator.
It’s A Soft Fix
This is not a perfect solution. (In reality, there is no such thing as perfection.) As a comp, it will not be as effective as one that is barrel-mounted. The needed extra clearance and gap from barrel to comp means you lose some effectiveness. But, for the $150 Vantage Point Armory charges for a comp, you cannot buy a barrel ready-threaded for a comp. Then, the comps will cost almost that much. And, with Vantage Point, you won’t need a pistolsmith to install it; you can do that yourself.
You will still have to remove the Vantage Point comp to disassemble your pistol. However, removing four setscrews to slide the comp off the rail is a lot easier than wrestling a comp off an extended, threaded barrel. The comp has been given a Cerakote finish, so it will scrub up without too much hassle, depending on how long you go between cleanings.
The comp is not attached to the barrel, so the gap means there’s some efficiency loss. That’s physics for ya.
And, depending on the pistol you have, you can still fit the comped pistol into a holster.
This is one of those “wish I’d thought of it” ideas that, on second thought, has a lot of downsides for a comp maker. Downsides? The dimensions of the various pistols means Vantage Point has to account for the distance from rail to bore center, rail length, slide profile, slide contour and barrel movement on each and every pistol as an individual option (which they have done). Some pistols are easier than others. Glock dimensions are so alike that one of the Glock comps works on no less than five different 9mm models. But I don’t see them ever coming out with a “one size fits all” comp. It’s just not possible.
What is possible is getting a comp onto one of the listed pistols and even getting a light on there as well—without enlisting the services of a pistolsmith.
That’s a win in my book.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
We comb through the mountains of carbines to bring you the best AR-15s out there today.
White-hot as a plasma cutter, that’s how it was around a decade ago. When everyone was certain politics would quash ownership, demand for AR-15 rifles got so out of control the most basic models moved for an insane price. A grand, sometimes more. Hard to believe, but true.
Outside of recent events of pandemic proportions—Covid 19 and the election of politicians hostile to gun rights—Americans’ appetite for the handy rifle has been somewhat slaked. Certainly, shooters still love to build and buy Eugene Stoner’s masterpiece. But they aren’t donning their high school baseball spikes to trample over the rest of the market to nab one. In a word—again outside recent events—the market has normalized.
The performance of the AR-15 has not. In fact, given the wealth of top-rate ammunition, excellent upgrades and plenty of quality pre-built options, the rifle is better than ever. Spend the money and you can almost guarantee something tailored exactly to your needs. It’ll shoot like a laser beam and be built to hand down to a son or daughter. The other end of the price spectrum isn’t shabby either.
Entry-level models, though not tuned to the level of perfection of the top-shelf stuff, are still worthy investments—especially if you’re new to the AR-15 game. Yeah, you’ll most likely have a gritty mil-spec trigger out of the box and the handguard will be more Honda Civic than Corvette. But the rifle itself will hold its own well enough for home defense, target practice or even to fill a survival-gun role.
That said, we’ve collected 8 of the best budget AR-15 options that more than fit the bill for these applications and any others you might cook up. Our ceiling for this article is $1,050, which nets you a pretty good rifle, believe it or not
How I Chose The Best AR-15
Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to shoot a wide swath of the AR-15s available on the market today. I have trained, competed and hunted with what has become known as “America’s Rifle”, and become intimately familiar with the platform. In short, I know the AR-15 and what makes a good one.
With that said, I and the Gun Digest team winnowed down the expansive field of the icon carbine to these choices through extensive testing. Through hundreds of rounds, special attention was given to reliability, accuracy, ergonomics and, in some cases, innovations. Price, for certain categories, was also taken into account. In the end, these were the carbines that our magazine's team and I found the best AR-15s.
Best Mid-Tier AR-15 (Editor's Choice): Springfield Armory SAINT Victor
SAINT Victor Specs
Barrel Length: 16″ Caliber: 5.56 NATO Weight: 6.56 lbs. Capacity: 30 Twist: 1:8 Gas System: Mid-Length Trigger: Nickel Boron Coated Flat GI Muzzle Device: SA Muzzle Brake Sights: Flip Up Barrel Material: CMV Receiver Material: 7075 T6 Stock: BCM Gunfighter Mod 0 Muzzle Thread: 1/2×28 MSRP: $1,150
Pros
Outstanding Value for the Money
Excellent Accuracy
Refined Build Quality
Cons
Muzzle Brake Side Blast
Not Revolutionary
Springfield Armory didn’t reinvent the wheel with the SAINT Victor—it simply refined the AR-15 into something slick, capable and easy to recommend. This is my overall pick for a mid-tier AR-15 because, for the money, you get many of the features typically found in a premium rifle. We’ve run a lot of rounds through the Saint Victor and consistently find that it offers more bang for the buck than anything else in its class.
While there’s a wide array of options in the Victor line—including AR-10 and PCC variants—my choice is the original model. Springfield got it right the first time. If you need to save a few bucks, the B5 variant gives you everything the original does, swapping the BCM stock and grip for B5 versions. Both options work great.
One of the most noticeable features right out of the box is how tight the carbine feels, thanks to Springfield’s Accu-Tite tension system. At the range, it’s been absolutely on target—averaging around 1 MOA with nearly every type of ammo we fed it. Honestly, what more could you ask for? I also appreciate the handguard. It’s slender and nimble—as is now standard, M-Lok compatible—and works well for a modern C-clamp grip.
One feature that deserves mention is the dual-port brake. It works exceptionally well, keeping the rifle on target shot to shot. However, it also puts out plenty of blast to the sides—no big deal for you, but your neighbor at the range might not thank you for it. In terms of dependability, the Victor has never faltered through hundreds of rounds. Like any AR, though, keeping it clean and lubricated is key to preventing issues.
Barrel Length: 13.7″ Caliber: 5.56 NATO Weight: 7 lbs. Capacity: 30 Twist: 1:7 Gas System: Mid-Length Trigger: Liberty Fighting Trigger Muzzle Device: NOX Flash Hider Sights: None Barrel Material: 4150CoMOV Reciever Material: Aluminum Stock: B5 Muzzle Thread: NA MSRP: $1,800
Pros
Exceptional Build Quality
Soft-Shooting and Accurate
Mission-Proven Pedigree
Cons
High Price Point
Pinned & Welded Muzzle Device
More than a few AR-15s on the premium end of the spectrum are designed to be safe queens. Not the M4-76. Sons of Liberty Gun Works built this rifle to be as tough as coffin nails—and that’s exactly what it is.
SOLGW’s quality control process is second to none, with each carbine practically hand-fitted as it comes off the line. That’s not just marketing speak—every component is meticulously inspected. If it’s not in spec, it doesn’t get used. The company also uses a more durable anodizing process and subtly tweaks upper receiver dimensions to eliminate wobble. That tight build is the first thing I noticed when I handled the M4-76—the gun was as tight as a drum.
No wonder SOLGW’s early adopters were SEALs and Marines.
The gun is as fast as it is accurate, thanks to Sons of Liberty making it one of the softest-shooting ARs I’ve shouldered. A lot went into its shootability, including a mid-length gas system, oversized gas port and a premium buffer setup. At 50 yards and in, engaging multiple targets, it simply sings. But the M4-76 isn’t just a CQB option. With the right optic—in this case, a Sig Tango6T 1–6×24—the 13.5-inch-barreled carbine can confidently reach past 500 yards.
As you may have noticed, the barrel length should technically make this an SBR—but it’s not. SOLGW pins and welds its NOX flash hider to the muzzle, making the rifle tax-stamp-free and quick-detach suppressor-ready. All in all, a true fighting carbine doesn’t get much sweeter than the M4-76. And when you invest in one, you’re paying for function—not flash.
Get all the ins and outs of the fighting carbine in our M4-76 review.
M4-76 Deals
Duke's Spots Shop
$1,450
XTreme Guns & Ammo
$1,805
Best Entry-Level AR-15: Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport III
While not as storied as some carbines on this list, it’s difficult to talk about the best AR-15s without mentioning the M&P15 Sport. Now in its third generation, the rifle remains among the most affordable on the market and has only improved over time.
For me, the key to the rifle is its reliability. Spartan as it may be, the Sport III chews through nearly anything it’s fed and takes abuse like a journeyman welterweight. Winning points, Smith & Wesson has added a slew of updates to the Sport that were long needed, all without affecting its bargain price.
What tops my list in the S&W upgrades is the handguard.Free-floated with ample M-Lok real estate, this feature brings the platform well into the future. Plus, a C-clamp grip is now more easily achievable. I won’t write home about the Sport III’s trigger any time soon, but I won’t bash it either. There’s some creep to it, and it’s not the smoothest I’ve felt. Yet, this unpleasantness is offset by a terse reset that’s both tactile and audible. Overall, I’d say it’s at the more polished end of mil-spec switches.
The accuracy of the Sport III is better than most entry-level ARs I’ve shot, but not exceptional. In testing, it averaged in the 1.5 MOA range when shooting supported at 100 yards. It’s not a tack driver but is more than adequate for most practical marksmanship. As far as entry-level guns go, the Sport III remains one of the most no-frills, hard-use rifles—or just plain fun guns—available today.
Squeezing the most out of your shooting budget? The PA-15 is the place to turn.
I’ve shot a lot of what PSA has to offer and have typically walked away fairly impressed with what the company brings to the table—particularly with its base AR-15, which usually rings up in the sub-$700 range for a complete rifle. PSA runs frequent sales, so expect the price to be considerably lower than MSRP when you go shopping.
The carbine I tested for this article—for full disclosure—was built from one of the company’s kits with a 16-inch barreled 5.56 NATO upper, with a mid-length gas system. This mimics the PA-15 complete rifle but saves a few bucks here and there—because I’m a cheapskate.
I sweated through a break-in period, with a few misfeeds right off the bench, but the carbine has since hit its stride. With more than 500 rounds downrange, the gun has not repeated its initial offense. Its accuracy is well within expectations, especially at this price point. I’ve never gotten it to dip below MOA but have gotten close. However, with cheaper ammunition, expect the rifle to shoot closer to or above 1.5 MOA.
The furniture is my main knock on the gun—it’s exactly what you’d expect from an entry-level carbine. The stock is what Palmetto calls its “Classic Carbine,” a fancy name for a generic M4-style unit. The grip is an A2 with the finger rest. I’m agnostic on this, though I prefer the A3 since it does away with the finger shelf.
The two upgrades I’d plan for with the PA-15 are swapping the charging handle and fire control group. Both are gritty and send chills up my spine every time I actuate one. However, if you’re a casual shooter or a first-time AR owner—is there still such a thing?—these issues might not even hit your radar.
PA-15 Deals
Palmetto State Armory
$480
Best AR-15 for Consistent Accuracy: Geissele Super Duty MOD 1
If you want a precision shooter or a fighting rifle guaranteed to hit its mark—regardless of range—I recommend the Super Duty.
Our test of Geissele’s flagship rifle produced some of the best groups we’ve seen from any AR-15, aside from custom builds. Without reservation, I’ll say it’s a sub-MOA gun with most ammunition. At 500 yards, it turned in groups just a touch over 2 inches—impressive, even to the hard-to-impress.
These results aren’t surprising when you consider how Geissele builds the Super Duty—almost entirely from in-house components. The rifle is outfitted with a medium-profile, 16-inch barrel featuring a 1:7 twist, ideal for stabilizing heavier, better BC bullets. It also includes the excellent SSA-E X two-stage trigger—a standout in my opinion. Its straight bow design lends itself to consistent, predictable breaks.
The Super Duty is as tough as they come, with nearly every inch finished in Geissele’s Nanoweapon coating—a solid lubricant with a surface hardness rivaling synthetic diamond. Personally, I believe the 16-inch version is the most versatile, taking full advantage of the rifle’s inherent accuracy. However, Geissele also offers shorter-barreled carbines, pistols and SBRs if a CQB option better suits your needs.
Barrel Length: 12.7″ Caliber: 5.56 NATO Weight: 6 lbs. Capacity: 30 Twist: 1:12 Gas System: Carbine Trigger: Mil Spec Muzzle Device: CAR Style Flash Hider Sights: MA1 front, flip-adjustable rear Barrel Material: 4150 CMV Receiver Material: 7075-T6 Aluminum Stock: Aluminum CAR-style Muzzle Thread: N/A–muzzle device pinned and welded MSRP: $1,200
Pros
Retro Aesthetic
Non-NFA Legal Compliance
Solid Shooter
Cons
Non-Functional Moderator
Not a Perfect Clone
The granddaddy of the M4, the XM177E2 is one of the coolest historic AR designs—and now, thanks to PSA, it’s readily available. It’s my top pick for the best retro AR-15 on the market today. I love how well Palmetto State Armory nailed the aesthetics of the original H&R while keeping it a non-NFA firearm. Of course, that means a few tweaks to the design.
The XM177E2’s iconic moderator isn’t functional—it would reduce sound, thus would be classified a suppressor—but PSA replicates the look. And it’s pinned and welded to a 12.7-inch barrel, keeping the gun out of SBR territory. Hey, I said it was my favorite retro AR-15, not a perfect clone.
The furniture is correct, it sports the original’s gray anodized finish, ships with a retro-style mag and even features the correct 1:12 twist. It almost feels like it just rolled off a 1969 assembly line.
Better yet, the XM177E2 shoots. It was easy to ring a half-size silhouette at 100 yards in our testing, and through four magazines and more than 500 rounds, it only experienced one malfunction.
I’ll add this: the H&R isn’t just a throwback pleaser—it’s also a legitimate option for home defense. The XM177E2 may not be the most widely recognized retro AR-15, but it’s certainly one of the most unique and practical.
Why is this reto gun as sweet as it is short? Find out in our XM177E2 review.
Whether it’s hogs, coyotes or even deer, the HCR-160 is my pick for a hunting AR. It was, quite simply, built for the job.
Yankee Hill Machine ships the carbine ready to go right out of the box. It comes outfitted with a GrovTec sling and a Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40mm scope with a mil-dot crosshair reticle. You don’t even need to zero it—YHM delivers it sighted in at 100 yards.
Another big selling point: the HCR-160 is lightweight, tipping the scales at just under 8 pounds with all accessories installed. I’m personally not sold on the camo pattern, but it’s a useful touch for many hunters.
As far as chamberings go, my preferences are:
.223 Remington: Coyotes and varmints
.300 Blackout: Deer and hogs—especially suppressed
6.8 SPC: Deer and hogs at slightly longer ranges
We tested the .223 Remington version and found it more than accurate enough for most game. It grouped just over 1 MOA during our range time. Quite simply put, this rifle is ready to come straight from the box and into the field.
See how this carbine is ready for the hunt in our HCR-160 review.
If you’re looking for a rifle that doesn’t eat where it poops, the MKII is it. I’ve been a fan of LWRC’s piston-driven carbines since the M6IC-A5 days—and the updated MKII is better in nearly every way.
Its short-stroke gas-piston system is constructed from aerospace-grade superalloys that can withstand extremely high temperatures. In my experience, this is one of the most reliable AR-15s on the market—built to thrive in the worst conditions.
This proved out in our testing with zero malfunctions through hundreds of rounds. Not a complete surprise given this is a cleaner running system than gas impingement.
One of the most appreciated updates is the M-Lok handguard, now attached to a redesigned upper receiver. It lightens the platform slightly and provides much greater mounting versatility. LWRC also improved the two-position gas block with a paddle-style lever, making it far easier to operate than older versions.
We tested the 16-inch-barreled model, a lights-out performer that consistently printed sub-MOA groups during range time. For most users, the 16-inch version is the go-to—especially if you plan to stretch its legs at longer distances.
That said, the 14.7-inch model is slightly more nimble and better suited for home defense. If you need to maximize mobility, LWRC also offers 12- and 10.5-inch SBR and pistol configurations.
If you're going piston driven, you need to check out our ICMKII review.
Eugene Stoner designed the AR-15 in 1956 while working at Armalite, a smaller-caliber derivative of his earlier AR-10 design. A short aside for those who don’t know, the AR designation stands for “Armalite Rifle” and nothing else. In operation the rifles are identical, just the chamberings are different. The AR-10 was chambered for 7.62x51mm (or .308 Winchester), the AR-15 5.56x45mm NATO, an evolved version of the .223 Remington based off the .222 Remington varmint cartridge. Why go small? Essentially so a soldier could carry more ammunition into battle. As far as its effectiveness, there’s no doubt the 5.56 is deadly, but it remains a hot-button debate up to this day if it's optimal.
Anyhow, Armalite eventually sold the AR-10 and AR-15 rights to the company now most associated with the designs Colt. Under the guidance of the company, the rifle came under its first military contract by 1961 and was adopted by all United States Armed Forces in 1964.
This was a slightly redesigned model that was eventually designated the M16. Incidentally, today what is known as an AR-15—no matter what the chattering class tells you—is a much different animal to the original AR-15. What was produced in the ‘50s and ’60s was a select-fire rifle, whereas the modern variation is semi-automatic. Blame the confusion on Colt marketing folks, who designated the semi-auto civilian sporter model AR-15 to capitalize off its cousin’s military cred.
Over time, the rifle evolved to meet the military’s changing needs, until the M4 Carbine design was adopted in the 1990s. Barrel and gas system length are the changes here, with a 14.5-inch barrel and a carbine-length gas system. Overall, this is the most popular pattern found in AR-15s today, though the rifle comes in every shape and size. By The Way, AR-15 technically only applies to Colt rifles—they own the rights—hence the reason you find other manufacturers calling the gun all sorts of different names, such as Palmetto State’s PA-15.
AR-15's Desirability
There is little arguing the AR-15 is the most popular rifle of the late 20th and early 21st Century. In fact, it is the most owned rifle in America, which raises the question Why? Multiple reasons.
History: Yeah, it’s not the original military rifle, but is close enough to scratch most folks' vintage itch. Shootability: The platform is very accurate at intermediate ranges and dang pleasurable to shoot. Most of the cartridges the rifle is chambered for are mild with little recoil. Modularity: Next to its down-range performance this is the AR-15’s biggest selling point—you can tailor the rifle to exactly your preferences. Handguard, trigger, sights, grip, mag release, you name it and there’s an aftermarket upgrade. Bonus, most don’t require armors certification to add to a rifle.
Breakdown Of The AR-15
Getting to the rifle proper, there are numerous factors to consider when investing in an AR-15. Let’s skim over the major parts of the gun and hash out the importance of each and some specifics to look for when shopping.
Receivers
The AR-15 rifle has two receivers, the upper and lower. However, the lower carries special significance, given it is the part the Federal government technically considers the firearm. Hence the reason it is serialized. If you were to build a rifle from scratch, a very satisfying endeavor, you would require an FFL and background check to purchase even a stripped lower receiver. The upper, even a complete one—which includes all the internals, barrel and handguard—could be shipped directly to you without the need of a licensed intermediary.
The great majority of receivers are constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, usually 6061 and 7075. The numbers simply designate the type of alloy being used and sometimes include a sub-grade designation, such as “-T4” or “-T6”. These specify the temper placed on the aluminum, that is, how the alloy was heat treated.
There are two types of lower receivers billet and forged. Billet receivers are produced from a single block of aluminum that is machined into the profile of a lower. It’s a more time-consuming process, however, it yields more unique designed and integrated features. Forged receivers are made by hammering two roughly shaped halves of aluminum, then machining the profile later. This is the more affordable of the two methods, given machining is kept to a minimum.
Which is better? That’s a can of worms, given billet and forged receivers each have the advocates. Overall, forgings tend to be more durable, given the alloy’s grain structure remains intact. But billet receivers achieve tighter tolerances.
Barrel
Simple as a fire tube seems, there the AR-15 barrel is a multi-faceted topic. Let’s delve into what you’ll find when you shop for a rifle.
Chamberings
Quite simply, the chambering is what type of cartridge the rifle shoots. And the AR-15 shoots quite a few cartridges. Richard Mann has an excellent piece on AR-15 calibers if you want to survey what’s out there. However, by far the most popular chambering is 5.56x45mm NATO and accounts for nearly every option on our list below.
If this is your first endeavor into AR-style rifles, the common caliber is a solid choice. Outside of buying panics (hello 2020 and 2021), it is widely available and generally affordable. It’s also lights out at intermediate ranges, is an absolute Thor’s hammer versus varmints and is legal in many states to take deer. Also, it’ll do a number on a home invader.
While the 5.56 NATO is essentially a .223 Remington, the two are not interchangeable. Patrick Sweeney gives the nitty-gritty on the .223 vs 5.56 if you're interested in specifics. For our purposes this is what matters:
A 5.56 NATO barrel will shoot both 5.56 and .223 Remington.
A .223 Remington barrel will only shoot .223 Remington.
A .223 Wylde will shoot both 5.56 and .223 Remington.
Barrel Length
While you won’t find them on a production rifle, there are 26-inch AR-15 barrels in this world. At the other end of the spectrum 4-inch options. Also everything in between. On the surface, it’s a bit of a muddle on what to choose, but law and performance help thin the field fairly quickly.
By Federal law, a rifle must have a 16-inch barrel, which can include a permanently affixed muzzle device (i.e. suppressor, muzzle brake). Go any shorter and the gun is considered a Short Barrel Rifle (SBR) and requires a tax stamp and registering it. For most, these are a hurdle not worth crossing, in turn, 16-inches is the basement. The ceiling, unless you get into custom rifles, is 20-inches on most production offerings.
As for performance between the top and bottom, it’s marginal. In general, a 20-inch rifle produces more velocity, given it has more bore, thus ensuring a more complete powder burn. But it will only beat out a 16-inch AR by roughly 150 to 200 fps at the muzzle. In many shooter’s books, it’s a marginal difference, which tends to give the shorter barrel the advantage. With the same contour, the 16-inch barrel is stiffer, thus suffers less barrel whip and is much more nimble.
However, if you aim to milk as much range from an AR-15 as possible, the 20-inch flavor might be your cup of tea. It’ll produce greater velocity, thus get the bullet where it’s going faster and narrow the window in which wind and gravity work upon it.
Barrel Material
Barrels are either made of carbon steel or stainless steel. Here are the most common of each.
Carbon Steel 4140: The most affordable steel, the alloy contains .80 to 1.10 percent chromium, .15 to .25 percent molybdenum and .40 percent carbon. The materials increase the strength and hardness above standard carbon steel.
4150: Also containing chromium and molybdenum, this steel has .50 percent carbon. The steel has higher tensile strength, however, requires a stress-relieving treatment, thus is more expensive.
Chrome-Moly Vanadium (CMV): Developed by Colt, the steel is the official mil-spec material used in the military’s M16 and M4 rifles and carbines. Essentially, it's 4150 steel with the addition of Vanadium, which significantly increases strength, hardness and stability in high temperatures.
4150 CMV, 41V50 Steel or 4150 V: Same as CMV, but the name’s been dolled up for marketing purposes.
MIL B-11595: It’s not steel, but a specifying document of the materials used in a mil-spec barrel. Some companies slang it up and use this designation for CMV barrel just to sound cool and confuse the entire world.
Stainless Steel 410: A stainless steel that includes molybdenum and is known for its durability (perhaps the best of the lot). However, it is not recommended for cold-weather duty. Below freezing, the risk of cracking is increased.
416: A highly machinable stainless steel, thus allowing for better rifling and performance. However, it is less corrosion resistant than 410. Not the top choice of the lot.
416R: A proprietary alloy from Crucible Industries, it's normal 416 stainless with molybdenum added. It machines like 416, however, has superior low-temperature performance and corrosion resistance.
17-4 PH: Known for its high strength, corrosion resistance, good mechanical properties and toughness. Precision shooters love barrels made from 17-4 PH, given the extreme uniformity and smoothness of the rifling—that and a barrel will last 3 times as long. However, the process in which its made—precipitation-hardening (PH)—makes it expensive.
Barrel Lining
Yup, there’s something in the AR-15’s bore (in many cases) besides rifling. Barrel linings are found in carbon steel barrels and improve their corrosion resistance and improve their longevity. Note, some manufacturers do not line their barrels, which isn’t a sin against God. If you’re in the market for a causal target rifle you’ll take out occasionally and care for properly, a non-lined barrel will get the job done. Harder use on the horizon, consider a barrel with this lining.
Chrome: The longest and perhaps most-used lining, Chrome reduces the effects of friction and heat on the barrel proper. Additionally, it makes cleaning much easier. This all adds life to the barrel. However, the process is known to reduce a rifle’s accuracy, though not to the extent that renders it useless. Most casual shooters won’t know the difference.
Ferritic Nitrocarburizing (FNC): Most likely you see FNC lining called something different, usually Melonite or Nitride. It’s essentially a case-hardening process that diffuses nitrogen and carbon into the steel. Thus treated a barrel can withstand direct exposure to water, heat, salt and corrosive elements better than any other process. Additionally, since it does not add material, it maintains the barrel’s accuracy.
Barrel Rifling
Manufacturers use different methods to apply the rifling to the barrel’s bore. Some methods are better for certain applications, here’s a look.
Cut Rifling: The oldest method of rifling a barrel, the process removes metal from the bore using a single-blade, hook-type cutter. Each groove is cut individually and with multiple passes, making it time-consuming and expensive. However, it introduces no additional stress to the barrel and tolerances can be kept tight.
Broach Rifling: Very similar to cut rifling, except a multi-bladed broach (metal bar) is used to cut successively deeper grooves. All the rifling is cut at once and in a single pass. This is a more affordable method with little stress placed on the barrel that has very consistent results through the entire bore. Broach rifling a barrel, relative to other methods, is still expensive.
Button Rifling: Essentially, a button of tungsten carbide with a reverse of the rifling is drawn through the bore displacing metal to lay down the pattern. It is a fairly economical system that turns out excellent results. The lands and grooves are very uniform and have a smooth finish. However, this method puts stress on the barrel that typically must be relieved afterward.
Cold Hammer Forged (CHF): A tungsten-carbide mandril is run into a roughly shaped barrel blank and the rifling is hammered into the bore. Overall, a majority of AR-15 barrels are made in this fashion and they are extremely popular with shooters. Tough as nails, these barrels withstand a lot of abuse. However, the barrels must be stress-relieved after the process and CHF doesn’t produce the uniformity of the other processes. Though, most shooters won’t notice.
Types of Rifling
This used to be cut and dry, but with the advent of 5R rifling has become a factor. What is 5R rifling, simply put the leads are opposite of the grooves and tapered. The idea behind this is to create less bullet deformation, thus maintaining ballistic integrity. Additionally, it’s supposed to be easier to clean. Traditional rifling still dominates the AR-15 market—lands opposing lands, with no taper. The jury is still out on if one outperforms the other.
Barrel Contours
Barrel contours, or barrel profiles, are simply the shape of the barrel. On the surface, a fire tube’s form might not seem like much, but it has an effect on performance and the AR-15 manageability. Thick and heavy bull barrels tend to take longer to heat up, suffer less barrel whip and maintain their harmonics better. The trade-off, their heavy and not something most folks want to hump around. Conversely, thin pencil barrels are light and make for a fairly nimble rifle, but heat up quickly and become “whippy”.
Fluting can provide an acceptable middle ground, removing material lengthwise along the barrel. This helps maintain rigidity, creates more surface area to dissipate heat and lightens an AR-15’s burden. Still not as much as other styles. Here’s a brief overview of common AR-15 barrel contours.
A1: The original pencil barrels found on the M16A1 rifle. A2: Heavier profile forward of the gas port, found on the M16A2 rifle. M4: Thin near the chamber, heavy just before and after the gas port, found on the M4 carbine. Government: Same as the M4, but lacks the grenade launcher cut. Heavy: Like it sounds, a thick bull barrel.
Gas System
The gas system power behind how the gun cycles. The gas from the conflagrated powder behind the bullet is bled off and either moves the bolt-carrier group (BCG) or a piston. Here’s a brief overview of each.
Direct Impingement (DI): This is the system that directs gas back to the receiver to move the BCG. It is extremely light and does nothing to infringe on an AR-15’s accuracy. However, it injects a good deal of carbon and fouling into the receiver, meaning the shooter must stay up on cleaning detail.
Piston: Gas forces a piston rearward which moves the BCG. While this keeps the receiver clean and is a somewhat more robust system, it does have its flaws. Pistons-driven guns are known for being less accurate, heavier and more expensive.
Gas System Lengths
The length of a gas system is determined by the distance to the gas port (where gas is bled). There are four lengths.
On a DI AR-15, the gas block is what diverts the gas from the barrel into the gas tube, thus back into the BCG. Most entry-level guns utilize a front sight base style gas block, in which the block is integral with the front sight. However, low-profile gas blocks, which reside under the handguard, are becoming more common.
Bolt Carrier Group
The bolt carrier group is where a lot of the action happens in the rifle’s operation. The component loads the fresh round, fires it and ejects the spent case. Essentially it’s made up of four main components.
Bolt: The rotating bolt locks the chamber for firing, as well as strips a fresh round off the magazine. It also has an extractor, whose job is to pull the spent case out and eject it from the receiver. Bolts are typically made of one of three kinds of steel, Carpenter No. 158, 860 or 9310. Carrier: The heart of the BCG, it houses all the other components and does all the heavy lifting. It deals with a ton of force and thus must be well made from tough material, the same kinds of steel as the bolt. Gas Key: The small cupped device at the top of the BCG. It catches the diverted gas to thrust the BCG rearward, thus cycling the rifle. Gas Rings: Traps the expanding gas, allowing it to operate the bolt. Cam Pin: Stops the bolt from over-rotating when unlocking and keeps the cam pin, bolt, and firing pin rotating and moving as one unit. Firing Pin: Strikes the primer to initiate the firing process.
Barrel And Bolt Testing
Most manufacturers give a damn about the quality of their products, thus test them for imperfections. There are two main tests Magnetic Particle (MP) and High Pressure (HP). Each is designed to detect any cracks or flaws in barrels and bolts, each component should be stamped with the acronyms if they’ve gone through the procedures.
Handguards
More the preventing you from singing your hand, many handguards serve as an accessory attachment point. Two of the most popular systems to this end are M-Lok and Keymod—the former more prevalent. As to the types of handguards, there are two main varieties: free-floated and non-free-floated. As the name suggests, it is all determined by if the handguard makes physical contact with the barrel. Free-floated handguards a preferred as they enhance the accuracy potential of a rifle. But non-free-floated will get the job done without knocking a gun too far off-kilter.
Buffer Tube
This is the protrusion on the rear of an AR-15, where the buttstock attaches. It housed the buffer spring and weight, whose jobs are to slow the rearward path of the BCG and return it forward.
Triggers
Next to the AR-15’s performance, modularity is perhaps the gun’s greatest attraction. From buttstock to front sight post, there isn’t a facet of the rifle that can’t be fiddled to perfection. Needless to say, your options are legion and far too vast to cover here. Instead, we’ll zero in on one feature of the gun you should consider at the top of your AR-15 upgrade list—its trigger.
Trigger design will be based on application. On the left is ALG’s ACT (Advanced Combat Trigger), which is the standard military design but coated with nickel boron for a smooth, crisp release. On the right is a two-stage trigger by Geissele, the G2S, which has a 2.5-pound first stage with a 2-pound release.
By and large, what is known as a mil-spec trigger is a nasty beast. It’ll get your gun to go BANG!, but it won’t do much to enhance its performance. As you progress as a shooter, you’ll find those crunchy, gritty, squishy triggers detract from your accuracy potential. Thankfully, putting a better bang switch into your rifle is among the simplest upgrades and for the money one of the best values. With that in mind, it’s wise to factor an extra $100 to $200 into the base price for an upgraded AR-15 trigger. Yeah, it ups your investment, but you won’t find it a waste of money by any stretch.
Who is the true AR-15 brand?
Overall, there was no true AR brand. ArmaLite (where “AR” comes from in the carbine’s name) produced the first prototype AR-15 in 1957, a scaled down version of the carbine’s predecessor, the AR-10. However, ArmaLite sold the AR-15 design to Colt in 1959, who introduced a mass-produced model in 1964.
What brand of AR-15 does the military use?
The U.S. Military does not use the AR-15 rifle. The primary infantry weapon for the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines is the M4 Carbine. While based on Eugene Stoner’s original design, it is a select-fire carbine, whereas the civilian AR-15 is semi-automatic. As for the M4s, they are manufactured by FN America.
What size AR-15 is best for home defense?
Overall, a shorter barreled AR-15 is the best choice for home defense, as it is easier to maneuver in the close quarters of a home. For those not interested in acquiring a NFA firearm, the best options would be a 16-inch barreled carbine or 10.5-inch barreled AR pistol. At 10.5 inches, the gun is very nimble, but still has a strong ballistic profile. For those willing to do the paperwork, a 10.5-inch barreled SBR would be a solid choice. These shorter guns also allow for the addition of a suppressor without making them unwieldy.
Why was AR-15 banned?
AR-15s were never outrightly banned at the federal level but was caught under the now sun-setted 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. This ban focused on superficial elements of semi-automatic firearms mainly as feel-good legislation and as a political football. Proponents of such legislation generally point to crime reduction as the goal, though firearms such as the AR-15 are rarely used to commit crime. However, some states do have laws that ban the sale of AR-15s or otherwise prohibit certain standard features like pistol grips for similar reason.
PTR has just launched its new 3D-printed, purposely porous VENT Spiritus 5.56i suppressor.
PTR Industries has just expanded its VENT suppressor line with the Spiritus 5.56i. It has many of the same features that made the .30-caliber VENT 1 so great, but now in a more compact package that’s optimized for 5.56 NATO.
Made of 3D-printed Inconel and featuring PTR’s patented Purposely Induced Porosity, the Spiritus 5.56i is strong, heat resistant, lightweight (15.75 ounces without adaptor) and quiet for its small size (6.01 inches long, 1.625 inches in diameter). The Purposely Induced Porosity also helps to reduce back pressure since it allows gas to be vented through the porous Inconel (hence the VENT name).
The suppressor is also rated for limited full-auto firing (120-180 rounds fired in bursts, with a 10-minute cool-down to ambient temperature to maintain reliability). To help keep things cool, it’s finished with a heat-resistant black physical vapor deposition coating. For 5.56x45mm, the Spiritus 5.56i requires a minimum barrel length of 10.3 inches, but there’s no minimum for 5.7x28mm. For mounting, it’s HUB-compatible and ships with a 1/2×28 direct thread mount.
One quirk of the Spiritus’ unique 3D-printed, Purposely Induced Porosity design is that it will gradually become less effective as it gets dirty, but you can’t take it apart to clean like a traditional suppressor. That’s not a problem, however, as PTR has detailed instructions available on their website that explain how to clean the VENT either by soaking or rinsing it.
The PTR VENT Spiritus 5.56i is available now and has an MSRP of $1,249.
I hit the range with the Anschutz 1761, an already nearly perfect rimfire target rifle taken to the next level.
In years past, the field between rimfire and centerfire target rifles seemed pretty well matched in models, but with the advent of new cartridges and more rugged guns, the rimfire is the one to pick now. Rimfire rifles are lighter, easier to carry, and use softer-recoiling ammunition, which is less expensive and involves no reloading. Besides that, the .22 rimfire has a greater variety of precision or match ammo for serious target sessions or small game and varmint hunting in the field.
During my 50-plus-year writing career (yep, I’m getting up there), I’ve used almost every target handgun or rifle available. Handguns from Smith & Wesson, Colt, Walther, and the Ruger Mark IV Target come to mind and rifles, both custom and production, in sporter weight and heavy barrel versions from Remington, Ruger, Savage, or the CZ Model 457 rate high on my list.
Of course, the Anschutz Model 1761 series of guns includes various specialized models, of which one-third can make the grade as target guns, including the MPR (Multi-Purpose Rifle) we feature here due to its features and stock design. Anschutz is well known for catering to shooters who want the best but also appreciate options tailored to a shooting style or budget; in short, I will call these production-custom rifles with further upgrades in wood and engraving available from the Custom Shop.
Anschutz Model 1761 Specs Action: Bolt-action Caliber: .22 LR (tested) Barrel: Carbon steel, blued Barrel Length: 18 to 23 inches Barrel Twist Rate: 420mm (1:16.5 inches) Magazine Capacity: 5 Safety: Two-position, silent Trigger Pull: Two-stage, 8 ounces Sights: None, receiver drilled and tapped for scope mounts MSRP: $2,195 Website:anschutznorthamerica.com
Anschutz entered the specialized target market with the Model 54 action in the 1950s and, some years later, with the SuperMatch in 1962, when the Winchester Model 52 was considered the .22-caliber rifle for competition sports. However, Anschutz’s well-designed trigger, shorter lock time, and heavier receiver placed the Winchester brand on the back burner in these venues almost overnight.
The MPR’s stock was developed for target and small game hunters. It combines the classic look with a wide beavertail forearm and an accessory rail.
About a decade later, the lighter-weight Model 64-type receiver came about, aimed at the sporting rifle enthusiast. In 2015, Anschutz announced a shorter bolt machined 30mm in overall length to compete with other competition rifles in the same class. With its life cycle closing in, engineers conceived a new action that could be used for sporting and target-grade rifles. The result was the Model 1761, which incorporates a shorter bolt lift and a smoother operation across several new models.
The new design replaced the 53-degree bolt lift on the Model 54 with a 60-degree one, thus moving the three locking lugs to the middle of the bolt rather than at the rear. This gained the advantage of a single-spring striker system that moved to the bolt’s rear with a shorter bolt. Also, a roller bearing reduces the cocking effort. Finally, an oversized bolt knob of 25mm (1-inch) in diameter aids cocking, extraction (via twin opposing extractors on the bolt face), and loading of the cartridge into the chamber, which shows a red indicator at the rear of the shroud when cocked.
The Anschutz Model 1761 MPR is impressive from any angle. The oversized bolt handle is made for all weather conditions, and the safety lever and magazine are within easy reach.
With all that going on, the receiver needed to be upgraded. Anschutz went with a flat bottom machined from a solid Chromoly steel billet with an integral recoil lug shortened by 40mm. The conventional 11mm dovetail was kept for scope mounting, as was a 3mm cross-slot at the rear of the receiver for a Picatinny rail. The receiver is not epoxy bedded into the stock; Anschutz engineers reasoned that the larger bottom’s flat surface was more than enough to ensure the desired accuracy, having a choice of the .22 Long Rifle, .17 HMR, or the .22 Winchester Magnum Rifle (WMR) cartridge.
Anschutz made this target gun—and the others in the series—to accept interchangeable barrels for precision and hunting duties, with a selection of seven barrels in lengths including 18, 19.3, 20.3, 21.4 and 23 inches in sporter and heavy configurations with or without open sights, barrel threads, or a suppressor. All are changed (Anschutz recommends a gunsmith) via twin barrel locking clamps that allow precision seating and headspace on the receiver. Additionally, the barrels are target-crowned, and on the MPR model, the barrel has been enlarged slightly from a total barrel diameter of .810 to .860 inch at the muzzle with a 3-inch-long 11mm dovetail to accept a competition front sight.
Like the rest of the gun, the bolt is finely finished for smooth operation. The target ammunition used in the testing is shown.
While the guns accept three different calibers, the five-round magazines are dimensionally the same on the outside, allowing them to work seamlessly with one standard style of bottom metal and trigger group. With the addition of an extended pad on the bottom, regardless of the weather or gloves, it’s easy to guide it into the gun thanks to a small channel on the triggerguard. You can also remove it via a release on the inside of the triggerguard.
Anschutz improved the safety lever by enlarging its surface and smoothing its operation. While there is a detent, it has no detectable click and rides over this notch without any noise—and very smoothly at that.
When I mention custom in describing the Model 1761, trigger options are a significant part of the rifle’s accuracy. Both are finely adjustable, with one single-stage affair, including the magazine release with or without a trigger blade that moves forward or rearward on a slide to accommodate a “length of pull” on the trigger shoe. The other option is the one I like since it includes a two-stage trigger, with or without the trigger blade adjustment. Out of the box, the trigger on my MPR broke at 8 ounces after the initial take-up.
The Multi-Purpose Rifle’s stock work is outstanding. The lines are clean and well-defined, the wood is select-grade or above with no knots, and it’s finished with a satin-lacquered finish.
Under the forearm, Anschutz has inletted an accessory rail for those who want to use the MPR for target use. It also keeps the stock from warping.
Other features include a wide beavertail forearm with finger grooves on each side and a 10-inch aluminum rail inletted underneath for target shooting accessories. While the rail may not serve the average varmint shooter, it keeps this part of the wood stock in check against moving or warping—and any varmint or small game hunter would be happy using it as it adapts to any spontaneous rest in the field. There is no checkering here, as the width and finger grooves offer more than enough purchase.
Moving back, the stock tapers inward over the bottom metal holding the magazine well and triggerguard. The pistol grip is well-formed and curved for comfortable handling. There is no pistol grip cap—watch those prone shooting opportunities—and it’s checkered in a pleasing outline on both sides, complete with a custom ribbon cut halfway in the pattern.
On the left side of the photo, note how the wide beavertail forearm tapers into the stock just before the magazine and trigger assembly. The bolt release is under the rear scope base.
The stock wrist is full and offers plenty of room, even with winter gear or heavy gloves. On the buttstock, the comb is high sans a cheekpiece. At the rear is an adjustable recoil pad. Removing the screw allows you to move the rear part up or down to fit your shoulder. Taking it off reveals two holes, which I surmise are for high-tech buttplates that fit in the stock with two rods for length-of-pull adjustments.
The Model 1761 has a fully adjustable recoil pad with a black spacer. A tool is furnished to adjust it.
I’ve always enjoyed custom touches on my rifles, and to this end, Anschutz offers four grades of wood with the initial order. Starting at the entry level, you have the Standard Grade (nice wood and finish), and then you move to the Premium Grade, which has more color, figure, and grain pattern. From there, you get into the fine wood with the Luxus Grade and the Meister Grade, which shows a Grade V or VI class of wood. To further trick out the rifle to your tastes and checkbook, Anschutz has its Custom Shop. Here, you can pick from the best wood, deep-relief engraving, and other details to make your gun a unique family heirloom.
But how does it shoot? Since winter makes it hard to go woodchuckin,’ paper targets set up at 50 yards had to do. The company sent three selections of target-grade ammunition from RWS and S&K. I installed a Leupold 6x42mm scope in Bushnell low rings. The mounting was low, with just a bit of air between the objective bell and the barrel.
Settling down at the bench with sandbags, the Model 1761 came to life. With the extra heft of the gun and the near-perfect trigger, I could count on groups with all five shots touching. What you see in the chart is the best of the five-shot groups fired from each box of ammo. Not averages, the best of the best, and to confirm what I saw—and not just dreamed—Anschutz sent six range test targets which, as an aggregate, came in at .326-inch from the factory with the best group of .238 inch. Now, it was my turn.
LOAD (GRAINS)
VELOCITY (FPS)
FIVE-SHOT 50-YARD GROUP (IN.)
40 RWS Rifle Match
1,068
.285
40 RWS R50
1,060
.240
40 S&K Rifle Match
996
.245
Note: This is an Anschutz Model 1761 MPR with a 21-inch barrel. Velocities were chronographed at 10 feet from the muzzle with an Oehler Model 35P Chronograph.
Up first was the RWS Rifle Match brand. After the smoke cleared, the best was at a curt .285 inch. The RWS Matchless Precision topped all with the best of the morning, with five shots touching at .240 inch. This was also the best ammo the company used for its testing. Rounding up the session, the S&K Rifle Match came in close, but there was no cigar at .245 inch. Velocities were around 1,000 fps plus, typical for this type of ammunition.
As a dedicated small game and chuck hunter, the Anschutz Model 1761 MPR is worthy of a second look. The lines are true; the gun is sound and more than accurate if you do your part.
Smith & Wesson has just announced two new Lipsey’s Exclusive Mountain Gun models, the Model 610 and the Model 617.
Whether you need to stop a grizzly bear or do some plinking by the campfire, Smith & Wesson’s two Mountain Gun models have you covered. Both Lipsey’s Exclusives, the new double-action/single-action revolvers are the Model 610 in 10mm Auto and the Model 617 in .22 LR.
The Model 610 is an N-frame and features a 6-shot capacity of 10mm Auto, a lightweight tapered-profile 4.25-inch barrel, a patridge-style front sight with gold bead insert and black adjustable rear sights. It has a weight of 40.2 ounces and an overall length of 9.6 inches.
The Model 617 is a K-frame that has a 10-shot capacity of .22 LR, a 4.125-inch barrel, a gold bead front sight and black adjustable rear sights. It has a weight of 36.1 ounces and an overall length of 9.46 inches.
Both the Model 610 and the Model 617 feature a stainless steel construction, beveled cylinder front edges and high-grade walnut Bear Hug grips designed by Tyler Gun Works.
Both new Smith & Wesson Mountain Gun models have an MSRP of $1,199.
Everyone wants an MP5, but nobody wants to pay HK prices. Here, we go over the top 5 MP5 clones that won’t break the bank.
Real MP5s from Heckler & Koch are full-auto, and very few of us are lucky enough to be able to afford a genuine transferable example. While much less expensive, even the semi-auto versions made by H&K are unfortunately out of most shooters’ price range. If on a budget, you may not be able to get the H&K logo on your receiver, but thankfully there are MP5 clones available now that will scratch the same itch for a fraction of the price.
How I Picked The MP5 Clones
Frankly, the market isn't exactly awash with MP5 clones, but there are more than these five models out there (especially when you include variants from the same manufacturer). Based on my personal experience with various brands of MP5 clones, as well as the experiences of some trusted colleagues, I took a look at what's available, tallied up their pros, cons and prices and determined that these were the best options for most American shooters based on their manufacturing quality, features and affordability.
Included optic mount and sling aren't great quality
Century Arms AP5Specs:
Caliber: 9mm Luger Format: Pistol Country Of Origin: Turkey Barrel Length: 8.9 Inches Overall Length: 17.9 Inches Muzzle: 1/2×28 threads and tri-lug Weight: 5.5 Pounds MSRP: $1,360 Website: centuryarms.com
Based on the time I've spent behind the different MP5 clones on the market, the MKE models made in Turkey and currently imported by Century Arms are the best in my opinion. The MKE-made MP5s simply have a better track record for reliability and general fit and finish from what I've seen. That doesn't mean other brands can't be good or that Century never puts out a lemon, but I personally rank MKE at the top of the clone hierarchy. MKE got its tooling from HK, so the receiver and parts should be about as clone-correct as it gets.
The AP5 ships with an original-style “slimline” handguard, but most people will probably want to replace it with the more iconic triangular “tropical” handguard. Besides aesthetics, the slim version heats up a lot quicker too. The included optics mount and sling aren't great, but besides those nitpicks the AP5 is the best 9mm MP5 clone to get if you don't want to pay for an HK.
Century Arms AP5 Deals
Battlehawk Armory
$1,400
Palmetto State Armory
$1,500
Best Plinker: HK MP5 .22 LR Rifle
PROS:
Licensed by HK
.22 LR is cheap to shoot
Legally a rifle
Iconic MP5SD aesthetics
CONS:
Can't mount a real suppressor
It's a .22 LR
HK MP5 .22 LR RifleSpecs
Caliber: .22 LR Format: Rifle Country Of Origin: Germany Barrel Length: 16.1 Inches Overall Length: 26.4-32.3 Inches Muzzle: N/A Weight: 7 Pounds MSRP: $750 Website: hk-usa.com
Most people want an MP5 for fun, and H&K lets you have it for a shockingly reasonable amount, considering that we're poor and they hate us. The HK MP5 .22 LR rifle is authentic(ish), affordable, and probably the best one to buy in the grand scheme of things as long as you’re fine with the .22 LR chambering. The barrel is hidden under a faux suppressor that's designed to look like the famous MP5SD variant which adds a lot to the cool factor, too.
This .22 MP5 is a factory-authorized clone made by Umarex. It has everything it needs to make it look like a real MP5SD (besides the windowed 25-round rimfire mag) and because it's a rifle, it comes out of the box with a telescoping A3-style stock. No tax stamp required. The only real downside I've found is its barrel isn't threaded and doesn't have a tri-lug adaptor either, so you can't attach a real suppressor.
The average price is about $540, less than half of what the 9mm clones typically go for. It's made by one of the best airsoft/rimfire manufacturers licensed by HK, and you can shoot the heck out of it for pennies.
HK MP5 .22 LR Rifle Deals
Sportsman's Warehouse
$540
Cabela's
$540
Best Budget 9mm: Military Armament Corporation MAC 5
PROS:
Threaded barrel & tri-lug adaptor
More affordable than MKE clones
Comes with a lot of extras
CONS:
Tight magwells
Comes with slim handguard, not classic triangular
No optics or accessory mounts
MAC 5 Specs
Caliber: 9mm Luger Format: Pistol Country Of Origin: Turkey Barrel Length: 8.9 Inches Overall Length: 17.9 Inches Muzzle: 1/2×28 threads and tri-lug Weight: 5.5 Pounds MSRP: $1,295 Website: milarmamentcorp.com
Military Armament Corporation's MAC 5 is made in Turkey, just like Century's AP5, but the two guns come from different factories. These are relatively new to the market at the time of writing, but so far they seem to be building a great reputation. The MAC 5 I shot, ran through mags without a single issue and felt about the same general quality as Century's offering.
However, others on our staff have had issues with the gun, despite walking away overall impressed with the platform. In particular, the rollers had to eventually be replaced to ensure proper bolt-head gap. That, combined with the MAC 5 being known to have tighter-than-normal magwells, keeps it from being at the top of my list, but I still think it's a great option for those on a budget who want a 9mm MP5 clone.
Military Armament Corporation MAC 5 Deals
Palmetto State Armory
$1,050
Midway USA
$999
Best Suppressor Host: Century Arms AP5SD
PROS:
Threaded barrel & tri-lug adaptor for suppressors
A lot of extras included
Iconic MP5SD aesthetics
CONS:
Optic mount and sling aren't great
Expensive clone
Shorter barrel than standard MP5 clones
Century Arms AP5SD Specs
Caliber: 9mm Luger Format: Pistol Country Of Origin: Turkey Barrel Length: 5.75 Inches Overall Length: 16 Inches (butt to end of handguard) Muzzle: 1/2×28 threads and tri-lug Weight: 6.7 Pounds MSRP: $1,700 Website: centuryarms.com
This is Century's newest AP5 variant, and I'm a very big fan. It has everything that's great about the standard AP5 but in an MP5SD-style package.
It ships with a removable faux suppressor mounted to the 1/2×28 threads on the barrel's muzzle. The barrel is shorter than normal models and sits inside the special SD-style rubber handguard, meaning that once the faux suppressor is removed, a real suppressor can be attached via the threads or the tri-lug mount. The result is a gun that looks just like the classic MP5SD, but one that can use any normal 9mm can with compatible mounting options. The AP5SD pictured here has already been tricked out with a Rugged Obsidian45, a Magpul MP BSL pistol brace, an optic, light and sling.
This isn't the model for everyone, and there's no reason you can't just throw a suppressor on a standard AP5, but if you plan on mounting a can and leaving it on there I think this is the coolest way to do it. The special handguard helps protect the suppressor some, too, so it's not just about the looks.
Best Budget Plinker: American Tactical Imports GSG-16
PROS:
Most affordable option
.22 LR is cheap to shoot
Legally a rifle so it includes a collapsible stock
Swappable charging handle
Plenty of rail space for optics and accessories
CONS:
Looks the least like a classic MP5
It's a .22 LR
Lower capacity
Faux suppressor barrel
ATI GSG-16 Specs
Caliber: .22 LR Format: Rifle Country Of Origin: Germany Barrel Length: 16.25 Inches Overall Length: 28.5 Inches (collapsed) Muzzle: N/A Weight: 5.8 Pounds MSRP: $440 Website: americantactical.us (importer)
Some might call it heresy to put the GSG-16 from American Tactical Imports on this list, but it looks close enough to an MP5 in its general form that I'm including it. If you want something better, you're going to have to pay for it. This option is for those looking to vaguely scratch their MP5 itch for as little scratch as possible.
The GSG-16 is an MP5-inspired rifle in .22 LR with a faux suppressor shroud on the barrel. Since the barrel length is 16 inches, no SBR stamp is needed for the included stock. The charging handle can be swapped to the right side, unlike the real thing, and the receiver is fully railed, so you can mount an optic with no issues. The handguard also has rails at 3,6 and 9 o'clock for other accessories. In terms of practicality, the GSG-16 has a lot going for it. It only really loses out in the looks department.
MSRP is $430 and they can be found for less than $300 if you look around. Impressively practical, affordable, and therefore a heck of a lot of cheap fun.
American Tactical Imports GSG-16 Deals
Battlehawk Armory
$287
Sportsman's Warehouse
$360
Where The MP5 Came From
The H&K MP5 is an iconic SMG, partially because it was more or less the SMG for most of the Western world's military and police during the Cold War era. Oh, there were some Berettas and Walthers and Uzis out there too, and Colt made a 9mm AR, but the MP5 is the one people remember. The design is so well-loved, in fact, that of all those SMGs listed the MP5 is the only one that really continues to see widespread service. Not just with poorer nations either, but with plenty of first-world police and military units as well.
SAS members sieging the Iranian Embassy with MP5s in 1980.
The MP5 is the SMG version of H&K's roller-delayed blowback operating system, first used by the company in its G3/HK91 series of rifles before eventually being scaled down to 9mm in the mid-1960s.
Despite how adored the MP5 is by armed professionals around the world, its real world use isn't the main reason for its legendary status. Hollywood is to thank for that. Die Hard, Predator, The Rock, the list of great action movies that prominently feature the MP5 is practically endless, and these days you’ll find one in just about every shooter video game too. It’s one of those guns that’s so famous that even non-firearms enthusiasts will often be able to recognize it, and they might even know its name.
Carl Weathers dual-wielding MP5s (technically modified HK94s, but close enough) in Predator (1987). Photo: IMFDB.
Point being, many of us have been watching action heroes use the MP5 for our entire lives. Like the S&W Model 29 in the Dirty Harry films, the Beretta 92 in Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, the Walther PPK in the James Bond series, the MP5 will be forever desirable simply due to its place in pop culture.
Is A MP5 Clone A Good Choice?
Given the continued popularity of the MP5 among police units around the world, it’s still a viable weapon. Of course, they’re using genuine full-auto models, and that changes things.
For us civilians stuck with semi-autos, an MP5 could still be a viable choice for certain practical applications, but the reality is that there are better 9mm pistol-caliber carbines available now. So, if you’re in the market for an MP5 clone, you should recognize that you’re getting it for the cool factor and because of how fun of a range toy they are. If you’re looking for a PCC for home defense or competition, you should probably consider a different platform entirely.
Sure, the HK slap will put a smile on your face, but the reloading sequence is far less charming when you're on the clock. Today there are several 9mm PCC options that cost less, are more practical to use and easier to accessorize. Keep in mind that the MP5 was designed in an era when flashlights were mounted with hose clamps and optics were attached with claw mounts. Sure, there are plenty of aftermarket accessory options available these days for modernizing an MP5, but it will be more expensive, more difficult and less ergonomic than if you tried to do the same with something more modern. MP5 trigger's are notoriously mushy, too.
This photo shows a fully accessorized Ruger PC Charger, the pistol version of the PC Carbine.
For example, a Ruger PC Carbine costs less than $800, accepts Glock magazines and is ready to mount a light and optic out of the box. That’s not something you can say about any 9mm MP5 clone.
That all said, very few of those 9mm PCCs shoot as nicely as an MP5. The roller-delayed action allows for their bolts to be much lighter and results in a very soft, pleasant shooting experience that's incredibly easy to make hits with. That's the quality that made them so loved by military and police, and I think it's still a valid reason to buy a semi-auto clone of one today. If you can swing the price and clunky manual of arms, an MP5 clone could still be an excellent and practical choice.
MP5 Clone Price
H&K decided to reward us peasants with a civilian-legal, semi-auto pistol version of the MP5 a few years back called the SP5.
However, the awesomeness doesn't come cheap, as they typically carry a price tag of $3,000 or more. HK throws in two magazines, whether you get the 30- or 10-round units, and they want you to pay $80 for any other HK-branded mags that you might want to pick up.
The H&K SP5.
And that's just for starters.
Most folks will want to accessorize their gun, and the additional expense of an optic and light, proprietary mounts for them, a pistol brace or stock (if registered as an SBR) and extra mags adds up very quickly. By the time you're done tricking out an HK SP5, you're easily looking at a $4,000 project.
For a gun that was first manufactured in the 1960s and has a stamped metal receiver, that's absolutely bonkers. So, why not get a clone that does all the same stuff, takes the same parts and costs less? That’s the beauty of MP5 clones, you get the same cool factor for a fraction of the price. The only question left to consider is which of the MP5 clones is best for you.
MP5 FAQ
What MP5 Do Navy SEALs Use?
The Charlie Sheen film Navy SEALs famously depicts SEALs using the integrally suppressed MP5SD, but the team in real life also uses standard MP5s and compact MP5Ks. It all depends what the mission calls for.
Why Did SWAT Stop Using The MP5?
People commonly think that SWAT teams around the country have completely stopped using MP5s, but that's not true. They have been largely replaced by various types of 5.56 AR-15s, but many departments still have MP5s in their inventory that can be taken out for a mission if so desired. Some poorer departments may still use them purely out of necessity, but some SWAT team members with the option will still take an MP5 over an AR due to personal preference. For proof, take a look at recent Annual Military Equipment Reports published by departments in California, you'll see the MP5 mentioned in plenty of them.
Is A 9mm Carbine Good For Home Defense?
Yes, 9mm carbines (either in the form of an SBR or a braced pistol) make excellent home defense weapons and are a popular choice. They're small, easy to shoot, pack plenty of punch at close range and can use subsonic defensive ammunition in conjunction with a suppressor to save your hearing. That said, living situations vary, and factors like overpenetration could make a 9mm carbine a less desirable option compared to something else.
What Is The Point Of A 9mm Carbine?
As mentioned, 9mm carbines like an MP5 clone can make for excellent home defense guns. They're tons of fun to shoot too, so they make for great range toys and are often used in competition as well. 9mm is also cheaper than .223/5.56 ammo, so you can spend more time plinking or training for less money.
More On Classic Guns:
Why The Mauser C96 “Broomhandle” Still Looms Large
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
