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Welcome to CANCON A Fully Suppressed RECOIL Range Day!
Save the date and make your plans to come down on Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 11-13 to the 17 South Rod and Gun Club in Savannah, Georgia.
Hundreds of the newest and best suppressors, firearms, and optics will be on the firing line for you to get hands-on trigger time.
All ammo will be provided, just bring your trigger finger!
Veterans get in FREE Friday, so come spend your Veterans Day weekend with us at CANCON!
SATURDAY NIGHT VIPs will have the opportunity to shoot suppressed with night vision goggles, clip-on night vision optics, IR lasers, tracers, and more.
CANCON will even have activities for kids, making this a completely family-friendly event.
Expect to see hundreds of firearms and suppressors, every one of them available to shoot. Don’t forget your eyes and ears for safety!
Not every day you get to shoot cool stuff like this!
Great food will be available on-site for when you need to recharge between shooting bays.
More information and ticket pre-sales coming soon!
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Designed Machined and assembled in Leupold Optic's Oregon factory, the Mark 5HD scope keeps the company roots firmly planted in its home.
Crafted to redefine accuracy, precision, and optical performance for long-range shooters, Leupold’s award-winning Mark 5HD is a testament to domestic manufacturing. It’s proudly designed, machined, and assembled in the company’s Beaverton, Oregon factory, where Leupold employs over 650 hardworking Americans.
In designing the Mark 5HD line, Leupold’s product specialists asked elite shooters what they needed to put accurate fire downrange faster, and used that input to design a riflescope that provides all the tools necessary — in both quality and features — without the unnecessary extras that add weight and cost for consumers. Combining relentless optical performance, rugged reliability, and user-friendly features in a package that could only be produced by leveraging the 70-plus years of optics manufacturing Leupold possesses, the Mark 5HD has wowed end-users throughout the industry.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
Pick up a Mark 5HD and you’ll feel the difference; it’s up to 20 ounces lighter than other scopes in its class. Get behind one and you’ll see the difference, from its superior edge-to-edge clarity to its extreme low-light performance. With three revolutions of elevation adjustment, the Mark 5HD was built to max out the performance of the latest long-range rifles and ammo.
The heart of the Mark 5HD is in its ZeroLock adjustments, which provide precise, repeatable tracking with a dead-on return to zero. The M5C3 elevation dial delivers over 30-mils of adjustment in three turns. Visual and tactile revolution indicators are in place to ensure you don’t get lost in the travel, and the auto-lock at zero eliminates the risk of accidentally moving the dial. The windage adjustment is capped and the zero indicator mark has been relocated on the riflescope’s main tube so you can see it without moving your head off the stock of the rifle.
In short, it’s the most dominant long-range, precision riflescope on the market. Best yet, it’s backed by Leupold’s legendary lifetime guarantee, which guarantees performance where other companies warranty failure.
For more information on Leupold Optics, please visit leupold.com.
Top-tier, battle-proven products, Radian Weapons turns out rifles and accessories in which you can trust your life.
At Radian Weapons, we think American gun companies should make or source their parts from right here in the USA. That’s why 100-percent of the firearms products we sell are manufactured in America, by Americans.
We machine the majority of our rifle and accessory components in Redmond, Oregon, using state of the art CNC equipment. At Radian, we’ve prioritized vertical integration of our manufacturing processes over product development to ensure that whenever we deliver goods to the consumer, it’s of the highest quality and reliability standards.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
The temptation in most industries is to rush new products to market. At Radian, we actively choose not to release “me too” products or rely on sourcing major components for new products from third party vendors. This helps protect our brand integrity, and hopefully gives consumers peace of mind when they purchase Radian products.
Our flagship products are the Model 1 rifle and related receiver sets, Talon ambidextrous safeties, and Raptor charging handles. Featured here:
MODEL 1 – 17.5-INCH 223 WYLDE
Clandestine Desert™ Cerakote Finish (Cerakoted by our finishing business, High Desert Coatings—www.highdesertcoatings.com)
RAPTOR CHARGING HANDLE FOR A15/M4
The original all-billet design with Cerakoted FDE handles.
TALON 45/90 AMBIDEXTROUS SAFETY
The screwless safety design ensures your levers won’t come loose and gives you two throw degree options to choose from. Finished with FDE Cerakote.
Buy with confidence, as all Radian products are backed with a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects.
For more information on Radian Weapons, please visit radianweapons.com.
Best known for body armor, Blue Force Gear also offers the everyday carry essential Micro Trauma Kit.
The Micro Trauma Kit NOW!, or Micro TKN, is our smallest version of the Trauma Kit NOW! yet. It was designed to hold essential lifesaving gear with minimal size in mind. The Micro TKNTM is designed to be worn horizontally with minimal bulk—perfect for everyday carry, for law enforcement professionals, prepared citizens, or in low-profile mission sets. The inner carrier can be deployed with one hand or one finger from either the left or right side by pulling the BLIP featured pull tabs. The Micro TKN consists of two main components – the outer MOLLE or Belt mounted pouch utilizing the Ten-Speed® technology, and a removable insert that keeps medical supplies organized.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
Supplies
Hemostatic dressing for wound packing/clotting (1 included)
4” Emergency Trauma Dressing (1 included)
9” Medical Grade Easy Tape (6 included)
Tourni-Kwik Compression Tourniquet (1 included)
Heavy Duty Medical Gloves (1 pair of Large sized gloves)
For more information on Blue Force Gear, please visit blueforcegear.com.
Unrelenting in design and execution, the new Berger Bullets Long Range Hybrid Target bullets are engineered for hair-splitting accuracy.
Berger’s new Long Range Hybrid Target bullets™ (LRHT) are 100% Made in the USA and feature a high Ballistic Coefficient (BC), jump-tolerant ogive profile that is Doppler verified with less than 1-percent BC variation.
Long-range target shooters and extreme accuracy enthusiasts endlessly seek a competitive advantage, using sophisticated ballistic solvers, custom drag models, complex optics, and twist-rate calculators, among others. All of these tools are rendered meaningless if the projectile exiting their favorite target, hunting, or Mil/LE tactical rifle is inconsistent and unpredictable. Using advanced proprietary manufacturing processes, Berger’s innovative Meplat Reduction Technology™ (MRT) applies controlled pressure along the nose of each LRHT bullet, producing a homogeneous and repeatable profile for the industry’s most consistent BCs. While a high BC is desirable, shot-to-shot BC consistency is most critical when engaging targets at 1,000 yards and beyond. When you absolutely need to maximize hit probability, never settle for a bullet other than Berger.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
The story behind the construction of Berger Bullets is simple. We start with virgin copper and lead wire products with the tightest specifications. Then, we manufacture our own signature J4 Berger bullet jackets to unmatched tolerances of less than 0.0003 inches of total indicated runout. What does this mean? A better bullet begins with a concentric jacket! Lastly, we merge the materials into finished projectiles — all within the confines of our Mesa, Arizona manufacturing facility.
Berger Bullets are highly sought after by the leading shooters in the world’s most demanding competitive shooting disciplines, such as PRS, F-Class, Fullbore, long range, and ELR to name a few. New Long Range Hybrid Target bullets are available in .22 caliber, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30 caliber offerings.
New for NRA Show is our line of LRHT Ammunition offerings in 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 300 Norma Magnum.
For more information on Berger Bullets, please visit bergerbullets.com.
Improving the safety, performance and comfort of soldiers and safety professionals, Oakley Standard Issue has become a trusted first line of defense.
For over 20 years, Oakley Standard Issue has manufactured all ballistic products at their factory in Foothill Ranch, California. Products are designed, materials are sourced, and products are tested right here in America.
The Oakley SI Ballistic M Frame Alpha is our latest flagship product. Alpha is an eco-system; the product contains a frame, goggle, and helo-gasket with a lens interchangeable between all three. No matter the mission, the user can configure the product to his or her needs. Range work, close quarters battle, mobility, and even freefall are many of the environments applicable. Oakley Prizm Technology within the lens brings high contrast and definition. Specifically, Prizm Shooting was developed with the Army Marksmanship Unit and gives greater clarity to targets in different light conditions.
Designed with extensive input from our military and first responder community, Alpha is now authorized for wear on the Special Operations Eyewear Program (SOEP). SOEP, regarded as the highest standard for protective eyewear, certifies that all components are made in the USA and offer the highest level of protection. Available in multiple lens and frame color configurations.
Oakley Standard Issue was formally established in 2000. Committed to serving our military and first responders, Oakley SI offers exclusive pricing for products for active-duty military, government, first responders, and veterans.
A passionate gun parts and accessories company, Overwatch Precision has the kit to make you pistol run like a top.
The OP TAC Trigger System is a patent-pending seven-piece upgrade for your Smith & Wesson MP 2.0 that reduces total travel and pre-travel by 50 percent. Engineered by us from the ground up, this kit provides the unmatched performance you have come to expect from all OP products.
Through state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, our trigger bar is held to industry-leading tolerances using a progressive die manufacturing process, a metal forming technique used in aerospace manufacturing that guarantees the most consistent performance and highest quality parts. This process, coupled with a space-age NP3 coating, provides the end user with the highest quality trigger bar ever offered.
TAC Trigger
Our proven TAC trigger is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, with features immediately identifiable as Overwatch Precision’s intellectual property. The overall design has been the go-to for Glock pistols since we released it in 2016, and its overall shape and function have been refined to excel in this new platform. With pre-travel reduction and a flat face, this self-correcting contact point aids in a linear rearward pull and increases accuracy. The indexing lip helps the shooter consistently place their finger on the trigger in the exact same spot every time, helping muscle memory and overall consistency.
The Sear
At the heart of this system is our NP3 coated sear. With a proprietary sear angle and large radius, this sear allows for a light and consistent break that can be tuned to the shooter’s preference with the two trigger return springs provided.
The Plunger
This product has a proprietary radius that replaces the OEM chamfer and creates a measurable “hump” in the trigger pull. This Swiss CNC’d part, coupled with NP3, creates a smooth pull to the wall. The plunger spring provides constancy and safe operation of this part, as intended by S&W.
The Trigger Springs
We offer two different trigger return springs with this kit. Standing by our ethos of serious-use defensive weapon components, we include a 4.5-pound return spring for duty or carry use for a dependable, predictable break. With the growth of USPSA popularity and participation in and amongst firearm enthusiasts, we also offer a 3.2-pound spring. Please note, this spring is not suitable for carry.
North Carolina based G-Code produces solutions for ever gun and tactical carry situation under the sun.
At G-Code, we don’t have a flagship product; what we have is a flagship philosophy and an unyielding commitment to excellence in everything we do. We don’t see ourselves as a company of products — we’re far more than that. G-Code is a solutions company.
Our purpose has always been to solve problems for our customers. We do this with design and innovation, and although our efforts manifest in products, we never sit back and feel like “we have arrived.”
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
Likewise, execution in our workmanship is paramount in its importance to us and to our customers. Our fit, finish, and function must always be unquestionably second to none.
To this end, G-Code products have always been, and will always be, 100-percent American made using only U.S.-sourced raw materials and components. At G-Code, we count it our privilege to provide tactical carry solutions to the men and women who serve in our military, law enforcement, and the civilian concealed carry communities.
This is why when you buy G-Code, you buy American, you buy quality … because we simply will not sell anything else!
The bipod has long been a tool used by shooters to obtain a more steady firing position in the field or on the range. However, in its many years of use, the fundamental design and function of a lot of traditional “stiff” bipods have not changed all that much.
Swagger Bipods, a Nebraska-based manufacturer, has developed a couple of bipods that offer the shooter a ton of flexibility and functionality, all while remaining incredibly lightweight. Using what the company calls Crazy Legs Technology, these bipods afford the shooter a wide array of shooting positions. The flexible, hyper-extending Crazy Legs are shock-corded and are easily adjustable with a simple twist motion.
Gun Digest Editor in Chief Eric Conn had the opportunity to experiment with a Swagger bipod this winter while sighting in for an upcoming predator hunt and came away very impressed with the bipod's flexibility and ease of use.
For more information on these great shooting aids, check out the video above, or visit the Swagger Bipods website.
CANCON East is back in the Carolinas for another year!
Welcome to CANCON A Fully Suppressed Range Day! The World’s Favorite Suppressed Shooting Festival!
CANCON is back again on the East Coast: Clinton, South Carolina. Join us at The Clinton House, May 8th-9th, 2026 for an action-packed weekend of fully suppressed shooting!
The Clinton House Plantation Shooting Complex is a massive venue and gives CANCON the room we need to expand! Located just 45 minutes south of Greenville, South Carolina, 1 hour north of Columbia, and 2 hours southwest of Charlotte, NC.
More space means more shooting lanes and more sponsors! Find more guns to shoot, more suppressors to test, all for one low ticket price!
Get on the 1,000-yard and 1-mile range and send some lead way, way down range!
Clinton House has tons of FREE onsite parking! Shooting all that free ammo will make you hungry, so stop by the concessions to refuel!
General admission is available Friday and Saturday, May 8th & 9th, $50 per day, or save money and get the entire weekend for just $85!
More information and ticket pre-sales are now available at the CANCON WEBSITE!
Early Access to CANCON from 2PM to 4PM on Thursday May 7th, followed by a catered dinner. Access to CANCON from 9AM to 4PM on May 8th & 9th, plus the legendary VIP Swag Bag!
VIP SWAG Bag from CANCON, Arizona
PROS Vs. JOES, SHIRTS, AND MORE
Returning to CANCON is PROS Vs. JOES! We select a random participant from the crowd to go head-to-head against a seasoned pro shooter. Can an everyday Joe outshoot a Recoil Pro in a high-stakes shooting competition? If they do, they win BIG!
CANCON T-shirts will be available for pre-order and at CANCON! These are high-quality shirts that feel great and look awesome.
CANCON Carolians 2024 shirts, new shirt coming soon!
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Ruger has just announced 10 new upgraded models of the venerable 10/22.
Ruger just announced 10 new 10/22 models that feature upgrades that were previously only seen on specific models, but now they’re available on a wider selection of classic 10/22 variants.
All of the upgraded 10/22 variants feature a BX-Trigger with a crisp, light 2.5- 3-pound break, minimal overtravel and a positive reset. They all also sport an easy-to-use match bolt release. All versions except for the two takedown models also feature an integrated rear cleaning port in their receivers for easier access when cleaning.
The upgraded 10/22 variants are available with black polymer furniture, different metal finish options, a wood stock, a Magpul MOE X-22 stock or a Black Hogue OverMolded stock. There are also two takedown variants, models with threaded barrels and two options that come pre-fitted with an optics rail.
MSRPs for the new 10/22s range between $340 and $530, depending on the model.
There’s not always time to use sights when it comes to self-defense. Here we look at how instinctive shooting can massively improve your defensive shotgun skills.
For years now, I have been saying that anyone wanting to up their tactical shotgun game should be training in clay sports, such as skeet, trap and sporting clays. However, unfortunately, a lot of tactical shotgun courses have people training on static targets … but shotguns excel at hitting moving targets and are perfect for learning instinctive shooting.
Instinctive shooting teaches a shooter to break free from sights and optics. That’s right: Say goodbye to red-dots, ghost rings and rifle sights.
Many might find not using sights hard to believe, but ask yourself this: If a clay shooter can hit a target 4 inches in diameter moving upward of 42 miles an hour at more than 37 yards away, how hard would it be to hit a man-sized target?
If instinctive shooting made you faster and allowed you to be more aware of your surroundings, would it not be worth trying? First, let’s look at how to learn instinctive shooting. Then, let’s look at the benefits and, lastly, some of the drawbacks.
What Is Instinctive Shooting?
Instinctive shooting is the process of getting your firearm to shoot where you are looking. The two main drivers behind this are muscle memory and focus. To get your shotgun to shoot where you’re looking, you must first master the process. Through extensive practicing, you will build the muscle memory needed to start down the path of instinctive shooting.
Learning to Shoot Instinctively
There are three main areas we must master to become proficient instinctive shooters, each of which are about building the basic foundations of a set of muscle memories for shooting. Once we have mastered these three areas, they will combine seamlessly into our instinctive shooting routine.
Our three foundational skills: gun mount, stance and vision control (awareness).
1. Where Is Your Gun?
If you want your gun to shoot where you are looking, you must know where your gun is pointing. To master this, a consistent gun mount is key, meaning your gun must be in the same place every time. You should be so accustomed to your gun that you can feel almost down to a fraction of an inch whether it’s mounted correctly.
Gun up, as we can see, is your regular mounted position. It’s key your stance is balanced so that your core it free to move.
I can’t tell you the number of times I have shouldered my shotgun, felt it was off and decided to shoot at a flying target anyway, only to miss the target. Keep in mind that I’m shooting at a much smaller target than a person. On larger targets, you can still hit with a bit of variance based on how you mount the shotgun, but don’t get too crazy. Here is where shooting clay sports helps, because that discipline isn’t about putting the gun up and emptying it—clays are about multiple stations and mounting the shotgun multiple times, which helps create that muscle memory.
The gun, in the down position, is just alongside your chest; eyes open with a soft focus to take in as much of the periphery as possible. Don’t tuck the butt of the gun under your arm. If you need to rest the stock on something, let it be your bicep until you are ready to bring the gun up.
Also, shooting flying targets makes repetition less monotonous. To speed up the progress, you can just practice at home by putting the gun up and pointing at a Post-it on the wall. A good training technique is the rule of 21 times, for 21 days, to start.
(Left) We can see the gun in the down position opens up your field of vision. You don’t even have the gun in your way and aren’t likely to get locked into tunnel vision. (Right) The gun mounted after the shooter has spotted a potential threat. In the process of mounting the gun, the shooter merges their direct focus and movement.
2. Proper Stance
Our second foundational skill is stance. Imagine making your body and gun into a tank’s turret. At the point your gun is mounted, you have four points of contact and full control of the muzzle. Yet, what good would a turret be if it could not move freely?
Keep your stance stable and balanced, and your core will be able to move freely. You can see with a closer stance that you can easily pivot by just sliding your back foot a few inches. The stance in the left frame opens your arch up to the right.
Each person has a bit of variation on how they stand, but the goals are always the same: You want to stand in a way that you’re stable and well balanced, and at the same time your core has enough mobility so that you can pivot to acquire targets. A smooth-moving core creates greater accuracy. You should never be throwing your arms, as it will break your mounting position.
Notice the arch your body can comfortably swing across. With instinctive shooting, it is important to stay relaxed, allowing your body movement to be smooth. Smooth motion equals accuracy and speed.
Practice these together, mount and stance, by mounting the gun and moving it horizontally and vertically. Taking the time to practice at home will reinforce your live-fire sessions and speed up mastering the shotgun.
Remember: You want to move using your core and your legs, not your arms.
3. Where Your Eyes Are Looking
The goal of instinctive shooting is to get the gun to shoot where your eyes are looking. Part of that is acquiring the target with your eyes.
Often, when shooters use sights/optics on a firearm they will get tunnel vision. By using a technique called “soft focus,” you can prevent getting tunnel vision. Soft focus allows you to survey a large area by simply using your eyes, which uses the techniques of not using a detailed focus and instead using a wide focused peripheral gaze.
Once a potential target is detected, you switch to an intense detail focus and assess the target: Is the target a threat or not a threat? All the while, you are merging your muscle memory to mount your shotgun to the point your eyes are looking.
Said another way, you do not look down the sights: The barrel will always be in your peripheral vision, but don’t use it to aim, which is called the sight picture. As you build repetition with that sight picture by shooting clays, every time you hit a clay you should replay the hit in your mind, getting used to what the picture looked like.
Due to the size of the target and speeds, it will take a bit. Once you start hitting them, larger and slower targets will seem like child’s play.
After you have these three foundational skills down, you just need to practice while coordinating them together until they become second nature.
The Art of the Gun Down
Imagine increasing your field of vision with the goal of a faster reaction time. If you need to take in a greater field of vision, gun down is a tool to keep in your arsenal.
Here we are looking at the location of the shotgun butt in the gun down position. The butt should be pressed against you side of your chest, so the path to bringing the gun up is consistent. Don’t put it under your arm and don’t press it hard into your side.
Gun down is simply starting from a low position, with the butt of your shotgun no lower than the side of your chest. With the shotgun down, you can now move your head freely while using a soft focus to look for threats, which will avoid tunnel vision.
The first thing to take notice of is the cheek weld. A properly placed cheek weld is key to being able to be set free of your sights. That cheek weld is what aligns you with the barrel. Secondly, the grip on the fore end is firm, but it is not a death grip. If the front grip is too tight that will cause the rest of your grip to be too tense.
If a threat is spotted, transition to focusing on the threat. Muscle memory will take over, and you will mount the gun while focusing on the threat. As your eyes focus on the threat, your gun will come up to its established mounting point. Once you get a solid cheek weld, you will be on target. If you need to engage multiple targets, you can simply move your core to bring them into your sight picture.
Benefits of Foundational Skills
The first benefit is faster target acquisition. If you have mastered the basics, your muscle memory will be established, and your reflexes can take over. Moving instinctively is not only fast, but it can remove the conscious reactions to distractions and fear. Your body is on autopilot; therefore, your actions will come effortlessly, leaving little space for distraction.
The same can apply to fear. With instinctive shooting, you have set a series of actions into motion that can be hard to stop (one of the downsides I will go into). So, even in the confusion of gun fire, you will fall back on this training, and your muscle memory will take over.
As I have referred to before, static targets don’t prepare you for a variety of target scenarios. Clay targets present you with unpredictable target presentations. The angle, speed and range of the target can change. You learn to quickly adapt to these changes, which I believe better parallels actual defensive situations.
Practice Makes Perfect
Clay sporting rounds can offer anywhere from 25 to 100 shots. In trap or skeet, a round consists of 25 targets. And no one says you must shoot just one round, either. When I shoot trap to build my endurance for competition, I shoot no less than four rounds, which is 100 targets. If I catch a hot streak, I will end up shooting until I miss a target.
In sporting clays, you can shoot 50 or a hundred targets. By practicing these sports, you’re going to become much more familiar with your firearm. The best sport out of the three to learn loading cycling and dealing with any malfunction is sporting clays. Sporting clays presents two different targets at each station. Each set can be shot calling for one after another or in true pairs, meaning one call starts the pair sequence forcing to shoot both targets without a break between.
You need not be a hunter to reap the benefits and skills gained from this type of practice.
The Cons of Instinctive Shooting
Instinctive shooting can be so embedded in your shooting routine that you have to remember to slow yourself down. You know the old saying, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail?” The saying is not an exact match for this problem, but if your body is tuned to instinctive shooting, you have to be careful that everything doesn’t become a target.
Sometimes, people don’t realize how powerful instinctive shooting is. You can respond to stimulus before you even realize it. Sure, everyone wants to be the fastest gun in the West, but we must also be moral and responsible for our actions. That is why instinctive shooting is only part of your arsenal of shooting tools.
Shooters Can’t Live on Instinctive Shooting Alone
If you want to improve your tactical shooting, you need to practice tactical shooting. Instinctive shooting, as I have said, is only one part of it. Keep doing tactical drills. Practice shooting from around cover and in different body positions. Clays don’t give you the experience of moving with a gun at the ready.
Techniques like pieing around corners or entering a room still need to be practiced. Most importantly, use your tactical shotgun as much as possible. Every shotgun fits differently. Every shotgun can shoot to a different point of aim … even if they are the same model. Tactical shotguns are more flat shooting, whereas shotguns made for certain clay sports can shoot high. Different ammo patterns differently out of each gun.
Practice with your gun.
The Flow
Many people in sports refer to flow as “the zone.” In psychology, it’s called “the flow.” The term the flow was first used by a psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow is what takes over when instinctive shooting takes place. Many misunderstand the flow as the state you must be in. To be in a state of flow for long periods of time is difficult. For this discipline, the flow is a state that you are looking to enter for that brief moment during which you are actually shooting at a target.
The flow is the culmination of your subconscious brain being trained in shooting so well it pushes your conscious mind aside and says, “I got this.” Some might understand it using the example of drawing your pistol from the holster. If you consciously think about it, you might fumble or struggle with the action. If you have practiced your draw enough, you will be able to draw the pistol from your holster and shoot fast and accurately on muscle memory alone. You don’t have to walk around all day being in a state of flow—just at the moment you need it.
The Rule Of 21
The rule of 21 is what I follow to get a good start of committing something to muscle memory. Doing something 21 times each day for 21 days will commit that action to muscle memory. Here’s how:
For the first week, mount your shotgun; if it’s off, make a correction. Practice mounting 21 times. For the second week, you mount your shotgun 21 times; each time you put it up correctly you get to count it. When you make a mistake, don’t count it; instead, repeat that time. During the third week, if you make a mistake you have to start counting to 21 all over again.
So, let’s say you have successfully put your gun up 18 times and on your 19th attempt you screw up. Well, you’re now back to zero. Do this and you will have this action committed to memory when your shotgun is in the right place. We can still make mistakes, but running this drill will cut down the frequency.
Practice Attire
As a reminder, clothing matters. I shoot year-round. At times, there have been snow squalls and down-pouring rain. As the seasons change, so does my clothing. In the wintertime, I get used to shooting with thick layers on. In the summer, I am down to a T-shirt. Believe it or not, my shooting takes a hit each season change until I am used to the clothing. Therefore, practice shooting or at least mounting your shotgun in all seasons so you get used to the feel. We don’t have the ability to choose when and under what conditions trouble finds us, but we can prepare ourselves to adapt.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Smith & Wesson has just announced the Model 940-3, a J-Frame snubby in 9mm.
The latest carry revolver from Smith & Wesson is the Model 940-3. Chambered for 9mm Luger and fed via moon clip, this stainless steel snub-nose features a 2.17-inch barrel, a svelte weight of 23 ounces and a width of just 1.3 inches thanks to its 5-shot fluted cylinder. Better yet, it’s built on a no-lock frame.
The Model 940-3 also has a concealed hammer to provide a snag-free draw, but that means it’s double-action-only as well. Other features include its Tritium XS front night sight, U-notch dovetail rear sight and Hogue Over-Molded Rubber Bantam grip with finger grooves and texturing for a comfortable yet secure hold.
Each Smith & Wesson Model 940-3 comes with 3 full moon clips and it has an MSRP of $900.
A look at the prolific 9mm Luger cartridge, a worldwide favorite that’s been with us since 1902.
The 9mm Luger, or 9mm Parabellum, was introduced in 1902 with the Luger automatic pistol. It was adopted first by the German Navy in 1904 and then by the German Army in 1908. Since that time, it has been adopted by the military of practically every non-communist power.
The 9mm Luger has become the world’s most popular and widely used military handgun and submachine gun cartridge. In 1985, the 9mm Luger was adopted as the official military cartridge by U.S. Armed Forces, along with the Beretta Model 92-F (M-9) 15-shot semi-auto pistol.
General Comments
Although the 9mm Luger delivers good performance for police, military or sporting use, it was not popular in the United States until years after its inception. The principal reason was that no American-made arms were chambered for it initially. In 1954, Smith & Wesson brought out its Model 39 semi-automatic in this chambering, and Colt chambered its lightweight Commander for the 9mm Luger in 1951. This plus the influx of military pistols chambered for the 9mm greatly increased both popularity and acceptance in this country. Currently, the 9mm Luger is the most widely used cartridge in the United States, though a principal complaint has always been that the 9mm Luger lacks stopping power as a defensive cartridge.
However, the only automatic pistol cartridge with proven stopping power is the .45 Automatic. For hunting use, the 9mm Luger is adequate for most small game, if hollow-point bullets are used. Modern, premium, jacketed hollow-point loads can dramatically improve performance. A variety of 9mm loadings are offered by every major U.S. ammunition maker.
The term “stopping power,” as referred to in the above text, is really nothing more than words used to describe something that gun writers have never been able to quantify like they do with velocity and group size. Since the 1980s, when the 9mm became a very popular cartridge for use by law enforcement officers, those who have conducted research into the ability of a handgun cartridge to actually “stop” a bad guy have learned a great deal.
Additionally, modern bullet engineering, combined with the moderately high velocities obtainable with a 9mm Luger, 9mm Luger +P and 9mm Luger +P+ loads has changed not only the outlook on but the performance of the 9mm Luger. Extensive tests in 10 percent ordnance gelatin have shown that many defensive loads for the 9mm expand to a wider diameter and penetrate as deeply as many .45 Auto loads—and they do this with a higher impact velocity, which translates to more tissue destruction.
We examine just how vastly CCW laws can vary between states in the U.S and how to navigate that while traveling.
Constitutional carry exists in some states, like my home state of West Virginia. If I’m traveling south, most of those states also have permitless carry, too … but Virginia and North Carolina do not. If I travel north, things change because few of those states have permitless carry and some have no reciprocity with West Virginia.
If you’re traveling with a self-defense handgun, it’s important for you to know the law in every state you will pass through.
Possession/Ownership
First, I need to qualify everything you’re about to read by saying I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on the television, on the internet or in gun magazines. But I am a former police officer, special agent and a gun owner who has traveled into and through many states with a handgun. I still qualify my advice as something you can trust but that you should verify, because laws change. What I can tell you with certainty is that most of the law associated with firearms transport is black and white, but like with most everything else, some gray exists.
The first consideration when it comes to traveling with a handgun is whether you can legally possess a handgun in the state you’re traveling to or through. You must understand that possession and ownership are not the same thing.
For instance, you must be 21 to purchase a handgun in West Virginia, but you can obtain a concealed carry permit for a handgun at age 18. Regarding possession—in general—to legally possess a handgun you cannot answer “no” to any of the disqualifying questions on the ATF Form 4473 that you complete when you purchase a firearm. However, in some states, these prohibitions are extended and can include other disqualifiers and even magazine bans.
The point is, meeting the Federal requirements for possession might not be enough in some states. Do your research.
If you have a concealed carry permit with reciprocity or are only traveling in Constitutional Carry states, you can carry normally while traveling by automobile.
Traveling by Highway
If you’re traveling through a state that forbids handgun/high-capacity magazine ownership, you should/might still be legal if you lock your unloaded handgun in a case and secure it in an inaccessible location. This practice is protected through a provision of the Firearm Owner’s Protection Act (FOPA) 18 United States Code 926A, which is intended to protect firearms owners when traveling throughout the United States with firearms.
Packing a handgun in a lockable case without ammo and storing it in a locked inaccessible location in your car should allow you to travel through states with the protections under FOPA – 18 USC 926A.
However, I say might because this regulation is somewhat subject to interpretation. First, because, for FOPA protections to apply, you must be engaging in a lawful purpose, and you cannot extend your stay in the state where the firearm/magazine is illegal by staying overnight.
Essentially, the protection applies while moving, and if you only stop for food, fuel and a brief rest. If you were engaged in an accident, become too ill to travel, or if your vehicle breaks down, a problem could arise. I’ve heard multiple horror stories related to citizens who believed they were protected by FOPA in states with stringent firearm laws. Even though you’re not in violation of federal law, you could still be arrested, charged and convicted of violating state law. This is exactly why I do not travel to New York, with or without a handgun.
Traveling by Air
One way to circumvent highway travel concerns with a handgun is to travel by air because you cannot violate the anti-gun laws of a state while airborne. So, how do you legally fly with a handgun?
You must declare a firearm at check in, and make sure it’s inside a locked container that will travel as checked luggage. You must meet the container/case requirements of the airline, and you might be required to show that it’s unloaded. This can create some anxiety at the check-in desk, so make sure you communicate effectively with the gate agent.
If they are lockable, the hard-sided box some handguns come in are sufficient for air travel.
I suggest you avoid TSA locks, because they’re not required and provide minimal security. Also, check in advance with the airline for any additional requirements.
But air travel is not a foolproof way to avoid issues. If you’re traveling from and to a state where handgun possession is legal, but you have a layover or you’re diverted to a state where handgun possession is not legal, you might have a problem if the layover requires you to reclaim your luggage. Technically, you should still be afforded the protections under FOPA 18 USC 926A, but don’t count on it. Make sure your itinerary does not include those states, because air travel is unpredictable.
Carry Permit
Currently, more states have Constitutional carry than not. This is a good and bad thing for gun owners. It’s good because it eliminates a restriction on your Second Amendment right and worries about traveling through some states. It’s bad because it has led to many gun owners not securing a concealed carry permit—that with state reciprocity can prevent them from running afoul with the law for merely traveling with a handgun. I specifically acquired my carry permit in West Virginia so I could legally carry in Virginia—I only live nine miles from the border.
If you are traveling by automobile in a state with carry permit reciprocity, be sure to have your carry permit and driver’s license with you.
With carry permit reciprocity for a state you’ll be traveling through, you can alleviate some traveling concerns, but that state might also have a magazine capacity restriction. And, as I said at the outset, laws change. As of this writing, legislation is in play in Virginia that would make possession of a magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds illegal, and it would also eliminate carry reciprocity with West Virginia.
The bottom line is that, if you have any doubt about the legality of traveling with a handgun, contact the State Attorney General’s office in your state and in any state you’re traveling too. While the adage that “forgiveness might be easier to obtain than permission” might work with your wife when you buy a new gun, don’t count on it to keep you out of jail if you violate state gun laws.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these 7 new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.
Springfield’s SA-35 is an excellent take on the iconic Browning Hi-Power, but if there was one aspect of the original version worth complaining about, it was its matte blue finish. Thankfully, that’s no longer a problem as the company has just launched a version featuring an absolutely gorgeous polished blue finish. The cherry on top of this aesthetic upgrade is a set of darker checkered walnut grips to complement the deep bluing. It’s otherwise the same old reliable SA-35, even down to its price tag. MSRP: $800
Rise Armament Rev 535 Trigger
Everyone enjoys an upgraded trigger in their AR, but few enjoy the installation process of hammering pins. With Rise Armament’s new Rev 535, improving your rifle’s bang switch has literally never been easier. The company’s calling it a “slide-and-snap AR trigger”, as it features built-in spring-loaded pins and requires no tools to install. You simply depress the pins by hand, drop it into your receiver and basically wiggle it into place until the pins lock into their respective holes. At SHOT, we saw people do it in literal seconds. Once installed, the single-stage Rev 535 trigger provides a crisp 3- to 3.5-pound break, and the blade face is rapidly interchangeable too, letting you swap between flat and curved on the fly (both are included). It even comes in different colors. MSRP: $280
Falco Leather Wallet Pocket Holster
Pocket carry isn’t the best way to tote around a handgun, but sometimes convenience trumps factors like draw speed. For times when you need to quickly throw some defense in your pocket before heading out the door, Falco’s new leather wallet pocket holster looks like a very nice option. It’s designed to create the outline of a wallet while stowed, so even if someone looks below your belt, they’ll be none the wiser that you’re packing. The holsters are available in a huge variety of different pistol makes and model fitments and are handmade with full-grain Italian leather. MSRP: $80
KelTec PR-3AT
If nothing else, KelTec sure keeps things interesting. Case in point, the new PR-3AT. This .380 ACP pocket pistol is tiny, super lightweight and fed via stripper clip like the company’s previous PR-5.7 design. Its lack of a removable magazine combined with its rotary barrel system and polymer frame results in a weight of less than 10 ounces when unloaded. Capacity is 10+1 for the short-gripped variant and 13+1 for the version with a longer grip. The larger model is available with a factory-installed Viridian RFX1 green dot sight, too. As far as deep concealment pistols and backup guns go, this might be the best new option on the market. MSRP: $400
Ruger Harrier Rifles
Ruger has completely overhauled its AR-15 offerings with the Harrier line. Featuring two models, both chambered for 5.56 NATO, the company says the new rifles are being manufactured with a major focus on improved fit, function and features. Made in Ruger’s newly acquired factory in Hebron, Kentucky, the two Harrier variants are very similar but differ in a few key ways. Namely, Model 28600 has a mid-length gas system, a Magpul stock and grip, and an M-Lok handguard with a full-length STANAG top rail, while Model 28601 features a carbine-length gas system, an A2 grip, M4-style carbine stock and a lighter handguard with no full-length top rail. Both models utilize the same 16.1-inch nitrided barrel with a 1:8 twist and ship with A2 flash hiders. MSRP: Model 28600 $750; Model 28601 $700
Lyman Sonicore Suppressors
Lyman entering the suppressor game wasn’t an expected move, but a welcome one. With the tax stamp fee for suppressors now being $0, what the market was in dire need of was a line of cans that prioritized value, and that’s exactly what Lyman’s new Sonicore line is giving us. Featuring 10 different models, all are priced below $300. Available models currently include the Skarv 22, Valor 9, Rekkr Direct Thread (.223 and .30), Rekkr Overbarrel (.223 and .30), Paradox Direct Thread (.223 and .30) and Paradox Overbarrel (.223 and .30). The .22 and 9mm Sonicore suppressors are made entirely of 6026-T9 aluminum, making them incredibly lightweight, while the .223 and .30-caliber models utilize a mix of 303 stainless steel for durability and 6026-T9 aluminum to help keep them lightweight as well. MSRP: $200 to $300, model dependent
Ambient Arms Suppressors
We don’t throw this term around lightly, but Ambient Arms’ new EXO suppressors may really be a game changer. The company calls the heart of the new cans the Ambient Intake System, and it results in significantly cooler operating temperatures by using intake ports and “strategic low-pressure zones” that draw cool air inside during firing. Ambient Arms says the new system didn’t require any compromise with other aspects of the EXO suppressors either, as they still do a great job of reducing report, muzzle flash and even back pressure. Ambient Arms’ lineup currently includes two sizes of 5.56 EXO models and the Stratos .22 that’s rated from .22 LR up to 5.7x28mm. MSRP: EXO 5.56, $1,350 // EXO 5.56i Mini, $1,400 // Stratos .22, $500
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
KelTec has just announced the KP50, a 5.7x28mm braced pistol with a 50-round magazine.
If there’s one thing you can expect from KelTec, it’s the unexpected, and the company’s latest oddball firearm is the KP50. It’s similar to their previous P50 design as they’re both chambered for 5.7x28mm and feed from 50-round P90 magazines, but the new KP50 has been improved in several ways.
The standard KelTec KP50.
The first key improvement is that the magazines now insert from the bottom of the KP50 and they’re drop-free. The P50 had a top-loading design with a hinged upper that had to be lifted to insert it. Even better, KelTec is offering what it calls the Jungle Clip for the KP50 that allows you to clamp two mags together and double your on-board capacity. It also now features a much nicer machined lower receiver and uses a KelTec SU16 trigger group.
The KelTec KP50 with a pistol brace and two magazines attached via Jungle Clip.
The KelTec KP50 is available in several different configurations. The base model (MSRP $900) is a pistol that has a rear Picatinny rail for mounting a brace or stock. Alternatively, you can order the braced model that comes with KelTec’s brace preinstalled as well as two magazines and a Jungle Clip ($1,100). If you don’t mind doing the Form 4 paperwork and waiting a bit, you could order it directly as an SBR with a folding stock instead ($1,100). A select-fire version called the MP50 is being made as well, but of course, it’s only available to militaries and law enforcement agencies. KelTec says that all KP50 variants will start hitting shelves in early Q2.
The American Custom Gunmakers Guild dives into what it takes to make gorgeous custom and engraved guns.
American firearms have woven themselves into the national tapestry since European settlers found their way to the East Coast of America hundreds of years ago. Many setting foot on new soil brought their trade knowledge with them: furniture makers, metal and woodworkers, all eager to begin carving out a life in their new country. While some immigrants hung out their shingle as a continuation of their livelihoods in Europe, many found work in the fledgling American firearms industry, bringing generational skills and knowledge to the embryonic trade. Furniture makers became stockbuilders, machinists barrelmakers, even farm equipment manufacturers set their sights on fulfilling their new country’s burgeoning need for firearms.
And America’s gun trade hasn’t looked back since, building on and improving traditional methods to become a bastion of firearm manufacturing efficiency. While the benefits of mass-producing guns can’t be argued with, there is a select group of artisans who still prefer to build firearms one at a time. They can be found not on a stool in an assembly line or a lengthy corporate roster, but laboring over a multitude of their own machines and tooling, creating all or part of a custom gun for a discriminating client. A custom or bespoke gun is handmade to the customer’s specifications and highlights numerous talents of the builder or builders and incorporates several trade disciplines, including custom stock or grips, barrel, metalwork and engraving to name a few. When done by a skilled hand, the firearm will exceed expectations and not feel like adding another piece of steel to the gun safe but more like welcoming a new member of the family.
The ACGG Is Born
In the interest of expanding and passing on the custom gun trade in the U.S., the American Custom Gunmakers Guild (ACGG) was founded. Several people from the industry began sharing booth space at an NRA show in the early 1980s, hosting gunmakers to meet with prospective clients and others interested in the trade. In 1983, recognizing the benefits of banding together, a small group of forward-thinking individuals each pitched in $100 and formed the first iteration of the Guild as a corporation in Texas; the inaugural show was held shortly thereafter.
The ACGG quickly found its footing and has continued to expand over the years, becoming the preeminent organization for American custom gunmakers. The members help and learn from each other while becoming masters of the craft, driving up the bar for custom gun work across the nation. The Guild website reads:
The mission of the ACGG is manifold. As an entity, the ACGG will strive to function as a venue for the exchange of ideas concerning the craft and promote public awareness of custom gunmakers and their craft. While promoting the betterment of custom gunmaking, we еstablish standards of excellence within the field of custom gunmaking and ethical guidelines to benefit those who create and use custom guns. ACGG nurtures and develops the next generation of custom gunmakers. ACGG follows through on its pledge by working with gunsmithing schools across the country, having professional members give guest lectures and presentations throughout the year to students new to the trade.
The vision of the ACGG is to be the preeminent entity in the United States for custom sporting firearms knowledge, skill, craftsmanship and artisanship. The ACGG aims to be the go-to organization for those seeking knowledge of custom sporting firearms or wishing to have a custom sporting firearm crafted.
With this in mind, the Guild created an ethics board that ensures a potential client’s investment will be protected by holding member’s work to the standard its become known for; if there’s ever a concern, a buyer can contact the board for remediation.
Remington rolling block chambered in 40-65, octagon bridge, custom sporting triggerguard and MVA mid-range sight. Barrel polished and profiled with Rigby flats by Morris Melani of Alaska Arms, LLC, a Guild professional member. Photo: Matthew Horninger at Black Diamond Gunworks.
The Guild has two categories of membership: Associate and Professional.According to the Guild: Accomplished gunmakers are few and far between. But you’ll find most of them are members of ACGG. And they’re all ready to pass on the craft and keep this fine art alive. You are invited to join as an associate and enjoy the fellowship of others who appreciate firearms crafted by hand from exquisite wood and fine metal with intricate design and attention to every detail. As an associate member, you will be part of a unique association that helps ensure that the art of combining wood and metal into collectible and usable firearms continues. We invite anyone who appreciates this work to join as an associate. Associate members can join online at ACGG.org for a modest yearly fee.
Professional members must be an associate for a minimum of one year and submit samples of their work to be voted on by other professional members at one of the shows attended by a quorum of members. Professional members are craftspersons who actively work in the custom gunmaking trade and are willing to pass on their knowledge and experience to associate members eager to learn this unique craft. Both memberships receive access to the quarterly publication of the Guild, Gunmaker. Edited by Dave Norin, a Guild professional member, it’s brimming with how-to articles, current and past projects of members, and other useful information for those interested in the custom gun trade.
Recognizing that custom gunbuilding doesn’t neatly fall under one umbrella, the Guild has a variety of categories for members to join in. Trades represented and able to test for professional membership are: stockmaker, barrelmaker, pistolsmith, metalsmith, metal finisher, engraver, checkering specialist, toolmaker and casemaker. All of the requirements for work to be tested can be found on the ACGG site. Once accepted at the professional level, the member will enjoy the benefits of having their work featured on Guild social media if desired, access to Guild forums, as well as discounts at certain industry sites and businesses. For those who have questions about the membership process, the ACGG has several points of contact to help facilitate, all found on the website.
Colt 1911 chambered in 38 Super and nitre-blued by Ted Yost, engraved and French grayed by Melissa McMinn, charcoal blued by Doug Turnbull; all ACGG professional members. Photo: Matthew Horninger at Black Diamond Gunworks.
As a new addition to the Gun Digest, this series will focus on a different ACGG category each year, giving an introductory look into what it takes to master the art of custom gunmaking. This year’s focus is stockmaking; let’s pull back the curtain on this Old World craft and dive in.
Stockmaking
Inherent in the process of stocking a custom firearm is a tremendous amount of artistic freedom. From wood selection to laying out stock lines and choosing a checkering pattern and finish, the stock is the equivalent of a race car chassis, steering wheel, and accelerator. One must only sit behind the wheel to get a sense of the balance and artistry of a top-tier performance machine.
Dennis Earl Smith, aka “The Stock Doctor,” and arguably one of this country’s most talented gunmakers, put it succinctly, “You build the gun to the shooter.” Length of pull, pitch, cast and toe measurements are planned for, documented and laid out well before any chips are made. The result born, after weeks or months of labor and numerous steps documented below, is a firearm that points instinctively like an extension of the body and can raise goosebumps with its accoutrements.
A Springfield 1903 G&H Classic Sporter chambered in 30-’06, stock and metalwork by Tyrell Christensen, engraving by Chris Rossiter, both Guild professional members.
A complete, finished project can be nothing short of awe-inspiring, but what goes into the creation of such snappy, well-appointed firearms? The first step in crafting a one-of-a-kind gun begins when a job is commissioned and wood is chosen for the upcoming project.
Wood Selection
While there may seem to be innumerable options when one starts looking for a stock blank for a project, most custom firearms are stocked in some type of walnut. Sharon Dressel of Yakima, Washington—a Guild professional member and purveyor of gunstock blanks—was kind enough to tour the author through her inventory and point out different characteristics of the wood gunmakers look for and why. Perusing row upon row of blanks, Dressel would occasionally pull a piece out and, with a practiced eye, point out characteristics she’d been describing like the sought-after fiddleback, crotch feather and marble cake pieces, referring to different grain structure in the wood.
According to Dressel, a specific stock blank is chosen for various reasons. These can include: type of wood (there is a plethora of walnut types, each with their own characteristics, with four varieties: California English, Turkish Circassian, Bastogne, and Black being widely used for stockmaking), uniformity of grain structure (for even workability throughout the inletting and shaping process), whether the blank is slab, quarter, or rift sawn (referring to how the grain is presented in the blank), as well as any “figure,” meaning visually obvious wood characteristics that add to the wood’s appeal. Moisture content and how the blank was dried and aged also play a role as improperly dried wood has ruined more than one stock job. With an appropriate blank chosen for the project, it’s time to move on to the layout.
Stock Layout
Layout refers to taking an individual shooter’s measurements and transferring that information into stock dimensions complementing the shooter’s form, style and body type. When fitted correctly, a custom gun won’t feel forced when mounted, it will feel like it’s going home, and the difference in performance and handling can be quite astounding.
Layout is of utmost importance from beginning to end to hold lines and measurements as the stock is shaped. Photo: Jeff Tapp.
Numerous books have been written on gun measurements, as well as the “how” and “why” for arriving at said measurements for a project. Michael Yardley’s Gunfitting is an excellent resource and starting point to help understand the intricacies that go into measuring a stock for a specific shooter. When practical, stockmakers start with a pattern stock first, observing the client’s shooting style, and make fine adjustments before beginning the build on a fine piece of wood.
Once the rough measurements are taken, it’s time to build a roadmap of sorts to avoid project creep. The stockmaker will trace the top metal onto a piece of graph or butcher paper, then begin to draw the stock profile onto the corresponding metal tracing. Once roughed in, they’ll ensure all the dimensions are correct for the length of pull, cast, toe, pitch, etc. Now, with a life-size drawing, they design and sketch the stock details, paying attention to how the metal and wood lines correspond with each other. Drawing complete, the tracing is cut out and transferred to the stock blank with a pencil, making sure the figure and grain flow in the blank corresponds to the location of the tracing. With the wood marked, a saw is used to cut around the border leaving the material slightly proud of the lines.
Inletting
Now that the extra material is removed, the centerline of the bore measurement and the trigger location are marked, to be used to verify dimensions recorded on the tracing. With the initial measurements done, the buttplate is laid out and marked with the corresponding pitch, cast and toe measurements. The grip and forend cap locations will be located and marked as well if the project requires it. Next, the top and bottom metal can be set by carefully using scrapers, chisels, gouges and other handtools to bring them into the wood. Inletting black [ink] is brushed on the metal surface that contacts the wood to be removed, a black transfer on the wood indicates a high spot to be brought down. Although a painstaking and tedious process, the receiver and barrel should seat with nominal, uniform tolerances—measured in thousandths of an inch—throughout when finished.
Shaping
The metal is set in the stock and all measurements are verified. Now it’s time to start bringing the comb, forend and wrist lines that were sketched on the tracing into the stock and merging them into one piece of art. Flow lines drawn in grease pencil help to keep uniformity and prevent too much material from being removed as areas are blended together by chisel and plane.
Sanding
Rough sanding incorporates rougher grit sandpaper (150-280) and must be done carefully to not roll or dull edges that were cut in the shaping process. With care, this step will remove the final, thick layer of wood needing to be sanded, with each finer grit removing the previous round’s deepest mark. Whiskering between sanding takes place until the maker is satisfied with the result.
Whiskering is accomplished when warm water is rubbed onto a stock by rag or hand, then allowed to dry, raising the worked, broken wood fibers to be sanded off; it can take numerous times between sandings before all of the damaged grain is raised and sanded smooth to the touch.
Finish sanding is next. Progressively finer sandpaper (320-2000) allows the sander to finish prep their work for sealing and finishing while removing very little material from the stock.
Sanding and finishing is the final step before checkering. Photo: Jeff Tapp.
Finishing
While wood can be cut and transformed into beautiful, purposeful material for stockmakers, it doesn’t lose its proclivity for gaining and losing moisture throughout its life cycle from tree to blank to stock, thus, it requires a suitable finish for the environments it will be exposed to.
Personal preference dictates a choice between an “in the wood” or “on the wood” finish, although hand-rubbed oil-urethane finishes rule the day when it comes to the custom gun world. An “in the wood” finish is applied over many days and many coats, allowing time for the finish to soak into the wood fibers before another coat is applied. These are generally considered complete after the stock absorbs less than a drop or two per coat when rubbed into the wood, indicating the pores are full of oil. A coat of wax can be applied at this point to add an additional layer of protection. An “on the wood” finish is as the name suggests, layered on the exterior of the stock with minimal absorption yet generally faster drying times and higher luster. All finishes, like automotive paint, will need to be touched up and taken care of occasionally to get the long-lasting protection desired for a custom gun.
Checkering
Checkering, at its most rudimentary, is a tactile way to better grip a firearm; at its finest, it’s exquisite art mixed with functional beauty. It’s also the last step in the custom stock but it can ruin it just as surely as the first. Given that, many custom gunmakers prefer to send their work to checkering specialists who can adorn the newly crafted stock appropriately. Those who do their own choose from two options: hand or power checkering. The hand checkering method uses a series of tools to lay out lines per inch (lpi) and diamond ratio of the checkering; when satisfied, the artisan traces a pattern onto the stock before cutting several “master lines” to help guide the layout. Power checkering is laid out the same way but instead of scratching in lines one or two at a time by hand, checkerers hold a tool reminiscent of a dentist’s drill, with a choice of different power options and a small wheel that cuts the lines as it rides over the workpiece. Custom checkering jobs, depending on their incorporated features, can take tens of hours to complete correctly and, conversely, are ruined in one careless slip of a tool.
Checkering is an art unto itself and takes tens of hours to complete on a custom job. Photo: Jeff Tapp.
After passing through the stockmaker’s hands, a custom gun is well on its way with a major component complete. Before the project is done, it will pass across more artisans’ benches: a barrelmaker will carefully turn a piece of metal stock into a one-of-a-kind tube, a metalsmith will use contours and lines to seamlessly join barrel and receiver together, adding custom touches to triggers, scope rings and more. The metal must then be finished, with a variety of choices and processes, the builder is only hindered by their imagination. While some gunmakers prefer to keep most or all of the building process in-house, the American Custom Gunmakers Guild has categories for vetted, professional members that are experts in their chosen fields and often collaborate on projects together.
Conclusion
A custom gun, whether it be a shotgun, pistol or rifle, hearkens back to early America and the craftspeople who had a hand in helping a young country find her feet. The many disciplines it takes to craft a firearm are being honed, nurtured and passed on in a host of shops across America as gunmakers live out the ACGG words: Accomplished gunmakers are few and far between. But you’ll find most of them are members of ACGG. And they’re all ready to pass on the craft and keep this fine art alive.
If you’re interested in learning more about the custom gun world or in joining the American Custom Gunmakers Guild, check out ACGG.org for more information.
While recognizing there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat, this article strives to highlight general workflow ideas provided by Guild members and the author’s research. It features “building from the blank” and not semi-inletted or duplicated stocks, although the process is similar.
ZeroTech’s compact Thrive HD 1-4 Prism might just be the best bargain of the year for an everyday carbine optic.
Think of it as a variable-power ACOG. Taking up about as much space as a TA31, ZeroTech’s newest model gives users a true 1x bottom end, with just enough magnification to consistently hit torso-sized targets out to 600 yards in field conditions. Best of all, it does it at a very affordable price.
Sitting atop this well-used AR, the Thrive HD 1-4 seems right at home as a jack-of-all-trades optic.
Optics are one of the few areas of the gun space where we’ve seen steady, consistent improvements in the past couple of decades, to the point where if you showed someone from the mid aughties what they could have for their (Biden-flation adjusted) money, they’d shake their head in disbelief. LPVOs are prevalent on general-purpose carbines, and for lots of good reasons—there’s a model for every budget, and with 10x magnification now available on Chinese-made scopes for less than a grand, you’d be entirely justified by asking why make the seemingly retrograde step of choosing a 1-4 instead.
ZeroTech Thrive HD 1-4×24 Prism Specs
Length: 6 inches Weight: 19 ounces Click Value: 0.5 MOA Field of View: 131 / 31 feet at 100 yards MSRP: $600 URL:zerotechoptics.com
If you’ve ever tried to use a cheap 1-10 at low light and in a less-than-perfect setup, you’re probably a couple of sentences ahead right now. Although glass quality and lens coatings have come a long way, there’s still a significant performance gap between those used in high-dollar rigs, and those in bargain-priced optics. It’s like expecting AMG performance from a Kia—yes, both will get you around town, but there’s a reason one costs more than the other for four wheels and a couple of seats.
Unlike most LPVOs, this one has the zoom ring at the front of the optic.
At 10x, the eyebox becomes so tight that unless you’re bang-on in terms of cheek weld and head alignment, it’s much more time-consuming to line up, especially compared to a medium-powered optic at the same magnification. It’s less noticeable at lower magnifications due to the larger exit pupil, but it’s our contention that most folks use the throw lever on an LPVO as a switch—it’s either at 1x, or they turn it all the way up. If, like Nigel Tufnel’s amp, it went to 11, that would be peachy, too.
We’ve come to appreciate the Thrive HD 1-4 in the weeks we’ve played with it. Glass quality is very good, delivering crisp, edge-to-edge images across the magnification range. The unfortunately named RAP-R reticle offers enough information to make fast hits close in at 1x. Dialing up the magnification, it was relatively simple to connect at distance in breezy conditions, and once you figure out your holds, it can be used out to the effective range of 5.56. We found that with a 50-yard zero, the lowest stadia line corresponds to POA/POI at 500 yards, sending M193 from a 16-inch barrel.
We’re kinda glad that the manufacturer didn’t endow this optic with a BDC reticle, as they’re usually calibrated for one specific ammo and barrel length—most commonly M855 analogues paired with a 16-inch tube. When you get to shooting 77-grain OTMs from a 12.5, then things don’t line up too well. But by using a ballistic app to choose an appropriate zero distance, you can align the hashmarks with known distances and then verify in the field.
Where this scope really shines is on short, barreled carbines, with limited rail space. Most times, with an LPVO and rail-mounted laser, there’s no room to add a clip-on thermal or I2 device, so if you want to make best use of your setup at night, other compromises must be made. Speaking of compromises, the scope could use a little more eye relief. We had to set up in the rearmost slot on our 1919 rail, which means there’s no room for a set of backup iron sights. You could solve this problem with an offset red dot, but if you’d prefer the low-tech solution for a secondary aiming system, you’re SOL.
Overall footprint is very ACOG-ish, and weight is about the same.
Our Thrive HD was packed very neatly in its padded shipping box and arrived with two different clamps for its integral mount. At first, we just slapped it on an AR and headed to the range, where we quickly became frustrated due to the locking lever partially blocking access to the carbine’s charging handle. About to write the optic off due to its incompatibility with America’s favorite rifle, we noticed a second clamp lurking in a corner, which reversed the locking lever and cured the problem. Eureka!
At 19 ounces, the scope’s weight is in line with LPVOs, and you won’t have to source a set of rings or cantilever mount, as scope body and mounting system are integral, machined from a single forging. There are pluses and minuses for everything of course, and while this increases rigidity and reduces failure points, it also limits adaptability—if you want an extra-tall mount for use with NVGs, then this probably isn’t going to be your first choice.
Buttons on left side adjust reticle illumination and allow for toggling between red and green.
If you have vision problems such as astigmatism, red dots are usually a no-go. With its crisp, etched reticle, ZeroTech’s baby can be used by everyone, and when your battery eventually fails, the black reticle’s still there. So long as you have power, you can choose between red and green illumination, but be warned, despite this being a second focal plane scope, it’s not daylight bright. At 1x, its field of view is enormous and outclasses most other LPVOs, even our beloved Kahles and Zeiss 1-6 models.
We’re pretty impressed with the feature set ZeroTech have managed to cram into the Thrive HD 1-4 Prism. The more we use it, the more it grows on us, and the combination of image quality, seemingly bombproof construction and small footprint is very appealing, particularly on our 12.5-inch barreled work guns, which seem to get used for just about everything these days. If you’re in the market for a versatile carbine optic, we believe it’s worthy of a look.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
MDT’s Send It Gen2 electronic level is here to help you eliminate cant and ensure first-round hits.
As the trend of demand for higher precision and accuracy continues across firearm types, rifles have become the centerpiece for maximizing that capability. From mile rifles to recce builds, the desire to have consistent first-round impacts continues.
A growing sector of this pursuit of precision is methods to keep a rifle level. But why is holding a rifle in the proper position related to the Earth during the shot process important, you might ask? Here are the answers, and one of the best tools to keep it on the level.
On The Level
One of the most significant challenges in LRP, or long-range precision, or ELR, extreme long-range shooting, is gravity. This constant factor is both friend and foe, exerting its influence on everything we do, including bullets. As is now a well-known fact, bullets don’t travel in a straight line. Instead, they travel in a relatively predictable arc.
Combine this with what’s known as Ballistic Coefficient or BC, which is the effect air has as drag slowing a bullet's velocity. Add in muzzle velocity and bullet spin rate, also known as twist rate, and you can now start to build a consistent mathematical solution to predict the flight path. There’s one more wrinkle in this endeavor: environmental conditions.
So now you have the solution to nail a first-round impact, but that’s on paper. Once you find yourself in your shooting position, it’s time to take into account new problems to be solved, such as firing angle, temperature, air density and wind.
These environmental factors can take years to master, especially wind. There are tools such as a Kestrel to help you mitigate the influence of those factors, but as you’re in the process of breaking your shot, there’s one factor that we’ve known about for years; you can now, thanks to technological breakthroughs, see better than ever.
Bubble levels, also known as spirit levels, have been a helpful tool for years. You can purchase them for a few dollars at a local hardware store, and they’ve stood the test of time. Based on the principle that a bubble suspended in a consistent liquid will always seek the highest point, most bubble levels utilize ethanol both for its low viscosity and resistance to temperature swings.
Where this all comes into play for shooting is that 2 to 3 degrees of cant can produce inches or even feet of left and right dispersion, depending on the distance to your target. Bubble levels have been a valuable tool on rifles for years and remain so to this day. Still, trends in other industries, such as construction and woodworking, have created digital levels to provide further precision even beyond the classic bubble level.
There’s A Better Way
MDT saw an opportunity to capitalize on this technology and has created the leading option in digital levels for rifles with the MDT Send It Gen2. With a 16-year pedigree of providing some of the best and most innovative shooting accessories focused on the sweet science of long-range marksmanship, MDT is uniquely poised to push the envelope when it comes to the ability to achieve first-round impacts at remarkable distances.
The Send It Gen2 pushes that envelop with four different mounting options to ensure that you’ll be able to set up your rifle in the way that suits your needs and be able to see the three lights indicating your cant position easily. Sporting the ability to change sensitivity settings quickly, it also gives the level of feedback you want without overcomplicating the process.
The Send It Gen2 uses a CR2032 battery, which has become ubiquitous across the optics space, and has an auto-shutoff feature after 10 minutes of inactivity. It will restart when moved and can be turned off manually as well to conserve battery life further.
In practice, Send It Gen2 is remarkably durable, representing itself well in proofing stages for an upcoming sniper competition at the BRVO Tactical Sierra 1 site in Heber, Arizona. Over hundreds of rounds in 90-degree-plus Fahrenheit temperatures, with winds gusting from 5 to 30 miles per hour, and field shooting positions such as tree branches, rocks and prone off a bipod in moon dust, the three lights were there whenever needed.
A couple of notes for users that can make your life easier. First, the sun in Arizona is brutally bright. The Send It Gen2 instructions are clear and should be read thoroughly. One point they make is that there are rigid light pipes that can be installed to make the red, green and blue indicators more visible.
It’s highly recommended you install them unless you’re anticipating having to work in a low-light environment. If you would like to remove them in the future, it requires simple disassembly of the unit as if you were going to change the battery, and pushing them out with something like a ballpoint pen. Next, if you choose to use the included fiber-optic line, ensure the lines are securely placed in the Send It Gen2, and use the included shrink wrap to prevent snag hazards on the lines.
By its nature, fiber-optic lines are fragile, so be careful to set them up in the safest manner possible. From experience, I recommend the direct center Picatinny mount setup if you’re planning on using these fiber optic lines.
The performance of the MDT Send It Gen2 sets it apart from the rest, but the mounting options put it over the top. It’s durable, reliable, compact, versatile and when set up correctly, an ideal solution to your shooting needs. A tool like this isn’t for every rifle or shooter, but if you’re someone who wants the best chance of a first round and subsequent impacts on target, stepping up your game with the Send It Gen2 will help with that process.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
We take a closer look at a very cool Yost Custom Browning Hi-Power SRT model in .40 S&W.
I’ve had a nodding acquaintance with Ted Yost for a bunch of years now. I first met him when I attended one of the Gunsite Alumni Shoots, known in the fraternity as GAS. While there, I took advantage and took photos of Ted and his operation, since he was at that time the resident gunsmith at Gunsite. I also happened to win a GSP as the prize for winning the shoot-off, which GSP Ted had built. (Ted, it has since been modified and isn’t like you built it. Sorry about that.)
That article gave me entrée to editors and led directly to my starting with Gun Digest books. Thanks, Ted.
A few years back, one of the other Gunsite alumni had a firearm in excess of his needs. It was a Browning Hi-Power, in .40S&W, one that Ted had customized. I was deep into a Hi-Power period then—and I had to have it—and the offer was for a very fair (perhaps even bargain) price.
So, I bought it.
The Yost BHP, in its FN case from the factory, with all the extras.
The Favored Forty
When the .40 S&W hit the market in 1990, it was an immediate hit. Everyone who built a self-loading pistol had to have something in the lineup in .40 caliber … or risk being left behind. The first iterations of .40-caliber pistols were simply 9mms with a different breechface, barrel chamber and bore, and magazine.
And they were not entirely satisfactory. Well, the 1911-based ones were, but those who favored the 1911 stuck with a .45-caliber, except for the competition shooters, who would sell their souls for one more round in a magazine.
The “9 converted to a 40” models were quickly changed, and changed again and again, until they became properly-built-for-.40 pistols—except for Glock, where Gaston had the good luck to have built a pistol portly enough that changing it to .40 from 9mm wasn’t a big deal.
FN—thorough engineering prowess has always been their strength—did not have the same model evolution. They did that in the workshops and test ranges. What they found was horrifying. OK, the classic BHP, or Hi-Power, is a steel frame where more than 80 percent of the steel is machined away from the forging.
Another gun writer described it once as being made from the “best grade of Velveeta-class steel,” and he wasn’t far off. It didn’t need exotic alloys or high-strength steels; it worked and worked for a lifetime in 9mm.
But chambered in .40, the test guns died a quick and ugly death. Barrels, slides and frames all expired in different ways and at different round-count intervals, but they all died. So, the engineers rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
The .40 BHP differs from the 9mm in three major ways, besides the breechface and bore. First, the .40-caliber barrel has three locking lugs instead of two. This spreads out the case-thrust load over 50 percent more steel. The slide is heavier, even though it’s the same length as the 9mm. This, combined with a heavier recoil spring, reduced slide velocity, which was just killing slides and frames. And, lastly, the frames were made of steel castings.
How does this help? Simple: The raw casting can be just a few thousandths oversized in the areas that need precision fitting. With the machining greatly reduced, FN could cast the 40 frames out of a much stronger alloy—an alloy that didn’t even need heat-treatment to make it strong.
One thing they did was keep the magazine dimensions, so they could use the same un-killable frames in 9mm. This had the unfortunate consequence of reducing the 40 BHP magazine capacity to 10 rounds. What made it not such a big deal was that, at that time, there was a new law—the Assault Weapon Ban of 1994—which prohibited manufacture of new magazines greater than 10 rounds. So, if you liked the Hi-Power but were stuck with only 10 rounds, you’d likely opt for a 40 rather than a 9.
The 40 BHP mags only hold 10 rounds, and there’s a spring to make ejection brisker.
Yost-ing the Hi-Power
So, this particular 40 made by FN in 1993 (an early 40 then) and imported to the United States, Ted built as an SRT model, and it’s so marked on the slide, and the frame has Yost Custom on the dust cover.
The slide has a Novak-dovetail rear sight, but with the front face of the rear sight cut bluff, so you could use it as a cocking surface if you needed to do one-handed manipulations.
The rear sight, with the front face contoured to make it possible for one-hand slide manipulation, if the occasion warrants it.
The front blade has, as is Ted’s custom, a gold line up the middle, with the blade and the gold serrated.
The top of the slide is serrated from the rear sight to the front. And the front blade has a gold insert.
On the length in-between the sights, Ted serrated the slide. Right-hand side of the 40 slides don’t give you a clue as to the added steel, but the left side does. FN kept the slide-stop lever dimensions, and this meant they had to machine a slight recess on the left side for clearance of the slide-stop lever boss. The 40 slide has the same external extractor that FN switched all BHP production to around 1962.
The thicker slide of the 40 had to be machined with a slight step to clear the standard slide stop lever boss.
On the frame, Ted went and stippled the frontstrap all the way up to the high-cut trigger guard. On the backstrap, he stippled it slightly lower than that, but plenty high enough to give you a good grip. This he calls his Sharkskin stippling, and it’s an apt description. The grips appear to be Spegels, with the sexy contours and hand-filling checkering that anyone who has ever picked up a properly stocked Hi-Power falls in love with.
The Sharkskin stippling Yost applies to the front and backstraps.
The bottom of the frame gives the origin away. The cast frames have the bottom of the frame, at the back of the magazine well, serrated in the direction of the bore axis. Apparently, there were still very few 40s built on forged frames, but only a few. The magwell opening has a small but definite bevel cut by Ted—it aids fast reloads.
The backstrap gets the Sharkskin treatment, and it makes hanging on to the brisk 40 a lot easier.
The magazines for the 40s, while the same dimensions as the 9s, only held 10 rounds. So, the 40s gained the addition of a spring-lever to assist magazine ejection when you want the empty gone. This tends to rub the cast-frame serrations, but that’s life.
The BHP is notorious for biting the hand who shoots it. My first experience with a BHP was that of blood freely running down my hand from where the hammer had bit me. Ted sculpted the hammer so it can’t reach your hand, even if the web of your hand rides up over the tang … as mine does. A small thing, but it matters to some of us.
The BHP benefits from a de-horning, but the hammer needs more to keep it from biting the hand that feeds it.
Another thing he did was to upgrade the safety. The original thumb safety was designed at a time when it was common to carry a pistol with the hammer down on an empty chamber. So, the thumb safety was an accessory not a vital implement. Frankly, the originals were and are miserable to try to use in Condition One.
Many have tried to improve the safety, and some came close. Ted is one of the few who made it something you could actually use. If you’re familiar with the 1911, then the Yost BHP safety is a known quantity. And if your only experience with Hi-Powers is the old safety, you will be amazed.
And, lastly, Ted worked on the trigger. The original magazine disconnector? Gone. The new firing pin safety, there since the MKIII, is still there, but you won’t notice it. The trigger is not competition light, and I suspect that the more-violent cycling of the BHP is part of that. But it is clean and crisp, even if it is 4.25 pounds.
You’ll also likely notice that the recoil spring is much stouter than it is on a 9mm. It has to be, as the 40 is stronger, even if it isn’t a .45.
One thing Ted didn’t change is the barrel. It’s the factory original, with the serial number matching the frame, and I suspect that it wasn’t accidental. FN makes good barrels, and this one is no exception.
When I first acquired it, I had this notion of scoring a 9mm conversion barrel from Bar-Sto (yes, they make such a thing, and it works just fine) and swapping the Yost 40 to 9mm. But it was just too good-looking to put buckets of 9mm ammo through it, and besides, I had a box-stock 40 that I could do the same thing to if I ever wanted to. (Which I eventually did, and that is another BHP story.)
And She Shoots!
I did test-fire it and found it to be superbly accurate. And that leads me to the accuracy testing I did in the oddest way.
I was, at the time, regularly assisting teaching LE Patrol Rifle classes. The three-day classes had the last day at a National Guard base, and the five-day armorer’s class spent the last two days of each class at the NG base. Once the students had passed the qual course, we split them up into groups, and they all had a chance to get runs in on the Army computer course, with knock-down targets out to 300 meters.
The head instructor, who had written the course syllabus, made it mandatory for all instructors to shoot the qualifying course for score, on the record, in each class. It didn’t take long before we were all posting perfect scores. Then, we used whatever rifle we thought was interesting to try. AK? Sure. M1A? You bet. FAL? Of course. All passing.
Then, we started shooting the rifle qual course with handguns. That took a while, but we managed to pass.
Someone had the idea of trying them on the 300-meter course. That one is 20 targets rising up to be hit and fall down, from 50 to 300 meters. A passing score in the Army is 12 out of 20. One day, word came back that the lead instructor just shot a passing score. Oh, and did I mention this was not shooting from the foxhole? This was done standing.
Well, I had to give it a try. As it happened, the only suitable pistol I had along that day was the Ted Yost BHP in 40. (Yes, I had shot a passing score on the qual course with it an hour earlier.) So, I stood there and proceeded to shoot a 14. When the lead instructor heard that, he had to stay up until he shot a 15. (Yes, we are a competitive group.)
So, there it is: a Ted Yost custom 40 BHP that practically fell into my lap from a fellow Gunsite grad and with which I have shot a passing score on the Army rifle qualification course. Standing. The late Walter Brennan had a role in a TV show called The Guns of Will Sonnet. One line that his character used more than once was: “It’s not bragging if you can do it.”
I’m not bragging … much.
Ammo Notes: .40 S&W
The 40 was going to be the one ring to rule them all, even if it wasn’t going to bring them all in the darkness and bind them. It would be nearly a .45, with nearly the magazine capacity of the 9mm, and it would do your taxes, slice your bread and wash your car.
Well, not all that, but it was going to be epic.
And then reality set in.
First, the 40 was hard on the first pistols made for it. And then, once the pistols were beefed up, we found that it was hard on a lot of shooters. The standard load, a 180-grainer at 950 fps, wasn’t too bad. But in the interests of getting even closer to the .45 in performance, we started seeing 165-grain bullets at almost 1,100 fps.
And the 180-grain bullet moving at 950 fps wasn’t kidding around, either. It turned out that the less-dedicated, the smaller-handed shooters—the people who didn’t really want to be shooting guns anyway—found it really tough to shoot. For police departments, that meant more time and ammo to get them “qualified.”
Basically, the 40 over-promised and under-delivered.
But competition shooters loved it anyway. They could shoot Major and use a magazine that held more rounds than anything in .45 could.
The real-world results were muddy at best. While the math and the physics tell us that the 40 was better than the 9mm, not all users agreed.
The reign of the 40 lasted not quite 35 years. Once word got out that the FBI was going back to the 9mm, departments across the country followed suit. Now, you are hard-pressed to find a new 40 being made, and used ones languish in gun shop display cases, if they make it there at all.
Millions were made, and they will last, and your grandkids will still see .40 ammo in gun shops (assuming there are gun shops then), but it’s being replaced by the 9mm.
And, yes, you can convert your BHP in 40 to 9mm. Just ring up Bar-Sto barrels and they can set you up. Oh, and buy 9mm magazines, too.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
An ambi safety can add a lot of functionality to your AR-15. Here we take a look at Aero Precision’s PRO model.
The problem with most AR-15 ambidextrous safeties is the tiny little screws holding them together. The even tinier Allen wrenches meant to tighten them are one moment’s oversight from bending to uselessness.
On a personal note, the wings of ambi safeties tend to be too big for me, and the offside one interferes with my trigger finger. But that’s my problem. Yours, and ours, is assemblage. Well, Aero has solved the problem.
The M4E1 Pro ambi safety selector kit comes with the center shaft, which is cut to work as a safety, two wings, and the spring and plunger to work them.
Now, if your rifle already has a safety on it, the spring and plunger are both superfluous. But they’ll be handy as spares.
The neat trick to the Aero approach is that the wings are both separate parts from the shaft. The center shaft is cut for clearance and to block the trigger when on “safe,” so you’ll have to pay attention when you install it. However, the shaft also has square bosses on the ends. These fit into the recesses in the wings.
The wings have clearance holes on the front so you can disassemble the Aero Pro ambi safety if you need or want to.
And the real trick? There are captured, spring-loaded plungers in the shaft on the ends in those bosses. So, once you have figured out which side is up, press one wing over the boss, use a small-tipped tool to depress the plunger and snap the wing onto the shaft.
Yes, it’s that easy. Press the assemblage into the receiver (with the correct parts assemblage of trigger, disconnector and hammer already there) and press the existing frame-installed plunger down for clearance. (If you’re building from parts, the frame spring and plunger go in just before the pistol grip goes on.)
Once the one-wing-and-shaft assemblage is in place, press the other wing over the boss and use your sharp-pointed tool to depress the plunger. Once it snaps in place … well, you’re done.
No more fiddly little Allen-socket screws of minuscule thread size to fuss over. If you ever want to disassemble it, use a small press pin to depress the plunger. Yes, Aero thought of that and the hole for the plunger goes through the wing, so you have access.
The Aero Precision ambi selector is easy to install and clever as all get-out.
You have your choice of black, OD Green, or Kodiak brown so you can mix or match your new ambi safety to your AR-15 lower or next build project.
Now, some might object that $65 is a bit much for a safety selector, and if you don’t need an ambi, that’s probably correct. After all, you can buy a plain-Jane GI one for, what, $8 plus shipping?
But if you need an ambi, or you feel the need for an ambi, you might as well make life (installation life that is) easier.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
CLINTON, SC – Wraith Metalworks is proud to announce their place as Presenting Sponsor of CANCON 2026, at the Clinton House in Clinton, SC on May 6th through 8th.
A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small business, Wraith Metalworks was founded in 2020 first as a self-made think tank for tackling suppressor-related innovation. In early 2025, after years of multi-faceted problem solving, they entered full-scale R&D. By August of 2025, Wraith suppressors placed 1st, 2nd, and 5th at TBAC Suppressor Summit in the “ML” (Muzzle Left) category, out of 141 different 5.56 suppressors tested. Their focus on dynamic problem solving and rapid iteration—built around additive manufacturing—allows the Wraith team to re-optimize designs or solve end-user-specific suppression problems with functional testing in a matter of days, instead of months or years.
Their system-forward approach has created an entirely new methodology to suppressor construction that offers unprecedented flexibility for consumers. The Wraith Modular Suppression SystemTM offers several distinct advantages over legacy suppressor lines:
Multiple formats – Different diameters and lengths so you can optimize for specific missions and hosts instead of settling for “one size fits most.”
Multiple baffle designs – A large library of interchangeable baffles, each tuned for specific outcomes (sound, back‑pressure, flash, recoil, etc.), and cross‑compatible across our models.
True user‑serviceability – The ability to re‑configure, maintain, and upgrade at the component level rather than throwing away or sidelining entire suppressors.
Wraith currently offers three core suppressor sizes: the Sentinel at 1.88″, the Ambush at 1.575″, and the Raider at 1.45″. The Sentinel and Ambush feature annular flow channels along the outside of the can body, which significantly improve airflow control and exit hygiene, reducing turbulence and helping manage gas where it matters most.
Says Bill Abrams, Chief Executive Officer: “For us at Wraith Metalworks, CANCON is more than an event—it’s the center of gravity for the suppressor community. It brings together serious shooters, top manufacturers, and a culture that actually values performance over hype. There’s no better place for us to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the best in the industry and meet the shooters we build for. We’re excited to be part of that energy, to spend time talking shop on the line, and to let people experience the Sentinel system in a place that’s all about suppressed shooting.”
For more information about tickets for CANCON 2026, Presented by Wraith Metalworks, check our website at CANCONevent.com.
Vortex has just added 10×28 and 12×50 models to its popular Triumph HD binocular line.
Vortex is known for its great-value glass, like its Triumph HD binoculars, and now the company is adding two more options to the line. The original Triumph HD binoculars were 10×42, but for those who needed something a bit smaller or with a little more magnification, they’re now available in 10×28 and 12×50 configurations as well.
Vortex said this about the new Triumph HD models:
The Triumph® HD 10×28 is smaller and lightweight without giving up resolution. The Triumph® HD 12×50 adds reach, detail, and brightness for more open-country glassing and scouting where a tripod can make all the difference.
Details about the new binos are what you’d expect from the Triumph HD line, namely, compatibility with tripods, excellent HD glass with fully multi-coated lenses and a tough rubber exterior and nitrogen gas purged interior for resistance to shock, fog and water. Of course, if you manage to bust them, they’re covered by Vortex’s unconditional VIP Warranty as well.
The Triumph HD 10×28 model has an MSRP of $130 and comes with a carrying case, a neck strap, a lens cloth, tethered objective lens covers and eyepiece covers. The Triumph HD 12×50 has an MSRP of $180 and comes with a Glasspak binocular harness, a neck strap, a lens cloth, snap-fit objective lens covers and eyepiece covers.
We take a look back at the life and times of the iconic M14, as well as where it stands today.
Retro has been all the rage in recent years, and the interest level in guns from the Cold War era has skyrocketed. Ignoring the nuclear reality of the geopolitical situation during the time period, the guns in question have become something of a cozy nostalgic experience against the constant barrage of bad international news and rampant domestic consumerism in the industry today.
Simpler times, if you will.
The past few years have seen a growing appreciation for the early War on Terror era and its various attempts to adapt Cold War systems to the needs of the time, among them the venerable M14. We look at the state of the rifle today and what might be to come for the legendary rifle.
The Best Rifle for a War Already Fought
There are certainly quite a few opinions surrounding the M14 and its merits. It has been accused of being too large, too powerful, not powerful enough, both very accurate and not able to hit the broad side of a barn, the shortest-lived service rifle and yet the one that kept coming back when the going got rough.
It seems like everyone has an opinion of this rifle, but the only true tragedy is that the gun didn’t come sooner. We could have had a rifle very similar to the M14 as early as the 1920s, but the government was hilariously concerned about soldiers losing magazines and wasting ammo, a thing that went so far as to be mockingly chalked up to as British custom (the SMLE had detachable magazines and a 10-round capacity).
For no reason that made sense, the U.S. government was deeply concerned with this and had been for decades, going so far as to put magazine cutoffs on the 1903 Springfield and doubting the need for stripper clip-fed bolt guns with the choice of the Krag rifle in the 1890s.
The M14 was designed to be able to use stripper clips to load a magazine, just like a Mauser.
The experiences gained in World War II and Korea birthed the M14, and I stand by the fact that it would have been a great rifle for those conflicts … had it existed. For the naysayers, note that the Germans and Russians already had various attempts at detachable-magazine, full-power semi-auto or select-fire rifles that were developed actively in the war. The issues they encountered with the G43 and SVT40 (updated SVT 38) made them generally subpar, especially to the American M1 Garand.
Not only could they simply not make enough of these rifles; the ones that were produced were often of poor quality and the reception, especially of the later war G43s and the SVT series in general, for both accuracy and durability. The concept was solid, the execution not so much.
The desire to have this type of rifle was present in the American mind but unrealized in practice, and thankfully the M1 Garand was proven to be superior to Axis rifles in all ways except the issue of a detachable magazine. It should be noted that the Axis powers and Russia tried to mass-issue autoloading rifles, but they failed due to wartime stress. There were, of course, attempts to remedy this issue with the M1, but the war ended before any serious progress had been made. The M1’s lack of detachable magazine was notable, and it was, to many firearms experts, already obsolete during its production run.
The (Unwitting) Rifle of the Future
The American side of things had been slowly working on a general program for rifle improvement for some time, but there was a good deal of bureaucratic uncertainty involved and many competing ideas leading to a foot-dragging between various factions and their ideas of what was needed in service rifles.
After WWI, experiences gained led to a search for a self-loading rifle. This led to famous designs like the Pedersen rifle and the Garand, and it included a heavy debate on the merits of “small bore” rifles, namely chambered for .276 Pedersen. Of note is that most other world powers were capable of delivering on a detachable magazine semiautomatic rifle, while America wasted time much in the same way that they resisted bolt actions and stripper clip-fed rifles in the pre-WWI era.
These are all commercial rifles, but their namesakes all served together in various conflicts through the ’60s and ’70s. Top down: Brownells M16A1, James River M14 and brand-new CMP M1 rifle. These three represent a progression of small arms ideology.
This amorphous program was referred to as the U.S. Light Rifle Program and led to many, many designs, both failed and successful. The general goal of the post-WWII program was to find a successor to the M1 Garand, and that is exactly what happened, just not in the most direct way. The program was lengthy, and there were many facets covered in both rifle and cartridge design.
The M14 came to us as the result of this program; however, the rifle did attempt to do a lot. In utilizing a compacted Garand-style action combined with a cartridge that was for all purposes very close in ballistic performance to .30-06 in the M1, the M14 was a guaranteed performer in terms of power. Making it select-fire and including magazines with capacity equal to the BAR (Browning automatic rifle) checked those boxes, making it able to provide squad support. Its overall size and weight made it easy to carry and point. On paper it was a great rifle, and in practice it was, too—but not in every role the military needed it for.
Like many jack-of-all-trade concepts, it was a compromise on several points, namely its powerful 7.62 NATO chambering and difficult handling in full-auto. World militaries at this time had only tinkered with what we call intermediate calibers, and the Western powers didn’t understand them well, comparing them to sub-machine guns in most period literature. A big culprit was the German StG44, what would be known as the granddaddy of assault rifles, of course chambered in the 8mm Kurz, an intermediate rifle round. The rifle was also referred to as the MP44, as in machine pistol.
What should be understood about the M14 and 7.62 NATO was that it was considered “normal” for the time, and the intermediate calibers like the USSR’s 7.62x39mm were effectively laughed at; the American mind was fixed on traditional rifles and long ranges. Intermediate cartridges were not taken seriously until they were encountered head-on.
The M14 and M1, field-stripped. The two rifles disassemble the same to this point, but afterward special tools are required.
The idea that American and NATO forces had for their 7.62x51mm rifles was solid, but ultimately it would result in a back-and-forth with Eastern Bloc powers, resulting in the small-bore race in the 1960s. The 5.56 NATO eventually inspired the USSR to start looking for smaller and lighter options, and here we are today.
But, for the M14, going small had its hidden advantages. As wars changed and the demands of battle proved too much on the 5.56 NATO, the M14 was called back into service time and again. Sure enough, the War on Terror saw a complete resurgence and change of reputation for the M14, and it went from something of a pariah to a saving grace. Today, it’s held in high esteem thanks to its evolution into the storied EBR, and it’s now enjoying a resurgence in media and video games, with just a touch of nostalgia.
The M14 Today
So, there has to be a point made here that the civilian M14 and military M14 are not exactly the same rifle, despite accepting most of the same accessories. You can think of it the same way as any semi-auto “version” of a full-auto capable military weapon.
The simple reason this happens is because there is a wide commercial demand for these types of guns out of a simple desire for identical cosmetics. People love them, and they are fun. While nobody is going to say that a BAR or Tommy gun is going to be a great modern option, they will always turn more heads at the range than another AR. And, even at that, the retro AR options are always a bit more fun if you ask me.
The civilian M14 doesn’t have a specific designation, and the M1A moniker belongs only to Springfield Armory. Calling a civilian semi-auto M14 an M1A is wrong unless it was specifically made by Springfield, the company that is responsible for bringing the original rifle to market in the 1970s after the government restricted the sale of converted military receivers to the public. Unfortunately for enthusiasts, the original receivers are machine guns and far harder to get, especially for people wanting to shoot at the time. That said, if you are into it, transferable select-fire originals are still around and don’t command outrageous prices compared to many legal machine guns.
The internals of the military M14 are different from the commercial guns, but the actual differences are not all that cosmetically significant. More people have seen and handled the commercial rifles at this point so the selector switch cutout isn’t a missed detail. Hardcore military clone builders can get their hands on a dummy switch and a corresponding stock pretty easily. The M14 today is somewhat unsupported by the aftermarket, and this has left a large gap after years of popularity decline.
Where Did the M14 Market Go?
So what happened to the M14 after all these years, and what is the deal with the surge in interest for it? The direct answer is that it simply lost relevance, as modern, AR-based designs filled in military roles and the stopgap measures eventually stopped appearing in the media. The M110 family started replacing the M14 EBR variants fairly early on, despite the incredible popularity of the latter in War on Terror media.
The classic 2000s-era guns we know and love were, for the most part, short-lived. The M4, M16A2 and A4 rifles that featured heavily were phased out for a variety of newer variants that were more easily able to accept the ever-changing accessories being used. Rail systems became popular, as did lights and lasers. The demands placed on rifles like the M14 proved too high for the old warhorses, and, despite being praised as reliable and universally loved for their aesthetic quality, they couldn’t keep up.
The civilian side of things saw the market dry up considerably, as military demand dwindled. And, having lived through it, the M14 peaked commercially around 2010, where it then sharply dropped off. Political trends in the country were gravitating toward support of the AR-15, which was the target of the Obama administration, but by his re-election in 2012, the entire 2A community was firmly behind preventing limits on the AR, the zombie thing was trending (just a reminder we did do this), and the M14 simply dropped off in popularity. The AR was truly the new big deal, and that trend has lasted to the point that the M14 market virtually went extinct.
This isn’t to say the M14 ceased to exist. The rifle remained popular in match shooting and some long-range events until it was also pushed out by the growing popularity of sports like PRS. It simply couldn’t adapt to the demands of changing rules, gear and advanced cartridges. However, these days the mood has changed, and the M14 is again being looked at, as things grow uncertain in the world and consumers burn out on modern guns. The retro wave has lasted far longer than anyone could have guessed.
The State of the M14
Today, companies are still making parts and accessories for the M14, but they are decidedly few in number. The main companies making this type of rifle are Springfield Armory, Fulton Armory, Bula Defense and LRB. There used to be quite a few more, including Chinese Norinco versions, but they have not been available in some time. Of note is that there are more companies making the M14; the James River rifle featured here has a Bula manufactured receiver.
The James River receiver reveals that the rifle is made of almost entirely Bula Defense parts. The M14 market is small these days, and it’s not unusual to find mixed parts or alternate stamps.
Stocks are available, but, again, few in quantity, as production never really ramped up after the drop off. Wood stocks can be had fairly easily as well as synthetic. Companies like Boyds make them, but you’ll need to be familiar with a bit of hand-fitting in some cases. Surplus stocks and a variety of fiberglass versions can be found on the surplus market as well. Forums and gun shows are a good way to source truly retro parts if you’re going for a certain look.
US Tactical Supply is currently releasing new production versions of the classic EBR chassis, but again, these are not exactly drop-in. You’ll need to be familiar with working on the M14’s barrel and gas system or get it sent off to be professionally installed. As with many of these older guns, they were not designed with modularity or easy servicing in mind. If you want it done right, you might not be able to do it yourself.
Barrels and small parts are a mixed bag. There’s still a good amount of like-new surplus floating around in terms of period-correct parts. Companies like Criterion make a number of barrels appropriate for the M14, but installation is a more professional endeavor. Headspacing is best left to a custom shop, as it’s a complicated procedure unlike the easy install on AR rifles or modern pre-fit bolt guns. Many of the quality barrels are chrome lined, and companies like Fulton Armory are experts at their installation, for which you can’t use a chamber reamer. The barrels must be intricately timed and headspaced to the receiver and the bolt. Suffice to say, it needs to be done right.
If you want a good look at the M14 accessory market today, well, this is most of it. There has been a decline in accessories for years now, but you can still readily find scope mounts, scout mounts and specialty parts like Fulton Armory adjustable gas blocks and suppressor mounts.
Optical mounts and the like are still widely available, and you can have your choice of receiver-mounted versions or scout style, like those from Ulitmak. I have had success with both of these, but again it should be noted that these are truly not the same as installation of parts on an AR. Installing an M14 receiver optic mount is a bit of a pain and, while not exactly 10/10 difficult, it does require know-how.
You might be sensing a trend here that these rifles aren’t exactly easy to work on.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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