From all across the web, we've searched high and low for some of the best deals we can find! From tactical gear to firearms, from ammo to footwear, we've dug down deep to deliver some delicious discounts!
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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.
When it comes to modern shotgun shells, science beats size all day long.
The 3.5-inch shotgun shell has long been marketed as the ultimate answer for hunters who believe that more power automatically translates into more success. Introduced as a way to push heavier payloads at high velocity, it promised longer range and denser patterns, particularly for waterfowl and turkey hunters seeking an edge.
But in today’s hunting landscape, advances in ammunition design, shotgun technology and a deeper understanding of effective range have rendered the 3.5-inch shell unnecessary.
Simply put, the 3.5-inch shell needs to die.
History of the 3.5-Inch Shell
In the 1970s, there was a large push for lead ammunition to be banned. Specifically, this ban was focused on people hunting over water, as it had a negative impact on our waters and the fish and birds that utilized those waters. It took some time, but in 1991, lead was officially banned for waterfowl hunting.
Companies like Federal Premium Ammunition and O.F. Mossberg & Sons were already preparing for the changes, and, in 1988, the two companies teamed up by introducing the Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag pump shotgun, which allowed for 3.5-inch shells available from Federal Premium. The pitch was straightforward: More room in the hull meant more pellets or more powder, resulting in either denser shot patterns or higher velocities.
At the time, this made sense. Steel shot replaced lead for waterfowl hunting due to environmental regulations, and early steel loads were less dense and less effective at longer ranges. Hunters felt underpowered. The 3.5-inch shell was positioned as the solution to compensate for steel’s lower density by simply throwing more of it downrange.
But times have changed, and ammunition has evolved.
Modern Ammunition
Today’s ammunition is dramatically different from what was available when the 3.5-inch shell gained traction. Advances in wad design, shot composition and buffering have improved performance across the board. High-density materials, such as tungsten-based alloys, have revolutionized shotgun effectiveness.
Companies like Federal Premium Ammunition, Hevi-Shot, Apex Ammunition and Winchester Repeating Arms now produce 3-inch shells loaded with tungsten super shot (TSS) or other dense materials that outperform traditional 3.5-inch steel loads in both energy retention and pattern density. Because tungsten is significantly denser than steel, smaller pellets can be used without sacrificing lethality. That means more pellets in the same payload, and more effective hits on target.
In practical terms, a modern 3-inch TSS load delivers better performance than a 3.5-inch steel magnum. The extra half inch of hull simply isn’t necessary anymore.
Recoil Is Bad
One of the most obvious drawbacks of the 3.5-inch shell is recoil. Physics simply do not lie: More powder and heavier payloads generate more kick. Even in semi-automatic shotguns designed to mitigate recoil, 3.5-inch shells produce punishing levels of force compared to 2¾- or 3-inch loads.
This recoil affects more than comfort: It reduces shooter confidence, slows follow-up shots and can contribute to flinching, especially among younger or newer hunters. In a sport that relies heavily on instinctive shooting and smooth follow-through, excessive recoil is a liability. It also increases the risk of a new shooter not continuing with the sport, as they see shooting as punishment rather than reward.
To put things into perspective, the approximate free recoil energy felt is as follows. A 2 ¾-inch steel load puts out about 26 ft-lb of recoil, a 3-inch steel load puts out about 32 ft-lb of recoil, and a 3.5-inch steel load puts out about 44 ft-lb of recoil.
If you’re more of a rifle enthusiast, imagine roughly double the amount of kick felt over a .30-06. That’s not subtle; it’s significant. Let’s also factor in recoil velocity, which is how fast the gun moves rearward.
The jump in recoil velocity from a 3- to a 3.5-inch shell is about 30 to 40 percent, depending on the specific load being sent downrange. What does that mean? It means that your shoulder might hate you after shooting 3.5-inch loads all day.
Shotguns chambered for 3.5-inch shells are often heavier to accommodate the longer receiver and thicker barrel walls required for the increased pressure. While this can help absorb some recoil, it also results in a bulkier firearm that is less nimble in the field. Studies have shown that carrying a heavier shotgun in the field increases fatigue and shortens the length of time the hunter spends afield.
Diminishing Returns
The central argument for the 3.5-inch shell has always been range and pellet count. But shotgun ballistics impose natural limits. No matter how much shot you cram into a shell, pellet energy decreases rapidly with distance due to air resistance. The difference in effective range between a well-patterned 3-inch load and a 3.5-inch load is often marginal, sometimes only a few yards. Ethical hunting depends more on proper shot placement and realistic range estimation than on brute force.
In turkey hunting, for example, many experienced hunters have transitioned back to lighter loads because modern choke systems and dense shot types deliver tight, lethal patterns without the need for magnum recoil. A carefully tuned 3-inch tungsten load through a high-quality choke out of a small-bore shotgun often performs just as well or better than a 3.5-inch load.
What About Cost?
There is also a financial argument to be made. Shotguns chambered for 3.5-inch shells typically command higher prices. The ammunition itself is more expensive, and the additional wear on firearms can increase long-term maintenance costs. When a 3-inch load can achieve similar or better performance, the additional cost of 3.5-inch capability becomes difficult to justify. Hunters are essentially paying for theoretical advantages that rarely translate into meaningful real-life gains.
Some could make the argument that tungsten ammunition is even more expensive than 3.5-inch loads, but when you factor in the wear and tear on your firearm, and the environmental impacts, it’s easily justifiable.
Game and Ethical Considerations
The marketing of the 3.5-inch shell often encourages a mindset of “more is better.” But ethical hunting is not about maximizing power; it’s about maximizing effectiveness within reasonable limits.
The illusion of extended range can tempt hunters to take longer shots than they should. Even if a 3.5-inch shell delivers slightly more pellets at 50 yards that does not make 50 yards an ethical or reliable distance for most shooters. Pattern degradation, wind drift and target movement remain significant factors.
For turkey hunters, the introduction of TSS completely rendered the 3.5-inch shell useless. With most modern turkey hunters running-and-gunning after wary, pressured gobblers, smaller and lighter is better. TSS patterns very well, increases lethal range and produces less kick. And, when you factor in that most turkey hunters shoot less than a box of shells in a season, the cost is a non-issue.
With waterfowl, the argument can get a little tougher. Hardcore waterfowl hunters are measuring the amount of shells shot in cases, not boxes, so cost is a consideration. But you don’t have to break the bank on TSS; you can shoot modern 3-inch steel that’s simply better.
Federal Premium’s Raptor Steel or Kent FastSteel, when teamed with a good choke, will outperform any standard 3.5-inch steel load on the market. Hevi-Shot offers other options like copper and stacked alloys that perform much better than steel. These options come at a far lower cost than tungsten and are still better than any 3.5-inch steel offering.
In many cases, the confidence inspired by a powerful shell may actually reduce ethical discipline.
The Rise of Small-Bore Efficiency
Perhaps the strongest indictment of the 3.5-inch 12-gauge shell is the rise of high-performance sub-gauge loads. With tungsten-based shot, even the .410 has become a legitimate option for turkey hunters, and a 20-gauge is a completely viable option for waterfowl hunters.
A modern 20-gauge, 3-inch TSS load can deliver pattern densities that rival or exceed traditional 12-gauge 3.5-inch steel loads, while producing far less recoil. If a smaller gauge can match the performance of the biggest mainstream 12-gauge offering, the argument for the latter weakens considerably.
In fact, many hunters are downsizing their shotguns to improve handling and reduce fatigue, relying on superior ammunition technology rather than brute force.
TSS has completely changed how we look at things such as pellet counts and terminal velocity. A 3-inch .410 shell containing No. 9 TSS can contain about the same number of pellets at a 3.5-inch lead load. While each pellet is smaller in the .410 shell, TSS retains velocity far better and penetrates more effectively due to its density. The TSS load will routinely produce more lethal patterns at 50 yards, out of a lighter gun, with far less recoil. Choosing the smaller bore seems like a no-brainer.
Limitations of 3.5-inch Shotguns
Not all semi-automatic shotguns cycle 3.5-inch shells reliably without tuning. Some shooters report increased fouling, cycling issues or sensitivity to load variations. Pump-action shotguns handle them more consistently, but the added length can make the action feel slightly slower.
The longer receiver required for 3.5-inch shells can also affect balance. While subtle, this can matter in fast-paced shooting situations, such as waterfowl hunting.
And for what? A marginal increase in pellet count that modern ammunition science has largely made irrelevant.
Marketing Versus Reality
The 3.5-inch shell thrives more on perception than necessity. It represents the upper limit of what the 12-gauge can handle, and there is undeniable appeal in owning the “most powerful” option.
But firearms history is filled with examples of maximum-power offerings that eventually fell out of favor as more efficient alternatives emerged. Power without proportion rarely survives long-term scrutiny.
The same forces that made black powder obsolete, replaced fixed chokes with interchangeable systems and ushered in high-density shot materials are at work here. Efficiency, comfort and precision are replacing sheer volume.
The reality is that pellet count doesn’t always equate to better results. If we think of the initial marketing push, using 3.5-inch steel BB as our example for killing geese at longer range, we can break down the numbers and show that it’s not what we all thought we were getting.
A 3-inch steel BB shell contains approximately 79 pellets, and a 3.5-inch steel BB shell contains about 93 pellets. So, the 3.5-inch shell gives us 14 extra pellets, which is roughly a 17 percent increase in pellet count. That sounds good, right? That’s if we’re assuming that the patterns are identical, which is rarely the case, as larger payloads often make for longer shot columns and deformation.
We can’t forget the 30 to 40 percent increase in felt recoil.
Current marketing should be on the side of “more power isn’t always better.”
Yesterday’s Problem
The 3.5-inch shell was created to solve a legitimate issue: early steel shot’s poor performance compared to lead. At the time, throwing more steel made sense. The 3.5-inch steel loads, upon release, were groundbreaking and solved a real issue for hunters.
Today, we have better steel, better wads, better chokes and access to high-density alternatives that far outperform any 3.5-inch offering. The technological landscape has changed, but the 3.5-inch shell remains largely the same, a brute-force solution in a precision era.
Its continued presence in the market is simply unnecessary.
Conclusion
The 3.5-inch shotgun shell is not useless. It still works, and it still harvests game. But obsolescence does not require total failure, it simply means being surpassed by better solutions.
Modern 3-inch loads deliver comparable or superior performance with less recoil, lower cost, lighter firearms and improved shooter confidence. Advances in shot composition and pattern control have eliminated the need for excessive payloads. Ethical hunting practices emphasize effective range and shot placement over raw pellet count.
In a world where ammunition science has advanced dramatically, the 3.5-inch shell stands as a relic of an earlier era, of a time when more seemed like the only answer. Today, smarter, not bigger, wins every time.
For those reasons, the 3.5-inch shotgun shell should die—not because it cannot perform, but because it no longer needs to.
Field Notes: Predator Hunting
Initially, 3.5-inch shells weren’t marketed for predator hunters, but those in the know found them to be of great use. For many predator hunters, the 3.5-inch loads were a big deal, game-changing in the early ’90s. It gave them a few extra pellets to throw at a predator that came in tight … too tight for a clear rifle shot. A few 3.5-inch 12-gauge BBB or T-shot shells were probably laying around in many predator hunter’s bags, and before the introduction of modern predator loads, they were considered to be the top choice for most shotgunning predator hunters.
Modern technology changed that. Hevi-Shot introduced the Dead Coyote loads in 2008, designed specifically for predator hunting with high-density 12 g/cc pressured tungsten pellets. Dead Coyote 3-inch 12-gauge 00 Buckshot has incredibly dense patterns and is lethal out to 70 yards on everything from fox and coyotes to bobcats and hogs.
Other manufacturers have jumped on board with premium 3-inch offerings. Apex has the TSS Predator loads, Winchester has the Varmint X, and Hornady has the Heavy Magnum Coyote. All of them are viable options that outperform anything in the 3.5-inch arena.
Just one more reason for 3.5-inch shells to die.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Check out the latest piston-driven AR to hit the U.S. market, the IWI ARAD 5.
Israel Weapon Industries‘ ARAD 5 has finally landed in the United States! Developed in 2019, the ARAD 5 is a short-stroke piston AR designed for modern users. Taking some notes from the HK 416 platform, the ARAD 5 has a lot of features that make it stand out from the sea of black rifles normally seen.
Features
Semi-Monolithic Upper: Enables the use of varied optics and thermals while maintaining a rock-solid zero.
Modular Handguard: M-LOK rails at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions for maximum versatility.
IWI QD CamLok System: Features the same fast, easy barrel-change retention system found in the world-famous Tavor X95 and Tavor 7.
Short-Stroke Gas Piston: A highly dependable system with a 2-position gas regulator, ensuring reliability across environments and suppressed/unsuppressed configurations.
MIL-SPEC AR-15 Lower Receiver
American-Israeli Rifle
Everything about the ARAD 5 is a mix of American and Israeli. From design to manufacturing, this is a mutt of a rifle. The barrel blank, lower receiver, and lower internal parts are all made in the United States. The piston system, gas block, barrel extension, and upper receiver parts are imported from IWI in Israel.
Good news, this means this rifle doesn’t run into any weird importation laws. Bad news, this kind of leaves the American ARAD 5 as the slightly watered-down version of the ARAD.
The ARAD has found a home with several governments and top-tier units around the world, and those contract rifles feature a CHF Chrome Lined barrel and full-ambi lower receiver. But the American ARAD 5 uses a MIL-SPEC AR-15 receiver with no ambi controls and a 4150 CMV barrel.
While the barrel material difference isn’t a huge deal, the lack of chrome lining is notable for longevity, especially in this FRT/FRS world. Missing out on the ambi-lower is a major bummer, but at least the MIL-SPEC lower is fully parts compatible with other standard AR-15 parts.
That said, the most important bits of the ARAD are still here. Short-stroke piston, thick barrel, adjustable gas block, semi-mono handguard/upper receiver, and the IWI QD CamLok system for the barrel.
Internal Changes
Differences between the ARAD and a normal AR-15 are easy to spot on the outside, but the inside is more interesting (at least to me). One look at the BCG and it’s obvious that this isn’t what you’re used to seeing.
ARAD 5 on top, Walker Defense Research AR-15 BCG on bottom
Nearly all modern military black rifles share some common parentage. The AR-15, AR-18, and HK 416 can be seen in one form or another almost everywhere. The ARAD BCG is no exception. Thicker, rounded bolt lugs, spring-loaded firing pin, oversized firing pin, BCG safety lever, and dual ejectors make the ARAD 5’s BCG a non-standard and very robust system.
Range Time
This pre-release ARAD 5 didn’t have much time to see the range, so long term testing will have to wait. But so far, this is a solid rifle. Weight is heavy and balanced to the front, not surprising with a piston rifle. Handguard feels incredible and rock solid. Wider on the bottom than most handguards, this gives a more connected feel when shooting off a bag or prop.
B5 Systems buttstock and grip are often what get added to my personal rifles, so these feel right at home for me.
The magazine that shipped with the ARAD 5 isn’t the standard Gen 2 PMAG we’re used to seeing paired with almost every other AR-15 on the market. Instead, IWI classed it up by sending the PMAG M3 Windowed magazine. This 3rd-generation PMAG has some improvements that make it a better magazine overall, plus the addition of the window for easy round counting.
Today’s red-dot sights are a far cry from those of yesteryear, which wasn’t all that long ago. We’ve come a long way fast.
History is fascinating. A look into the past often feels like shaking hands with someone long dead. Some inventors were ahead of their time with an intellectual panache limited only by their place in history. Like da Vinci’s helicopter, their inventions could not get off the ground without supporting technology. The history of the red-dot sight or optical sight is long and filled with brilliant inventors and inventions.
The optical sight was well on its way when mankind first began to grind glass, and with Sir Isaac Newton’s optical experiments. Practical innovation led to the first reflex sights around 1900. The problem addressed by the reflex sight was speed and accuracy with iron sights. While very accurate and well-designed iron sights were in practical use before 1900, they required extensive training to be effective.
One example was the Buffington rear sight used on the U.S. 1873 Springfield rifle. With graduated adjustments to 2,000 yards and an azimuth knob, the Buffington sight allowed real precision. But the basic problem of iron sights remained. The eye must focus on the front sight, keeping it sharp in focus. The rear sight was slightly blurred, and the target was not in sharp focus. This allowed for excellent accuracy, especially in the hands of trained marksmen.
However, not all the training was that good, and not all the rifles were that accurate. Long-range rifle fire was important at the time. The development of telescopic sights led to the creation of specialized snipers in every army by World War I. The reflex sight originated in 1900, according to patents by Howard Grubb. His 1901 patent shows a similarity to modern designs.
The 1901 patent diagram illustrates a relatively compact instrument compared to similar designs for cannon and artillery. I collect old cameras, and the optical similarities between some of the lenses and aiming devices are interesting. All are optics.
The Grubb sight used outside lighting; there was no battery. Light bounced into the sight through a relay mirror, then off a curved collimating mirror. The sight was apparently designed to compete with telescopic sights. At the time, telescopic sights were far less developed than today. Parallax error and low eye relief, as well as a small field of view, were the norm for telescopic sights. Then and now, a shooter pressing too close to the telescopic sight would get a crack across the brow when the rifle fired. A reflex sight with its unlimited eye relief does not share this defect.
The original Grubbs sight.
By design, the reflex sight is best suited for shorter-range use. At the time, this was a shortcoming. Changing conditions of war revised the military’s outlook and made short-range optics viable for wartime use.
In the Grubb sight, natural light projects a fine beam onto glass. Grubb wrote that his sight was designed to align with the bore axis and allow accurate shooting. Grubb sights were not widely used, but they were an important step. As design progressed, the reflex sight was adopted for aircraft and anti-aircraft gun use more often than on firearms. The speed and accuracy of the type were recognized as advantages. With their single aiming point, the reflex sight was a significant advantage in fast-moving situations.
In the 1930s, considerable advances were made. The British realized that 300 mph engagement in fighter plane duels left no room for error and little time to land a heavy blow on the enemy. The eight-gunned Hurricane and Spitfire fighter planes demanded an advanced aiming device. The French and British developed reflector sights for fighter aircraft. If you have seen the classic Battle of Britain cinematic masterpiece, you saw these sights. In one scene, a pilot desperately tries to replace the bulb illuminating the sight. These sights featured gyroscopes in later versions to account for speed and angle of attack.
In the American adaptation, the N-series sights had two reticles. One was to identify the direction the guns were pointed; the other was to predict the impact. (Consider the Primary Arms Vulcan reticle a modern development on more or less the same theory.) These were highly advanced sights, far superior to anything the Axis countries had, and changed the face of aerial combat. By 1947, small arms sights with batteries were beginning to be designed. They were miniaturized for aircraft use to improve viability.
So, do we owe the popularity and development of modern red-dot sights to military developments, including aircraft sighting systems? Yes, we do. The advantage of the reflector sight is that the shooter can fire with both eyes open. Aim and fire, and you do not lose your field of view. The sight has a beam projected onto a curved lens. The curved lens allows for infinite eye relief. You aim, and the red dot is superimposed over the target. Press the trigger, and you have a hit—if the optic is sighted in correctly.
While the development of the red-dot sight is impressive, the optic as we know it was not possible until the perfection of light-emitting diode (LED) technology. The LED has revolutionized manufacturing across many optical applications. The red-dot, with its LED design and single point of aim, is more closely parallel to the bore than any other type of sight. This makes for excellent hit probability.
My impression of the similarity between camera viewfinders and red-dot sights was confirmed by research into the history of optical sights. Lieuwe van Albada developed a camera-aperture aiming device that led to a type of gunsight later used during World War II on the Bazooka rocket launcher. It seems that telescopic and reflex sights were combined in some instances experimentally just after WWII, the beginning of the optical instrument now known as a magnifier. Research and inventors are interesting, but perhaps the most amazing thing is what they have to work with. That is the human eye.
For a moment, consider the wonder of the eye: the cornea, iris, vitreous humor, lens, layered retina, rods, pigments that moderate light intensity, and, perhaps most important, the photoreceptors that relay information to the brain. Animals have the advantage over humans in certain areas, as their nerve fibers go directly out the back of the eye; ours pass through the retina first. This results in the blind spot we all have but seldom notice.
This construction is a marvel and makes using red-dot sights second nature. Perhaps there is some notion of hydromechanics in the eye; for certain, there is plenty of adaptability in humans and the ability to reorient to different types of firearms sights. Binocular vision, in particular, leads to the ability to fire with both eyes open—a special advantage of the red-dot sight.
Red-Dot Sights For Astigmatism
I have been blessed with good vision. Just the same, I learned a great deal about vision problems in dealing with my mother’s failing eyesight and in obtaining corrective lenses for my children. Sometimes, just a little help goes a long way. The old shooter’s joke that the front sight has melted or gotten fuzzy over the years is to the point. We cannot hit the target if we don’t see the aiming point clearly. According to the Atlanta, Georgia-based Centers for Disease Control, the most common vision problem among adults over 40 is astigmatism. This problem includes nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other problems related to refraction.
Only an optometrist can provide an accurate diagnosis. The thing about these issues is that 1 in 3 of us over 40 has an eye problem. When playing tennis, the problem may not be that serious. However, when firing a handgun, the usually well-defined sight can be blurred rather than in sharp focus, and that can become deadly serious.
Eye strain is common with astigmatism. So, visit the optometrist once a year, even if no problems are evident, and if necessary, obtain corrective lenses. The good news is that red-dot sights alleviate many of the problems associated with astigmatism. Some of us wear glasses when driving or reading, but not as a matter of course when shopping or hiking. With astigmatism, the red dot itself may be blurred to some extent, perhaps with a tail like a comet, according to some, or, in severe cases, the dot may appear as a double dot—although this seems more likely with cataracts.
Red-Dot Sights: The Great Equalizer
Do a few speed drills, and you will find that although the red dot may not be a perfect round dot, you are plenty accurate. The aiming point is far superior to an iron front sight. Practice a little with brightness settings. I ran the red-dot sight by several shooters who usually wear glasses, and they found it fine with unaided vision. Aging eyes, in general, are helped by red-dot sights, and certain forms of astigmatism, especially, are ‘canceled out’ by using a carry optic.
Red-Dot Sight Developments
Among the developments leading to the success of red-dot sights were a series of battery-free optics that used a fiber-optic collector. The Singlepoint of Vietnam fame and legend was among the first. While not powered by electricity, similar types featured a tritium insert for dim-light use. Development began during the 1960s, and they were used experimentally during the Vietnam War. These sights enabled quick firing with both eyes open in combat.
On the sporting side, the Weaver Qwik Point was a similar sight that saw some popularity on shotguns for sporting use. I have used them on .22 rifles as well. Within their limitations, they were fast and accurate. If you chose to use a Qwik Point, you were married to it, as the mount required the shotgun receiver to be drilled and tapped for the sight. If you discarded or broke the Qwik Point, you were left with unsightly holes in the receiver.
The Qwik Point sight. It was interesting in its day.
The Qwik Point was an innovation that moved us toward today’s red-dot sights. Its advantage was that there was no battery. But then, this was also a liability in dim light. Given the battery technology at the time, I don’t think I would have trusted any battery-powered device. The Qwik Point was not intended for tactical or defensive duty, so it was OK for its role as a recreational shooter and hunting accoutrement.
Research and development continued, and in 1975, Aimpoint introduced what is widely regarded as the first red-dot sight as we know it today. Swedish entrepreneurs, focused on improving speed and accuracy, introduced a highly successful red-dot sight. The Aimpoint Electronic was not only innovative but also high-quality and effective. Sometimes a company’s first products are less than stellar. This wasn’t the case with the Aimpoint. It came out of the box running and performed well. There have been improvements, and the original is outdated, but it served as the avatar for the rest of the world during development. It was a rifle sight, but miniaturization was to come.
The author’s LWRC rifle wears a modern Aimpoint sight. They are still at the top of the heap.
Howard Grubbs’ ideas were the best possible with the technology available in 1900. Using a natural light source, the device was limited to daylight use. The device’s acceptance was also limited by attitudes of the day. The changing face of warfare and the need for a fast-operating system capable of delivering rapid hits eventually led to weapon-mounted red-dot sights. As often happens, wartime demands lead to amazing technology. The reflex sight was the ideal choice for fighter aircraft and had been highly developed by the end of World War II.
The modern reflex sight features an LED that reflects light directly onto the sight’s lens. When aiming, there is no attempt to line up the target with the front and rear sights; close one eye. With the red-dot optic, the aiming point superimposes on the target. With some sights at very long range, the front sight subtends and obscures the target. This isn’t a problem with the red-dot sight. The line of sight is clearer.
Electronic sights were eventually developed that were compact enough for mounting on handguns. Handgun sights were particularly in need of improvement. The rub was, even in the infancy of the repeating handgun, that some pistols were accurate enough for long-range fire. Texas Rangers routinely engaged enemies at 100 yards, although the .36-caliber Colt wasn’t powerful enough to inflict a great deal of damage at this extended range. The .44 Dragoon was another matter. I have fired the wonderfully accurate 1858 Starr revolver at a long 100 yards with near-100 percent certainty of striking a man-sized target. But most handguns used small sights that were difficult to line up correctly.
Eventually, better types were developed, but they had the shortcomings of all iron sights. A handgun is much more difficult to fire accurately than a rifle, and when the need for speed is added, we have a serious tactical problem.
The red-dot optic first caught on in competition. With the spread of freedom and a hard-won fight for the right to carry concealed handguns, affirmed by many states, citizens were taking their handguns seriously for self-defense. This led many shooters to compete and to be exposed to competitors using optical sights. The apparent advantages were not lost on defensive shooters.
Back in the day, this is what shooters had to work with. Modern compact red-dot sights are much more efficient.
A good shooter with iron sights will have a transition period when adopting red-dot sights. Some take to them more quickly, but training results in a smoother, faster shooter. The tacit expectation is of increased accuracy in speed shooting. The most significant advantage is seen when the shooter engages multiple targets.
This was initially proven in IPSC and USPSA contests, where the technology for adapting reflex sights to handguns was developed. The red-dot became an essential tool. Combat focus is much faster. Firing with both eyes open allows the shooter to focus on the threat while maintaining a much wider field of view. Even firing at night is faster and more accurate as the red-dot sight maintains its aiming point in all conditions.
A significant advance in practical red-dot technology came with the invention of the Picatinny mount. This rail, also known as the M1913, provides a stable, easy system of mounting optical sights on rifles and later shotguns. Several handguns also feature this mount, primarily target-grade rimfires. Milling the slide of a pistol to mount optical sights was common by the 1990s. There was no going back. The pistol was then permanently red-dot sighted.
The invention and evolution of slide plates, culminating in the Glock MOS and other models, made mounting a red dot much easier. Modern red-dot sights would not be viable without the CR2032 battery. This lithium metal non-rechargeable 3 Volt battery has a modulated output and incredible battery life. Up to 50,000 hours of battery life is possible. Realistically, a life of about half that is to be expected if you run the optic on higher settings.
While heavier, longer guns may still have an advantage, the disadvantages of a short sight radius are canceled out by carry optics.
In fact, a 10,000-hour lifespan has been confirmed when the red-dot is left on its highest setting continuously. That is a tremendous technological advance. Mounts and batteries were developed in tandem with red-dot technology, forming a modern, reliable optic. We are well away from the then-useful but comically large, ill-balanced pistol reflex sights of the 1990s. The carry optic is highly evolved.
Canik has just entered the suppressor game with its new VOID series.
Canik is one of the latest companies to join the suppressor game with its new VOID series, initially launching with three cans with a fourth to become available down the road a bit. They’re all made in collaboration with Otter Creek Labs, are HUB-compatible and feature low backpressure designs.
VOID-556.
The three VOID suppressors that are available now are the VOID-556, VOID-556K and the VOID-762. All three feature a stainless steel construction, come with interchangeable front caps, have a black Cerakote finish and an MSRP of $650. The .30-caliber option, the VOID-762, comes with a 5/8×24 direct-thread mount and has some barrel length restrictions depending on the caliber being shot. Specifically, you need at least a 9-inch barrel for .300 BLK, a 10.5-inch barrel for 5.56, 7.62×39, 6.5 Grendel, or 6mm ARC, a 16-inch barrel for .308 Win. or 6.5 CM, and a 20-inch barrel for .300 Win. Mag. The VOID-556 and VOID-556K come with a 1/2×28 direct-thread mount and require at least a 10.5-inch barrel to shoot 5.56, 6mm ARC or any similar cartridges.
VOID-556K with its interchangeable front caps.
The fourth model that’s not yet available is the VOID-9, and it’s a bit different than the other three. Designed for 9mm pistols and PCCs, the VOID-9 is 3D-printed titanium rather than welded stainless steel, so it naturally has a higher MSRP of $850 as well. However, it also features interchangeable front caps, low backpressure, a black Cerakote finish and HUB mount compatibility. It will ship with a 1/2×28 direct-thread mount. The only barrel length restriction listed for it is that at least a 9-inch barrel is required for supersonic .300 BLK (semi-auto only).
Springfield Armory has just launched the SA-35 4”, a compact version of the company’s Hi-Power clone.
We reviewed the original SA-35 back when it was first released a few years ago, and it left us very impressed. Now, Springfield Armory is releasing a very cool new compact version more suitable for concealed carry: the SA-35 4”. Featuring an abbreviated 4-inch barrel instead of the original’s 4.7-inch barrel, it should ride a bit nicer in the waistband while still maintaining the Hi-Power’s renowned ergonomics, full 15-round 9mm capacity and supreme shootability.
As far as I know, the first factory-produced compact Hi-Power variant was made by Fabricaciones Militares in Argentina and imported into the U.S. in the 90s. It came to be known, at least in the States, as the Detective Hi-Power, and it featured basically the same form factor as the new Springfield SA-35 4”. Namely, a full-size grip and a barrel/slide that’s been shortened to roughly 4 inches. The rest of the pistol’s features are otherwise the same as those of the full-size SA-35, including checkered walnut grips, a ring hammer to prevent slide bite and a slightly beveled magazine well. It also has an improved feed ramp, no magazine disconnect safety and white dot front/Tactical Rack rear iron sights. So far, it’s only being offered with a matte-blue finish, but hopefully Springfield will eventually offer it with a polished blue finish like they recently introduced for the full-size SA-35.
Steve Kramer, Vice President of Marketing for Springfield Armory, said this about the new pistol:
The SA-35 proved to be an immediate success due to its combination of traditional design and modern enhancements … This new 4” SA-35 offers all those same benefits and appeal, but now in a smaller and faster-handling version.
The SA-35 4” has an MSRP of $800 and each gun ships with one 15-round magazine and a soft case.
Make your compact 1911 reloads a breeze with Wilson Combat’s Lo-Profile basepads.
OK, I’ll admit this is a bit niche, but man … it’s cool.
So, there you are carrying an Officer’s Model or other short-framed compact 1911. Using a full-sized magazine as a reload would be nice, but you can’t. If you slam that mag home with the slide locked back (and when else will you need a really fast reload?), the mag will ride up over the mag button and wedge against the ejector. It won’t feed, and it won’t come out.
Training to not do a slam-load is a good idea, but stress will make a mess of that plan.
So, what to do?
Simple. Get the Wilson Combat Lo-Profile basepads. They replace the existing pads on your Wilson or McCormick magazines, and the front lip of the new base pad rides up higher on the front of the tube compared to the originals.
The taller front lip stops the magazine before it can ride over the magazine button and wedge itself in place.
The whole point of it is that the basepad rides up enough to stop the magazine before it can ride up over the magazine button.
Installation is simple: Press in the retention button on the basepad, slide the old one off and slide the new one on. Make sure it locks in place. Then, make sure the mag fits in the pistol and locks in place there.
I encountered the override problem when I was practicing using my custom compact 1911 for The Pin Shoot. The Concealed Carry Main Event calls for a pistol with a barrel no longer than 4 3/4 inches long. (In the early days, it was less than 4 inches.) And, you can’t have more than six rounds in the handgun. I simply pulled regular-sized magazines out of the magazine bin and installed the Wilson Combat basepads, and I was stylin’.
The Wilson Combat Lo-Profile steel base pads make reloading a compact 1911 easy and not a headache.
As an added bonus, the steel of the replacements is heavier than the polymer of the originals, and that encourages the magazine to clear the frame sooner on a reload. The longer standard magazines make slamming home the reload even more sure of a thing.
If there’s one shortcoming, I must admit that it, too, is also niche and personal. My hands contact the top edge of the base pad extension, up where it meets the frame. One of these days I’ll set aside an afternoon to carefully dress down that edge, so it isn’t a sharp corner to contact my pinky finger.
The Concealed Carry Event recently changed from a full-power-load event to a 9mm-equivalent one, so I won’t be needing the 230-grainers at 870 fps anymore. I might download my .45 ACP ammo and continue using the existing gun, and I might just switch over to 9mm.
But, in any case, the custom carry 1911 has its own set of reload-safe magazines.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Wilson Combat Low-Profile Base Pad 47 Series .45 Magazines 1911 Pistols Ma
It’s not enough to merely own guns, you need to know how to use them, and how to use them responsibly.
American gun culture is often reduced to a debate over rights. Who has them, who shouldn’t and where may the government draw lines … if anywhere? But, historically, rights were only half the equation. The other half was responsibility.
Early Americans were not merely expected to own firearms. They were expected to know how to use them, maintain them and exercise judgment in their use. Gun ownership was active not passive. Competence was assumed. That tradition deserves revival.
Ownership Was Never Enough
Firearms in early America were working tools. They were handled daily, carried publicly and relied upon for survival. Negligence was dangerous, and ignorance was costly.
Militia musters doubled as inspections. Weapons were checked for serviceability. Ammunition was counted. Skill mattered. Those who failed to meet expectations could be fined—not because arms were dangerous, but because mishandling them was. Gun culture emphasized readiness not symbolism.
Self-Defense as Civic Responsibility
Self-defense was not viewed as antisocial behavior. It was understood as a stabilizing force. An armed and competent citizen reduced dependence on a centralized authority like the government and strengthened community resilience. Preparedness deterred violence more effectively than vulnerability ever could.
This perspective explains why arms were encouraged in public spaces. The goal was not confrontation but deterrence. A capable citizenry made disorder less likely not more.
Training Was the Norm
Marksmanship, safe gun handling and judgment were taught early. Hunting and pest control provided constant practice. Shooting competitions reinforced skill. Firearm maintenance was common knowledge.
Equally important was restraint. Knowing when not to use force was part of competence. That moral dimension has always separated legitimate self-defense from recklessness.
The Modern Gap
Today, many gun owners pursue extensive training. Others do not. The result is a cultural divide, one that undermines public confidence and fuels criticism.
Poorly trained gun owners are more likely to make mistakes, misjudge threats or misunderstand the legal consequences of defensive force. That failure reflects not on the right itself, but on how it is exercised. The solution is not fewer guns. It is better gun owners.
Responsibility Under Stress
Competence with firearms is not measured on the range under ideal conditions. It is measured under stress, when heart rate spikes, fine motor skills degrade and decisions must be made in seconds rather than minutes. Early Americans understood this intuitively. Their familiarity with firearms was not academic; it was forged through repetition, necessity and consequence.
Modern defensive encounters differ in form but not in principle. Stress remains the great equalizer. Without training, even well-intentioned individuals may hesitate when action is required, or act impulsively when restraint is demanded. Both outcomes carry serious moral and legal consequences.
This is why training must extend beyond marksmanship. Shooting well is important, but shooting wisely is essential. Judgment under pressure is a learned skill. It requires exposure to realistic scenarios, an understanding of use-of-force boundaries and honest self-assessment. Historically, this knowledge was acquired organically through daily life. Today, it must be pursued deliberately.
The Moral Weight of Defensive Force
One of the most neglected aspects of modern gun culture is the moral gravity of self-defense. The use of deadly force is not merely a tactical decision; it’s an ethical one. Early American culture did not treat violence casually, even when it was sometimes unavoidable. The expectation was that arms would be carried responsibly and used only when necessary.
That moral restraint remains central to the legitimacy of civilian arms. A society that entrusts its citizens with the means of lethal force does so on the assumption that they will exercise judgment, restraint and accountability. Training reinforces that assumption by forcing individuals to confront uncomfortable realities: the aftermath of violence, the permanence of consequences, and the burden carried by those who survive defensive encounters.
Community Standards and Cultural Survival
Gun culture does not survive because of court decisions alone. It survives because communities maintain standards. When responsible ownership becomes the norm, training, safe handling and ethical conduct are expected rather than exceptional and public trust follows.
Conversely, when negligence and bravado define the public image of gun owners, the political ground shifts. The fight for the Second Amendment is not only legal, but it is also cultural, and culture is shaped by example.
Early Americans understood that freedom required self-governance. That principle applies as much to armed citizenship today as it did centuries ago. Responsibility is not a burden imposed from outside. It is the price of liberty freely accepted.
Training as the Best Form of Gun Control
If history teaches anything, it is this: Societies reduce violence not by disarming the responsible but by cultivating competence and responsibility.
Modern defensive training emphasizes:
Safe handling and storage
Situational awareness
Avoidance and de-escalation
Legal and moral decision-making
Medical response after violence
This approach aligns perfectly with American tradition.
Civic Virtue Still Matters
An armed citizen is not a vigilante. He is a steward of force. With that power comes an obligation to avoid conflict, to act lawfully and to protect life rather than escalate disputes.
Rights divorced from responsibility eventually lose legitimacy. Rights paired with discipline endure.
Conclusion: Reclaiming the Older Tradition
American gun culture was never just about owning arms. It was about being worthy of them. Training, restraint and civic responsibility made widespread firearm ownership acceptable and admirable in the first place. If the future of the Second Amendment depends on anything beyond court decisions, it depends on whether gun owners are willing to live up to that inheritance.
To be armed is not enough. To be armed and prepared is a tradition worth defending.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Good glass is expensive, but the Zeiss LRP S3 6-36×56 punches well above its weight.
6 months ago, if you asked me the top 10 rifle scopes for long range distance shooting, I would have honestly forgotten that Zeiss even made a scope for the job. Zeiss has been around since my grandfather’s grandfather was still trying to find the last potato in Ireland, and is one of those rare brands that is everywhere but often just out of sight.
Outside of the camera world and the world of precision optics for industrial applications, Zeiss isn’t a huge name in the hunting or competition world. But they absolutely should be.
Zeiss Is German For Great Glass
In 1846, Carl Zeiss founded the Zeiss brand with two partners, Ernst Abbe and Otto Schott. 180 years later, Zeiss is well-known in every field that requires optics of any kind. Zeiss is found in a lot of things you’ve heard of and a lot of things you haven’t, like ophthalmic lenses, lenses used in semiconductor manufacturing, microscopes, and even the optics used in the James Webb Space Telescope.
Little-known fact: without Zeiss, we literally wouldn’t have the modern world as we know it, since it was Zeiss that designed the unimaginably precise mirrors used in EUV Lithography production. Basically, if you use a smartphone, computer, or anything else with a microprocessor chip made in the last 20 years — thank Zeiss.
With over 46,000 global employees and a yearly revenue of over 11 billion dollars, the hunting and competition shooting market is small fries to a company like Zeiss. While Zeiss has offered binoculars, spotting scopes, and hunting-focused rifle scopes for a long time, it took most of us by surprise when Zeiss launched the LRP S5 and S3.
Since then, this has absolutely been an optic that is being slept on hard by the community.
Zeiss LRP S3 6-36×56 Specs & Features
Magnification: 6–36×56
Focal Plane: First
Reticle Options: ZF-MOAi | ZF-MRi
Light Transmission: 90 %
Effective Lens Diameter: 56 mm
Exit Pupil Diameter: 8.8 – 1.6 mm
Twilight Factor: 17.7 – 44.9
Field of View at 100 m (yds): 6.8 – 1.1 m (20.4 – 3.3 ft)
Objective Viewing Angle: 3.9° – 0.6°
Diopter Adjustment Range: + 3.0 | − 3.0 dpt
Eye Relief: 80 – 90 mm (3.0 – 3.5″)
Parallax Setting: 10 m – ∞
Elevation Adjustment Range at 100 m: 32.0 MRAD | 110 MOA
Windage Adjustment Range at 100 m: 14.6 MRAD | 50 MOA
Adjustment per Click at 100 m: 0.1 MRAD | 0.25 MOA
Main Tube Diameter: 34 mm
Eyepiece Tube Diameter: 45 mm
Objective Tube Diameter: 65 mm
LotuTec: Yes
T* Coating: Yes
Nitrogen Filled: Yes
Waterproof: 400 mbar
Operating Temperature: − 25 °C | + 55 °C (− 13 °F | + 131 °F)
Length: 384 mm (15.1″)
Weight (Without Inner Rail): 1,107 g (39.1 oz)
On The Range
Two things are immediately noticeable when first using the Zeiss LRP S3. First, the glass is classic Zeiss, being incredibly bright and clear. This is the magic Zeiss has that no one else does. For brightness and color clarity, Zeiss is almost impossible to beat, even at high price points.
Berger Precision Challenge PRS Match, 2026. Image by Camdyn Powers
Second, the scope design feels a little foreign. Small things like the parallax not having range markings, the magnification level being written on the body of the scope instead of the adjustment ring, and even the style and size of the font used are just different choices than what most NA-based manufacturers choose. None of that is a bad thing, it’s just different.
Range markings are never accurate on parallax, but they are normally at least good guesses to get you close before a stage. Lacking that is a little annoying.
Those differences take a little getting used to if you’re like me and you’re coming off of years of using Vortex, Bushnell, NightForce, Burris, SIG Sauer (USA), etc. But after a few range trips, the differences are mostly forgotten.
Putting the LRP to use on the clock has been nothing short of an absolute treat. First at a local PRS match and again at the Berger Precision Challenge, the Zeiss LRP performed amazingly well. The stunning glass of the LRP makes finding and IDing targets incredibly easy, even with they are beat up dark gray targets in the shade of a setting sun at the end of your day.
It’s really impossible to completely convey just how bright this glass is. Pictures won’t do it justice. You have to see it.
From 100-yard shooting groups to 1,000 yards banging steel for points at the Berger match, the Zeiss LRP never let me down. Turrets are clicky and easy to read, turret tracking has been perfect through hundreds of cycles, and even getting dropped on the ground didn’t shift zero. Partly thanks to the Hawkins heavy Tactical one-piece mount holding the LRP.
Pros & Cons
PRO:
Zeiss legendary glass
Robust, well-built scope
Perfect tracing
Extremely high-value for dollar price
CON:
Turret zero stop is an older design
Controls and reticle take some getting used to
The Best PRS Production Class Rifle Scopes: Zeiss 6-36×56
We live in the golden age of long range shooting. Never before have rifles so precise at such jaw-dropping distances been so accessible by the average shooter, assuming you have the money. While long distance shooting is addictive and insanely fun, it’s also a great way to stay poor.
Hawkins Precision Heavy Tactical 1-Piece Mount kept the Zeiss safe during this review. Outstanding and rock-solid mount. Built-in level and optional diving board mount add to an already incredible mount.
Precision Rifle Series, or PRS, is the main body behind the sport of long range shooting. While other flavors of competition distance shooting exist, it’s normally PRS that anyone under the age of 50 is most interested in.
If you’re trying to save a buck, PRS has a production class that is limited to a $3,000 off-the-shelf rifle and a $2,500 off-the-shelf scope. While there is a long list of great options under that price tag, the Zeiss LRP S3 636-56 is likely the only one sporting Alpha glass. In my book, Zeiss is the clear winner for production class, and it’s not even a real contest.
For open class rifles, Zeiss is still a very strong contender. Getting significantly more out of your optic will only come with a $4,500+ price tag. Near-peer rivals to the Zeiss LRP S3 are worth considering, such as the Vortex Razor 3 or the Burris XTR Pro, but Zeiss still stands strong.
Loose Rounds
Zeiss is a juggernaut of an optics brand that makes most of their money outside the sporting optics world. Leveraging their technology developed for other applications and applying it to our shooting world provides some incredible optics for a surprisingly accessible price.
Offset windage markings make them a lot easier to see when behind the rifle. This is a small feature that makes a big difference.
Nothing Zeiss does is cheap or on a budget, but it’s at least accessible and offers a shocking value-ratio.
For my eyes, the only glass on the market that might edge out Zeiss comes from ZCO. But ZCO starts at about double the price of the Zeiss LRP S3. Put into that context, the $2,500 MSRP of the LRP S3 is a lot more attractive.
If you want alpha-tier glass and don’t have a trust fund fueling your lifestyle, Zeiss LRP S3 should be on the short-list of candidates.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 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.
Nosler’s ASP line of defensive handgun ammo stands for Assured Stopping Power, and the cartridges’ construction using fine Nosler components like the company’s hollow point bullets suggests they live up to their name. Previously only available in autoloading pistol calibers, Nosler recently expanded the line to include three straight-wall revolver calibers as well. These include a 125-grain .38 Special load, a 125-grain .357 Magnum load and a 240-grain .44 Magnum load. If you rely on a wheelgun for defense, you may want to consider loading it with Nosler ASP. MSRP: $28 for .38 SPL // $29 for .357 Mag. // $32 for .44 Mag. // all per 20-round box
Mossberg 990 SPX SBS
The recent changes in NFA tax stamp pricing have ushered in a new era of factory short-barreled rifle and shotgun options, and one of the coolest to come out this year is from Mossberg. Listed in their catalog as the 990 SPX Magpul Class 3, this 12-gauge semi-auto SBS features a handy 14.75-inch barrel and a capacity of 5+1. As long as you’re willing to do the Form 4 paperwork and wait a little bit, this little shotty with a Magpul stock, M-Lok forend, ghost ring sights and optics-ready receiver may be one of the best new home defense options available. MSRP: $1,310
Vortex Triumph Red Dot
Good quality red dot sights have become so affordable and prolific these days that there’s less and less reason not to put one on just about every gun you own. If you still have a carbine or PCC in the safe that’s only wearing irons, Vortex’s new Triumph may be worth slapping on it. Very reasonably priced, the Triumph features a 2-MOA red dot reticle, nine daylight brightness levels, two night-vision-compatible levels, motion activation and an automatic shutoff feature after 10 minutes of no movement. For compatibility with a wide range of firearms, each optic ships with a lower-third co-witness mount as well as a low mount. MSRP: $150
Vortex Triumph 1x Reflex Red Dot Sight MOA Dot Reticle
MP5s, 9mm ARs and 9mm AKs—PCCs of all stripes are in a bit of a golden age right now. Not only is this class of gun super fun and affordable to shoot, but they also make great home defense options, especially when paired with a suppressor. Rugged’s new Sub9 was tailored specifically to do that job and to do it very well. Full-auto rated and optimized for subguns, the Sub9 uses coaxial chambers to efficiently minimize sound and gas blowback while keeping the overall package compact at just 6.8 inches. It ships with a Rugged Universal 3 Lug mount that can mate with any HK-spec 3-lug system, but it’s HUB-compatible as well to keep mounting options versatile. MSRP: $950
One of the hottest new trends in the handgun space is removable serialized fire control systems for increased modularity. Ruger calls the one in its RXM the Fire Control Insert (FCI), and combined with Magpul’s new frame size options, it’s allowing for some pretty cool things. The standard RXM is Glock 19-sized, but by swapping your FCI into this new full-size Magpul EHG RG9 grip, your RXM will have a G19-length slide on a G17-size frame. This will provide more grip real estate and a cleaner look when running 17-round mags. Speaking of looks, the grip is available in black, FDE, OD green and Stealth Gray. MSRP: $40
When it comes to both handgun and rifle grips, Hogue has long been a go-to option. The company’s overmolded products provide a soft rubber texture that’s easy and comfortable to squeeze hard and get a solid, no-slip purchase on. Now, Hogue is adding the same overmolded grip option for the forend of your AR or other M-Lok compatible firearm. Better yet, it’s not just a simple vertical foregrip; it’s a hybrid design that also allows for a 45-degree hold. The grips are available in black, FDE, OD green and Slate Grey to match the look of your rifle. MSRP: $40
Whether we’re plinking or training, suppressors make it a better experience. With enough shooting, however, they get dirty and lose effectiveness, and anybody who’s ever cleaned a can will tell you it’s a messy and not fun process. Solution? Shoot the cleanest ammo you can, and CCI has just introduced a new line specifically catered to that purpose. Called the Blazer Brass Clean-Fire Suppressor line, it’s loaded to subsonic velocities and uses clean-burning powder, lead-free primers and TMJ (Total Metal Jacket, meaning the lead core is fully enclosed) projectiles to minimize fouling. The cherry on top is that it meets the power factor requirements for competitive shooting use. Initial load offerings include 147-grain 9mm, 180-grain .40 S&W and 230-grain .45 ACP. MSRP: $21 for 9mm // $32 for .40 S&W // $36 for .45 ACP, per 50-round box
Cci Blazer Clean-Fire Suppressor 230 Grain TMJ Brass Ammo
The .416 Remington Magnum’s popularity is a long, slow burn.
Officially announced in November 1988, the .416 Remington Magnum was the first American cartridge designed for use on African game to be introduced since the .458 Winchester Magnum in 1956, and the .460 Weatherby Magnum back in 1958. The .416 is based on the 8mm Remington Magnum necked up to .416-caliber. It was initially available with either a 400-grain pointed soft-point or a 400-grain solid bullet loaded to a muzzle velocity of 2,400 fps and a muzzle energy of 5,115 ft-lb. The company says that the 400-grain solid is exactly that, turned from solid brass and not a lead core with a heavy jacket.
The cartridge has been available in the Remington Model 700 Safari bolt-action rifle, but retail listings of the model show it to be out of stock. Other rifle manufacturers, such as Ruger, once picked up the .416 Remington, but we could find only Winchester having a current chambering in its Model 70 Safari Express line.
General Comments
There has been a persistent call, by those who hunt dangerous game, for a cartridge to fill the gap between the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum and the .458 Winchester Magnum. The .416 Rigby accomplished this rather well, but both rifles and ammunition became increasingly difficult to obtain, until Federal began offering that cartridge in the late 1980s. This problem was then solved, to some extent, by a number of wildcat cartridges such as the .416 Taylor, .416 Hoffman and the .425 Express. These cartridges all, more or less, duplicated the performance of the .416 Rigby, and the .416 Remington does pretty much the same thing.
Although the .416 bullet is 100 grains lighter than that of the .458 Winchester, it starts out with an almost 300-fps higher velocity. That, combined with better sectional density and a superior aerodynamic shape, gives it certain ballistic advantages. It not only has a higher initial velocity, but it also increases its retained velocity over the .458 as the range increases. According to the factory figures, it has an 11 percent advantage in muzzle energy, and this increases to 18 percent at 100 yards and 30 percent at 200 yards.
The .416 Remington is ideal for dangerous game, including Cape buffalo, elephant, lion and brown bear. It also does well on moose and elk. The .416 Remington has a trajectory very similar to the .375 H&H and is a better long-range cartridge than the .458 Winchester for use on thin-skinned game. For the hunter who must travel light, the .416 would be a good one-gun cartridge choice for use in Africa.
Currently, several companies load ammunition in this chambering, including Hornady, Barnes, Federal, Winchester, and Buffalo Bore. Remington doesn't list the namesake round as an active commercial load.
.416 Remington Magnum Loading Data and Factory Ballistics
Go from mushy to much better with Timney’s Alpha Competition Replacement Trigger for the Ruger RXM.
Twenty years ago, I would have never thought there would be so many drop-in trigger options to choose from. If you’re a relatively new shooter, you’ve probably never thought about it because, for about the past decade, drop-in, do-it-yourself trigger fixes for guns have been commonplace.
But it hasn’t always been that way, and Timney Triggers is a big reason why you have so many aftermarket trigger options, to include some for handguns like the Ruger RXM.
Timney has been around since 1946. For a long, long time they existed on customers who were sporterizing military Mauser rifles. This was a very common practice right after World War II. Many veterans brought Mauser rifles home with them, so Timney made their name by offering aftermarket triggers for those Mausers and for Enfield and Springfield rifles. They also offered triggers for the Remington 700, Winchester Model 70 and Ruger 77.
Around the turn of the century, John Vehr, who took over the company from his parents, did two very important things: He hired a talented engineer by the name of Calvin Motley, and he hired a marketing guy from West Virginia named Chris Ellis.
Motley designed a Timney trigger for the AR-15 and, a few years later, a trigger for the Remington 870 shotgun. These triggers, combined with Vehr’s vision, Motley’s engineering savvy, and Ellis’ knack for getting the word out to customers, created a perfect storm. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Timney now offers more than 100 triggers that shooters can install themselves including handgun triggers for Glock and S&W, and now the Ruger RXM.
Timney’s Alpha Competition Replacement Trigger for the Ruger RXM. It comes with a sear housing (red), a new trigger and trigger bar, and two trigger return springs of different strengths.
In case you are unfamiliar with the Ruger RXM, it’s a Glock clone built on a Magpul polymer frame. But unlike the Glock, the RXM has a removable, serial numbered, stainless-steel fire control insert (FCI), and you can switch this FCI between different frames.
Ruger RXM grip frame with the fire control insert (FCI) and factory trigger removed.
As I stated in my February 2025 edition of this column discussing the Ruger RXM, “I carried Glock pistols for almost the entire 13 years I worked in law enforcement. I trusted them and shot them well but was never in love with them. Mostly because that damned indentation behind the trigger guard was murder on the first knuckle joint of my middle finger. The Magpul EHG grip frame on the Ruger RXM is less notch and more taper and solves this problem. It fits my hand much better. In fact, compared to a Glock, the EHG grip is a better fit to my hand in every way.”
Of course, being the Glock-like clone that the RXM is, it shares the Glock-like mushy trigger. The trigger on my RXM broke at a somewhat distasteful 5 pounds with about a full centimeter of travel between when the passive safety was disengaged and when the sear was released. Talking with Ellis at Timney, he said their RXM trigger would have a lighter pull weight and that the trigger travel would be slightly reduced. Being the trigger snob I am, I ordered one and Ellis was right. I’ll get to the details in a minute. First, I want to share with you some notes on installation.
I’m not going to go in depth on the installation of the trigger, because it comes with instructions. Timney has a detailed video online, and if you are somewhat familiar with taking a Glock apart, you’ll pick up on the internals of the RXM pretty quickly. I will say that the process took me about 30 minutes and that includes the time it took me to take the photos.
However, there was a problem with the installation: The pistol worked, but after the sear release, the trigger continued to travel and pushed past the disconnect. I thought I might have done something wrong, so I called one of the technicians at Timney. When I began describing the problem he knew exactly what I was talking about before I finished.
According to the technician, the disconnect on less than about 1 percent of the RMX pistols from Ruger will not have enough tension, and it lets the trigger bar push past. He said all I needed to do to correct the problem was to disassemble the pistol and just tweak the disconnect bar out a very slight amount. I did as I was told, put the RMX back together—this time it only took me about 10 minutes to do everything—and the pistol worked perfectly.
Here you can see the disconnect for the Ruger RXM pistol. If the trigger bar is bypassing it after sear release, you need to tweak the disconnect outward a very slight amount.
The new Timney Alpha Competition Replacement Trigger for the Ruger RXM reduced the pull weight from right at 5 pounds to just a smidgen more than 2.5 pounds. But it also reduced the distance from the point where the passive safety is disengaged to the point where the sear is released by about 2 to 3 millimeters, with the overall travel from safety release to sear release ending up at less than a centimeter.
Here you can see the factory disconnect on the Ruger RXM pistol with the Timney trigger installed.
Though I’m not a Glock fan boy, of all the Glock-like clones on the market I like the Ruger RXM best, and even more so now with its new trigger. If you like yours or are considering one, the Timney drop-in trigger will only make it better.
Just keep in mind that there’s about a 1 percent chance that the disconnector on your RXM will need to be fine-tuned a very slight bit. You won’t need a gunsmith to install this trigger or tweak the disconnector, if necessary.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
New Osight SE Enclosed Green Micro Dot! Take a closer look at the multi-reticle RMSc green dot from Osight!
Sponsored Content
NEW from Osight comes the next generation of green dot optics for CCW, EDC, self-defense, and home defense! The Osight SE GN is an enclosed-emitter green dot optic with an RMSc footprint and features a 2-MOA dot with a 32-MOA circle. Multi-reticle system means you can choose between just the dot, just the circle, or both.
Osight SE GN comes with features you expect, like a side-loading battery (CR1620), 100,000-hour battery life (2 MOA dot), and motion sensor activation. It also comes with features you might not expect, but will definitely appreciate. Low-battery indicator when the battery drops below 2.2v, low-deck height, meaning the optic can co-witness with most factory iron sights, and 10-brightness levels (including 2 night vision settings).
Parallax-free, IPX7 waterproof, 7075-T6 Aluminium, Aspherical Lens, 530nm green dot — the Osight SE GN comes packed with features and extras.
Best of all, MSRP is only $220. From now until March 31st, Osight is running a 15% off discount via their Amazon Store.
WHY ENCLOSED?
Classic red dots (and green dots) are made using an open emitter design that leaves the window exposed to dust, rain, snow, and everything else. This is not ideal for optics due to the emitter getting blocked or obscured, causing the dot to not function correctly or make getting a sight picture more difficult.
Enclosed emitter optics are exactly what the name implies and provide a sealed box around the emitter and optic window. While adding a little bulk and expense, the added protection is highly recommended for optics you might need to depend on in a life-or-death situation. For CCW and open carry, this is espeshally importaint due to the optic being exposed to the elements more ofton.
The Osight SE GN, coming in at a price that is so affordable and packed with premium features, is great to see!
Green Multi-Reticle System: Switch between dot-and-circle, 2 MOA dot-only, or 32 MOA circle-only reticles for any shooting scenario.
Enclosed Emitter Optic: With this fully enclosed system, the optic offers unmatched protection against the elements.
Side-Loading Battery: Easy battery replacement without removing the optic, and a highend CR1620 battery.
Aspherical Lens: Ensures zero distortion, parallax-free performance, and exceptional clarity for rapid, precise target acquisition.
RMSc Footprint: Fitting directly to your optics-ready slides, delivers exceptional compatibility, and seamless integration across a multitude of builds.
Motion Sensor: Powers on at the slightest movement, and powers down after 3 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery.
Low Power Indication: If battery voltage drops below 2.2V, the reticle will quickly triple-flash once per minute to recommend a battery replacement.
Sleek Battery Tray: Stays comfortable to carry, quick to draw, and ideal for concealed or duty use.
Low-Deck Height: Provides a perfect co-witness with most factory iron sights, eliminating the need for lower 1/3 or suppressor-height sights.
10 Brightness Settings: 8 daylight and 2 night vision settings — compatible levels for versatility in any demands.
CNC-Machined Aircraft-Grade 7075-T6 Aluminum Housing: Making the optic nearly indestructible ensuring durability and a professional edge over time.
Memory Function: Once activated returns to the last selected brightness level, allowing users to focus on the target without distraction
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!
Subscribe to the CANCON Event Newsletter
Visit the CANCON website and enter your email in the signup box to be the first to learn about updates and developments!
Rock River Arms has released a retro A1 Carbine SBR AR in celebration of zero-dollar tax stamps.
Now that the cost of some NFA tax stamps has been reduced to zero dollars, there’s basically no reason not to buy factory short-barreled rifles through a Form 4 transfer rather than making your own through a Form 1. Rock River Arms is just one of many companies embracing this change, and the company has launched a new retro AR-15 A1 Carbine SBR to shed some light on that fact. It’s available in two configurations and both look very cool.
Expectedly, the RRA A1 Carbine SBR is chambered for 5.56 NATO, and it features a chrome moly 10.5-inch barrel with a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle and an A1 flash hider. It has a carbine-length gas system, an F-marked FSB/gas block and is built on RRA’s LAR-15M lower receiver. For the cool retro aesthetics, it has a forged carry handle upper and a short A1-style triangular handguard, and it’s available with either a short fixed entry stock or an adjustable carbine-style stock. The grip is A1-pattern as well and the rifle has an RRA single-stage trigger. Not to be pedantic, but while RRA describes the upper as A1-pattern, it technically isn't as it lacks a forward assist. I think that's a good thing though for a little carbine like this, as the slick-side upper has slightly less bulk and weight.
Keep in mind, cool looks and practicality are not mutually exclusive, and RRA’s A1 SBR could be a handy, lightweight defensive carbine. There are ample accessory options on the market for mounting red dots on carry handles and weapon lights on the FSB or bayonet lug. You don’t always need rails to increase a rifle’s utility.
Both variants of the RRA A1 Carbine SBR are available now. The entry stock version has an MSRP of $1,135 and the telescopic stock version has an MSRP of $1,150.
Alpha Foxtrot is now shipping the Attila Compact, a double-stack 9mm 1911 that’s small enough to carry.
Double-stack 9mm 1911s are incredibly popular these days, but most are too big and heavy to comfortably carry concealed. Alpha Foxtrot is helping to remedy that with its Attila Compact 1911DS.
Featuring a 3.5-inch barrel with an integrated compensator, it should be supremely shootable despite its small size. Thanks to its slim-profile aluminum frame, it should be pretty light on the belt and easy to conceal, too. It feeds from Glock 43X/48-pattern magazines, and each pistol ships with three Shield Arms mags, including a 10-, 15- and 20-rounder. The 10-rounder offers you ultimate concealability while the 20-rounder offers maximum firepower and a larger grip.
Other features of the Attila Compact include an optics-ready slide (RMR & RMSc footprint), a front night sight, a crisp 4-pound trigger and an ambidextrous safety.
Alpha Foxtrot hasn’t published the Atilla Compact’s MSRP, but online retailer listings have it priced at around $1,000.
With Recover Tactical’s S-PRO conversion kit, you can stock your Glock, Canik or Walther PDP.
Ever since the advent of both the handgun and the longarm, people have been searching for the best way to bridge the gap between the two. The tree created in this quest for compromise has many branches and brought us to entirely new categories (looking at you, PDW). But one of the easiest ways, and first attempts, to clasp hands was simply adding a stock to a sidearm.
This makes a lot of sense. A buttstock increases stability and allows for better recoil management by adding more points of contact with the body. It won’t make a [typically] smaller pistol round hit harder, but it’ll make the shooter more accurate while allowing for faster fire. This is why detachable stocks were seen with some 19th century calvary guns, horseback being a place where the small size and maneuverability of a handgun has advantage but the increased stability of a stock is helpful.
We see the same trend for similar reasons in the early 20th century, though often with aviation and armored vehicles in mind rather than horses. Along with assorted Mauser broomhandles, the Germans had the LP08, essentially a plussed-up Luger with tangent sights and a stock. The Browning Hi-Power, too, received a comparable “artillery” treatment. In the postwar period, the Soviets produced the similarly stocked Stechkin.
Adding a stock to a sidearm to increase stability isn’t a new idea, just less common in America.
But by mid-20th century America, the stocked pistol largely disappeared. The reason for this is twofold: the American military moved toward the submachine gun and the carbine as the preferred middle path (carbines being much easier to train conscripted troops with) and the passing of the National Firearms Act of 1934. After NFA ’34 was enacted, pistols equipped with buttstocks that had barrels under 16 inches were declared short-barreled rifles—and had to be registered and have a $200 tax paid prior to legal possession.
There were outliers in the pistol/carbine conversion camp like the Dardick Model 1500 (a fascinating firearm in its own right) and truly custom pieces like the Bob Loveless S&W Model 41 convertible, but they are few and far between.
The convertible Dardick 1500 is one of the weirdest, coolest guns.
For some perspective, the NFA tax was $200 when the bill was signed in June 1934. If going by mere inflation, that $200 equates to around $4,800 in June 2025—but if we compare it to median income levels it’s the modern equivalent of $13,300. It’s no wonder that development of stocked pistols and conversions died on the vine among the American civilian market for essentially the rest of the 20th century. Now that the SBR tax has been reduced to $0, we may start to see that change.
Brace Yourself
Right around the turn of the millennium you start to see some basic carbine conversions being made in America, like the MechTech CCU, but they didn’t gain popularity until much later—the legal acceptance of pistol braces being the main reason.
Originally introduced in 2012 as a way for some disabled shooters to better stabilize so-called “large format” (read: rifle caliber) pistols, braces quickly became a legalese workaround for the more casual ownership and importation of short-barreled rifles. In the decade-plus that followed spanning several presidential administrations, the government would change their mind several times, release contrary determination letters, add and remove restrictions, follow shadowy regulations, classify braced guns as unregistered SBRs, and pass out free tax stamps—all before ultimately vacating their previous rulings. A big mess of their own making. Despite the current legal acceptance of braces on pistols at the time of writing, here we’re using a Glock receiver already registered as an SBR to avoid any gray areas.
As to why would someone need a “brace” on a regular pistol? A gun ready-made for one-handed use? While there’s a case scenario someplace because there always is, the simple answer is that a brace is really used as a buttstock—and everyone already knows that anyway. Like the glass “tobacco pipes” at the head shop, you’re just not supposed to say it out loud. Oops.
The reality is that the design of most braces make them middlin’ buttstocks at best. They’re often not adjustable, flimsy, with poor surface for purchase against the shoulder (to better defend yourself in court). That said, these aren’t universal traits, and even a bad brace/buttstock can increase stability by offering more points of contact with the body.
The LOP is enough that you can use your slide-mounted dot.
Simply Israeli
When we published a Glock Stock Buyer’s Guide back in RECOIL Issue 44 back in 2019, more than half of these pistol-to-carbine conversion kits originated in Israel. And in CONCEALMENT Issue 19 we followed up with the predecessor to what you see here, the Recover Tactical 20/20 Stabilizer Kit, which also hails from there. In fact, the bulk of these conversions come out of Israel, and that’s not for no reason.
Though you’ve undoubtedly seen plenty of pictures of IDF troops slinging rifles around cities, gun ownership for citizens of Judea is quite tight. There has been some recent loosening of laws, but Tel Aviv is still nothing close to Tulsa; there are strict requirements regarding who can own guns and what type and quantity they can possess as well as how much ammo they can have on-hand.
Oftentimes people will only have one gun, and usually that one gun is a pistol. But as pistol/carbine conversion is an accessory rather than a firearm, it doesn’t require any additional paperwork for use in many jurisdictions. Israel definitely doesn’t have the American National Firearms Act so there’s no barrel length nonsense, but they will play into the brace/stabilizer aspect in order to sell on the American market.
In short, if these kind of conversion kits don’t make sense to you, it’s because they weren’t really made for you. They are made first for Israeli citizens, with the American consumer market as a secondary concern.
Recover Tactical S-PRO
Founded by Tamir Porat, the man behind the love-it-or-hate-it Tavor bullpup rifle, Recover Tactical isn’t new to either the Israeli or American market. They first caught our eye by releasing add-a-rail adapters for older pistols, something that makes more sense when viewed from the perspective of modernized a “only one gun.”
The full kit has a lot of parts, pieces, and fasteners—but also a lot of options.
Back in 2020 they released the 20/20 Glock Stabilizer Kit, and while it’s tempting to say the S-PRO is a more-modular updated and upgraded version, it’s simply not this case because this is a whole different thing.
The real structural component of the S-PRO is the Main Frame, a metal spine with plastic carapace to which most fasteners secure and internally houses the stock/brace rod. Without this piece, there is no S-PRO. Adapters are used to hold the gun to the spine, with different adapters for different guns (at the time of writing you can get them for Glock. Canik, PDP, with the SIG X Macro listed as “coming soon,” though due to the nature of the platform the sky is the limit). The two-piece rear adapter holds the beavertail, and the front clamshell nestles around the trigger guard and clicks into place. Unlike the 2020 model, insertion and removal of the pistol is toolless and only takes seconds.
After your initial setup, the S-PRO doesn’t look so daunting.
The buttstock/brace is also modular and can be configured for left- or right-handed use (with a “real” buttstock option available). Also included is a barrel shroud with M-Lok slots, which acts as a secondary locking mechanism for the front clamshell adapter, a forward spare magazine holder that prosecutors probably/hopefully/maybe won’t consider a vertical grip, and a high-rise optic mount. The reason for the high optic mount is that when your length of pull, the distance from your trigger to the end of your stock (and shoulder), is too short, low optics can be hard or impossible to use. While the LOP and angle of the stock rod on the S-PRO is actually sufficient for many to use slide-mounted optics, it was a nice inclusion.
And oh yeah, the stock rod is spring-loaded and pops out like a switchblade with the press of a button. Recover Tactical seems to have learned the lesson of Flux Defense that cool is the first rule, and spring-loaded is definitely cool.
Quirks & Weirdness On The Range
Once the gun is inside the S-PRO, physically racking the slide becomes extremely difficult. It’s for this reason that Recover Tactical includes a new clip-on charging handle. The main problem being that it was designed only with non-optic OEM Glocks in-mind, rear grooves and all. In fact, everything about the S-PRO is essentially only for OEM. The adapters rely on the critical dimensions of the rear beavertail and the front curve of the triggerguard. Aftermarket Glock frames or any modifications that change those dimensions will make the S-PRO a non-starter.
You can run with two optics to confuse your friends and confound your enemies.
All isn’t lost, however. If you’re already running an optic on your slide, you can simply use the optic as the charging handle—and if you can’t use the optic on your gun as a charging handle, you shouldn’t be using that optic on your gun. It’s noteworthy that the high-rise optic and a slide-riding optic can both be mounted at the same time, to confuse your friends and confound your enemies if nothing else.
Here we purchased a metal Glock “racker jacker” rear plate replacement for Jackson to fill the role. It was originally ambi, but a Dremel tool took care of that quickly.
In terms of performance? A stock helps you do things faster. There’s an included cheekpiece you can bolt onto the rear for use with the high-rise optic but it didn’t really seem to be needed. The main complaint is that the stock rod has flex in it. While the main body spine may have a lot of metal in it, the stock rod feels flimsy and insufficient in actual use—it torques and twists with pressure and I don’t think I’d feel comfortable using this setup with an autosear. Damn.
Loose Rounds
The S-PRO improves on the Recover Tactical 20/20 system in many ways. It’s toolless after setup. It’s modular and able to accommodate a wider variety of arms. It allows for more accessories. It has that movie-cool switchblade stock. But the stock rod itself is a fatal flaw; hopefully they’ll add some more ounces to address it.
Using different multi-piece rear adapters and hinging front adapters which in turn bolt onto the main frame, the S-PRO can accommodate different pistols. However, the entire system is designed for the curves of OEM guns—no guarantees your modded frame will fit, and the included charging handle doesn’t work with optics or aftermarket slides (we made our own solution for $20, and you can too).
There are a lot of complicated clamshell carbine conversions out there. Though they’re technically convertibles, most of them should be thought of as semi-permanent because they take tools and/or time measured in minutes. This isn’t one of them, because popping a pistol inside the S-PRO only takes seconds (albeit with an asterisk attached, depending on your setup). This ease of conversion means you’re more likely to actually use it at home or on the range, which makes a lot of sense for a nation where if you own a gun, it’s probably just the one.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
