Alex is a Senior Writer for The Firearm Blog and Director of TFBTV.
The Italian Carcano family of rifles are generally regarded as poorly made, crude guns with few merits and poor accuracy. While they certainly aren’t as bad as is commonly believed, they are one of my least favorite bolt guns. The action is rough, the length of pull is awful, and they cannot [Read More…]
What a hard list to make, but one that is requested constantly. In this video we discuss five firearms that we believe to stand out among their peers as being exceptionally reliable, choosing a pistol, shotgun, SMG, bolt-action, and a self-loader to top it all off. Transcript … – [Read More…]
The Belgian FN FS2000 is a very futuristic looking bullpup rifle that is sure to catch the eye of many folks at the range. Chambered in 5.56×45 and being very friendly to southpaws (forward ejecting with ambi controls), the gun offers a lot to the end user but has seen very little military [Read More…]
The H&K MR556 rifle is essentially a 416 without select-fire capability, but this video showcases an MR556 that has been brought up to near 416 specs. With a chopped barrel and a few other modifications, the gun could fool all but the most discerning onlookers. So, how does it shoot? Transcript [Read More…]
The Beretta CX4 storm is an affordable, blowback 9mm carbine that really doesn’t get too much attention here in the States, but is hugely popular in Canada due to a loophole that allows 10 round magazines to be used with it. While the marketplace for pistol caliber carbines is a crowded one, [Read More…]
CZ out of the Czech Republic makes some absolutely stellar .22 rifles that are often overlooked in the USA because of preference for semi-autos or domestically manufactured products, but abroad CZ rimfire rifles are hugely popular. While they do have a following in the USA, in Europe CZ rules the [Read More…]
The German G41(W) was Germany’s first self-loading rifle issued in any significant quantity during WWII, but it’s many flaws led it to not be appreciated or coveted by the soldiers who were issued them. Using an unusual operating method, the guns were subject to excessive fouling and [Read More…]
The American Thompson SMG is a gun that has been used by hero and villain alike, and countless film and television appearances have cemented its reputation as piece of Americana. But beyond its iconic status, the gun was a very effective piece of military hardware and was used to great effect in [Read More…]
The FN SCAR 16s is the civilian semi-automatic version of the select-fire SCAR 16 rifle. Chambered in 5.56x45mm, it has to compete with AR15 rifles that do the same thing for 1/3rd the cost. While the SCAR certainly has a few unique features and handles well, is that enough to justify the high MSRP?
The TFBTV Run and Gun series seems to be a viewer favorite, and it also happens to be the most fun one to make! It allows us to put old rifles to the test and make a short, concise video that can often uncover a few things you wouldn’t normally notice when firing from a […] Read [Read More…]
Korean rifles produced by Daewoo Precision Industries are very well regarded by users and owners around the globe, and to this day the South Korean military uses them as a necessary asset to national defense. So let’s see what’s inside Shooting Review is below … [Read More…]
The Magpul PMAG is a great, well designed magazine that many people like and use in various rifles around the world, but over the years I have discovered that they are not the best option for me personally. It isn’t that they are bad (in fact they feed and run very well in certain firearms) [Read More…]
The Heckler and Koch P7 handgun was designed in the mid 1970s by Helmut Weldle and utilizes an interesting gas-delayed blowback system, whereby pressure imparted on the piston serves to delay the action. The interesting squeeze-cocking mechanism also draws the attention of many for its uniqueness [Read More…]
In a world full of AR15s and AK variants, few companies dare to be different. This list deals with a few offerings on the market that we wish would make more range appearances but tend to sit on the shelves or in distributor warehouses. Criteria for this list requires the guns to be listed by [Read More…]
The American M1 Garand was the world’s first general issue semi-automatic rifle. It is famous for many reasons (such as the harmonious ping it makes when ejecting its en bloc clip), but it is a magnificent piece of engineering that you can only truly appreciate by seeing what’s inside. [Read More…]
The famous Uzi 9mm SMG was introduced to the world in the 1950s, and was a huge hit that made its way into military and police armories around the world. With millions sold, the gun has been engaged in numerous conflicts and famously helped protect the life of President Reagan. The gun’s [Read More…]
The 5.7x28mm cartridge is certainly a divisive round. On one hand, you have people making ludicrously grandiose claims about its effectiveness, while others simply write it off as a gimmick or overpriced .22WMR from Belgium. A long time ago I wrote the PS90 off as a pointless, but fun rifle (having [Read More…]
Some firearms just are more fun to shoot than others, and in this list Alex runs through his five favorite guns to shoot (at this time). Guns don’t have to be expensive to be fun. This list includes some unusual stuff: A single shot breechloader, a centerfire bolt action, a shotgun, a rimfire [Read More…]
Heckler and Koch made a name for themselves when they began producing rifles, but in the mid 1960s they decided to expand their product line to include pistols. The result was a caliber convertible, small handgun that could fire .380, .32, .25, and .22 cartridges by having the end user do a quick [Read More…]
The Steyr AUG (Armee Universal Gewehr) is a fantastic bullpup known the world over for its reliability and distinctive look. The rifle really does have some great features, and in this video we take it apart to try and show what makes this gun so unique. Transcript … – Hey guys, [Read More…]
The legendary French Lebel rifle was a revolution in small arms design: It introduced smokeless powder, which gave the rifle double the power and effective range of its competitors like the Mauser 1871/84 or American Springfield Trapdoor. The French Lebel and its new cartridge (usually called 8mm [Read More…]
Everyone has a few purchases that have resulted in no buyer’s remorse whatsoever, and in this list I breaks down five of mine. The firearms on this list can meet a pretty broad set of criteria, ranging from how fun said gun is to how useful it has been over the years. What are the top [Read More…]
The MAS 36 is a greatly underappreciated rifle that we have worked a lot with on TFBTV, but it occurred to us that we had never taken one apart on camera. In this episode, we decide to do just that. MAS 36 Video: MAS 36 Run and Gun:
The Springfield Trapdoor was America’s first standard issue breech-loading rifle beginning in 1873. The advantage of rifles using metallic cartridges was quickly realized, and the hinged breechblock action of the Model 1873 was chosen over competing designs because of the ease by which [Read More…]
I asked this question a few years back, but decided to do a little redux for TFBTV: Submachine guns are pistol caliber fully automatic firearms that were very important in 20th Century military and police use, but seem to have faded in popularity by a tremendous amount. In this video we talk a [Read More…]
Some guns just seem to attract the most ravenous fanboys. These fanatics collaborate and overtime form cult-like cells within the community of firearm enthusiasts. In this video we explore five firearms that have developed a fan base akin to cults, often bordering on outright religious behavior.
The Armalite AR18 and its civilian counterpart (the AR180) were marketed as affordable alternatives to more expensive designs of the period. While the rifle failed to take off or find a lucrative military contract, the gas system (or elements of it) has been used in many different designs. In this [Read More…]
The FN 1900 is a classic John Browning design that put affordable, reliable semi-automatic pistols in the hands of the common man. The simple blowback guns were small enough to carry in a pocket, and .32acp was considered more than adequate for personal defense at the time. The FN 1900 kicked off a [Read More…]
The CZ Scorpion Evo is certainly getting a lot of attention from various gun guys around the USA since its introduction, and the simple blowback operated gun from the Czech Republic certainly seems to have a favorable price point. In this field strip, we take a look at what makes the Evo tick. [Read More…]
The Webley company was Britain’s premier producer of handguns in the 19th and 20th centuries. While most well known for their revolvers, they did produce a number of different semi-automatic pistols to try and break into the lucrative self-loading handgun market. While the designs never [Read More…]
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