Last month, TFB published the “March Gatness” tournament – a readers’ choice bracket tournament to determine which rifle, revolver, and handgun is the best of the best (or at least the readers’ favorite). The winners will be featured in a TFBTV video.

To vote, go to http://gat.life

We are in now in Round 3 for Rifle and Auto Pistols, and the Revolver tournament just entered the FINALS today. Some observations from the first rounds:

Auto-Pistols:

Over 14,000 votes have been placed in the Automatic Pistol Tournament.

We are at what everyone reasonably expected at this point: Glock 19 versus CZ75, and 1911 versus the Hi-Power.

• Forever proving that you guys need to stop voting drunk and/or that Russian hackers are meddling with the Gatness, the CZ75 somehow defeated the far superior SIG P226.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU PEOPLE DID

 

ONE VOTE. One single vote propelled hot garbage into the semifinals over Teutonic-American superiority.

 

Unbelievable. I hope there are two 226 fans reading this right now that didn’t vote and now feel personally culpable for this miscarriage. Break out the cat-o-nine-tails and self purify yourselves immediately.

Anyways, in less relevant, less disappointing news:

• The Glock 19 beat the German Luger, but “merely” by 269 votes.
• The Hi-Power justifiably smashed the Makarov by 8 times the amount of votes which is great because the Makarov straight up sucks as a pistol, a record label, and a mother effing crew. (2Pac fans?)
• The Wilson Combat Classic 1911 didn’t exactly squeak by the M&P Compact 2.0, but damn if the mighty M&P didn’t put up a much better fight than we all expected. 406-233. I voted for the M&P Compact 2.0 as I thought it was one of the best new pistols in the last year.

To go straight to the Auto Tournament, click here: https://www.polltab.com/bracket-poll/BkRpZw6YM

Rifles:

Over 13,000 votes have been cast to decide the BEST rifle in the world. The results from Round 2:

• The FAL had a slow start against the Galil ACE but ended up trouncing it by triple the votes. Since the Galil displaced the FAL as the service rifle of Israel in the 60s-70s, it was refreshing to see the FAL get some revenge.
• The Bulgarian SAM7SF edged out the Saiga SGL21 by about 100 votes. Really, this was to be expected. While it feels wrong for a Bulgarian AK to be the representative for the AK47/74 family over a Russian AK, the SAM7SF is possibly the best AK that has been available to civilians in the US market, and the hot die hammer forged receiver is about as tough as it gets. The AK now faces the FAL in what will be a battle for the ages.
• The MP5 proved it has staying power and icon status, edging out the more technologically advanced P90. The MP5 may go all the way this year, unless…
• …it gets beat by the Colt M4, which is my choice to take the whole shebang. Of the 4 AR15/M16 derivatives in the tournament, the Colt M4 is the last man standing and is my pick to take the whole tournament.
• The M1 Garand and the FN SCAR defeated the M1A and the SIG 550 Series respectively by virtually the same margin of victory – about 400 votes to 200 votes in both matches. This should be a great battle to get to the semis as the new-ish SCAR faces a classic favorite in the M1 Garand.
• The Barrett 82A1 .50 cal barely beat the time tested and beloved Remington 700 by 80 votes. Color me surprised, but I guess there’s no replacement for displacement, as the saying goes. It faces the StG44, which more than doubled the votes of the simple but effective M3 Grease Gun.

To go straight to the Rifle Tournament, click here: https://www.polltab.com/bracket-poll/S1J6ecatM

Revolvers:

• Wow. The Colt SAA lost handily to the S&W 586/686.

How did the sidearm of choice for classic action film protagonists lose to the upstart S&W?

For Sam Colt’s sake, this weapon is forever immortalized in capable hands of Barney Ross in the Academy Award winning best film ever made, The Expendables.

I guess it just goes to show you that no amount of heavy-hitting-and-not-stale-at-all star power can propel a gun ahead in March Gatness, no matter how many Skinimax quality action films featuring all of your favorite stars from the 1980s/1990s it’s featured in. Gatness never lies.

• The Colt Python predictably crushed the S&W 66 in the semis. It advances to face the fluke victor of the Colt SAA/S&W 586/686 matchup.

To go straight to the Revolver Tournament, click here: https://www.polltab.com/bracket-poll/Syq-eoAYf

We’re at the home stretch guys?

WHO

WILL

GO

ALL

THE

WAY

?