Defense

For a while, I was planning to write about the history of SR-3M, but I always found something more important to do. Frankly, I thought that few people were interested in those obscure Russian rifles. But recently, I was proven wrong – when the US company Roswell Rifle Works presented a US-made version of this rifle at the SHOT Show 2026. In this article, I will try to talk about the history of the platform and briefly compare the original SR-3M and the US-made clone.

Photo of the Day captures a U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) engaging targets during Menton Week 2025 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. There’s certainly more smoke than I’m used to, except for perhaps the first one-two shots after cleaning, with a generous amount of oil. Shooting suppressed doesn’t help either.

Welcome back to another week of Wheelgun Wednesday where we indulge ourselves with some of the best revolvers we can come across - both old and new. This week we are going to focus on something that has a classic look but is very fresh to the market in the Lipsey’s Exclusive Smith & Wesson x Field Ethos Performance Center Model 36 DAO .38 Special just announced this week.

Tiny AF is not how I describe this rifle; it's the actual model name, which is pretty descriptive though. This new bolt-action rifle by Skunkwerks, the special projects division of Gunwerks, has a folding ClymR stock and a short 11.25" carbon fiber wrapped barrel, resulting in a folded length of mere 19.5 inches … pretty tiny indeed.

At SHOT Show 2026, Caracal USA announced that the CMP9 and CMP9K pistols, as well as the CSR308 and CSR338 bolt-action rifles, have finally hit the US market. In my opinion, what should make these firearms appealing to customers is that Caracal is a well-established player in the military small arms market, and the designs of these guns have undergone rigorous military endurance testing, as these are civilian counterparts of their military products. Let's take a quick look at the key specs and features of the four Caracal firearms mentioned.

US Palm unveiled their EOS Series suppressors at SHOT Show 2026, bringing 3D-printed construction and low back pressure design to four dedicated models. The Eye Of the Storm lineup includes three Inconel cans and one titanium option, each optimized for specific platforms rather than taking the multi-caliber suppressor approach.

At SHOT SHOW, South Carolina’s biggest MP5 fans, PTR, were showing off their latest addition to their roller-delayed blowback PCC line up, two new integrally suppressed SD models. Available in two versions, the 9SDM-A and 9SDM-B they are based on PTR’s 9CT. Intriguingly, both of the 9SDMs are three-stamp guns, just a couple of months ago that would have made these guns a commercial nightmare but now the changes to the NFA have come into effect, a three-stamp gun is likely to become much less of a rarity!

Founded in 1927 after the Russian Civil War, KBP Instrument Design Bureau has since earned numerous state honors, and its factory has accumulated a long list of proven designs, including small arms and a broad portfolio of air-defense systems. Today, as a joint-stock company, KBP, one of Russia’s largest military suppliers, is best known for its specialized and unique line of small arms. One of these unique firearms is the PP-2000.

In today’s Photo of the Day, Spc. Isaac Buxton of the 1st Armored Division, Task Force Iron, is seen firing a German Army HK G36 service rifle during the Schützenschnur qualification at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania. The event took place in August 2025 and offered U.S. Soldiers a hands-on opportunity to work with foreign weapons systems under the guidance of German counterparts.

Welcome back to TFB's   Small Business Spotlight! In this weekly column, we take a look at small firearm-related businesses. Today, we're featuring LayerX Suppression, a new suppressor manufacturer based in Livonia, Michigan, that's bringing aerospace-level precision to silencer design.

Hush Puppy Project announced Ruger RXM and Sig P365 kits at SHOT Show 2026, expanding beyond their established Glock lineup. The company builds pistols with an integrated Slide Lock Device (SLD) that prevents the slide from cycling, eliminating action noise for maximum suppression when paired with their Model 2 wipe-filled suppressor and subsonic ammunition.

Gunslinger Tactical, a company from Holly Springs, North Carolina, has introduced a new weapon-mounted illumination and aiming device called SeraphIM. Attaching to the handguard of a firearm via a 1913 rail, the SeraphIM integrates several LED and IR lights and lasers with a front grip. One of the primary advantages provided by this device is the minimal exposure of the shooter’s body when using a light or laser to aim around a corner. The built-in joystick allows smooth transitioning between the different lights and lasers.

Armory of Kings displayed the FRT90 forced reset trigger for the FN PS90 at SHOT Show 2026. The trigger system was developed by Dorin Technologies and is currently available for pre-order through FN Specialties at $450 MSRP. First shipments go out in March 2026, with current orders filling the April production batch.

For your product to be successful in this industry, it has to take Glock mags, even if it’s not a firearm. Ghoststar Tactical apparently acknowledges this axiom, as their AR15 stocks do take Glock mags. Yes, these stocks are designed with storage compartments for housing Glock magazines. The Glock mags are inserted into the Ghoststar stocks from the opening in the buttpad and are locked in place. Pressing the button on the side of the stock ejects the magazines out.

The holster is the pivot point of carrying a pistol. Everything rides on your ability to retain your weapon; otherwise, the individual is forced to carry or shove the weapon into less-than-preferred locations on the body. Even when carrying a compact or subcompact pistol, carrying can reveal an uncomfortable truth: comfort is everything. So, for the sake of this article, we are looking at what I consider the best holster for the Glock 43/43X. This subcompact platform can pack a lot of heat for being so reduced in size, but carrying a weapon that is significantly upgraded can become tricky when lights, optics, and, yes, even a compensator are added.

Today, we have TFB’s threaded trio: three Glock 45s tuned for a variety of today’s shooters. Each built with a different purpose in mind, but all sharing the same 9×19 foundation. All three feature threaded barrels, but that’s where the similarities end.

Another SHOT Show is officially in the rear-view mirror, and, as is my custom every year in this series, today we’re going to go over some of the more interesting or intriguing rimfire releases from SHOT Show 2026. While covering rimfire topics specifically is a significant chunk of what I do here at TFB, during SHOT and most of the rest of the year, I’m often covering or researching other topics, so a majority of these items this year are ones that I’ve probably seen or heard about, but not actually touched myself just yet. So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the best that the industry had to offer us, rimfire junkies, at SHOT Show 2026.

Walther is entering the centerfire hunting rifle market with quite an interesting offering that the company says is the future of hunting. The new Walther RS 3 is a bullpup straight-pull rifle. As hunting with silencers is becoming increasingly popular, the main reason Walther went with a bullpup design is to keep the rifle compact and well-balanced when a suppressor is attached without sacrificing the barrel length. The RS 3 rifle actually comes with a Walther QSA silencer and with that suppressor attached to the 23” (58cm) barrel, the overall length of the rifle is 41” (104cm).

DSA Arms displayed their new FAL G Series at SHOT Show 2026 with a military metal handguard and bipod configuration priced at $2,500. The G Series replicates the first commercial FAL rifles imported to the United States, capturing the aesthetics and details of those original guns that introduced American shooters to the FAL platform in the 1960s.

TriStar Arms brought color expansions for existing products to SHOT Show 2026 alongside one unusual addition: a thumbhole stock over/under shotgun born from a raffle experiment. The company also added ODG/Black and FDE/Black options to their KR.22 rimfire rifle.

Welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 171! We’re back with more deals on guns, gear, ammunition, and accessories from some of our most frequented online retailers like Primary Arms, Natchez Shooters Supply, Palmetto State Armory, Brownells, and more. Whether you’re looking for deals on new or used guns, ammo to add to your reserves, or specific accessories like flashlights, range bags, optics, bipods, and magazines, each week we’ll have new sets of deals that might fulfill one of those needs and save you a few dollars.

Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday, brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new Victra 20-gauge shotgun suppressor. There were hundreds of new suppressors on display at SHOT Show, and it seems like the NFA gold rush is well and truly happening. All of those new NFA items need ammunition, and several manufacturers have new loads meant for suppressed use. Let's look at some of those new options.

Welcome back to another TFB review. This week, I want to take a look at a new trend coming from the gun world where standard factory guns are revamped and tricked out to the absolute max. This has been going on for years and certainly isn't a new thing for those who live in the Glock world. Wilson Combat has been upgrading various popular firearms in the industry with their Scattergun Technologies line, but recently it has been upgrading SIGs, Beretta handguns and offering 1911 parts for a number of factory guns. I have had the new Wilson Combat P365 2.0 for almost two months now and after my time with this gun, I can confidently talk about its features and why someone may go with this over a standard model. Let's take a closer look at the Wilson Combat P365 2.0 Comped.

Today’s Photo of the Day shows a rare, fully transferable HK MP5SD3 machine gun complete with its original integral suppressor. Offered by Morphy Auctions, this 1984-produced example carries the “IE” proof code and is marked “Made in W. Germany / HK Chantilly, VA,” a sign of its factory-original heritage and importation history.

I love attending SHOT Show, but it’s all new, flashy stuff. Some classic milsurp guns do show up (like what we see at Navy Arms or Zastava booths), and there are definitely hot new hunting rifles and shotguns (see last week’s Fudd Friday piece here). But for someone like myself, who’s used to shopping off the used gun rack at their local dealer, well, there’s not a whole lot. So that’s why, on the final day of SHOT Show 2026, I grabbed an Uber with some colleagues and headed across town to the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show. I am very glad I made the trip.

You gotta love the mad scientists at Hydra Weaponry. While everyone else is busy building AR-pattern rifles with modern lightweight materials and trick designs, the crew at Hydra isn’t afraid to delve into history, reproducing the designs of Mack Gwinn Jr. At SHOT Show 2026, they were showing off one of their latest creations, a revival of the Gwinn Assault Rifle, aka the “Original Bushmaster.”

Drone Round Defense brought their anti-drone ammunition to SHOT Show 2026, offering 5.56 NATO and 7.62 NATO loads designed specifically to neutralize small unmanned aerial systems. The company operates under the same leadership team behind Freedom Munitions, Unlimited Ammo, and Ammo Load, with production capacity reaching 350 million rounds annually.

Thermal optics are still hot in the tactical and hunting markets these days, and Pulsar has two new options for 2026. The Trail 3 LRF XR50 and Trail 3 LRF XQ50 both aim to deliver affordability, with slight differences because they’re intended to hit targets at different ranges.

DryFireMag dropped three new Smart Mag models at SHOT Show 2026. Walther PDP, Smith & Wesson M&P, and CZ Shadow 2 all get the trigger-reset treatment now. Complete systems run $325 and come with everything you need: training magazine, laser cartridge, barrel block, and red laser for shot feedback.

Last week at SHOT Show 2026 we reported on a significant expansion of Aimpoint’s COA, with the enclosed red dot appearing mounted on a variety of pistols expanding out from the initial Glock offerings which debuted in 2025. Now we have full details from Aimpoint on how they’re going to expand the COA and its A-CUT interface across the industry.