A weekly look at duty-grade gear, training, and decisions that have to work on your worst day—not just photograph well on someone else’s best day.

In 2015, photographs and videos began circulating of several prototype rifle designs from the mid-2010s, chambered for an obscure experimental round, the 6x49, which was the Soviet Union's unified 6mm cartridge. The photos and videos show new developmental rifles chambered for the Soviet-era work resurfacing with some of the biggest Russian defense contractors. First publicly observed on 19 September 2015 during the Tsentr-2015 exercises in Donguz, Orenburg Oblast.

Today’s Photo of the Day features the KMR W-02 Spectra S OR. TFB hasn’t written tons about KMR; in fact, this might be our first-ever article. KMR Arms is a Czech firearms manufacturer known for precision-focused competition pistols, particularly within IPSC and action shooting.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about when avoiding is the best possible thing you can do. If you happened to miss that article and want to check it out, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to really look at some of the biggest struggles I have run into over the years when it comes to carrying a concealed handgun every day. Some can result in discomfort, while others can put you in tough situations with friends or family. Each aspect is important to think about ahead of time, so let's take a closer look at the top problems when carrying concealed.

Hogue had a packed booth at SHOT Show 2026, though I wasn’t able to catch anyone from the team for a conversation. Their new product catalog does most of the talking. The company also has  new knives this year, but the firearm grip and stock lineup is where the real volume/interest is, and that's where we're focusing today.

Staccato, one of the pioneers of double-stack 1911s and the actual owner of the 2011 trademark, has added a new compensated option to their HD line of pistols - the 9mm Staccato HD C4X. The new pistol was designed in collaboration with and to meet the requirements of an elite tactical surveillance unit and is advertised as the ultimate carry pistol, combining HD reliability, 2011 shootability, and refined performance.

Expanding their RFX line of reflex sights, Viridian introduced at SHOT 2026 the RFX1, a green dot sight designed specifically for the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 pistol. As you can see in the images, the serrations of the sight's housing as well as its contours match those of the pistol’s slide, giving the assembly a nice, streamlined look. With dimensions of 1.63" x 0.81" x 1.02" and weighing 0.53 oz, this optic is claimed to be the smallest reflex sight in the world.

On today’s episode of TFB’s Behind the Gun Podcast, I finally have the opportunity to bring on someone from an often underappreciated side of the gun industry - Targets. Drue Addis is here to represent his family’s company - Re-Nine Safety. Today, Drue is going to share how his family’s company started, how shooting and firearms influenced his family, and, of course, help us understand the design decisions and features behind Re-Nine’s unique cardboard targets. We’ll also get a peek behind the curtain about how Re-Nine’s new AR500 targets are made, and what we can expect to see from their growing product lineup in 2026 and beyond. Please give Drue a warm welcome to the program!

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.