#Editorial

Brownells, in large part, started the retro resurgence of the last few years. While they did get out of the game with complete guns, they still offer parts and uppers. The most recent batch of uppers is more modern and includes the Brownells 733, a Model 733 clone. Yes, the 733 we all know and love from the movie Heat. When Brownells offered me a review of this upper, I promptly sent them my shipping info and I started loading magazines.

Garmin made some real shockwaves when it introduced the Xero C1 Pro Chronograph. It fits the advanced technology of a radar chronograph into a handy little pocket-sized tool with a simple setup and operation. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype.

I love the ERGO Gapper. It’s an ingeniously simple device that makes a huge difference in AR comfort. Please allow me to share with you the best $3 you can spend on your rifle.

The Meprolight M22 is a unique reflex sight, in part for what it lacks: a battery. Unlike more common red dot sights, which use a battery to power an LED, the M22 uses the sun and radiation to illuminate the reticle. So how well does that work? Let’s find out.

Griffin Armament makes a variety of silencers and related accessories. One of the most interesting is their A2 Adapter. It allows any silencer with 1.375×24 rear threads to mount to standard AR flash hiders. I got my hands on one and tried it on several different guns, and thought my experience would be worth sharing.

Mounting and moving optics around is a very common thing for a gun writer. I am always on the lookout for new scopes and mounts to use in reviews. When the opportunity to review the Anubis Defense “The One” scope mount came around, I jumped at the chance. 

Primary Arms has been steadily improving and expanding its range of optics. The lineup of prism scopes has grown and undergone revisions, and the MicroPrism family is the current flagship. This review will cover the SLx 3x model, which sits between the 1x and 5x versions.

Mystery Ranch is one of the biggest names in outdoor backpacks. They make a wide range of hiking, hunting, wildfire, and military bags. Recently I found myself in need of a dedicated backpack to haul my writing gear to the range. The 2-Day Assault Pack looked like a good option so I picked one up. This review will cover my experiences using it on and off the range over the course of the last year.

We’re now officially into 2024, and that means it’s time for the latest CMP rule changes. Some of these changes were teased earlier but we can now look at the full text. As far as I can tell, these all seem like improvements.

Caldwell produces a wide range of shooting gear. From targets to rests to chronographs, they are a brand found in most sporting goods stores. One of their key product areas is shooting rests and sandbags. They also make the Precision Turret Rest, which is a hybrid between a machine gun tripod and a clamp-type rest typically used on tall tripods. I bought one to see how it works and thought that would be worth sharing with you all.

Springfield Armory’s Hellion made a big splash when it launched last year. This import-friendly HS Produkt VHS-2 is an excellent addition to the world of bullpup military rifles. In addition to the standard 16-inch guns, Springfield now offers 18- and 20-inch models. They kindly sent me a pre-release Hellion 20-inch model for review.

Buckle up, buckaroos. We’ve got some dense legalese to get through today. On March 25, 2021, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, reversed and remanded a lower court decision that denied a preliminary injunction against the ATF’s enforcement of the bump stock ban. I know that many of you are thinking the same thing that I had thought. Wait, what? I thought the whole bump stock ban thing was already over and done? A done deal, set in stone, lost and never to return. But it appears this is not the case, so without any further ado, let’s get into the meat of the matter.

How anyone braves Black Friday chaos in person I’ll never understand. Unless Walmart decides to start handing out free AR-15’s, you’ll never find me in a post-turkey brawl at a big box store. I guess I’m more of a grab-a-coffee-and-hunker-down-for-Cyber-Monday kind of guy. Speaking of which, if you’ve been living under a rock, you might have missed society’s march towards a war with Cyberdyne Systems incarnate Boston Dynamics. Their Spot Robot Dog launch has me searching for armor piercing ammo deals Black Friday crowds don’t typically search for. Take a look at the below video for a demonstration.

I have worked in the firearms industry for some time now.  I have also worked retail firearms, and have immediate family that still does.  I know that it seems to always escape people, but firearms are not toys and should be treated safely and with respect. But there are some people out there that don’t understand that concept.