Three Shots in Three Seconds

"Three shots in three seconds at three yards." That was Lt. Frank McGee's iconic summation (aka "McGee's Paradigm") of the typical gunfight of New York City police officers during the 1970s. Lt. McGee was the head of the NYPD Firearms and Tactics Section at that time. His analysis came from the Department's SOP-9 report, which began compiling statistics about the gunfights of its officers in 1969. Although the scope and name of the report has evolved over time, it is still published by the NYPD and is available online. McGee's Paradigm hasn't changed much over the past 50 years. Read More

Heat Up Your Nightlife with Sightmark's Wraith Mini Thermal Riflescope

The Sightmark Wraith Mini 2-16x35 Thermal Riflescope packs serious performance into an ultra-compact design. With a 384x288 microbolometer sensor, <40mK NEDT, 1400-yd detection range, 5-color palettes, built-in video and storage for up to five rifle profiles, When Night Falls, Hogs Fall. Read More

Review: Meridian Defense PMC-S AK Rifle

If you are even a casual student of history, you appreciate the impact and development of the AK-47 and its' influence around the world. Even as an observer, you cannot miss the obvious, constant images that surface in just about any armed conflict ranging from civil wars to major fighting. The images of fighters beyond the NATO realm will almost always include the AK-47. It is one of the most prolific guns ever manufactured. Read More

Mental Slop

An intermediate shooter seeking to enter the realm of shooting consistently well can be challenged by the ever-increasing demand for stringent speed and accuracy requirements. Fighting to shave tenths and even hundredths of a second to improve their shooting performance, the struggle is real for those seeking to shoot at a master level. Read More

Gunsite Expands to the East Coast

Gunsite Academy is expanding to Orlando, FL, in partnership with the largest gun range in Florida—Shooters World Orlando. With a total of 58 indoor lanes and target distances from 15 to 100 yards, the 74,000-square-foot facility and retail store is an opportunity for first-time students along the East Coast to participate in and understand the Gunsite experience without long-distance travel to Arizona. Read More

Review: Recoil Shot Timer iWatch App

It's a tradition in the gunwriting world that we begin any article about a shot timer with a paragraph or two about why they are an essential part of defensive firearms training. This is a tradition that I heartily endorse, because buying a shot timer and finding a shooting range that allows you to draw from a holster are two of the biggest indicators that you're no longer someone who goes to the range just to turn money into noise. Read More

To Crouch or Not To Crouch

Sometime after 1900, it became the vogue for defensive shooters to crouch while firing their handgun. One of the first notable proponents of this technique was Captain William Fairbairn, a British military and police instructor. Fairbairn believed that a man would naturally crouch in the face of danger and so he incorporated that into his point-shooting instruction. One of his students was Rex Applegate, the American military instructor who taught for the OSS during World War II. Read More

Review: Riton 3 Tactix EED Red-Dot Sight

As if we need further evidence of the growing popularity of pistol-mounted red-dot sights in general, and of the enclosed-emitter variety in specific, Riton has entered the market with its 3 Tactix EED sight. The firm has offered open-emitter models for a few years now, starting with the 3 Tactix PRD in the late 20-teens and the MPRD and MPRD2 series earlier in the 2020s. Read More

The Next Steps After Your Concealed Carry Class

While the trend these days is permit-free concealed carry (and that's a good thing), if you live in one of those states, it's still a pretty good idea to take a class and get your permit. You'll learn the legal intricacies of your state when it comes to the defensive use of a firearm, and if you need to use a firearm in self defense, it's a way to show the powers that be that, yes, you are a responsible gun owner and yes, you do things the right way. Read More

Five Great 1911s for Concealed Carry

If you're a fan of 1911s and carrying concealed, you're likely looking for a model of your favorite style of handgun you can carry every day. Often considered an outside the waistband only gun, with the right holster, 1911s can also make excellent concealed carry firearms. You just have to be careful which one(s) you pick. Like their polymer, striker-fired cousins, not all 1911s are suited for concealed carry. Read More

How To Begin Loading Your Own Ammo

I can still remember the first time I witnessed someone reloading their own ammo. It was a friend of mine with a small, single-stage Lee Precision press and barely enough room to operate it. He lived in a meager apartment with his wife and young child, but was somehow able to convert a small corner of the living room into a reloading area. It required all these different tools, machines, dies and things I wasn't familiar with. Read More

I Carry: Glock G19 Gen5 MOS Pistol with a Riton Red Dot in a Dark Star Gear Holster

We've featured the Glock G19 a few times, and there's a good reason for that. First, the number of, well, similar firearms should indicate the popularity of this handgun. Much like the 1911, a number of companies have seen the success of the G19 and decided to emulate it, making their own versions of the polymer-frame, striker-fired handgun. As this popularity spreads, like the 1911, the amount of gear available grows. From triggers to magazines to holsters, if you've got a Glock G19, you've got plenty of options. Read More

First Look: Nightstick LGL 180 IR/VIS Dual Beam Tactical Light

Nightstick has just unveiled the new LGL 180, a new tactical light capable of emitting both visible white light and an infrared beam that is meant for use with tactical shotguns or carbines. In addition to beaming out two different types of light, the new Nightstick LGL 180 can also run off two CR 123 batteries or a single 18650 battery, which are very common in the industry for this sort of application and easy to source. Read More

First Look: CCI Upper Cut Ammunition

CCI Ammunition, one of the premier manufacturers of rimfire cartridges and ammunition, has launched a new .22LR cartridge loaded with a heavy, copper-plated, 32-grain skived hollowpoint bullet meant to perform and expand when fired from shorter-barreled defensive .22LR caliber firearms. CCI calls this new defensive rimfire cartridge the .22LR Upper Cut. Read More