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JUNE 19, 2025

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has withdrawn the flawed 3-judge panel opinion in United States v. George Peterson, an FPC-backed criminal case challenging the federal government’s regulation of suppressors through unconstitutional registration and taxation requirements.
SIGHTRON is gearing up to attend the ultimate outdoor media extravaganza: The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) 2025 Annual Meeting. The event will take place Monday, June 23rd through Wednesday, June 25th at Maumee Bay Lodge & Conference Center in Oregon, OH.
DeSantis Gunhide adds fitment for the Springfield Hellcat OSP to the Hidden Truth. The #160, Hidden Truth, is an appendix holster with integral Mag Pouch.

Discrete security that is out of sight and utilizes unused space descibes how SnapSafe uses innovative thinking to provide a superior safe option. SnapSafe Under Bed Safes secure larger firearms, ammunition, and valuables, allowing quick and convenient slide-out access.
It’s been 48 years now since Brenda and I greeted MidwayUSA’s first Customer in that small 1,600-square-foot gun shop in Columbia, MO. A lot has changed since ‘77, but the important things stay the same: Customers come first, Employees are like family, Suppliers are our friends and partners, and we continuously improve everything – period.
Celerant Technology has announced the release of version 2.8.2, the most significant software update in the company's recent history. This major release for both versions of Celerant’s retail technology offerings, Cumulus Retail & Stratus Enterprise, represents intensive development work.

The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) praised the Senate Finance Committee on its wise and courageous leadership in proposing a number of critically important and constitutionally required firearm law and tax reforms in the budget reconciliation package (at section 70436, “Elimination Of Tax On Certain Devices Under The National Firearms Act”).
The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) called on the full United States Senate to support and pass the Finance Committee’s firearm law and tax reforms in the budget reconciliation package. These critically important reforms include the elimination of unconstitutional taxes, restrictions, and red tape on the lawful purchase and possession of popular, constitutionally protected firearms and firearm suppressors.
The Firearms Policy Coalition praised the filing of an important “friend-of-the-court” brief by the United States Department of Justice in support of FPC’s lawsuit challenging the Illinois Protect Illinois Communities Act, which bans so-called “assault weapons” and “high-capacity magazines”, all constitutionally protected arms. The DOJ brief urges the Seventh Circuit to uphold FPC’s victory at the district court and marks a critical step in fulfilling President Trump’s commitment to protect Americans’ fundamental right to keep and bear arms.

Vortex Optics now offers the Defender reflex optic, the Defender-CCW, the Defender-ST and the Defender-XL, in tan for users who prefer that color.
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) is pleased to announce that Luth-AR has renewed their corporate partnership at the Silver level.
SLG2, Inc. announces the addition of Daniel Defense as its latest corporate partner for 2025. This exciting collaboration represents a shared dedication to quality, innovation and empowering individuals and families in shooting sports and outdoor recreation.

Streamlight® announces the SL-SideSaddle® series, a new hands-free lighting solution built for outdoor adventure and recreational use. Using the hat light mounting system, it seamlessly fits baseball hats and bump caps. It also works in conjunction with athletic climbing or safety helmets using the universal mounting system.
CzechPoint offers a line of 7.62 & 5.56 pistols. Available with or without a pistol brace, the VZ 58 platform uses a short-stoke gas piston, with less reciprocating mass and less felt recoil.
RETAY USA announces that the RXP22 Pistol is now in stock and shipping to dealers and customers across the U.S. The .22LR RXP22 delivers a superior training experience with the feel and function of a full-sized pistol without the high price tag or heavy recoil.
 

Brownells sadly announces the death of long-time family patriarch Frank Brownell, who successively held the positions of President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board at Brownells.

Frank passed away in Grinnell, Iowa on June 18, 2025, after a lengthy illness. He was six days shy of his 86th birthday.

For nearly six decades, Frank’s passion, vision, and generosity shaped not only Brownells, but the entire firearms community. Friends and customers alike remember him greeting “long lines of friends” at SHOT Show and the NRA Annual Meetings, championing gunsmithing, and driving industry innovation.

“Frank was the kind of person who made you better just by being around him.” Pete Brownell, CEO of Brownells and Frank’s son.

A Life of Service and Contribution

Born June 24, 1939, in Montezuma, Iowa, the second child and only son of Brownells founder Bob and his wife Lois, Frank grew up in Iowa and became involved in both the family business and the American gun industry at an early age. Frank graduated magna-cum-laude with a degree in Advertising from the University of Iowa in 1961 before serving aboard the USS Caliente (AO-53) as a U.S. Navy reservist.

In 1965, he joined Brownells full-time, laying out Big Book Catalog #18, and soon helped publish the first Gunsmith Kinks book in 1969 under the name F. Brownell and Son.

Frank became President in 1983, CEO in 2007, and Chairman of the Board in 2012, guiding Brownells for more than 40 years.

From marketing the now-iconic Latigo Sling at the 1964 NRA convention to elevating gunsmithing as a respected profession, his influence can be seen in countless shops, ranges, and workbenches across America.

A Legacy of Character

Beyond titles and accolades, Frank was cherished for his kindness, integrity, and infectious enthusiasm. Frank Brownell was a Navy veteran, a business leader, and a stalwart supporter of our unique American rights guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment.

An industry innovator, he helped establish Brownells as a nationwide legacy retailer in the gunsmithing, gun parts, and firearms space. He helped advance the best model for working with and developing endemic industry media. He advocated for elevating gunsmithing to a respected profession and created new ways to support and develop the growth of gunsmithing, gun ownership, and gun culture.

A Life Remembered

Frank is survived by his three sons, Bob, Pete, and Matt Brownell, and their families. Service details will be shared once arrangements are finalized.

Friends, colleagues, and customers are encouraged to honor Frank by sharing memories, supporting aspiring gunsmiths, or simply spending time at the bench, just as he loved to do.

In this feature, I explained my use of ammo made for police duty in the Ruger RXM. The ammo was Hornady Critical Duty 135gr. FTX +P. It’s a load geared more to service- and service-compact pistols, and I wondered how it would work with a mildly upsized micro-9. It’s “subcompact,” but with a longer barrel/slide and frame – along with magazine.

The Hellcat Pro has been here awhile and (below) was shown to be quite accurate on a retiree qual from only last year.

 

The more svelte pistol was the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro. This gun has a shorter-than-service-compact barrel (3.7” vs. 4+”). The velocity could be short of what the 135 grain FTX bullet needs to perform. Otherwise, the gun is optics-ready, this one came with a pair of 15-round magazines, and it’s fitted with the tritium/luminescent front sight with a “tactical rack” U-notch rear sight. The frame’s grip surface is a mere one-inch wide and the gun weighs in at 21 ounces.

One question was bullet velocity from this gun vs. the 4” Ruger RXM. The other was handling; this gun is lighter, thinner, with a shorter barrel. Would that create a handling issue with the +P duty rounds?

It was mild and breezy when the morning at the range started – but it quickly got hot and I had to use some interventions to keep the target and frame standing in the wind.

First, I checked for velocity and zero from fifteen yards. The Hellcat Pro turned in a slightly higher average velocity -- 1,095 fps, compared to 1,091fps for the RXM. The rounds struck 2” high on the target, centered for windage.

The target was the IALEFI-Q training and qualification target pasted over an IDPA cardboard target. As it had already been shot, I overlaid it with a B-8 (CP) repair center and placed a 3x5 label over the upper (“head”) circle.

From 25 yards, I fired a pair from the holster, followed by a pair from low ready, twice.

I had two hits inside the circle, with 2 in the “7” rign, 1 on the repair center outside the rings, and 1 in the“neck.” One round clipped the head box. This was an inauspicious start.

From fifteen feet, I fired a pair from the holster, a pair from guard, and repeated the same one handed – dominant hand and support hand only. From here, there was a 7-ring, an 8-ring, a 10-ring hit, plus a “mike” in the -3 area of the cardboard.

Apparently, Grassi’s skill with the little heater has diminished.

It was apparent I hadn’t worked with this gun for a while.

The failure drill from ten yards yielded a pair in the 10-ring, with one in the IALEFI-Q head circle above the 3x5 label.

I worked with the same grip exercise – “switch hands” from Tenicor – to see what was happening with grip. Working at seven yards, the hits clustered closely and they were centered.

My lack of competence with the HCP was stunning. I’d shot this very gun a year before on the retiree LEOSA course and shot a tighter cluster with it than I’d previously shot with larger, “comfortable” guns.

In an attempt at remediation, I was at the range early for assessment, taking apart various components of shooting with a focus on handling the slimmer gun. I began at ten feet and ‘warmed up’ – something I normally don’t do without an assessment first – with my take on a “demand drill,” articulated by Larry Vickers. Aimed in at ten feet, using a Birchwood Casey “Dirty Bird” logo on a BC target, I had pressure on the trigger. I tried to “cut the (timer’s) beep” in half with the gunshot. My times were .18-.28 second. Going from a “muzzle 45° down” ready position to a single hit on the logo, my times were from .98 to 1.84 (the first).

I had an outlier hit at .88 second.

I did a “slow draw” exercise inspired by a drill from Travis Haley. For this, it was slow, methodical draw on the beep, counting down to the shot. I got from around 4 seconds to a hit on the B-8 (CP), staying in and around the X at ten feet, down to around 1.6 seconds. This was accomplished with a belt holster under a shirt.

Remediation requires work in trigger control, grip, timing. Below, the bullseye target shows the work aspects of it. A handling ‘re-try’ didn’t show complete success but it was better than the cold attempt.

 

I found myself failing to focus, causing one outside the 10-ring. This reinforced drawing straight up to the eyeline, then pressing out. I felt like I could get to around 1.2 seconds or so when I stopped. I ended with a pair at 1.93 seconds – putting me at two points down for time past 1.5 seconds par. I had 26 rounds fired with two in the 9-ring, five in the ten ring and the rest in the X ring.

Firing a mash-up of various qual stages proved I was nowhere near the right side of running this gun – a small gun that I shot quite well over the past few years.

At ten feet, I pushed both hits off the center zone of the target I was using. At twenty feet, still down on time, I had one in the 3”x5” vertical center zone and the other in the (ca. 6” wide) shaded zone. At thirty feet, my shooting was slow and the reload was a little sluggish, with three in the shaded area, one outside.

I went a full second and a half over at 60 feet, with one in the 3”x5” scoring zone and the other clipping the shaded area.

First, this isn’t the gun. It’s clearly the shooter and I haven’t worked it out yet. Also, I’d been carrying a gun somewhat like the Hellcat Pro for months; this was a wakeup call that I need to check competence with that.

I’m not unfamiliar with the process. I’ve been here before. Most shooters have been here, I imagine.

You just have to work it out.

— Rich Grassi

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