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OCTOBER 16, 2025

VIKTOS unveils the Gunfighter RR Jean — a purpose-built pant engineered for concealed carry, range work, and everyday life. Designed with durability, mobility, and versatility at its core, the Gunfighter RR Jean proves that not all denim is created equal.
Sons of Liberty Gun Works (SOLGW) congratulates the top teams at the 2025 TTPOA SWAT Competition. Competing across a demanding set of skill based and tactical scenario-based challenges, each of these units demonstrated exceptional marksmanship, tactics, teamwork, and professionalism — and the top four chose the SOLGW MK1 rifle as their rifle of choice.
Team Lapua’s Jack Neary delivered an impressive performance at the NBRSA Eastern Region Fall Finale, held October 4–5 in Sidney, Ohio. Neary claimed first place in the 2-Gun Grand Aggregate, showcasing extreme consistency and with his benchrest rifle platform chambered in 6mm PPC.

Wiley X proudly served as the title sponsor of the Stay in the Fight Veterans Foundation’s “A Winning Hand” event, held at the newly opened National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas on October 11th.
SAR USA announced its participation in the 2025 NASGW Expo & Annual Meeting on October 15- 17 in Grapevine, Texas. As an official sponsor of NASGW Lounge, SAR USA is dedicated to strengthening relationships with distributors and dealers nationwide while showcasing its expanding lineup of duty-ready, precision-engineered firearms. Visit SAR USA at Booth #937 and explore their exciting product lineup.
Warne announced the introduction of the new Vapor Bipod. This bipod features all-aluminum construction with steel hardware to ensure rock-solid performance – no matter your budget.

The Ruger Autumn Arms Giveaway by GunBroker is halfway through, and there’s still time for firearm enthusiasts to claim their chance at one of nine premium Ruger prizes.
Celerant Technology has announced the launch of its Customer Engagement Suite, an all-new digital marketing platform that unifies email marketing, text message marketing, live chat, social media management, and online reputation tools into one connected system.
PROOF Research® has named William Misch as its new International & Central U.S. Account Manager. Misch will oversee key domestic territories and international accounts.

Dead Air Silencers has been named the 2025 NASGW Award winner for Accessory Manufacturer of the Year during the Expo and Annual Meeting held in Grapevine, Texas. The honor was presented Tuesday evening as part of the 9th Annual NASGW Awards.
Steiner Optics announced its 2025 partnership with Canada in the Rough, a popular hunting show that educates and entertains viewers across North America. This partnership will feature the Beasley Brothers and their guests hunting big game animals using Steiner optics, including the new ePredator 8 riflescope, ePredator 8 binoculars, Predator 4 Series, H6Xi Series, and Predator 8 Series.
Seven-year industry veteran and former SWAT firearms instructor to lead sales in 12-state region.

Outdoor Edge is expanding its ambassador program and inviting passionate outdoorsmen and women to join. The program is designed to expand the brand’s reach and connect with outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, chefs and content creators who share a love for high-performance gear and the great outdoors.
Streamlight, Inc. welcomes Antonio Sánchez González as International Regional Sales Manager, Europe – Law Enforcement, Military, and Sporting Goods (LE/MIL/SG). Based in Madrid, Spain, Sánchez will report to Streamlight’s Director of International Business Development, Donato Sasso.
A United States District Court has vacated its order mandating the Second Amendment Foundation provide the government with a list of its members after SAF, its partner organizations and the Department of Justice (DOJ), filed a joint motion to amend the judgment late last week.

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), joined by the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation, and three FPC members, filed a major new federal lawsuit—Jaymes v. Bonta—to block California’s unconstitutional new ban on Glock and Glock-style handguns, some of the most popular firearms in America. The full complaint is available at firearmspolicy.org/jaymes-v-bonta.
In response to California Gov. Gavin Newsom signing new gun control bills into law, the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners have filed a new lawsuit challenging the ban on the commercial sale of all Glock and Glock platform handguns in California.
Hornady is proud to announce its lineup of new products for 2026.The new ammunition, bullet, reloading and security products will be available from stocking dealers, major retail sporting goods stores and their websites.
Bleecker Street Publications announced the launch of RottenGunReviews.com. The first community-driven firearm review platform built for shooters, by shooters.
The Second Amendment Foundation is pleased to announce that Volquartsen Firearms has once again renewed their corporate partnership at the Silver level.
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. announces the release of the Model 1854 Stealth Hunter, chambered in 30-30 Win. These rifles boast a 5+1 capacity, a compact 16.5-inch 410 stainless-steel barrel, an overall weight of 6.95 pounds, and a total length of 34.3 inches.
RCBS has announced new dies designed for reloading the 25 GT cartridge. New offerings include a standard full-length sizing die/seat die set, a MatchMaster full-length bushing sizing die/micrometer seat die set, and a standalone MatchMaster seat die.
ALPS OutdoorZ’s Sierra Soft-Shell Collection is a competitive crossover system of uppers for challenging outdoor environments. The Sierra collection is protected by a durable polyester-spandex blend outer shell and lined with a soft, warm microfleece inner fabric.
NEXTORCH North America introduces the TA70 Ultra-Slim Tactical Flashlight, a compact everyday carry light that combines 3,500 lumens of power with an ultra-thin profile and battle-tested reliability. The TA70 is equipped with Ultra Thermal Buffer technology. This system manages heat build-up during high-output use, so you can run the light harder, for longer, without worrying about overheating.
Zaffiri Precision announces its new Ported Z Complete Upper for the Glock 19 Gen 3, a dual-ported slide and barrel system designed to reduce recoil and muzzle rise by up to 25 percent.
Springfield Armory® announces the release of the newest addition to the Hellcat® family, the Hellcat OSP .380. Chambered for the .380 round, this Hellcat is designed as a purpose-built micro-compact that delivers effective defensive performance while remaining extremely easy to conceal.
GOVIEW announced the introduction of the new GOVIEW 8x25mm Monocular. Thanks to its ultra-compact magnesium housing, it can fit in a jacket pocket, ready to use in spontaneous observation situations such as hiking, stadium events or brilliant details of insects or birds in the garden.
Kinetic Development Group announced the launch of its newest addition to the Kinect line: the Kinect M-LOK Garmin XERO C1 Mount. Shooters can now move their Garmin XERO C1 between rifles or remove it for storage in seconds — eliminating downtime and maximizing range productivity.
For a limited time, Taurus is giving customers more reasons to buy with two exciting cash-back offers running now through December 21, 2025. Buy any qualifying Taurus G-Series 9mm pistol and get $30 back, and buy any new Taurus or Rossi revolver and get $30 back with each purchase.
German Precision Optics announced that its feature-rich optics including riflescopes, spotting scopes, rangefinders and binoculars are now available at MidwayUSA.
 

If you followed armed self-defense issues in print media, you’ve seen some or all of these issues written about. Before you complain about the boomer discussing print on dead tree materials, you’ve likewise seen this material in the “guntube” universe, in blogs and social media. 

As far as which side of each topic is “right,” I suggest a reframe – it’s not “right” and “wrong,” it’s material to be rationally considered, discussed and individually decided on.

First, and recently in one of our own services, is the issue of handloaded ammo for defense. Without raining on parades or arguing individual aspects of custom, personally assembled ammo for street use, I prefer to default to my personal defense ammo standard, the “big three.”

Defense ammo must have (1) ignition reliability, (2) functional reliability and (3) it must hit to the sights. After that, adequate penetration is good, decelerating in the target medium is likewise nice – but if it doesn't go “bang,” ties up in the gun, or hits “somewhere out there,” all that expensive bullet development and testing is a colossal waste of effort.

In my considerable experience – I was a handloader many years ago – I prefer premium defense ammo from ammo factories. I’ve seen too many failures with personally loaded, professionally remanufactured and bulk-pack low-cost range ammo from big factories to use anything but the premium stuff.

But, it’s up to you. What’s your life worth?

Closely related is the rambling of the “caliber commandos.” 

Tired old tales surrounding “this versus that” sold a lot of magazines and the writers were interesting, but it’s like professional wrestling or soap operas – all scripted. I’ve fallen into the camp of “they’re all pitifully impotent popguns” and none of the rest of it really matters.

In the 1980s and 1990s, I found that the ascending 9mm service autos were often not as accurate as 38 Special revolvers and 45 Autos. I wonder why that was?

Could it be that enormous development stretching back to the 1930s – the era of bullseye, when it was rimfire, centerfire and US service auto – led to finding the best practices to make 38 S&W Special and .45 ACP as accurate as possible?

Development on 9mm as a handgun service round began in earnest in the early days of the M9 pistol and has continued. The brief 40 S&W respite – some of those loads are delightfully accurate – combined with making better 9mm delivery systems, which helped better guide the 1908 9x19mm revolution.

Bottom line: if I had to gear up to go to work today – and I’d complain long and loud about it – the caliber of handgun would be among the least of my worries. 

Recently, people started to question the issue of carrying spare ammo in addition to what’s in the gun. 

A reload is typical of stoppage reduction; any stoppage in the cycle of operation has to be remedied in the fight – which is where stoppages tend to happen. Having a way to unload-reload is priceless.
 

Don’t look at me. My first night on the job, I had a loaded Ruger Security-Six in a department Jordan holster from Don Hume. The rounds were a Speer hollow point, likewise issued by the department. There were 12 additional rounds in the snap-open double dump pouch setup, also from Miami, OK’s Don Hume. 

That was it, all she wrote, to defend myself and that town. 

As time went on, a Smith & Wesson Model 60 backed up another S&W, the Model 66-1. The M66 was loaded with Winchester 125gr. JHP 357s. The M60 held five rounds of Winchester Super-X X38SPD, 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoint +P ammo. A speed strip in the shirt pocket held six rounds of KTW for the holster gun, while another had five more rounds of X38SPD for the pocket gun.

Seem like a lot? I carried it okay. 

Now, old and retired, there’s at least one spare of ammo for whatever is being carried. While you may marvel at your new wonder-pistol being trouble free on the range, in fights stoppages seem to join in, just for the fun of it. Sometimes you have to empty the gun and reload it to sort out the interruption in the cycle of operation. 

Having the spare mag to do that can be priceless.

Now we have, “it’s not a hands-gun, it’s a handgun.” People that devour shooting videos can be heard to marvel at the number of times someone shoots one-handed operationally, even when they don’t have to. 

Why? Beats me. I shoot one-handed because I may not have both available. And, when I do regular shooting work-outs one-handed, I note that my two-handed shooting improves.

Those were easy “questioned aspects of defense firearms.” If you have some, let’s see them and we can check them out.

— Rich Grassi

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