Mike
152 posts
Mike has been a shooter, bullet caster and reloader for over 40 years. Never one to be satisfied with the status quo, he is often found at his reloading bench concocting yet another load. With a target range in his backyard and after 40 years of shooting, his knowledge of firearms and reloading is fairly extensive. He is married, with four sons and daughters-law and 9-and-counting grandkids.
Canik TP9SFX Review – The Competition-Ready 9mm
When I was in South Carolina last month at a gunwriter’s event, I got to shoot a Canik TP9, much like the one the Canik TP9SFX we have here. I was at a line at the Century Arms shooting bay, but I wanted to try this 9mm out so I waited for my turn. My ... Read more
April 27, 2021
Ruger Precision Rimfire 22 LR – Buy or Avoid?
The Ruger Precision Rimfire rifle (RPR) is something of a phenomenon! In the world of precision rifles, Ruger has a respectable presence. But usually, they are associated with calibers such as .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor. We don’t typically put “.22 LR” and “precision rifle” in the same sentence. But, as Bob Hope said, I gotta ... Read more
July 5, 2021
Ruger GP100 Revolver – expert hands on review [2021]
Ruger and the revolver First, before we get to the Ruger GP100, let’s take a quick look at history. Ruger has had a long relationship with revolvers. Although the company was founded to produce a semi-automatic .22 pistol, Ruger’s second product was actually a single action revolver in .357 Magnum. This was to capitalize on ... Read more
April 15, 2021
Ruger Charger review (9mm)
First off, let me say that I really enjoyed the Ruger Charger. It was fun to shoot and easy to carry around, since there was no buttstock to get in the way. (Having said that, you could attach a brace – the mount is there). With dual-magazine capability (Ruger and Glock), you could have a ... Read more
April 7, 2021
Mossberg 464 SPX review – traditional meets tactical [2021]
It was with great interest that I opened the long box from Mossberg. I know, many of you have opened similar boxes from that company and have been pleased at the shotgun contained therein. But – I wasn’t opening the box to retrieve a shotgun. Mossberg doesn’t make just shotguns. They make rifles (here, too) ... Read more
April 10, 2021
New Ruger Max-9 pistol for Concealed Carry MSRP $499 [Hands on review]
It’s always interesting to watch new guns or similar products come out. As a reviewer and purveyor of firearms-related industry news, I am still amazed at times when I read of or am told about a new gun being launched. I have been in on my share of NDAs – non-disclosure agreements – from manufacturers ... Read more
April 2, 2021
Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 380 Review [2021]
Small, pocketable pistols are all the rage right now. (Come to think of it, they’ve been popular ever since they were made small enough to fit in a pocket). At any rate, many manufacturers are building tiny guns that pack a punch, which can be pretty powerful behind the muzzle as well as in front ... Read more
April 1, 2021
Sig Sauer P220 .45 ACP review [2021]
The SIG Sauer P220 is one heck of a gun. Police agencies across the U.S. and around the world have used, and still use, Sig pistols extensively. Matter of fact, one very close-to-me state issues the 220 to its state troopers and also issues the P365 as a backup gun. I’ll get more into this ... Read more
March 30, 2021
Diamondback DB9R 9mm Rifle – One Fun Gun To Run
Diamondback Firearms has had a rather rocky history early on. You might hear, “Diamondback? come on — you’ve got to be kidding!”. That’s the reaction that some shooters had when the Diamondback .380 or 9mm pistol was brought up. This knee-jerk comment typically came from a shooter with an H&K, Springfield Armory, Sig Sauer, or ... Read more
January 10, 2022
Rossi R92 .357 magnum lever action rifle – hands on review
Look at this gun. What a thing of beauty, eh? How could you drag this thing through briars and brambles on your way to your deer stand? Polished stainless steel, close-grained hardwood stock… this rifle is built to not only harvest deer (or whatever you use it for) – it’s meant to look good while ... Read more
March 28, 2021
Ruger Mini-14 – better than an AR? Hands-On Review
If you’re in the market for a rifle in .223 / 5.56mm many AR manufacturers will be competing for your attention. The Ruger Mini-14 with its classic looks and wooden stock may not look like a typical tactical weapon. Don’t let this fool you! Quick to action, accurate and serviced by a wide range of ... Read more
June 8, 2021
Rossi’s New Rio Bravo .22 lever action rifles
Rossi is known for, among other things, its lever action Winchester 1892 replicas. Of course, they are modernized versions which include lawyer-recommended safety features and other newer construction techniques and materials. But they feel really great in your hand and come to your shoulder effortlessly. I know because I owned one for a long time. ... Read more
January 9, 2022
[Review 2021] Ruger LCP .380 With Viridian Laser
Want one of the smallest, pocket-dwelling .380s on the market? Want it to be reliable? How about a laser sight so you don’t have to look through the tiny built-in sights? Want it to be built like a Ruger? Well, here you go… the best of all those worlds, the Ruger LCP. The .380 has ... Read more
January 9, 2022
Taurus G3c upgrades
I own a Taurus G3c. I had owned two G2cs, the immediate predecessors of this smaller brother to the compact-size (15 and 17 round magazines included) G3. This compact version, the G3c, was introduced with much hoopla after a media embargo on June 15th of last year. I reviewed the gun (here) after the deadline ... Read more
November 4, 2021
Ruger American Pistol Review – One Nice .45 [hands on]
The Ruger American pistol joins a growing number of pistols chambered for the .45 ACP. The .45 ACP these days is more and more popular and the pistol designed to shoot it – the 1911 – is stronger now than ever before. Whether you like the .45 ACP or not, you cannot deny the growth ... Read more
June 8, 2021
[Review] Caldwell Shooting Supplies
Caldwell Shooting Supplies is a name known to many shooters. They are known for, among other things, their excellent shooting rests and their chronographs. I have owned one or two Caldwell chronographs for years and have found them to be accurate and easy to use. Their Lead Sled is one of the most popular rifle ... Read more
January 20, 2021
[Review] Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite
A small, light .22 pistol can be a thing of joy. We don’t necessarily need a big, honkin’ gun on our hip all the time. There are times when we want to travel light and don’t want two-plus pounds of pistol weighing us down. There is room for a twenty-ounce or so in our gun ... Read more
May 20, 2022
Best Revolvers [Self-Defense, Hunting, Plinking]
An article about revolvers? Do they still make those anachronistic hunks of steel? Are they still relevant in this day and age of striker-fired, polymer-framed semiauto wunder-guns? Ja, sure! There are some shooting tasks that only revolvers can accomplish. Gun design, metallurgy and technology have advanced in the world of the wheelgun as well as ... Read more
January 14, 2021
[Review] Crimson Trace Rail Master Universal Laser Sight
I am not a great pistol shot. Sure, I’ve killed deer, past 100 yards even, with an open-sighted .44 Magnum revolver but for most intents and purposes, I’m not great. I am getting old, or so my body tells me and with that revelation comes the need for progressive trifocal glasses. I have worn them ... Read more
February 5, 2022
Best .22 LR Handguns [By Brand]
The .22 LR is by far the most popular caliber out there. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) estimates that about half of the approximately ten billion rounds manufactured annually are .22 rimfire cartridges. The military has used it to teach marksmanship; Boy Scouts use it to qualify for their Shooting merit badge. Largely available ... Read more
June 14, 2021
[Review] Ruger 22 Charger: More Handy Than A 10/22?
For those of you out there who own a Ruger 10/22 rifle – all six million of you – Ruger has something relatively new for you. It’s called the Charger. And, if you’re not one of those owners, the Charger is for you, too. I’m sure a lot of you already know about this little ... Read more
December 12, 2020
[Review] Ruger LCRx .357 Magnum Snubby
What — a lightweight snubby in .357? Wow! That would be handful! I can hear the comments flowing from all you revolver shooters out there. And, these comments are not without merit. I have shot snub-nosed revolvers before, in calibers from .22 LR to .357 and it certainly can be a handful. A lot of ... Read more
January 9, 2022
[Review] S&W SW22 Victory: Excellent .22 Pistol
Smith and Wesson has had a lot of experience with .22 LR autoloaders. Matter of fact, one of my recent reviews was about their M&P Compact .22. They make a lot of different models. Friend Duane has in his gun case a like-new Model 41 Target pistol with two barrels – one has a red ... Read more
November 22, 2020
[Review] Mossberg MMR: Best Budget AR-15?
Mossberg. Great shotguns, right? I own a decades-old Mossberg 5500, a lesser-expensive version of the 550 autoloader shotgun meant to be sold in box stores. I bought it long about 1986 or so and paid $199 for it, if memory serves. I got it a long-gone retail store called Service Merchandise. At any rate, I ... Read more
January 10, 2022
[Review] Taurus 44 Mag – The “Other” 44 Magnum
The “other” 44. What do I mean? Well, if you look at this gun for more than 2 seconds, you will see that it looks an awful lot like a Smith & Wesson. Why does it resemble the other gun? We’ll get into that. Suffice it to say that this gun is a winner in ... Read more
October 10, 2020
[Review] Sig Sauer P556: Yep, that’s a pistol…
Oh boy…a “pistol” in 5.56! What a cool gun, I thought as I picked it up to look it over. Loaned to me by a good friend and former county deputy, I couldn’t wait to get some rounds downrange through it. I had always wondered about the need for a short-barreled, buttstock-free 5.56 gun, but ... Read more
September 6, 2020
[Review] Ruger LCP II: The .22 Pocket Rocket
I’ve always had a weakness for .22 handguns. Revolver or semi-auto, it doesn’t matter to me. The thought of having a gun that can go pretty much anywhere you go, on your belt or in a pocket appeals to me. I call them “walking-around guns.” As I wander our woods, I appreciate having something that ... Read more
January 9, 2022
[Review] Glock 45: The New Compact Crossover Pistol
I have a habit, whether right or wrong, of looking at something I’ve seen before and making the borderline-snide comment “nothing new to see here, folks, move along…”. I admit I’ve used that, or similar, statements in some of my gun reviews. A more polite way of putting it might be “not much new here ... Read more
August 30, 2020
[Review] Springfield Armory XDS 4.0
A good while ago I owned a Springfield XDS with the short 3-inch-plus barrel in .45 ACP. Now, that was a handful. I’m no stranger to smalller-framed .45s… back in the late 1970s I owned a Star PD, the Spanish-made 6-round .45 that was loosely modeled on the 1911. I liked that gun. But, like ... Read more
January 9, 2022
Ruger Precision Rifle: Hands-On Review
Let’s just cut right to the chase. If you want a precision rifle that is accurate, modular and well-built, the Ruger Precision rifle would work. From its totally-adjustable butt stock to the cap on its threaded muzzle, there’s a lot to talk about this gun. Ruger Precision Rifle Pros and Cons Quick History of the ... Read more
April 27, 2022