If you shoot a semi-automatic rifle or pistol, it is inevitable that you will have malfunctions (i.e. when you pull the trigger and nothing happens). Well, something happens, but it is not what you expected. The gun does not go “bang.” Many people call this a “jam,” but the correct term is malfunction. And you can fix

As an NRA- and state-certified instructor, I realize that personal defense is a deadly business. As a professional, I check my gear on a regular basis. I have a program for keeping up with my personal handgun, concealment leather, spare magazines and edged weapons. I am certain that all are worn properly and accessible when

For more than 40 years, I have used Bushnell products with excellent results. Bushnell is under the Vista Outdoors group, which means plenty of support. There is a tremendous amount of research and development involved with these scopes. The end-user gets the benefit. I recently mounted the new Bushnell 2.5-10x44mm Nitro rifle scope on a

When you use the word “best,” it is a good idea to qualify the criteria for determining what “the best” really is. Often this is just a subjective opinion of the writer— and to some extent, that will be true here. I will attempt to buttress my determination with some solid facts, which will help

Home » Ammunition » Subsonic Success: Getting Good Function From a .300 Blackout Understatement: .300 Blackout (aka AAC) is a popular cartridge among AR-15 fans. I like it especially in the shorter guns, and, around here at least, it’s looked on as an effective Whitetail cartridge choice. Pretty much, it’s for those who want a

Welcome to Cheaper Than Dirt’s Week-In-Review News Roundup. Here you’ll find some of the previous week’s top stories in the shooting industry, as well as our favorite reader comments and #RangeDayFriday photos. Be sure to subscribe and check back every week to stay updated on the latest firearms happenings! Latest Firearm News Ruger Security-9 Compact

It is funny how we sometimes let fashion take the place of utility. I am glad I have reached a certain age where comfort is more important than ego. Oh, I have a well-developed sense of self, and pride of ownership in a number of things, but I do not let it rule the day.

In Part 1 of this blog series, we covered some of the most common reasons people make shooting mistakes (including “The Big Four”). Now, let’s look at the most profitable means of learning the best technique for an individual shooter, in order to further help with avoiding shooting mistakes. Practice Makes Perfect We all start

Training in personal defense skills exists for one reason: To stop an attack. We stop the attack by inflicting damage on the opponent’s body. The need to stop the threat must be so severe and what they are doing so terrible that the attacker must be stopped. It must not matter, morally or legally, if

When conducting handgun classes, a common question is about the difference between hammer-fired and striker-fired handguns. The mechanical description is easy enough. But what are the real differences between them? Younger readers may not realize that prior to the advent of the Glock handgun, most self-loaders were hammer-fired. There were exceptions, of course, and they

As they announced back in April, Ruger has released a line of six new PCC (Pistol Caliber Carbine) models. At first glance, the carbines differ mainly in aesthetic appearance. But there’s more when you dive deeper. Let’s take a look at some of the specs, features and other design components that you might have overlooked

Welcome to Cheaper Than Dirt’s Week-In-Review News Roundup. Here you’ll find some of the previous week’s top stories in the shooting industry, as well as our favorite reader comments and #RangeDayFriday photos. Be sure to subscribe and check back every week to stay updated on the latest firearms happenings! Latest Firearm News August Is National

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Taurus handguns are undeniably popular. For years, novice shooters and experts alike snatched up the .45 Long Colt/.410 Bore-shooting Judge revolver for either its novelty factor or Taurus’ promise of what the handgun could do for self-defense. Many desiring to buy a firearm turn toward Taurus because of the affordability.

A few years ago, my son carried a BLACKHAWK! Serpa retention holster during most of his overseas deployment. I purchased the holster on my own time (and with my own dime) because I wanted him to have the best. The young Captain voiced no complaints on the holster’s performance. The Serpa demands attention to detail

All of us in the gun community are very aware of the gun options from Smith & Wesson. (If you haven’t heard of a J-Frame revolver, you have definitely been living under a rock.) The newer M&P line of pistols and ARs, for example, have been solid performers for quite a while. I even have

We all like cowboy revolvers. The history of the Old West is a big draw for shooters. While none of us would really have wished to live in those times and circumstance,s there is a certain romance to the era. Recently, I tested a new version of the .22 Single Action from Traditions. This is

AAC or .300 blackout takes two essential forms: supersonic and subsonic. The latter will be the focus of this blog post. The original cartridge, .300 Whisper, was developed by well-practiced wildcatter J.D. Jones to be a subsonic round that would fit, feed, fire and function in an AR-15 carbine. Subsonic Blackout is a good fit

Welcome to Cheaper Than Dirt’s Week-In-Review News Roundup. Here you’ll find some of the previous week’s top stories in the shooting industry, as well as our favorite reader comments and #RangeDayFriday photos. Be sure to subscribe and check back every week to stay updated on the latest firearms happenings! Latest Firearm News Unique CZ 75B

Every shooting sports aficionado has “the nightmare” at some point. You know, the one where you show up to the range without all your gear? (Nothing hurts your pride like having to ask your neighbor if they have an extra set of earplugs.) Whether you’re about to embark on your first trip to the range

Let’s get straight to it: “URG-I” stands for “Upper Receiver Group — Improved.” It’s the “new” M4. The URG-I is available from Geissele Automatics (pronounced “guy-SUH-lee”) as a complete upper assembly (not a complete gun).  The URG-I resulted from a United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC, no more “SOCOM”) contract project. It was completed

The model designation M&P (Military & Police) predates the current Smith & Wesson autoloaders by 106 years. Originally applied to .38 revolver of 1899, the name was resurrected for the wide variety of semi-auto pistols. Starting with the standard 9mm model, a 17-shot polymer-frame striker-fired pistol with 4.25″ barrel, the M&P line spawned a great

There’s a reason why 1911s have remained in common use for more than a century. One of the main advantages of the 1911 platform is the wide variety of calibers and sizes in a consistent user interface. (After all, you can hold a rimfire trainer or a big, more defensive gun and have the same

Welcome to Cheaper Than Dirt’s Week-In-Review News Roundup. Here you’ll find some of the previous week’s top stories in the shooting industry, as well as our favorite reader comments and #RangeDayFriday photos. Be sure to subscribe and check back every week to stay updated on the latest firearms happenings! Latest Firearm News The SIG SAUER

Home » Pop Culture » Ranking the Guns of Netflix’s Stranger Things – Season 3 Since its first season, the hit Netflix television show Stranger Things has taken the world by storm. It’s easy to see why. With their seamless infusion of classic 1980s movies, TV shows and tropes, the Duffer Brothers have created a

When it comes to pump-action shotguns, the Mossberg and Remington types are by far the most common. Each is a proven and reliable shotgun. But another tactical shotgun that isn’t as common is a very good choice. It’s a shotgun with good standard features, and with certain features that may even make it a superior

When looking for a good example of the most popular American carry gun, the slimline 9, the Kel-Tec PF9 is a good place to start. It is among the least expensive quality handguns and a proven performer. The Kel-Tec PF9 was among the first ultralight 9mm handguns. The PF9 is a slim and light handgun.

The Kel-Tec RDB17 could be considered the workingman’s bullpup. Nothing fancy, but it sure performs. The RDB17 is a no-frills bullpup that is very functional with a simple approach. It is constructed of two polymer halves that sandwich around a steel action and barrel. The Kel-Tec is a basic bullpup that will get the job

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) is a United States law which protects firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products. However, both manufacturers and dealers can still be held liable for damages resulting from defective products, breach of contract, criminal misconduct, and other actions for which they are directly

Over the years, I have enjoyed firing the calibers popular in the Old West. Some refer to these as the dash calibers—the .32-20, .38-40, and .44-40. The .38 Smith & Wesson, .38 Special, .44 Special, and .45 Colt are also used in Cowboy Action. I even loaded the .41 Colt. (By the most accurate count,

The Colt Single Action revolver was a sensation when it was introduced. Building on Colt’s reputation for durable fight winning revolvers the solid-frame centerfire revolver quickly became a military and civilian favorite. An advantage of the Colt was that it chambered ever more powerful cartridges including the .44-40 WCF and .45 Colt. The Ruger, top,