Silencer Central, founded by Brandon Maddox, has been ranked No. 1801 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies, marking its fourth consecutive year on the list. The Sioux Falls-based suppressor retailer's ranking reflects revenue growth measured over a three-year period.
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court in Defense Distributed v. Attorney General of New Jersey, challenging the state's prohibition on publishing computer files for 3D printing firearms. SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut and founder Alan M. Gottlieb argue that computer code is protected First Amendment speech, no different from gunsmithing textbooks.
NSSF and Project ChildSafe partnered with Little Rock Police Department, Little Rock Fire Department, and Pulaski County Sheriff's Office to launch Project ChildSafe Little Rock, distributing 1,000 free gun locks to promote secure firearm storage and prevent accidents, thefts, and suicide.
Black Rifle Coffee Company has renewed its partnership with SLG2, Inc. to provide premium coffee tastings at Shoot Like A Girl events nationwide. Founded by Evan Hafer, Mat Best, and Jarred Taylor, BRCC will offer complimentary beverages and ready-to-drink energy products to attendees, enhancing the event experience across SLG2's brand portfolio.
Celerant Technology and Slingit announced a new integration to help FFL dealers streamline used firearm sales. The partnership allows dealers to quickly appraise, list, and sell used firearms across Celerant's eCommerce platform and GunBroker, reducing manual data entry and accelerating inventory turnover.
XS Sights now offers pre-drilled Standard Dot tritium sights, Fiber Optic sights, and an ACRO Optic Plate for the Taurus 66 Combat revolver. The products feature dual-illumination design, fiber optic technology, and CNC-machined construction for enhanced durability and target acquisition.
Polite Society Industries announced its first line of premium silencers covering rimfire through .36 caliber, designed using laser powder bed fusion technology. Founded by industry veterans in Tampa, Florida, PSI offers competitive pricing and a comprehensive warranty covering repairs, replacements, or refunds for properly used silencers.
Taurus Holdings, Inc. announced the GX4 Carry chambered in .380 Auto, expanding its award-winning GX4 family. The new model offers manageable recoil, a slim profile, ergonomic grip with interchangeable backstraps, and 15-round magazine capacity, available through authorized dealers beginning August 13, 2026.
MDT is releasing the CRBN rifle stock in Hunter Blaze colorway for Tikka T3/T3X and Remington 700 short action left-hand platforms as a limited production run. The lightweight carbon fiber stock features adjustable ergonomics and an integrated ARCA rail, available starting August 11, 2026.
Auto-Ordnance unveiled the T1SB50DH Short Barreled Rifle, a U.S.-made Thompson variant chambered in .45 ACP featuring Prohibition-era styling with modern engineering. The compact semi-automatic rifle includes a 10.5-inch finned barrel, American walnut furniture, and ships with both 50-round drum and 20-round stick magazines at an MSRP of $3,086.
TEKTO Knives released the X1 // Atlas, its first fixed blade knife featuring a 3.30-inch CPM MagnaCut blade, full-tang construction, and skeletonized G10 handles. Made in the USA and available in Black, OD Green, and Desert, the knife is designed for everyday carry, hunting, and field use at $249.99.
Firearms News released its August 2026 issue featuring Executive Editor David M. Fortier's cover story on Ruger's new Harrier AR-15-type rifle chambered in 5.6x45mm NATO. The issue includes reviews of Smith & Wesson's 940-3 revolver, Wilson Combat's Bulwark pistol, and Thunder Beast Arms' Spiro suppressor, plus Second Amendment news coverage.
BERSA USA will exhibit at the Sports, Inc. 2026 August Outdoor Show on August 13-15 at Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The firearms manufacturer will showcase its full product lineup including Thunder series, BPCC, TPR, B1911, M2XI, BAR9, and BAR15 at Booth 276.
Dead Air Silencers will exhibit at the 2026 Sports Inc. August Outdoor Show in Nashville, Tennessee, showcasing new suppressor products including the Nomad Ti OTB, RXD910Ti developed with Ruger® Firearms, and the CT5P patrol rifle silencer designed for law enforcement and tactical applications.
Forensics Source, a brand of The Safariland Group and Cadre Holdings, Inc., will exhibit at the International Association for Identification Conference in St. Louis, Missouri from August 16-22, 2026. The company will showcase forensic supplies and equipment at Booth 131 to support crime scene professionals and forensic laboratories.
Gearfire, a technology provider for shooting sports and outdoor retailers, will exhibit at the 2026 Sports, Inc. August Outdoor Show August 13-15 in Nashville. The company will showcase its AXIS Point of Sale and Gearfire eCommerce platforms at Booth 101, offering exclusive deals to attendees.
Legacy Sports International, a leading firearms importer based in Reno, Nevada, will exhibit at Sports Inc.'s 2026 Fall Semi-Annual Market in Nashville from August 13-15. The company will showcase its HOWA, POINTER, and CITADEL brand firearms, featuring popular models including the HOWA Superlite Gen 2, POINTER over-unders, and CITADEL Boss25 shotguns.
Sarsilmaz will exhibit at the Sports, Inc. 2026 August Outdoor Show, August 13-15 at the Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The company will showcase the SAR9 Gen 3 family, SAR9 SOCOM series, 7/24 Series, and K-12 Sport handgun product lines at Booth #155.
Often, when a new pistol from GLOCK arrives, it has the plastic “place-holder” sights. Knowing that people will select their own favorites – or, in the case of the optics-minded, have a specific height requirement for back-up iron sights – why put expensive sights on the guns?
The latest in the stable, a GLOCK 45 “crossover” (G17-ish frame with G19-ish slide) is a Gen6 with the new optics mounting solution. Still, a set of sights from XS, their Minimalist OR Optic Height Sights for Glock MOS, will fit.
That’s what I used. As the gun has an optics cut with a cover plate, a rear sight that extended in front of the dovetail would preclude the mounting of glass – which is why the gun is here. XS has their “Minimalist OR” (optics ready?) extending to the rear of the slide, for very slightly longer effective sight radius.
I’m not sure it’s enough to matter.
The sights have a Black Nitride finish for corrosion resistance. I opted for the front sight with tritium – as the gun will mostly lack the assistance of optics unless needed for testing. The rear is blacked out and serrated. The sights are set to enable a low co-witness with RMR/ACRO class optics.
The kit included front- and rear sights, and a tube of thread-locker material.
The XS “Gunsmith” In-Line Sight Pusher made removing the rear sight trouble-free. Installing the new rear sight took some file and fit, but it’s a good, tight fit. Using the ‘handle’ from the sight pusher, itself a nut-driver to install the front sight, it was short work to get the sights on and let the thread locker cure.
Regardless whether the sights being replaced are mechanical or electro-optic, checking zero is obligatory. I figured that the sights would be set for a 6 o’clock hold. In this case, it was a correct assumption.
I started the shooting test with Hornady Critical Duty 135gr. FTX +P, as that’s the ammo most likely to be in the gun if it’s needed for concealed carry.
Shooting two-handed at 25 yards and holding on the base of a six-inch circle, the point of impact was two-inches high, with three of the four hits going into 2 ½”. The single high flier was called – my fault.
Above, with 'service ammo' at 25 yards, a six o'clock hold put hits in the circle. The high hit was shooter-induced. Below, range ammo (Monarch 115 FMJ in zinc-coated steel cases) hit above the point of aim (marked in red below the "8" on its side).
Shooting from 25 yards, one-handed, with range ammo, I hit nearly 4 ½” over the point of aim. Again, three hits of the five-shot group, clustered into 2 ½”.
With the same low-cost range ammo, I shot from fifty yards. The group centered nearly 11” over the sights. This was fired on a reduced size NRA TQ-19 analog, a Birchwood-Casey “Shadow Target,” 12” x 18”. (The reduced size TQ-19 is the TQ-20 and this is close in size to the smaller target.)
The group in the gray area, connected by the line, was fired from 25 yards; aiming point at the base of the gray area. The fifty yard mess is the remainder of the rounds - using the base of the whole silhouette at the aiming point.
There were two off the silhouette, both on paper. Another pair struck the center box and there was the last round in the shaded scoring area, low left.
I was holding at the base of the silhouette – not the shaded area of the target.
Moving up to 25 yards and having learned from fifty, I held on the based of the gray shaded scoring area. I hit three inches over the sights with a five-shot vertical group.
Three of those rounds were in two inches, with the whole group at 4” high and 1 ¾” wide.
The gun is fine, the shooter not-so-much.
A few days later, the newly-sighted G45 was back out on the range with another of the Birchwood-Casey “Shadow Targets.” This time I was moving into “more practical” work.
I contrived a 25-round handling course to be shot on the reduced TQ-15 analog, just to see how I interacted with the sights. I noted I was a bit slow – every string was timed – and there was a mix of holster work and shots from an unholstered ready position.
I started at 25 yards, for accountability, with five rounds. These were delivered in timed strings of a pair from the holster, from ready to a pair, and a single from ready. I had a hit outside of the gray-shaded scoring area, still on the silhouette – in the “neck” on the left. The remainder were inside.
Moving up to three yards, I went from the holster to a single hit and from a holstered ready position (hand on holstered gun in a firing grip), both to the head. I finished with hits from a compressed ready.
From seven yards, it was a pair from the holster, followed by a ‘failure to stop’ drill. Ten yards saw a couple of pairs from the holster followed by a single from guard.
Finally, at fifteen yards, I shot a pair from the holster, a pair from guard and a single from guard.
All the rounds were accounted for, none off the silhouette and only one in the -1 (as a TQ-19 would be scored.
So, what about the new sights? They’ll do. I did a lot of shooting with the factory-supplied plastic sights and they served the purpose of steering the bullets too. I just have to remember the hold on this gun when using the M-OR sights.
A return trip to the range so I could confirm the “hold under” with the XS Sights had me shooting one-handed at fifty yards on the B-6 target. The first string, I held with “white” showing between the top of the front sight and the bottom of the bull – about a low “6.”
Three of five hits went low (30/50, if it matters). For the next string, I held six o’clock on the bull. Only one hit was low, a “9” at 5:30. The score was 38/50.
Hold does make a difference.
To check the shooter, I used the G44 with Remington Golden Bullet ammo on the same target. I was more scattered, particularly on the 2nd string. I found that I was still having low rounds, but that was hold – not the sights, the gun or the ammo.
Closing to 25 yards on a B-8 center, I shot the G45. My hold was a little high, the bottom of the bull, and the five hits clustered just over the bull into two-inches.
All that just to make sure I knew where the rounds would go when the gun was fired. Making sure of your hold makes all the difference.
