Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC celebrates Team Colt's landmark performance at the 2025 IPSC Handgun World Shoot in South Africa, where Jalise Williams became the first woman to qualify for a U.S. National Handgun Team and earned gold medals in Classic Overall Ladies and Team Champion categories while competing with her Colt Gold Cup Trophy 1911.
Range USA, the nation's largest indoor gun range and firearm retailer, announced plans to open three new stores in 2026 in Smyrna, Tennessee; Monroeville, Pennsylvania; and Lenexa, Kansas, creating over 100 employment opportunities. COO Jimmy McManus cited strong performance at existing locations as driving the expansion strategy.
Silencer Central founder and CEO Brandon Maddox contributed $25,000 to NSSF's Protect Liberty PAC to support candidates defending Second Amendment rights in the 2026 elections. The contribution aims to inform voters in key battleground states about candidates committed to protecting Constitutional liberties and opposing progressive gun control agendas.
Sarsilmaz appointed Maschmedt & Associates as its sales representative agency for the Western Region, representing the SAR9 and 7/24 Series product lines across 13 western states. The partnership, which began at SHOT Show, aims to strengthen Sarsilmaz's market presence and improve accessibility to its NATO-standard firearms.
Brandon Maddox, founder and CEO of Silencer Central, donated $25,000 to the National Shooting Sports Foundation's Protect Liberty PAC to support candidates dedicated to protecting Second Amendment rights. Maddox, who serves on the NSSF Board of Governors, recently advocated for suppressor deregulation in South Dakota, resulting in the bill's unanimous passage and signing by Governor Rhoden.
GunBroker.com, the world's largest online firearms marketplace, launched an AI-powered listing tool designed to help sellers generate optimized descriptions quickly. Built using 27 years of marketplace data and trained by GunBroker, the tool enables sellers to create professional listings with a few clicks and allows up to three generations per listing.
C&H Precision announced the launch of the STRYKR, a mission-ready enclosed-emitter red-dot optic designed for duty, defensive, and competition use. The optic features a 1913 Picatinny mounting interface, 50,000-hour battery life, and is backed by C&H Precision's lifetime guarantee.
Bond Arms introduces the America 250th Special Edition Hand Cannon, a limited-edition firearm commemorating 250 years of American Independence. Available in Rough Series ($499) and Black Cerakote ($699) finishes, the dual-caliber model features a stainless-steel frame, custom commemorative engraving, and B6 grips.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announced 10 new 10/22 rifle models featuring upgraded components including BX-Trigger, match bolt release, and integrated rear cleaning ports. The expanded lineup offers threaded and non-threaded barrel options with Magpul, Hogue, and Ruger stock configurations.
CZ announced the CZ TS 3 ORANGE tactical sports competition pistol at IWA Outdoor Classics, featuring optics-ready integration for USPSA and IPSC divisions, refined ergonomics with enhanced trigger control, and a heavy bull barrel. U.S. availability is planned for late 2026.
Galco has expanded its Brush Hog Belt Holster line to accommodate Glock 17 pistols with red dot sights. The premium steerhide holster features a protective snapping flap, hand molding for perfect fit, and optional Belt Drop accessory for enhanced draw speed and comfort.
HIVIZ Shooting Systems will exhibit at the 2026 IWA OutdoorClassics in Nuremberg, Germany, showcasing its full lineup of high-visibility sights including LiteWave H3 tritium/fiber-optic sights, FastDot H3 line, and TriViz shotgun sights. The company will highlight product expansions and discuss OEM partnership opportunities with industry partners.
WE Knife will showcase its latest innovations in EDC, tactical, hunting, and outdoor knives at the 2026 IWA Outdoor Classics in Nuremberg, Germany, February 26-March 1, at booth #4-556. VP Marketing Seth Ercanbrack highlighted the company's new designs for the event.
Sarsilmaz will showcase its latest civilian-market firearms and sport-shooting solutions at IWA Outdoor Classics 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany, February 26-March 1. The Turkish manufacturer, with heritage dating to 1880, will present the SAR9 GEN3 and SAR 7/24 pistol families to European distributors and retailers.
SIGHTRON will exhibit at the 2026 IWA Outdoor Classics in Nuremberg, Germany, February 26-March 1, showcasing their SV ED binoculars, S6 30mm and 34mm riflescopes, and S1 one-inch riflescope line. Dealers can visit booth 3A-501 or contact the company about becoming authorized distributors.
Sticky Holsters reaffirms its partnership with Veteran News Network (VNN) since 2017, supporting veterans and local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) posts and American Legion chapters. The collaboration delivers news, resources, and community coverage benefiting veteran-led organizations nationwide.
As we’re getting into the months when the retiree qualifications will take place, I’ve begun my practice so I’m not a complete embarrassment to myself. I’m less worried about “passing” and more concerned with looking silly.
LEOSA calls for "type of gun" qualified with; the state takes it to mean auto (above, the Ruger LCP MAX) and revolver (LCR, the one below in 22LR).
To increase the challenge in practice, I’ve used smaller targets, used a normal target but cut the par times in half, and I shot very small guns over the course. This time it’s a somewhat reduced size target – the Birchwood Casey 16.5” x 24” BC-27 “Dirty Bird” – because I had them. I compounded my misery by shooting a fairly-new (to me) Ruger LCP MAX (with manual safety) 380 switching from the Galco Pocket Protector holster for the Ruger LCP II/LCP Max to the same firm’s STO-N-GO IWB holster.
I wanted to try both rigs out and the qual I selected is fairly holster intensive.
The ammo included some old stock Cor-Bon 90 grain JHP, Winchester SXT 95 grain and some remaining Remington 95 grain FMJ.
For the revolver side, I’d tape up the target and use the Ruger LCR in 22 LR. I used some bulk pack Herter’s branded ammo for that part of the test.
With the 380, the first hit outside the 10-ring was at 7 yards fired on a one-handed stage. At ten yards, there was a 9-ring hit at 1 o’clock, another at 10 o’clock and an 8-ring hit at 9 o’clock. That was a nice round holding error.
At fifteen yards, a 9-ring at 7 o’clock, an 8-ring at four, and a 7-ring hit at 9 o’clock showed some sinking of the hold on target. The grip error increasing, I shot an image of the target after the 15-yard stage, before the 25-yard stage.
Which was a disaster. There were two eights, two sevens and six off the silhouette low.
The conclusion: shooting this much past fifty feet is a nonstarter until I get the grip part of the equation under control.
Practically, that means nothing to those who shoot at 20-feet and inside. “That’s what the gun is made for.” Besides, on the state target, some of those six low hits would “count” – for them. I don’t count them.
The sights are better than that – really good -- the trigger is easily managed and there’s more grip with this than the original LCP or the LCP-II. I’m thinking a grip sleeve arrangement like those from Hogue might push my effective range out a ways – if I get my grip sorted out first.
Aside from the fact that it’s a 22, the revolver I used – also a Ruger – was the LCR. Holstered in a favorite Mika Pocket Holster, there’s plenty of grip to hang onto. The gun is equipped with the LCR Ember Sight from XS Sights; the story about that project is here. After taping the target, I shot back to fifteen-yards, took a photo of the target for my record, before shooting the pair of 25-yard strings.
One hit was on the silhouette outside the rings from 25 yards. There was a hit in the 7-ring, four in the 8- and fourteen 9-ring hits. The remainder were inside the “10” and the red area marking the X-ring.
Out of fifty rounds, I had one fail to fire – but recovering the round and turning it over in the cylinder – so the firing pin would hit a different part of the rim – got it to fire.
On the BC-27 target were two 10-ring “ISU” type bullseyes, one on each top corner. On the right one I fired dominant hand only from 7-yards with the round gun. The left side bull I shot one-handed with the nondominant hand. The 3 ¾” bull on the right had one in the “X,” three in the “10.” The group was 1 ¼”. On the other bull, not so good with 1-X, 3-10s and a 2 ¼” group.
After I’d done this, I saw Mas Ayoob’s video treatment of shooting small guns and the attendant problems. It’s well done. One way to run into a number of the problems he mentions is to shoot the micro gun on a police qual course. Small guns make you work harder. This exercise should make it easier to shoot the real deal with larger guns.
