Team Mathews shooter Kyle Douglas won first place in the Open Pro division at the 2026 Lancaster Archery Classic in Pennsylvania, securing the team's third consecutive indoor victory. Teammates Bodie Turner and Tim Audus also earned podium finishes in their respective divisions.
Otis Technology presented their 2025 Sporting Goods Sales Awards at the SHOT Show, recognizing Riley Durose of Jeff Robles & Associates as Sales Representative of the Year and Simpson Sales Company as Sales Agency of the Year for exceptional performance and customer service.
Mission First Tactical's MFT Guardian Duty Holster earned OFFICER Media Group's "Tested-Field Rated" Seal of Approval. The holster features an instinctive locking system with magnetic and aerospace carbon fiber rod technology, designed for law enforcement and military professionals demanding rapid access and reliable retention.
Taurus Holdings, Inc. recognized outstanding partners and employees at the 2026 SHOT Show, presenting Customer Awards to Atwood's Distributing, Dunham's Sports, and Sports South, and Business Manager Awards to Kyle Williams, Jamie Stehman, Gary Short, and Harry Spotts for their exceptional performance and dedication in 2025.
German Precision Optics (GPO USA) announced that the GPO CENTURI 4-16x44i Super-Compact Riflescope won the 2026 NRA American Hunter Golden Bullseye Award. The riflescope features innovative Zero-Stop turrets, iCONTROL illumination, and advanced ballistic technologies designed for hunting, shooting, and competition.
Daniel Defense recognized Silencer Shop as its Business Partner of the Year, highlighting their exceptional collaboration and growth. The partnership achieved nearly 40% growth from 2023 to 2024, followed by over 90% year-over-year increase from 2024 to 2025, representing well over 150% growth in two years.
The Second Amendment Foundation filed a reply brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Grant v. Rovella, challenging Connecticut's assault weapons ban. SAF argues that AR-15-style rifles are in common use and protected by the Second Amendment, joined by the Connecticut Citizens Defense League and three private citizens.
The Second Amendment Foundation and partners including the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners' Action League, Commonwealth Second Amendment, Firearms Policy Coalition, and Gun Owners of America filed a reply brief in Escher v. Noble, challenging Massachusetts' ban on handgun purchase and possession for 18-20-year-olds.
FastBound has launched TraceDesk, a compliance tool designed to help Federal Firearms Licensees respond to ATF firearm trace requests through FFL Direct while maintaining audit trails and limiting data collection to legal requirements. The platform modernizes trace management by replacing phone, fax, and email workflows with a centralized system that integrates with FastBound's compliance platform or operates standalone.
Silencer Central supports South Dakota legislature efforts to deregulate suppressors by removing them from the state's controlled weapons definition. The bill, which passed the South Dakota senate unopposed, would eliminate Federal Stamp requirements. Silencer Central and the National Shooting Sports Foundation are working across 17 states with similar suppressor regulations to advance comparable legislation.
Seven governors including Jim Pillen, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Greg Gianforte, Joe Lombardo, Mark Gordon, Larry Rhoden, and Brad Little pitched their states' pro-Second Amendment policies at the 5th Annual NSSF Governors' Forum at SHOT Show 2026, with Montana's Gianforte highlighting recruitment of firearm manufacturers and South Dakota's Rhoden praising Silencer Central's Brandon Maddox.
Vortex Optics launched the Talon HD 10K Ballistic Laser Rangefinding Binoculars, featuring 10,000-yard capability, HD optical systems, and integrated GeoBallistics solver technology. The binoculars connect via Vortex Relay network for seamless data sharing across long-range shooting devices, with pricing starting at $2,299.99.
Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo of The Choice and Content King Media announce the expansion of their 30-year partnership with Easton. Their children RJ and Aubrey Cianciarulo are stepping into larger roles as the family-led company continues delivering impactful bowhunting content.
Larry Weishuhn, a wildlife biologist and whitetail expert, joins Michael Waddell on The Michael Waddell Podcast presented by Spandau Arms, Folds of Honor, Cigars International, and The Texas Trophy Hunters Association. They discuss Weishuhn's six decades in wildlife management, deer conservation challenges including CWD and EHD, and the importance of hunters' role in funding conservation efforts.
Galco's Hawkeye IWB holster is now available for the Springfield Echelon with a protective shroud for compact carry-style optical sights. The holster features snap-on design, premium steerhide construction, and removable belt loops with optional accessories including Appendix Carry Belt Loops.
COAST Products unveiled the BRKR PTX65R and PTX35R pistol lights featuring a patent-pending Snap-Focus Two-Beam System that transitions between a CLEAR-VIEW Flood Beam for close-quarters awareness and an ULTRA-RANGE Spot Beam for long-distance precision. Available for pre-order January 20, 2026, the PTX35R retails for $129.99 and the PTX65R for $149.99.
Vortex launched the Ace Ballistic Weather Meter, a precision tool featuring real-time ballistics, weather, and wind data with an intuitive interface. The device integrates with the Vortex Relay Network, connecting seamlessly with products like the Impact® 4000 Ballistic Rail-Mounted Laser Rangefinder and Talon HD 10K Ballistic Laser Rangefinding Binocular for enhanced long-range shooting capabilities.
Wildlife Research Center introduced Scent Killer Gold Full Body Deodorant Spray, a 3.6 OZ aerosol spray designed for comprehensive odor control from head to toe. The invisible, unscented formula is ideal for pre-hunt preparation and available now at authorized retailers for $14.99 MSRP.
Kinetic Development Group (KDG) is expanding its buy group strategy following successful SHOT Show engagement, with confirmed exhibiting at Nation's Best Sports show and participation in Sports, Inc. vendor consideration meetings to strengthen dealer relationships and market penetration.
Thompson/Center Arms will exhibit at the Worldwide Buying Group Show in Reno, Nevada, February 3-5 in Booth #1252. President and CEO Gregg Ritz stated the event provides an opportunity to strengthen dealer relationships and showcase the company's growing firearms and accessories lineup.
Berger Bullets will exhibit at the 2026 Jagd and Hund Show in Dortmund, Germany, January 27–February 1, showcasing their new 30 Cal 217 Grain Elite Hunter bullets and other precision projectiles. The 43rd annual show is Europe's largest hunting trade fair.
TriStar Arms will exhibit at the Mid-States Winter Rendezvous on January 30-31 in Phoenix, Arizona at booth #542. The company will showcase the new APOC PRO 9mm pistol, Upland Hunter Thumbhole Stock, and KR22 rimfire option to dealers and industry partners.
Shooting USA features the GAP Grind 2025, the largest Precision Rifle match of the season created by George Gardner of GA-Precision to welcome new competitors. The episode also highlights a new sporting facility in Rapid City, South Dakota dedicated to marksmanship.
Sportsman Channel's "Canada in the Rough," hosted by brothers Keith, Paul, and Kevin Beasley, enters its 22nd season airing Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET. The award-winning program showcases hunting adventures across Canada's pristine wilderness, featuring caribou, moose, and whitetail hunting experiences.
Optics companies -- and some non-optics companies -- have been busier than a mosquito in a nudist colony in the last half decade or so, responding to the ever-growing demand for pistol optics. They've added and innovated with the myriad models on the market and given buyers more and different options to choose from. Red dots. Green dots. Enclosed sights. Multiple reticles. Different mounts. You name it, there's an option out there that has you covered depending on your your particular preferences in a pistol reflex sight.
Back in 2024, Chinese weapon light maker Olight came up with something different. They showed off their first reflex sight -- they called it the Osight -- at SHOT which wasn't powered by a traditional coin-type battery, but rather via a USB rechargeable magnetic hood.
While the Osight had a very competitive battery life rating and performed well in our tests, not everyone liked the idea of using a charging hood and having to keep track of it in order to keep the Osight running. Since then, Osight has become its own separate brand, expanding into a number of red and green dot offerings, many of which are powered by traditional batteries (see our recent review of the CR1620-powered enclosed Osight SE here).
Their latest offering, just announced today, the new Osight XR. Like the original Osight, this is another rechargeable model, but it adds a number of features the original didn't have, including at least one industry-first.
To start, the Osight XR gives you five different reticle options with two dot sizes -- 2 MOA and 6 MOA -- plus a 32 MOA circle, all of which you can mix and match. Here's Osight's chart that shows each option with its rated battery life.
The RMR mount XR has 11 brightness settings, three of which are night vision compatible. The brightest settings are truly daylight bright. You can easily cycle between the five reticle choices by pressing and holding the rubberized (-) brightness adjustment button.
There's a battery-saving auto-on function that's truly instant. The XR powers down automatically after three minutes of non-use. That auto-off period isn't programmable and may seem short, but the auto-on activation is so instantaneous that it isn't an issue.
Another unique feature of the Osight XR is its retractable backup iron sights. You read that right. The XR has, in effect, pop-up irons for use if the red dot should fail or run down. Like the rest of the XR's housing the irons are made of 7075-T6 aluminum and they're "deployed" by pressing the a button on the left side of the sight (it's the button to the right of the "XR" in the photo above).
Plenty of red dot sights have rear irons molded into them, but Osight says these are the first retractable (they call them collapsible) irons. I guess that's a cool feature, but as a practical matter, I'm not sure how important it is to push retract them (and you do have to push them down...they won't retract accidentally). Of all the red dots I've used, I never thought the rear sights on those that had them were obtrusive or in the way.
As with the original Osight, the XR's magnetic charging hood tells you the percentage of charge it has when you press a button on its left side. When you put the hood over the XR itself, the reading on top gives you the percentage of charge the sight has.
Osight says the hood will fully charge the XR sight five times. Given that the XR is rated anywhere from 22,000 to 54,000 hours of use depending on which reticle option(s) you're using, that's literally years of use on a full charge. An LED between the (+) and (-) brightness adjustment buttons also gives you an indication of how much power the XR has, cycling from green to yellow, to red, and finally to blinking red when it's under a 10% charge.
Osight calls the XR a compact-size sight. If that means it's sized for use on compact or full-size handguns, that's accurate. It's not small and you won't be running it on a P365, Hellcat, Shield, or similar-size micro-compact. With any one of dozens of mounts available for RMR mount optics, it works every bit as well on an AR or other long gun.
Given those retractible irons, we had our doubts about the XR's IPX7 waterproof rating, but soaking it for a half hour in water didn't phase it. We tried it both with the sights raised and lowered and the XR still worked find. A night in the freezer didn't stop it either.
In short, the enclosed XR does everything Osight claims it's designed to do. If a hood-charging sight is something that bothers you, all of the XR's features probably won't convince you to give it a shot. But if you're OK with using a USB-charging magnetic hood to power your red dot sight, the XR does everything you want a reflex sight to do and maybe a coulple of thing or two you never considered.
Specifications: Osight XR Enclosed Rechargeable Red Dot Sight Window Size: .91 x .71 inch Reticle: 2 or 6 MOA dot and 32 MOA Circle Dimensions: 1.91 × 1.18 × 1.16 inches Weight: 1.69 ounces Battery: 54,000 hours (2 MOA dot only) Housing: 7075-T6 aluminum Adjustment: 1 MOA per click Waterproof Rating: IPX7 Auto-On: Yes Waterproof Raging: IPX7 Made In: China MSRP: $299 (about $240 retail)
