Team Mathews dominated the fourth stop of the 2026 ASA 3D season in London, Kentucky, winning five of six Pro classes with 11 podiums overall. Kyle Douglas claimed first in Men's Known Pro, while Brady Myers, Sharon Wallace, Kaitlyn Bordwell, and Jack Wallace also secured victories for the team.
Field & Stream selected the Wicked Ridge Commander 400 as the 2026 Best Value Crossbow, praising its accuracy, built-in ACUdraw cocking system, and American-made quality. The crossbow, manufactured by TenPoint Crossbow Technologies in Mogadore, Ohio, features Gordon Glass limbs and retails for under $600.
The National Rifle Association announces the "Faces of Freedom" America's Rifle Challenge Regional Championships presented by 360 Precision, taking place August 1–2 at Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex in Rapid City, SD. The event features eight stages combining ARC Levels and is led by Match Director Michael Kuzara and Assistant Match Director Bruce Schmidt with Prairie Thunder Action Shooting Club support.
Wade Ramsey of Lapua secured 2nd place in the F-T/R division at the 2026 Vihtavuori V2 Finale, losing to James Crofts in a dramatic five-round shoot-off. Ramsey used Berger 30 Caliber 208 Grain Long Range Hybrid Target bullets, Vihtavuori N150 powder, and Lapua .308 Winchester Palma brass in brutal wind conditions.
Chad Heckler of Vihtavuori won the Tactical Division at the 2026 K&M Kahles Precision Rifle Competition in Tennessee, scoring 181 impacts out of 192 across 20 stages. Heckler cleaned 14 stages and currently ranks second in the Precision Rifle Series Pro Series Tactical Class standings.
The Second Amendment Foundation, joined by New Jersey Firearms Owners Syndicate, expanded the lawsuit Aliaj v. Fort Lee Police Department to include plaintiffs Martin Hroncich and Luis Rene De La Cruz Franco, challenging Bergen County's policy of revoking permits and confiscating firearms from residents based on association with prohibited persons.
Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a reply brief supporting its motion for summary judgment in Heeter v. James, challenging New York's body armor ban as unconstitutional. FPC President Brandon Combs stated the ban criminalizes personal protective equipment and violates Second Amendment rights. The case is proceeding in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York with briefing continuing through June.
MidwayUSA Foundation is accepting grant applications with a June 15 deadline to support youth shooting sports programs. The foundation has awarded over $88 million in cash grants since inception, with $7.6 million distributed in 2026, helping teams like Heathwood Hall Highlanders cover ammunition, equipment, and event costs.
We Buy Guns, a licensed FFL platform, reported record May 2026 activity with 1,773 offers totaling $1,048,360 in secondary market value. The Glock 19 led submissions while premium brands like Colt and Staccato commanded higher average values, with estate liquidations driving significant regional value spikes.
Celerant Technology and Action Target have integrated their range management systems to automate lane activation and improve shooter experience. The partnership connects Celerant's Range Management software with Action Target's SmartRange AXIS™ system, enabling automatic lane activation, personalized check-ins, and future in-lane ordering capabilities for dealers.
Derya Arms announced that Betul Polat has been promoted to Operations Director focused on Industrial Engineering, Process Improvement, and Lean Systems at the Jacksonville facility. With a Master's in Industrial & Systems Engineering and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, Polat will lead continuous improvement initiatives and oversee inventory systems and ATF compliance.
Cadre Holdings' subsidiary Safariland has been selected as the ballistic panel provider for Predictive Ballistics LLC's Overt Armor Kit, which was awarded a five-year, $61 million FBI contract. Safariland's SX™ HP ballistic panel was chosen over 11 competing products for its superior performance and quality.
Range USA's all 50 locations are participating in NSSF's first Gun Storage Check Week retailer pilot program to promote secure firearm storage practices. The campaign, observed June 1-7 and September 1-7, aims to prevent firearm accidents and theft through the "Make Sure It's Secure" message with support from Project ChildSafe.
Smith & Wesson is hiring a Law Enforcement Technical Services Advisor to support domestic law enforcement sales and provide technical expertise for armorer training programs, including Team One Network operations and new product development for global and international sales.
Leapers' premium optics brand Integrix is featured in Way of the Hunter 2, with the Integrix iX6 3-18X44 riflescope being the first in-game scope to offer an illuminated reticle. The scope remains the highest-magnification option available as the game expands to the Kilimaya Reserve in South Africa.
Steiner Optics has launched the eDiscovery 10x42 binoculars, designed for birders to capture 12MP still images and 4K video while observing. The binoculars feature high-definition optics, IP67 waterproofing, and Wi-Fi connectivity through the Steiner Connect 2.0 app for seamless documentation and sharing of sightings.
ZeroTech announced the Green Dot Trace H.A.L.O Reflex Sight, featuring a 3 MOA green aiming point for enhanced visibility in bright conditions. The enclosed H.A.L.O design offers durability with 7075 aluminum construction, shake-awake technology, and up to 50,000 hours of battery life.
Atrius Development Group announced a "Together We Win" initiative for June, donating a portion of sales proceeds to the Second Amendment Foundation. The veteran-owned company, known for its Atrius Forced Reset Selector for AR-15 platforms, joins SAF as a corporate partner to support legal and educational efforts.
Range USA, the nation's largest indoor gun range and firearm retailer, announced all 50 of its locations are participating in NSSF's first Gun Storage Check Week retailer pilot program. The campaign promotes secure firearm storage practices during June 1–7 and September 1–7, with participating locations receiving promotional materials from Project ChildSafe.
Shell Shock Technologies and CBC Global Ammunition announced a strategic collaboration to industrialize and commercialize Shell Shock's proprietary NAS3™ hybrid case technology across multiple military and commercial calibers. CBC will serve as a licensed manufacturing partner, supporting industrial-scale production and global market development, with formal signing planned at Eurosatory in Paris on June 15th.
Winchester released a new episode of Winchester Life featuring Team Winchester member Benny Spies hunting pheasants in South Dakota with his daughter Presley using Magnum Pheasant ammunition. The episode, available on Waypoint TV, showcases the new Magnum Pheasant line available in 12-, 20-, and 28-gauge with blended #5 and #6 shot for optimal upland hunting performance.
Host Michael Waddell discusses hunting philosophy, outdoor spirituality, and personal stories on The Michael Waddell Podcast, presented by Spandau Arms in partnership with Folds of Honor, Cigars International, and Poncho Outdoors. The episode features listener Q&A and Waddell's reflections on finding common ground within the hunting and fishing community.
FALCO Holsters has expanded beyond firearm carry with a new collection of minimalist leather wallets, card holders, and an EDC tray. Handcrafted from premium full-grain Italian leather by the same craftsmen behind FALCO holsters, the collection includes four products ranging from $29.95 to $59.95, all backed by a lifetime warranty.
WATCHTOWER Defense announced a permanent price reduction on its APACHE Commander double-stack 1911 pistol to $3,299, passing $700 in manufacturing savings to customers. The veteran-founded company optimized operations at its new 24,000-square-foot Tomball, Texas facility while maintaining premium quality and match-grade specifications.
Liberty Ammunition showcased its new Pro Series ammunition at SOF Week in Tampa, Florida, demonstrating superiority over Federal, HST, Speer G2, and Hornady Critical Duty. Special Forces appreciated the ammunition's penetration depth options, lighter weight, stopping power, reduced recoil, and hydrostatic shock capabilities. CEO Gary Ramey noted strong reception and international interest from several countries.
Galco unveils the Combat Master 2.0, a professional-grade belt holster for Glock 26 designed to accommodate carry-style optics while maintaining compatibility with iron-sighted pistols. The updated pancake holster features premium steerhide construction, hand-molding by Galco's craftsmen, and a raised sweat guard for enhanced concealment and durability.
Benjamin's redesigned Marauder Gen 3 PCP Air Rifle offers enhanced power and precision in .22 and .25 calibers, with velocities up to 1,200 fps and 1,150 fps respectively. The rifle features a 32 percent lighter cocking effort, adjustable regulator, integrated sound suppression, and all-weather stock with adjustable cheek piece.
Zanders, a national distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, has added Comstock Armory AR parts and accessories to its inventory. Comstock Armory, based in South Lyon, Michigan, manufactures American-made AR-platform components for shooters and competitive 3-gun enthusiasts.
Bond Arms introduces the America 250th Special Edition Hand Cannon, a limited-edition firearm celebrating America's 250th anniversary. Chambered in .45 Colt and .410 Bore with stainless-steel construction, the Rough Series is priced at $499.00 and the Black Cerakote version at $699.00.
KDG announces continued growth of its nationwide dealer network with new stocking dealers joining across Texas, Georgia, and other states. The company, known for products like Kinect™ quick-detach mounting solutions and SideLok™ optic mounts, is expanding its dealer locator to help customers find local retailers and support independent firearm retailers nationwide.
SOG Knives will showcase its product lineup at the Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia, June 5-7, featuring special guests Jason Johnson and Luke Kukk. Attendees can explore new products, receive complimentary 40th anniversary playing cards, and enjoy exclusive savings on apparel and accessories.
Cold Steel will showcase innovative knives and outdoor tools at the 2026 Blade Show in Atlanta, June 5-7, at booth #124. Featured guests include champion knife-thrower Jason Johnson and master knife maker Luke Kukk, with Cold Steel's expert team available for demos and customer support.
SIGHTRON has partnered with NASSA and the SK Lone Star Cup Silhouette Championship to offer a limited anniversary-run Retro SII Big Sky Silhouette Riflescope, with only 75 manufactured. The 2026 SK Lone Star Cup will be held June 6-7 at Bayou Rifles in Houston, TX, featuring smallbore standard rifle matches and benchrest silhouette competitions.
Hook & Barrel Magazine is giving away two Taurus GX2 TORO 9mm pistols through an exclusive sweepstakes running through June 30, 2026. Readers can enter via the Hook & Barrel website giveaway page for a chance to win the optics-ready concealed-carry pistol.
Outdoor Sportsman Group's GAME & FISH TV achieved over 50 million minutes watched in April with 430 million monthly active users. The fastest-growing FAST channel features programming from Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and MyOutdoorTV, including live Major League Fishing events and content celebrating the sporting lifestyle.
Sportsman Channel's "Monday Night Hunts" lineup features seven hunting shows airing Mondays 8-11 p.m. ET, including Night Crew, Steve's Outdoor Adventures with Steve West, Art of Wild with Nick Ventura, Predator Pursuit with Jeff Thomason, MOJO TV with Terry Denmon, Jim Shockey's The Professionals, and back-to-back MeatEater episodes with Steven Rinella.
Shooting USA features the CMP's Talladega Marksmanship Park D-Day Matches 2025, showcasing rifle and pistol competitions using period-correct battle rifles and as-issued pistols to honor D-Day heroes. Host John participates in a new as-issued pistol competition format with a CMP 1911.
MyOutdoorTV now offers over 200 episodes of Buck Commander featuring Willie Robertson, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Tyler Farr, Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans, Tombo Marin, and Ryan Busbice. Season 16 and four seasons of JUST SHOT are available on the premier global subscription streaming platform from Outdoor Sportsman Group.
If you happened to be someone who just got interested in firearms, it would be easy for you to assume that modern handguns have always had their slides cut from the factory to accept the myriad red dot sights that are available. After all, somewhere around ninety percent of the guns behind the glass at your local gun shop are billed as “optic ready.”
Another reality is the fact that in today’s market, when a firearms manufacturer announces a new handgun model and states that it’s optic-ready, no one gets excited. It’s no longer noteworthy. If a company were to release a new model EDC or Duty gun minus a slide cut for an optic, that would be a bigger news story.
While everyone likes to talk about Smith & Wesson versus GLOCK versus SIG, it was actually FN with the FNX-45 Tactical that got the optic-ready ball rolling back in October of 2012. GLOCK didn’t release their factory Modular Optic System pistols until 2015. However, the subject of this piece, the Smith & Wesson M&P C.O.R.E., was just a month behind FN with a launch date of November 2012 and the big public fanfare at SHOT 2013.
Smith & Wesson M&P C.O.R.E.
I have had this pistol since the spring of 2013, if memory serves, and was certainly not the first Smith & Wesson M&P pistol I’d tested and reviewed. When the modern M&P launched in 2005, I was writing for several publishers of dead tree magazines; Combat Handguns, Shooting Illustrated, S.W.A.T. Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement, and American COP, which was one of my favorites, among many others. Just as the internet is always hungry for content, so were the gun magazines. I tested and reviewed M&P pistols chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG and .45 ACP.
What set the M&P C.O.R.E. apart from the self-defense/duty line of pistols was Smith’s attempt to grab some of the “out of the box” competition pistol market. While there was the stock or limited class where iron-sighted guns were welcome, the trend at that time was for shooters to send their pistols off to a gunsmith to have the slide cut to fit their favorite optic. Keep in mind that ten to fifteen years ago, there might have been five or six companies making pistol red dot sights. In today’s world that probably seems strange.
C.O.R.E. stood for Competition Optics Ready Equipment and my pistol came with five optic plates to adapt the M&P to accept the most popular footprints at that time. The uber-popular Shield RMSc mount was still a few years away back then.
The first optic I had to mount on the M&P C.O.R.E. was the generation one Leupold Delta Point. It worked, but I hated using the microscopic Allen wrench to make adjustments. That particular optic, released in 2010, has since given up the ghost and gone on the scrap pile. I suppose fifteen years of use isn’t bad.
From a functional standpoint, the C.O.R.E. was built on the basic M&P action and design; a polymer-frame, steel slide, and striker-fired action. All full-sized M&P 9mm pistols used the same magazines with a 17-round standard capacity and fit in the same holsters. That was good as I already had a bunch of magazines and holsters for that platform.
The original C.O.R.E. pistols were available with either a 4.25 or 5-inch barrel. The model on display here has the 5-inch barrel. Keep in mind that the barrel length includes the chamber, so you don’t get five inches of rifling, but that’s not too big a deal. The extra length did give you a bump in the velocity department.
For the current setup, I installed a Trijicon RMR with the red 3.25 MOA dot. The power source is a standard CR2032 lithium battery with an average life of 35,000 hours. In order to keep the profile low, the battery is mounted under the optic. Some folks don’t mind that and some do. That’s a 3.9 year run time and I don’t feel like taking the optic off to replace the battery every three years is much of a burden, but to each their own.
The first generation C.O.R.E. pistol included everything you needed and nothing you didn’t. These pistols had no forward cocking serrations, no ridiculously stupid holes carved into the slides and no comp/ports. After all, it’s a 9mm pistol, not a .44 Magnum.
All the standard M&P features are found on the frame; small, medium, and large palm swell grips that can be switched out by removing one pin, no special tools needed. An accessory rail is located on the dust cover, though we doubt many folks were running weapon-mounted lights in competitions. The C.O.R.E. disassembles for cleaning and lubrication by locking the slide open and rotating the takedown lever 90 degrees south (down).
In addition to the optic slide cut, S&W added steel suppressor-height sights. The slide lock lever is ambidextrous and the magazine release button can be swapped to right side. Super Dave Harrington, who shot IDPA matches with a .45 M&P was right handed, but he ran the mag release button on the right side so he could activate it with the middle finger of his right hand. I know this for a fact because Dave used to run mag change drills in the living room of the house we shared for a while.
Range Time
I won’t bore you by getting into the reliability discussion. As with 99% of all modern, out-of-the-box 9mm handguns, the M&P C.O.R.E. will reliably cycle every style and brand of ammunition you care to run through it.
As far as accuracy is concerned, if you really want to cut the center out of a bullseye, 147 grain match ammo is the way to go. You will get perhaps five percent tighter patterns if that’s what you’re looking for. Even with inexpensive FMJ training ammo, cutting ragged holes in cardboard at ten yards isn’t difficult as long as you don’t have a 10 MOA flinch.
With the RMR zeroed at seven yards, I was clanging a ½-size steel silhouette from 25 yards with monotonous regularity. And that’s with the stock trigger, no aftermarket parts required.
While the newer 2.0 version of the M&P might include the Gucci features that people are craving for their Instagram pics, when it comes to performance, all of those fall into Jeff Cooper’s P.I.I. category. So if you see a C.O.R.E in your gun store’s used gun display, you won’t go wrong by taking it home.
