NEXTORCH North America announces the Edge Guard Cut-Resistant Tactical Gloves, featuring A7 cut-resistant liner protection and full-palm touchscreen capability. Designed for law enforcement, military, and security professionals, the gloves offer blade slash protection while maintaining dexterity, with an MSRP of $47.99.
Team Mathews swept the Men's podium and claimed the top two spots in the Women's division at the USA Archery Outdoor Championships in Springfield, Missouri. Kyle Douglas, Jimmy Lutz, and Ace Coleman took first, second, and third place, while Olivia Dean and Katelyn Bordwell finished first and second in the Women's division. Olivia Dean also won the U.S. Open Women's division.
Team Remington's Todd Hitch won the Main Event Championship at the U.S. Open Sporting Clays Championship for the second consecutive year, held at Game Unlimited in Hudson, Wisconsin. Hitch also won the Super Sporting and Beretta Gold Cup events, while teammate Mike Luongo finished Runner-Up in the Main Event using Remington Premier shotshells.
Lauryl Akenhead of Team Ruger won High Lady honors at the 2026 Peterson Cartridge Challenge in Kennerdell, Pennsylvania, competing with her Ruger American Gen II rifle. Her consistent performance demonstrated the rifle's capability in practical precision rifle competition across varying shooting positions and conditions.
A federal judge ruled the Biden administration's ATF "Frame or Receiver" Rule unconstitutional, siding with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and Defense Distributed in Defense Distributed v. Blanche. The court found the rule violated the Second Amendment and due process by impermissibly infringing on the right to manufacture firearms and establishing unconstitutionally vague standards.
Following a federal court ruling in Silencer Shop v. ATF that portions of the National Firearms Act are unconstitutional, NSSF provides guidance on NFA transfers for silencers, short-barrel rifles, and short-barrel shotguns. The injunction applies only to named plaintiffs and members of specific organizations, with significant limitations regarding interstate commerce and state law compliance.
Gearfire has launched Gearfire Point of Sale (GPOS), a cloud-based system designed for specialty outdoor retailers. The platform features serialized inventory management, FastBound integration for compliance, and a Master Product Catalog of over 150,000 items, with pricing starting at $149 per month.
Southwick Associates released its third-quarter 2026 Hunting & Shooting Market Pulse, a quarterly subscription newsletter providing market intelligence to industry leaders. The report highlights economic pressures affecting hunters and shooters, NICS trends, and retail shifts, with NSSF members receiving a 15% discount on subscriptions.
Federal Ammunition and Rob Roberts Custom Gunworks collaborated to develop specialized Raptor Steel waterfowl loads, now shipping to dealers nationwide in six options. The loads feature heavy payloads, high pellet counts, and velocities optimized for consistent patterns, with 12 and 20 gauge options priced from $34.99 to $36.99.
Guns & Ammo launches a new 6-part Personal Defense video series hosted by Gun Tech Editor Richard Nance and Managing Editor Jack Oller, in partnership with SureFire, Holosun, Smith & Wesson, and WeKnife. The series covers handgun use for personal protection, including parking lot threats, low-light defense, and everyday carry techniques, available at gapersonaldefense.com.
Pulsar has released the Telos LRF XT50, a flagship thermal monocular featuring a 1,280×1,024 HD sensor, 17.5° field of view, 2,516-yard detection range, and built-in laser rangefinder measuring to 1,312 yards. The device includes 2x–16x magnification with Zoom Boost, Full HD AMOLED display with image stabilization, and 128 GB recorder.
Vortex introduces the VMR-5 reticle option for the Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56 FFP riflescope, designed for PRS shooters to quickly see impact and adjust. The scope features 6-36x magnification, L-TEC+ zero system, and class-leading HD optics, available at MAP $2,999.99.
The National Rifle Association issued a statement supporting the Department of Justice's Rule on Second Amendment Rights Restoration, calling it an important step toward restoring rights for individuals who have paid their debts to society and pose no public safety threat.
SLG2, Inc., parent company of Shoot Like A Girl, Safe LivinG, Hunt Like A Girl, and SLG2 Consulting, surpassed 50,000 signed-in guests during its 2026 Grand Safety Tour. The Q2 report shows 43% of participants improved their attitude toward firearms, 33% introduced others to shooting sports, and 56% committed to purchasing firearms.
ShotPay, a 2A-friendly payments ecosystem, has partnered with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) to donate a portion of transaction proceeds to support the organization's legal and educational efforts. ShotPay CEO Joe Fox and SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut announced the partnership, which aims to redirect firearms industry commerce away from institutions opposing Second Amendment rights.
HeadHunters NW Podcast Episode 65 features Trent Marsh of Riton Optics discussing FBI NICS data showing unprecedented multi-year firearm sales decline and exploring millennial leadership, marketing strategies, and AI's role in the firearms industry with host Shaylene Keiner.
Galco unveils the Combat Master 2.0, a professional-grade belt holster hand-molded for Springfield Armory Echelon pistols with or without carry optics. The updated design features modern EDC preferences, premium steerhide construction, and a high-riding pancake-style design for concealment and faster draws.
Bear & Son Cutlery has launched the 4-inch Piranha pocket knife series, featuring 440 stainless steel blades and a lockback mechanism. Made in Jacksonville, Alabama, the knife is available in White Smooth Bone and Genuine India Stag Bone™ handle options with an MSRP of $124.99.
CIVIVI introduces the Vyrent folding knife featuring the debut of Nitro-X7 steel in their lineup. The 3.48-inch blade offers enhanced toughness, edge stability, and corrosion resistance with ergonomic design and ambidextrous carry options available in multiple scale materials starting at $82.30.
CIVIVI announced the global release of the Elementum Maze, a reimagined folding knife featuring a CNC-machined maze pattern with a ceramic ball in the handle. The knife upgrades the standard Elementum with Nitro-V blade steel, a Rock-Grind pattern finish, and lightweight Lexan and Ultem handle options.
European American Armory Corp. and Girsan Firearms unveiled the Witness2311 XXX Series, featuring two compact double-stack 1911s for everyday carry. The CMX XXX and SC9 XXX models offer 16+1 capacity with MSRPs of $899 and $599 respectively, now available for pre-order through EAA distributors.
Avian-X has expanded its Power Butt Kicker motion duck decoy lineup to include Mallard Hen, Pintail Drake, and Black Duck species. Each decoy features realistic feeding motion, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, and dual operating modes providing 12+ or 24+ hours of runtime for waterfowl hunters.
WE Knife Co. announced the global release of the WEKNIFE Elementum Flipper Knife WE18062XA Series on August 24th, featuring the company's first CPM MagnaCut steel blade paired with 6AL4V titanium handles machined with a three-dimensional topographic pattern. Available in black and gray finishes with an MSRP of $217.60.
Liberty Safe announced the introduction of Pro Flex interiors across its Colonial, Franklin, Lincoln, and Presidential safe families, offering customers flexible storage configurations and personalization options. The new system includes compatible accessories like jewelry doors, watch winders, and file drawers, allowing safes to adapt to changing storage needs over decades of ownership.
Remington Ammunition announced two rebate promotions offering waterfowl hunters $2.50 to $5 per box on qualifying shotshell ammunition through December 31, 2026. The "Earn Your Limit" and "Built For The Blind" rebates apply to products including Duck Club Steel, Sportsman Hi-Speed Steel, Nitro-Steel, and Hypersonic Steel.
Hook & Barrel Magazine features UFC legend Dan "Hendo" Henderson on its September/October 2026 cover. The issue explores Henderson's fighting career and mindset, alongside content on archery gear, long-range shooting, trout fishing in Taos, and rifle-crossbow evolution.
SHIELD Sights, a leading manufacturer of compact pistol optics, will exhibit at the 2026 NBS Fall Semi-Annual Market in Oklahoma City from August 25-27. The company will showcase their OMSsc and OMSx red dot sights at booth #1441.
T/C Arms will exhibit at the Nation's Best Sports Fall Market in Oklahoma City, August 24–27, 2026, showcasing the new ENCORE FireStick™ Muzzleloader and expanding T/C Arms lineup. Dealers are invited to visit Booth #1938 to see the latest firearms, accessories, and innovations from the newly reestablished company.
AGM Global Vision will exhibit at Nation's Best Sports Fall Semi-Annual Market, August 24–27, 2026, at Booth 1039. The company will showcase thermal imaging, night vision, and digital optics for hunting, ranch management, and professional applications, with team members Andrew Becker, Justin Poole, Nick Noyes, and Austin McCord available to discuss products and dealer programs.
BERSA USA will exhibit at the Nation's Best Sports 2026 Fall Semi-Annual Market on August 24-27 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. The company will showcase its full firearms lineup including Thunder series, BPCC, TPR, B1911, M2XI, BAR9, and BAR15 at Booth 1452.
Orchid, the firearms industry's leading FFL technology provider, will showcase its enterprise retail platform at NBS 2026 Fall Semi-Annual Market in Oklahoma City. The demonstrations highlight multi-store capabilities with NetSuite and Epicor ERP integrations, plus multichannel sales through Guns.com, GunBroker, and Gun Made.
Mark 7 Reloading is sponsoring the 2026 Vortex Optics Race Gun Nationals Presented by Kimber, taking place August 19–23 at Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio. Team members Tom Carlson and Conor Craig will showcase Mark 7 reloading equipment at the event featuring top USPSA competitors.
Major League Fishing's Starlink Team Series Bass Pro Shops Patriot Cup streams live on GAME & FISH TV from Charles County, Maryland, August 16-21, 2026. Twelve two-man teams of Bass Pro Tour anglers compete for $560,000 in prize money, with live coverage of Knockout Rounds and Championship Round available on multiple streaming platforms.
Outdoor Sportsman Group's GAME & FISH TV FAST channel achieved 10 million viewer tunings in Q2, with availability on 157 million devices across 96% of the U.S. population. The channel draws content from Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and MyOutdoorTV, expanding OSG's reach to 70 million outdoor enthusiasts.
In case you haven’t noticed, ammo prices are inching up, not down. While we’re not in the crazy days of the COVID buying panic anymore, it’s not going to get cheaper to shoot your guns. At least not any time soon.
Getting the most bang for your buck (literally), is important, and so is managing your time. Very few of us can take a day off and head to the range for an extended practice session, so finding a way to optimize your range time and ammo supply makes a lot of sense.
My marksmanship skills are above average, but I wouldn’t consider myself a crack shot. I’m a B-Class USPSA or IDPA Expert Shooter and can shoot and pass the FBI Pistol Qualification at an instructor level pretty much on-demand.
These are perishable skills, however, and need regular practice sessions on the range to maintain that level. In order to accomplish this goal, I’ve worked up a 50-round practice session that takes less than an hour to shoot yet covers a wide variety of essential shooting techniques.
The Cold Open
I’m a big believer in measuring on-demand, no warmup shooting ability. You’re not going to get a chance to work on grip, stance, sights and trigger if you have to defend a life with your firearm, it’s what you already have in the tank that’s going to get you home when that happens.
I use the Bakersfield Police Department Pistol Qualification as my benchmark of on-demand performance because shooting this well requires a mixture of speed and accuracy.
Bakersfield Police Department Pistol Qualification (10 rounds)
Target: USPSA or IDPA silhouette target
String One: 2 rounds at 10 feet. Par time: 1.5 seconds.
String Two: 2 rounds at 20 feet. Par time: 2 seconds.
String Three: 2 rounds, emergency reload, 2 rounds at 30 feet. Par time: 6 seconds (8 for revolvers)
String Four: 2 rounds at 60 feet. Par time: 3.5 seconds.
If those par times look a little spicy, that’s because they are. However, the scoring adjusts for that, which is:
Score every hit in the A Zone/Down Zero as 10 points, with every hit in the C Zone/Down One as 9 points. Every hit in the D Zone/Down 3 is 6 points, and misses do not count for points. Every .25 second over the par time is -1 point. Passing is 80 points or more.
So if, for example, you score 86 points, but make every par time, you pass. On the other hand, if you take your time and get 92 points, but go a cumulative 2 seconds over the par times, you still pass (92-(2 x .25)=84). This scoring system allows you to see what your balance of speed versus accuracy looks like at any given moment.
25 Round Dot Torture
Thanks to Tim Reedy for this reduced-round count version of my least-favorite favorite drill. It seems easy: 25 rounds into a bunch of two-inch dots? How hard could it be?
Then you see the strong-hand only and support-hand only dots and realize that passing means all the shots on target. Anything less is a fail.
This drill works great for people who are still working on building the basics of pistol shooting into automatic performance. Those who have the skills on demand need to practice other things such as visual speed and target transitions. The classic El Presidente drill is excellent for working on these skills, and I’ve added a twist to help with one-hand only shooting.
Twisted El Prez
Targets: Three silhouette targets, IDPA, USPSA or similar set three yards apart.
Distance: 10 yards
Start Position: gun holstered, facing away from targets
String One
Load your pistol with six rounds and have a magazine with six rounds available. On the start signal, turn and engage each target with two rounds each, then perform an emergency reload. Engage each target with two rounds each using only your strong hand.
String Two
Load your pistol with six rounds and have a magazine with six rounds available. On the start signal, turn and engage each target with two rounds each, then perform an emergency reload. Transfer your gun to your support hand and engage each target with two rounds each.
If you did the warmpup and one of these two drills, that will bring you up to about 35 rounds. With fifteen or sixteen rounds remaining in a box, I like to finish those off with two runs through Todd Louis Green’s F.A.S.T. test and then a Failure To Stop Drill.
As I said before, these drills are a maintenance session meant to keep my skills at an existing level and show areas where I’m lacking. I can then address those areas when I have the chance. Either way, I’m keeping what I have at a level that will be there when I need it most.
