Hook & Barrel Magazine® is excited to announce the third annual Hook & Barrel Top Shelf Awards, celebrating the best-in-class brands, products and personalities in the outdoor industry. From top-tier firearms, archery equipment and fishing tackle to outdoor lifestyle brands, personalities and more, the awards celebrate the very best of the outdoor world.
Benelli's M2-G1 Tactical shotgun has been named Guns & Ammo's 2026 Shotgun of the Year, recognizing its innovative Rear Piston Operated gas system and refined design. The award follows extensive evaluation by Guns & Ammo editors and a 4.54-out-of-5 Gold Standard rating from the National Tactical Officers Association.
The Second Amendment Foundation and partners including the National Shooting Sports Foundation and National Rifle Association filed a motion for preliminary injunction in NSSF v. Torrez, challenging New Mexico's House Bill 129 waiting period law. Despite a previous Tenth Circuit ruling that HB129 was unconstitutional, New Mexico continues enforcing it against residents not named in the Ortega case.
NSSF filed a preliminary injunction motion with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico to block enforcement of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's seven-day waiting period law for firearm purchases. This follows a Tenth Circuit ruling that deemed the law unconstitutional, yet New Mexico continues to appeal and enforce it.
AGM Global Vision announced the appointment of Svetlana Richter as Vice President of International Sales. Richter brings over 20 years of experience in thermal imaging and night vision, most recently serving as Chief Sales Officer at Yukon Advanced Optics Worldwide. She will lead AGM's international expansion and strengthen global distribution partnerships.
The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation is hiring a Senior Coordinator for the South Central States region covering Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The role supports policy, advocacy, and development efforts while liaising with state legislators, wildlife agencies, and conservation partners. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree and 2-3 years of relevant policy experience.
ZeroTech Optics USA introduces the Thrive X 3-9x40 hunting riflescope with four reticle options: Zeroplex, G4, PHR 3, and PHR 4. The scope features a 40mm objective, 30mm aluminum tube, weights starting at 18.4 ounces, and an Adjustable BDC Turret included with select models.
Sightmark announced the Latitude XD LRF 10x42 Binoculars, featuring integrated laser rangefinding up to 3,280 yards, premium ED glass, and OLED display. CEO James Sellers highlighted the product's advanced technology and rugged design for long-range shooters and hunters, with availability beginning November 2025.
BLACKHAWK introduces the Mini EDC Pocket Multi-Tool, a lightweight everyday carry option featuring eight essential tools including pliers, tanto-style knife, and screwdrivers in a compact 3.15-inch closed length. The tool retails for $64.99 and is available through Bear & Son Cutlery.
Iron Valley Supply has launched its Fall E-Show with over 1,200 items marked at their lowest seasonal prices, including guns, ammo, optics, and accessories available at IronValleySupply.com.
Steiner eOptics will exhibit at SOFEX Jordan 2026, October 27–29, in Aqaba, Jordan, showcasing advanced optical technologies including tactical lasers and the ATLAS system at booth #H100 to international defense professionals and military representatives.
Liberty Ammunition announced a sponsorship with Armed American Radio, hosted by Mark Walters. The featured segments explored Liberty Ammo's lightweight carry benefits and terminal ballistics performance for self-defense and law enforcement applications.
Ralph, Vicki, RJ, and Aubrey Cianciarulo invite viewers to tune into season 26 of The Choice on Pursuit Channel, airing Monday September 21st at 11:30PM EST. The crew continues chasing Illinois whitetails with hopes of filling more tags as bucks remain active.
I was tagged in a thread about a gentleman who’d gotten upset that a dealer had only offered him $500 for an HK USP that he wanted to sell. He followed up by saying that he later sold it to another dealer for $670 or so, using that as proof that the original dealer was trying to screw him. Or something.
A couple of things to keep in mind when selling a gun:
First off, I tell nearly every customer who comes in that I am not the person to sell to if you want to get the most money. For that, you will have to sell your gun privately. Giving your friend a super-good deal on a gun will likely net you more money and make your friend happy. Win-win.
Outside of that, selling on a local online marketplace (Texas Gun Trader, for instance) will also net you more money, but that comes at a cost. For one, there’s an obvious safety issue in selling to a random stranger online. Precautions need to be taken there.
Secondly, that can easily be a very big headache. Sorting through the bad actors (felons who can’t legally own a gun) and dealing with people who throw insultingly low offers at you can be annoying.
That’s why a dealer is beneficial. We are safe and we are fast. As such, expect to pay a premium for that.
Additionally, we also have to make a profit on selling the gun, and every gun that comes in the door is a gamble. Good dealers will be able to sort out the bad stuff from the good stuff quickly, but we’ve all gotten ourselves underwater on something. Or at least just barely keeping our heads above water.
All of which brings us to the next thing: how much of a premium should you expect to pay for the convenience of selling to a gun store?
If you want cash, most dealers will pay you around half of what they think they can sell the gun for. I generally think I can sell a gun for more than a private sale, so you’ll likely get 60% to 70% of what you’ll get selling it privately.
Sometimes we pay more. I tend to be pretty aggressive on buying GLOCKs because they magically disappear within a day or two. Others…not so much. I say this as I eye the stack of Tacops P320s that I paid $50 each for.
Why do we buy so low (besides needing to mark the gun up to make a profit)? Well, even though we can check the function of the gun in-store, unless we have a shooting range, we can’t fully check it out. We can get close, but there’s always a wild card.
On top of that, we have no idea how many people you’ve murdered with that gun. I say that only as a partial joke. I don’t make a habit of buying guns that have killed people (there are two exceptions to that, but in twelve years, those were the only ones), but the fact is we don’t have the ability to verify much at all about the history of the gun. Nor do we know if it’s stolen.
Contrary to popular belief, we don’t have a magical “stolen gun database” to check against. There are a few things we can do, but they’re not all-encompassing and they’re only good for checking a fraction of the reported stolen guns.
Combine all of that with the used market being very down right now, and selling your guns can be rather disappointing.
My best advice: if you don’t need the money, don’t sell right now. Wait it out and see how things go. It feels like things are starting to come back around, but it’s still pretty rough out there. So be patient, sell privately, or just wait until prices pick back up. You’ll be better off in the end.
