Muddy Outdoors announced two new camouflage layering systems—the DV8 and Timber Recon Xtreme (TRX) lines—designed exclusively for female hunters, launching in late July. Both systems feature tailored articulation, strategic insulation mapping, and advanced camouflage patterns engineered around women's biomechanics for unrestricted mobility and superior concealment.
Henry Repeating Arms has been nominated for the 2026 Wisconsin Governor's Outdoor Industry Award in the Outdoor Business of the Year category. The company, led by Founder and CEO Anthony Imperato, completed its transition to a fully Wisconsin-based manufacturer in March 2025, consolidating operations across four facilities in Rice Lake and Ladysmith.
Sally Talbott earned High Woman honors at the 2026 CMP Bianchi Cup, also winning Open .22 Champion and finishing 2nd overall in the Open Division. Walther Arms partnered with A Girl & A Gun to award Talbott a Walther Patriot Q5 Match, recognizing her outstanding performance at the prestigious action pistol competition.
Hornady employee Joe Thielen won the Open Division at the Northern Lights Classic PRS match using Hornady 25 cal. 138 gr. A-Tip Match bullets. Sponsored shooter Clay Blacketter placed second, while teammate Lauryl Akenhead won both the Lady and Suppressor Divisions.
Jenna Larsen, shooting for Team Volquartsen, set a new Lady World Record in the Rimfire Pistol Iron division with a time of 69.62 seconds at the 2026 World Speed Shooting Championships in Talladega, Alabama. Larsen also secured first-place finishes across multiple disciplines and third place overall in RFPI.
Team Ruger's Lauryl Akenhead won Top Lady, Top Suppressor, and placed eighth overall at the 2026 Bullet Central Northern Lights Classic in Aneta, North Dakota, competing against 86 shooters with her Ruger American Gen II rifle in 6mm GT across 19 challenging stages.
Silencer Central announces Day 57 of its 100 Days of Silence promotion featuring a $5,300+ prize package including a BANISH 30-V2 suppressor, Kimber 1911 DS Warrior 10mm, Bergara B-14 Stoke .300 BLK, and additional gear. The giveaway is available for one day only on June 12, 2026, with daily prizes through the campaign.
Bob Morrison, a prominent 50-year veteran of the shooting sports industry who served as President and CEO of Taurus USA and held executive positions with Smith & Wesson, Colt, U.S. Repeating Arms, and Bianchi Holsters, passed away June 10, 2026. A West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer, Morrison was dedicated to Second Amendment advocacy through the NRA and NSSF.
Evolution Outdoor, a leading fishing gear provider based in Kilgore, Texas, has appointed Steve Self as Vice President of Sales. Self brings over 40 years of outdoor industry experience, including previous roles at St. Croix Rods, Maurice Sporting Goods, and Zebco, and will focus on Buy Groups, distributor relationships, and international business expansion.
NSSF commends House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman and Ranking Member Jared Huffman for introducing H.R. 9250 to reauthorize the Legacy Restoration Fund. The legislation would continue funding for deferred maintenance on federal lands managed by USFWS, USFS, and BLM, supporting hunting, recreational shooting, and wildlife habitat conservation.
The Second Amendment Foundation submitted formal testimony to the Virgin Islands legislature opposing Bill No. 36-0144, urging a wait-and-see approach due to pending Supreme Court and Third Circuit cases that will impact the bill's constitutionality, including Wolford v. Lopez and Koons v. Attorney General of New Jersey.
European American Armory Corp. announces nationwide availability of the Balikli BLK Bolt-Action Rifle in .308 and .30-06 caliber. The rifle features a 700-derived action, Picatinny rail, threaded muzzle, and Turkish walnut stock at an MSRP of $669.
Primary Arms Optics has launched its new CLx Optics Line, featuring four initial optics: the CLx RD-23 Push Button Red Dot Sight, CLx Enclosed Reflex Sight, CLx 1x Prism Scope, and CLx 3x Prism Scope. Priced below the SLx series, the line offers advanced performance at accessible price points starting at $149.99, with fully multi-coated lenses and Primary Arms Lifetime Warranty.
SLG2, Inc. announced Work Sharp as its newest corporate partner for 2026, joining the Grand Safety Tour beginning June 13-14 at Bass Pro Shops in Niles, Ohio. Work Sharp will provide knife sharpening services and educational demonstrations at Shoot Like A Girl and Safe LivinG events throughout the nationwide tour.
Gun Owners of America endorses U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds for Florida Governor, citing his perfect pro-Second Amendment record. Donalds pledged support for Constitutional Carry expansion, repealing Florida's Red Flag law and bump stock ban, and strengthening preemption laws.
Liberty Ammunition and Owens Outdoor Sales Group have partnered to serve the TALO States. Gary Ramey and Waylon Owens highlighted their excitement about the collaboration, noting Owens Sales Group's premier marketing expertise and Liberty Ammunition's high-quality ammunition products.
The Bowhunter Podcast, in partnership with Poncho Outdoors, featured 9/11 survivor and retired Port Authority police officer Will Jimeno discussing his experience and his book "Sunrise Through The Darkness," co-authored with Michael Moats. The episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Podbean.
Radians Outdoors spotlights three hearing protection gift options for Father's Day: the Lowset Passive Earmuffs ($20.99), R-3200 Dual-Mic Electronic Earmuffs ($54.99), and Vertex Slim Electronic Earmuffs ($73.99). Each product offers different price points and features designed for hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor activities.
Zanders, a national distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, announced it is now carrying the Sub-One Rifle from Great Lakes Firearms & Ammunition. The lightweight rifle features a carbon fiber stock, fluted barrel, and adjustable trigger system, available in multiple calibers and barrel lengths.
Remington Ammunition and Original Grain have partnered to launch The Hunt Club series of watches, with Remington becoming an Official Brand Licensee. The four-watch collaboration features American walnut from retired Remington rifle buttstocks and design details inspired by firearms, including the Mother of Pearl Chrono, Ebony Barrel Chrono, Silver Barrel Auto, and Black Chrono.
BANISH Suppressors announces the VRMT 223K Ti, a lightweight .224-caliber suppressor designed for truck guns and varmint hunting. The titanium suppressor weighs 8 ounces, measures 4.7 inches long, and reduces sound by over 25.9 decibels, with an MSRP of $679.
Liberty Ammunition has launched Liberty SPIKE 2.0, a revolutionary .380 and 9mm ammunition featuring a patented projectile design. According to CEO Gary Ramey, SPIKE 2.0 delivers 43% more energy than Sig Elite and 37% more than Hornady Critical Defense, with exceptional penetration performance.
Birchwood Casey announced the expansion of its product lineup with four new 100% biodegradable gun cleaners: Synvex™ Copper Cutter, Synvex™ Carbon Cutter, Synvex™ CLP-X Oil, and Synvex™ Bore Wash. These formulations deliver powerful cleaning efficiency while being environmentally responsible and safer on skin.
Blue Force Gear, a premier American manufacturer of weapon slings and tactical gear, has partnered with Silencer Shop, the nation's largest suppressor distributor. Customers can now purchase suppressors and Blue Force Gear products including the popular Vickers Sling through a single online destination.
WOOX, an Italian-American gunstock manufacturer, announced the new Elegante line of bolt-action rifle stocks crafted from hand-selected Claro American Walnut with aerospace-grade aluminum chassis. Available in Sporter and Hybrid platforms with Standard or High-Grade walnut options, the stocks weigh 30-35 ounces and are compatible with Remington 700, Ruger 10/22, and Ruger American Gen2 platforms.
Safariland and Haley Strategic Partners launched the BASELINE™ belt line, featuring the BASELINE Slick Belt and BASELINE MOLLE Belt with innovative closure systems and modular accessories. The collection includes D3 Pro Inner Belts, Mandible MOLLE Straps, and various pouches designed for durability and customization.
Stealth Cam announced the availability of the Revolver PRO 3.0 cellular trail camera, featuring AI-driven capabilities including false image detection, PIR zone selection, and Rack Alert technology. The camera delivers 360-degree coverage with 50MP resolution, dual-core processing for instant transmission, and built-in charging compatibility with lithium batteries.
Berger, a manufacturer of premium bullets for competitive long-range shooters and sportsmen, will showcase its product lineup at the 2026 Game Fair in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, June 12-14. Attendees can visit Booth G09 to explore Berger's latest offerings, including the 300 PRC 217 Grain Elite Hunter and 7mm PRC Elite Hunter rifle ammunition.
Travel back in time with me if you will, to a time before the internet, mobile phones, 24-hour government surveillance…you know, the good ol’ days. We’re going back to a time when there were as many — and sometimes more — double-action revolvers on display in your local gun shop as there were semi-automatics.
These were the times when Smith & Wesson and Colt were still competing with one another for DA revolver supremacy. If you think the online debates like GLOCK vs SIG get heated, you should have been standing in the gun shop when a Colt guy started sparring with a S&W dude.
Of course, Colt and Smith weren’t the only games in town. There were the Ruger nerds (I’m kidding, save your letters) and then there were the “other guys.” Iver Johnson was still around in the late 1980s, and we had Charter Arms and Taurus and Rossi which were still separate companies. When it came to importing foreign made firearms into the United States, Interarms Imports was one of the biggies. It was Interarms who brought Rossi guns to the US market back then.
Rossi M971 .357 Magnum
When Colt and S&W were duking it out for the crown, their prices reflected it. Not everyone had Colt money or Smith money, particularly when it came to their Magnum offerings. Interarms filled the gap by importing the Brazilian-made Rossi handguns. Consumers could get a quality double-action revolver in stainless steel for a very decent price.
Regarding the Rossi Model 971, if you do your research, you’ll find that several barrel lengths and configurations were made. The version on display for your consideration here has a most unique profile; a 2.5-inch barrel with a vented compensator added to the muzzle out ahead of the front sight. This barrel profile definitely stands out.
A true double-action revolver, the Model 971 has an exposed hammer which holds the firing-pin. The trigger is a smooth-faced, curved design. Construction is all steel; frame, cylinder, and barrel. The only non-steel parts are the black rubber grips and the red polymer insert in the front sight blade. Speaking of sights, the rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation using a thin flathead screwdriver. The cylinder release mimics that of the S&W DA wheelguns and, like Smith, the cylinder on the Rossi rotates counter-clockwise. Colt revolvers, as well as those made by Dan Wesson, have cylinders that rotate clockwise.
Being all stainless steel, the M971 comes in just under two pounds at 30 ounces. For comparison, a GLOCK 19 is 21 ounces empty and 30 ounces with a full 15-round magazine of 9mm inserted.
As far as revolver comparison goes, the Model 971 is similar to a Smith & Wesson K-frame, but the grip is more compact, leaning toward J-frame. Also, having a 2.5 inch barrel allows for the use of a full-length ejector rod, which comes in handy when kicking out the fire-formed .357 Magnum brass cases.
From the lens of 21st century America, you might be wondering if this gun was a popular EDC piece back then. Kids, in the early to mid 1980s, there was no EDC. Before Florida broke the mold with “Shall Issue” concealed carry in 1987, the only people legally carrying concealed in the USA were cops and the privileged few who were able to convince their Sheriff to issue them a special permission slip. There were “licensed investigators” and “licensed armed security” personnel out there, but getting those permission slips was costly and restrictive.
I’ll give you an example. In the early 1990s in Florida, you could get an “Armed Security Guard” permit, but it was forbidden for you to carry that gun concealed. You could get an “Armed Investigator” permit and conceal your pistol, but it was forbidden to carry “off-duty” or on your own time.
When I was working as a bodyguard in Florida during that time, in my wallet was my Florida drivers License, an Armed Investigator permit, an Armed Security Guard permit, and my Florida concealed carry permit which covered me when I wasn’t on the clock. If you live in a constitutional carry state, be grateful and appreciative. If you don’t, it sucks to be you.
My best guess was that the vast majority of gun owners who purchased a Rossi Model 971, like the one here, did so for home defense as well as enjoying the truly American feeling of firing genuine .357 Magnum ammunition.
Of course, the honest truth was that most guys would shoot a cylinder or two of true Magnum ammunition and then switch to the less expensive and milder recoiling .38 Special. That was one of the selling points of .357 Magnum guns, you could load everything from full-power 158 grain JHP .357 Mag down to the wimpy 148 grain full wadcutters which made perfect circles on cardboard and moved out at an anemic 700 FPS. When I attended the police academy in 1992, about half, perhaps a bit more, of the cadets were carrying .357 Mag DA revolvers. The academy instructor corps put out a notice that “Only full-powered ammunition will be used for training”, that meant no powder-puff wadcutter loads.
Feeding Revolvers
If owning a double-action revolver is foreign to you or you have little experience, there is a good book which was recently published called. “A Pipe Hitters Guide to Fighting Revolvers” by Nicholas Orr. Mr. Orr does a fine job considering the history of the fighting revolver and where we are today as well as revolver specific considerations. There is a great section on the history of the .357 Magnum cartridge and how it came to be.
Step one, unless you enjoy keeping rounds loose in your pockets and loading the cylinder one cartridge at a time, you need to secure some type of loading devices, there are two basic categories; round speedloaders and straight speed strips or “quick strips” Both designs have their merits. Those who concealed carry tend to gravitate toward the quick strips, as speedloaders carry like a rock in your pocket. The speedloaders I used for this review came from HKS Products and they are the Model 10 version.
As for ammunition, I had an ammo can of loose .38 Special for training and fresh boxes of Black Hills .357 Magnum in the 125 grain JHP at 1500 FPS and their Honeybadger 127 grain FTM bullet at 1365 FPS.
Range Work
With a can full of .357 Magnum and .38 Special, I hit the range on a bright sunny day in early June. From around ten yards, I engaged a cardboard silhouette firing the M971 from a double-action mode, standing (all rounds would be fired DA for training). After a few cylinders worth of ammunition, I confirmed that the gun was printing to the left and it was not just me pulling shots. I have the super-handy “Fix-It Sticks” in my range bag that include a small flathead bit with which I made the rear sight adjustments to the right.
Paper and cardboard are nice, but for more dynamic drills I use steel. Moving forward, backward, laterally, etc, I banged away on my steel ½ size silhouette. From a distance of 20 yards, firing DA, rounds impacted on steel with regularity.
While the felt recoil from the Black Hills .357 Magnum loads was indeed “stout,” it was not painful or punishing. There was plenty of weight to tame the relatively mild .38 Special loads, even the +P variety. The DA trigger press was not “light” but was smooth and consistent and certainly manageable for a person with a skilled hand. I don’t spend a lot of time with wheelguns lately and this review of the Rossi Model 971 was a welcome change.
