Four-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock set a new Men's Skeet world record by shooting a perfect 36 out of 36 targets in the finals at the ISSF World Cup Shotgun in Lonato, Italy, winning gold and defeating American Christian Elliott by one target.
Magpul collaborated with Ruger, Vortex, Hornady, CCI, and Fix It Sticks for a 250 Years of Freedom Giveaway totaling $4,500 in firearms, optics, ammunition, and gear. The prize package includes two Ruger firearms, Vortex optics, ammunition, and extensive Magpul accessories. The giveaway ends July 31.
Warne, a premium scope mount and shooting accessories manufacturer based in Tualatin, Oregon, has expanded its partnership with Odle Sales to represent the brand across the western United States. Odle Sales will provide dealers with enhanced product expertise, faster communication, and personalized support throughout the region.
Kinsey Brands is hiring a Director of Brands to oversee its consumer brand portfolio, manage multi-channel sales strategies, guide product development, and lead supply chain operations. The role requires strong analytical skills and experience managing relationships with mass merchants, distributors, and international accounts.
Kinsey's Inc., a leading outdoor sporting goods distributor headquartered in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, is hiring a Distribution Account Manager to manage 100-130 dealer accounts. The role combines sales, account management, and customer service with an emphasis on building dealer relationships and driving profitable growth.
Kinsey Brands is hiring a Procurement & Supply Chain Analyst to support its Consumer Brands Division. The role involves managing manufacturing procurement, supply chain planning, logistics coordination, and inventory management across Kinsey's portfolio of outdoor and hunting brands.
Tac Shield introduced the Operator Sling, a minimalist two-point carry solution developed with input from Special Forces Veterans. The sling features the proprietary Tac Handle for no-look quick adjustments and maintains a low-profile design to reduce snag hazards while ensuring secure weapon retention.
Charter Arms announced the new Walker Series, an ultra-compact rimfire revolver designed for concealed carry in .22 LR or .22 WMR with eight-round capacity. The lightweight aluminum-frame revolver features a concealed hammer, smooth double-action trigger, and is available in multiple finishes with MSRPs ranging from $461.72 to $486.16.
Italian Firearms Group highlights how Italy's Banco Nazionale di Prova ensures quality through rigorous testing and verification. Manufacturers including Tanfoglio, Pedersoli, and F.A.I.R. combine national proofing requirements with extensive internal testing and craftsmanship to deliver firearms meeting the highest standards.
Kent Cartridge introduces Southern Reserve™ Dove shotshells featuring proprietary Diamond Shot technology designed for consistent dove hunting performance. Available in 12ga, 20ga, 28ga, and .410 bore with balanced payloads and tuned velocities for dense, uniform patterns.
Bear OPS, the tactical division of Bear & Son Cutlery, unveiled the Nekema™ II everyday carry knife featuring a 3.5-inch Sandvik® 14C28N stainless steel blade and lightweight aluminum handle. Made in Jacksonville, Alabama, the knife is priced at $92.49–$97.49 and available in Black & Copper or Gray & Blue colorways.
Silencer Central is offering triple reward points on BANISH suppressor purchases from July 13-17, 2026. Customers can redeem 1,000 points for $50 discounts, free shipping, or merchandise, with additional earning opportunities available through their rewards program.
The Wildcat Hills Shooting Complex will close July 18 for the Scotts Bluff County Fair Shooting Sports Competition. The facility at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area south of Gering resumes regular operations July 19, open Thursday through Sunday until mid-November.
Bass Pro Shops will celebrate its new 130,000-square-foot Loveland, Colorado location with an Evening for Conservation on July 22, featuring legendary anglers Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston, Edwin Evers, Kevin VanDam, Jim and Eva Shockey, and Nate Zelinsky. The company will donate 15% of sales to local conservation organizations, with festivities including live entertainment, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a 12,000-gallon aquarium.
Outdoor Channel welcomes back Sporting Classics with Chris Dorsey for Season 8, a cooperative effort between Sporting Classics magazine and Dorsey Pictures. Host Chris Dorsey travels globally showcasing high-end hunting and fishing experiences while emphasizing conservation's role, premiering Thursdays at 6 & 10 p.m. ET with nine new episodes.
I have long been familiar with the Taurus brand. Once upon a time its reputation wasn’t exactly positive. But in the decade since my first interaction I’ve come to really appreciate some of their firearms. That fresh outlook started a few years ago when they released the TX22. With a bunch of great features, I absolutely loved the little gun and nearly a decade later I have five of them. So when Taurus showed the new TX9 modular pistol this year at SHOT Show, it got my attention.
With their GX line of pistols already gaining popularity, Taurus appears to have distilled the best features of the TX22 here and blended them with their GX line. The TX9 is presented as a duty pistol, which I interpret as being meant for law enforcement and other professionals. But being modular, it can be configured for everyday carry, home defense…whatever you need a pistol to do.
There are several models of the TX9, and you can probably guess most of them. In addition to the full-size gun, there’s a compact model as well as a sub compact, all of which utilize Taurus’s T.O.R.O. optics mounting system. The T.O.R.O. system requires the use of optics mounting plates, but it works well and mounts virtually any red dot you own.
I’ve always liked the grip of the TX22, and was happy to see that the TX9 seems to copy the TX22’s comfortable features. But Taurus has taken it to the next level on the TX9 by adding interchangeable backstraps. That allows you to quickly swap out the backstrap to adjust the grip size for your comfort or hand size. A cross-pin locks the backstrap in place, and can be pushed through easily with any small punch.
Changing the grip backstrap is easy; just push the pin through and slide off the back. The pin has a spring detent to prevent accidental removal.
As a duty pistol, the TX9 has additional adaptability. Slide release levers on both sides can be used ambidextrously and the mag release can be swapped from right to left hand. That’s good, but it gets even better. The TX9 has a removable modular sear pack, much like the SIG P320 or the Ruger RXM. You can pull the serialized fire control unit — Taurus calls it the Taurus Modular System — out of the polymer frame and swap it into a compact or subcompact frame.
Mounting a red dot is easy using the T.O.R.O. mounting system.
All of that sounds good, but how does it shoot? Bells and whistles are great, but of no use if the overall product doesn’t meet your standards. So I headed to the range with a case of 115 grain ammunition to see how the TX9 flows.
The TX9 has a natural point of aim, making it easy to shoot well.
The textured grip feels fantastic in the palm. I quickly swapped out the backstrap for a different one that fit my hand better. With all that in place, I fired a few magazines through the TX9. According the numbers, the TX9 isn’t much lighter than the average pistol. But it feels lighter for some reason, and it also felt a tad peppy as the rounds cracked off.
Because this one is configured as a duty pistol, I decided to kit it out like my other handguns. I installed a Nightstick TWM-30-GL weapon light, as well as a Gideon Optics Omega red dot. Adding those helped calm down the TX9, tempering its climb under recoil.
I kept loading magazines, which are 17-rounders made by Mec-Gar for Taurus. As usual, the Mec-Gar magazines worked really well. The kids and I spent several range trips pumping ammo through the TX9.
The stripped-down TX9.
I’m but a humble civilian, but I can appreciate that those who carry guns for a living might prefer to put the TX9 through a few cases of ammo before slipping one into their holster. As with any new design, it takes a probationary period before people are ready to trust it for duty use. But so far, I have seen nothing to scare me off the TX9.
The kids had as much fun shooting the TX9 as they have had shooting the TX22.
The TX9 shoots very nicely, and the grip angle gives me a perfect, natural point of aim. This results in very little adjustment needed to bring sights on target, even under time constraints. The trigger was a touch scratchy at first, but has since smoothed out, though it has a fairly soft reset. Particularly with the fine aim point of the Gideon Omega, the gun is more than accurate enough for duty purposes.
The high quality Mec-Gar magazines fed seventeen rounds perfectly.
I suppose if I had a complaint about the TX9 it would be that removing the sear pack is very easy. Much faster than both my P320 and RXM (it requires no tools or even a punch to push pins out). That seems like a good thing, but I’m a touch suspicious, however, that there’s less engagement with the frame, which could result in lower round count before some kind of failure. We shall see.
Additionally — and this one is pretty minor — the cross pins in the sear pack aren’t captured except for inside the polymer frame. That means if you aren’t careful when swapping the sear pack you could lose a pin. Change frames accordingly.
With an MSRP barely over $500 and a street price around $400 this isn’t a particularly expensive pistol, especially if considered for a duty pistol. With a price point that low I think most people will be happy with what you’re getting from the Taurus TX9.
This is a fun and pleasant handgun to shoot, with good accuracy and some very handy modular features that will make it a great one-gun solution for a lot of people. I expect Taurus has a whole lineup of additional options in the pipeline, and I’m excited to see what different slides, frames and other accessories they bring to market.
