Straight Talk

Big Blue released the CSX pistol at the end of 2022, and many people, including me, were confused. While small, hammer-fired pistols were cool, weren’t they outdated? It wasn’t that long ago when pistols like the Sig Sauer P238 and 939, the Kimber Mirco 9 and 380, and the reincarnated Colt Mustang were popular carry options. But this industry can move fast. And as quickly as those pistols grew in popularity, they flamed out. And this was mainly because of Smith & Wesson, who ann

The dust has settled. SHOT 2025 has ended. The annual industry trade show witnessed thousands of booths, tens of thousands of visitors, and an untold amount of general debauchery that the Sin City is known for (who else wants to know the collective bar tab of everyone that attends SHOT show?). With SHOT, hundreds of new products were released or announced over those four days in January. As many who follow this industry know, one does not need to attend the event to get the latest scoop—o

And just like that, we're back for another week. Naturally, new product introductions have ramped up as we approach the industry’s annual trade show (Shooting, Hunting, Outdoors Trade Show or SHOT). So, you can expect these weekly updates. Due to the vast array and sheer number of products being launched, we will inevitably miss some. Things always slip through the cracks this time of year. It happens (with that in mind, manufacturers should distribute their releases throughout the year to captu

Even though we haven’t even reached January’s annual SHOT Show (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show), companies are already unveiling their latest product releases. This indicates that in the age of social media, businesses are increasingly inclined to launch products on their schedules rather than waiting for a public reveal at trade shows where the general audience is not present. I find this trend intriguing, and it reinforces my long-held belief that the industry is evolving in how it

The FN Reflex is an intriguing option. It possesses all the features that the P365 and Hellcat series of slimline pistols do and better qualities than the Glock 43X MOS, but it’s not nearly as popular. Part of it is recognition; people know of FN, but they really don’t “know” the company. Another aspect is marketing. Springfield and Sig Sauer invest a significant amount of money into various forms of digital marketing (i.e., social media). Finally, it arrived too late to the party. Had the refle

Honestly, I’ve not been high on Kimber for nearly a decade. They were known for building a quality 1911 at a reasonable price, which set them apart. Unfortunately, many companies are now doing that—including ones from Turkey. Kimbers were once in demand, and like many companies with an in-demand product, they ramped up production. But like in most cases, quality control falls while the price remains high, leading to disappointment. Kimber has tried to rectify the issues. They even moved from the