Straight Talk

The polymer-frame pistol market is competitive. Every major manufacturer is vying for dominance in it. But a few companies are at the top. Anybody who knows anything about guns has heard of Glock. Even if you aren’t into guns, you’ve heard of them. Glock pistols are a staple of popular culture—from movies to music and continuing to video games; they are everywhere. But honestly, has Glock fallen behind? I’d argue their pistols are no longer cutting-edge. They’ve failed to keep up with modern pis

The Springfield Echelon, released in July of 2023, is an excellent pistol. I find its ergonomics, feature set, and overall shootability are on par with or better than the other polymer-framed pistols in its class (think Glock 17, S&W M&P 2.0, FN 509, Shadow Systems MR920, HK VP9, and the Sig P320). With this pistol, Springfield took in the market trends and adapted them. Things like a built-in gas pedal, double under-cut triggerguard, aggressive texturing on the frame and slide, an

SHOP HOLOSUN

I won’t hide it, but I’m a huge HK fan. Name something more ubiquitous than a roller-delayed sub-gun. Any millennial who grew up playing Call of Duty will understand. More than that, these firearms are part of popular culture. Movies, TV shows, and books all highlight the guns of HK. Unfortunately, many of those guns, even though they are awesome, are outdated and…expensive. Like really expensive. Plus, most of the ones people want HK don’t offer us regular folk (it’s like they hate us). E

The 10-millimeter cartridge trajectory is trending upward. Since its inception, the cartridge has traversed many mountains and valleys to be where it is today. A decade ago, the cartridge was niche, with only several new guns chambered in it. Now, almost every major manufacturer is making a handgun for the magnum-like cartridge. A more surprising trend has been its inclusion in pistol caliber carbines (PCC). This is where the 10mm’s potential is finally harnessed.The LC in 10m. Personally,

We’ve all seen the memes. There might not be a more meme(d) gun than the XD. I mean, it literally tells you where to grip it (it’s called Grip Zone). But it sold well, especially in the days when Glock and M&P were its main competitors. Over time, however, trends changed, and many manufacturers passed the XD in popularity. Springfield attempted to respond to its doubters by introducing the XDM and XD MOD.2 and early CCW stalwart XDS (I won’t even mention the XDE), but ultimately, they