Equipment

The Vortex Solo R/T 8x36 monocular is a handy piece of kit. It is lightweight, compact, and useful for daylight spotting. Its mil-hash reticle and silhouette-based ranging tools are an added bonus for competition and tactical shooters.

I've touched on the magic of angular measurements before. Typically, you're going to run into one of two flavors: minutes of angle or milliradians. The quick version of this is to understand that a radian is another way to measure rotation around a point. A milliradian, sometimes called a mil or MRAD, is 1/1000 of a radian.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I have a strong distaste for internet and gun store lore. That's especially true if that lore isn't much good for anything other than burning a hole in your pocket.

Next to barrels, AR-15 trigger selection is the most contentious issue for enthusiasts. It’s actually frustrating, because so much of it is personal preference, yet everyone will tell you unequivocally that you should get whatever model they like.

Iron sights are not magical talisman that turn you into a rifleman. They are a tool for executing marksmanship, not part of the "fundamentals." Don't get wrapped up.

The GR1 is like one of those mythical objects that people on the internet talk about, but nobody you know actually has. This is my review of it.

The Trijicon TR24 is one of the all time greats of the low power variable market. How has it stood the test of time?

For a long time, you saw a vertical foregrip (VFG) on nearly every rifle at the range and on the internet. So what are they actually for, and why should you care?

I prefer double action/single action pistols for the real world. That's a rather bold statement, but I want to explain. It's not that I dislike striker fired pistols, but I've come to really enjoy the utility of the classic double action.

RIBZ stands for Revised Improved Battlesight Zero. It's a method of adjusting standard military carry handle sights to allow a wider range of zeroes. This leverages one of the primary benefits of the adjustable sights over fixed sights. This guide shows you how to implement RIBZ.

One of the great mysteries of the modern AR-15 is the so-called Government profile barrel. The original AR-15, and M16, had the so-called "standard" profile. Today, we call this a "pencil" profile. When the design work for the M16A2 happened in the 80's, the design team shifted away from the lightweight style. The thicker barrel at the muzzle became the new standard. Eventually, all modern enthusiasts ask why that happened.

Not a lot of people know the SpecterOS 4x. You've probably heard of its heavier and more expensive sibling, the SpecterDR, though. The SpecterOS is the same optic, but fixed at 4x. It is lighter, with similar illumination, but it is more akin to the ACOG than a 1-4x scope. I really like this optic, as it has outstanding glass quality and an attractive look. But I'm not crazy about the mount.