Most people build an everyday-carry loadout the same way they build a gym routine. They copy something they saw work for someone else, and then they stop questioning it. The gun goes in. The holster goes on. Maybe a spare magazine follows. After that, it becomes habit. Habit is comfortable. It is also lazy. The problem is not that most loadouts are bad. The problem is that most loadouts are never re-examined against reality. Reality has changed. Self-defense shootings still look like they always have—fast, close, chaotic and usually over in seconds. But, the edge cases are more visible now.…

Handgun muzzle rise is a matter of simple physics. Factors like barrel length, cartridge size and handgun weight all contribute to how high a pistol’s muzzle kicks up when you fire it. Bore axis (how low the barrel sits in the frame) is also a big contributing factor to muzzle rise, and over the years, many designers have attempted to use a low-bore axis to result in a flat-shooting pistol. One of these attempts, the Rideout Arsenal Dragon, is now more than a concept. It’s on the market. The Rideout Arsenal Dragon is an innovative new design that incorporates an…

Suppressors are hot—in more than one sense of the word. After you pick up your first can (or five), you’ll quickly realize that there are a few must-haves that come along with suppressor ownership. Not only do suppressors warm up quickly during even a brief shooting session, they take a while to cool off, and depending on your specific can, you’ll probably have to do a quick scrub-down every now and then. Here are five extra accessories that will make silenced shooting a whole lot easier and more enjoyable. 1. Even when you wait a while after shooting, your suppressor…

There’s a popular new breed of space-saving “compact” riflescopes on the market today, and they bring another important feature to the game. On average, these kinds of optics offer a more generous field-of-view. Considering the current demand for shorty optics, there’s a trend brewing just around the corner.  EOTech’s Vudu 4-12×36 mm FFP is a member of that tribe of optics, measuring in at only 7.1 inches in length. It was introduced in January and covered for American Rifleman by Jeremiah Knupp last month. Comparing its measurements to nine popular centerfire 4-12X riflescopes puts the optic’s space-saving virtue into perspective.…

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Hearing protection is vital when engaged in the shooting sports. I’d say we all know that, but as a professional in this industry, I know far too many people who respond to my verbal inquiries with a “Huh?” whilst cupping their ear toward me. Come to think of it, I might be one of those people. The simple fact is, when you set off a small explosion relatively close to your ear, in an enclosed space or simply close enough to make you wince when you hear it, you are causing hearing damage. Sound suppressors greatly help protect hearing, but…

I was nine years into my public land hunting career when I first dipped my toe in the target-buck pool. The North Carolina hitlister showed up on my trail cameras just before Halloween, with pre-rut in full swing, and a gnarly heat wave set to roll in a week later.With nearly a decade of experience in my rearview mirror, I made one of the dumbest hunting mistakes of my life—I stayed home on November 7. The temps hit 80 degrees, and I convinced myself that the deer would sit tight until dark.Guess who cruised by my stand camera mid-morning?I know…

In our latest “I Carry” video, we’re taking a closer look at one of the latest versions of the Springfield Armory Echelon, Springfield’s modern striker-fired pistol. But that’s not the only thing that’s modern. This pistol is outfitted with Aimpoint’s new COA enclosed-emitter red-dot optic, and to carry this optic-equipped handgun, we’ve selected a JM Custom Kydex holster. Check out the details of the full kit in the video above. “We’re taking a look at the new Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0 FC. Now the FC means that it has a full size grip with a compact slide,” American Rifleman Executive…

I sat in the truck at the public boat ramp, sipping bad gas station coffee and watching a parade of glitter-covered bass boats launch and race away. They were in a hurry to get to wherever they thought the bass were holed up.I wasn’t in much of a hurry. When the last boat disappeared around the point, I grabbed my spinning rod and a Rat-L-Trap and walked down the shoreline in my flip-flops. On the third cast, my line went tight as a largemouth bulldogged for deeper water, pulling line from a rig that probably cost me less than a…

On Friday, May 29, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) “Removing Unnecessary and Counterproductive Restrictions on Access to Federal Lands” that rescinds EOs 11644, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1972, and 11989, signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977.These two orders have allowed agency heads to manage how and where off-road vehicles can travel on public lands. According to the White House Press Release, “the subjective criteria were difficult for agencies to operationalize in practice because they were so vague.” The ramifications of this move are uncertain.“Our concern isn’t what this EO does today, it’s what it sets…