A while back, I stumbled across a witticism from author Robert A. Rinker (“Understanding Firearm Ballistics”) that anyone claiming their firearm has no muzzle flash should try keeping their eyes open while shooting. While there are exceptions, his point that some amount of flash can be expected from centerfire rifle-caliber firearms remains valid. The primary muzzle flash we see in low light is caused by still-burning powder and super-heated gases exiting the muzzle together. Primary flash is fairly uniform from shot to shot when using the same ammunition. Typical ways to manage it include lower-powered loads, reduced-flash powders, ammo tailored…

Mossberg’s 590 is based on one of the most popular pump-action shotguns ever made: the Mossberg 500. For those who are seeking a shotgun that’s a bit more heavy-duty and are willing to pay for the associated cost, the company’s 590 line offers plenty of options, and one of the latest is the striking 590R Chisel. Watch our “Gun of the Week” episode above to see more details about this cutting-edge shotgun. “What’s the ‘R’ stand for, you ask? It has a rotary safety,” American Rifleman Executive Editor Jay Grazio said. “If you’re a fan of the AR-15-style rifle, you’ll…

WOOX, manufacturer of Italian-American made gunstocks, axes and knives, is breaking ground to expand its operations in Hickory, N.C.—where woodworking expertise has been passed on for generations. The manufacturing facility’s growth will help meet demand for the firm’s premium products, particularly its line of Standard American and High-Grade American Walnut stocks. For decades, Hickory was considered the furniture capital of America, or at least a major suburb. At its peak, the local furniture and woodworking industry employed thousands of skilled craftsmen, often in the same factory in which their parents and grandparents worked. The tradition began in the late 1890s…

Gun-control groups are again trying to ban one of the best-selling and most iconic semi-automatic pistols ever—yes, most Glocks. They are also after, with some temporary success, any other semi-automatic pistols they can accuse of being “machine-gun convertible.” A few states have now enacted bans on so-called “machine gun convertible pistols,” a term primarily referring to semi-automatic handguns that can theoretically be illegally modified by criminals into machine guns via—again, illegal—devices like “switches” or auto sears. Federally, these “switches” and similar devices are classified as machine guns under the National Firearms Act (NFA), making their possession, manufacture and transfer illegal…

The Aimpoint ACRO made the closed emitter famous. The Steiner MPS followed with a similar construction and aesthetic. Some people love the “mailbox” design, some hate it. If you’re one of the latter, there is a sleeker option. We now have a closed emitter, rugged, extremely compact optic with a ubiquitous RMS-C footprint. This optic exhibits clear glass, shake-awake technology, a large viewing window, no “tunnel vision” and it’s not made in China! The new Steiner MPS-C is here, and it is one of my favorite new drops from SHOT Show 2026. I mounted one to my Smith & Wesson…

00:00:01 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt podcast, your guide to the White Tail Woods presented by first Light, creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. First Light, Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host Mark Kenyon. 00:00:19 Speaker 2: What is going on? Welcome to Wired to Hunt. This is Jake Hoefer and building off of the theme for the month of June talking about failures and shortcomings and mistakes that all hunters likely make somewhere along their journey. How do I address them now and fix them or identify them for…

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A Montana man was recently sentenced for poaching a unique whitetail after attempting to claim it as a legitimate archery kill. According to a Facebook post by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), game wardens began investigating 23-year-old Tony Zimbleman in 2025 after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen.At first, Zimbelman denied wrongdoing, claiming to have shot the trophy whitetail with archery gear during archery season in Pondera County, which is in north-central Montana. Eventually, though, he admitted to having actually shot the deer with a rifle one day before archery season opened.Zimbelman’s case is particularly notable because of…

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) just opened an investigation to “determine whether Philadelphia Police use a vague ‘good cause’ standard to cancel permits to carry legal firearms.” “I have directed the Civil Rights Division, through our Second Amendment Section, to defend law-abiding citizens from local authorities who infringe the right to safely carry legal firearms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Law-abiding Americans, regardless of where they live, should not have to worry that their city will revoke their means of self-defense.”  In this case, the DOJ says its investigation is focusing on Philadelphia Police’s handgun…

I watched my buzzbait disappear in an explosion of water when one of the biggest largemouths I’d seen surged out from under a tangle of hyacinths. My heart skipped several beats as I set the hook, and the fish immediately made a run for deeper water. For a few seconds, that fish peeled line off my spinning reel before it turned back toward the boat.I remember thinking, “don’t screw this up.” That’s about the time my line snapped. The sudden loss of tension nearly pitched me overboard. The fish was gone. I said a few colorful words and spent the…