Best Defensive Ammo: How to Choose Self-Defense Ammunition (2026)
We gel-tested HST, Gold Dot, V-Crown, Critical Defense and Critical Duty in 9mm. Best defensive ammo by caliber, plus LE boxes from $0.72 a round.
Guides
A series of posts that will guide you through the maze of guns and firearms. We give you advice, help and answer those simple questions you don’t always want to ask.
Best Time to Buy a Gun: Sale Calendar and Pricing Trends
When is the best time to buy a gun? Our month-by-month sale calendar shows you when prices drop, which holidays have the biggest deals, and how to time your purchase for maximum savings.
Clip vs Magazine: What’s the Difference? (2026)
A magazine feeds rounds into the gun with a spring and follower; a clip only holds rounds together for loading. How stripper, en bloc and moon clips work, which guns use them, and how to tell which one you have.
Ballistics Calculator: Bullet Drop, Wind Drift and Energy for 45 Factory Loads
A free ballistics calculator with 45 Hornady and Federal factory loads built in. Get drop, scope come-ups, wind drift, velocity and energy for your zero and conditions, and print a dope card.
Holster Finder: Find a Holster That Fits Your Exact Gun
Our holster finder shows in-stock holsters that name your exact gun, weapon light and carry style, from the retailers we track, refreshed every morning.
Red Dot Footprint Chart and Fit Checker: Which Optic Fits Your Pistol
A red dot footprint is the screw and recoil boss pattern under the optic, and your slide has to match it. Pick your pistol in our checker to see which red dots mount direct, which need a plate, and which do not fit.
10mm vs .45 ACP: Honest Cartridge Comparison (2026)
Real-world 10mm vs .45 ACP comparison: ballistics, hunting use, self-defense, recoil, and cost from someone who shoots both calibers regularly.
8 Best Side-by-Side Shotguns in 2026: From Budget to Bespoke
The 8 best side-by-side shotguns in 2026, from the $479.99 Stoeger Coach Gun Supreme to the hand-built AYA No. 2 Spanish sidelock. Upland, sporting clays and cowboy action picks.
Types of Gun Safeties: Manual, Grip, Trigger, Drop and Transfer Bar (2026)
The types of gun safeties explained: thumb, decocker, cross-bolt, tang, three-position, grip, trigger, drop safety, transfer bar, hammer block and magazine disconnect.