During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union raced to develop weapons that could tip the balance of power. Among the most audacious creations of this era was the M65 Atomic Cannon, an enormous artillery piece capable of firing a nuclear shell. Nicknamed “Atomic Annie,” this wea...
The subject of whether to use a pistol is not the focus of this article; let us assume we have decided to start with the handgun instead of a shotgun or rifle for the sake of debate. The best approach is to establish some basic standards for the modern pistol as a defensive weapon. The first ques...
When it comes to concealed carry, most of us immediately think about on-body setups—appendix, strong-side, etc. But off-body carry — if executed and managed properly, ensuring you retain control of your firearm at all times — has a legitimate place in the conversation, especially for those ...
Taurus brought three distinct products to SHOT Show 2026. The TX9 modular 9mm pistol marks their first purpose-built duty platform in centerfire. The Judge 20th Anniversary celebrates two decades since a viral watermelon video made the Judge a household name. And the Judge Home Defender &nb...
At SHOT Show 2026, Caracal USA announced that the CMP9 and CMP9K pistols, as well as the CSR308 and CSR338 bolt-action rifles, have finally hit the US market. In my opinion, what should make these firearms appealing to customers is that Caracal is a well-established player in the military s...
The holster is the pivot point of carrying a pistol. Everything rides on your ability to retain your weapon; otherwise, the individual is forced to carry or shove the weapon into less-than-preferred locations on the body. Even when carrying a compact or subcompact pistol, carrying can reveal an u...
Another SHOT Show is officially in the rear-view mirror, and, as is my custom every year in this series, today we’re going to go over some of the more interesting or intriguing rimfire releases from SHOT Show 2026. While covering rimfire topics specifically is a significant chunk of what I ...
To readers of The Armory Life and many 1911 afficionados, Hilton Yam is going to be a familiar name. In the company of the many great gunsmiths and competitors who have built their professions around the construction or use of 1911 pistols, Yam offers a very unique perspective...