Resources

While the main focus of GunsHolstersAndGear.com is providing reliable gun reviews, I have also published a number of other articles that may be of interest.

These articles fall a little outside of the normal topics, so I have grouped them together here.

How To Projects

• Am I Required to Apply a Serial Number to a Homemade Firearm – This is a touchy area and there is lot of misinformation on the internet. I break it all down and show you the laws and BATFE guidance.
• How to Build a PVC Target Stand – If you have ever need to build your own target stands but wanted something that was both durable and inexpensive, you may have been at a loss. I took a number of basic designs and mashed them up to create my own stand that has worked very well for me. In this how to guide, I give you a step-by-step instruction tutorial.
• How to Reload Steel Case Ammunition -A popular myth is that the average reloader can’t load fired steel cases. Actually, you can reload used steel cases – even those with Berdan primers. In this article, I go over several ways to accomplish this. Plus readers respond with additional tips and information.
• Installing an Apex Trigger on a Springfield Armory Hellcat – If you would like to upgrade the trigger on your Hellcat, I recommend checking out the Apex Trigger as an option. For me, it solved my only problem with the gun.

Self-Defense, Training and Related Topics

• 9×18 Makarov Ammunition for Self Defense Guide – This is a comprehensive guide to personal protection ammo choices in the 9×18 Makarov caliber. Even though I don’t think this is the best round for defensive work, it is a popular caliber due to the number of inexpensive – yet quality – guns out there that are chambered for it.
• Flashlight Techniques for Home Defense – Having a good quality flashlight is imperative for proper self defense. That’s one of the reasons why I have focused on providing top quality reviews on tactical flashlight on this site. This article takes a look at some of the techniques that can be used with the flashlight.

Specific Gun Information

There are a lot of firearms out there, but so little solid information on many of them. The solution? A gun encyclopedia. This page links/will link to the informational pages on various firearms. These pages are not reviews, rather they are informational pages – sort of like an old-school encyclopedia. Make sure you check out our gun reviews if that is what you are looking for.

• ArmaLite 300 BLK Rifle – Details on the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle designed for the .300 AAC BLACKOUT cartridge.
• Beretta Nano – The Beretta Nano is one of a new generation of subcompact pistols designed for concealed carry. Since its introduction in 2011, this pistol has become wildly popular with knowledgeable citizens looking to protect themselves.
• Beretta Px4 Storm Sub-Compact Pistol – This handgun will be familiar to anyone who has shot a full-size or compact Px4 Storm. It is equally are reliable and certainly a lot of fun to shoot. We have all of the details on this pistol here.
• Caracal CAR 816 – The 816 is an M-4 style, select-fire rifle made in the UAE. It uses a piston system similar to the Ruger SR556 with a four-position gas port. It takes STANAG-compliant mags and a variety of AR furniture.
• Caracal CC10 – This is a pistol caliber carbine introduced by Caracal in 2012. At this time, it appears the gun has been pulled from the company’s line up and it is not listed in the company catalog. We’ve got information on the gun here.
• Charter Arms Patriot Revolvers – We have the whole story of the Patriot line here. It has been discontinued and the information scrubbed from the Charter Arms site, but we’ve put it all together for you.
• Diamondback AM2 Holsters – A comprehensive examination of all of the concealed carry rigs currently available for the Diamondback 9mm. I give you my thoughts on each to help you find the best holster for the money.
• Glock 30SF – The ‘short frame’ version of the model 30 is still chambered in .45 ACP. This model has done a little shaving on the grip to make it more user-friendly.
• Glock 43X Optics – The slimline series of Glock pistols need special optics to fit their narrow slides. I give you the full list of red dot sights specially designed to fit the 43x.
• Mossberg MC1SC – The pistol was announced ahead of the 2019 SHOT Show. We’ve recorded the details of the launch along with the initial variations that were available.
• Ruger LCR – Informational page on the world’s first polymer framed revolver, the LCR. Ruger introduced this little revolver a few years ago and it has proved to be very popular for concealed carry and backup duties.
• Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt – Details on the Ruger Redhawk chambered in .45 Colt. This gun was discontinued, but then was reintroduced in 2008.
• SIG SAUER P238 – The P238 is a single action pistol chambered for the .380 ACP. Based on the Colt Mustang, the P238 is very popular with the public.
• Smith & Wesson 57 Classic – The original .41 Magnum was reintroduced at the 2009 SHOT Show. There were four variations, but S&W has trimmed the line down to just one. Full details along with original sales sheets and more.
• Smith & Wesson 629 Stealth Hunter – Details on the special Stealth Hunter version of the classic .44 Magnum revolver.
• Smith & Wesson 632 – The S&W 632 is a confusing series of guns chambered for the .327 Magnum. We sort it all out and give you a lot of details and photos.
• Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 38 – The polymer framed, snub nose revolver has a built in laser and a completely new cylinder release. You’ve got to hold one to really understand this gun, but we’ve got all of the details here.
• Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 – S&W introduced two Bodyguard handguns: a semi-automatic in .380 ACP and a polymer-framed revolver in .38 Special. This article covers the Bodyguard 380.
• Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Pro Series – Details about the Pro series from the crew at Smith & Wesson.
• Smith & Wesson Night Guard Revolvers – Smith & Wesson introduced a line of high-end defensive revolvers called Night Guard. The guns were introduced at the 2008 SHOT Show and covers a wide range of calibers.
• Smith & Wesson Shield – The smallest member of the M&P family, the Shield is a very thin pistol chambered in 9mm and .40 S&W. Early sales have been extremely brisk.
• Springfield Armory Hellcat Optics – The Hellcat uses the RMSc footprint, and I’ve pulled together a list of all the options for this pistol. I also give you my recommendations based on my experiences.
• Taurus 590 Revolver – Ever owned a 5mm revolver? Take a look at this hunting handgun from Taurus. Even though it was listed in multiple catalogs, we have not yet been able to confirm if the gun ever made it into production before being struck from the line up.
• Taurus 845 Pistol – The full run down on this popular .45 ACP handgun. Like many modern pistols, it uses a polymer frame, but is not striker fired.
• Taurus Raging Judge 28 Gauge Revolver – This could be either the coolest or silliest handgun ever released by Taurus USA. Read the full entry to get the details on what the company was trying to do.
• Winchester Salvo Rifle – This is one of the more interesting guns in the development of US military firearms. Think of a double-barrel FAL shooting duplex 5.56 rounds and you have an idea of what this gun is. Plenty of original photos of the gun from the Springfield Armory.

As you can see, we are still building out this section. If there are specific guns out there you would like to see more information on or guns which you have special knowledge of, please let us know.