Vantage Point

New Guns and Gear for 2025

Discover the newest guns and gear that have caught the attention of American Handgunner Editor Tom McHale.

Questions For All Y’all

I thought it would be fun to query the Handgunner readership on some things. Put out some burning questions to see what comes back in the mail. I’ll agree...

5 Stocking Stuffer Ideas:...

'Tis the season again, and Tom McHale is sharing stocking stuffer ideas for the gunny in your life ... or yourself.

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Staccato 2011 CS Pistol

If you could have identical twins separated by a couple of years, that would describe the P and CS model. The CS is a near-identical scaled-down version of...

New Springfield Armory...

Red dot handgun sights have become mainstream. Now, Springfield Armory offers numerous 1911 pistols ready for the optics of your choice.

Gentleman Lost

Today’s affirmation-driven world of “me, me, me!” does a lousy job of accurately portraying a man’s impact on this earth. Thankfully, our late...

Things You Learn...

I have a crowd of holsters. Yes, I have the proverbial "box" of holsters, but also a file cabinet, lawn bag, another box, a large desk drawer and three...

SHOT Show 2024:...

For SHOT Show 2024, Condor Outdoor created a "gear extravaganza" to showcase some of what's on the market. I thought it might be fun and educational to...

Moore’s Law...

Moore’s Law said processing power would double approximately every 18 months. For shooters, it offers benefits, too, like the paradigm-changing Garmin...

My 5 Most-Used...

Lots of folks (including us) share their favorite guns, holsters, and various types of shooting gear. That’s nice, and I also appreciate hearing about...

The newer MantisX models are small enough to mount to the magazine base, allowing use from a holster.

Shooting Tip:...

By focusing on perfect movement, with no wasted motion, and bringing the gun from low level to a forward extension perfectly on target, I’m burning this...

Keeping records from accuracy testing over the long haul can provide some interesting insights.

Insights From...

Tom McHale has a library of easily accessible data that can tell him interesting things about all the guns and ammo he's tested. Pulling up an ammo record,...

Note the skinny (but rigid) CrossBreed nylon carry belt. The foam pad on the back (not visible) keeps the grip tucked in so this large gun conceals easily under a shirt.

6 Lessons...

One day, I woke up with a fleeting glimpse of common sense and decided to try appendix carry before continuing to pass judgment. What a novel concept!...

Danger! Guns and...

#Fact: People with colds have caused the crystal meth epidemic. No need to worry, though. Our government does a bang-up job of regulating things, so...

The Girsan 2311 uses a three-part frame assembly: polymer grip module, aluminum forward frame, and steel up top. That's what makes it so soft shooting.

Big Capacity!...

Agonize no more. There’s a new crop of double-stack “1911” pistols on the market: Staccato, Springfield Armory and now, EAA Girsan. The new...

You can use the Garmin Xero without the companion smartphone app not only to record current strings, but review past results.

First Look:...

The new Garmin Xero C1 Pro is a game changer. Weighing next to nothing, it fits comfortably in a shirt pocket. And with no setup required and nothing...

You might be surprised at how well your handgun can shoot when you eliminate accuracy-robbing variables.

How to Shoot...

The key to measuring what your gun can do is to remove as many variables as possible not related to the gun itself.

Beware!...

The foam pad option helps prevent the scenario of the gun grip rotating forward away from your body. It's especially helpful on smaller guns like this Springfield Armory XD-S Mod 2.

5 Appendix Carry...

American Handgunner Editor Tom McHale was a long-time skeptic and had little success with appendix carry for any size gun until he experimented with these...

New From...

There’s a new service, duty and defensive pistol in town, compliments of the busy folks at Springfield Armory. While no one is saying “replacement for...

The Simtek StealthALERT offers additional layers of protection to your firearms, even if they're stored in a safe or lockbox.

Protect Your...

We can never be too careful with our gun security strategies. In fact, storage plans ought to use a layered approach like self and home defense. The more...

Vantage Point:...

Some things are inevitable. For those unpleasant inevitabilities, we have a choice: we can rage our way into a state of denial and stick our head in the...

The Art of...

Reviewing guns is 38 percent objective, 54 percent subjective, and 93 percent opinion. Those of you who aced Trigonometry might have figured out we blew...

Team Tactics:...

Humans are naturally confident, bordering on arrogant. In our minds, we’ve got all the correct answers, and for those situations we haven’t yet...

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Vantage Point...

I’m not a physicist, but I did read Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson. He attempts to explain such things as how, at the moment...

Vantage Point:...

Crimping is a bit like duct tape, a hammer, or maybe a cold beer. Liberal use of any of these is assumed capable of fixing most any problem. And you know...

1,2,3,4… I...

Like all those Housewives of Toad Suck, Arkansas reality TV shows, capitalism is subject to the immutable and universal laws of unintended...

Regulate This

While the phrase “well regulated” sounds like a demand for government intervention to today’s gun-control advocates, it doesn’t take much effort to...

Vantage Point:...

It was 2004, and my wife was looking for a concealed carry pistol. Doing something right for a change, likely by accident, I decided to accompany her on the...

Battle Scars:...

If one intends to buy a gun for defensive use, it darn well better develop some battle scars. I’m not talking about dents and gouges; I’m talking about...