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Colt Expanse AR-15 rifle right side

Firearms

Range Report: Colt Expanse Carbine AR-15

Colt’s cut-down price leader is still a first-class rifle, and while the author believes this rifle will be a force on the market, the question of whether it really lives up to the hype has to be answered. In the past, Colt’s rifles stood at the top of the heap on quality, and the cheaper rifles stood on cheap. Where does the the Expanse rank? Read the full article to find out.

Bob Campbell with AR-15 Shooting out of a doorway

Safety and Training

The Rifle for Home Defense

When considering a firearm for home defense there are three choices, the handgun, rifle, and shotgun. Many arguments can be made for each and the choice must fit your lifestyle, but the AR-15 is hard to beat, so get the AR-15 rifle out of the closet and into a first tier role in your home defense. After all, this is the most effective and useful firearm in the battery.

expanded 62 grain vital shok bullet

Ammunition

Range Report: Federal Trophy Bonded Tip Vital Shok

Federal’s proven reputation for quality is secure its new Trophy Bonded Tip Vital Shok. The 62-grain Trophy Bonded loading is accurate and as you will see, expands reliably. If you only have one all-around .223 Rem round, Federal’s Trophy Bonded Tip Vital Shok is a contender for the top of the list.

Hornady Full Boar ammunition

Ammunition

.223 Remington Load Selections — Picking the Best .223 Load for the Task

The 5.56mm/.223 Remington is America’s cartridge just as the AR-15 rifle is America’s rifle. The rifle is used for recreational shooting, competition, varmint hunting, medium-sized game hunting, and personal defense. In fact, the same rifle will handle all of these chores—given a skilled shooter. While the rifle is versatile and may fill each role well, no single loading will serve in every pursuit. Which load do you need?

Colt 1911 Commander with three different boxes of ammunition

Firearms

Range Report: The ‘1911 Commander’ Way

The Colt 1911 Government Model served law enforcement well for a long time. However, there was one complaint—it was too large and heavy for carrying comfortably. Even before World War II, Colt experimented with smaller handguns. With the maturity of aluminum technology, the smaller Commander-sized 1911 was possible. Today, the Colt Commander is built from steel and proves itself an excellent carry gun. Read our range report in this post.

Black Noveske-built Gen III AR-15 rifle with many upgrades

Firearms

The Best AR-15s for All Budgets

Many readers and customers ask us “what is the best AR-15?” Ask 5, 10, 20 people and you will get that many different answers. There really are no true criteria for defining what “the best” truly means. However, here at Cheaper Than Dirt! we are shooters and we are shooters who shoot a lot and love the AR-15. In this article, I highlight what we think are some of the best AR-15s on the market for all budgets.

(Left to Right) A .45 Auto Rim with a heavy-cast 255 grain SWC, the .45 Colt with a 260-grain bullet and the .45 ACP with a 230-grain JHP. The .45 AR is easily among the most versatile of all cartridges.

Ammunition

The .45 Auto Rim

The .45 ACP loading has a long history, starting in WW1, and with the addition of the auto rim, it is a clean burning load for personal defense or target practice. Enjoy this post with both the history and recommendations for the best options today.