If there is anything I have learned in 40 years of shooting, it is if you buy cheap, you buy twice. When it comes to optics many that are OK for informal target practice and others are suited to some forms of competition. However, if you need a quality holographic sight for critical use, few if any, have stood the test of time as the EOTech sight has.

There is one distinctive sound no gun enthusiast would ever mistake—the sound of a pump-action shotgun be racked.

Possibly, the most interesting Glock handgun introduced in some time is the Glock 19X. The pistol shows that Glock is thinking out of the box and may be the harbinger of a new line of handguns. The idea is simple enough. The 19X features a Glock 17 full size frame with the Glock 19 barrel. There is much precedent to this.

Before I begin singing the praises of the Springfield EMP 1911, I should say that I have never felt the 9mm 1911 made a lot of sense. It was like putting a six cylinder engine in a Corvette. The 10mm 1911 is like a 454 Chevelle by comparison. However, the Springfield EMP is not an average 1911 9mm.

The 9mm Luger cartridge is our most popular handgun caliber. It is a powerful number; capable of high velocity, and a cartridge that is affordable in the quantities needed to master the handgun. Recoil is manageable, and the handguns that chamber it are famously reliable. Ruger has an excellent reputation for reliable function. Ruger’s handguns do not break. Perhaps more attention to ergonomics would have been wise with some of the Ruger handguns, but that is another story. We now have that human engineering in the Security-9 9mm handguns.

Glock’s introduction of the Generation 5 pistol has been much anticipated. The new pistol offers significant changes—more so than any previous generation. The first change to the Glock was the addition of a light rail. Next, came the finger groove frame and the rough texture frame later. However, not everyone liked the finger grooves or RTF frame.

I have always loved the .410. At a young age, I was introduced to it as an alternative to the .22 long rifle for rabbits and squirrels. Due to the shot pattern, it was easier to harvest the fast moving little critters. Later, I was introduced to bird hunting and quickly realized those old men were not shooting the .410 to gain an advantage. Instead, it was a show of skill on fast-moving Bobwhite’s. However, it was when I was first introduced to the .410 for self-defense that I gained a respect for the cartridge.

I feel, among the best all-around defensive handguns for home use is the .38 Special revolver with a short barrel. The short-barreled .38 offers a host of advantages over the auto loader and a time-tested track record second to none.

After training hundreds of individuals and doing considerable research on handguns and cartridges, I have come to realize that many shooters do not realize the work a handgun cartridge must do. There has been considerable research and intensive testing during the past two decades—more so than the previous 100 years. The FBI set the need for penetration, expansion, and diameter forth after expensive and extensive testing, but how many shooters truly understand caliber, ballistics, and bullet choice?

The Colt Single Action Army was introduced in 1873 after much development, and the addition of key features including a solid top strap and chambering for the .45 Colt cartridge—there have been other calibers. The original revolver was intended to give troopers an edge against aboriginal tribesman. One requirement was that the revolver be effective against Indian war ponies at 100 yards. However, civilians and lawmen needed a faster handling revolver. Something more handle-heavy than barrel-heavy, and which might be drawn quickly from a well-fitted holster was needed.

A few years ago, the Canik TP9 pistol was introduced in America. A product of the Turkish arms industry, the pistol was a credible, but not exact, clone of a Walther design. The pistol has proven reliable and accurate enough. The price point is attractive and the pistol is well established.

I have considerable experience with CZ pistols, from the original CZ 75 to the CZ P-01 and other variants. But nothing prepared me for the experience of  handling and firing the newest CZ pistol, the CZ P10-C. It isn’t radical in design and technology, but it is different from anything CZ has done before.

Perhaps not on the forefront of some gun owners’ minds these days, but the fight for the Second Amendment is a daily struggle. The challenge is not to convince gun owners—at least not in most situations. Instead, the challenge is to educate the non gun owner. Two of the major obstacles to our success are the movies (Hollywood) and the media. Both have a huge influence on the general populace. Neither typically portrays guns factually.

A few months ago, I learned that the Arex Rex Zero 9mm pistol would soon be offered with a Flat Dark Earth (FDE) finished frame. I placed my order early, and the pistol illustrated arrived a few weeks later. I like the FDE frame for many reasons.

When it comes to firearms development, the history of a company is as important as what it does. After all, one cannot survive without the other. Ruger has earned a reputation for innovation and groundbreaking technology.

Smith and Wesson’s Victory .22 has garnered a lot of interest since its introduction a few months ago. The Victory .22 is intended to compete with similar .22 calibers handguns such as the Browning Buckmark and Ruger Standard Model. As such the Victory will have to have good features, good reliability, and acceptable accuracy.

Today, much of the market seems to revolve around tactical gear and personal defense. That is important, nothing is more vital than taking responsibility for our own safety.

The Dog Soldier, Steve Criner, on gear and strategies for calling and hunting coyotes.