Gun Buyers Annual

“The patented recoil system built into the Ethos’ stock…reduces the felt recoil by about 42 percent.” Just when you begin to think that everything in the world of shotgunning has been explored, done and in many cases redone, a new product comes along that has the potential to get your scattergun juices flowing. In this case, that award goes to Benelli for its innovative new Ethos 28-gauge semi-auto—the first 3-inch magnum of its kind. My first look at this new addition to the shotgun world came at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, but as is often the case, there was a considerable gap between those first prototype Benellis and actually being able to lay my hands on one for testing. Several months after that show, though, the Ethos finally arrived,…

I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY to test several rifles from Windham Weaponry, and they have all performed in an exemplary fashion in terms of reliability and accuracy. Sure, anyone can build an AR, but not everyone can consistently build them right, something Windham Weaponry has definitively achieved. While its selection of rifles and carbines was limited at first, the company has grown by leaps and bounds, introducing new models each year and showing something that isn’t easy in the AR world—a penchant for innovation. Even if the name of Windham Weaponry still strikes some as unfamiliar, its heritage should not. The company and its employees have decades of AR manufacturing experience under a previous and very well-known name in the industry. Currently, all of Windham’s rifles are built to meet or…

Glock is known for many things, one of which is consistency of design regardless of handgun size or caliber. A Glock is a Glock, as the saying goes. While there are numerous aftermarket alterations available, a custom Glock from the factory is a rare bird. But this eclectic gathering of finishes and upgrades is exactly that—a bevy of specialized models that are produced exclusively by Glock. Alternate finishes for the polymer frames are a popular option, and the company now offers Flat Dark Earth (FDE) and olive drab (OD) frame colors through distributors and dealers. These frame colors give each of these Glock pistols a unique appearance and in some cases they are better suited to specific locales (such as use in field operations or as distinctive models issued to a…

For nearly 30 years now, Dakota Arms in Sturgis, South Dakota, has been crafting custom rifles that are the envy of, well, anyone who knows anything about rifles! Don Allen, a Northwest Airlines pilot of 26 years, and Pete Grisel, a master gunsmith, founded the company in 1986. Both men were ardent fans of the Mauser ’98, and considered the Winchester Model 70 as best incorporating the basic features of that epochal design in a commercial bolt action. But they also felt that there was room for improvement and, with state-of-the-art machinery, believed they could produce an action superior in both design and quality upon which to build classic sporting rifles. Both believed that any component other than blued steel and fine walnut simply did not belong on a real…

Patriot Ordnance Factory, or POF-USA, is a company that distinguished itself by offering quality ARs with a piston-driven system. So it was a surprise when POF-USA’s owner, Frank DeSomma, told me he’d be offering rifles with a direct-impingement (DI) gas system. To me, it seemed like going from CDs back to 8-track tapes. But that’s where DeSomma deviates from the rest of the AR field. While others are content to build products made to mil-spec, DeSomma sees it as an opportunity to improve it. For a man who spent his adult life working in the aerospace industry, AR-platform rifles presented the perfect blank canvas for him to create a masterpiece, and his knowledge of precision machining, lightweight alloys and friction- and heat-reducing coatings has given him a decided edge when it…

A century or two ago, folks on the frontier did not know what the word “tactical” meant. Of course, they understood tactics. Whether you lived in a settlement on the edge of Indian territory, crossed the badlands or rounded up cattle, tactics were the moves that kept you safe while hopefully being armed. Most people learned their tactics from their time in the military or just growing up around danger. Pistols were used for personal protection. As for long guns, people used whatever they had on hand to bag game. Specialized fighting firearms were few and far between. Until the Civil War, except for revolvers of the time, repeating arms were scarce. The Spencer and Henry repeating rifles saw some use in the Civil War, but still, they were fairly uncommon.…