USCCA Firearms & Self-Defense Blog
Guns & Gear
Read no-holds-barred reviews of both personal- and home-defense firearms and stay up-to-date on the latest concealed carry gear offerings on the market. Discover everything you need to know to select the best, tried-and-true self-defense gear — from holsters, knives and ammunition to flashlights, first-aid kits and alternate weapons.
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Polymer Palooza: The Plastic Roundup
It seems that polymers have all but taken over the gun world these days. Almost everything you can think of in the firearms industry has a polymer counterpart somewhere — guns have polymer frames,…
Continue Reading →Single-Action Auto: “Cocked and Locked” Carry
I have been carrying my single-action auto — the Iver Johnson Hard Chrome .38 Super 1911A1 — as my duty pistol for about four weeks now. Combined with the previously reviewed Hogue Laser Enhanced…
Continue Reading →Hogue Bantam Style Grip
When you have a 3-inch-barreled Smith & Wesson 686+ in hand, loaded with seven rounds of .357 Magnum, there’s not much upon which to improve. This is a heavy but carry-able handgun, a proven combat…
Continue Reading →“Which Gun Should I Buy?”
Firearms instructors like myself are constantly approached for recommendations. Many individuals have never owned any gun, and some are longtime hunters looking for their first handgun. I’m sure that…
Continue Reading →Gear We Love — November/December 2017
{1} Altamont Silverblack Grips MSRP: $38 Modern manufacturing revolutionized the handgun grips industry, and Altamont does a heck of a job in hardwood for under $40. These Silverblack…
Continue Reading →Are You Carrying the Right Gear?
By now you’ve heard of the pipe bomb attack in Manhattan. I’m sure more details will be coming in between the time I sit to type these words and when they are published, but this incident begs the…
Continue Reading →Don’t Sweat the CrossBreed SnapSlide
CrossBreed Holsters are well known for their inside-the-waistband holsters. But they make some very good outside-the-waistband holsters as well. The SnapSlide OWB you see here may be the most simple…
Continue Reading →Hogue EX-F03 Hawkbill Fixed-Blade Karambit Knife
As you might have figured by now, I like knives. My very first knife was given to me by my dad. I still have that knife. It’s an Imperial pen knife with two stainless-steel blades and faux pearl…
Continue Reading →The Ultimate Knife: FOX 599 Karambit
I am going to be upfront here: Bladed weapons are not a strong point for me (pun intended). In fact, I am a little wary with knives and sharp objects, in part due to some mishandling and accidents in my youth and also because of a need for more training.
Continue Reading →CRKT Bivy
We’re used to the one-handed operation of countless folding knives. And we’re greatly appreciative of these and other excellent tools that can be brought to bear on a task with only one hand. But…
Continue Reading →DeSantis Gunny Sack II: Year-Round Concealed Carry Option for Full-Sized Pistols
The month of December normally causes most folks to be focused on the predominant holidays at hand: Chanukah and Christmas. And while Christmas is extremely important to me and my family with all the…
Continue Reading →CQB and the Revolver
A couple weeks back, we looked at what would happen if, during a close-quarters fight, an attacker got his hands on your pistol. It does not take very much to stop an auto-loading pistol from…
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