Black Friday Holiday Shopping Guide

The speaker, with over 40 years of firearms experience, discusses various handguns and rifles, offering opinions on brands like Kimber, Glock, and SIG Sauer. He emphasizes the importance of proper firearm maintenance, trigger quality, and the debate between hammer-fired and striker-fired platforms. The discussion also touches on Second Amendment rights, gun control legislation in different states, and personal defense strategies, highlighting the need for firearm safety training regardless of carry laws.

This video offers a direct comparison between the PSA AK-P (5.56mm) and the Zastava M85 (7.62x39mm) from an experienced shooter's perspective. The host highlights key differences in caliber and furniture, while emphasizing the Zastava M85's exceptional 'flattest shooting' performance, especially when suppressed. Viewers are encouraged to consider their own preferences based on these factors.

This video from Warrior Poet Society, featuring John Lovell, humorously explores a niche reason for choosing a Glock over a Sig Sauer: the satisfaction of irritating Sig enthusiasts. While presented with a lighthearted tone, it highlights the emotional and social aspects of firearm ownership and brand loyalty. The video also briefly showcases the use of Impact Sport ear protection in a range environment.

This video argues that the AK platform is an outdated and poor choice for new firearm owners in 2026, particularly in the United States. The presenter, Trench Grenade, cites higher ammunition costs for AK calibers (7.62x39mm and 5.45x39mm) compared to 5.56x45mm NATO, limited and often unreliable American AK market options, and significant disadvantages in modularity, accuracy, optics mounting, and suppressor compatibility when compared to the AR-15 platform. The presenter, drawing on personal experience and professional training, concludes that the AR-15 offers a more cost-effective, versatile, and user-friendly platform for most shooters.

This video from Yee Yee Life tests the penetration capabilities of various firearms against a stack of baking sheets, culminating with a .50 BMG round. The experiment demonstrates the relative stopping power of different calibers, from .22 LR to .50 BMG, and includes a 12-gauge slug, AK-47, .308, and .30-06 rifle rounds. The results highlight significant differences in penetration, with the .50 BMG ultimately piercing all 34 baking sheets.

This video covers a wide range of new firearms and accessories introduced at SHOT Show 2026. Key highlights include Nemo Arms' Mongoose 10mm PCC and Electus bolt-action rifle, Ruger's updated American Rifle line and new shotgun offerings, Zenith Firearms' modernized roller-delayed PCCs, and Savage's new 110 rifle configurations. The video also features innovations from Tipman Arms in integrally suppressed barrels, Psionics' custom firearm builds and customer service, Bestie Defense's personal protection device, Safari Land's suppressor-ready holsters, and Great Lakes Firearms' Subzero bolt-action rifle.

This video offers a highly critical, historically grounded analysis of the M14 rifle's shortcomings, attributing its failure to flawed US Ordnance Corps decisions regarding cartridge standardization and weapon design. The speaker, an expert in small arms, details how political motivations and resistance to innovation led to the adoption of an inadequate weapon system, contrasting it with superior alternatives like the AR-10 and FN FAL. The analysis highlights the detrimental impact of these decisions on US military effectiveness, particularly in Vietnam.

This expert-level entry details the M16's troubled introduction in Vietnam, debunking myths of inherent design flaws. It highlights how political decisions, procurement issues, and ammunition choices, rather than the core design by Eugene Stoner, led to early reliability problems. The entry emphasizes the mechanical evolution from the AR-15 to the M16A1 and the critical role of chrome lining, proper maintenance, and correct ammunition in establishing the platform's eventual success.

This guide, drawing on the expertise of a former Colt employee and AR-15 SME Hank Tatro, details the critical role of AR-15/M16 buffers. It explains how buffer design evolved to manage bolt carrier bounce caused by increased firing rates and different ammunition types. The guide emphasizes selecting the correct buffer for specific firearm configurations and warns against improper mixing and matching, particularly for duty applications. It covers standard rifle and carbine buffers, as well as H, H2, H3, and specialized 9mm buffers, providing insights into their construction and application.

This comprehensive review by Chris Bartocci, a recognized expert with extensive military armory experience, debunks common myths surrounding the Beretta M9/92FS. Bartocci details the pistol's history, including its selection over the M1911, and addresses controversies like slide failures, attributing them to ammunition and high usage rather than design flaws. He highlights the evolution of critical components like the locking block and discusses magazine reliability issues, offering practical insights for owners and enthusiasts.