This is the time of year to reflect back on past dealings. We’ve been fortunate at The WON to share partnerships with some great companies and members of the outdoor industry. This post rounds up a few of your (our readers’) favorite posts with some of our favorite people, as evidenced by our analytics. Read on for this joyful trip down Memory Lane. Thank you all for the wonderful memories!
Julie Park takes the Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite for a “spin” and tells us why it’s a great gun for a woman to own. Find out more in this popular post from our archives.
As a firearms instructor, I’m always looking for guns that would appeal to women for practice, for self-defense, for competition and, of course, for plinking. When I had the opportunity to try out the new Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite, I jumped on it! I remember the Mark series in times past and they were so fun to shoot, so of course I was looking forward to this opportunity.
I truly believe they hit it out of the ballpark with this design. First, the Mark IV 22/45 is absolutely beautiful. Ruger paid attention to each detail on the gun: the checkered 1911 no-slip grips, the detailed ventilators on the frame and even the color contrast of the trigger and barrel. With 19 options, there’s a color and finish for everyone! I chose the Diamond Gray Anodized finish and it’s so pretty. Although the controls, including the ambidextrous mag release, are a bit far for me, the gun feels very comfortable in my hand and, as expected, there is hardly any noticeable recoil so it is a great training gun. It has a very smooth trigger and though I didn’t measure it, I estimate that the trigger weight comes in at about 5 to 5.5 pounds.
Continue reading Julie’s post, here.
In this post from our archives, Nancy Keaton compares the new Walther PDP F-Series Pro 4 to her PDP F-Series 3.5. Find out what she thinks of the new addition to the series, made especially for women who like to shoot for personal defense and competition.
I always enjoy shooting the Walther PDP F-Series 3.5-inch handgun, as well as sharing it with my gal pals and letting them enjoy it, too. I also like to compete, and while the 3.5 inches would work just fine in competition, it’s always nice to have a little bigger gun with a little more capacity. So I was excited for the opportunity to check out the new Walther PDP F-Series Pro 4 and also compare it against the 3.5-inch PDP F-Series.
Finish reading Nancy’s post, here.
Avery Skipalis delivers an inside look at the GLOCK 48 COA. She received one of these pistols to review – and she tells us makes it stand out. This is not another take on an MOS … it’s better. Find out why, below, in this much read post.
GLOCK has built its reputation on reliability, simplicity and performance. In my opinion, there is no more perfect partner than Aimpoint, the pioneer of red dot sights, to birth this exclusive package: the GLOCK 48 COA.
Aimpoint and GLOCK are taking a much-needed and fresh approach to offering an optics-ready concealed carry pistol by offering a direct-cut, factory-milled slide using the Aimpoint A-CUT with a pre-installed COA optic. While some may mistake product for GLOCK’s traditional MOS (Modular Optic System), this is something entirely different – and it’s a game-changer. Let’s dive into why the 48 COA stands out.
Finish reading Avery’s post, here.
In this evergreen post, Babbs takes Remington’s pump-action Tac-14 out to the range. Even though it was originally published back in 2018, our readers keep putting this post at the top of our monthly analytics. Read on to find out why this post is so popular.
Last year, Remington Arms Company rolled out a line of pump-action firearms featuring 14-inch barrels, no stocks, no pistol grips and measuring slightly longer than 26 inches. The line included a model 870 in 12 gauge, followed by its little brother, the 20-gauge Tac-14. How does a firearms manufacturer design and build these sorts of guns, with barrels less than the 18-inch length required to avoid taxation under the National Firearms Act (NFA) as short-barreled shotguns? Well, the ATF ruled these guns to be firearms under the Gun Control Act of 1968, but not within the meaning of the NFA. In other words, the way I see it the guns are legally firearms with overall lengths exceeding 26 inches, but they are not subject to the NFA tax stamp requirement because Remington didn’t design them to be fired from the shoulder and as such they are not shotguns.
This new 20-gauge model sports a 14-inch cylinder bore in, of course, a smaller barrel than the 12, yet touts a 4+1 capacity. Its forend is a Magpul 12 gauge, with a Remington-designed adapter. The Tac 14 in 20 is possible, thanks to a Mesa Tactical “Lucy” grip adapter for a 12-gauge shockwave that fits onto a 20-gauge receiver.
Continue reading Babbs’ post, here.
Michelle Cerino talked to some female gun pros about why revolvers can work well for personal protection in the home and concealed carry. Find out why this post tops our analytics in the topic of personal defense.
Since I first became involved in the firearms industry, I’ve heard numerous stories about men coercing women into using revolvers for personal protection. There are complaints about a husband purchasing his wife a small revolver or the man at the firearms counter saying, “Well, little lady, what you need is a nice revolver.” Now, bear with me; I want to convince you of the validity of some people choosing revolvers for personal protection and a way to set them up for success.
Some people want a firearm for home defense and personal protection. Perhaps something happened in their lives that caused them to need a gun quickly. These people may be willing to purchase a gun, learn the laws and get trained. However, for whatever reason, they may only be able to spend a minimal amount of time on the range. I believe for these people, revolvers are a valid choice for personal protection because they don’t need an extensive amount of training to learn how to shoot them. Point, pull the trigger, and then, if necessary, pull the trigger again. There is no need to learn how to create a proper grip to avoid malfunctions, like it is with a semi-auto, and then how to clear them. Yes, revolvers are much easier to shoot than semi-autos, and there is no shame in having them for protection. The two revolvers I recently had time to work with are the Taurus 82 medium frame revolver and a Taurus 856 Ultra Lite, both in 38 Spl +P.
Continue reading Michelle’s post, here.
In this evergreen and ever-read post, Jen Barcklay reviews a unique version of the AR-10, Springfield Armory’s Saint Victor .308 AR-10 pistol. Find out why this Army Vet would add this unique AR to her collection.
For the better part of the last 2 decades, I have not paid much attention to the progression of AR style weapons, ever since diving into long range shooting with bolt action rifles. I had been trained on the M-16 during my time in the Army and purchased one of the familiar AR-15 civilian versions years ago. An AR-10 has long been on my “wish list” of guns to add to the collection, but after 20 years of having my head in the sand and every time I popped up to take a peek into acquiring one of my own, the completely mind-numbing number of manufacturers of AR style weapons and accessories was just too much to sift through, until now. I got the opportunity to review a unique version of the AR-10, Springfield Armory’s Saint Victor .308 AR-10 pistol.
I have been so out of touch with the vast world of the AR, this was a way to accelerate being able to educate myself about the latest evolution of this infinitely versatile modular weapon design. I also had questions of how the AR-10 ended up as a rifle caliber pistol? Besides the fact it looked seriously challenging and fun to try out as something completely new, different and out of my comfort zone of the more traditional bolt guns, lever action carbines and typical configuration pistols and revolvers.
Finish reading Jen’s post, here.
Thanks, again, to our great partners throughout the past 17+ years, and we look forward to bringing you even more outdoors stories in the future.
Jackie Baird Richardson is an interior designer, editor at The WON and avid junker. Watch for her design tips and occasional crafting ideas, bringing the outdoors indoors. View all posts by Jackie Richardson
Thank you! We have an amazing team here at The WON.
Thanks for the great information! The ladies featured gave us some good insight into these firearms!