Britain’s L42A1: The Ultimate Sniper Rifle?
Editor’s Note: For more about the fascinating history of the L42A1, read Jeff John’s new book Britain’s L42A1: King of the Enfield Sniper Rifles available at Amazon.com. Nothing better than being good...
View ArticleAre Guns Bad Investments?
In today’s article, the author explores the idea of investing in guns. This is purely an informational article that considers if guns are a good investment. It is not investment advice. The author’s...
View ArticleFirst Look: Echelons of Another Color
Mike Humphries — editor of The Armory Life — reviews the new color variants of the Springfield Armory Echelon. The pistols feature everything that makes the Echelon great, but now in Desert FDE or OD...
View ArticleCapt. Dye — This Almost Killed Me in Vietnam
The guy who almost killed me was named Khai. At least that was the part I could read before the S-2 Scouts policed up the bundle of papers I found in his rucksack. We met – stumbled into each other is...
View ArticleFirst Look: The Hellcat Pro Comp 9mm
In today’s article, Jeremy Tremp introduces us to the new Hellcat Pro Comp 9mm pistol from Springfield Armory. The handgun used in this article was loaned to the author by Springfield for the purposes...
View ArticleLanchester Submachine Gun — German Inspired Royal Navy SMG
At the start of the First World War in 1914, the British Army was arguably one of the most “modern” fighting forces in the world. Having learned from its experiences in a series of colonial wars, its...
View ArticleWill This End Custom Gunsmithing Work?
As with all products, firearms evolve as new innovations and needs drive changes. Guns today look remarkably similar to those from 100 years ago, yet there have been major design changes due to...
View ArticleSOCOM 16 — Is a .308 Too Much for Home Defense?
The Springfield Armory .308 SOCOM 16 is an upgraded Information Age rendition of the classic M14 rifle. Featuring a stubby abbreviated barrel and state-of-the-art polymer stock, the Springfield SOCOM...
View ArticleFirst Look: 10-Round Prodigy 9mm
Unfortunately, the political reality these days is that many American shooters face misguided and pointless capacity restrictions on the magazines of their firearms. Law-abiding residents of states...
View ArticleCustom Competition-Ready Echelon with Springer Precision
In this article, Yamil Sued examines upgrades from Springer Precision for the Springfield Armory Echelon. The parts were provided to the author for the purposes of this review. I recently took a trip...
View ArticleSchwarzlose Machine Gun — The Austro-Hungarian Army M.07/12
Prior to the First World War, the nations of Europe made Hiram Maxim a very wealthy man. Maxim accomplished this with his machine gun, which was adopted by numerous nations in Europe and beyond....
View ArticleWhich XD Is Right for You?
A car is often considered a “classic” when it is 20 years old — and, of course, one that is appreciated by its owners. Well, I think the same metric could be applied to the XD family of pistols, as...
View ArticleFMK-3 Submachine Gun — Argentina’s Uzi?
On April 2, 1982, Argentinean military forces mounted amphibious landings – known as Operation Rosario – on the British Crown Colony Falkland Islands. It resulted in the ten-week-long Falkland Islands...
View ArticleIs This the Ultimate Echelon?
In late 2023, the Springfield Armory Echelon hit the market like a sledgehammer. The Echelon, in its current form of a full-sized 17-round duty pistol, seemed to give us every option we wanted right...
View ArticleReview: Coyote Brown 1911 DS Prodigy
In today’s article, Joe Woolley takes a look at the new Coyote Brown 1911 DS Prodigy 9mm pistols. These guns were loaned to him by Springfield Armory for the purposes of this evaluation. Additionally,...
View ArticleReview: 1911 DS Prodigy Comp 9mm
The handgun renaissance continues at Springfield Armory with the introduction of the integrally compensated 1911 DS Prodigy Comp AOS 9mm pistol in both 5” and 4.25” configurations. Even for a...
View ArticleSpringfield Model 2020 Boundary Review
In today’s article, veteran hunter Wayne van Zwoll reviews the new Springfield Armory Model 2020 Boundary rifle. Designed with an internal magazine and other features sportsmen will appreciate, the...
View ArticleIs the 1911 Too Heavy?
It’s a great time to be a handgunner, and even more so if you’re a 1911 aficionado. For more than a century, John Moses Browning’s masterpiece of engineering has benefited from not only incremental...
View ArticleSpringfield’s “Cowboy” Guns? A Modern Carbine-Pistol Combo
Practical and simple is the best way to describe a rifle and handgun combo that shares the same chambering. But the place you have to potentially compromise is in selecting what that chambering is....
View ArticleLong Range Shooting with Iron Sights
With today’s technological advancements, shooting long range accurately and efficiently is becoming easier and easier. Because of the rise of high-quality optics, many new shooters fail to realize how...
View ArticleThe Gray Ghost: My 200K-Round XD-M Elite
When I was working on some tough skill-builder training drills a few months back, my brother Jeff who was there with me looked at my holster-worn, scarred, faded, dinged and dented XD-M Elite and...
View ArticleWhat Is Holster Retention?
Armed citizens and police officers share a common issue: finding a secure way to carry a defensive pistol. Yet, there seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding regarding holster retention. Some...
View ArticleFirst Look: Springfield Armory Optics-Ready 1911 AOS Pistols
There are those who say the 1911 is from a bygone era and is outpaced by the “plastic/fantastic” 9mm pistols that have proliferated on the market. To that I say, the 1911 pistol is as relevant as ever...
View ArticleWhat Is the Best Hellcat Pistol?
The highest capacity, micro-compact in the world at its launch, the Springfield Armory Hellcat flipped the concealed carry industry on its head. Just a mere five years ago, we had all accepted that...
View ArticleFirst Look: Echelon 4.5F with Manual Safety
In today’s article, Joe Woolley gives us a first look at the new Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F with a manual safety. Many people are looking for a thumb safety on any defensive pistol, and...
View Article10-8 Performance Custom 1911 Garrison Review
Editor’s Note: This ultra-rare custom Garrison by 10-8 Performance is featured on the cover of the current Summer 2024 print issue of The Armory Life magazine, and is also the featured monthly...
View ArticleWhy Is This Ayoob’s Favorite 1911 for Training?
Over the years, I’ve acquired quite a few 1911s, many of them Springfields, and seen a lot more in my shooting classes. They seem to run like the proverbial Singer sewing machine. Let me tell you...
View ArticleFirst Look: Springfield Armory Echelon 4.5F Comp
If I told you, you could have a flatter-shooting pistol with reduced felt recoil that put you back on target faster without any drawbacks, would you be interested? That’s exactly what Springfield...
View ArticleSpringfield Armory XD Mod.3 Review
In today’s article, Richard Johnson reviews the Springfield Armory XD Mod.3 pistol. This new 9x19mm Parabellum handgun is an evolution of the original XD line with new features and an amazing MSRP:...
View ArticleWhat Is a California Compliant AR Rifle?
In today’s article, Alfredo Rico tackles the subject of California-compliant AR-15-style rifles. As many California residents know, the laws and interpretations of those laws can be confusing....
View ArticleHellion Bullpup for Vehicle Defense
Editor’s Note: The author does not advocate carrying, storing or displaying a gun in any place it is prohibited by statutory law. As a fully sworn law enforcement officer, the author may legally...
View ArticleSpringfield Armory 1911 TRP Review — 4.25″ Carry Contour in .45 ACP
In today’s article, Rob Garret reviews the Springfield Armory 1911 TRP 4.25″ Carry Contour handgun. Springfield Armory is well known for its excellent 1911 pistols, and the new TRP line is no...
View ArticleTrue Precision Accessories for Hellcat Pro
When it comes to aftermarket accessories, the firearms market is full of companies vying for your attention. Some companies pop up overnight and disappear in as much time, while others help define...
View ArticleM1895 “Potato Digger” Machine Gun
Based partially on a design for lever action rifles by John Moses Browning, the M1895 “Potato Digger” was a gas-operated, air-cooled, belt-fed machine gun with a cyclic rate of 400 rounds per minute....
View ArticleDo You Own Too Many Guns?
When I first started my journey into firearms, I began by purchasing one gun. It was a semi-automatic 9mm handgun with which I learned all of the fundamentals. Not having much extra money back then,...
View ArticleWhy I Love the 1911 DS Prodigy Comp
One of my all-time favorite Springfield Armory pistols is the 1911 DS Prodigy. This is a pistol with all the benefits of the 1911 platform, but in a double-stack 9mm configuration. The Prodigy is...
View ArticleSpringfield Model 2020 Redline Review — A Lightweight Rifle in 6.5 CM
In this Springfield Armory Model 2020 Redline rifle review, Joe Woolley takes a look at the 20″ barrel model chambered for the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge. The firearm is impressive with its Grayboe...
View ArticleHandgun Hunting with the 10mm
Editor’s Note: It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Mark Hampton’s passing on June 23, 2024. He was a valued contributor to this site, and we are honored to be able to post this piece as...
View ArticleContinuous Precision Custom 1911 DS Prodigy
The double-stack 1911 market has absolutely exploded recently, with some of the most “drool-worthy” pistols appearing on the market lately. I for one can say that I am obsessed with all of them. But...
View ArticleSpringfield XD-S Mod.2 OSP Review
In this review of the Springfield Armory XD-S Mod.2 OSP pistol, veteran shooting instructor and police officer Paul Carlson evaluates the handgun’s use for self-defense. Chambered for the 9x19mm...
View ArticleSpringfield Armory M1A Scout Squad Review
In today’s article, Joe Kurtenbach reviews the M1A Scout Squad rifle from Springfield Armory. Chambered in .308 Win., the handy semi-automatic rifle has an 18″ barrel with the company’s highly...
View ArticleHow To Disassemble and Clean Your Hellcat
Editor’s Note: This is the first entry in a five-part series of pieces covering the care and maintenance of some of Springfield Armory’s most popular firearms. Other entries in this series include:...
View ArticleItaly’s Bizarre Breda M37 Machine Gun
Simple and complicated are typically mutually exclusive, except when it involves certain small arms from Italy. The Mitragliatrice Breda calibro 8 modello 37 – more commonly known as the Breda M37 –...
View ArticleAyoob: Compact Springfield Echelon 4.0C Review
In today’s article, Massad Ayoob reviews the Springfield Armory Compact Echelon 4.0C pistol. The new handgun is a smaller version of the original 4.5F and is chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum...
View ArticleThe Carry Contour TRP: Less Grip to Print
If you have ever concealed-carried a full-size 1911 on your hip, you know how easily it can print. The rear of the grip on a 1911 — that bottom edge — can provide the telltale clue you are packing...
View ArticleIs a Custom Pistol a Waste of Money?
I, like many of you, appreciate the charms of a high-grade, custom-level pistol. Combining mechanical and aesthetic perfection, these types of guns exude quality. For example, a 1911 at this level...
View ArticleBetting the Farm: The Story Behind the M1A
Everyone who knows the name Springfield Armory knows the M1A. Hailing from an era of manufacturing when rifles were constructed of wood and steel and based upon the revered U.S. Military M14 rifle...
View ArticleGray Hellion 5.56mm Bullpup
In this article, Will Dabbs considers the gray Springfield Armory Hellion rifle. Equipped with all the same features as the original Hellion, this model incorporates a medium gray color that gives the...
View ArticleGhost Guns — Myth vs. Reality
In this article, the author discusses homemade firearms. Known also by their media name of “ghost guns,” homemade firearms are nothing new. Nevertheless, they have become a political football in...
View ArticleReview: Lightweight, Optics-Ready 1911 Operator AOS 4.25″
Here it is in 2025, and we’re still talking about the John Browning M1911 pistol. And as I sit here pondering that thought, it sinks in just how amazing that is. A gun design that is 113 years old is...
View Article