In 2023, Heritage Manufacturing produced 178,743 revolvers at its facility in Bainbridge, Georgia. That is not a typo. A single company made roughly one in every five revolvers manufactured in the United States last year, and virtually every one of them was a .22 rimfire Rough Rider — a single-action, cowboy-style plinker that retails for… Continue reading The Revolver Renaissance Is a Plinker Boom in Disguise
Author: Michael Crites
Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18.
During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications.
His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual.
As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY.
He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).
“Get A Shotgun” Is The Wrong Answer to The Right Question
In February 2013, then Vice President Joe Biden gave what is probably the most widely circulated home defense recommendation in American political history. Standing in front of a crowd in Danbury, Connecticut, he explained that he’d told his wife Jill that if something went bump in the night, she should walk out on the balcony… Continue reading “Get A Shotgun” Is The Wrong Answer to The Right Question
The Best .380 Pistols (Or Why .380 ACP Refuses to Die)
The .380 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge was designed by John Browning and introduced in 1908, debuting alongside the Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless — a handgun specifically engineered to ride in a jacket pocket. Nearly 120 years later, the .380 ACP is not only still with us but more relevant than ever, driven by modern… Continue reading The Best .380 Pistols (Or Why .380 ACP Refuses to Die)
The Best Self-Defense Gun Costs Under $400
Walk into any gun store and ask the guy behind the counter what you should carry for self-defense. He’ll hand you a Glock 43X, a SIG P365XL, or a Springfield Hellcat Pro — something in the $550-$700 range, often higher when you get into the optics-ready variants. Ask about the Taurus G3c at the end… Continue reading The Best Self-Defense Gun Costs Under $400
Daniel Defense PCC: Built for the SIG Lane
Georgia’s Daniel Defense built its name on precision AR-15s and SBRs that serious shooters trusted long before the civilian market caught on fully. Pistol caliber carbines, though, have historically been someone else’s fight. The CZ Scorpion crowd had the value end locked up, and SIG Sauer had the premium shelf largely to themselves with the… Continue reading Daniel Defense PCC: Built for the SIG Lane
CCW Insurance Doesn’t Cover What You Think It Covers
Sometime around 2011, depending on who you ask, the phrase “CCW insurance” entered the carry conversation as shorthand for a new product category. The permit system had expanded fast enough after Heller that the legal exposure of a lawful defensive use had become a real market, and companies were moving to fill it. The reasoning… Continue reading CCW Insurance Doesn’t Cover What You Think It Covers
Best Over Under Shotguns: What I Learned After Buying the Expensive One First
I bought the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I in October, convinced it was the last over-under shotgun I’d ever need. The oil-finished walnut was gorgeous, the scrollwork on the receiver looked like something that belonged in a museum, and the action closed with the kind of thunk that makes you feel like you’ve made a… Continue reading Best Over Under Shotguns: What I Learned After Buying the Expensive One First
The Caliber Wars Were Always Marketing
April 11, 1986. Pinecrest, Florida. Two bank robbers — William Platt and Michael Matix — are stopped by eight FBI agents in a residential neighborhood, and what follows is four minutes and eighteen seconds that will reshape American handgun culture for the next three decades. Platt and Matix are killed in the firefight. So are… Continue reading The Caliber Wars Were Always Marketing
Top Handguns for Home Protection: Defend Your Domain
Perhaps the most common and effective means of home protection, given purpose-driven selection and the proper training in use, is a good defensive handgun. With that in mind, let us take a look at some of the better options out there.
Glock 45 Gen 6 Review: Range-Tested and Ready for Duty
We put the Glock 45 Gen 6 through its paces with live fire, optics testing, and holster checks. Here’s what has actually changed — and whether it’s worth the upgrade.