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).
The 16 Coolest Things We Saw at NRA Show
We hit the aisles at the 152nd NRA Annual Meetings in Indy over the weekend and scoped out all the interesting stuff to talk about. Buckle up and dive in!
Complete Guide to 6.5 Grendel Bolt Carrier Groups
The 6.5 Grendel is a flat shooting round with little recoil, so many shooters are switching to this caliber in their ARs. However, to change to this caliber, you need to change the upper, including the bolt carrier group (BCG). What are the best 6.5 BCGs? I’m glad you asked because we compiled this list… Continue reading Complete Guide to 6.5 Grendel Bolt Carrier Groups
Two Very Different Auto Ordnance 1911s
On the eve of the NRA Show, where gun makers are easily able to interface with the masses, you see lots of cosmetic changes to existing platforms which are largely made to have something “new” on hand for the event. It usually helps if they are of the red meat variety as well as befitting… Continue reading Two Very Different Auto Ordnance 1911s
Glock Finally Makes an American G28
Introduced back in the 1990s along with the G26 in 9mm and the G27 in .40 S&W, the similarly sized Glock 28 was a double stack .380 that runs a modified blowback action. As it was made in Austria and too small for import under the ATF’s requirements for pistols, about the only way folks… Continue reading Glock Finally Makes an American G28
LA Gets Tough on Deputy with ‘Assault Rifles’
In a move sure to make zero friends among the boys in blue and tan, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon last week brought charges against an LA County Sheriff’s deputy for “unlawfully possessing an assault rifle and tracer ammunition at his home.” While law enforcement for years enjoyed an exemption to the state’s… Continue reading LA Gets Tough on Deputy with ‘Assault Rifles’
New Ruger Super Wrangler 22 Magnum Convertible
When Ruger Wrangler popped out in 2019, it was a basic no-frills .22 LR single-action revolver styled on their well-liked Single-Six but cheaper. We laid hands on early Wrangler models at NRAAM four years ago and thought it was okay, but wished it had better sights, a longer barrel, and was sold with an option… Continue reading New Ruger Super Wrangler 22 Magnum Convertible
Marlin Announces New Ruger-made 336 .30-30
The saga behind Ruger’s reboot of the old Marlin brand like a Phoenix from the ash heap of the old Remington Outdoors has been well-documented in these pages in the past. The TL, DR version is that Ruger bought a lot of parts and all the rights and technical packages in Remington’s bankruptcy sale, then… Continue reading Marlin Announces New Ruger-made 336 .30-30
Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro, Now in Platinum
As we reported two weeks ago, Springfield Armory is bringing a lot of new colors to its catalog in time for the upcoming NRA Show later this month. The newest addition to this is a two-toned Hellcat Pro with a matte black frame, sights, surface controls, barrel, and trigger fitted to a slide in Platinum… Continue reading Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro, Now in Platinum
For those who want an 1875 Remington in…9mm?
Taylor’s & Company, a Virginia-based outfit that collaborates with a host of Italian replica makers to reproduce historical firearms, has teamed up with Uberti to take a stab at the Remington 1875 single-action but in a much more modern caliber. While the classic wheelguns, which was introduced by Remmy two years after Colt debuted the… Continue reading For those who want an 1875 Remington in…9mm?