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 Best Gun Safes & Cabinets

Someone once said that with great power comes great responsibility. And as a proponent of the 2nd amendment, there are few responsibilities more significant than keeping your weapon out of the wrong hands. Striking a balance between security and availability can be a challenge, and navigating the array of features of American firearm safes can… Continue reading The Best Gun Safes & Cabinets

Best AR-15 Foregrip Bipods

The grip area of your AR is critical for mobility, shot placement, and overall effectiveness with your weapon. Given the customizability of the AR platform, we’ve seen some real innovation in the world of combination grip/bipods (sometimes called “grip pods’ by the tacticool set) that give your rifle another layer of capability. Plus – for… Continue reading Best AR-15 Foregrip Bipods

Best Rangefinder Binoculars: Budget, Hunting, & More

To find the best rangefinder binoculars, we had a professional hunting guide spend over 20 hours field-testing 12 pairs against his own $2,600 Leica Geovids. After using our collection of test pairs in the mountains and forests of Eastern Oregon, then on a hunting trip in the heat of southern Mexico, he found that the… Continue reading Best Rangefinder Binoculars: Budget, Hunting, & More

Best Tactical Shotguns: Stay Ready

Picking the ideal tactical shotgun doesn’t have to be hard. Simply follow a few steps to cut through the bluster and propaganda to find something that really works. Let’s dive in!

The Best Shotgun Suppressors

Shotguns are some of the most versatile and useful firearms ever created. They’re excellent weapons for hunting, general fun and target shooting, and of course, for home defense. It’s just too bad that there aren’t any shotgun silencers created to make them even better… right? Wrong! In fact, there are a handful of top-tier shotgun… Continue reading The Best Shotgun Suppressors

FBI is buying a lot of suppressors

In the past couple of weeks, two big Utah-based suppressor companies– SilencerCo and HUXWRX Safety Co. (formerly OSS Suppressors) — have announced seven-figure deals to supply the Feds with cans. HUXWRX says their $4.9 million contract, to outfit the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team, is for their new 3D-printed FLOW 556k suppressor, which they say, “finished… Continue reading FBI is buying a lot of suppressors

The Dicken Drill Emerges

No, it’s not a new line of power tools available at your local big box home improvement store, the Dicken Drill is now the most popular handgun drill in the country. In an ode to 22-year-old armed bystander Elisjsha Dicken who, clad in shorts and a T-shirt, earlier this month engaged and stopped an Indiana… Continue reading The Dicken Drill Emerges

Sig Sauer Has 2 New M400 Rifles

The New Hampshire-based small arms giant has turned its eyes to its direct impingement 5.56 NATO AR-15 beanstalk and shook out a pair of new M400 series rifles. This includes the M400 SDI X-SERIES and M400 Tread Predator 2.0. If the “X-SERIES” sound familiar, Sig uses that name for its optimized P320 pistols that include… Continue reading Sig Sauer Has 2 New M400 Rifles