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).

Nighthawk salutes the Bootleggers and Untouchables

Nighthawk Custom continues to make the occasional showcase pistol to highlight just what they can do in their Arkansas shop. In Nighthawk fashion, their latest creation is a .45ACP M1911A1 but it is not like anything else in their catalog. The Prohibition Nighthawk Custom 1911 is a unique handgun featuring both the good and bad… Continue reading Nighthawk salutes the Bootleggers and Untouchables

Kimber, Leupold, Mission First team up for Ukrainian arms run

Kimber, with a little help from their friends, announced last week that the company is sending 220 guns to help fight the Russians. The guns include 200 R7 Mako series 9mm pistols (along with 800 spare magazines) and 20 assorted tactical bolt-action rifles in .308. Leupold equipped the rifles with Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10×40mm scopes,… Continue reading Kimber, Leupold, Mission First team up for Ukrainian arms run

Maxim’s new MKIV SD

Maxim Defense is known for their braces/short stocks and AR-ish SBRs/pistols. However, they now have a .22LR in the form of an integrally suppressed Ruger MKIV that they say runs 114 dB with subsonic ammo. This puts the Maxim quiet time special into the “no detectable first round pop” club. While not the first people… Continue reading Maxim’s new MKIV SD

Background Check Numbers in a Three-Year Low…But Still Over 3 Million

The latest FBI background check figures for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System stand at just over 3 million for March 2022. When compared to the 4.6 million seen in the same month in 2021 and the 3.7 million seen in March 2020, that’s a big drop. However, it is still the third-highest since… Continue reading Background Check Numbers in a Three-Year Low…But Still Over 3 Million

The Best 300 Blackout Rifles: These Dominated Our Range Tests

The Palmetto State Armory PA-15 is the best .300 Blackout gun for most people. Their PA-15 line offers a solid variety of .300 BLK firearms — both rifles and pistols — and PSA has a knack for packing all the right essentials into their firearms while balancing the price point in a way that keeps… Continue reading The Best 300 Blackout Rifles: These Dominated Our Range Tests

Top .223 Wylde Rifles for Versatility and Performance

In the AR-15 world, it is a little known fact that .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO vary just a tiny bit when it comes to pressure and chamber dimensions– and the .223 Wylde chambering was designed to pull off the magic trick of walking the tightrope between the two, and doing it accurately. In this… Continue reading Top .223 Wylde Rifles for Versatility and Performance

The Best 9mm Suppressors: Let’s Get Quiet

Banish 45 Range Test (5)

When you need to keep things quiet, be it for range etiquette or home defense needs, suppressors are a must-have. Given that 9mm firearms are incredibly common these days, both as self-defense weapons and as EDC and tactical sidearms, let’s take an in-depth look at the best 9mm suppressors on the market to see which… Continue reading The Best 9mm Suppressors: Let’s Get Quiet

Mossberg Debuts 940 Tactical

Mossberg continues to mine gold with their 940 series of autoloading shotguns. While the past installments have been Jerry Miculek series competition guns and a line of sweet-shooting hunting 12 gauges (Pro Goose, Pro-Turkey, etc.), the newest addition to the program is the optic-ready 940 Pro Tactical 8-shot semi-auto shotgun. It’s got all the bells… Continue reading Mossberg Debuts 940 Tactical