In news that really should be a surprise to no one, Sig Sauer came out on top at the end of the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon program. The important points… NGSW is meant to replace the 5.56-caliber M4 and M249 in front-line use. Sig beat second-place competitor True Velocity/Lone Star/Beretta for the contract. Over… Continue reading Sig Sauer grabs the big, messy NGSW enchilada
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 Backup Iron Sights (BUIS)
For most of us, our rifles are only as effective as our optics. But if your optics are powered by batteries, as are all red dot and other electrical sights, then those batteries will eventually run dry (often at the worst time) leaving you without any sights whatsoever. Backup iron sights, or BUIS, are a… Continue reading The Best Backup Iron Sights (BUIS)
Norma sets up operations in Savannah
Formed in Sweden in 1902, Norma is a well-known European ammo maker that in recent years has been acquired by Beretta along with RUAG and others. During the great ammo shortage in the past couple of years, Norma has shipped over 400 containers of ammunition from RUAG Ammotec factories in Europe to the U.S. and,… Continue reading Norma sets up operations in Savannah
CZ still making .40 S&W competition guns
While many of the big-name pistol makers have quietly exited the .40 S&W market– for instance, Sig hasn’t cataloged a new .40-caliber pistol for the past two years– CZ is showing they are firmly stuck in 2002 with the new TS 2. A competition-centered double stack familiar to IPSC, USPSA, 3-Gun, and Steel Challenge shooters,… Continue reading CZ still making .40 S&W competition guns
Federal goes retro on shotshells
Minnesota-based Federal ammo, part of the huge Vista Outdoor empire, is celebrating 100 years in business by changing the packaging on its Top Gun 12 gauge No.8 shot target loads. For this year, the loads will be shipped in one of four different Monark and Hi-Power branded 25-shell boxes. They are priced at $10.99 a… Continue reading Federal goes retro on shotshells
The Best Sniper & Precision Rifles
What is the best precision rifle? Sniper and precision rifles are mostly enjoyed by target shooting enthusiasts and hunters. While you can’t get the top-of-the-line rifles utilized by special forces in the military, there are plenty of civilian rifles that are ideal for these purposes. Let’s break down some of the best sniper and precision… Continue reading The Best Sniper & Precision Rifles
IWI Intros a Sniper Rifle Variant of the Galil Ace
Israel’s IWI has had a bunch of success marketing their Galil Ace model rifles around the world with at least a dozen countries having adopted them for military use in the past decade. They even signed lucrative licensing deals with countries as diverse as Chile, Ukraine, and Vietnam to make them locally. AK-based with better… Continue reading IWI Intros a Sniper Rifle Variant of the Galil Ace
Magpul has three new 9mm drums
Magpul has been killing it in the dependable 50- and 60-round drum business in the past few years. Sure, these types of mags have been around for decades, but Magpul’s actually work, so there’s that. The three newest in the collection– all priced at a “they cost what they cost” $124– are 50 rounder 9mm… Continue reading Magpul has three new 9mm drums
Noveske teases a new, possibly more affordable AR line
Going back to at least 2014, Oregon’s Noveske shop sold what they called “Chainsaw” parts, limited runs and availabilities of blemished and cosmetically imperfect receivers or handguards sold as a part. However, this week they announced a temporary retirement of the name, saying that moving forward blems would be known as the B-Line, a name… Continue reading Noveske teases a new, possibly more affordable AR line
Grant’s ‘Lost’ Revolvers up for Auction
If you have a cool million or three just lying around and some space in your gun safe, a pair of vintage Civil War-era cap-and-ball revolvers that had vanished for decades is now up for grabs. Rock Island is auctioning a matched set of engraved Remington New Army revolvers presented around 1863 to then-Major General… Continue reading Grant’s ‘Lost’ Revolvers up for Auction