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 Outdoors industry pumps $1.5B into conservation

Back in 1937, the Pittman-Robertson Act saddled the American gun industry with an excise tax on new-made and imported firearms and ammunition. This ranges from 10-to-11 percent and only applies to items for the consumer market (police and government pipeline products don’t have to pay the tax, nor do NFA items like suppressors). The companies… Continue reading The Outdoors industry pumps $1.5B into conservation

California bans the Juggernaut AR

Just in case you missed it, late last year a bunch of California-based GunTubers heralded the brand new Juggernaut rifle series as something that “might completely destroy the California assault weapon laws as they currently exist…” and drooled over them at SHOT Show.

The Best Concealed Carry Vests

Over 2 months, we sent 15 concealed carry vests out with 6 EDC enthusiasts and law enforcement professionals across 3 states to tackle the kinds of tasks you’ll do every day with a vest like these – shopping, hitting a sports bar, going out to dinner, sitting, standing, and general running around – to find… Continue reading The Best Concealed Carry Vests

Federal expands Hammer Down ammo series

One of the big drawbacks to tubular-magazine lever guns is that they were tied to the often 19th century round-nosed bullet designs they were introduced with as feeding the new-fangled “spitzer” pointed bullets could cause a ka-boom situation. A few years back, Hornady’s LEVERevolution (get it?) series fixed this with a soft plastic shock-absorbing Flex… Continue reading Federal expands Hammer Down ammo series

Comprehensive Guide to .308 Pistols: History, Features, & Top Picks

The POF Revolution is the best .308 pistol for most people. While expensive, Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF) has done a bit of a magic trick in scaling a .308 pistol down to 5.56 proportions. By using all the same parts as the 5.56 Revolution counterpart, the .308 variant is lighter than other semi-auto .308 pistols… Continue reading Comprehensive Guide to .308 Pistols: History, Features, & Top Picks

Top 6.5 Creedmoor Suppressor Picks: Silence is Golden

Lauded for its long-range performance capabilities, the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge is a newer entry into the centerfire world (introduced in 2007). And it’s a great choice – the 6.5 Creedmoor is an incredibly capable round that retains the punch of larger diameter bullets at long range. The thing that makes it special is that it… Continue reading Top 6.5 Creedmoor Suppressor Picks: Silence is Golden

SHOT Show 2022: Best New Products (Other Than Guns)

SHOT Show is far more than new guns. In fact, the majority of the more than 2,300 exhibitors across 13.9 miles of aisles aren’t firearm makers. We combed those halls for some of the best new products for 2022 that don’t go bang.

The Best AK Pistols: Compact Power for The Kalash Enthusiast

The AK platform is, arguably, more popular than ever. The original (and nearly indestructible) rifle as developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov, the AK, has been the firearm of choice for militaries, revolutionaries, and guerillas across the globe for generations. The pistol variant has been shortened down and modernized, giving us the AK-47 pistol — a fun… Continue reading The Best AK Pistols: Compact Power for The Kalash Enthusiast