​It seems we've come almost as far as we can with firearms in terms of caliber, materials and functionality: we have every manner of weapon for almost every requirement and proclivity from classic/historical to sporting/tactical but modern weaponry lacks the pleasing profiles that could broaden their appeal and collectibility. During a recent conversation with a firearms engineer I broached the subject of ubiquitous ugliness in the gun world, to which he replied "form is necessarily dictated by the components that comprise it's mechanics." I strongly disagree. If form were simply an exoskeleton to our guts, humans would resemble a bag of lumpy worms and sticks but God saw fit to conceal our reptilian inner workings with a pleasing exterior. If car designers simply stretched a skin over the mechanical parts we'd have no Aston Martins, Maseratis or Ferraris never mind the bevy of iconic beauties from America's automobile heyday. But what my engineer friend was suggesting wasn't far from the modern day truth regarding weaponry, engineers are NOT product designers and it's what the industry lacks and badly needs. Sam Colt and John Browning definitely had some artful genes as almost all their firearms were deeply pleasing to behold then and now. Dan Wesson and Edgar Budischowski may be modern manifestations but engineers with such an eye are few and far between. My recommendation to manufacturers would be to hire one of the great fantasy artists who's designing the make-believe weaponry used in futuristic movies and console games and commission them to design a line of the most awesome looking guns for the consumer market. Thanks to Youtube modern gunning is now more about fun at the range than it is about hunting or target shooting, so steampunk/futuristic is the new direction without a shadow of a doubt. With modern MIM, nylons and polymers we can injection mold any shape for pennies, so what's stopping us? Fear. Listen up manufacturers and just remember one thing: if a billion of us are enjoying using awesome looking weaponry (with feint resemblance to what's on the current market) in our avatar personas via gaming, wouldn't it make sense we'd enjoy owning them in our real life too? The market's there, all we need is the courage of the industry to hire the right artists to conceive the next generation of range funnery. Also, it's well accepted that science fiction has an uncanny ability to predict future trends therefore by actuating the services of a creative you may just unearth the next era in firearm innovation. Ed.   

​Testing by B&T has shown that accurate hits can be made with the USW-A1 at distances normally expected of rifles or pistol caliber carbines, which makes the USW-A1 a timely and critical firearm system in this increasingly disrupted world. It's undeniable that stocks on rifles and shotguns are what make them accurate, so why shouldn't the same be true of handguns? Handgun purists can stick to their ideals and opt out of the debate, but we see the USW-A1 as the first of a new generation of LEO armaments that improve their odds of survival when confronted with malfeasant individuals intent on wreaking their bloody havoc. Those of us old enough to remember will recall when LEO transitioned from the S&W model 10 to Sigs and Smiths in the 80's to give them a modicum of equality against the increasingly-armed drug dealers invading our streets. Unless you're a movie star training for a role, or independently wealthy enough to drop the time & dime to train, or you're expert/lucky enough to be sponsored by a brand name, most everyone else (and certainly the cops I know) do not have the luxury of gaining marksman proficiency with a sidearm: hence the role of this brilliantly conceived new Brugger & Thomet. A stock makes all the difference and bypasses countless hours of training (which is why by the way, that the ATF manages their usage by civilians via the Form 1 process). The cost of the USW-A1 may be prohibitive for now, but in time an enlightened American manufacturer will produce an affordable variant and make it available to our brave men and women in blue. Quicker the better. GOM.   

I'm not sure what could be more exciting for aficionados and old schoolers than a Bearcat with a fluted cylinder and a 6" barrel. Firstly, the Bearcat is the only 22LR revolver that is appropriately scaled for the size of the round; secondly, the cheesy engraving typical on Bearcats has been foregone for the classic fluted cylinder we all know and love; and thirdly, 6" is the optimum barrel length for a handgun chambered in 22LR as it wrings the most out of velocity and accuracy whilst still remaining compact enough to remain practical. The only strike against this little beauty is that it's not all steel (it has an alloy frame), and it's not blued like the original (it has a black finish), but other than that it's another inspired Lipsey's brainchild and I hope it's never removed from Ruger's ever-improving lineup. I'm still waiting for some videos to appear on Youtube so if any readers own one please let us all see how it looks and shoots?! ED