Travis pike

As a self-admitted shotgun nerd, I love the idea of the Mossberg Shockwave and TAC 14 firearms. These short little firearms aren’t shotguns, at least under U.S. law. As weapons, they are pretty dang niche, but as fun guns, they are tough to beat. Plus, anything that gives the ATF and gun grabbers heartache gets a thumbs up for me. Today we are looking at my favorite of all of these ‘firearms,’ the TAC 14 Hardwood.

The Gunnar belt provides an excellent platform for mounting all your tactical goodies. It’s small and discrete enough to ensure you can conceal it if necessary. The Gunnar is a perfect duty belt and provides a modern tactical option that will allow you to retain all your necessary gear without needing a chest rig or plate carrier. Sentry made the belt comfortable, durable, and truly minimalist without requiring any kind of harness to keep the belt from shifting.

Shotgun nerds like me are always wary of weirdness, and shotguns attract lots of weirdness. A lot of these weird firearms are often just unreliable gimmicks. I can tell you two things. First, the SRM 1216 is beyond a gimmick, and two, yep, it’s pretty freaking weird.

The Vortex Spitfire Gen 2 HD is my new example for the reasons why prism optics rock. The Spitfire’s small size but capable magnification make it a perfect carbine optic. It’s no designated marksman’s optic, but for the typical carbine ranges, the Spitfire works and works well. The price point is affordable, and the optic is well suited for a variety of firearms.

The CZ Scorpion went from being a single sub-gun and large format pistol to an entire series made up of rifles, pistols, and even a bullpup. One of the latest models is the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S2, aka the Micro Scorpion. The Micro Scorpion took the standard Scorpion and shrunk it a fair bit. They sell it with a folding brace, a collapsing brace, and a brace-free variant. This little (but big) pistol gives you something PDW-sized for home defense and for a ton of fun at the range.

Ultimately the AA19 doesn’t just give you a pretty gun. It’s a highly functional gun that’s easy to control, accurate, and very ergonomic. The AA19 provides you with a whole bunch of goodies prepackaged into a compact, combat-ready handgun.

Of all the fighting shotguns out there, the Mossberg 590A1 has always been one of my favorites. I was issued one in my days as a Marine for a short period, and since then, I’ve been a fan. The 590A1 would form the basis of the fighting shotgun for the United States military. One of the latest models blends all the military’s requirements with a dose of old-school cool to form the Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde.

Heritage Manufacturing proves that if you do one thing well enough, you can make a fortune doing it. Heritage makes the Rough Rider Revolver and has for decades. They’ve taken that same gun and spun it into a wide variety of models and platforms with numerous barrel lengths. On the long side, we have the Heritage Manufacturing Ranch Rifle, and on the short side, we have the Barkeep. With its teeny tiny 2-inch barrel.

When you are looking to combine a high-quality optic with a decent price point, then Primary Arms is likely your go-to. They make great products that don’t break the bank. The Primary Arms GLx comes in at a mid-tier price but packs Tier 1 performance. This variable optic came to me at the perfect time. Rifle season begins soon, and I have a freezer empty of venison and a new Savage Impulse Predator, with an empty optic’s rail. The GLx presented a modern solution to a modern problem.