The Loadout Room
Professional Gear Reviews
There isn’t much true innovation in the gun world. This isn’t the fault of gun makers; it’s just due to a slight stall in technology. Ultimately, until we discover something crazy, like caseless ammo, laser beams, or something similar, the tech will largely remain the same. Every so often, however, something finds a way to […]
World War I seemingly caught everyone by surprise. No one seemed to have enough rifles when the war came knocking. Prior to the United States’ entry into the war, America was producing rifles for the British and then took a contract from Imperial Russia. Remington Arms and New England Westinghouse accepted the contracts to produce […]
World War II changed the world of small arms. The great display of infantry and armored power reformed warfighting doctrine and still affects modern warfighting. I’m not a tactics expert, but I appreciate machine guns, and World War II changed how machine guns would be used. During World War II, the Germans built their infantry […]
Tomahawks rule and always have. In 2021 you’d think we’d found a tool worthy of replacing them, but yet the tomahawk persists. It’s tough to find a more versatile and lightweight tool to hang off your belt. With that in my mind, I’ve gathered what I think are the six best tactical tomahawks. I’ve included […]
When discussing German military pistols many people first think of the iconic Luger P08. But I’d argue that the Walther P38 (P.38 in official jargon) should hold the reins. The Walther was truly a beast of burden. It remained the official German military pistol from the outset of World War II until 2004. A […]
Most weapons slowly advance and improve over time. We didn’t get assault rifles overnight, after all. One genre of gun that defies this general rule of thumb is the submachine gun (SMG). The SMG advances in giant leaps, or not at all. Maybe because it’s a niche category, or because pistol-caliber weapons are limited. Regardless, […]
This article will contain strong opinions held loosely. First, to save yourself some reading the short answer in today’s world of modern firearms is, wait for it… The double-barreled pistol is a gimmick. Don’t waste your money on something that is the equivalent of Dogecoin. There are plenty of great firearms to light money on […]
In the post-World War II world, one thing became instantly clear for infantry small arms: the semi-auto rifle ruled. America’s M1 Garand proved that point and did so with a lot of 30-06 dispersed into Nazis. Throughout the war, numerous rifles entered the fray using the semi-auto action, but everyone was essentially playing catch up. […]
Your ex-spouse, that crummy boss, the loud neighbor who leaves his trash can out too long, or the friend who slept with your girl… there aren’t too many problems that can’t be solved with the proper application of high explosives! Or with a white phosphorus grenade. The often-overlooked stepchild of boom balls is the white […]
Fighting knives are the best knives. Well, they are at least the most fascinating knives one can get their hands on. In America, the design of fixed-blade fighting knives has changed over time based on contemporary tactics and trends, and the wars being fought. The Gerber MK II is a product of its time, but […]