Building an AR-15 style rifle with a gun kit? There are lots of small gun parts you’ll need to get familiar with; roll pins, takedown pins, a whole lot of springs, nuts, and others, too. Some last pretty much the entire life of the gun, as long as it is well cared for. Others are prone to failure long before you might expect. Here are some of the most common among them. It’s worth...

Rock Island has made some serious quality 1911 style pistols for decades now, and more often than not at attractive price points. Functional, reliable, and typically built without the frills, Rock Island 1911 pistols are a favorite among shooters from many backgrounds. And there are lots of them. So what are some top picks at the entry level? Consider one of these two. Rock Island Standard FS...

How often you should clean your Rock Island 1911 pistol really depends on how much you use it. Some estimates will suggest you should clean it every 500 rounds, if not early. There are others who clean their guns after every trip to the range. These semi-automatics have the propensity to be finicky when they’re dirty. Excess fouling around the chamber can complicate feeding as well as...

Military surplus rifles often represent remarkable value. Depending on the model, you can often get one at a great price, and if the previous owner cared for it, you might get a real gem. There are tons of them out there, too, but not every one of them is great for sporting applications like competition shooting or hunting. With that said, here are two of the best military surplus rifles for...

Disclaimer: the publisher of this post is fully aware that all guns and action types have different parts and that many guns have little common ground with each other. Therefore, this post is to serve only as a high-level view of what gun parts commonly fail, in general, so that you can narrow down your search for replacements. We won’t send you looking for the choke tube on your rifle....

There are lots of reasons that military surplus rifles remain popular. One is because you can still get a lot of them, and if you find a model that has not been issued or meticulously kept, it’s like stumbling on a gold mine. There are other reasons, though. Usually, surplus rifles command reasonable prices and sometimes they are downright cheap. Many of them, when sporterized, make...

It’s a wonder that some shooters clean their guns religiously but never give so much as a thought to their pistol’s mags. Your pistol mag - like all detachable box magazines - is a small, stamped piece of steel, aluminum, or possibly even polymer, with exact, precise dimensions. The smallest discrepancy in alignment, seating, or even a simple fatiguing of the spring, can eliminate...

SARCO, Inc., has been in business for 60 years, and in that time has grown to become one of the nation’s largest suppliers of firearms, ammo, and gun parts and kits. Their massive inventory, online at SarcoInc.com and in their 7,000-square-foot showroom in Easton, Pennsylvania, houses a massive collection of antique gun parts, shooting accessories, military collectibles, and so much...

Rock Island is renowned for producing some of the most popular (and successful) 1911 variants in the industry. But no two are created alike, and your needs will determine which is best for you. So, with no further ado, here are some of the best Rock Island 1911 pistols for concealed carry. MAP MS 9mmSuperior ergonomics, reliable handling, and 10-round capacity make the MAP MS 9mm a top Rock...