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The Best Pistol Red Dots — Carry, Duty, and Competition

The Best Pistol Red Dots — Carry, Duty, and Competition

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on Jul 21st 2026

15 optics in 3 categories + the 5 questions everyone asks  ·  Charlotte, NC · 2026 Putting a red dot on your pistol is the single biggest upgrade in modern handgun shooting — and the wall of options is genuinely confusing, because the right optic depends entirely on the job. A carry gun, a duty-size pistol, and a competition rig want three different things. So here's

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Best Summer Concealed Carry Guns (2026) + 5 Expert Tips to Stay Comfortable

Best Summer Concealed Carry Guns (2026) + 5 Expert Tips to Stay Comfortable

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on Jul 14th 2026

Charlotte, NC · Summer 2026 Summer is when most people stop carrying—and it's exactly when they shouldn't. Lighter clothing, higher temperatures, longer days outdoors, and increased perspiration all make concealed carry more challenging. The good news? With the right firearm and the right carry setup, staying comfortable and concealed during the hottest months of the year is

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Olight PL-X Review — The Dual-Beam Rail Light That Actually Earns a Spot on Your Duty Pistol

Olight PL-X Review — The Dual-Beam Rail Light That Actually Earns a Spot on Your Duty Pistol

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on Jul 7th 2026

Olight didn't nudge the pistol-light category with the PL-X. They ripped the ceiling off it. This Olight PL-X review breaks down what a hundred and twenty bucks now buys you: 1,200 lumens, 22,500 candela, and a mounting system that finally gets the "swap it between guns" thing right. What Is the Olight PL-X? The PL-X is the newest rail-mounted pistol light in Olight's PL lineup, launched at SHOT

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The Bul Armory EDC Pro Compact Nightwood Special Edition: A Carry 2011 That Doesn't Play by the Rules

The Bul Armory EDC Pro Compact Nightwood Special Edition: A Carry 2011 That Doesn't Play by the Rules

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on Jul 1st 2026

Most 2011s are range toys or competition rigs that cost as much as a used truck. The Bul Armory EDC Pro Compact Nightwood Guns Special Edition is a double-stack 1911 built to actually leave the house. It's something you will want to carry. This is the gun for the shooter who fell in love with the 2011 platform but couldn't stomach a $4,000 price tag or a full-size frame that prints through every s

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Bul Armory Tac Comp Review — The $3,000 2011 That Has Staccato Owners Looking Over Their Shoulders

Bul Armory Tac Comp Review — The $3,000 2011 That Has Staccato Owners Looking Over Their Shoulders

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on Jun 23rd 2026

Bul Armory just dropped a flagship 2011 priced where Staccato XC owners can't pretend not to notice. This Bul Armory Tac Comp review walks through what the gun actually is, what the integral compensator does to recoil, and where the $2,990 price tag lands against a $4,200 Staccato XC. Short version: Bul gave you roughly 90% of the gun at 65% of the price, and the parts where they trail aren't wher

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Can You Buy Guns Online? Here's How It Actually Works in North Carolina

Can You Buy Guns Online? Here's How It Actually Works in North Carolina

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on Jun 17th 2026

Yes — you can buy a firearm online, and in North Carolina it's a faster, simpler process today than it was three years ago. This is the no-fluff walkthrough of how it works, what changed under state law, and what you'll actually do when the gun shows up at the FFL counter. Whether you're reading this on your phone or watching the video version, the playbook is the same. How Buying a Gun Onli

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Marlin Mad Pig Customs 1894 Review — Is Ruger's $2,999 Factory Tactical Lever Gun Worth Triple a Henry H12?

Marlin Mad Pig Customs 1894 Review — Is Ruger's $2,999 Factory Tactical Lever Gun Worth Triple a Henry H12?

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on Jun 9th 2026

For years, a tactical Marlin 1894 meant buying the rifle, shipping it to a custom shop, and waiting six to twelve months while a stack of parts and labor invoices piled up. Ruger just did all of that at the factory. This Marlin Mad Pig Customs 1894 review breaks down what you actually get for $2,999, and whether the no-compromise build is worth three times the price of a Henry H12 Protector. What

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The $200 Tax Stamp Is Gone — Your 2026 Guide to Buying Your First Suppressor

The $200 Tax Stamp Is Gone — Your 2026 Guide to Buying Your First Suppressor

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on May 26th 2026

The $200 Tax Stamp Is Gone — Your 2026 Guide to Buying Your First Suppressor For decades, the $200 NFA tax stamp was the gatekeeper between most shooters and their first can. As of January 1, 2026, that gate is wide open — and if you've been on the fence about going quiet, the suppressor tax stamp 2026 conversation has changed for good. What Actually Changed on January 1 The One Big B

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Red Dot vs Green Dot - The Honest Answer to the Pistol-Optic Question Every BSS Shooter Asks at the Counter

Red Dot vs Green Dot - The Honest Answer to the Pistol-Optic Question Every BSS Shooter Asks at the Counter

Posted by Blackstone Shooting Sports on May 19th 2026

Spring 2026 has every major optic maker pushing green-LED variants, and every shooter dropping $400–$700 on a slide-mounted dot is asking the same question. Here's the straight answer — no marketing paint, no fanboy noise. The Biology in Plain Language The red dot vs green dot pistol debate isn't a guess. The human eye hits peak daylight sensitivity at 555 nm, which is dead-center gree

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