
“The American firearms industry has seemingly ignored the Beretta Px4 Storm series, and that’s a shame. Beretta utilizes a rotating barrel, first pioneered with the Beretta 8000 series pistols. This rotary barrel reduces recoil and helps make the help more controllable. It works, but it’s not a revolutionary break in recoil reduction. Worth noting that the recoil reduction is prominent enough that it makes the 9mm a very soft shooting pistol. However, be warned the subcompact model doesn’t keep the rotary barrel function.” — Travis Pike

The Colt Delta Elite was one of the first 10mm chambered 1911s to hit the market, but its simplistic yet efficient design has ensured its staying power. As a single-stack handgun, it may only hold 8 rounds, but those rounds have a lot of punch. We recommend the Delta Elite for all your handgun hunting needs!

Tracing its roots back to the respected and venerable Mossberg 500, the 590A1 keeps the core of what makes the 500-series of shotguns so great and makes it even better. The U.S. military put out a request for a more durable pump-action shotgun that could stand up to the rigors of hard field use, and the 590A1 was born. Mossberg responded by adding a tough parkerized finish, all metal trigger guard, thick-walled barrel, and stronger internals. It is an intuitive and easy to use pump-gun, but it is a bit on the heavy side due to the aforementioned features. The extra weight helps tame the harsh recoil of the 12 gauge round, making the shooting experience a little more pleasant. The ambidextrous tang safety makes the gun easy for all users to operate the gun. Its wide aftermarket also allows you to tailor the gun to your specific wants and needs. While the 590A1 isn’t the smoothest or lightest shotgun out there, it is an absolute tank, and you’d be hard pressed to find any firearm that will last as long and take as much punishment.

“The Benelli M3 is my favorite shotgun of all time. It might be the most capable and versatile shotgun on the market. And it’s one of the rare convertible shotguns. A convertible shotgun is one that allows the user to swap between a semi-automatic action and a pump action. The benefit of the M3’s system is that you can use any shotgun round on the market. The pump-action mode allows it to cycle low recoiling rounds that won’t cycle in a semi-auto action.” — Travis Pike

“The venerable CZ-75 is a classic design that still serves in many militaries around the world…and it’s a great addition to any firearm collection. Chambered in 9mm, it offers an all-metal design with DA/SA operation. And its most modern version, the CZ 75B is a solid and well-built pistol with great ergonomics and a tough, dependable reputation. For that, we can’t recommend it enough.” – Travis Pike

The Glock G17 adheres to the elements of Glock you’ve come to expect. With a 9mm chambering, the full-size semi-auto pistol features familiar Glock ergonomics and performance. It’s a reliable shooter and durable — it won’t stop until you do. For slightly smaller versions, check out the G19 (midsize) or the G43X (compact).