“Chiappa’s Little Badger is a single-shot rifle with a wire stock and hardly anything but a small barrel, receiver, and wire stock. It weighs 2.9 pounds and comes with four short rails to attach accessories to. It’s very easy to operate — all you have to do is load the gun, close it up, cock the hammer, and pull the trigger. The gun folds in half to be only roughly 17 inches long. It’s super thin and fits in a backpack with hardly any room taken up.” — Travis Pike
Yes, it looks like an Ugg boot…now with that out of the way, the FN SCAR 17S is a nifty rifle that will make all your range mates jealous. Though it feels clunky, and there’s not a ton of aftermarket here, it brings a smooth, reliable shooting experience. Plus, it’s just fun. The folding stock makes it easy to tote to and from the range. It also has rails for optics but beware it will destroy cheap optics. Only the finest of glass here.
The FN SCAR 17S is chambered in .308 and offers a reliable rifle with a folding stock. It features a 16.25-inch barrel with 1:12 RH twist and a magazine capacity of 10 or 20 rounds, depending on your state. It’s a clunky 8 pounds, but shoots well and performs reliably.
The Beretta CX4 Storm is one of the earlier entries into the world of modern pistol-caliber carbines. Its simple direct blowback system has helped cement its status as an extremely reliable gun. Solid ergonomics make the gun feel slick and easy to point, but the gun is almost 20 years old, and it is starting to show.
Whether it’s video games, Stargate, or crazy-looking space guns, everyone can find a reason they want a PS90. FN designed the PS90 around the 5.7x28mm cartridge to create a carbine that offers a lot of firepower in a small package. While they can’t sell the original short 10.5-inch barreled model over the counter, the 16-inch PS90 is the next best thing. Although it looks strange, the gun is oddly ergonomic and is 100 percent ambidextrous — it even ejects downwards. Even though it is a direct-blowback gun, the 5.7x28mm cartridge is so light recoiling that your trigger finger will get tired running through the 50-round magazines before your shoulder does. The factory options for mounting optics leave much to be desired, but luckily the aftermarket has you covered. If you can stomach the cost of the gun and the ammo, then you will end up with a gun that is nearly unmatched in firepower for its size and weight.
“If you want a Daniel Defense bolt rifle then we recommend the Delta 5 Pro. It’s a great rifle and it looks good to boot. It produced sub-half MOA with 3-round groups and solidly under MOA with 5-shot groups. We consider that a win. While not the elitist PRS shooter, it’s a great out of the box solution.” — David Lane
The S&W M&P Sport II was long considered the best budget starter AR-15, but those days are well behind us. These are well-built and reliable guns, but a lack of updates to the furniture, barrel twist rates, and gas system length has led to other guns in the same price bracket taking the place of the Sport II.
“Daniel Defense delivers a reliable, accurate AR-15 in the DDM4 V7 with enough extras to keep 5.56 fans interested. Though the pistol grip’s ergonomics are less than ideal, this rifle more than makes up for that with QD mounts, a threaded barrel, and an improved muzzle brake.” – John C.
The PWS MK116 Pro brings all the great features that PWS is known for to the consumer at a lower price point. This is achieved through the use of an extruded 6061 aluminum upper instead of the standard T6-7075 forged aluminum uppers of their other guns. The end result is still an extremely soft shooting rifle and reliable piston-driven AR-15 that is great for those looking to suppress their guns or who just want something a little different.
