Issue 44 Issue 44 Iain Harrison Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Read our affiliate policy. Find out more about how we test products. Way back last century when I moved to the U.S., the prevailing wisdom among firearms aficionados was that you never wanted to invite “The Man” into your life. According to popular lore, owning NFA items virtually guaranteed the midnight knock, followed by a request for papieren, bitte. The reality is, of course, worlds apart from the tinfoil-hatted fantasies of yore, and if you’re really worried about government intrusion into your private life, then ditching your cellphone would be a better place to start. While the National Firearms Act was, and remains, an unjust imposition on the rights of firearms’ owners, complying with its requirements has become less onerous in recent years. Originally conceived as a means to price naughty guns and accessories out of the range of the common man, inflation has rendered the $200 tax stamp annoying, rather than prohibitive. And the advent of the e-file system means the process of making and registering a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, or indeed a suppressor, is now completed in days, rather than months. So with no further ado, the RECOIL team brings you the “SBR All the Things” issue. Each one of the shorties within these pages was legally assembled for fun and to show that just because the most common AR-15 might be a 16-incher, you don’t have to settle for common. Why order vanilla when you can have cookie dough? In addition to the abbreviated long-guns (short guns?), we take a retrospective look at one of the greatest battle rifles ever fielded, kick the tires on a couple of high-end Hummer H1s, and get some first-hand intelligence from the front lines of the campaign against ISIS. You might also have noticed a change to our usual cover style. We’ll resume our regularly scheduled programming shortly, but the chance to sit down with one of the most influential and notorious names in the Global War on Terrorism was hard to pass up, and we hope it’ll provide you with another data point. In all, we think this is one of our most comprehensive issues to date, and hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as we did putting it together. Check out RECOIL Issue 44 Why you can trust RECOIL Since our founding in 2012, RECOIL remains the premier firearms lifestyle publication for the modern shooting enthusiast. We deliver cutting-edge coverage of guns, gear, accessories and technology. We go beyond basic reviews, providing no B.S. buyer’s guides, hands-on testing and expert analysis on everything from firearms and survival equipment to watches and vehicles. Our reviewers are the backbone of our operation and come from diverse shooting backgrounds: Former law enforcement, military veterans, competitive shooters, seasoned hunters and plain old firearms enthusiasts. Furthermore, we’re not just gun experts, but dedicated journalists who adhere to the strictest standards of our profession. At RECOIL, editorial independence is the foundation of everything we publish and the cornerstone of reader trust. Our editors, writers and content creators make all editorial decisions independently, free from outside influence. That boils down to: advertisers don’t dictate our coverage, the outcomes of our reviews or what we recommend in our buyer’s guides. First and always, our commitment is to our audience—ensuring every review and article is accurate, unbiased, and driven by real-world experience. Whether you’re selecting your next firearm, upgrading your gear, or exploring the latest innovations in the shooting world, RECOIL provides the trusted insights you need to make informed decisions. Learn more about our Editorial Standards and how we review products. NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.
