Toward the end of each year, I survey the work R.K. Campbell, Robert Sadowski, Tracey Taylor, and Joe Woolley have done in Gun Tests, with an eye toward selecting guns, accessories, and ammunition the magazine’s testers have endorsed. From these evaluations I pick the best from a full year’s worth of tests and distill recommendations for readers, who often use them as shopping guides. These choices are a mixture of our original tests and other information I’ve compiled during the year. After we roll high-rated test products into long-term testing, I keep tabs on how those guns do, and if the firearms and accessories continue performing well, then I have confidence including these firearms in this wrap-up.
Best Revolver
Smith & Wesson Model 360 PD 163064 357 Magnum
$1099
GUN TESTS GRADE: A-
The Model 360 PD is the gun to carry all day, but that light weight makes for terrific recoil with 357 Magnum ammo. The fiber-optic front sight pops. Accuracy was good.
| Action Type | Revolver, double action, single action |
| Overall Length | 6.3 in. |
| Barrel | 1.88 in. long |
| Overall Height | 4.7 in. |
| Maximum Width | 1.3 in. |
| Weight Unloaded | 11.8 oz. |
| Weight Loaded | 13.8 oz. |
| Cylinder Gap | 0.008 in. |
| Capacity | 5 |
| Frame | J-Frame, matte black scandium |
| Barrel | Matte-black stainless steel |
| Cylinder | Matte-gray titanium |
| Frame Front Strap Height | 1.8 in. |
| Frame Back Strap Height | 3.1 in. |
| Grip | Textured rubber w/finger grooves |
| Grip Thickness Maximum | 1.2 in. |
| Grip Circumference Maximum | 4.6 in. |
| Front Sight | Hi-Viz fiber-optic orange tube, pinned |
| Rear Sight | Fixed notch |
| Sight Radius | 3.0 in. |
| Trigger Pull Weight Double Action | 13.0 lbs. |
| Trigger Pull Weight Single Action | 4.0 lbs. |
| Trigger Span Double Action | 2.9 in. |
| Trigger Span Single Action | 2.3 in. |
| Safety | Internal rebound, hammer block |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Telephone | (800) 331-0852 |
| Website | Smith-Wesson.com |
| Made In | U.S. |
Best Pistol
FN Reflex 66-101408 9mm Luger
$499
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
After the smoke had cleared, the Reflex 9mm had exhibited no misfires, failures to feed, or failures to fire. Recoil is modest for the pistol’s size. Cocking serrations and grip treatment are well done. This is a well-designed pistol. In all, we found the FN Reflex to be a nicely handling pistol. Accuracy and reliability are proven in our tests.
| Action Type | Semi-auto, single action, internal hammer fired; short-recoil-operated lock breech |
| Overall Length | 6.0 in. |
| Overall Height w/flush-fit magazine | 4.5 in. |
| Overall Height w/extended magazine | 5.0 in. |
| Maximum Width | 1.0 in. |
| Weight Unloaded | 18.4 oz. |
| Weight Loaded | 23.6 oz. |
| Slide | Steel, black PVD finish, front and rear slide cuts, rail |
| Slide Retraction Effort | 15.0 lbs. |
| Receiver Material | Black polymer |
| Front Strap Height | 2.1 in. |
| Rear Strap Height | 2.8 in. |
| Barrel | 3.3 in. long; 1:10 RH twist |
| Grip Thickness Maximum | 1.0 in. |
| Grip Circumference | 5.2 in. |
| Magazines | 11- and 15-round |
| Rear Sight | Post rear |
| Front Sight | Tritium single dot |
| Sight Radius | 5.0 in. |
| Trigger Pull Weight | 4.5 lbs. |
| Trigger Span | 2.5 in. |
| Safety | No manual safety |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Telephone | (703) 288-3500 |
| Website | FNAmerica.com |
| Made In | U.S. |
Best Rifle
Bergara BMR Carbon BMR002 22 LR
$650
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The BMR is super lightweight and had darn good accuracy off the bench. The stock was comfortable for adult-size shooters, and the action was slick.
| Action Type | Bolt, 60-degree lift |
| Overall Length | 36.0 in. |
| Barrel | 18.0 in., bull, threaded muzzle, 1:16 twist |
| Muzzle Device | None |
| Sights | None, integrated 30-MOA rail |
| Overall Height w/o scope | 6.6 in. |
| Weight Unloaded w/o scope | 5.0 lbs. |
| Weight Loaded w/o scope | 5.1 lbs. |
| Stock | Black synthetic |
| Stock Length of Pull | 13.7 in. |
| Stock Buttplate | Rubber |
| Action Finish | Matte black |
| Barrel Finish | Black |
| Magazine | (2) Detachable polymer boxes, 5 & 10 rounds |
| Trigger Pull Weight | 2.6 lbs., adj. |
| Safety | Manual |
| Accuracy Guarantee | NA |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
| Telephone | (877) 892 7544 |
| Website | BergaraUSA.com |
| Made In | Spain |
Best Shotgun
M.A.C. MAC 2 3-Gun 21000156 12 Ga.
$351
GUN TESTS GRADE: A-
The MAC 2 ran well on all types of ammo, with no issues. Recoil was more noticeable due to the weight, but tolerable. The beveled loading port made reloading doubles and quads fast. We would have liked a larger magazine release.
| Action Type | Semi-auto, inertia operated |
| Chamber Size | 3.0 in. |
| Overall Length | 42.2 in. |
| Capacity | 3+1 |
| Weight Unloaded | 6.8 lbs. |
| Weight Loaded | 7.2 lbs. |
| Barrel | Matte black steel, 21 in. long, vent rib |
| Choke Tubes | Benelli Mobil; F, M, C |
| Stock, Butt | Textured polymer, rubber buttpad |
| Stock Length of Pull | 14.0 in. |
| Stock Fore End | Textured polymer |
| Sights | Fiber-optic front bead |
| Trigger Pull Weight | 7.2 lbs. |
| Safety | Manual trigger block |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Telephone | (865) 604-6894 |
| Website | MilArmamentCorp.com |
| Made In | Turkey |
2024 Optics & Accessory Picks
ISOtunes Sport Caliber BT Earbuds
$200
ISOtunes Sport Caliber BT earbuds (ISOtunes.com) are at the high end of hearing protection and offer amplified sound enhancement, hearing protection in noisy environments, and the ability to use the Bluetooth feature to listen to audio. The complete kit includes the two earbuds and three pairs of Short Eartips (S, M, L), three pairs of Tall Eartips (S, M, L), one pair of silicone eartips, a charging case, charging case lanyard, and USB-C charging cord. The NRR is 25 dB. It uses what ISOtunes calls SafeMax Technology, which limits volume output to 85 dB for all-day, damage-free listening. The eartips are soft like earplugs, allowing you crush the foam, place it in your ear, and rotate the eartips for tight fit and seal. These were very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The buds blocked out all caliber of gunshot sounds.
Our Team Said: We liked the ISOtunes earbuds for use at the range. The earbuds are very convenient to store and recharge. These are good for use with handguns and long guns.
GUN TEST GRADE: B+
Wiley X Omega Shooting Glasses
$196
The Omega sport nylon frames (WileyX.com) are lightweight with little flexibility. They are ANSI Z87.1+ certified. The polarized lens come in mirror, bronze, or grey. We tested grey. You can also get these with prescription lenses. The high-wrap frame and thick temples at the hinge block out peripheral light while still providing good peripheral vision. The lenses are high and wide, and you don’t see the frame when wearing the Omegas. Replacement lenses ($130) are available. They curve in to wrap around your head with no fear of them falling off your face.
Our Team Said: The Omega glasses are very comfortable and lightweight to wear. We like the hard case and cleaning cloth.
GUN TEST GRADE: A
Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special 110-grain FTX 90310
$33/25 rounds
Thousands of shooters rely on a snubnose 38 Special pistol for carry, and many deploy a longer-barrel 38 Special for home defense or trail use. Reader Richard asked us to do a standard-pressure 38 Special ammunition test, noting that +P ammunition may not be suitable for older guns.
Rated by the manufacturer at 1010 fps muzzle velocity, the 110-grain Hornady Critical Defense FTX follows the precept of lightening bullet weight to increase velocity without raising pressure. Felt recoil is modest.
Our Team Said: The FTX/Critical Defense load is noted for expansion after hitting barriers and clothing.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
Federal Premium Personal Defense Low Recoil 38 Special 110-grain Hydra-Shok PD38H53 H
$29/20 rounds
This is a specifically designed reduced-recoil 38 Special load, rated by the manufacturer at 980 fps muzzle velocity. Velocity and energy in our guns (800 fps/158 foot-pounds) were modest. Recoil is mild. This is an accurate load, and it exhibits limited muzzle flash. Penetration was 17 inches in water and expansion to 0.52 inch was excellent. We feel that this load really has the essential elements of a low-recoil but effective defense load. Expansion is very consistent, and the nickel-plated cases seem to add smoothness in loading and unloading, according to our resident handloader.
Our Team Said: Penetration is just over our 16-inch ideal range, but we like the balance of expansion and penetration.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
Buffalo Bore Standard Pressure Short Barrel Low Flash Heavy 38 Special (non +P) 125-grain Low Velocity JHP 20E/20
$39/20
Rated for 900 fps/225 foot-pounds MV/ME by the manufacturer, this non +P rated load flew at 909 fps/229 foot-pounds on our instruments. This load uses the Speer Gold Dot bullet, an excellent choice. Buffalo Bore also informs the consumer the load may use other available bullets, including the Hornady XTP. After all, supply is still not what it should be. We have consistently found this number loaded with the Gold Dot bullet, which is exceptional. Penetration to 15 inches of water is ideal, and expansion to 0.62 inch is good as well.
Our Team Said: Accuracy at the range was among the best in the test at 1.9 inches, and the loading features low-flash powder, which Buffalo Bore may achieve by salt treating. Whatever they do, the load only threw a few sparks, and there was no orange flash.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
SIG P320 21-Round Factory Magazine MAG-MOD-F-9-21
$50
Recently, we tested two modern full-size 9mm pistols that were supplied with extended magazines or a combination of extended- and standard-capacity magazines. This stirred up interest in extended magazines in common carry guns.
This SIG factory magazine is pricey but well made. It also features a sleeve on the bottom of the magazine. The 21-round SIG magazine listed on The Mag Shack (TheMagShack.com) is also the easiest to load to full capacity of any of the 19- to 27 -round magazines tested here. No more effort was required than in loading the standard P320 magazine. The 21-round magazine proved flawless in operation. Finish is excellent as well. This magazine isn’t too large to carry on a belt carrier.
Our Team Said: While pricey, this magazine serves well in increasing the payload of the SIG pistol.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 23-Round Magazine 3015917
$45
This is another pricey magazine, but then we are getting used to the sticker shock compared to run-of-the-mill magazines. The S&W 23-round magazine is a nicely finished metal magazine. This is the same magazine supplied with the S&W FDC carbine. With different feed dynamics in a pistol and a carbine, it is a neat trick to make a magazine work properly in both types of firearms. The Smith & Wesson 23-round 9mm magazine runs just fine in either firearm. There is a magazine sleeve at the base of the magazine. We had four different examples that we tested in both the carbine and a Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Spec. Operation is flawless. The magazine locks and functions as it should. Both the locked-breech pistol and the blowback carbine were reliable. This magazine is on the long side for carry in a belt carrier.
Our Team Said: For function and for home defense use, the Smith & Wesson 23-round magazine is a good choice.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
