The 2nd Best Gun Podcast

Gun owners have faced the choice between polymer and metal for over 50 years now, and each has its benefits and pitfalls. 01:05 Glocks were not the first polymer-framed firearms. 02:20 Chasing that polymer train.  05:40 Why would you want a metal frame, anyway? 07:30 The benefits of steel are real.  09:20 Everything old is new again. 10:50 Cutting down on the whipsaw. 21:05 Enter carbon fiber.  24...

The quest for the perfect  carry gun  has been ongoing for centuries, and Alex and Chris sit down on this  episode  to chime in on their personal picks. We didn't say it's the best picks for everyone, just what these two goofballs like. You can skip ahead at the timestamps below.  00:30 General concealed carry talk.  02:01 Meow.  04:10 Alexander has a caveat to his current EDC (but at least it com...

Wheel guns are real guns, and Chris subjects Alexander to a brutal hour-long tirade on why revolvers are still a go-to for everyday (or at least some day) carry in the 21st century.  Buckle in.   You can skip ahead at the timestamps below. 00:20 Alex admits he is wrong early on.  03:30 Did the revolver dance make the cast? 05:05 What does BFR stand for? 06:20 "It's the only revolver you can suppre...

The true heroes behind Guns.com are our dealer network of over  2,000 local FFLs  all over the country, and we sit down with one to get the scoop. On this week's  2nd Best Gun Podcast , Alexander and Chris hang out in the studio with Austin Reville of 2 If By Sea Tactical in New Prague, Minnesota, who just happens to be Alex's brother, only with better facial hair. We hold it all against him. You...

The iconic all-American firearms design of the past 60 years, the  AR-15 , is almost universal in its popularity. Which brands do it justice is perhaps a spicier topic. On this week's 2nd Best Gun Podcast, Alexander and Chris sit down to weigh in on the subject.  You can skip ahead at the timestamps below.  01:20 Pepperidge Farm remembers... 04:04 Eger is still wandering around in gun lore. 09:40...

The classic  Beretta 92 is a subject we could spend a lot of time on, but today we're sharing a behind-the-scenes perspective from Beretta's 92 product manager, Broxton Carlile. From working as a designer on the 90 series to managing the product line today, Broxton has a wealth of knowledge about the iconic handgun and all its variants.

Gun guys like gun movies, and some of the best of those are war movies. Alexander and Chris sit down on this episode of the 2nd Best Gun Podcast to talk about a few of their all-time favorites. These films hold some great  military classic  firearms. You can skip ahead to the timestamps below.  01:40 Speaking as a .50 cal enjoyer... 03:25 Of twin AN/M2 mounts on the Dauntless dive bomber 05:01 Wat...

The folks at  European American Armory  have been bringing great guns to the masses for over 35 years, and in this episode, the guys sit down with Chase Duffey to talk shop. While you may not know EAA directly, you do know their carefully curated selection of imports such as the Windicator, Witness2311 series, Girsan Regard MC, and P35.  Some time stamps, should you want to skip ahead: 01:10 Meet...

You can't be a gun guy and not be into gun movies, so on this episode of the  podcast , Alexander and Chris give a rundown on some of their favorites. The connection between iconic movies and the guns that appear in them is crucial. After all, what is James Bond  without his Walther PPK  or John McClane sans Beretta? Word of warning: they also include a few series in there as well. Some timestamps...

After having shot a lot of different handguns over the years, Alexander and Chris sit down to hash out the pluses and minuses between hammer-fired and striker-fired actions. While it doesn't seem like a controversial choice at first, the fanbase between the two types over the past 50 years has voted with their wallets.   00:20 They just kinda ramble about Hungarian Hi-Powers and the  Gestappen  Ar...

On this episode of the  2nd Best Gun Podcast , we sit down with Mr. Revolver himself, Caleb Giddings, and talk about all things  Taurus . Giddings is a facet in the firearms industry, ranging from competing in the first season of Top Shot to his work with Gun Nuts Media, and for the past several years as the in-house talent working with the Taurus-Rossi-Heritage family. We've known Caleb for a min...

Alexander and Chris sit down to talk about some very cool new guns inbound to the market from  Springfield Armory. The Illinois-based company has over 50 years in the firearms business and a name that goes back to the Founding Fathers. We were fortunate enough to be joined by Mike Humphries, Springfield's Media Relations Manager, to talk about what is new in the catalog headed into the NRA Annual...

Federal Ammunition  is one of the most trusted brands in the industry, and Alexander and Chris sat down on this  podcast  episode with the company's long-time ammo expert, J.J. Reich, to talk shop. The Minnesota-based company was founded in 1922, ran the Twin Cities Ammo Plant for the military for generations, and recently marked a century in business – now better than ever. J.J. (nobody knows his...

Home defense is a serious thing – and one of the top reasons people buy guns – so Alexander and Chris sit down on this episode  to talk about their feelings on the subject. It's a heady topic with a lot of meat on the bone. You can skip ahead if you like:  01:30 Number one reason. 03:01 Growing up in the dirty south...  04:10 Got a car: got a gun.  05:10 The basic concept of property. 07:20 A gun...

Speaking (quietly) about the virtues and pitfalls of everything  Blackout , Alexander and Chris weigh in on the topic in this week's  podcast . From the ammo to the guns and their use, there is a lot of ground to cover.  If you want to jump ahead, here are some time stamps: 00:40 Getting into the background of Blackout 03:30 Of the Whisper and the Honeybadger 06:10 Suppressor snobbery run amok 08:...

On this  2BGP  episode, Alexander and Chris try to wade through the world of  optics  to figure out what the general purpose is for each type. There is just so much to choose from and so many different types in an ever-increasing market, so the guys thought it was good to sit down and have a 101 discussion on glass.  Skip ahead to these timestamps if they spark your interest: 00:50 We've had optic...

Guntuber Johnny Q joins Alexander and Chris in the Guns.com Studio to talk about what firearms on today's market are reliable  without breaking the bank . Moreover, is the juice worth the squeeze on an inexpensive gun when your life or your family's safety could be on the line? 01:06 What does affordability look like? 03:40 Misconceptions on "budget" guns.  04:45 The flipside of spending money on...

Both Alexander and Chris have worked behind gun counters in the past, and they sit down on this installment of the  2nd Best Gun Podcast  to share some curious anecdotes. Being in the gun store is usually a good time, but it can sometimes be a strange time. Some of these stories are funny, some are educational, and the guys are just passing them on because they just can't keep them in any longer....

Firearm ownership is an immense responsibility, and on this episode of the  2nd Best Gun Podcast , Alexander and Chris sit down to share their thoughts on the matter and offer some tips and tricks. As a side note, we here at Guns.com love to keep our firearms both safe and secure – yet available when needed – which makes products like the  StopBox a no-brainer. For some talking points on this inst...

We've talked sub guns on the podcast in the past, but today the PCC is king, leaving Alexander and Chris to opine on the platform in this episode – with lots of bonus footage of Ronbo. Here are some timestamps if you want to skip ahead: 00:30 The sub gun to PCC connection. 02:40 How do we feel about the NFA? 03:30 When is a PCC just a pistol? PCP? 06:40 Alex goes on a "back when I was in Alabama"...

On this episode of the  2nd Best Gun Podcast , Alexander and Chris hash it out over John Browning's most recognizable creation, the  1911  Government Model and its descendants. Few handguns have garnered as much interest in the firearms community, and the guys try to figure out the factors behind their longevity and reputation. This one goes long, guys, touching almost 45 minutes, so clear some sp...

Chris and Alexander have covered lots of ground when it comes to gun lore over the past few years, and on this episode of the  2nd Best Gun Podcast , they talk about guns that should have been. Vaporware is a term borrowed from the computer industry for a product that has been advertised but either never made it past the concept phase or is still somehow "coming soon" even years later. We know a b...

With bags packed, tired feet, and full hearts, the Guns.com crew hung around to bring you one last  podcast  episode from  SHOT Show 2026 . The guys hit the ground running for  Industry Day at the Range  on Monday and haven't stopped since, so there's lots to recap from their adventures in Vegas. It's a good Friday evening to take it easy and hear about what's new in the gun world, so get comforta...

The Guns.com gang is back on the airwaves, a little the worse for wear a few days into  SHOT Show 2026  coverage, but nonetheless excited to share more discoveries from the show floor. Alexander and Chris give a rundown of their favorite products they found yesterday, and (spoiler alert) Flux Defense features prominently in this episode. There's still more to come, so stay tuned for  tomorrow's ep...

Alexander and Chris are back with our second daily dispatch from SHOT Show 2026 , bringing you the hot goss on the latest and greatest finds from the show floor. If you're interested in combating drones, sick AK builds, and SCAR suppressors ... stay tuned. From the big new releases to surprise finds, the Guns.com crew has everything you need to know from SHOT, so kick back with a cold – or hot – o...