Gear worth drawing on.
We carry it for 30 days before we rate it. Then we tell you what it's for, who it's for, and what we'd change. No hype. No listicles written from a press release.
Pick your trail
The Draw
Hands-on gear reviews after a 30-day Carry Test. Holsters, belts, lights, optics, knives, medical, bags. Every one gets a Six-Shooter Rating.
RIDE INHigh Noon
Showdowns. Two products, same criteria, one winner called at the end. Our most-shared format.
RIDE INWanted
Buyer's guides framed as wanted posters. Short list, short reasons, one Dead Eye Pick. Buy once, buy right.
RIDE INThe Saddlebag
EDC loadouts from real people, with weights and prices. What they carry, why, and what they'd swap.
RIDE INThe Range
Drills, dry-fire routines and skills. Because the best holster on earth won't fix a slow draw.
RIDE INThe Wire
Quick hits: new drops, price drops, recalls, deals. Fast and factual. The Deal of the Draw lives here.
RIDE INThe Posse
Reader loadouts, polls and Ask the Gunslinger. The comments section with a brain.
RIDE INHow We Rate
The Six-Shooter scale, the Dead Eye Pick and the Carry Test, explained. Read this before you trust us.
RIDE INThe Six-Shooter Rating
Every review scores one to six rounds. A six is rare and we say what it would take to earn it. A one means we'd rather carry nothing. We don't rate anything we haven't carried, mounted, dropped, sweated on or shot with for at least 30 days. If we haven't tested it, we say so. If the maker sent it free, we say that too.
Dead Eye Pick
Our editor's-choice seal. Awarded only after 30-plus days of actual use, and only to one product per category at a time. When something better shows up, the old pick loses the badge. We'll tell you why.
The Carry Test
Thirty days on the belt, in the pocket, on the rail or in the bag before we write a word of verdict. Round counts, draw times, weights in ounces and prices at time of writing. Numbers over adjectives.
What We'd Change
Every review ends with it. The best gear on earth has one thing we'd fix, and if we can't find it, we haven't looked hard enough. "It's fine" is banned on this site.
Ride with the Sundown Dispatch
Tuesday: the Deal of the Draw and one review. Friday: the Showdown and Ask the Gunslinger. Two emails a week, one clear click each, no filler.
Loading…
Straight answers
Do you take money from the brands you review?
We earn affiliate commissions when you buy through our links, and some products are sent to us free. Neither changes a rating. Every review states where the product came from. If a brand wants a score, they can earn it on the bench like everyone else.
Why only six rounds?
Because a ten-point scale invites a seven, and a seven means nothing. Six forces a verdict. A four is good gear with a real flaw. A five is a Dead Eye contender. A six is something we'd buy twice.
Can I submit my loadout?
Yes. The Saddlebag runs reader EDC loadouts every week. Weights, prices, and one honest line about what you'd change. Head to The Posse and send it in.
Do you review firearms?
Mostly gear, and we keep firearms coverage educational and comparative rather than promotional. Holsters, lights, optics, belts, medical, knives, bags and training are where we spend most of our time.
Got a gear question? Ask the Gunslinger.
One question, one straight answer, published every week in The Posse. No question is too basic. Plenty are too dumb, and we answer those too.