Dennis Highby, former Cabela's CEO who joined the company in 1976 and led it to become a $4 billion outdoor retailer, passed away February 26 at age 76. Highby was instrumental in Cabela's growth, IPO in 2004, and was credited by industry leaders like Gary Loomis and Tim Leatherman for launching their success.
ZEISS and palero signed an agreement to spin off the Hunting & Nature business into an independent company with palero as sole owner. ZEISS will license its brand to the new company, with completion planned for the second half of 2026. The new entity will continue developing analog optics, trail cameras, and digital solutions under the ZEISS brand.
B&P USA, manufacturer of premier shotshells for clays and hunting, launched its redesigned website at baschieri-pellagriusa.com. The platform offers shooters online purchasing, product specifications, and brand heritage information while supporting existing retail partners. Director of Marketing Christian Hogg emphasized B&P's commitment to delivering quality ammunition and enhancing digital engagement with its community.
T/C Arms launches multiple new products including the ENCORE PROHunter Pistol Frame Assembly, ENCORE PROHunter Turkey Shotgun, ENCORE PROHunter FireStick Muzzleloader .50 cal., expanded accessories, and returning Contender Barrels. CEO Gregg Ritz emphasizes the company's commitment to modularity and American-built reliability across proven platforms.
Real Avid has launched the Master Maintenance Collection for Glock, a comprehensive toolkit featuring essential tools and supplies for Glock pistol owners. The collection includes sight pushers, cleaning kits, magnetic bore lights, and maintenance products designed for upgrades, cleaning, and tuning of Glock handguns.
Italian Firearms Group announces the Kodiak Survivalist, a compact express rifle from Davide Pedersoli chambered in .44 Remington Magnum. The side-by-side barrel rifle features an 18" barrel, weighs 6.17 lbs, and combines traditional craftsmanship with modern performance for hunters seeking refined utility.
Sarsilmaz will showcase its latest handgun platforms at the 2026 AMCHAR Wholesale Show in Savannah, GA, including the SAR9 Gen3 series, SAR9 SOCOM models, and SAR 7/24 pistol line. The European manufacturer will engage directly with dealers and distributors to discuss inventory strategy and strengthen retail partnerships.
JEBS Chokes achieved record-setting sales and exceptional consumer engagement at the National Wild Turkey Federation Convention in Nashville. The company's newly introduced JEBS Charging Handles sold out by the second day, while its low-profile red-dot mount and branded apparel also demonstrated strong demand.
Outdoor Channel's "Night At The Range" airs Wednesdays 7-10 p.m. ET featuring shooting sports programming including Guns & Ammo hosted by Eric Poole, Handguns hosted by J. Scott Rupp, Gun Stories hosted by Joe Mantegna, American Rifleman hosted by Mark A. Keefe IV, Shooting USA hosted by John Scoutten, and Airgunner Challenge hosted by Mike Hart and Rossi Morreale.
MyOutdoorTV launches its "Turkey Season" programming from March through May, featuring shows like Can't Stop the Flop, BuckVentures Turkey, Drury's Turkey Season, and the live "Turkey Takedown with Michael Waddell." Sean Luxton, Sr. Vice President and MOTV General Manager, highlights the platform's comprehensive turkey hunting content for all skill levels.
Impulse-buying a gun isn’t usually a fantastic decision. However, every so often I see something so cheap I can’t say no. My latest was a $120 Taurus PT99. That seemed incredibly cheap for a Taurus PT99, even an older one. Fret not…there was a reason. The previous owner appeared to have Dremel’d some kind of bubba rail into the frame to add what appears to be a BB gun laser.
Gunsmiffing (Travis Pike for SNW)
As a fan of the Beretta 92 series, you can call me PT92 curious. This is a PT99, which is part of the PT92 series. The PT99 keeps the same overall Beretta 92 and PT92 design with a couple of changes. Notably, the safety is just a safety; it doesn’t de-cock the gun like the safety on the PT92 does.
We also get an adjustable rear sight and a taller front sight. Taurus made this pistol in both a black finish and this stainless steel version you see here. I’m sure when this gun rolled off the assembly line, it looked quite nice, but time has taken its toll. The finish is a little beat up, and maybe a little TLC will get it shinier than a Cadillac’s hubcaps.
The finish has gotten a little flecked. (Travis Pike for SNW)
The Rest of the PT99
The PT99 is an interesting gun. The frame-mounted safety is ambidextrous and quite large. It swivels up and down easily enough. The position is 1911-like and it feels natural in the hand.
Much like most of the 92 series, the grip is fat, fatter than it seemingly needs to be. This makes it tough to reach the somewhat recessed magazine release. It sits deep in the gri,p and my whole hand has to move to reach it, which breaks my firing grip oh so slightly. I prefer just shifting my thumb and reaching the magazine release.
The sights are a high point of the PT99. (Travis Pike for SNW)
The front sight is fixed to the slide, and quite tall, and easy to see. The adjustable rear sight is surprisingly nice. They didn’t hold back when it came to producing a nicely made, low-profile adjustable rear sight. You can make easy adjustments for windage and elevation, which makes up for a fixed front sight.
The height of the sights is quite nice. I shot this the same day I shot the much pricier Beretta 92 GTS. I preferred the taller sights on the PT99. From a low ready or draw, they are easy to find and see. The front sight is stainless, and the rear is black, so they contrast nicely.
The safety is also a plus. (Travis Pike for SNW)
Blasting Away
The PT99 feels a lot like a Beretta in the recoil department. It’s best described as minimal. It weighs 34 ounces, so 9mm recoil isn’t going to be intense. What’s nice about the Beretta open top slide is how light it is compared to the rest of the gun. A heavy frame and light slide seem to combine to make one of the softer recoiling guns.
The PT99 has light recoil, and is easy to control. (Travis Pike for SNW)
A lighter slide means less reciprocating weight, so it seems to recoil less, at least to me. I’ve found the 5906 to have more recoil than the Beretta series, and I attribute that to slide weight. Albeit I’m willing to be wrong on that front. The slide does snap right back on target, making repeated, accurate shots easier.
The fat grip also helps dissipate recoil, keeping things comfy for extended periods of fire. It’s a gun that’s enjoyable to shoot. At this point, I’m all in on red dots, so I feel a little slower with irons, but not by much. The smooth cycling gun handles nicely.
The trigger isn’t anything special. The double action is long and heavy, with a constant top-go gritty feeling to it. The single action isn’t quite crisp, but it’s fine. Shooting it side by side with the 92 GTS might also color my feelings, because holy crap, that trigger is nice.
The trigger is fine, but the sights are great. (Travis Pike for SNW)
I only found my accuracy challenged by the double-action trigger at longer ranges on smaller targets. Hitting a ten-inch gong at 25 yards with the double-action trigger meant really taking my time to make sure I didn’t change my grip as I pulled the trigger. A little more practice with the double-action trigger would likely help, but that wasn’t a problem for me with the 92 GTS.
The PT99…Worth it?
Where does the PT99 fit in the modern era? It doesn’t have a rail besides the one you scratch into it. It’s big and heavy, making it a less-than-optimal choice for concealed carry. The capacity is fine, but you’re better off seeking out the Beretta 18-round magazines so you can step into 2014.
Even outside of concealed carry, this is a big gun. It wouldn’t fit smaller hands well. It has some serious limitations. Still, it shoots straight, the sights are nice, and it was surprisingly reliable. I dived through a few hundred rounds of remanufactured 9mm in a day without an issue.
A stainless finish and wood grips look great, but the gaudy medallion isn’t good. (Travis Pike for SNW)
The next day, I did more of the same, before I knew I exceeded the gun’s value in ammo I had fired. I’m fairly surprised. New Taurus makes some solid guns, but old Taurus was hit or miss. This was my first experience with the PT99 and PT 92 series as a whole, and I’m impressed.
At a Hi-Point price, the PT99 was certainly worth it. The gun shoots surprisingly reliably. It might not have a great trigger, and the grip is massive, but it still runs and shoots mostly straight. The hefty gun is certainly not modern, but at the right price, it’s a tough gun to say no to.
