It’s the desire of Ronin’s Grips to move the industry away from subjective opinion and towards data-driven decision-making. The following are reports created using specialized tools that analyze websites, social media, and the opinions of thousands. Topics are categorized as well as being listed from newest to oldest. Click here if you’d like to learn more about why data-driven analytics matter.
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The following are categories and further below are all analytics posts sorted by date from newest to oldest:
- 1911 & 2011 Type Pistols
- Affiliate Brands – these are websites where we can earn a small commission from anything you purchase
- AI For Military Use Analytics
- AK-Series Weapons
- AR-Series Weapons
- Ammunition
- Anti-Materiel Rifle (AMR) Systems – Often overlap with ELR and Sniper Rifle syste,s
- Chinese Topics
- Country Reports – Risk, Intel, Military, Collapse/stress, Situation Reports (SITREPs).
- Designated Marksman, ELR, Precision & Sniper Rifles
- Disaster and Collapse Scenarios
- Drone Analytics
- Firearms Accessories
- Global Small Arms – Market and Manufacturers
- History and Socio-Political
- Law Enforcement, SWAT Teams and Federal Agencies
- Military
- Optics including Scopes and Red/Green Dot Sights
- Pistols – overall listing
- Producers & Vendors – Reports on specific firms
- Rifles – overall listing
- Russian and Soviet Topics
- Shotguns
- Small Arms Optics
- Small Arms Design & Manufacturing
- Sniper / Precision Rifles
- Special Operations Forces (SOF) / Special Mission Units (SMUs) Analytics
- Submachine Guns and Pistol Caliber Carbines
- Suppressors / Silencers / Moderators
- Tactical Gear – Body Armor, Packs, Bags and Cases
- Trade Shows – Military and Small Arms Industry
- US Small Arms Market Analytics
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- Global Military Trade Shows and Exercises: Late August to Early September 2026 September 8, 20261.0 Executive Summary Between mid-August and early September 2026, the global military and defense industrial landscape underwent significant strategic recalibration. Insights from major defense exhibitions and multinational military exercises reveal that traditional, unipolar security architectures are shifting toward localized, pragmatically aligned defense networks. In the Indo-Pacific, defense engagement bifurcated along alliance structures. Multilateral cooperation reached high ...
- Weekly INDOPACOM Containment SITREP: August 31 to September 7, 2026 September 7, 20261. Executive Summary Between August 31 and September 7, 2026, building on the military acquisitions and joint maneuvers observed in late August1, the Indo-Pacific region saw a surge in multilateral military exercises, unprecedented defense budget requests, and key strategic posture realignments. Regional actors across Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia accelerated efforts to boost interoperability and asymmetric ...
- SITREP Chinese Military and Intelligence: August 31, 2026 to September 7, 2026 September 7, 2026Executive Summary During the reporting period from August 31 to September 7, 2026, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) maintained a persistent military posture across the Indo-Pacific. This presence included multi-domain incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and escalating gray-zone tactics in the South China Sea. Notable events included a confirmed vessel collision between ...
- SITREP Military Drones – August 30 – September 5, 2026 September 7, 20261. Executive Summary The operational landscape over the past seven days highlights a critical turning point in how militaries deploy unmanned and autonomous systems across all physical domains. The integration of uncrewed systems has formally shifted from ad hoc, experimental battlefield tests to standardized, major procurement programs for high-intensity conflict against peer adversaries. In the air ...
- How to Identify Lubricant Fluids by Color September 5, 2026Introduction: What Fluid Color Tells Us Across tribology, fluid power systems, and reliability engineering, a fluid’s appearance serves as a quick diagnostic tool to identify its type, origin, and overall condition. Historically, petroleum-based fluids displayed a fairly narrow color range—from pale yellow to dark black—determined entirely by where the crude oil was extracted and how heavily ...
- Performance Analysis: LMT Defender Rifle Family September 4, 2026Executive Summary The Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) Defender rifle series stands as a foundational pillar within the modern landscape of military-grade, law enforcement, and high-tier civilian tactical firearms. Since its founding in 1980, LMT has established a globally recognized pedigree, supplying armed forces and tactical units with weapon systems designed to endure the most hostile ...
- Performance Analysis: HK VP9A1 Family September 4, 2026Executive Summary The Heckler & Koch (HK) VP9A1 series represents a highly refined, modernized evolution of the manufacturer’s flagship polymer-framed, striker-fired 9x19mm duty platform1. Originally conceived in response to a request from the Bavarian State Police to replace the legacy HK P7, the VP9 architecture was meticulously engineered over four years before its initial release3. The ...
- A Strategic Review of the 2026 Tactical Optics Market Year-to-Date September 3, 20261. Executive Summary The tactical optics market hit a major milestone in 2026. The red dot sight segment alone now has a steady 6.4% growth rate and is valued at $787 million1. This surge comes from law enforcement modernization, military contracts, and a savvy civilian market that demands professional-grade gear. Early 2026 product launches showed a clear ...
- SITREP Chinese Military and Intelligence: August 15 – 29, 2026 September 2, 2026Executive Summary From August 15 to August 29, 2026, China’s military and intelligence agencies significantly expanded their global reach. Through synchronized maritime, aerospace, and cyber campaigns, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Ministry of State Security (MSS) worked to project power beyond the First Island Chain, normalize pressure on Taiwan, and hide state-sponsored cyber espionage ...
- The Rise of Gun Owners of America: A Legal Powerhouse September 2, 2026Introduction: The Shifting Face of Firearms Advocacy Over the last fifty years, the world of American firearms advocacy has changed dramatically. While established organizations once led the conversation through traditional lobbying, a new wave of “no compromise” groups has stepped up to define today’s legal and political battles. Gun Owners of America (GOA) is at the ...
- The M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round: Evolution and Analysis September 1, 2026Executive Summary The M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round (EPR) represents a major mechanical and chemical overhaul of the standard 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. The Department of Defense originally started the M855A1 program to remove heavy metals from the small arms supply chain and fix terminal ballistic inconsistencies in the legacy M855, and the M855A1 fundamentally changes how the ...
- Russia Weekly Situation Report: August 22-29, 2026 September 1, 20261.0 Executive Summary Russia is currently prioritizing its offensive in Donetsk Oblast’s Pokrovsk region, even if it means leaving the Kursk area vulnerable. While elite units push forward in eastern Ukraine, the defense of Russia’s borders is increasingly falling to newly formed volunteer units and lower-readiness troops. An aggressive anti-corruption campaign is reshaping the Ministry of Defense. ...
- The Evolution of Firearm Lubricants: Moving Beyond CLP August 31, 2026For nearly fifty years, the global firearms industry, military armorers, and civilian shooters relied on a single, multipurpose fluid for weapon maintenance: Cleaner, Lubricant, and Preservative (CLP). Developed in the early 1970s and codified under the U.S. military specification MIL-L-63460 (later updated to MIL-PRF-63460), CLP was hailed as a logistical breakthrough1. It promised to streamline ...
- Performance Analysis: Geissele Defense King Hunter August 31, 2026Executive Summary The Geissele Defense King Hunter marks a significant evolution in the intersection of tactical precision and extreme-environment hunting. Drawing on a deep military and law enforcement heritage, Geissele Automatics has applied its engineering expertise to create a purpose-built bolt-action platform. Rather than offering a generic hunting rifle, Geissele has produced an optimized ballistic ...
- Michigan Suppressor Laws: Navigating New 2026 NFA Regulations August 30, 2026In August 2026, the rules for small arms in the U.S. changed dramatically, creating a complex new reality for owners and dealers. It all started with the 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,”1 which slashed the federal tax on National Firearms Act (NFA) items to zero. Soon after, a federal judge in Texas issued a ...
- Weekly INDOPACOM Military SITREP: August 22 – 29, 2026 August 30, 20261. Executive Summary From August 22 to 29, 2026, military acquisitions and joint maneuvers steadily rose in the Indo-Pacific security landscape. Regional partners—including Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Bhutan—actively worked to balance the PRC’s growing territorial influence. A key shift emerged this week as nations moved away from traditional platforms ...
- SITREP Military Drones – August 22 – 28, 2026 August 29, 20261. Executive Summary The reporting period from August 22 to August 28, 2026, shows that autonomous warfare and unmanned systems are becoming a standard part of military operations. We are seeing a major shift away from using modified commercial equipment. Instead, there is an aggressive move toward purpose-built, highly integrated autonomous platforms designed to survive in ...
- A Six-Month Retrospective on Military Lessons Learned From the US-Iran Conflict August 29, 20261.0 Executive Summary Six months into the conflict triggered by Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, we can see how modern warfare is changing. This report breaks down the top ten military and strategic lessons we’ve learned so far. Our analysis combines NATO’s evaluation methods with the US military’s standard model for looking at how ...
- US-Iran Conflict and OSINT Summary (August 22 – 28, 2026) August 29, 2026Executive Summary During the August 22–28 reporting period, the regional security landscape was characterized by a paradoxical “dual-track” dynamic: the United States pursued a strategy of maximalist economic warfare even as both Washington and Tehran maintained a paralyzed diplomatic framework. A pivotal development occurred on August 24, when the U.S. Department of the Treasury launched “Operation ...
- USMC Modernization: Adapting to Asymmetric Drone Warfare August 28, 2026The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is undergoing the most significant structural and doctrinal shift in its modern history. Faced with the demands of great power competition and the rise of advanced Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) networks in the Indo-Pacific, the USMC is moving away from the heavy, sustained land campaigns that defined past conflicts. This ...
- 2026 Year-To-Date ATF Regulatory Changes and Compliance Guide August 28, 2026Executive Summary Between 2025 and 2026, the regulatory landscape for the small arms industry, federal firearms licensees (FFLs), and consumers underwent a major realignment. Following several judicial defeats and significant legislative tax changes, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has shifted its enforcement strategy and begun a substantial rewrite of its administrative regulations1. Federal ...
- Impacts of the Silencer Shop Ruling on U.S. Gun Laws August 28, 2026Executive Summary The federal district court ruling in August 2026—covering the consolidated cases of Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF and Jensen v. ATF—has caused the most significant disruption to U.S. gun laws since the National Firearms Act (NFA) was first passed in 19341. By declaring that NFA registration and approval requirements are unconstitutional for specific untaxed ...
- Performance Analysis: Geissele Defense Border Patrol August 28, 2026Executive Summary The Geissele Defense Border Patrol rifle was born from a 2022 contract for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). It’s essentially a “workhorse” version of Geissele’s high-end Super Duty line, designed specifically for the tough requirements of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The goal was simple: keep the high-performance core—like the cold ...
- Palmetto State Armory’s 2026 Market Dominance Year-To-Date August 28, 2026Executive Summary The global sports gun market is currently undergoing a massive shift. Competition is moving away from simple product-vs-product battles toward fully integrated ecosystems that combine vertical manufacturing, direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales, and high-tech digital logistics. In this environment, Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has continued its role as a major industry disruptor throughout 2026. By operating ...
- Future of Krebs Custom: Innovations Under Virginia Krebs August 27, 2026Executive Summary The specialized world of premium Kalashnikov rifles faced a significant loss on July 5, 2026, with the passing of Marc Krebs, the founder of Wauconda-based Krebs Custom. Known as the “godfather of the American AK,” Krebs was the architect who modernized and refined the platform for American shooters. His death raises important questions about ...
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