1
We ask officers
We run gear questions with working officers and count one vote per person. We publish the counts and the date range.
2
We pull specs from the maker
Lumens, weight, materials, certifications: taken from the manufacturer’s own page, linked, and dated. If a maker doesn’t publish a number, we leave it blank.
3
We say what we haven’t tested
Most picks are based on officer votes and published specs. When we test something ourselves, the page says so.
4
We check the law
Gear-law guides cite the statute in each state and show when we last checked it. They’re a reference, not legal advice.
5
How we make money
Some links may be affiliate links, so we may earn a commission. Brands can’t pay to be ranked, and commissions never change a pick. Details on the affiliate disclosure page.
Editorial standards
What every post on this site has to meet before it publishes.
- Length. Buying guides and gear-law posts run at least 1,500 words. Officer-picks roundups run at least 1,100. Gift guides run at least 1,200.
- Sourcing. Every spec is sourced to the maker or an official document, linked, and dated.
- Image credits. Every image carries a credit line under it, for example “Image: Brand”.
- AI and stock images. If we use an AI-generated or stock image, the caption says so.