THE MACBROZ BLOG

Another pistol is officialy on the way. This one is not a newly released firearm, but it is completely new to me: the Stealth Arms Platypus. The Platypus has been on my radar for a while because it takes two things I already enjoy and combines them in a way that very few pistols do. It delivers the controls, trigger and familiar grip angle of a double-stack 1911-style platform while feeding from magazines originally designed for one of the most common pistols in the country.

The SIG Sauer P211 GT4 is one of those pistols that makes more sense the longer you think about it. GunCon had no shortage of firearms that grabbed my attention. I shot a lot of great pistols, spent time with several impressive platforms, and walked away with a long list of things I wanted to revisit. But the P211 GT4 stood out for a different reason. It was not the flashiest pistol on the range, and it was not trying to be. Instead, it felt like the practical side of the P21

The SIG Sauer P211 GTO was one of the pistols that immediately grabbed my attention when it was first released. I originally had the chance to shoot it at my local gun store shortly after it came out, and I walked away intrigued. It was not just another “nice shooting” pistol. It felt like SIG was trying to do something different. Then I got more time behind it at GunCon Range Day. I shot it with the SIG Sauer team at their booth, where they gave me more insight into the desi

Every once in a while, a gun comes along that makes you stop and say, “Okay… Canik is really paying attention.” That was my immediate thought after getting behind the new Canik METE MC9 Prime Radian at GunCon 2026. I already had some time behind the Canik TTI Combat, and one of the things that stood out to me on that gun was the trigger. Clean break, fast reset, very shootable, and honestly better than what you expect from a lot of factory pistols in that price range. Well, t

In my last blog post, I talked about the end of the Staccato P project. Not because the Staccato P is bad. Not because it is not iconic. Not because it is not a great pistol. But because after competing with my C2, doing dry fire with the P, and really thinking through what makes sense for my hand size, lifestyle, and actual use case, I realized the P just was not the direction I wanted to go. The P project is done. The Staccato CS project is officially underway. But I also t

Well, this is not the update I originally expected to write. The Staccato P project was supposed to be the next big step in my 2011 journey. The plan was pretty clear: take the iconic Staccato P, build it into either my main competition gun or at least a serious backup to my C2, and really lean into what the platform is known for. It was slated to get the Miller Precision compact aluminum grip, a full porting package, and a full cerakote job to make it something special. On p

Every once in a while, I get the itch to start a new pistol project. Not just buy another gun, shoot it once, and toss it in the safe. I mean a real project. Something I can build content around, test, modify, carry, compare, and really see what kind of potential it has. Right now, I feel like I’m stuck between two very interesting options: the Springfield Armory Echelon Compact and the Canik METE Prime. Both are modern striker-fired 9mm pistols. Both have a lot going for the

The Canik METE MC9 Prime is one of those pistols that makes you stop and ask a pretty simple question: How much performance can you realistically pack into a carry-sized gun? After spending time with it, my answer is pretty straightforward: a lot. The METE MC9 Prime brings together a strong trigger, good ergonomics, solid capacity, night sights, an optic-ready setup, and a ported barrel/slide system in a package that feels very capable for concealed carry. It is not perfect,

For years, the Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 has been one of my most trusted do-it-all handgun platforms. It has filled a lot of roles for me well, and for a long time it was the option I kept coming back to. But over the last six months, I have spent a lot more time in the 2011 ecosystem, especially with my Staccato C2, and that has definitely started to shift my attention. This post is really about that question. Has my recent time with the Staccato C2 changed how I look at the M&

Over the past year, Fusion Firearms has become a much more visible name in the handgun space, especially with the growth of its XP and XF lines, ongoing product updates, and expansion efforts tied to the Ermox manufacturing side of the business. Fusion has publicly highlighted major XP/XF updates, a coming compensated model, and increased production capacity, while Brownells now carries multiple Fusion pistols and parts. That matters because being available through Brownells.

I picked up my Springfield Echelon last year from Brownells.com, so I have had enough time with it to move past the new gun excitement phase and really think about where it stands. And honestly, the more I look at the Echelon, the more I keep asking the same question: Is the Echelon too good to be considered? That might sound strange at first, but in a market packed with hype, trends, and constant attention on the usual names, the Echelon feels like one of those pistols that

There’s just something about an M&P that keeps pulling me back in. My newest pickup from Brownells is the Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Metal HD, and this one has my attention for a few reasons. I’ve already spent a lot of time with the M&P platform in competition, especially the 4" and 3.6" models, both of which I also picked up from Brownells. So for me, this isn’t about trying something completely unfamiliar. It’s about taking a platform I already trust and stepping into what cou

Every now and then, a pistol comes along that feels like it was built to give you a little bit of everything right out of the box. That’s exactly how I feel about the Canik TTI Combat in Smoke. I picked mine up from Brownells.com – Canik TTI Combat, and if this one has been on your radar, Brownells is a solid place to grab it along with plenty of other great Canik options. What makes this pistol especially interesting is that it is not just “another Canik.” The TTI Combat cam

This is something I think about a lot, and honestly, I think more shooters should ask themselves this question: How long do you use a pistol before you decide it’s actually good to go? Not just “good on the range.”Not just “felt nice in the hand.”Not just “I shot one good group with it.” I mean good to go in the real sense — ready for carry, ready for repetition, ready for pressure, ready to earn a place in the rotation. For me, most of my pistols end up overlapping in purpos

Every once in a while a firearm lands on the bench that genuinely surprises you—not because of hype, but because of value. The Derya DY9Z is one of those pistols. Derya was kind enough to send this over for review, and after spending time handling it, dry firing it, and prepping for range testing, I can already tell this is going to be a strong contender in the budget-friendly EDC space. First Impressions The DY9Z sits in that sweet spot between ultra-compact concealability a

If you’ve been following MacBroz/JAYWETH for a while, you already know I don’t buy gear just to let it sit in a safe. Everything here has a purpose. Training. Competition. Growth.So this week’s blog is about the newest addition to that journey: the Staccato P. And yeah… I still can’t quite believe I now own two Staccatos in less than a year. A Quick Look at the Staccato P’s Roots The Staccato P has a serious lineage. Originally born from STI’s duty and competition DNA, the pl

Alright, alright… here it is. The first build breakdown. This is the gun exactly how it lives right now. No fantasy parts list, no “coming soon” upgrades. Just what’s on it, why it’s there, and what’s survived real range time. Everything below is stuff we actually run. If there’s a link or a discount code, we dropped it to make your life easier. Copy the whole build, steal a couple ideas, or just window-shop. Scroll at your own risk. Builds are addictive. ECM Precision R11 Gr

There are guns you buy, guns you shoot, and then there are guns you build. The Staccato C2 I’m unveiling here falls into that last category—and honestly, it feels like something more than that. This project has been in motion for months, but the idea behind it started even earlier. Before firearms. Before content creation. Before reviews or sponsorships. Before all of it… there were cars. Japanese imports. HKS. Track nights. Late-night street runs. That whole world shaped me

It finally happened — I picked up my very first Canik, and what a way to start. The Canik TTI Combat isn’t just another polymer-framed pistol; it’s the result of a collaboration between Canik USA and Taran Tactical Innovations (TTI), led by none other than Taran Butler himself — the legendary shooter and trainer behind the firearms choreography in the John Wick movie series. When you see TTI attached to a gun, you know it’s going to be built with speed, control, and performan

The first time I picked up the Fusion XF PRO it didn’t feel like the usual “me-too” 9mm on the range. It has a weight and presence that tells you immediately this was built from metal and intent, not cost-cut polymer. Fusion went full-metal on purpose: aluminum bar-stock CNC work, an optic-ready slide, a complete rail on the frame, and a grip that points like a pistol that knows what it wants to do. That presence is the XF PRO’s personality, heavy enough to soak recoil, solid