The guys from Impressum Media reached out to me a while back and asked me if I’d be interested in reviewing their latest product, Firearms Guide with Schematics: 3rd Edition. Being a sucker for 1)guns, 2)pictures of guns, and 3)computer geekery, I naturally said yes.
A few days later, I got my review copy in the mail:
Screenshot- and video-heavy post below:
This thing is neat!
Main screen
There are 5 different sections to the software:
- The Firearms, Airguns, and Ammo Guide
- A Schematics Library
- An FFL Locator
- A caliber chart
- Printable Targets
The Main Guide
The main guide is where you’ll find an extensive library of various different firearms. There is a lot to it, so I’m going to go the lazy route and point you to their short video on this section:
They have a ton of info in there. Some manufacturers I’d never even heard of before (possibly for good reason).
Check out their site for more videos, too
The Schematics Library
The first thing I did is looked up schematics for my Glock 23 and my M&P9:
Glock Schematics and Parts listing
M&P Schematics and Parts listing
You can embiggenate the schematics inside the software, or you can print them. I’ve found it more convenient to print the stuff I want to refer to, as the images are quite large and require scrolling.
You may notice that the schematic list for Glock only has actual schematics for the Glock 17 and 4th Gen G17. The other models just have a parts list. That’s probably not a big deal, but it is something to note.
FFL Locator
This is a database of 68,000 FFLs. The list is searchable by type, state, and zipcode. Handy if you’re wanting to find a new shop:
Somebody has a sense of humor
Caliber Chart
The caliber chart is just that–a chart to compare the US caliber names against the European names for the same caliber. Because we can’t agree on anything, apparently.
- I thought everyone knew a .380 was 9mm Kurtz in Europe
Printable Targets
There are four different sections of targets designed to be printed on your standard 8.5×11 sheets. I have heavily used targets from Pistol-Training.com in my own range trips, but I think that some of these targets from the DVD will be more fun for new shooters. Here is a sampling of the targets:
Animals (There is a second animals section with mini-bullseyes embedded):
- Cute, cuddly dinner.
Objects:
- Who’s up for darts?
And plain old targets:
- Range-compensating target
Final Thoughts
I’m a mega-nerd, so I have really enjoyed this software. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but if you’re an instructor or a dealer, you should probably snag a copy. Hell, if you’re like me and you get five or six “what gun should I get” requests every month, this would be handy for you*. I broke it out at my real job the other day to show someone the differences between Ruger’s LCP and the LC9.
It even works on a Mac. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
*Usually my response is “buying a gun is like buying a car: I can tell you what’s important to look for, and what to avoid, but in the end you have to like it–and I can’t tell you what to like.”
Thank you for reviewing this. I had heard about it, but hadn’t known anyone who had actually interacted with it to know if it was a worthwhile investment.
Looks quite promising.