Articles by Paul Whaley

About Paul Whaley

Paul Whaley is a guy with an interest in practical and defensive pistol shooting techniques with an eye for quality gear. He has received training from Holistic Solutions Group, John Johnston of Citizens Defense Research, Darryl Bolke, Cecil Birch, and Chuck Haggard. When not trying to become a better shooter, he can be found enjoying a Resident Evil game or listening to Warren Zevon.

Mount West Watch Co. “Summit” Review [2025]

December 17, 2025 Paul Whaley

I host two local watch enthusiast meetups each month. We’re located in Salt Lake City, Utah, but we’ve hosted meetups all around northern Utah. Well, […]

3 Drills With The Glock 43x [2025]

October 30, 2025 Paul Whaley

It’s time for Episode 2 of the “3 Drills” series! In this series, I take a gun that I’m testing, and run it through its […]

Modifying The Glock 43x & 48 MOS for Holosun K Optics Featured Image

Modifying the Glock 43x & 48 MOS for Holosun K Optics [2025]

October 23, 2025 Paul Whaley

I recently picked up a Glock 43x MOS slide from Sean here at Primer Peak. He’s testing the Aimpoint COA Glock, and had a spare […]

POM Industries Pepper Spray – Why I Carry It [2025]

October 14, 2025 Paul Whaley

Pepper Spray (also known as Oleoresin capsicum, AKA OC Spray) is a contentious topic. In the world of firearm media, many folks will forgo pepper […]

3 Drills With The S&W Bodyguard 2.0 [2025]

October 9, 2025 Paul Whaley

Through my testing here at Primer Peak and the videos I make on YouTube, I shoot a lot. I’m not a trash-shooter though, and like […]

Federal FliteControl Vs. Hornady Critical Defense in the Beretta A300UP [2025]

August 19, 2025 Paul Whaley

Here at PrimerPeak, we’re fans of the Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol. Dan reviewed his back in 2023, and I’ve been testing mine since Spring 2024. […]

The Test Redux – Standard Vickers Test & Test Variations [2025]

July 22, 2025 Paul Whaley

My first article for PrimerPeak (formerly The Firearm Rack) was the The Test. It’s a shooting drill that I’ve been shooting for nearly a decade, […]

How to Paint Iron Sights [2025]

July 1, 2025 Paul Whaley

In the era of the red dot sight (RDS), iron sights still have a place. Really small guns generally cannot realistically mount an RDS. Takedown […]

OT Defense StippleTec Stippling Kit Featured Image

OT Defense StippleTec Stippling Kit Review – DIY Grippiness [2025]

June 10, 2025 Paul Whaley

Aggressive and grippy is how I like my pistols. My 1911s all have checkered MSHs, aggressive stocks, and some form of checkering or grip tape […]

Markwell Hard Candy Review Featured Image

Markwell Hard Candy Enamel Review – Eye Candy [2025]

May 27, 2025 Paul Whaley

After the publication of my Markwell “datematic” review in 2024, I was excited to see what the brand would release next. John from Markwell alluded […]

AHolster Pocket Holster Review Featured Image

Aholster Review – My Favorite Pocket Holsters [2025]

May 8, 2025 Paul Whaley

I’ve used a lot of pocket holsters over the years. With doing my Pocket Pistol Roundup of 2023, and my ongoing Round 2 series, I’ve […]

Battle Werx Slide Milling Review [2025]

April 29, 2025 Paul Whaley

Over the years, I’ve had quite a few guns milled for optics. At time of writing, it has been two VP9s, three Glocks, a S&W […]

Shield Arms Carry Magwell Featured Image

Shield Arms Glock 43x/48 Carry Magwell Review [2025]

April 17, 2025 Paul Whaley

During Technical Handgun – Tests & Standards in 2023, I shot my Glock 48 for the class. During those two days, I had some serious […]

What’s the Coolest Looking Bad Handgun? [AF 2025]

April 1, 2025 Paul Whaley

There are many elements to a handgun. This is pretty obvious, but the most important one is function. Does the gun work? Well, over the […]

The 4 Rules of Firearm Safety, and What They Mean In the Real World [2025]

March 25, 2025 Paul Whaley

Jeff Cooper’s “4 Rules of Firearm Safety” are ubiquitous. Everyone who is remotely familiar with guns is familiar with those 4 rules. However, a lot […]