Prime Time Episode 386: Jonathan Carney, Hooten Young. On this historic Prime Time Episode 386, Jonathan Carney returns to the Prime Time Show Jonathan has been putting his footprint at Hooten Young, developing many innovative and collaborative projects. Tonight ATL Cigar Co will catch up on some of this projects, including the recently announced collaboration with Ruger Firearms. Plus ATL Cigar Co will ATL Cigar Co tap into Jon's pulse of the industry with an extended Deliberation segment. Tune in to Prime Time Episode 386 at 10pm ET, starting on Thursday, September 23, 2026, live on the Cigar Coop Facebook page. If you miss ATL Cigar Co, you can catch Prime Time anytime on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, YouTube, Odysee, or Rumble. In the future, show announcements will be updated with video and audio following the show instead of posted in a separate post. Media Credits: Cigar Coop

Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite: best all-around rimfire pistol? September 21, 2026 0 Squat Squad - I firmly believe a .22 Long Rifle pistol is one of the best tools a gun owner can own: cheap to shoot, easy to learn on, and stupid fun. Back when I bought my first handgun (~2008), the main rimfire choices were the Ruger Mark II/III (accurate, but a pain to take apart), the Browning Buck Mark (easier strip, pricier), and the Smith & Wesson 22A (cheap, push-button takedown - what I bought). That whole conversation changed when Ruger launched the Mark IV series. Here's my deep-dive review of the Ruger Mark IV 22/45 Lite (model 43927 on tape) - features, range time, and who it's right for. Full detailed review / range T&E from the video, not a booth clip. Gear I actually use: SlavGuns Amazon. Precision rails & accessories (code SlavGuns on Anarchy-manufactured only): Anarchy Outdoors. Support the channel: join on YouTube. The Mark IV breakthrough: one-button takedown. Across the Mark IV line, the big innovation is the one-button takedown. Safety on, push the button, lift the upper, pull the bolt - cleaning/maintenance without the old Mark II/III headache that scared off new shooters. Reassemble: drop it in, hook the front, depress the button, done. That alone is why the Mark IV formula matters. Controls where you expect them. Magazine release sits in a familiar 1911-ish spot; mags are under spring tension and really drop free - seat them fully or they won't lock. Bolt release on the grip panel is nicely sized; with medium hands I could run it without changing grip much. You can also release the bolt from the rear. Ambidextrous safety can have the right-side lever removed if you don't want it. Safety pivots on the front (not the rear like a 1911/CZ); white = safe, red = fire. 22/45 Lite: polymer frame + aluminum upper. The 22/45 line swaps the metal grip frame for a polymer precision-molded one with rubbery 1911-style grips plus front/rear checkering. The Lite goes further: ventilated aerospace-grade aluminum upper receiver and a lighter stainless cold hammer-forged barrel. On tape this sample weighed about 25 oz without a suppressor. Model variants differ mainly by upper color, vent pattern, accents, and whether the barrel is threaded (important in mag-/feature-restricted states). Wood-grip distributor exclusives exist; I liked the black/gold horizontal-vent look that matched my Zev OZ9 vibe - model 43927. Sights, rail, threaded barrel. Black front blade and rear sights adjustable for windage and elevation (no drifting). Factory Picatinny rail for a red dot or optic. This variant's barrel is 1/2x28 threaded for a suppressor or muzzle device - and yes, I said putting a brake/comp on a .22 is silly. Because the Lite is so light, I recommended a lighter suppressor (on tape: a Q Erector) so the balance doesn't get nose-heavy. Suppressors are NFA - buy/transfer only where legal and through the correct process. How it shoots. Two mags in the box with an easy-load button; aftermarket mag loaders help. With a suppressor, hearing protection wasn't needed on that range day - bowling pins and steel at ~50 yards were easy work. Accurate enough that a red dot would only make steel even more trivial. Trigger: clean but a bit heavy if you're spoiled by a ~3 lb 1911/CZ competition trigger; for new owners / non-snobs it's genuinely good, and aftermarket triggers exist. Face of the gun stays clean: Mark IV / .22 LR / Prescott, AZ markings, 22/45 Lite + serial on the other side. Thread protector is a thick textured chunk of metal - appreciated. Honest gripes: safety & bolt pinch. Safety: If you run a thumbs-forward 1911-style grip and ride the safety high, this front-pivoting, smaller lever feels awkward. Without riding it, it's easy to nudge the safety up while shooting - happened to me and a friend. An oversized aftermarket safety (or a stiffer safe | fire detent) would help; as-is, safe | fire takes less force than fire | safe. Bolt / slide release: Releasing from the rear can pinch thumb/finger between the release and the back of the receiver if you grip it wrong. For new shooters, kids, or soft hands, teach the side bolt-release button instead. Ammo note (as filmed). Chronograph segment compared CCI subsonic / "suppressor" .22 vs Federal and Winchester bulk HV through the suppressed host. CCI subsonic was clearly quieter; Federal bulk still ran subsonic on several shots (~1000-1070 fps band on tape); Winchester bulk ran hotter (~1100+). Specs and lots vary - verify current ammo before you buy for a quiet host setup. Bottom line & price framing (as filmed). Hard to go wrong with a Mark IV if you want an all-around .22 LR pistol - they fixed the old takedown complaint. As filmed: MSRP starting around $410, street around $350 (not the cheapest, but among the best). Spend a little more for a 22/45 Lite: light, good grips, usable irons, optic rail, factory-threaded options, and it looks the part. Comes in a solid plastic case that sells the upmarket feel. Great trainer, plinker, and suppressor host. Street prices move - check current dealer listings. Keep squatting. Would you run a Mark IV 22/45 Lite as your rimfire trainer - or stick with a Buck Mark / TX22 / Victory? Some links are affiliates. Purchases may support the channel at no extra cost to you. Always follow federal, state, and local law. Firearms, ammo, and suppressors ship to eligible buyers only.

Beretta to 25% ownership stake in Triad-based Ruger. By RICHARD CRAVER, News & Record, Greensboro, N.C. The Tribune Content Agency September 18, 2026 6:57 PM Gift Article The Federal Trade Commission will allow the largest investor in Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. - global firearms manufacturer Beretta Holding S.A. - to increase its ownership stake to as much as 25%. However, the FTC said Wednesday its consent order is conditioned on Beretta being prohibited from nominating Beretta-affiliated individuals to serve on Ruger's board of directors. Beretta has agreed to pay $44.80 a share - a 20% premium compared with Ruger's share price on March 24 - to expand from its current 9.95% to 25% ownership stake. On Thursday, Beretta confirmed offering to purchase just more than 2.4 million shares of Ruger representing a $107.5 million expenditure. Beretta said the purchase offer now represents a 21% premium. The offer is scheduled to expire on Oct. 15 unless it is extended. Reuters quoted Beretta chairman and chief executive Pietro Gussalli Beretta as saying the offer represents "a concreate step toward strengthening our presence in the United States, the world's largest market" for firearms. Earlier this year, Ruger moved its corporate headquarters from Southport, Conn., to 700 S. Ayersville Road in Mayodan, where it has about 650 of Ruger's 1,800 employees. The Mayodan plant is the company's largest at 445,000 square feet. The family owned Beretta is based in Luxembourg. The FTC consent order, approved by a 2-0 vote, settles allegations that Beretta and Ruger's proposed stock purchase deal would violate federal corporate regulatory laws that generally prohibit directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors. "Competition thrives best when the temptation to collude and share sensitive information isn't on the table," Taylor Hoogendoorn, deputy director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition, said in a news release. "Competition between gunmakers helps ensure that Americans can exercise their Second Amendment rights. The FTC's order aims to preserve the independence of a significant American gunmaker." Ruger said in a statement Wednesday that with the FTC's consent order approval, its board accelerated the expiration of a shareholders right plan from Oct. 13 to Wednesday. The plan, also known as a "poison pill," typically serves to slow down the acquisition of additional stock by increasing the number of outstanding shares available to make it much more expensive to purchase a major ownership stake. Most corporations turning to a poison pill typically set the trigger at more than a 10% ownership stake. The Ruger board said it "evaluated the company's current circumstances and determined that an active rights plan is not necessary at this time to serve the best interests of the shareholders." "These actions represent the natural, next steps outlined in the agreement we announced in May," Ruger president and chief executive Todd Seyfert said. Beretta's interest in buying Ruger surfaced in September 2025 when it disclosed in a regulatory filing that it had acquired a 7.75% stake in Ruger. That stake grew to 9% in October. In February, Beretta became the largest individual shareholder of Ruger, with a 9.95% stake. Beretta's bid intensified into hostile territory in March. However, on May 4 Ruger announced reaching an agreement with Beretta that allows it to raise its stake to 25%. In exchange, Beretta agreed to a three-year standstill on increasing its ownership beyond 25%, as well as withdrawing its nominees to the Ruger board for the 2026 shareholder meeting. Before the agreement was reached, Ruger spent at least $4.4 million in legal, professional and advisory expenses from both negotiating with Beretta, and on fending off Beretta's multiple appeals to shareholders.