I’m wrong about a lot of things. In a world where admitting wrong can be tough, I think it’s important to remember that being wrong isn’t necessarily bad, especially if you’re willing to learn and change your views and opinions based on data. At least, that’s what I tell myself because I’m wrong a fair bit. Today, I’m going to highlight five things I was wrong about.
The Federal X-2 Shotgun Shells
I was not a fan when I first saw the Federal X2 shotgun shells. They made fishing sinkers into shotgun pellets. It seemed like the G2 Rip of shotgun shells. The promise was that the pellets would come apart when they hit a soft target, giving you 18 pellets. This creates 18 wound tracks.
I was skeptical of the pellets’ penetration and whether they would consistently break apart. Yet, testing in ballistic gel shows that the pellets offer adequate penetration and consistently break apart when they hit soft targets. The majority of pellets make the proper depth. I was wrong about the round’s performance.
The standard 2.75-inch shells work quite well, but the mini shells seem more suspect. If you want to double your pellet load, I’d stick to the full-sized X2.
Snub Nose Revolvers
My stance on snub-nose revolvers was one of pure ignorance. I saw them as a viable option, but an option people pick over guns like the P365 for a nostalgic purpose, or potentially a stylish option. I thought it was vanity, but after shooting a variety of snub-nose revolvers, I walked away, understanding why people chose the snub-nose revolver.
For one, they conceal exceptionally well. For deep carry, the curves and profile of a revolver seem less gun-like and print less altogether. I’ve found this to be extremely true for pocket-carrying a revolver. Speaking of, when pocket-carrying a revolver, the cylinder pushes the gun away from your body and allows you to easily grasp the grip.
Additionally, in a close-up fight, a revolver is a lot less likely to malfunction when you’re in a clinch. Additionally, the revolver is less susceptible to failures due to bullet weight and velocity, allowing for light recoiling loads. I find myself carrying a snub-nosed revolver often these days. It’s nice to be wrong and find something you like oh so much.
Pocket .380s (Kind Of)
There was a period when I completely hated pocket .380s. From 2014 to 2025, I thought it was the dumbest genre of pistols on the market. They had excessive recoil, crappy sights, and crappy triggers, and ballistically they weren’t worth the squeeze. While easy to carry, they sucked at everything else.
What changed my opinion of the pocket .380 was the S&W Bodyguard 2.0. It fixed everything that was wrong with the genre of pocket .380s. It had a great trigger and awesome sights, and the recoil was completely manageable. I was wrong about the genre of pocket .380s, but most pocket .380s still suck.
The S&W Bodyguard 2.0 led me to try the Ruger LCP Max, which also showed me that not all of them were terrible. Most were awful, but not all. The genre of pocket .380s seems to be changing fairly rapidly, fixing many of the problems I had with the older guns.
Shockwave Style Firearms
From the day they premiered at SHOT, I’ve been a big fan of the Shockwave series of firearms. There are tons now, with Mossberg, Remington, and a dozen other Turkish firms creating new models every year. With that in mind, for years, I saw them as nothing more than range toys. They weren’t serious-use firearms, but fun guns that gracefully skirted the NFA.
It wasn’t until guys like Rhett Neumayer put the time behind one that I realized they were more than range toys. They represented an ultra-compact but heavy-hitting option for personal defense. They take a lot of practice and skill to wield, and honestly, they aren’t for everyone. However, the ultra-small size still provides 12-gauge firepower.
They represent a PDW-type firearm in many ways. Sure, they might be the wrong option for recoil-sensitive shooters, but for those willing to learn, train, and be ammo picky, the Shockwave and similar-style firearms can be serious defensive firearms.
The Judge (Kind Of)
When I was young and dumb, I loved the idea of the Judge. A revolver shotgun pistol seemed so cool. Then I bought one and realized it was a terrible .410 and a pretty lame .45 Colt revolver. The patterns were terrible, and I would tell anyone who’d listen to avoid them. I’m still not wrong about the original Judge, but Taurus did prove they could make a viable revolver shotgun pistol.
I approached the Judge Home Defender with a lot of caution. I figured the rifled barrel would make it suck, just like the original Judge. Imagine my surprise when it didn’t suck. The patterns were consistent with most ammo types and capable of working like a shotgun. A very short and lightweight shotgun with the bonus ability to shoot a .45 Colt.
The Judge offers an alternative to the .410 Shockwave, and the double-action design offers a bit more capability than the Shockwave. It’s a capable .410 option. It changed my mind on the capability of rifled barrels.
Being Wrong
Yep, I’ve been wrong more than five times, but these are the five times I can remember most vividly. Being wrong is fine; just don’t get so stuck in your wrongness that you refuse to evolve and grow.
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