This feature article, “Ruger: Hencho en Mexico,” appeared originally in the July 2005 issue of American Rifleman. To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page and select American Rifleman as your member magazine. Colonel Rex Applegate was born in Yoncalla, Oregon, in 1914. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1939 with …

I still remember the look of extreme loss and grief etched on the mother’s face as my father and I sat in her living room. The despair so clearly displayed was over her son dying during aerial combat in the skies over Korea. The mother of this missing-in-action airman, a …

Mission First Tactical has supplemented its full line of synthetic AR-15 magazines with 10- and 20-round options for the larger AR-10/SR-25/M110 platform. Optimized for use with SAAMI-spec .308 Win. and 7.62 NATO ammunition, the Extreme Duty Polymer Mag 7.62×51 NATO detachable box magazines are built from durable-but-light long-glass-fiber polymer and …

When Browning introduced the Maxus shotgun in 2009, clay shooters and bird hunters rejoiced. This light-recoiling scattergun seemed to handle any load that was shoved into it and was built to endure the rigors of outdoor life. The new design seemed to offer everything today’s sportsmen wanted but was perhaps a tad …

In 2009, an armed schizophrenic man walked into First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., during Sunday services. He confronted and fatally shot Rev. Fred Winters as Winters preached from the pulpit. Winters unsuccessfully tried to shield himself with his Bible, which exploded into confetti. The murderer then stabbed two other parishioners …

I clutched a white card with black letters in my hand, wanting to rip it to shreds. “It’s supposed to be offensive!” my friend said, trying to calm me. “I need a marker,” I insisted to the half-giggling, half-confused group of college students. Belatedly recognizing that it was neither my …

When asked, most champion shooters will say that dry-fire practice is an integral part of winning. Add Vince Lombardi’s classic quote, “Practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect,” to this, and you’ll quickly understand the value of devices such as the Laser Ammo SureStrike and LaserPETII, which …

SDS Imports is introducing a new line of pistols, the PX-9 GEN3. This family of polymer frame, striker fired pistols is designed to meet the needs of duty personnel, competition shooters and anyone interested in self defense. Manufactured by Tisas in Turkey, the PX-9GEN3 is available in nine variations including a …

Recently a friend of mine wanted to show me his new pocket semi-auto. When he took it out of his ankle holster, we both realized that the front sight was missing and my friend had no idea when he had lost it. The missing front sight was an embarrassment to …

Rarely do we discover a tool that feels completely natural in-hand without modifications, but upon testing the Axe AX405 crossbow, that’s exactly how it performed. Here’s the 411 on the 405. Axe Crossbows may not have the longstanding track record of some brands (they’ve only been in business for a fraction of …