In 1986, Ruger introduced the rugged and reliable line of full-size, six-shot, double-action GP100 revolvers. The company quickly recognized there was a place in the market for another wheelgun that provided the same tank-like strength of the GP100 but in a more compact package. In 1989, the snub nose five-shot …

Even though your loved ones are priceless, and you would do whatever it took to protect them, thankfully you don’t have to invest thousands of dollars to keep everyone safe when things go bump in the night. If you prefer a shotgun for personal defense but don’t have a huge …

This article appeared originally as “Top 10 Infantry Rifles” in the September 2008 issue of American Rifleman. To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page here and select American Rifleman as your member magazine. Because soldiers in general and infantrymen in particular operate as part of a combined-arms army, where armor, …

In the late 1960s, Austria began to consider replacing its StG.58 service rifle⁠—a domestically produced version of the FN FAL. In keeping with the general trend sweeping through so many of the NATO member nations at the time, the objective was to retire the old 7.62x51mm battle rifle and adopt …

My colleague here at Shooting Illustrated has made the point that the firearm industry is different than others, and there’s no denying his point. However, in many ways, it’s also similar: There are clear, identifiable trends in the gun world just like in any other industry. We’ve seen the proliferation …

Most of us are familiar with the idea of harnessing the resultant gas from burning gunpowder to cycle an action, but how about using it to keep an action closed? This is the exact idea behind the Walther CCP M2 line of semi-automatic pistols, and with that handgun’s design also …

The first product Bill Geissele made was an improved trigger for the AR-15. Ever since then, he has been working his way through the parts and details of the AR-15, offering improved products at every turn. Now, his company offers a complete rifle. The Super Duty is composed of mostly …

More SUBSCRIBE What compels a Service Rifle shooter like me to build and shoot a Palma gun? My current focus is to complete earning my Distinguished Rifleman badge, a goal that has eluded me for many years as career and family have taken priorities in my time. The price of …

Gun manufacturers have been chopping down duty-size semi-automatic pistols to make them smaller and more concealable for about as long as there have been duty-size, semi-automatic pistols to chop. The earliest one I can think of on this side of the pond, at least, was Colt cutting the barrel length …

The first of its kind in U.S. military service, the M60 General Purpose Machine Gun replaced at least three other guns. Nicknamed “The Pig,” it saw service on the ground, on the water and in the air. The conflict in Vietnam is considered by many to have been an infantryman’s …