This article, “The First Thompsons,” appeared originally in the February 2006 issue of American Rifleman. To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page and select American Rifleman as your member magazine. In 1916, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation was established to create a new automatic rifle for the armed forces. The company was the creation …

Just because something is said in congressional chambers doesn’t mean it is accurate, or even true for that matter. Last week, members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee said a lot in a hearing with a firearms manufacturers and representatives from gun-control groups. The hearing, titled “Examining the Practices and Profits of …

Grovtec US Inc. is now shipping its new two-point tactical sling, the QS (quick slide) Sabre Sling. This tactical sling has a contemporary sleek design with a “quick slide” feature that allows the end user to easily adjust the sling on the fly. To “adjust out,” one simply pulls forward on …

One of the biggest reasons Glock owners are Glock owners is not just Glock’s well-earned reputation as a reliable gun, but also because the industry is crammed full of outstanding aftermarket parts and pieces, such as magazines. While we haven’t done a comprehensive study to see if Glock is truly …

When Joe Roebuck established his gun company in in 2003, the mechanical design engineer and tool-and-die maker initially chose the name Skky Industries. Unfortunately, a vodka maker established a decade before was gaining serious traction elsewhere at about the same time. To avoid trademark discussions that too often turn lengthy, …

America’s enduring Model 1911 .45-cal., semi-automatic pistol remains a landmark sidearm more than a century later. Yet how it was introduced to service and typically carried by soldiers, sailors and marines before World War I remains lesser known. Self-loading handguns became possible with the French invention of smokeless powder in …

An 80-year-old California liquor store owner took matters into his own hands when a would-be punk robber entered his establishment armed with an AR style rifle.  The owner pulled out his shotgun and got off a shot with the thug screaming “He shot my arm off!” as he climbed into the …

Surveillance video capture an intense moment when a gang of three robbers attempted to steal several items from a local smoke shop.  The three criminals were all considered juveniles, but the quick thinking store owner jumped into action, grabbing a sharp object next to his register and using it on …

Man-at-arms is a term that goes back to the knights of the crusade era. I suppose the best definition is “gentleman warrior.” And, while the term may have fallen by the wayside, the gentleman warrior has always been the backbone of our American history and continues to be so to …

This week, four anti-gun bills, AB 1227, AB 2870, SB 505 and SB 918, were heard in the respective Appropriations committees and sent to the suspense file. The Appropriations committees will take up the suspense files next week prior to the August 12 fiscal committee deadline. Continue to contact committee members and …