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Smith & Wesson opened its Performance Center in 1989 in order to create custom race guns, eventually expanding to a variety of guns ranging from hunting rifles to carry guns. What makes S&W Performance Center firearms unique is that although many of the firearms might contain special features that are typically found only in "one off" custom guns, the manufacturer produces them in large enough quantities to keep them affordable and available to everyone. Many Performance Center guns—like thePorted M&P Shield—originate from standard designs and are then customized and tuned for precision, while others are created from the ground up to include hand cutting and fitting. Overall, Smith & Wesson prides itself not only on its products but also its employees, with some of its workers being the third generation of their family to work for the company. Check out this segmentfrom a recent episode ofAmerican Rifleman TV to learn more about Smith & Wesson's Performance Center.
The North-South Skirmish Association keeps Civil War history alive through competition shoots using Civil War-era arms at its Fort Shenandoah home base, as well as at regional shoots across the country.
We’re told AI could eventually eliminate every job, and the trades will just be the last to go. But a pair of experts dedicated to training gunsmiths have a different opinion on the fate of their graduates.
Late last year, Pietta announced it would be re-introducing their Starr revolver in both its double-action and single-action form, and now, the guns are finally arriving stateside.
If the gun-control Left is to be believed, then the murder rate in the U.S. should be going up. After all, gun sales and ownership rates have been rising for the last few decades and anti-gun groups claim that gun ownership is the cause of violent crime. This, of course, is nonsense.
From cutting-edge precision rifles designed for competition or hunting to traditionally styled guns that emulate designs from yesteryear, 2026 saw the introduction of an incredible array of bolt-action rifles.
The Italian-designed-and-manufactured Chiappa Rhino remains unique today as the only current revolver with the barrel mounted at the bottom of the frame, firing from the chamber at the 6-o’clock position.