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In this third installment in "The Men and Guns of the Pacific," the ARTV crew heads to Saipan, the site of the first battle where American Marines and Soldiers encountered Japanese civilians on the ground in 1944. It was an intense battle between American and Japanese forces that lasted from June 15 to July 9, 1944, at which point the island was declared secure by American forces. In the end, 3,426 Americans paid the ultimate sacrifice to recapture Saipan. Check out this segmentfrom a recent episode ofAmerican Rifleman TV to learn more about the Battle of Saipan.
Initially designed by Croatian manufacturer HS Produkt to fulfill a military contract, the Kuna has since arrived on U.S. shores through Springfield Armory as a semi-automatic, large-format handgun chambered for the 9 mm Luger cartridge.
North Carolina’s Bear Creek Arsenal makes AR-15s, 10/22s and handguns, but new for 2026, it is introducing its first AK-pattern firearm with the BC-47.
Reliable pistol-caliber carbines, especially with quick-caliber-change capability, are fun, and the ASR 1911 from TNW Firearms is one of the most unique of the bunch.
Voyager Technologies announced on Sept. 8 that the GOEX plant in Camp Minden, La.—the sole black powder manufacturing facility located in the United States—has been modernized and is back in production.
Original firearms from the American Revolution era are valuable and best preserved for posterity. For those who want to shoot them, several modern makers offer quality reproductions.