ARTV Preview: Colt Pistols Today, Winchester Wildcat And The British Brunswick Rifle

by
posted on August 31, 2021

Colt was the original manufacturer of the Model 1911 pistol, and a century later, it still makes them. While these newly made models are Series 70, 80, and 90 guns, they still have the classic look of the original 1911s and bear the famous rollmarks from the West Hartford, Conn., manufacturer. This week, for our feature story, we go behind the scenes at Colt to see what goes into making, and what customers can expect from, these new-made Colt pistols.

New Colt pistols freshly made at the Hartford, Conn., factory.

For our "Rifleman Review", we test out the Winchester Wildcat SR chambered in .22 LR. For a long time, the Ruger 10/22 has been at the top of the rimfire rifle market, and Winchester took up the challenge to best it with the Wildcat. With several innovative controls along with a pre-threaded barrel for suppressor use, the Wildcat SR is an interesting rimfire rifle with a lot of utility built in for the 21st century market.

The Winchester Wildcat SR in .22 LR.

For "I Have This Old Gun", we go back to the 1830s when the developments in percussion caps and muzzle-loading systems began to make the earlier flintlocks obsolete. During this period, the British sought a replacement for the aging Pattern 1800 Baker rifle. The British turned to a design for a percussion-fired rifle that features a slotted-and-grooved barrel, and fired a belted ball.

Firing the Brunswick rifle.

The two grooves cut into the barrel were meant to act as rifling, with the belt stabilizing the ball into a rotation as it traveled down the grooved barrel. In theory, the pre-shaped belt and slots in the barrel would mean easier loading than forcing a standard ball down a typical rifled barrel. These rifles earned the name of Brunswick, as their design was already in use in Germany by the troops of the Duke of Brunswick.

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.

Latest

Century BFT 01
Century BFT 01

New For 2024: Century Arms BFT74 & BFT556

Century Arms expanded its AK-style BFT rifle line in 2024 with two new models chambered for 5.56 NATO and 5.45x39 mm, respectively.

Preview: Armaspec SRS AR-15 Kit

This Armaspec upgrade to the AR-15’s standard buffer and spring includes a trio of interchangeable buffer weights that allow the user to tune it to his or her rifle/load.

Gun Of The Week: Davidson’s Exclusive KelTec KS7

Join American Rifleman staff on the range this week with a unique version of KelTec's KS7 bullpup shotgun.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 1, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Hydra Weaponry Expands To New Facility

Hydra Weaponry—the designer and manufacturer of the modular Marck-15 Hydra Weapon System and Maine’s largest firearm employer—has expanded into a larger facility.

Review: Bushmaster M4A2 Patrolman's Carbine

The M4A2 Patrolman’s Carbine from Bushmaster Firearms is the first in a line of AR-15s designed to bring back the standard, carbine-length firearms that have long been a staple of American shooting enthusiasts.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.