American Rifleman TV is in Springfield, Mass., to visit the Smith & Wesson Performance Center, where some of the gunmaker's finest custom firearms are manufactured. What is unique about S&W Performance Center firearms 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 the new Ported 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.
With a shortened slide, barrel and frame, the new Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C is designed to be concealable and easily carried while still offering a host of features.
The M-905 Talon is an uncommonly long and weighty muzzle brake offered as an aftermarket accessory and as standard equipment on some of U.S. Arms Co.’s higher-tier AR-15 models.
A new rendition of the modern A5 shrinks the bore to 20 gauge but manages to deliver the finest-swinging and softest-shooting gun in a new generation of Brownings.
Although it’s in its infancy, this new technology signals a sweeping change coming for firearm enthusiasts. Less propellant, precise burn rates, improved reliability and enhanced performance are on the horizon—even if it’s a distant one.