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.
While the U.S. Army's Model 1903 Springfield rifle is one of the most well-recognized small arms of the 20th century, a lesser-known variant, the Model 1903A3, served as an important stopgap rifle in the early years of World War II.
Springfield Armory introduced its first optic-ready TRP 1911s, equipped with the Agency Optic System, along with the company's first 9 mm Luger-chambered TRP pistols.
A number of M1 Garands on the market have higher serial numbers than many military-issue Garands? Why? Here's the story of the commercially made M1s from Springfield Armory.
As with all of his previous works, Bruce Canfield's latest, by Mowbray Publishing, is another “must-have” for the shelf of any avid collector of U.S. military arms.