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The Model 1863 Springfield Rifle Musket has its beginnings in the Crimean War when the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket was the world's premier infantry weapon. Concurrently, the U.S. government was creating its rifle musket the Model 1855 and then later the Model 1861. Shortly after, the Model 1863 was developed as a more expedient version of the Model 1861 and was being made during the Civil War. It was the last percussion muzzle-loading firearm made by the Springfield Armory. However, it continued its service because it could be converted to a metallic cartridge by installing a trap-door type of conversion. And even though production of the Model 1863 ended in 1865, it is still made today in the form of Italian replicas. For more on the Model 1863 Springfield rifle musket, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
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.