Think Swiss watches are nice? You should see the inside of a Schmidt-Rubin rifle. The Schmidt-Rubin was originally adopted by the Swiss in 1889 with the 1911 version created as a modification and improvement of the original. The rifle is unusual to Americans because it has a straight-pull bolt action, but it is one of the nicest ever made. It was a very successful infantry rifle and saw service from 1889 into the 1950s. These days, the rifle has become quite popular in the military surplus market with the majority of the ones available in the K31 Carbine version. For more on the Schmidt-Rubin 1911 Rifle, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
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.