It was brought to my attention shortly before the new year began that the Winchester Model 95 would be celebrating its quasquicentennial, 125 years since its introduction in 1895. Four years ago in 2016, Winchester celebrated its sesquicentennial, 150 years since Oliver F. Winchester acquired the company and introduced its first rifle, the Model 1866. The comparison was interesting because it only took 25 years for Winchester to go from a black-powder, lever-action rifle fashioned from gunmetal (brass alloy) and iron to heat-treated nickel steel for the much more powerful smokeless cartridges. ...Read More >

Bergara bolt-action rifles are known to shoot well, and the company has been making headway with its sporting and long-range options in the last several years. Nonetheless, given the occasional letter sent to the office, it appears many hunters are not quite sure where the rifles are made. A brief history may help clear up some of this confusion. ...Read More >

In 2010, Andy Larsson purchased Skinner Sights and in the past decade has worked continuously to improve the design, quality and has developed many new products. Andy becoming the owner of Skinner Sights was a perfect match. For example, he has been a serious shooter and hunter all of his life and has won many Bullseye matches, including the Indoor Open Sectionals National Championship in 1998. Being a shooter, Andy knows what good sights are and what features are necessary to shoot small groups or take game in the field. Skinner is currently supplying aperture sights and a new ladder sight for Marlin Firearms, Henry and others. ...Read More >

In the early 1940s, there happened to be a firearms miracle the likes of which will probably never occur again: A military firearm was manufactured to the tune of 6.25 million in less than four years, and that included time spent at drawing boards before the first steel and wood were cut. Ancillary points to the miracle were that the M1 Carbine’s basic design was accomplished in 13 days by Winchester Repeating Arms, and nine of the 10 companies that produced them from 1941 to 1945 had never manufactured a firearm previously. Of course, Winchester was the exception. ...Read More >