Video: Melvin Forbes And His Rifles

by
posted on November 2, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

When Melvin Forbes was presented with the 2011 NRA Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award, NRA Publications Editorial Director John Zent said that Forbes “shook up the shooting and hunting world with his five-pound rifles that shoot every bit as good as many twice that heavy.” As a young master gunsmith in West Virginia, Forbes had a vision of an accurate, reliable, bolt-action hunting rifle that weighed less than 6 pounds. He introduced his masterpiece at the 1985 SHOT Show and today his revolutionary approach to paring weight without sacrificing accuracy has created a template that sets the industry standard.

Watch this feature video from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV to learn why other firearm manufacturers paid attention and, to varying degrees, copied Forbes’ ideas.

For more on Forbes rifles, please enjoy the following articles:

2011 Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award Winner Melvin Forbes
How to Shoot Light Rifles
Forbes Rifle Model 24b
Keefe Report: Production Forbes Rifles
Keefe Report: Pioneer Award—An Award Worth Giving

Latest

Mossberg 590R Chisel GOTW 1
Mossberg 590R Chisel GOTW 1

Gun of the Week: Mossberg 590R Chisel

For those who are seeking a shotgun that's a bit more heavy-duty, Mossberg's 590 line offers plenty of options, and one of the latest is the striking 590R Chisel.

The Armed Citizen® June 12, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

A Cathartic Journey Back to Midway Arms & the MidwayUSA Foundation

NRA CEO & EVP Doug Hamlin returned to MidwayUSA, a place he first visited decades ago in the early 1990s as publisher of Guns & Ammo magazine alongside the late, great Robert E. Petersen.

Review: Steiner MPS-C

The new Steiner MPS-C is the compact but rugged, closed-emitter optic we’ve all been waiting for.

The Truth About Bans on Glocks

Gun-control groups are again trying to ban one of the best-selling and most iconic semi-automatic pistols ever—yes, most Glocks.

WOOX Expands Operations in America’s Woodworking Heartland

WOOX, manufacturer of Italian-American made gunstocks, axes and knives, is breaking ground to expand its operations in Hickory, N.C.—where woodworking expertise has been passed on for generations.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.