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An answer to Colt's Detective Special and Smith & Wesson's Chiefs Special, the Ruger Speed-Six revolver was intended for use by plainclothes detectives and others desiring a more concealable handgun. The revolver, a variant of the Ruger Security-Six and Service-Six, incorporates fixed sights and a round-butt frame, and was available in .357 Mag., .38 Spl., .38 S&W (.380-200), and 9 mm Luger. The standard barrel lengths available were the same as those for the Service-Six, but also included a 3" length in certain law-enforcement contract orders, until the agencies using the revolver ultimately adopted .40 cal. semi-automatic pistols. For more on the the Ruger Speed-Six revolver, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
Despite being early adopters of several semi-automatic rifles for military use, the French army took several decades to work out a standardized semi-automatic rifle for general service use. The rifle that finally came to being was the MAS-49.
"An armed society is a polite society," goes the famous quote, which is also the inspiration behind Polite Society Industries, a new suppressor manufacturer that now has a complete line available to consumers.
Iconic American firearms maker Smith & Wesson will join NRA-ILA on the road as nation's leading firearm group turns out voters ahead of the 2026 midterm.
The 2026 National Firearms Survey conducted by William English of Georgetown University estimates that armed citizens in America use their guns 2.2 million to defend themselves or others.