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The Skorpion Machine Pistol was invented by Miroslav Rybář as his graduate thesis for the Czech Military Training Institute, and it has changed very little from its original design. The gun was adopted by Czech security forces in 1961 and saw service until 1979. Also known as the Vz 61, it is chambered in .32 ACP and feeds from detachable box magazines, is equipped with a folding buttstock and could be fired semi-automatic or fully-automatic. The Vz 61 Skorpion is not legal in the United States due to the National Firearms Act and import bans, however, they are gaining popularity in the U.S. with a version on the market that is a fully-legal semi-automatic-only pistol. For more on the Czech Skorpion Pistol, 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.