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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.
In 2024, former owner Gregg Ritz purchased Thompson/Center Arms. Now the company has introduced a modern take on its classic Contender/Encore concept: the ENCORE PROHunter.
While it's certainly a saturated marketplace these days, the AR-15 has never been more popular with American firearm enthusiasts, and many manufacturers are continuing to feed the need with new options loaded with new features.