Manufacturing processes and firearm designs have shifted in recent decades due to out-of-the-box thinking, and a drive for innovation. Case in point, a company based out of Utah founded in 1995 with roots in the aerospace industry provided the commercial firearm market with a barrel design unlike any prior. Christensen Arms patented the first rifle barrel to utilize carbon-fiber fabric; lightening and strengthening the barrel while providing assistance with heat mitigation. American Rifleman’s Christopher Olsen examines the MPR (Modern Precision Rifle) from Christensen Arms—a rifle chambered for 6.5 mm Creedmoor that takes advantage of the company’s patented technology by employing a 22” carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel. Additionally, the MPR utilizes a folding chassis built of aluminum, combined with more of the space-age carbon-fiber material. To learn more, watch our NRA Gun of the Week video.