A Change Of Name: 100 Years Of The American Rifleman

The magazine in your hands is one of the oldest continuously published in the world. As you see here and read in Editor In Chief Brian Sheetz’s column, in 2023, we are celebrating a century of The American Rifleman. Although published since 1885, the editors of the magazine back in 1923 set out their case for “A Change of Name”:

“With the issue of June 1, 1923, Arms & the Man becomes The American Rifleman. Through thirty-eight years of uninterrupted existence this publication has served the shooting fraternity and has fostered the art of marksmanship. Starting its career as The Rifle under the able direction of the late Arthur C. Gould, its name was changed in 1888 to Shooting and Fishing, under which title it was published until 1906, when under the editorship of General James A. Drain, the magazine became Arms & the Man.

“Each of these changes were apparently dictated by a desire to keep the title closely related to the fields which the publication covered during these different periods. And, again, the time has come, in the belief of the present management, to give the magazine a name which will bear a more pertinent relationship and carry a deeper significance to the shooting fraternity. Hence The American Rifleman is presented to the shooters of the country. …

“More and more during the two years past, the editors have been striving to emphasize in current numbers those features which established The Rifle as an authority in the field of firearms and the sport of marksmanship, which may briefly be epitomized as authoritative contributions by qualified writers. …

“Under its new title the rifleman’s magazine will be bigger and better and will be equipped to serve the shooters and conserve their interests better than ever in its entire history. The new name should be permanent.”

Indeed, it has been. These pages have delivered a magnificent century of service to the riflemen of the world and the members of NRA. Today, it remains the flagship magazine of NRA Publications, an “Official Journal” delivered to more than 1.6 million NRA members each month.

No longer just a print magazine, there is now a digital edition, a vibrant website—americanrifleman.org, with updates every day—and, for the past two decades, “American Rifleman Television” has aired weekly on the Outdoor Channel. 

Throughout the course of this, our centennial year, we will be giving you glimpses of what the firearm magazine of record has published through the years both in print and online. These pages have delivered quality content to the riflemen of the world and the members of NRA. Here’s to the next century of the “World’s Oldest and Largest Firearm Authority.”