ARTV Preview: Firearm Basics, Heritage Barkeep and The PKM General Purpose Machine Gun

by
posted on July 20, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

There are a lot of new shooters consistently joining the community, many of whom do not know the basics of firearm handling and safety. That's why for this week's feature, we'll join NRA's Larry Quandahl to go over firearms basics, including the handling of long guns.

NRA's Larry QaundahlNRA's Larry Quandahl covering the basics of long guns. 

This week on "Rifleman Review," we test the Heritage Mfg. Inc. Barkeep revolver. This snub-nosed, single-action revolver is chambered in .22 Long Rifle with a six-round cylinder, and comes in several different flavors.

The Heritage Mfg. Inc. Barkeep.The Heritage Mfg. Inc. Barkeep revolver.

Later, we examine the history of the classic Cold War-era Russian general-purpose machine gun, the PKM. Based off the long-stroke Kalashnikov gas-operated action of the AK family of rifles, the PKM is chambered for 7.62x54 R and belt fed. It is still in widespread use today.

The Russian PKM machine gun.The Russian PKM general purpose machine gun.

To watch complete segments of past episodes of American Rifleman TV, go to americanrifleman.org/artv. For all-new episodes of ARTV, tune in Wednesday nights to Outdoor Channel 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. EST.   

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1
Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1

Gun of the Week: Wilson Combat Bulwark

Wilson Combat has long been known for its custom work on 1911-style designs, but the company also develops its own firearms, and one of its latest in-house creations is the new Bulwark.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 4, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

NFA Wait Times Continue to Drop

In early 2021, it took the ATF about 280 days to process a Form 4 NFA transfer. In August 2026, using the recently implemented eForms system, that wait time had dropped to only nine days.

Pelican Air Carry-on Case Review

An industry staple just made air travel more convenient.

The ROSE Program by SIG Sauer: Empowering Women in Shooting Sports Across the Nation

The ROSE Program is a shooting program created specifically for women. It aims to create a community of women in shooting that can learn about shooting and self-defense.

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49

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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.