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Heckler & Koch turned a lot of heads with its polymer-frame, striker-fired VP9 pistol. With an excellent trigger and sound ergonomics—that include “wings” on the back of the slide to make cocking easier—the VP9 took home an American Rifleman“Golden Bullseye” award in 2015. Now, the affordable (well, for H&K, anyway), full-size gun is offered in .40 S&W with a 4.08" barrel and weighs in at 26.5 ozs. Look for more guns in the future based on this platform from H&K. hk-usa.com
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.