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In 1955, the Browning Arms Company began importing a striker-fired, blowback-operated .380 ACP pistol built by Fabrique Nationale (FN) in Belgium. Designed by John Browning and originally designated as the Model 1910 by FN, the Browning Model 1955 (for U.S. import) pistol features a steel frame and slide with an internally fixed barrel. Diminutive and concealable, the .380 ACP-chambered pistol provides for three safety mechanisms: a grip safety, a frame-mounted lever-actuated safety and a magazine safety. Topside, a rudimentary set of fixed sights aid shot placement. The firearm functions via the renowned builder’s striker-fired mechanism within the pistol’s slide. Additionally, a six-round detachable box magazine feeds the firearm. To learn more, watch this NRA Gun of the Week video hosted by American Rifleman’s Brian Sheetz.
Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.
In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.
The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.
The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?