It should come as no small comfort for any patriotic American to know that the country’s firearm industry is vibrant and productive, still faithfully serving the needs of armed citizens, law-enforcement officers and military personnel—just as it has for more than two centuries.
Each year, our editors and contributors scour the industry’s latest offerings and compile essential details about the 25 most interesting into a “New Guns & Gear” report. This year, our roundup serves not only as our April issue’s cover story but as a preview of the most visually striking and mechanically interesting guns and accessories that will be among many more on display for NRA members and the general public at the organization’s 152nd Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, Ind. Whether you’re looking for a tactical lever gun, a longslide, 10 mm Auto-chambered pistol, a high-performance, or close-range, rifle cartridge or a laser-rangefinding binocular, you’ll find it in this issue, and you can see and handle it at NRA's Annual Meetings & Exhibits, too.
And just as a refresher on the best products we’ve covered in the pages of the magazine during the past year, our April issue also features the 2023 winners of American Rifleman’s Golden Bullseye awards. They represent an even more selective slate of standouts—rifle, shotgun, handgun, tactical gun, optic, ammunition and accessory, along with an industry pioneer—that our editors believe showcase the best talents the firearm industry has to offer. The winners will be formally honored at the Annual Meetings and will be on-hand in Indianapolis for the public to see.
In historical coverage, we honor the 125th anniversary of the German military’s adoption of the seminal Mauser 98 rifle. In that feature, I endeavor to provide answers to the question of what, exactly, makes “The Mauser Model 98: Truly Great”—relying on past insights from some of the most knowledgeable experts ever to write on the subject. On the same topic, make sure to see the striking images of perhaps the finest example of a sporting Mauser available today in our "Opening Shot," and don’t miss our signature “Exploded View” treatment of the World War II-era K98k.
Then, in a development related to a modern trend in shotgun ammunition, contributor Frank Melloni takes a look at "‘Little Guys’ To The Rescue: Federal’s Force X2 Shorty Shotshells," which demonstrates how such diminutive shells with advanced payloads can serve as a more effective, safer solution for the home defender.
There’s plenty more to enjoy in the April issue of American Rifleman, from short Products writeups to full Dope Bag reviews and from “Question & Answers” to “I Have This Old Gun … ” technical and historical treatments, respectively. Whether your interest is in the new or the old, or both, rest assured that we have it covered.
Yes, the American firearm industry is indeed alive and well, despite the best attempts by left-wing politicians and woke media conglomerates to suppress its positive economic news and your constitutionally enumerated right to keep and bear arms.
So, by all means, help to ensure its future success by making your voice heard through the purchases of new rifles, shotguns, handguns, optics, ammunition and accessories soon, and spread the word that as long as we still have the rule of law in this country and the Constitution is intact, every law-abiding citizen has the right to buy the means to preserve his or her individual, and our collective, freedom.
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