Ugly Guns: Before and After

Back when American Rifleman reviewed Springfield's Model 2020 Waypoint, we noted that we “...couldn’t help but wonder if a tactical-version Model 2020 rifle might be a logical future offshoot of the Waypoint hunting rifle." With the Model 2020 Heatseeker, that version is finally here.

Marlin’s latest Model 1894 lever-action rifle, a collaboration with Mad Pig Customs that is a far cry from traditional, delivers “modern, factory‑installed features previously found only on custom builds.”

People carrying small firearms for personal protection is not a new concept, and in the middle of the 19th century, many pocket pistols were designed with self-defense in mind. One such gun, the Brown Manufacturing Southern Derringer, was among the earliest cartridge-firing self-defense guns.

In this episode of the NRA’s The Armed Citizen Podcast, we interview Gayle Pearlstein, COO and co-founder of Lox & Loaded, a Jewish-owned and -operated gun club that now—after being launched only a year ago—has 50 chapters around the United States.

Springfield Armory entered the world of modular, striker-fired handguns in 2023 with its Echelon line of pistols, and for 2026, Springfield is introducing an entry-level Echelon model with the Alpha 4.0C.