** 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. **
Smith & Wesson opened its Performance Center in 1989 in order to create custom race guns, eventually expanding to a variety of guns ranging from hunting rifles to carry guns. What makes S&W Performance Center firearms unique is that although many of the firearms might contain special features that are typically found only in "one off" custom guns, the manufacturer produces them in large enough quantities to keep them affordable and available to everyone. Many Performance Center guns—like thePorted M&P Shield—originate from standard designs and are then customized and tuned for precision, while others are created from the ground up to include hand cutting and fitting. Overall, Smith & Wesson prides itself not only on its products but also its employees, with some of its workers being the third generation of their family to work for the company. Check out this segmentfrom a recent episode ofAmerican Rifleman TV to learn more about Smith & Wesson's Performance Center.
Taurus USA first adopted the ideal of a brace-ready format for a traditional handgun in its GX4 Strike Bravo, and now, the company is extending that concept to its TX22 rimfire handgun.
One of the lesser-known revolvers from the Civil War era, the Whitney Navy revolver had several notable features and even inspired a copycat in the Confederacy.
Being right isn’t inevitably a winning argument. If it were, the gun-control left would never win again, as all the data shows that arresting and prosecuting criminals, not going after law-abiding citizens’ guns, is what makes violent crime drop.
No matter what firearm you're using for whatever purpose, even if it's simply a trip to the range, always resist the temptation to accept “good enough” if there is the possibility of better performance.
Since January 2025, the Crime Prevention Research Center has documented 16 defensive gun uses in which police say armed citizens stopped mass public killings.
Federal and Mossberg are working with Palladyne AI in the creation of SwarmShot, a kinetic defense system that employs swarms of armed drones to shield troops from unmanned aircraft system threats.