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Right before World War II, Remington upgraded its civilian bolt-action rifle from the Model 30 to the Model 720. The rifle hit the market shortly before Dec. 7, 1941, the timing of which caused production to cease. Only 2,500 of these models were produced, and the majority of them ended up in storage. Later they were ordered destroyed, but before that ever came to pass, the Navy bought the rifles and awarded them as trophies in Navy and Marine Corps shooting matches. For more on the Remington Model 720 Rifle, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
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.
Like any hobby or pastime that is in any way even vaguely related to machines or technology, firearms attract a (possibly) disproportionate number of “right-brained,” STEM-oriented personalities who like numbers.
Slingshots are fun, but they can also be a legitimate backup defensive tool—in 2023, a 13-year-old Michigan boy saved his 8-year-old sister from being kidnapped by using a $3 slingshot to fire a marble and a rock at the assailant, striking him in the chest and head.