The Ruger Mini-14 never gained much traction as a military rifle, but instead was adopted by police forces all over the world, including France. The Mousqueston A.M.D. rifle—a nearly 30-year-old variant of the Ruger Mini-14—stands for “carbine intermediate defense weapon” and is France's version of the Mini-14. A magazine-fed, semi-automatic rifle, it has served France through many tumultuous times. Similar to American versions of the Mini-14, the Mousqueton A.M.D. differs slightly by having a finer detailed stock, as well as the receiver markings located underneath the wood line so they were not immediately visible. Today, the collecting public in France can own the Mousqueton A.M.D., but only as an Arme Neutralisée—or deactivated weapon. For more on the Ruger Mousqueton A.M.D. Rifle, watch this "I Have This Old Gun" segment from a recent episode of American Rifleman TV.
Any survey of military firearms isn’t complete without also discussing the development of ammunition across this past quarter-millennium. From a conceptual standpoint, very little has changed.
Initially introduced in 2019 to the international military market in a select-fire format, the IWI Carmel is a modular, durable and thoroughly modern sporting rifle.
Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. became the first Blue Diamond level sponsor of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) in 2024 by supporting the youth shooting sports program with more than $75,000 a year.
KelTec has brought the stripper clip back with the thoroughly unconventional PR57—a carry pistol with an uncommon chambering, an unusual action and no box magazine.
A number of states in the western U.S. have opened or are planning to open large, versatile ranges to serve the growing need for publicly accessible shooting spaces.