Latest Gear Reviews

Nighthawk starts with precisely crafted receivers and slides that come out of its CNC machines close to perfect and require little in the way of fitting. The same is true of the smaller parts that make up the guns.

Christensen Arms of Gunnison, Utah, released its own interpretation of the scout rifle platform, known as the Ridgeline Scout, with a few noteworthy variations on the scout theme. Thanks to the abundant use of carbon fiber, it is among the lighter models in this category, with listed unloaded weights starting at 5 lbs., 14 ozs.

FN has changed a lot in its recently re-released High Power—from the size to the lock-up to the higher-capacity magazine—but, as a result, this new take on an old classic is now even more of a joy to shoot.

Springfield Armory’s SOCOM 16—a radically cut-down version of its flagship M1A—breathed new life into the best civilian M14-type rifle and advanced the scout rifle concept to its most potent level. The SOCOM II elevates that successful blend of battle-tested, practical engineering even higher, making it a modern, modular, close-quarters combat arm that is powerful and easy to shoot.

This year, Traditions Performance Firearms, based in Old Saybrook, Conn., is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In those four decades, it has earned a reputation for offering some of the industry’s most innovative muzzleloaders and associated gear, while refusing to abandon the historic designs and DIY projects enthusiasts crave.

Watch American Rifleman staff on the range this week with a sub-6-lb. hunting rifle from Kimber America.

It seems that nearly every month we hear of increasing numbers of Americans who, motivated by domestic and international circumstances, are taking steps to embrace their individual right to keep and bear arms.

Today the company’s lineup includes lever actions, semi-automatics, single-shot Tuffy shotguns and those Circuit Judges. It also offers fresh-from-the-factory pump-action rifles chambered in .22 LR—like the gallery guns of yesteryear, but manufactured to modern tolerances.

The gunmaking legend is back at it at the Ilion, N.Y., factory, employing many of the same craftsmen, supervisors and management personnel. The company is concentrating initial efforts on manufacturing Model 870s, but plans including bringing back Model 1100s.