#MilSurp

Let’s take a look at the 10 of the top M1 Garand rifles sold to date.

It is sometimes said that “timing is everything” and, in this instance, that proved to be true for the United States military. As events transpired, there was a source for manufacturing modern military service rifles that could go into production in a relatively short period of time. This fortuitous happenstance was due to the fact that when the United States declared war, three American plants were completing production of the “Pattern 1914” rifle under contract for the government of Great Britain. That would lead to what we now know as the Model 1917 rifle.

Hollywood legend has it that the gun that “Won the West” was the Winchester Model 1873 Jimmy Stewart struggled to keep in the movie Winchester ’73. In fact, it was the U.S. Model 1873 .45-70 Springfield, better known to modern day collectors and shooters as the “.45-70 Trapdoor” for its top-opening breech block, that truly “Won the West.”

Following their success with their .22-caliber M1 Garand, Kingston is launching a rimfire replica of the M14 rifle for 2017.

During World War II, the Ordnance Department granted a number of developmental contracts for various types of weapons. These weapons were given a “T” (Test) prefix and were intended either to modify the existing M1 rifle to increase its utility or were an entirely different type of weapon that might prove to be an improvement over the Garand.

For all that talk that Mosin-Nagants are ‘no-frills’ rifles of almost agricultural construction and simplicity, they have remarkably sophisticated cleaning kits. Read on to learn more about that cleaning kit that came with your rifle, as well as getting the most out of your Mosin-Nagant.

To maintain and ensure their neutrality, Sweden in the 19th and 20th centuries developed a well-trained military force based on conscription in which all young men would be trained, and subject to call-up in emergencies. It also developed some amazing military rifles. It paid off. All sides in both World Wars avoided antagonizing the Swedes.

The Remington Arms Company has been a supplier of shotguns to the United States military since before the First World War. The Model 10 and Model 31 slide-action shotguns and Model 11 autoloader were part of America’s military small arms during both World Wars. The Model 870 (M870) so familiar to shooters today has also played an important role with the United States military. Here is its story.

The SKS Carbine has been called the Soviet Union’s M1 Carbine. Like the M1 Carbine, it was designed as a lightweight, semi-automatic rifle that was handier than the standard infantry rifle.