While companies like Henry and S&W (through Volcanic) produced some of the first lever-action rifles, the Marlin Firearms Company wasn’t far behind.
Founded in 1870, the company introduced the Marlin Model 1881, a design by Andrew Burgess, just a decade later. It was then quickly followed by a series of rifles from Lewis “L.L.” Hepburn: the Models 1888, the solid-topped 1889, and the side-ejection 1893.
The Marlin 1893, complete with a loading gate, solid top receiver, and side ejection (Photo: Guns.com)
Although the Model 1893 was a sound design, Lewis Hepburn saw opportunities to simplify and improve it. He removed the rear locking lug, which extended into the trigger guard and could pinch the shooter’s finger as the action cycled, and simplified the design with a one-piece trigger and a two-piece firing pin, the latter a safety feature.
With that, the 1894 was born.
Hepburn’s 1893 patent on the design that would become the Marlin 1894. It was initially introduced in four popular wheel-gun calibers: .25-20 Win, .32-20 Win, .38-40 Win, and .44-40 Win.
Compact and popular with hunters, trappers, and miners, it became a fast hit for the company. Produced from 1894 to 1935, it was resurrected in modern calibers in 1969, when CBS’s “Gunsmoke” and NBC’s “Bonanza” were both top-five TV shows. It stayed in production through 2020, when Remington Outdoors went belly up.
Ruger then salvaged the Marlin brand from the wreckage of Big Green and reintroduced the 1894 in .44 Magnum three short years later.
Since then, Ruger has delivered 14 Model 1894 variants to market, including six Trapper series guns with handy 16.17-inch barrels and stainless-steel components.
Late last year, we announced the 1894 Trapper in 10mm Auto with an MSRP starting at $1,599, our review subject.
Like other models in the Trapper Series, the 1894 Trapper in 10mm features a cold hammer-forged, 16.17-inch threaded barrel and a receiver-mounted Skinner Sight system for rapid target acquisition. The muzzle is threaded 5/8-24TPI. (Photos unless noted: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
With black laminate furniture, it weighs a handy 6.3 pounds and measures 33.25 inches overall. The 1:16 RH twist barrel helps wring out a bit more velocity from the 10mm Auto round than a handgun would.
The Marlin 1894 Trapper in 10mm is the only lever gun in that caliber we can find on the market.
The caliber also makes sense historically, as 10mm Auto, most commonly seen with a 180-grain bullet traveling at about 1,200 fps, generates about 600 ft./lbs of muzzle energy, is eerily similar to the old .44-40 Winchester, which typically sported a 200-grain bullet traveling at 1,200 fps for about 600 ft./lbs of muzzle energy. Plus, 10mm is much easier to find these days than good .44-40s.
I was involved with Glock’s single-stack micro-compact guns (officially called their “Slimline” series) since the day they launched the .380 G42 at SHOT Show 2014.
The thing is, all the gun writers there had one thing in common when talking about it: why wasn’t it in 9mm?
Glock listened, and just 16 months later, debuted the 9mm G43 at the NRA Show in Nashville in April 2015. They couldn’t even wait til the next SHOT Show to fix their mistake!
Man, the G43 was something at the time.
And still is, compared to, say, a .38 snub nose, in this case, my classic Colt Agent. Lighter, slimmer, and faster to reload.
Drink in my Taran Tactical and Vickers-enhanced Glock 43. You see, you had to get the Taran extended base pads to reliably boost capacity beyond its standard six rounds. (All photos: Chris Eger)
The original G43’s feeding options: a standard OEM 6-rounder; an OEM 6-rounder with a Taran Tactical (TTI) +1 base plate; an OEM 6-rounder with a +2 Pearce extension; and OEM 6-rounders with TTI +3, +4, and +5 baseplates. Wow
After selling a million G43s (not an exaggeration; they did a press release about it) in just the first three years of its existence, the company addressed the complaint that it only held six (6) rounds in the magazine and at SHOT ’19 debuted the 10+1 capacity G43x and the slightly longer but same magazine-sized G48, giving everyone that bought the original G43 the frowns and everyone who was on the fence on the platform over its limited capacity a reason to get off said rail and head to the gun counter.
The G43x and G48, when they debuted in 2019, for some reason, had stainless slides. I was there and nobody understood why
While, yes, the standard Glock 43x magazines were reliable and kept the gun small enough for deep carry, or even pocket carry if you had a big enough pocket, they were still just 10-rounders.
This led Shield Arms in Montana to do the craziest thing, and cough up a steel-bodied (which could be thinner than Glock’s polymer mags) that would allow a 15-round flush-fit G43x/G48 magazine, the S15.
Boom:
Now it’s 3rd generation, Shield has worked out the bugs, though they typically need a steel magazine catch to work long term, as the polymer OEM catch wears out rapidly. Steel on polymer does that.
I love the 3rd Gen Shield S15s in the G43x and G48, and I’ve enjoyed them with my Aimpoint COA-equipped model…
…which goes far toward being one of the best carry pistols on the market.
For guys who were fine running an extended mag on the range on a budget, the ETS and ProMag options are around for 19-, 28-, and even 50-round examples, as witnessed over at The Mag Shack.
This year, finally blotting out its original Slimline mistakes from 2014, Glock debuted 15-round flush-fit mags for the G43x/G48. Like Shields, they are steel-bodied.
They should have sent Shield a thank-you letter for the idea and beta testing. Maybe a nice fruit basket.
But still, you have to love the developmental process, baby.
The Army’s planned SIG Sauer-made replacement for the M4 Carbine is slated for delivery to troops before year’s end.
As we previously reported, SIG won the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon, or NGSW, competition in April 2022, securing a 10-year contract for two weapons chambered in the new hybrid 6.8×51 Common Cartridge. The weapons are intended to replace the Army’s 5.56 NATO small arms in front-line service.
The rifle, initially designated the XM5 and now type-classified as the M7, is based on SIG’s MCX Spear platform and will replace the M4 and M4A1. The SIG LMG-6.8, adopted as the M250 light machine gun, will replace the FN-made M249 SAW.
Now, the lighter, more compact XM8 is the Army’s rifle of choice, as shown by the service’s FY27 budget request, which debuted earlier this year, and by this week’s reporting from Military Times.
The outlet reports the XM8 will reach troops in December, and SIG reps say the new rifle is far better than the “old” new rifle.
“From our perspective [the M8 is] a far superior rifle to the M7,” Dave Buehler, SIG’s vice president of manufacturing, told the outlet. “On the M7, our hands were kind of tied [with what] the design criteria or characteristics of the contract required – even if we didn’t like them, we had to meet them. So now, the M8 considers our feedback, the soldiers’ feedback. And we can’t wait to get it out there.”
The XM8, seen here, is a carbine variant of the M7 Rifle. While the M7 has a 13-inch barrel, the XM8 runs an 11-incher. Coupled with other improvements, this delivers a more M4-like experience while retaining the common 6.8×51 cartridge. (Photo: Aliyah Harrison/U.S. Army)
Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle showcased a Soldier with an XM8 at the opening of the 2026 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., this week.
In addition to the XM8, the Soldier has an OpsCore AMPs/FAST headset and AN/PSQ-42 ENVG-B Thermal Fusion goggles, both of which the Army has fielded in limited numbers since 2019. (Photo: Christopher Kaufmann/U.S. Army)
A closer look at the gun shows a Vortex UH-1 holographic sight with a Vortex 3X Magnifier, Leonardo FWS-I (AN/PAS-35) clip-on thermals, and a B.E. Meyers DAGIR NIR illuminator. (Photo: Christopher Kaufmann/U.S. Army)
The M7 is intended to field with the bulky Vortex-made M157 “smart” optics system, seen here in a 2024 test with the 101st Airborne, but the Army has a “M7 Surrogate Fire Control Program” which has seen other platforms used until M157 production catches up. The Vortex optic offers 1-8×30 magnification and combines a laser rangefinder and ballistic computer in an overlaid display to increase first-round hit probability. Even if the high-tech add-ons take a dirt nap, the backup etched reticle should still allow the sight to work as akin to an LPVO. (Photo: Capt. Andrew Lightsey IV/U.S. Army)
While the XM8 and M7 shown above both are seen with the standard steel 20-round magazine, the Army has also been trialing a 25-round magazine developed by SIG for the NGSW.
Further, what appear to be 25-round Magpul PMAGs were seen in the field with the guns earlier this year.
The ATF announced Friday that it has paused NFA restrictions and regulations on silencers (suppressors) and short-barreled firearms nationwide.
In the aftermath of a Texas federal court ruling and sweeping legislative changes brought about in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the ATF has issued official guidance halting the enforcement of traditional National Firearms Act (NFA) transfer, registration, and tax-stamp requirements for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, and “any other weapons.”
After U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to appeal Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, the Department of Justice exercised its enforcement discretion and applied this relief nationally to all gun owners rather than limiting it strictly to the lawsuit’s plaintiffs.
“The direction from the President, Congress, and the courts is clear,” said ATF Director Rob Cekada in a statement. “ATF is now following suit with our enforcement posture while continuing to ensure we remain focused where we are needed the most: combatting violent crime in American communities.”
While the pause in federal enforcement of NFA provisions is at the executive, or White House, level, it could be turned back “on” with very little notice, leaving Congress to make a more lasting fix. However, if thousands of devices are released in the coming months, it may be a “closing the barn door after the horses left” moment to try to revert to the pre-Silencer Shop Foundation ruling status quo.
Moreover, and this is important, dozens of states have their own local restrictions on suppressors and short-barreled firearms, so the pitfalls can remain real for millions of Americans.
Machine guns and destructive devices remain fully subject to NFA regulations and their $200 tax stamps.
Further, Gun Control Act of 1968 standards – including Form 4473 background checks via licensed dealers, interstate transport approval via Form 20, and all applicable state or local regulations – remain fully in effect.
A 16-shot capacity meets vintage class in Springfield’s newest SA-35 4-inch model, which brings compact carry wrapped in polished carbon steel and checkered walnut.
We were among the first to cover the reintroduction of the classic (and then-recently retired) Browning Hi-Power by an American gunmaker when Springfield introduced the SA-35 in 2021.
Since then, the SA-35 line has grown and evolved while retaining the improvements to Mr. Browning’s original design, with a chopped-down 4-inch compact model performing nicely in a review we published in April.
With its more Detective-length, the “Dick” SA-35 4-inch is very slim and actually makes a good carry gun
Now, the company has added a 4-incher with an eye-catching polished blued finish on its carbon steel frame and slide. We’ve been passing it around the office for the past few weeks to get a sneak peek.
Drink it in, folks.
This new SA-35 features a polished blued finish on its carbon steel frame and slide, giving the durable forged components a deep, lustrous appearance. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Complementing the polished steel are attractive walnut grip panels with natural grain and finely cut checkering for confident purchase.
As with all SA-35 pistols, its 4-inch barrel features improved feed ramp design for reliable function with modern defensive ammunition and is forged for durability and strength. It ships with a branded zipper case.
Made in the U.S.A., the SA-35 features rugged forged steel parts for strength and durability, improved ergonomics and enhanced controls, a factory-tuned trigger, modernized Tactical Rack rear and white-dot front sights, an improved feed ramp design, and an increased 15-round capacity in the flush-fit magazine.
The polished 4-inch SA-35 compared to the standard matte-finished model.
The SA-35, especially in this new polished version, salutes the appeal of the “wood and steel” era of arms making.
And yes, it shoots. This is two magazines running the BHP classic Mozambique failure drill at 10 yards. In all, we put just over 300 rounds through the pistol right out of the box without fail.
Don’t sleep on this one as a carry gun if needed. With its twin 15-round flush-fit steel Mec-Gar magazines, superior accuracy, excellent single-action trigger, and wide holster availability (see Commander-sized 1911 fits), it makes a lot of sense.
And if nothing else, it can be something of an “instant” heirloom.
Like you need an excuse for some extra steel…
The MSRP of the new Springfield Armory SA-35 4-inch polished (Model HP9205) is $799, the same as the matte-finished variants.
A demo of the then-new M14 at Fort Dix in June 1959. Similar in size to the M1 Garand, with 29 of 116 parts interchangeable with that .30-06 semi-automatic rifle, the M14 was select-fire and had a larger, 20-round magazine. (Photo: Springfield Armory National Historic Site)
Gerald O’Keefe, who has served as Chairman and CEO of the Civilian Marksmanship Program since 2022, has just transitioned to Executive Chair.
He has been replaced by Fabian Loberia, but Jerry disclosed on his way out that the M14 program is on track (although the gun control hacks are publicly conspiring against it), and the Army has identified 2,027 surplus shotguns for transfer to the CMP, mostly Mossberg 500s but with at least some Winchester ’97s in the mix.
As previously announced, the CMP will soon be selling converted, semi-automatic M14s. The schedule for this project is on track. We’ll begin the conversion process over the next three months and plan to initiate sales in Jan ’27. Sales will occur initially via mail order, but we’ll bring the M14s to all our physical stores in AL, OH, and eventually WY as soon as possible thereafter. More details will be forthcoming later this Fall.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program achieved an important legislative milestone via the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which expanded CMP’s statutory authority to receive and sell certain surplus military pump-action shotguns. This change authorizes a one-time transfer of eligible surplus shotguns from the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force to the CMP, preserving an important part of American military history while creating a new opportunity for collectors, competitors, and firearms enthusiasts. The legislation specifically added pump-action shotguns to the list of firearms eligible for transfer and sale through the CMP, continuing Congress’s longstanding support of the CMP’s mission of marksmanship, firearms safety and youth development.
As implementation moves forward, the U.S. Army has identified 2,027 surplus shotguns for transfer to the CMP: 1,589 Mossberg 500 shotguns and 438 Winchester Model 1897 shotguns. These historic firearms represent more than a century of military service, spanning from the iconic trench-gun era of the early 20th century through modern military and security applications. We are working closely with Army officials to complete transfer requirements and develop restoration, inspection, and sales plans. We look forward to making these firearms available to eligible U.S. customers while ensuring future generations of Americans preserve and appreciate them. Expectation management: The NDAA allows for just this one-time surplus shotgun transfer, and 438 Winchester Model 1897 shotguns are a small quantity, given the likely demand.
Earlier this year, we had Chase with EAA in the GDC studio as a podcast guest and got the lowdown on the company’s Windicator series of European-made wheel guns– which they have been importing for 30 years.
“I mean, they’re just tanks,” he said. “And look, I mean, there’s no denying that Germans make some great firearms. And they have a very deep history in making really, really, well-made firearms. For sure. So it’s just cool to see those out there. And people kind of, you know, they’re neglected. People sleep on them. They do. They 100 percent sleep on them.”
Produced by Hermann Weihrauch Revolver GmbH in Mellrichstadt, Germany – about 30 miles from the legendary Thuringian firearms-making and gunsmithing hub of Suhl – Weihrauch dates back to 1899. Btw, for those curious, you would pronounce the name “Vyre-owk” with a hard “ch” on the end. Really put the sauerkraut into it. Likewise, “Windicator” is likely a take on the maker’s last name blended with Vindicator, using the German more V-like pronunciation of the W.
After origins as a rifle maker, the company introduced its HW Arminius series revolvers in the 1960s, named for a Teutonic hero of the first century AD famous for slapping around the Romans at the Teutoburg Forest.
Imported and sold in the U.S. under a variety of brands (e.g., the Dickson Bulldog and Herter’s Guide Model) and by assorted firms (F.I.E., LA Distributors, etc.), the revolvers were a staple in hardware stores and gun shops coast to coast for generations.
An HW Arminius .32 in the Guns.com Vault and an FIE ad on the series from 1976. For reference, the quoted $120 price is $725 in today’s dollars.
EAA has imported assorted double-action Weihrauch revolvers into the U.S. under the Windicator name since at least 1993, later adding Bounty Hunter–branded single-action wheel guns from the same factory.
Today, EAA sells the Windicator in both .38 Special and .357 Magnum, in 2-, 4-, and 6-inch formats, and in blue/black or nickel (not a misprint). As snubby fans, we opted to review the blue/black 2-inch .357 (770130), right off the boat from Bavaria.
The EAA Windicator 2-inch .357 six-shot double-action revolver. Weihrauch catalogs this model as the HW 357 T. (Photos unless noted: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
It is beefy for a snub, tipping the scales at nearly 29 ounces, unloaded. By comparison, similar six-shot .357s such as S&W’s $1,300 Model 19 2.5 Carry Comp weigh 33 ounces, while the $900 Colt King Cobra Carry 2-inch is billed at 26 ounces.
The snub 2-inch Windicator is a medium-frame, not a small-frame, revolver. It feels closest, in the author’s opinion, to his Fink’s Custom (at Gunsite Academy) chopped-down S&W 2-inch K-frame.
For full disclosure, EAA provided this Windicator revolver to Guns.com for review purposes. All testing was done on this one gun, which has been under evaluation since early May.
What we found:
It takes K-frame speedloaders.
It was dependable over the course of 500 mixed rounds of .38 and .357
It has a very stout double-action trigger that you need to take your pre-workout to run at the range.
It is affordable.
The only big rock we could toss at the $400~ Windicator was its very limited aftermarket support (no grips, can’t change the sights, virtually no parts). But EAA carries a lifetime warranty if something goes wrong (by comparison, Colt runs a three-year warranty).
With that in mind, if you want to upgrade your snub with different sights and accessories at some point, you may want to look toward a Colt or S&W. The closest six-shot .357 Mag snub we can find in the Windy’s price range is the Diamondback SDR, which runs nearly $700.
If you want a basic .357 (big) pocket gun that will go bang and you don’t anticipate upgrading, the Windicator is a, well, win.
I always loved this July 1974 National Geographic image by David Alan Harvey of Sheila E. Denison, one of the first early coed Officer Candidate School class members at USCG TRACEN Yorktown, cleaning her M1 Garand while touching up her hair.
The 10.5-pound wooden-stocked Garand, officially the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, was used by every class at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey, for half a century, only replaced by the M16/M4 in the early 2000s.
However, for those (un)lucky enough to find themselves in Cape May’s Recruit Aptitude and Motivation Program, or RAMP, “The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised” gets pulled out of the armory to add some emphasis to the daily program.
As these images, captured in September, show USCG Company Commanders providing RAMP recruits with “enhanced and personalized training in order for them to succeed.”
(U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 3rd Class Danielle Layton and Seaman Juliana Thornton)
According to the GAO, in 2024, the attrition rate for recruits at Cape May was about 15 percent —higher than in most of the larger services, which average about 11 percent. RAMP aims to turn that around a bit.
Of course, the Coast Guard isn’t the only service still using the Garand, as the WWII icon still often appears in service academy and ROTC training programs, in heritage events such as those hosted by the “Old Guard” of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, at the CMP’s National Matches in the hands of military competitors, and, last but not least, with the Silent Drill Platoon of the Marines.
“The United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, Alpha Company, Marine Barracks Washington, execute the ‘bursting bomb’ sequence at the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on June 13, 2026. The 24-Marine rifle platoon executed a series of calculated drill movements and precise handling of their hand-polished, 10.5-pound M1 Garand rifles with fixed bayonets, all without a single verbal command. The unique precision drill exhibition showcased the uncompromising attention to detail and rigid discipline that exemplify the United States Marine Corps.” (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brynn L. Bouchard)
Fact: Tri-Lug Barrels are the oldest, easiest, and one of the best ways to quickly mount a suppressor.
However, the attachment style is also limited in what it can do and, sadly, is overlooked.
Where did Tri-Lug or 3-Lug come from?
In Oberndorf, Germany, in the early 1960s, Helmut Baureuter, Manfred Guhring, Tilo Moller, and Georg Seidl cooked up probably the most mature sub gun of the 20th Century– the Heckler & Koch MP5. Recycling a roller-locked action first used on legendary machine guns in WWII and carried over to the G3 7.62 NATO battle rifle, it proved durable enough to become legendary.
It also had a funky, albeit innovative, barrel accessory mounting system on the muzzle: three equal-sized (roughly 0.310-inch) raised external lugs, spaced equally about 120 degrees apart center-to-center around the outside of the barrel, and ramped towards the muzzle.
These lugs were not an afterthought, welded, screwed, or pinned in, but something machined directly from, or forged with, the same piece of steel as the barrel.
Tri-lug, as seen on a Springfield Armory Kuna (male) and SilencerCo Spectre 9 and 36M (female). (Photos unless noted: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Even back in 1966, when the HK MP5, developed from the HK54, was introduced with its slimline handguard and straight waffle-pattern 9mm magazines, it had a tri-lug barrel.
Talk about a blast from the past…
The tri-lug barrel endured through the Cold War and into the GWOT era and is still seen on classically styled MP5s and other SMG/PCCs.
Seen above with casual SF types in an Afghanistani aloha snackbar joint in 2003. (Photo: National Archives, magnification by Guns.com staff).
The funny thing was that the tri-lug barrel wasn’t meant for attaching a suppressor. The lugs were originally for affixing accessories (Zubehör) such as a flash-hider (Feuerdampfer), a blank firing adapter (Manoverpatronengerat), and a sleeve for a 22mm cup-style tear gas grenade launcher (Granatfuhrung) fired with a blank round.
Thus:
Via an early HK MP5 manual.
Over the years, the accessories fell away while the MP5’s use with suppressors skyrocketed, especially after N (Navy) model MP5s entered the market in 1986, which included both a threaded barrel and tri-lug.
By 1988, inventor Timothy Bixler, with AWC Suppressors (Dr. Phil Dater’s old company) and Knights Armament, took out a patent (US4893426A) for a rotating collar utilizing Tri-Lug, and the rest is history.
How to use Tri-Lug
First off, Tri-Lug is a left-on (clockwise), right-off (counter-clockwise) kind of thing. Remember, “Left gets tight, right takes flight.”
Align, press down, turn to the left, release. Reverse to take off
Align the lugs, push in to depress the spring of the mount, twist about a quarter turn to the left until it passes the detents and stops, release the spring by letting go, boom. You are locked in. Reverse it to remove. Easy on, easy off, but still rock solid while in use.
Example:
Plus, with the Tri-Lug, you don’t have to worry about the suppressor backing off or loosening under rapid fire as you do with more common threaded-barrel models.
Tips:
You can’t attach the can to the muzzle by twisting in the wrong direction, as the geometry won’t work, so don’t freak out about that.
Also, new mounts and/or new barrels will likely be super tight, and the spring stout, so be sure to lube up and work them in on a safe firearm before heading to the range and trying it for the first time. Nobody gets confidence from the guy tugging on his can in the corner.
Not HK-only anymore
Besides assorted Heckler & Koch MP5/SP5 models and the myriad of clones such as the Century/MKE AP5 and SDS MAC-5, you have offerings from PSA like the AR-V and variants of the B&T APC9, GHM9, and SPC9 that sport in-spec Tri-Lug direct from the factory. Plus, you can get adapters from folks like SilencerCo that convert standard threaded muzzles to Tri-Lug.
SilencerCo’s Tri-Lug male muzzle adapter. As long as you are 1/2x28TPI, you are good to go. Other companies such as Angstadt, Griffin, and Rugged also make such adapters.
As far as making your suppressor Tri-Lug ready, there are adapters for that as well from Banish, Dead Air, SilencerCo, and others, so that’s not a problem.
SilencerCo’s Alpha Tri-lug coupler.
A new model to the market introduced earlier in the month is a dedicated Tri-Lug barrel version of the Kuna, a dependable roller-action that is fast becoming one of the most popular large-format 9mm pistols on the market.
The new Tri-Lug barrel Kuna, right, compared to the standard model.
The Springfield Kuna Tri-Lug in its natural environment, with a SilencerCo Spectre 9 attached.
MSRP for the unbraced model is set at $1,179, and the FSA-braced model’s MSRP is set at $1,330. Low-capacity 10-round options will also be available for those unfortunates living in restrictive states.
So, is Tri-Lug Perfect?
No.
As the design doesn’t support boosters (Nielsen devices), Tri-lug is tied to its original platform type: pistol caliber SMGs, PCCs, and large format pistols with fixed barrels. While primarily a 9mm offering, you also see Tri-Lug adapters for .45ACP (reverse to .578×28, 5/8×24, 9/16×24, and M16x1 LH threads), but that is about it. Plus, since the mounts are spring-based, they can wear out with extensive use, requiring new springs at some point in the distant future.
Still, for those classic MP5 styles and new offerings from folks like B&T and Springfield, the old standard can be a king when it comes to quick-detach.
I was today old when I found out that Harrington & Richardson (H&R) was the U.S. importer for Heckler & Koch from around 1965 to 1973.
This included the HK33-derived T223submitted for U.S. Navy trials for use with the SEALs, the caliber-fluid HK4 pistol, and early MP5s, HK11 MGs, and G3s for mil/LE use.
SEAL Team Two, with Rudy Boesch noted to the left, gave the H&T T223 (HK33) a whirl in Southeast Asia back in the Tiger Stripe and DDT breath freshener days.
After that, SACO in Arlington, Virginia, did it for a couple of years; then, by 1977, HK took control and established its own U.S.-based subsidiary.
I knew HK had been in the states as early as the mid-1960s, but didn’t know it was because of H&R.
