“cold hammer-forged”

European switch-barrel guns are engineering works of art, and are extremely well-designed and precisely executed. They are wonderful additions to any gun safe. One good example is the Merkel RX Helix.

Last year Ruger melded two of its working-man rifle brands—the Ranch moniker and its American Rifle line—to offer the American Rifle Ranch. Let’s talk about what’s in this name.

The world has been awash in .22 Long Rifle rimfires for decades, but few have been built as solidly as the new CZ 455 Varmint Thumbhole Fluted bolt-action. This “little twenty-two” is hefty, a “real” rifle with real rifle feel and performance to match.

Weatherby has continued to roll out its upcoming 2016 product line, and among its most recent announcements was the arrival of the new Wilderness rifle, the latest iteration in the company's popular Vanguard series.

Until recently Glock pistols were viewed as guns for military, law enforcement, personal defense and competitive shooting. While many of these semi-automatic handguns were capable of being used in the field for hunting, most Glock owners never seriously considered them for that purpose. That has now changed with the introduction of the Gen4 MOS (Modular Optic System) pistols. The standout for hunting among the four Glock MOS models is the G40 Gen4 MOS chambered in 10mm Auto.

The Ruger Hawkeye Predator FTW is a great multitasking crossover rifle. It’s fine for most general hunting, well suited for long-range hunting and capable of long-range precision target shooting. What more do you need?

Sauer rifles are renowned for their European quality and hefty price tags that typically run into the thousands of dollars. So it came as a surprise at the 145th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits to find a new Sauer rifle, the 100 Classic, with a suggested retail price of $699. It may be the best value we found in Louisville.

Ruger's 10/22 Takedown has been a hit since its release. The company decided to build on that for 2016 and, at the 145th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, announced the new 10/22 Takedown Lite. The new introduction combines the popular attributes of the 10/22 Takedown with a new, lighter weight barrel and the Ruger Modular Stock System.

Mechanical beauty is more than skin deep. And the Merkel 40E has just that kind of beauty.