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Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Mention the name “John Moses Browning” to knowledgeable American gun owners, and their usual reaction is profound respect and great appreciation. This is for good reason: though he died over 90 years ago, John Browning either created or influenced the design of many of the most iconic pistols, lever-action rifles, semi-automatic shotguns, and machine guns in use today. Despite his considerable fame and recognition, there is anoth …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Winchester Model 52B Target is a legendary bolt-action .22 caliber rifle that epitomizes precision and excellence in smallbore shooting. Introduced in 1920, the Model 52 quickly earned its reputation as one of the finest target rifles ever made, dominating competitive shooting events for decades. The Model 52B, which is a later iteration of this iconic rifle, features a 28-inch barrel finished in blue, providing both durability and a refined, classic look. Known for …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The High Standard target pistols were manufactured in a variety of models in .22 Short and .22 Long Rifle chamberings for use in competition. One selling point was the similarity in grip angle and manual safety location to the M1911A1 series, a pistol common in service pistol competition. Manufactured from 1926 until 2018, High Standards are generally regarded as a classic .22 target pistol and were common in national-level NRA Bullseye match shooting. Popular model …

Bryant Ridge's analysis: The Type I rifle is a strange hybrid with an interesting history. The Imperial Japanese Army controlled the arsenals that made small arms and got priority in deliveries. When the war in China heated up in 1937, the Imperial Japanese Navy could not get enough domestically-produced rifles from the Army-controlled arsenals, so they went to Europe and looked at foreign sources. They liked German rifles but found them too expensive, so they signed contracts with the Czechs an …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Nagant M1895 Revolver is a seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Léon Nagant for the Russian Empire. The Nagant M1895 was chambered for a proprietary cartridge, 7.62x38R, and featured an unusual "gas-seal" system in which the cylinder moved forward when the gun was cocked to close the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. Léon Nagant and his brother Emile were well known in the Russian Tsar's court and military …