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Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The 1883 Colt Burgess lever-action rifle, produced from 1883 to 1885, represents Colt's only foray into the lever-action rifle market, a market largely dominated by Winchester Repeating Arms Company at the time. With only 6,403 units produced before manufacturing ceased in early 1885, just 21 months after its introduction, the Burgess rifle is considered one of the rarest Colt firearms today, significantly enhancing its appeal among collectors. The rifle is named after i …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Model 20 pump-action shotgun stands as a prime example of American craftsmanship and innovation in the post-war era. Released in the 1940s and available in 12, 16, and 20 gauges, it was produced until the early 1960s, when Sears phased out the J.C. Higgins sporting goods line and replaced it with the Ted Williams brand in 1962. The Model 20 came in various configurations, offering different barrel lengths, at least one muzzle device option (the Power-Pak), and the th …

Bryant RIdge's Analysis: The Smith & Wesson Model 39-2 is a historic and reliable semi-automatic pistol that continues to garner respect among gun enthusiasts and professionals alike. Developed in the wake of World War II, the U.S. military sought a modern 9mm service pistol to eventually replace the iconic Colt 1911. Smith & Wesson responded with the Model 39, which was designed in 1954 for the U.S. Army. However, despite its innovative features, it was not adopted by the military and i …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: The Marlin Model 1894 is a lever-action repeating rifle introduced in 1894 by the Marlin Firearms Company of North Haven, Connecticut. At its introduction, the rifle came with a 24-inch barrel and was chambered for a variety of rounds such as .25-20 Winchester, .32-20 Winchester, .38-40, and .44-40. Variants in other chamberings remain in production today. The Marlin 1894 was originally patented on August 1, 189 …

Bryant Ridge's Analysis: Work had been underway on the first Ruger single-action since 1950, and by June of 1953, the gun was ready, the Single Six. Like the Ruger Standard Automatic pistol, the Single Six was chambered for the great .22 Long Rifle — everyman’s cartridge. Based on the appearance of the Colt Single Action Army revolver, it was first introduced with a 5½-inch barrel. It could also be used with .22 Short or .22 Long ammunition. As the name suggested, the cylinder …