Without a doubt, the Smith & Wesson Model 29 is one of the 20th century’s most shootable, collectible “superstar” revolvers. But there is much about this universally-admired .44 magnum that is not known. For example, the serial numbers of the first guns, which officially started at S131700, were not assembled in numerical order, with some of the first Model 29s having serial numbers as high as S167124. The reason for this, according to Smith & Wesson historian Roy Jinks, “…was that the factory was using frames that had already been built, but were for the .45 Target model of 1955.…

On April 25, 1644, the last Ming Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself from a tree on Jing Mountain, Beijing, rather than be captured by the forces of Li Zicheng, the Chinese peasant rebellions leader — who soon after ruled over northern China briefly as the Yongchang Emperor. Thus ended the Ming Dynasty. — Today is the birthday of physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937). He was known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission as well as for the development of Marconi’s law and a radio telegraph system. He is often considered the inventor of radio. — Just a…

Bob Smith stepped into the Maine woods on a November afternoon in 1997 and never came back.His wife heard a single gunshot. Then… nothing.What followed was the largest ground search in the history of the Maine Warden Service. Investigators found clues—a set of boot prints, a strange arrow in the dirt, even a dead moose nearby—but none of them led to Bob.As the search dragged on, rumors surfaced: out-of-state hunters who left early, a story about an accidental shooting, and people who may have known more than they said.Was Bob Smith the victim of a tragic accident… or something far…

Kimber recently entered into the double-stack 1911 market with a number of new designs, first starting with its carry-oriented KDS9c, then expanding the line to include the competition-oriented 2K11. But in 2026, the company developed its 1911 DS Warrior, an American-made, double-stack design that is intended to be an affordable entry point into Kimber’s double-stack handgun line. Watch our “Gun of the Week” video above to see the details of the 1911 DS Warrior. “Kimber’s long been known for its line of single-stack 1911s, and recently, it came out with the 2K11, which is their double-stack,” American Rifleman Executive Editor…

A Connecticut angler recently caught a rainbow trout of epic proportions. On April 11, Richard Courtright Jr. was fishing at a Spring Fishing Day fishing derby on the West Branch of the Farmington River, where the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) had recently stocked trout. There was a rumor that the agency had stocked a state record—and Courtright spotted it in the water.He threw everything he had in his box at the fish, including lures, spinners, and salmon eggs, to no avail. Then Courtright went back to his car to retrieve meal worms. It’s a good…

00:00:05 Speaker 1: Welcome to this country Life. I’m your host, Brent Reeves from coon hunting to trotlining and just general country living. I want you to stay a while as I share my experiences in life lessons. This country Life is presented by Case Knives from the Store More Studio on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor podcast that airways have to offer. All right, friends, grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I’ve got some stores to share. Reckless, abandoned and divine intervention. The trip I have waited on since last April took place last…

On April 24, 1913, the Woolworth Building was opened in New York City by Frank Winfield Woolworth. It was completed at a cost of $13.5 million. At 792 feet, it was then the world’s tallest building. It is pictured above (at center) in 1965. — April 24, 1944: The first Boeing B-29 arrived in China after flying “Over The Hump”. — And on April 24,1990 STS-31 was launched. It was the 35th mission of the US Space Shuttle program. It  carried the Hubble Space Telescope. — Today we present a short guest article by our friend Hub Moolman, of South…

ZEV Technologies—manufacturer of performance handguns, AR-style rifles, components and the new Folding Defensive Platform (FDP)—is moving its headquarters and manufacturing operations out of Washington state to Utah’s Second Amendment-friendly business climate. The company’s relocation to Riverton, Utah, is occurring in waves. Some functions are already up and running at the site, which is in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The entire relocation is expected to be complete by May 31. Utah’s skilled workforce and an infrastructure capable of supporting the intricate nature of firearm production made the new site an ideal location, according to the company’s announcement. ZEV Technologies…

Earlier this week, Denver Water announced that it will soon drain water from one of Colorado’s most popular recreational fisheries: Antero Reservoir. The decision will shutter recreational opportunities at the premier trophy trout fishery, likely impacting it for years to come.Denver Water, a public utility that serves 1.5 million people in the city of Denver, says it made the difficult decision to increase efficiency as the state is experiencing historically low snowpack conditions. Antero, a 2,300-acre reservoir on the South Platte River, has a high water evaporation rate. Because of this, Denver Water will drain the waterbody’s water and transfer…

On March 2, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in U.S. v. Hemani. The case involves a defendant who is fighting a federal indictment for possessing a firearm while being a marijuana user. The Gun Control Act of 1968 created broad categories of people prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. While some in these prohibited-persons categories pose a genuine danger, the categories are overinclusive and implicate individuals who have not demonstrated any inclination towards violence whatsoever. At issue in Hemani is a prohibition (18 U.S.C § 922(g) (3)) prohibition on firearm possession by anyone “who is an unlawful…