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Savage Arms Company introduced the now-famous Model 1899 lever-action rifle in—not surprisingly—1899. The new rifle was based on the invention of Arthur W. Savage of Utica, New York. Mr. Savage had previously designed lever-action rifles, one for military trials in 1892 and another, a commercial version in 1895, which was produced for Savage by the Marlin Firearms Company in New Haven, Connecticut. Some 6,000 of the 1895 model were manufactured between 1895 and 1899. Savage Arms Company was formed in 1897, and began producing the rifle themselves in 1899. The Model 1899 is an outstanding and unique design in many ways. It offered an internal rotary magazine that held five shots, along with a very strong and simple lever-action operation. The Model 1899 also incorporated an unusual and thoughtful cartridge-counter feature; the shooter could see the number of cartridges remaining in the magazine by viewing the cartridge counter through a small window on the left side of the receiver. In addition, the new rifle was equipped with a hammer-cocked indicator on the top of the receiver. Another innovative feature was the sliding safety that locked the trigger while at the same time locking the lever in the closed position.

As the owner of a firearm test range, I mount dozens of scopes each year. I get to see first hand how they perform, as well as the performance of scopes mounted by others. The two main complaints I hear about scopes usually center around those that fail to remain sighted in or group poorly on target. These complaints are usually very well founded. Most complaints about scope mounting are the direct result of poor scope-ring alignment and the accuracy-robbing stresses inherent between metal parts. These stresses pull and twist, causing the scope to move and to become misaligned. The scope never really settles down as bullet point-of-impact changes over time or even as a target group is being fired.

As part of an ongoing national effort to help prevent illegal 'straw' purchases of firearms, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, is reminding the public along the Southern border in Texas and Arizona that stiff penalties are in place for individuals convicted of such purchases.

As discussions continue about gun and magazine bans, talking heads on the TV get their gun terminology all messed up. Maybe it's because the reference they're using isn't quite up to snuff:

The ACULON A211 binocular officially launches Nikon’s all-new ACULON optics family to the world, with seven fixed-power and two zoom models.

Mercury One, Glenn Beck's production company, is raising money to honor Chris Kyle, author of American Sniper and the country's deadliest sniper. One hundred percent of the funds raised will go to The Chris Kyle Memorial and The FITCO Fund, a non-profit started by Chris Kyle to help veterans overcome PTSD.

The White House released a photograph that they claim depicts President Obama skeet shooting at Camp David. They warned the internet not to alter it, which is basically like demanding that an alcoholic ignore a free bar. Here are few modifications the staff at the The Patriot Post came up with. Feel free to add more in the comments below.

Doc, a Gun Tests reader from Hughes, Arkansas, is having trouble with his SIG Mosquito 22 LR pistol. He writes:

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, joined a chorus of skeptics who questioned President Barack Obama's recent comments about his hobby of skeet shooting.

TriStar Arms, known primarily as a manufacturer of shotguns, will add several pistols for personal defense and target shooting in 2013.

Benelli’s super-lightweight shotguns, the Ultralight line, are touted as being the lightest semi-automatic shotguns in production. Because a lighter gun does not always leave a shooter happy after a long day in the field or an afternoon shooting sporting clays, there are good reasons why shooters would prefer a heavier classic model, such as a favorite of many shooters, the Remington Model 1100. The Model 1100 was first manufactured in 1963, and with more than 50 years of production under its belt, it has earned seniority over newcomers like the Ultralight. But, because age is just a number and the new challenges the old every day, Gun Tests’ shooters wanted to see for themselves which gun they would buy. So, for a test in the February 2013 issue, Winkle’s Great Guns supplied a Benelli Ultralight Model No. 10802 12 Gauge, $1649; and Remington Model 1100 Sporting No. 25315, $1211, for this showdown. Here’s what Gun Tests found.

A good polishing job can save a gun from the junk heap, but a bad job can send it there. Here's how the professional does it.