Every gunsmith has secrets he would never share with a competitor. Here are a few you can claim as your own (but don’t tell anyone else).

This rifle needs little introduction, but a gas-operated semi-automatic military rifle is always a bit more challenging to work with than most sporting rifles. The Garand uses an en bloc clip rather than a box magazine, and is very reliable with proper loads. But like many rifles, the Garand was produced quickly on a wartime footing, and variations are to be expected in the original WW II production. The tolerances are designed to allow mass production more than precise accuracy. Just the same, the Garand is a wonderful rifle and a good shooter, and deserves the respect it’s earned as part of our American heritage.

The congregating arsenal was all perfectly legal as well as perfectly acceptable to the leaders of New Bethel, an Assemblies of God church in Louisville, Kentucky, that invited people to bring their unloaded guns to this first-ever event.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: SWHC), parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., today announced financial results for the fiscal year and the fourth fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2009.

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Gun Report of the Week

The 4-inch barrel points fast. This gun likes lead, so handloads are easier. For six-shot practical matches, it would be our pick.

Smith & Wesson 625-8 (160935)

Overview

The basic 625 revolver was introduced in 1989, and has largely retained its basic design — it’s a stainless-steel N-frame revolver with full-lug 5-inch barrel, adjustable sights and a tall plain Patridge blade up front. However, the input of competitive shooters and the rules under which they compete has reportedly fostered the arrival of the “dash-eight” model 625.