Tomorrow, the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary. Two and a half centuries of freedom, history, and a deeply rooted culture of marksmanship. To celebrate this milestone, Roy Huntington and I sat down for a special edition of the Guns Podcast US to hash out a question that has no right answer, but guarantees a million and one opinions: What is the single most “American” gun ever made?
We did zero show prepcand went straight into full “corner of the gun store on a hot July afternoon” debate mode.
Here is how the battlefield shaped up.
The Contenders
To keep ourselves honest, we set a couple of loose rules: the gun had to be designed or built in America, and thoroughly popularized here. Right out of the gate, we realized we were going to be wrong according to half our listeners. But we threw some legendary steel onto the table anyway.
Making The Case for…
Colt Single Action Army
Roy’s top pick. If America had a firearm on its coat of arms, this is it. Hold a picture of it up anywhere from Tibet to Texas, and people instantly think “Cowboy,” “Colt,” and the American West.
Pennsylvania / Kentucky Long Rifle
My historical pre-date. While the core concept crossed the ocean, early Americans perfected it to survive a rugged wilderness continent. It represents the first century and a half of our national identity before metallic cartridges took over.
Winchester Model 94 / The Lever Action
The quintessential American rifle platform. Built on massive sales figures and iconic frontier history, it’s the rifle that defined generations of American hunters and woodsmen.
The 1911 & The Tommy Gun
Two absolute titans of the 20th century. The 1911 carried our military through two World Wars, while the Thompson Model 1927 became an instantly recognizable cultural icon of the gangster era and WWII alike.
The AR-15 Platform
The modern sporting rifle. Mechanically brilliant and arguably the most popular singular weapon platform in modern American hands today.
Celebrating the Golden Age
While it’s easy to look back through a lens of nostalgia—missing the distinct smell of Hoppe’s No. 9, leather holsters, and the creak of the floorboards in an old neighborhood gun shop—Roy and I agreed on a major takeaway: We are living in the golden age of firearms right now.
The technology, selection, quality, and sheer availability of gear are the best they have ever been in human history. Freedom is always under assault, but our rich firearms culture remains a direct reflection of our unique liberty. Unlike parts of Europe where manufacturers tell you what you’re allowed to like, the American market thrives on pure, unfiltered freedom of choice.
As we cross the 250-year mark, it’s a perfect reminder to stop sitting on our laurels, pick up the Second Amendment flag, and keep fighting the good fight to ensure this legacy lasts for the next 250 years.
A Final Note on Keepin’ It Real
Before we wrapped up, Roy brought up a fantastic point about the sudden influx of AI-generated articles flooding the firearms space lately. You know the ones—soulless “Top 10 Reasons to Buy an XYZ” lists written by an algorithm that has never actually pulled a trigger or felt the recoil of a .45.
We pride ourselves on the fact that everything we do across GUNS Magazine, our newsletters, and this podcast is handled by real, flesh-and-blood human beings who live and breathe this stuff. (And yes, the irony of using a digital platform to tell you this isn’t lost on us, but we promise there’s a real guy typing behind the screen!)
Join the Debate
Head over to the comments and tell us exactly where we went wrong. Did we leave out your favorite historic wheelgun, or completely blank on a military classic? Let us hear it.
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Have a safe, happy, and freedom-filled Fourth of July!
M1 Garand seems to be missing. I do like the Model 94.
Ma Deuce.
All due respect to Sam Colt and Eugene Stoner, but Saint John Moses Browning stands alone.
The 1911 and BAR both belong on this list, but the M2 is the clear winner.