Springfield Armory
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Springfield Armory: A Historic American Gun Company Charges On

Springfield Armory has an interesting history, but it's the guns they're making today that set them apart.

To know about Springfield Armory, Inc. in its current state, there's first some history to be addressed.

In 1777, General George Washington needed a place to store ammunition and gun carriages for the American Revolutionary War. He created the Springfield Armory, and by 1794 the Armory was manufacturing muskets. It continued down the path of gun making, innovating, and United States military supplying for the next 150 years.

The National Armory manufactured the majority of American military firearms through to 1968, including the M1 Garand, 1911-A1, and M14.

Springfield Armory

By National Park Service - [NPS.gov National Park Service], Public Domain

After closing, the original Springfield Armory, in Springfield, Massachusetts became the official Springfield Armory Historic Site and houses the world's largest collection of historic American firearms.

Fast forward to 1974, when a family by the name if Reese decided to resurrect the Springfield Armory name. The company is now based in Geneseo, Illinois and, as the company's website puts it, continues to "develop products that are loyal to Springfield Armory's heritage while ensuring The Armory's place in the progression of American firearms."

They've done so with consistent production of those classic firearms, like the M1A (the civilian's M14) and the M6 Scout, a mirror of the M6 Airpower Survival Weapon and chambered in a combo of .22 and .410.

Plus, they've developed a multitude of news firearms, which is where the current-day Springfield Armory story begins to get very interesting.

They created the XD in 2001, changing the game in the handgun space, and went on to make polymer and single stack versions. The single stack XD-S was dubbed as "tiny but powerful" and reached popular status with the concealed carry crowd.

The XD MOD.2 broke out all the bells and whistles, reimagining what the XD would be like with all of 2014's advancements in the handgun category.

Eager to enter the AR arena as they began to take off within the consumer sector, Springfield pushed out the Saint in 2016. The Saint is all about quality and performance from butt stock to muzzle, and even the entry level versions are jammed with features.

New for 2018 is the XD-S MOD.2, the smallest gun in its class with the evolution and improvements in grip that have made these guns so popular. Available in .45 ACP, it's billed as a true handgun innovation.

Springfield Armory keeps on churning out firearms that honor the legacy of the original Armory, but embrace the technological advances of modern day weaponry. Their ethos rings true when it tells you to "Defend Your Legacy."

If you're interested in more, check out Springfield-Armory.com to see all the selections the gun company offers.

NEXT: LEARNING THE RELOAD DRILL FOR THE AR-15 WITH SPRINGFIELD ARMORY

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