By Eve Flanigan
Manufacturers continue to deliver guns that satisfy the need or urge to hunt, defend, compete, or recreate.
It’s a tall order that renews every year. Delivering a high degree of refinement and reliability on updated renditions of existing product lines is a conservative approach that strikes a balance between consumer satisfaction and the risks inherent in churning out entirely new products. Of course, there are exceptions, but guarded optimism and conservative moves appear to the be norm this season. As if hearkening back to earlier times, lever guns and bolt-action rifles have regained front-row seats, usually delivering aesthetic value as well as user-friendly features.
Bishop Firearms
This Idaho-based manufacturer is back this year with a pistol caliber carbine. The new AR45TC, a.k.a. “Tabatha,” marries the design of an AR sporting rifle with some of the furniture, in wood, of a Thompson submachine gun to create a PCC unlike any other.
Currently offered in .45 ACP and 10mm, the Bishop AR45TC is slated for additional chamberings in 9mm and .40 Smith & Wesson. It sports a 16-inch barrel, rifle-length stock, and uses Glock magazines. In .45 ACP, it’s guaranteed to net 2 MOA at 50 yards. A folding stock option is in the works. The visually impressive AR45TC is marketed as a solution for home defense paired with a Glock-design handgun. SRP: $1,900.
During the 2024 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #42238
Check these out on: bishopammunition.com
Bushmaster
Bushmaster got into the spirit of revival in 2024 with the launch of an updated BA50, their well-known left-hand bolt/right-side ejection 50BMG rifle. The latest BA50 has a 29-inch heavy barrel, a full-length Picatinny rail, Magpul furniture, a 10-round box magazine, and ships with a GG&G bipod. This 29.5-pound, 56.75-inch long USA-made behemoth is capable of sub-MOA accuracy. When a person wants to make an impact at great distance, this one will do it. Color choices are black or tan. SRP: $6,878.95.
Also new from Bushmasteris an AR-style sporting rifle in 18-, 22-, and 24-inch barrel lengths. The V-Radicator is made with varmint hunting in mind. It’s chambered in performance-maximizing .223 Wylde. A full-length Picatinny rail and 17-inch BFI handguard provide lots of room for big magnification and/or night-vision accessories. Magpul’s MOE PR stock insures a great fit for almost any user. A California-compliant option is offered for each V-Radicator subtype. SRP: $1,102.95-1,108.95, depending on barrel length.
During the 2025 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #20449
Check these out on: bushmaster.com
Century Arms
Century Armshas announced a new partnership with John Sharps of Sharps Brothers to bring an upscale, U.S.-made AKM-47 to market. The MB47 is built around a Sharps-designed color case hardened billet 4140 receiver. Premium components include Century Arms’ U.S. Chevron compensator, a chrome-lined barrel covered by a free-float U.S. Palm M-LOK handguard and rail, an all-new flat-faced RAK trigger, and Magpul DT Carbine stock, to name a few. The MB47 ships with a 30-round U.S. Palm mag. SRP $1,699.99.
During the 2025 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #12260
Check these out on: centuryarms.com
FN America
FN America partnered with TV Ammo, Inc., a.k.a. True Velocity, to bring U.S. and Allied forces a new rifle. It’s called the True Velocity .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun. Ballistic performance of the True Velocity is comparable to the .50 caliber M2, but its weight and function more closely resemble another FN fixture on the battlefield, the M240 machine gun. The partnership will see production at FN facilities in South Carolina and the United Kingdom.
During the 2025 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #12805
Check these out on: fnamerica.com
Rossi
Rossi has opted to ride the wave of lever-gun popularity that remains strong by introducing new straight-walled chambering options to their R95 line of traditional wood furniture/blued finish lever guns. Now the line also offers .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .444 Marlin, and .360 Buckhammer.
Features of the R95 line include adjustable sights and a tube magazine for optimized capacity. Some models feature a threaded barrel and medium-size lever loop. SRP: $960-$1,060, depending on chambering.
During the 2025 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #13038
Check these out on: rossiusa.com
Savage Arms
Practical met popular when Savage rolled out the Revel line of rimfire lever-action takedown rifles. No tools are required to make the Revel shootable or packable. An aluminum receiver, drilled and tapped for optic use, keeps it lightweight. A fine trigger and enlarged lever loop make this more than a last-resort gun; it’s capable of great precision from its 18-inch barrel.
The Revel is offered with a classic or DLX (slotted) walnut stock. Early models will be chambered in .22 LR, but .22 WMR and .17 HMR (eight-round tube mag) are slated to come on board in early 2025. Its classic rubber recoil pad is perhaps a hint that centerfire variants will follow. SRP: $439.
Influencer partnerships have gone mainstream, so it should come as no surprise that Savage is partnering with international big-game hunter and star of Farming the Wild TV show Mike Robinson on a brand-new hunting rifle. The 110 PPR (Pro Pursuit Rifle) incorporates Robinson-inspired features on the company’s proven 110 platform. It sports a blend-in-almost-anywhere camo synthetic stock and field-friendly features like a large knurled bolt handle, flush QD sling adapters, and a 20 MOA rail. The stainless receiver is lightweight and the carbon-fiber-wrapped 22-inch Proof Research barrel ensures precision. A three-round AICS-style mag, dual extractors, and muzzle brake facilitate quick follow-up shots. The 110 PPR is offered in nine different chamberings, with emphasis on big-game cartridges. SRP: $2,399.
It’s a rare event to see a new rimfire chambering on the market. Late in 2024, Winchester’s 21 Sharp came onto the scene commercially. Savage Arms rose to the occasion, adding this new chambering to a bevy of existing rimfire rifles, including three in the Mark III and one in the B Series.
With affordability and compatibility with existing .22 LR magazines on its side, 21 Sharp should emerge as an attractive option for recreational and small-game shooters. An aerodynamic bullet, non-heeled case, and muzzle velocity just below 1,800 feet per second make this new cartridge a promising option in the rimfire space.
During the 2025 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #12821
Check these out on: savagearms.com
Smith & Wesson
The Model 1854 Stealth Hunter combines a clean, classic design with modern upgrades to elevate the shooting experience. Features include an extended Picatinny rail for optics, a new forend for additional accessories, a Hi-Viz H3 front sight, and an adjustable ghost ring rear sight sourced from XS Sights. Available calibers are .45 Colt, .44 Magnum, and .357 Magnum.
The 16.3-inch 410 stainless-steel aluminum barrel (with a threaded muzzle) has a twist rate of 1:16, the receiver is forged 416 stainless steel, and the forend, which has 15 M-LOK slots, is aluminum with a hard-coat anodized finish. The black synthetic stock has textured grip panels. The rifle also has a large loop operating lever and a manual cross-bolt safety.
During the 2025 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #12427
Check these out on: smith-wesson.com
Traditions Performance Firearms
The NitroBolt is, as the name implies, a bolt-action muzzleloader that’s FireStick-compatible. Easy disassembly for cleaning is integrated into the design of this .50 caliber rifle, so long as the included hex key is handy. The floated, threaded barrel is 24 inches long and made of chromoly steel. An adjustable stock is just one more reason the NitroBolt is in a muzzleloader class of its own.
During the 2025 SHOT Show, find them in: Booth #14638
Check these out on: traditionsfirearms.com
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