Featured Best American Flag Firearms: 4th Of July! David Lane July 4, 2022 Join the Conversation 4TH OF JULY IS THE MOST AMERICAN OF HOLIDAYS, SO WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT SOME GUNS THAT HELP YOU STAND OUT Does wrapping your gun in an American flag print make it more accurate? Maybe not, but it does make it cooler. BEST AMERICAN-THEMED GUNS Ruger AR-556 MRP American Flag Cerakote America’s rifle, the AR-15. Having exploded in popularity since the AWB ended in 2004, the AR-15 is by far the most common and most practical modern sporting rifle in the United States. Ruger makes a great entry model and this version of it comes Cerakoted with an American flag print on it. The work is cleanly done and the Cerakote looks great plus it adds a layer of protection that a normal finish doesn’t have. Ruger AR-556 MRP American Flag Cerakote Ruger’s AR itself is a solid starting place for the AR world. An 18” cold hammer-forged barrel provides outstanding accuracy and durability, the handguard is free-floated and M-LOK for mounting extras on, and the Magpul furniture adds a nice ergonomic feel to the package. On top of it all, Ruger puts their improved Elite 452 trigger in this model. Add it all up and this is a great way to start your AR collection or a great model to add to it. Howa M1500 APC The Howa M1500 has long been one of the best budget long range rifles you can find right now. Now offered not only in the APC chassis thus improving the precision of the platform, but the APC chassis also comes with a slick American flag Cerakote finish! The battle-worn American Flag Cerakote finish is well applied and looks very good, but the meat of the rifle is what should really impress you. Howa M1500 APC Howa’s HACK 2-stage trigger is by far the best factory trigger on a precision rifle offered right now, Howa’s made-in-Japan barrels are top-notch and never let you down — of the 4 Howa 1500s I’ve owned, all of them shot sub-MOA. The APC chassis is super stiff and well made and is paired with an MPA-4 buttstock that has an adjustable length of pull and cheek rest. But on the downside, these models normally come as a package with a Nikko-Stirling scope and a Buffalo River bipod. The bipod is fine, but Nikko-Stirling scopes are pretty useless. 3 of my Howas came with one, 1 broke almost out of the box, and the other 2 didn’t survive long after. Personally, I would see those as throwaway items. If you can find just the rifle, I’d say go for it! Ruger PC Carbine If you want a budget 9mm PCC that feeds and shoots all day long, the Ruger PC Carbine is a great option to take a look at. And you guessed it, this one is tricked out with American flag print Cerakote. I love the Ruger PC Carbine on its own and so does basically everyone I’ve ever seen shoot one. This is a well-made, simple PCC that just does what it is meant to do. There is a MASSIVE aftermarket out there for these now and everything about it is easy to upgrade making this the perfect holiday gun to tinker with. Able to feed from Ruger magazines or with a magwell insert from the far more common 9mm Glock magazines, this is easy to pair with what you likely already have in the safe for a great day at the range. Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider If you want the cheapest option on this list, here it is. Heritage Rough Riders are really inexpensive and work shockingly well. While these aren’t the .22 LR guns that I would say will last you a lifetime, they will last you a long time and a lot of range trips. For the $150 they cost, you’ll get a huge amount of value out of them. They come in all sorts of models and barrel lengths, but this one has an American flag grip because it’s the 4th of July and I’m working a theme here people! Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider Barkeep Personally, I like the Barkeep model with the American flag the best but there is also a normal 4.75” Rough Rider if you want it. While loosely modeled after Colt’s Single Action Army revolvers, the Rough Riders are a far more modern take on that idea while still working and looking basically the same. For single-action .22 LR can blasting, I highly recommend them. CMP M1 Garand & 1911 These won’t come with an American flag print (and if you add it, John Browning’s ghost will find you and kill you dead) but the pure Americanism of owning a piece of history cannot be beaten. The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a non-profit organization administered by congress and sells surplus firearms to the American people. At one of the CMP Stores you can buy them right off the rack (when there’s stock). Buying these firearms normally isn’t very hard as long as you can do about as much paperwork as filing your taxes and the end result is a lot more fun. Many of these firearms are surplus from WWII or just after the war, some are refurbished rifles, and some are very rare pieces like M1D sniper models. There are a limited number of M1 Garands still available as of writing this but for now, there aren’t any 1911s. If you want to snag an 1911, you’ll have to hit up Gunbroker. DIY American Maybe the only thing more American than participating in capitalism to buy an American flag gun might be to make your own. If you’re lacking artistic talent, it’s okay — there are a few options for DIY. Cerakote Services Many of the above guns are Cerakoted at the factory, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get it done yourself. I strongly recommend using a professional service if you go down this road since Cerakote can be tricky to apply. Google for a shop near you that offers it and go wild! Freedom Stencils If you’re committed to doing this yourself, Freedom Stencils offers an American Flag rifle pack that makes applying a flag print a lot easier. Apply the stencil, paint, ‘Murica Perfect for use with Cerakote or my personal choice for a project like this — good ‘ol spray paint, this takes a lot of the guesswork out of the project and lets you knock it out in an afternoon. GunSkins If you want even more simple, GunSkins is made from 3M vinyl with the patterns printed on it already. A heat gun or blow dryer, Exo knife, and an hour or two of work later and you’ll have an American flag print applied to your gun with no muss and no fuss. Gun Skins American Flag Best of all, GunSkins is really easy to take off. If you choose to de-flag your gun, just heat it a little using a heat gun or blow dryer, and the vinyl peels right off without damaging the finish under it and without leaving a weird residue. LOOSE ROUNDS Are there more guns that come in flag print? Let us know for next year! If you have more time to kill while you’re waiting on those burgers to burn, take a look at these articles: Best Tactical Shotgun For Home Defense [2022]15 Best Gun Safes: Pistols & Long GunsFools Rush In: The Calculus Of Armed Interdiction Explore RECOILweb:Fitness FalaciesGo Learn: Talon's "Close Quarter Home Defense""Lone Survivor" Giveaway: Take Aim At the Home-Video VersionRECOIL Issue #22 NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.
