A Beautiful Idea

posted on July 19, 2016
legends-in-arms_a-beautiful-idea.jpg
Michael Ives

This feature appears in the August ’16 issue of NRA America’s 1st Freedom, one of the official journals of the National Rifle Association.  

Anyone who has ever shot a hard-kicking firearm has dreamed of somehow dramatically reducing its recoil, and naturally, many options have been tried over the years. 

Two U.S. patents were issued in the 1990s to Frederic Ducolon for his concept of a recoil counter-vectoring gun, which presented a valid solution to that problem. While his patent model might not be the most attractive piece in the National Firearms Museum collection, Ducolon’s easily observable mechanism of springs, pulleys and counterweights drew attention from the firearm industry and military authorities. By his own account, Ducolon turned down an offer from General Electric Co., and intriguingly, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records appear to indicate that General Dynamics Corp., Kriss USA, and both the American and Chinese militaries filed paperwork related to similar patents after Ducolon’s own patents had expired.

Ducolon’s design continues to draw much attention from our Fairfax gallery visitors.

The NRA National Firearms Museum at NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, Va.; the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo.; and the Frank Brownell Museum of the Southwest at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, N.M.; each have fine selections of historic arms on display. Admission to each is free, and donations are gratefully accepted. For more information, visit NRAmuseums.com, phone (703) 267-1600 or email [email protected].

 

Latest

california.jpg
california.jpg

California Gun Owners Win Again in Court

In a major victory for California gun owners, a district court judge has struck down—for the second time—the state’s law banning firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

Gun Skills - Concealment, Part 2

A concealed-carry setup can potentially be a bad one if you don’t know what to look for. So what should you be looking for when you carry?

Gun Review: Ruger Security-380

The reliability and ease of accuracy of this hammer-fired, semi-automatic pistol make it a no-brainer to recommend.

Supreme Court Case Reinvigorates The Second Amendment

Last year’s Bruen decision was not the end of the gun-control debate in America. Rather, it merely opened up new fronts in an ongoing struggle.

The Armed Citizen® September 29, 2023

True stories of the right to keep and bear arms.

The Private Thoughts of a Gun-Control-Promoting Mayor

This mayor of a prominent city privately showed she has different views than her public gun-control agenda.

Interests



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.