Throwback Thursday: Gun History By the 8s

Pictured above: Men of the fledgling U.S. Army Air Service break some clay pigeons with the Model 1897 trench gun at Issoudon, France, during June 1918.

Firearms technology and world history are deeply intertwined. In celebration and recognition, today's #ThrowbackThursday is all about the last century of firearms history. Let's check in with what happened in the eighth year of each decade from 1918 until today:

1918 

• World War I ends
• U.S. Army adopts the Pedersen Device for Springfield rifle
• U.S. Army adopts the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
• U.S. Army Air Corps adopts Marlin (Swebilius modified) Colt-Browning machine gun
• Remington introduces the Model 51 semi-auto pistol
• Beretta Model 1918 submachine gun (Villar Perosa action) adopted by Italian army
• German Army introduces first widely issued submachine gun, the MP18/I
• Zbrojovka Brno (ZB) established in Brno, Czechoslovakia
• A.F. Stoeger established in New York City

1928

• Production of Thompson submachine guns moves from Colt to Savage

1938

• German Army adopts Walther P38 pistol to replace P08 Luger and adopts MP38 submachine gun
• Beretta introduces Model 1938A submachine gun

1948

• Remington introduces Model 721 bolt-action sporting rifle
• Marlin modifies the Model 36 lever-action rifle into the new Model 336

1958

• Savage introduces the model 110 bolt-action sporting rifle
• Weatherby introduces the Mark V bolt-action sporting rifle
• Ruger introduces Bearcat single-action rimfire revolver
• Remington introduces the Nylon 66 .22 semi-automatic rifle; first production synthetic-stocked rifle
• U.S. Army adopts M60 machine gun

1968

• U.S. Congress passes Gun Control Act 18 U.S.C. 
• Ruger introduces Model 77 bolt-action and No. 1 single-shot sporting rifles
• Daisy introduces V/L .22-cal. caseless rifle and ammunition

1978

• Steyr introduces the AUG 5.56mm rifle; Austrian Army adopts as StG 77

1988

• U.S. Army adopts M24 sniper rifle 

1998

• National Instant Check System (NICS) replaces Brady Act's five-day waiting period
• Taurus introduces Millennium-series polymer-frame pistols

2008

• In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the District of Columbia's gun ban under District of Columbia vs. Heller

What's in store for 2018? We don't know, but keep an eye on this website and we'll keep you posted!