And many times that makes all the difference. Having put together a few self-loading “scout” rifles from off-the-shelf parts—ranging from a .22 Long Rifle Ruger 10/22 to a .30-’06 Sprg.

Inventor Benjamin Tyler Henry, created the Henry Repeating Rifle in 1862, and "semi-automatic weapons" were born. Though the Henry repeater isn't a modern semi-automatic (it still had to be cocked ...