Alex is a Senior Writer for The Firearm Blog and Director of TFBTV.
By popular demand, we are now ponying up and putting the Lebel on the run and gun course. As the first rifle to make use of smokeless powder, the Lebel is one of the few moments in the history of small arms that changed the entire game. The 8mm rifle doubled the effective range of […] [Read More…]
Some guns just get way too much attention. In this list, we highlight 5 firearms that get unfairly placed on a pedestal for a multitude of reasons that we lay out for you to consider. You may disagree, and that’s just fine. Also the list is about overrated guns, not necessarily bad ones. [Read More…]
The Swedish AG42 rifles are direct impingement, 6.5×55 caliber rifles that are quite unique relative to the popular rifles of today. From the way the safety operates to the unique method of charging one, the manual of arms can be hard to learn for modern shooters. Still, the old thumb crusher [Read More…]
For decades now, companies have tried to release firearms to dethrone the mighty M16/AR15 rifle. While some attempts have been more successful than others (some enjoying even moderate success), all the ones on this list have fizzled out or seem to be losing most, if not all factory support. While [Read More…]
Ah, the Mauser 98. This is one of my personal all time favorites and I was happy to finally take it to the run and gun course. The Mauser’s action is still in production, and if you own a bolt action rifle (no matter how modern) it is most likely a derivative of the 98. […] Read [Read More…]
The Browning Hi Power is a pistol that my generation seems to have forgotten, but in its day was a true trailblazer in terms of reliability and technological advancement. It took a lot that worked from other designs, but was simplified and had an impressive capacity for its day. So what does it look [Read More…]
The Barrett .50 caliber anti-material rifles are truly icons in the firearm world. These man portable cannon allow an individual to have 10 rounds of earth-shattering .50 BMG ammunition on tap to destroy enemy equipment, vehicles, and so on. With too many movie and video game appearances to count, [Read More…]
The term “battle rifle” is a colloquialism that is generally used to refer to rifles firing a full caliber cartridge and generally are select fire. After WWII, many nations decided to forego intermediate rounds in favor of heavy hitting, powerful fully automatic long arms that lasted [Read More…]
The Walther MPL is a gun that we have showed lots of love on TFBTV, mostly because it is in our opinions an underrated SMG. This open bolt 9mm from West Germany was introduced in the early 60s and could have been a very prolific little SMG… and then the MP5 came along. That said, […] [Read More…]
The FN FAL is perhaps the most famous battle rifle of all time, and served with distinction all around the world during the 20th century. Pity that smaller 5.56 caliber rifles have phased the gun out in military use, and civilians don’t seem to gravitate towards them as much either. [Read More…]
The Heckler and Koch PSG1 has been touted at the most accurate semi-automatic rifle in the world, even decades after its introduction. The iconic gun has been seen in the hands of counter-terrorist groups the world over, and it was truly a trailblazer when introduced in the 1970s (as precision [Read More…]
Several times per week we get asked how to obtain a machine gun in the United States. While they are legal, it is quite difficult to obtain one and it entails a lot of paperwork and time not typical of many gun purchases. In this installment of TFBTV, we talk a little bit about legality, […] [Read More…]
The Arisaka Type 99 rifle in 7.7 Japanese was distributed to the Imperial Japanese forces during World War II, but it never quite phased out the old Type 38 rifle in 6.5 caliber. This light, short rifle is equipped with a number of odd features that are sure to raise an eyebrow or two at [Read More…]
The Walther MPL is a gun that just doesn’t seem to get much recognition despite it being a very well made firearm. It was cost effective relative to competitors, and it is both ergonomic and easy to keep on target. Maintenance is also easy, and in this field strip we show you how to break [Read More…]
The Sphinx pistols made and imported by Kriss USA are a series of hot-rodded handguns sharing some key features with the much loved CZ75. Having reviewed the SDP Compact and Subcompact already, in this episode of TFBTV we take a look at the new “Standard” model as well as the Compact [Read More…]
There isn’t an incredible amount of variety in the marketplace for firearms these days when it comes to differences in design, but in this list we take a look at five truly unique offerings that make even the most seasoned firearm connoisseur raise an eyebrow. Like to wind your gun before you [Read More…]
The FN49 is the predecessor to the much more famous FN FAL rifle, and the book about the rifle is accurately titled “The Rifle That Ran Out Of Time”. Largely developed before the outbreak of WWII, the FN49 could have been a serious European competitor to the American M1 Garand but by [Read More…]
The German Sturmgewehr is one of the most coveted and influential firearms of all time. Advanced collectors seek them out to round out their shrines, but getting behind one is a whole different kind of experience. The low recoil, controllability, and historical significance makes shooting a sturm a [Read More…]
The H&K MSG90 is essentially a lighter, more portable, and soldier friendly version of the famous PSG1 rifle. It features many of its improvements and is accurized in much the same way, but has been put on a diet to better compete with more modern rifles. While the PSG1 was issued with a tripod [Read More…]
The KRISS Vector is now available in 9mm and is yet another great offering in the 9mm pistol caliber carbine market. However, the interesting recoil mitigation technology housed within the gun makes the 9mm Vector a real sweetheart to shoot. In this episode of TFBTV, Alex and Patrick take a look at [Read More…]
The H&K UMP series of submachineguns are a family of polymer blowback firearms designed as a more cost effective alternative to the MP5. While both remain in production however, the MP5 still outsells the much younger UMP and it is quite easy to understand why: it isn’t as good. But how [Read More…]
The famous Uzi submachinegun is a brilliantly simple firearm that is straight blowback and fires from an open bolt. While it was not the first firearm to feature a telescoping bolt, it certainly took the concept and ran with it. The Uzi was an international sales success, and if you grew up in the [Read More…]
The Shmidt-Rubin rifles are a series of legendarily accurate firearms. The Swiss are famous for maintaining their neutrality by keeping one hand free and the other on the hilt of a sword, and for many years the wonderful K31 was that sword. These straight-pull rifles are made with unparalleled [Read More…]
The L42A1 sniper rifle was England’s last Enfield. James Paris Lee’s action served the United Kingdom for over 100 years, and the famously quick rear-locking action was retired in the 1990s when the L42A1 was deemed obsolete. So what would a British sniper during the Cold War have [Read More…]
The American Thompson submachineguns are perhaps the most iconic SMGs in the world. They have graced the hands of heroes and villains, but the humble M1A1 is the result of many cost cutting measures designed to get guns to our boys during WWII quickly and cheaply. In fact, M1A1s reduced the cost of [Read More…]
Pistol caliber carbines are some of my personal favorite firearms to shoot. Relatively cheap ammo, low recoil, and utility make them some of my go to firearms for fun and pest control. Caracal carbines take the 18 round Caracal pistol magazines and are quite nicely put together! Thanks to Industry [Read More…]
Haenel is a name that should sound familiar to any of you firearm historians out there, as they were the original manufacturer of the famous STG44 rifle. However, these days they have diversified into making some very nice long range precision rifles! Thanks to Industry Day at the Range for hosting [Read More…]
As a fan of the M9, Patrick takes a closer look at the new M9A3 pistol from Beretta. So what makes it different than a regular M9? Thanks to Industry Day at the Range for hosting us: http://www.shotshowrangeday.com/ Check out our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/tfbtv
The Beretta PX4 is no newcomer to the marketplace, but here Patrick takes a look at the new PX4 Compact Carry. This offering is a compact PX4 with some unique features that should make it a damn decent gun for personal protection. Also, while aesthetics come second when it comes to such things, we [Read More…]
The Beretta M9 has served the United States military for decades now, and one could see how a .22lr version may well be beneficial as a training aide or just a fun plinker. At Media Day at the Range 2016 (the day before, technically) Patrick takes a look at the .22 version of the famous […] [Read More…]
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