You’ve heard about – or perhaps you’re even old enough to recall – the great deals that could be had on surplus firearms some 50+ years ago. As the stories go, barrels of M1 Carbines and other rifles could be found in the local hardware store [Read More…]
Previously in TFB’s series on weapon operating mechanisms, we examined both the closed-bolt blowback system and the open-bolt API blowback system, two very close relatives that share a common feature: Closure of the breech through the inertia of the breechblock [Read More…]
Originally written in 1759 intended for his own Rangers, the “Rules of Ranging” have survived the test of time. Today, they are still used by United States Army Rangers and are treasured so much that they are published only behind the Ranger Creed. The rules [Read More…]
Locking systems we have previously covered include tilting barrel locking, the most common pistol locking mechanism, and rotary bolt locking, the most common rifle locking mechanism. However, at one time another locking mechanism was widely believed to be optimum for [Read More…]
In this 201-level post on the devices and mechanisms that automatic firearms use to do their work, we’ll be discussing a distinction between two very similar types of gas systems. These are what’s commonly known as the “Ljungmann-type” gas system [Read More…]
Previously, we looked at the most common type of locking mechanism for rifles, but what about handguns? Well, today we’ll be looking at tilting-barrel locking, a method used in virtually every modern locked-breech handgun today. Tilting barrel locking was [Read More…]
Now, based on the four previous articles on gun operating mechanisms, some of my readers may be thinking “jeeze, Nathaniel, we already know all this stuff! Why are you telling us this?” Don’t worry! I haven’t forgotten about you, and that’s [Read More…]
C&Rsenal is at it again, continuing their coverage of World War I weapons turning their attention to the British Pattern 14 rifle. With over 1.2 million built, the rifles served the Empire admirably and would later go on to serve as the inspiration for the US M1917 [Read More…]
Let’s take a brief tangent. While my job is to write about firearms for you guys, I have many other interests; one of them is Medieval history. It’s a pretty cool thing to be interested in these days, as YouTube is practically bursting with awesome channels [Read More…]
As it often happens, the exploits of a team of talented individuals is often attributed to that of one person. In a good example, many think of Eugene Stoner as the inventor of the AR-15, which is largely true (though some would argue that Jim Sullivan and the team had [Read More…]
The paradigm was established by the 1870s: Future infantry combat would focus on a combination of entrenchment, and long-range concentrated fire from well-drilled units to defeat the enemy beyond his own effective range. The arms race for a smaller-caliber, [Read More…]
Almost four decades before the invention of smokeless powder, the advent of the Minié ball bullet made practical the standard infantry rifle, and with it the elongated projectile. This changed the fundamental physics of infantry weapon ammunition design, allowing [Read More…]
Beginning in the last decade of the 19th Century, the French government began work on the next great advancement in infantry small arms technology: The selfloading rifle. By 1916, after the outbreak of World War I, they had produced what many consider the most advanced [Read More…]
I normally try to keep the worlds of guns and games separate, but sometimes, when everybody’s talking about it… Matt of Historical Firearms and Othais of C&Rsenal both have taken a look at the new trailer for Battlefield 1, the cheekily named WWI era [Read More…]
When we last left my CMP M1 Garand, it was having some problems with operating rod dismount. At first, I assumed that the cause of this was chance and operator error, because it didn’t seem like my operating rod was out of spec, but when the oprod dismounted twice [Read More…]
The gear of the US infantryman during World War I was some of the best in the period, from the ammunition pouches, to the uniform, and the rifles. Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has taken a reproduction uniform and an original M1917 rifle and M1911 handgun out to the [Read More…]
“Caliber”. It can mean a lot of different things, but when we use it, what does it really mean, and what’s its significance? Title image: From left to right are the 7.65 Parabellum, 7.63 Mauser, .300 Blackout, 7.62×45 Czech, .30 Remington, 7.62 [Read More…]
The Barrett Reliability Enhanced Carbine (REC) really has its roots in the Barrett M468 program during the interest in the 6.8mm Special Purpose Cartridge (SPC) of more than a decade ago. The Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) came to Barrett with the cartridge and said that [Read More…]
The Barrett Multi Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) has been making waves since its inception for the PSR contract competition. Developed from the Barrett Model 98B, it won the NRA’s Rifle of the Year Award in 2012 and is now currently in service with the Israeli and [Read More…]
Recently a number of AK groups on the internet have been abuzz with green AK furniture. At first I thought this might have been various owners painting existing bakelite material dark green, but this was not to be the case. The furniture sets are real and are some of [Read More…]
In a previous installment of TFB, we wrote about touring the Barrett factory. However some of you might have noticed the pictures were somewhat devoid of the companies namesake rifle series, the M82 or M107 series of anti-material rifles. The reason for this was because [Read More…]
The Moscow Police Force has put on a display that has been hitting the internet recently, specifically with this excellent collection of photos on The Chive, a website I still have no clear idea about the purpose of despite being aware of them five years ago. The [Read More…]
Well, it’s no secret that I am a sucker for early selfloading rifles. The sheer number of ideas that were being explored in the early decades when these rifles were undergoing military trials creates a fascinating body of work for us gun nerds in the modern day to [Read More…]
The Walther semiautomatic handguns of the mid-20th Century, including both the PP and P38 families, would become some of the most influential weapons of the latter half of the century. The PP and its smaller stablemate the PPK was perhaps the premier pocket [Read More…]
I think its safe to say that many in our readership have enjoyed our myriad of posts on various historical firearms. Ian at Forgotten Weapons has been an instrumental asset to the community (and as an occasional contributor to our humble blog). Adding to Ian’s [Read More…]
If I were to mention a long range shooting competition, what would come to mind? A firing line of proned out shooters, underneath a hot sun, with all sorts of specialist equipment like stiff shooting jackets, odd eye pieces, strange rests for rifles, thick gloves for [Read More…]
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, along comes this odd drop in lower receiver for the 7.62x51mm SCAR Heavy platform, turning it into a Bullpup. It didn’t gain much success, as the talk on the internet and the apparent release date was back in 2013, but [Read More…]
The Barrett “Light Fifty” is probably one of the most iconic firearms in the world, along with the Kalashnikov, Desert Eagle, and the M16. The M82/M82A1/M107/M107A1 is unique in that it occupies a spot that very few other modern designs have even been able [Read More…]
Well, sort-of-not-really, although it makes for a pretty great title. The Bendix-Hyde Carbine was in fact one of the nine prototypes initially submitted to the Light Rifle program (not to be confused with the Lightweight Rifle program that is the subject of my [Read More…]
The founder of the budget firearms company Hi-Point, Tom Deeb has recently passed away at his semi retirement home in Texas. He was 65 years old and died from cardiac arrest. Deeb founded the company in 1993 with a simple philosophy of creating a budget firearm for the [Read More…]
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