No matter if it is hunting, plinking, competition shooting, or just plain old fun, there is no doubt in my mind that .22LR is by far the most popular cartridge on the planet. The .22LR rimfire cartridges have been effectively used nearly everywhere on the planet for a [Read More…]
Jonathan Ferguson’s new book on British bullpup rifles is one I’ve been waiting a long time for. Five years ago I wrote my Master’s thesis on the development of the early Cold War British bullpup rifle, the E.M.2, and the politics which engulfed it. It’s [Read More…]
A few weeks ago while doing some research in the UK’s Imperial War Museum online archive I came across a couple of intriguing photos that sent me down a rabbit hole. The STEN gun is undeniably one of the iconic weapons of World War Two but most of its variants [Read More…]
There is perhaps no more well-known American domestic battle than the battle of Athens, TN. War-weary veterans returning from the various theatres of WWII came home only to face a machine steeped in corruption and faced yet another battle for liberty – the Battle [Read More…]
I know, I know, just hold on. Before you make the inevitable “guns not politics” comment, just hear me out. We’re not doing politics. I’m not going to be screaming about how [political party] is doing a thing, or how they’re coming for the [Read More…]
For military history buffs, there’s nothing better than a good book. For those interested in firearms history and specifically the use of machine guns during the First World War, there’s some good news. The Vickers MG Collection & Research Association, [Read More…]
While the late R. Blake Stevens‘ Black Rifle may still be considered the bible when it comes to the origins and history of the AR-15, the new second edition of ‘AR-15 (Volume 1)‘ from Vickers Guide is an accessible, aesthetically pleasing way into the [Read More…]
If you’re looking for something to take your mind off of the craziness that is 2020 then the Cody Firearms Museum may have the event just for you. While there looks to be the second round of lockdowns on the horizon for some of us, the historians at the Cody [Read More…]
Although they do sell some modern firearms, Royal Tiger Imports‘ bread and butter are historical and surplus guns. From British Lee Enfields and Italian Carcanos to German K98 Mausers and French rifles with unusually fun names, Chassepot Fusil Gras Artilery [Read More…]
There are few firearms more quintessentially British than the Webley revolver and a Lee-Enfield rifle. Today, we’re going to take a look at the Webley MkIV, adopted by the British Army right at the very end of the 19th Century. Entering service in October 1899 [Read More…]
Chipotle Publishing has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the publishing of a book on the iconic Vickers Machine Gun. The new book The Vickers Machine Gun: Pride of the Emma Gees is an in-depth history of the British Vickers medium machine gun used by Britain and [Read More…]
On Friday, February 28th, 1997 the Los Angeles Police Department would face one of the most dangerous criminal acts in its history – The North Hollywood Bank Shootout. On that Friday morning, after months of planning two armed bank robbers entered and robbed the [Read More…]
Welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! In this week’s edition, we are going to overview a very brief history of some of the most interesting offerings of rimfire ammunition that have been produced throughout the years. While rimfire has been [Read More…]
See the entire history of the Colt Single Action Army (S.A.A.) pistol in one man’s collection! From the earliest models that were issued to the United States cavalry, to $20,000 pistols with engraving and pearl grips, and S.A.A’s that were owned by celebrities, this is an incredible [Read More…]
The AKS74U is perhaps one of the more interesting Kalashnikov variants that has spawned a following all over the world due to its compact size and effects as a status symbol in the United States, Middle East, and Central Asia. The name itself is one such example of that following that continues [Read More…]
What the hell is a centrifugal machine gun? In the plainest of terms, it’s a gun that requires no propellant powder and a system which has sparked the imaginations of inventors and gun designers for over 200 years. A couple of months ago I was browsing through the [Read More…]
No this isn’t an edition of Austin’s Hot Gat or Fudd Crap series and I don’t think it was Bubba which got to this particular Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield. No, this Obrez SMLE is probably a little more legitimate. I came across this rifle in a UK MoD [Read More…]
The second day of the Arsenals of History Symposium held at the Cody Firearms Museum brought about new discussions that ranged from developing a common lexicon to categorize small arms terms to how do museums work with guns in video games and drawing visitors in through [Read More…]
This year the Cody Firearms Museum hosted the third annual Kurt Swanson Bucholz Arsenals of History Symposium in Cody, Wyoming. We saw the gathering of many historians, researchers, and representatives from a wide range of museums throughout the world. All congregating [Read More…]
When we think of the iconic Cold War G3, we automatically think Heckler & Koch – but that wasn’t always the case. When the fledgling West German Army adopted the, now famous, roller-delayed rifle it was produced by not just H&K but another famous [Read More…]
The model of 1911 pistol is an American classic and has a long and illustrious history. While we can’t possibly cover everything about the 1911, today we’re going to look at some of the high points in the love affair that America has enjoyed with this iconic pistol. We make every effort to [Read More…]
If you love history and old firearms there are a few YouTube channels you probably follow. For many, two of those will definitely be Forgotten Weapons and C&Rsenal. Ian, Othais and Mae have come together to put seven original World War One vintage light machine guns [Read More…]
Back in the mid-1860s most of the world’s militaries began to clamber to adopt breech-loading systems following the success of the Prussian Dreyse Needle Rifle during the Prussian-Danish War. The Dreyse breechloader had given the Prussians a tactical advantage [Read More…]
Towards the end of last year I had the chance to look at unique early breechloader, an example of Frederic Prince’s breechloading percussion rifle dating from the 1850s. Prince’s rifle (no, not the gunsmith formerly known as…) used a sliding barrel action, [Read More…]
Recently Mossberg, one of America’s oldest gun companies best known for their shotguns, launched their first pistol – the Mossberg MC1. Well not quite their first, 100 years ago this year, the company launched another small, compact pistol – the [Read More…]
The J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, is home to the world’s largest privately-held firearms collection in the world. With more than 12,000 firearms and thousands of assorted items related to the firearms, it is quite the place. If [Read More…]
The Netherlands’ National Military Museum has unveiled a new display including the pistol carried by Adolf Hitler’s right hand man in the Netherlands during World War Two. The pistol was owned by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, an Austrian Nazi politician who was [Read More…]
In the early 1900s Hiram Percy Maxim, son of the inventor of the Maxim gun, began developing early suppressors which he christened ‘silencers’. It wasn’t long before the US Army took interest in these new silencers and began testing them. The US Army [Read More…]
Rock Island Auctions’ latest Premiere Auction, running from the 30th November to the 2nd December, has some extremely interesting and unusual firearms. Ranging from 18th century air guns to 20th century military prototypes lets take a look at some of the most [Read More…]
The Myanmar Military (“Tatmadaw” in Burmese) is one of the only Southeast Asian nations that manufactures the majority of its small arms and light weapons (up to 120mm mortars) and has been doing so since the early 1950s in collaboration with a number of foreign allies. The majority of [Read More…]