Last May, TFB reported that Thompson Auto-Ordnance released a commemorative D-Day series. This collection featured intricately-appointed special-edition versions of their 1911, M1 Carbine, and Thompson models. The artistic images emblazoned onto the bodies of each of [Read More…]
The Johnson rifle has one of the most recognisable profiles of any World War Two rifle. It’s undoubtedly one of the 20th century’s most interesting military rifles, in terms of both design and history. I recently had the chance to take a look at an early [Read More…]
The Moscow Victory Day Parade takes place on Red Square each year on May 9. It is dedicated to commemorating the anniversary of victory in World War II. From the standpoint of small arms enthusiasts like me and you, it is always interesting to watch it because often [Read More…]
Welcome everyone to the sixth edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you missed any one of our other articles, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is [Read More…]
Auto Ordnance from the Kahr Firearms Group has once again partnered with Outlaw Ordnance to bring us a custom new spin on a classic firearm. For this collaboration effort, they have produced a Custom “Vengeance” WWII M1 Carbine rifle. This rifle is of the [Read More…]
Viewers of TFB TV will be especially aware of a number of episodes that I completed with a local reenactor that represents elements of the 82nd Airborne Division all over the Midwest. To date we’ve filmed episodes about the BAR in the First World War, the M1A1 [Read More…]
This year marks the 75th Anniversary of World War II and to honor those firearms of old Winchester has some new throwback ammunition. With packaging appropriate for the time period as well as correct grain weights, pressures and components they are now proudly [Read More…]
My friend Brian’s neighbor is a relative of Thurston Shinn. Shinn was in the Navy during WWII and was assigned to a PT boat in the Aleutian Islands. Shinn was in the area when the US discovered the famous Akutan Zero. The Zero pilot tried to land the plane in a [Read More…]
Last year I posted about Dave and his beautifully restored Zundapp KS750. Click here to check out the article. Back then I had mentioned to Dave that my friend Scott has a working post sample MG34 and that we should get them together so that we can have a working [Read More…]
Every year, the historical firearms reviewing wizards at C&Rsenal create a high quality educational firearms poster. [Note: This fund-raiser expires on Wednesday, December 6th 2017]. This is the 4th-such poster produced by C&Rsenal, two having been done for [Read More…]
The latest edition of Larry Vickers’ series of coffee table reference books, the Vickers Guides, has been released. The fourth book in the series which has already featured editions looking at the AR-15 and 1911 – while the new book will focus on [Read More…]
The roller-locked* Heckler & Koch G3 rifles and MP5 submachine guns have become iconic weapons of the Cold War era, being used in conflicts everywhere from civil wars in Africa, to hostage rescues and counter terror operations in Europe, to anti-cartel operations in [Read More…]
While exploring the Springfield Armory Museum’s online archive I stumbled across an interesting experimental modification made to an M1918A2 BAR. The archival entries don’t offer much information but the photographs show an experimental kit developed to enable [Read More…]
It’s a blunder so bad it makes you look twice: On the new sculpture dedicated to Russia’s most famous small arms designer, there is an unintentional homage to a weapon of Russia’s hated adversaries during the Great Patriotic War. Behind the tasteful [Read More…]
While the STEN gun endures to this day, if only as the “cheapest” full-auto machine gun that US civilians can purchase, it was not the first sub machine gun from the UK in World War II. That honor goes to the Lanchester MkI, which certainly has a familiar [Read More…]
Close air support (CAS) – the direct support of ground forces by low flying combat aircraft – has been a key function of military aviation since World War I. However, since the formation of the Air Force as a separate service in 1947, and especially the Key [Read More…]
Your chance to own a semiauto reproduction StG-44 is coming soon: Hill & Mac Gunworks recently announced that the first of their Sturmgewehr rifles would be shipping before the end of this month. In an announcement made through the latest InRange TV Question & [Read More…]
With the soldier’s load growing beyond the bounds of reason, and the Army set to replace the M4 Carbine in some units with the new Interim Combat Service Rifle, questions have arisen about how the soldier’s burden has changed over time. In the comments [Read More…]
There are times where we gun scribes and bloggers just have to stop and scratch our heads. I swear is not because they itch, but because a company can call something one thing when it is really something else. Perhaps the name and purpose may just be polar opposites, [Read More…]
Right feared for its prodigious rate of fire, the MG-42 was nicknamed “Hitler’s Buzzsaw”. The US Army quickly learned that troops often hesitated when encountering the weapon, with its fearsome reputation and rate of fire overriding the common sense [Read More…]
The 2.36 inch M1A1 “Bazooka” entered service midway through the Second World War in the U.S. campaign in North Africa. From there it become widely liked that the rocket launcher was issued at the infantry platoon level and used with much success against German and Japanese enemy [Read More…]
Corey joined us for a talk about rifle grenades and launchers in use by U.S. Infantrymen during the Second World War. Particularly we focused on the M1 Launcher for the M1903 Springfield rifle, however we also discussed some of the aspects of the M7 Launcher for the M1 Garand, and a very similar one [Read More…]
The key to mass production is historically tied directly to the simplicity (and repeatability) of individual parts. As Japanese manufacturing facilities were bombarded and destroyed by U.S. forces during World War II, this became increasingly important for the continued [Read More…]
Recently we’ve been looking at a number of high-profile developments that came out of Special Operations Executive. Namely the infamous Welrod and Welwyn suppressed devices, and the Norm and Welgun experimental submachine guns. In this video, we take a look at some of the much lesser-known [Read More…]
The mainstream internet is going crazy over our Nambu Type 94 video, published over a year ago on our TFBTV Youtube channel, presented by the much missed Alex C. Yesterday it hit the /r/videos subreddit. The Type 94 was a horrendous gun. At first glance I assumed it was a late war gun made out [Read More…]
I love it when Ian over at Forgotten Weapons falls off the actual “forgotten” weapons and delves into well-known and respected designs. His brain housing group is replete with an encyclopedia of facts and history on weapons and when applied to even [Read More…]
WWII warbirds have always interested me since I was a kid, I used to build model kits of P-51 Mustangs, Mitsubishi Zeros, Spitfires etc. A while back I posted a pretty cool video of the Twilight Tear, a P-51 Mustang test firing her six .50 caliber M2 Browning machine [Read More…]
It is amazing the things you discover meeting people. Previously I had posted about Keith Biddle and his machine shop. While talking about guns with him, he showed me this rifle that belonged to his Uncle. The rifle is a 6mm bolt gun and it even bears his [Read More…]
Ah… the times have a changed. It’s rare today to hear of a “star” who has put their life and livelihood on the line to serve. While there are notable exceptions to this today, as a general rule most have not served. But, it was not always the [Read More…]
This guest post and accompanying photographs are contributed by a guest writer, Alton Chiu. Alton currently writes for Small Arms Review, and has done a thorough job of photographing and writing about a Luger that he recently came across through a mutual friend of his. [Read More…]