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…]
Quick: What’s the definition of “assault rifle”? I’ll give you a moment to think about it. Now, a good definition for “assault rifle” in my opinion comes from Anthony G. Williams, a British author, ammunition collector, and military [Read More…]
Since we’ve discussed the .30 M1 Carbine caliber, it is probably only a matter of time before someone mentioned another .30 caliber round used by the Allies during the Second World War, that being the 7.62x25mm Tokarev. The round is a turbocharged derivative of [Read More…]
The US .30 cal M1 Carbine is one of the most important developments in the personal defense weapon story, being one of the very first* intermediate calibers to be adopted as standard issue by a nation, and arguably the first purpose-designed PDW caliber in history. [Read More…]
Almost all of our modern weapons can trace some part of their lineage to World War II. The STG 44 was (and still is) a major influence on modern weapons design. However, there are many weapons from the war that do not share the same influence. One may certainly claim [Read More…]
In January, just before the 2017 SHOT Show, I got the opportunity to travel to Cody Wyoming to visit the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, to see some of their rare firearms and bring photos of them to our readers. Today’s weapon is a [Read More…]
As a researcher and history enthusiast, one of the issues I often have to wrestle with is that of eyewitness accounts, specifically when to trust them and when not to. That subject itself is one for another time, but today I want to look at a specific example of an [Read More…]
Wartime arms production is an amazing feat combining patriotism, teamwork, resource management and industrial engineering to mass produce functional art. The 10 minute Union Switch and Signal manufacturing video posted below is an awesome look back at a time when [Read More…]
In January, just before the 2017 SHOT Show, I got the opportunity to travel to Cody Wyoming to visit the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, to see some of their rare firearms and bring photos of them to our readers. The folks at the Cody Museum [Read More…]
Derek Smith aka @ikickhippies recently acquired a Hi-Standard HDM. It is uses the same magazine as the Colt Woodsman. It has an integral suppressor and designed to reduce gun shots by more than 20 dB. The gun was developed during WWII and was adopted by the OSS.
Miles is at it again on World War II small arms, with the awesome help of Corey, a very dedicated and knowledgable Reenactor who has taken the time to showcase and discuss the “Light Thirty”, or the Browning 1919A4 light machine gun in use by U.S. Infantrymen in the Second World War. [Read More…]
Inland Manufacturing showed off their new T30 .30 Caliber Carbine Sniper at the 2017 SHOT Show. It’s based on the T3 sniper rifle that was developed back in 1944 by Inland. Inland Manufacturing has come out with a few other WWII era reproductions including [Read More…]
If a Garand pings in the woods, and no one is around to hear it, did it make a sound? The answer is “yes”, because German super-hearing allows them to detect high-pitched noises from up to a kilometer away! The funny thing about myths is that sometimes [Read More…]
In the fourth part of the series of articles I am writing on the Lightweight Rifle program of the 1940s and ’50s, we looked at some of the experimental rifles that were being tested and evaluated during and just after World War II as potential replacements for or [Read More…]
We’ve all heard it at gun shows or with friends: The M1 Garand was the first rifle that brought true semiautomatic firepower to the battlefield, but it came with a fatal flaw – the ping, which would alert German soldiers that the hapless GI was out of ammo, [Read More…]
During World War II, various companies and weapons designers vied for the coveted contract that ultimately became the M1 Carbine in .30 Carbine. One of those companies was Auto Ordnance, which did submit a “light” rifle design, but as a “just in [Read More…]
The M1 Carbine is a lightweight, handy weapon that is well-liked by many. One of its weakest points for many people, however, is its cartridge: The .30 Carbine caliber is regarded by some as being too weak to be a true intermediate caliber round fully capable of [Read More…]
Many would consider this next round to be the first intermediate cartridge ever, and while that isn’t really true, it is one of the most influential rounds of all time, and perhaps the most influential intermediate round ever developed. I am talking of course [Read More…]
My friend Tom invited me over to his friend Dave’s house to show me Dave’s restored 1942 Zündapp KS 750. Dave restores motorcycles and exotic cars for a living and as a hobby. According to Dave, he acquired this back in the 80’s when he was restoring [Read More…]
Inland Manufacturing, known for their reintroduction of the M1 carbine and various faithful reproductions, as announced a new version of the rifle, the Jungle Carbine. The new carbine is extremely similar to the standard M1 carbine, but adds a conical flash hider and [Read More…]
The classic American M1917 revolver was a much needed answer to a very evident problem: not enough standard issue .45acp 1911 pistols to go around. Smith & Wesson and Colt both produced these revolvers at the request of the US Government, and they served in at least some capacity until Vietnam. [Read More…]
The nations engaged in World War II all fielded one or more main infantry rifle, and in this episode of TFBTV, we take a look at five that we believe to be the best. Remember this is a list of rifles, so submachineguns, machine guns, assault rifles, and so on are not included. Transcript … [Read More…]
This past week a discussion with my junior-higher over a school assignment brought back a laundry list of World War II topics. The assignment was to select a topic from the 1940s for what is, to a junior higher, a lengthy essay. In the end she chose the USS [Read More…]
Upon its release, Saving Private Ryan was lauded for its realisitic portrayal of the storming of Omaha Beach by US GI’s in World War II. The scene is used today in the military to show the horrors and psychological impact of pitch warfare and is commonly named the [Read More…]
Your Privacy Choices