2015 - Forgotten Weapons

Ethan Allen Brass Falling Block Rifle at RIA

June 24, 2015 Ian McCollum 30

Ethan Allen was a very prolific gun manufacturer in the US, being involved with a series of different companies. This particular rifle of his appealed to me because it is an excellent example of how […]

Japanese Type 30 “Hook Safety” Arisaka at RIA

June 23, 2015 Ian McCollum 21

Most people are familiar with the Type 38 Arisaka, which was one of the two very distinctive Japanese rifles of World War II (along with the Type 99). The Type 38 was an outstanding rifle […]

Moore Teatfire Revolver at RIA

June 22, 2015 Ian McCollum 15

The Moore patent “teatfire” revolver was one of the more (no pun intended) successful workarounds to the Rollin White patent. Designed by Daniel Moore and David Williamson, the gun was a 6-shot .32 caliber pocket […]

Palmer Carbine at RIA

June 21, 2015 Ian McCollum 11

The Palmer carbine was the first bolt action firearm adopted by the US military – it was a single shot rimfire carbine patented in 1863 and sold to the US cavalry in 1865. The guns […]

Nazi-Occupation “Stomperud” Krag Rifle at RIA

June 20, 2015 Ian McCollum 33

When the Germans occupied Norway, they took advantage of the arms production facilities at the Kongsberg Arsenal to make a number of Krag rifles to their own specifications. They were made with a mixture of […]

Khyber Pass Colt Copy at RIA

June 19, 2015 Ian McCollum 25

The Khyber Pass is a region near the Afghan/Pakistan border known for firearms production – particularly for very crude guns made with crude tools. This particular pistol is an excellent example of the type – […]

Hammond Bulldog Pistol at RIA

June 18, 2015 Ian McCollum 11

Made in Naubuc Connecticut, the Hammond Bulldog was an interesting single-shot rimfire .44 caliber pistol. It used an unusual rotating breechblock, and had the potential to be a fairly strong action. Reportedly prototypes were made […]

(A Few of) The Many Faces of the Dutch M95 Carbine

June 17, 2015 Ian McCollum 23

When the Dutch military adopted the M95 Mannlicher rifle, they made a rifle for standard infantry, and a variety of carbines for specialist troops. these included artillery, cavalry, bicycle, engineers, and colonial service carbines. During […]

Joslyn M1862 and M1864 Carbines at RIA

June 16, 2015 Ian McCollum 39

While US infantry forces during the Civil War had only limited access to the newest rifle technology, cavalry units adopted a wide variety of new carbines in significant numbers. Among these were a design by […]

One More Chinese Mystery Pistol at RIA!

June 15, 2015 Ian McCollum 14

This particular Chinese pistol is a great example of all the elements of a proper Chinese Mystery Pistol: sights that don’t function, gibberish markings, mechanical derivation from the Browning 1900, aesthetic elements form the C96 […]