2018 - Forgotten Weapons

Catalonia’s Attempt at a Pistol: the Blowback Isard

September 12, 2018 Ian McCollum 20

The Republican factions in the Spanish Civil War had much more trouble obtaining arms than the Nationalist elements, and this led to several attempts to build pistols in small-scale workshops. The best known of these […]

Forgotten History: The Americans Take Blanc Mont Ridge, October 1918

September 11, 2018 Ian McCollum 10

The German army captured Blanc Mont Ridge in the early months of World War One and occupied it throughout the years of fighting, fending off repeated French assaults throughout 1915 and 1916. While the ridge […]

Swiss Reibel M31 Tank & Fortress Machine Gun

September 10, 2018 Ian McCollum 7

The Reibel Modele M31 was the variation of the French Chatellerault M24/29 light machine gun made for use in vehicles and fortifications. In accordance with that role, it lacked a buttstock or sights (these were […]

8mm M1915 Chauchat Fixing and Range Testing

September 8, 2018 Ian McCollum 26

Well, my 8mm French Chauchat finally cleared transfer, as did my application to reactivate it. This was a “dewat”, or “Deactivated War Trophy” – a machine gun put on the NFA registry but modified to […]

Announcing my Upcoming Book – and Art Contest!

September 8, 2018 Ian McCollum 13

http://www.FrenchRifleBook.com I have mentioned this before, but this is the first time I have formally announced it – I am writing a reference book on French military rifles, to be titled “Chassepot to FAMAS: French […]

Denel NTW 20: A Multi-Caliber Anti-Material Rifle

September 7, 2018 Ian McCollum 23

Created by noted South African gun designer Tony Neophytou, the NTW-20 is a bolt action anti-material rifle made in 20x82mm, 20x110mm, and 14.5x115mm. The weapon began as idea to use the large quantities of surplus […]

S&W 1940 Light Rifles: Receiver Breakage is a Problem

September 6, 2018 Ian McCollum 29

Mark I Mark II Designed in 1939 by S&W engineer Edward Pomeroy, the S&W Light Rifle is an extremely well manufactured but rather poorly thought out carbine. It is a 9mm Parabellum open-bolt, semiautomatic, blowback […]

The Original Pasadena Auto Mag 180

September 5, 2018 Ian McCollum 19

RIA’s catalog page for this pistol The Auto Mag 180 was basically the result of two guys noticing that nobody made a semiauto .44 Magnum pistol…and that they could probably do it. The men were […]

Rock Island Arsenal M15 General Officer’s Model

September 4, 2018 Ian McCollum 19

RIA’s catalog page for this pistol The M15 General Officer’s pistol was the replacement for the Colt Model M, which had long been the military issue sidearm for General-level officers. By the late 1960s, however, […]

WW Marston Breechloading Pistol and Leather-Base Cartridge

September 3, 2018 Ian McCollum 3

RIA’s catalog page for this pistol William Walker Marston was born in 1822, and would spend his career as a gunsmith and gunmaker in New York City. He produced a wide variety of firearms, including […]