December, 2022 - Forgotten Weapons

Desert Brutality 2022: Finland Edition (Valmet & Valmet)

December 31, 2022 Ian McCollum 17

For my main run through Desert Brutality this year, I decided to have fun with a full historical load out – or at least a mostly-historical load out. I used a Valmet M62/S (the semiauto […]

Type 94 Japanese 37mm Antitank Gun on Guadalcanal

December 30, 2022 Ian McCollum 55

The Type 94 was the standard infantry antitank gun of the Japanese Army during World Ware Two. It was developed in the early 1930s as tensions with the Soviet Union rose; there had not been […]

Tsingtao Ironworks C96 Carbine – A Fancy Carbine for a Wealthy Client

December 28, 2022 Ian McCollum 12

Today we are looking at a high-end C96 Mauser pattern sporting carbine made by the Tsingtao Ironworks. Only a few dozen of these were made, and this one survives in excellent condition. It is a […]

Ask Ian: Going Broke Making Guns During War

December 27, 2022 Ian McCollum 24

From Jubs on Patreon: “They say that ‘no one’s gone bankrupt making guns during a war,’ but is that actually true?” It’s usually true, but not always. Even during a war, you can make enough […]

RWGŁ-3: Poland’s Riot Squad AK-Based Tear Gas Launcher

December 26, 2022 Ian McCollum 5

When Polish workers held massive protests in Poznań against the communist Polish government in 1956, the Army was sent in to quell the unrest. In the aftermath of these events, the government decided to create […]

Guadalcanal’s Red Beach Landing: America’s First Offensive in WW2

December 24, 2022 Ian McCollum 11

After joining (formally) World War Two in the wake of Pearl Harbor, the United States endured a series of defeats at the hands of the Japanese. The Philippines garrison fell, Wake Island fell, Guam fell. […]

Błyskawica: The Polish Home Army’s Clandestine SMG

December 23, 2022 Ian McCollum 13

The Blyskawica (“LIghtning”) is an SMG developed in occupied Poland to be issued out to Home Army units during Operation Tempest; the liberation uprisings planned for the advance of the Red Army into Poland. The […]

Ask Ian: .223 vs 5.56 and “Military Grade Ammo”

December 22, 2022 Ian McCollum 14

From Michal on Patreon: “Can you talk about difference between .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO? Or in more general terms about possibility of using military grade ammo in civilian rifles. I heard everything from ‘it […]

From Aircraft to Improvised Infantry: the Vickers MkI No2

December 21, 2022 Ian McCollum 21

The Vickers MkI No2 was an improvisation of the British Royal Air Force. They needed arms for airbase defense, without unduly impacting the production of weapons for the infantry. Wheat they had a good supply […]

Book Review: Vickers Guide Heckler & Koch Volume 1

December 20, 2022 Ian McCollum 1

Only available direct from Vickers Guide. The Vickers Guide series of books by Larry Vickers and James Rupley began as beautifully photographed firearms art books – and that’s all they claim to be today. However, […]