May, 2026 - Forgotten Weapons

Explaining the Yugoslav / Zastava M70 Series of Rifles

May 30, 2026 Ian McCollum 20

Yugoslavia never received a technical data package or license for the AK; they reverse engineered the system themselves in the 1960s. In the process, they created a version of the AK noted for its ruggedness. […]

BUG Match: Beretta 1934 (in .380)

May 29, 2026 Ian McCollum 20

Given the influx of very inexpensive Beretta M1934 pistols into the US market – and the fact that I have a fine Carabinieri hat – it is a no-brainer to run the monthly Back Up […]

NFA Taxes, More M7 Ranting, and Rimless 12ga: Q&A May 2026

May 27, 2026 Ian McCollum 55

Thanks to Kyro for sponsoring the Q&A! Get 10% off all spirits with code FORGOTTENMALT10: https://www.kyrodistillery.com 01:13 – Rifles that arrived too early 04:14 – DETAC Arms’ new rimless 12ga shotgun 09:55 – WWCD (What […]

SIG Manurhin 543 Semiauto: I Really Like This Rifle

May 23, 2026 Ian McCollum 5

SIG introduced the 540 series of rifles in 1973, which included the full-length 540 in 5.56mm, the 541 in a number of experimental calibers for the Swiss military, the 542 in 7.62mm NATO, and the […]

RIA 5.0E: A Very Nice Pistol, But For Whom?

May 22, 2026 Ian McCollum 24

Rock Island Armory is best known for its Philippine-made 1911s, but expended into US pistol production with a novel design a couple years ago. The call it the 5.0, and it uses an interesting vertically-traveling […]

The Surplus Guns Gold Rush When Communism Fell (w/ Val Forgett)

May 20, 2026 Ian McCollum 9

When the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a gold rush for the surplus guns held by all the various newly independent republics, as well as the Warsaw Pact nations. Lord of War is not far […]

H&R T223: In Vietnam Before the HK33

May 18, 2026 Ian McCollum 26

The very first iteration of the HK 33 roller-delayed rifle was included in early US rifle testing in Vietnam. H&K worked with Harrington & Richardson as their US representative, who did final assembly on a […]

North Korean Type 68-1 Export “Asian Contract” Underfolder (Semiauto Build)

May 16, 2026 Ian McCollum 2

North Korea is too poor to finance social credit points, but if they did have them, you’d get loads for wearing our Best Korea propaganda shirt: https://varusteleka.com/en-us/products/forgotten-weapons-best-korea-propaganda-t-shirt North Korea began making a version of the […]

Masterpiece Arms MPA-971: Frankengun of the Assault Weapons Ban

May 15, 2026 Ian McCollum 11

The Masterpiece Arms MPA-971 was designed in 2003, at the tail end of the US Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Among other things, the ban prohibited the manufacture or import of magazines holding more than 10 […]

Iver Johnson Prototype .25ACP Blow Forward Pocket Pistol

May 13, 2026 Ian McCollum 15

This is a one-of-a-kind prototype of a .25ACP blow forward pistol made by Iver Johnson. It was patented in 1916 (patent applied for in 1912) by William O. Barnes of Massachusetts, and assigned to Iver […]