Ian McCollum - Forgotten Weapons

Sterling SMG at the Range

April 3, 2021 Ian McCollum 33

The L2A3 Sterling submachine gun was a staple of British and small arms after World War Two, until the L85 rifle was adopted. Designed by George Patchett during the war and produced by Sterling, it […]

Gordon Ingram’s Westarm .308 Battle Rifle

April 2, 2021 Ian McCollum 37

In the late 1970s and early 80s, Gordon Ingram came close to producing a military rifle in one of the most convoluted international arrangements I’ve yet heard of. Prototypes were made in Italy using British […]

The Luger in Finland

April 1, 2021 Ian McCollum 12

After the failure of the domestic production Ahlberg pistols and some disappointment with the performance of surplus French Ruby pistols, the Finnish military turned to DWM in Germany for a main service pistol in 1922. […]

Mauser 1912/14: Flapper-Delayed Blowback

March 31, 2021 Ian McCollum 19

Starting in 1909, Mauser had a plan to introduce a family of automatic pistols, with a picket gun in 6.35mm (.25 ACP) and a military/police service pistol in 9mm Parabellum that shared the same basic […]

Ian Rants About Dumb Ammo Purchasing Decisions

March 30, 2021 Ian McCollum 35

Seriously guys, buying trash surplus ammo is false economy. Do the research, don’t get tempted by a 2c/round savings, and get ammunition that will actually run. You will have a way better time shooting, and […]

Movie Conversions: The Flintlock Trapdoor Springfield

March 29, 2021 Ian McCollum 20

The movie industry has always had special requirements for firearms. Flintlocks, for example, can be rather finicky guns for folks to use without practice and care, and that does not work will in a filming […]

M39 Snow Test in Finland

March 27, 2021 Ian McCollum 18

While in Finland for Finnish Brutality 2021, the question naturally arose of how bolt action rifles would fare in the snow. Bloke and Chap from Bloke on the Range decided to find out, and peer-pressured […]

Ian Fangirls Over Some Weird Bergmann (Prototype M1910)

March 26, 2021 Ian McCollum 15

This unique Bergmann Model 1910 was made by Anciens Etablissements Pieper with a grip angled slightly back compared to the standard model. It was also fitted with a square front sight and square rear notch […]

Manton’s Waterproof Flintlock

March 25, 2021 Ian McCollum 20

How does one keep a flintlock action reliable in wet, riany weather? Well, let’s have a look at a flintlock shotgun designed specifically to be waterproof! This is a Joseph Manton shotgun from about 1815. […]

The First Trapdoor Springfield Carbine, Model 1870

March 24, 2021 Ian McCollum 13

The first production of a carbine model of the Trapdoor Springfield was the Model 1870 (excluding 4 prototypes produced in 1868). There was a focus infantry rifles in theTrapdoor program, and just 362 of these […]