Ian McCollum - Forgotten Weapons

North Korean M49 PPSh Submachine Gun

November 23, 2020 Ian McCollum 7

In 1949, North Korea began production of a domestic copy of the Soviet PPSh-41 submachine gun. Designated the M49, it used a blend of Russian and Chinese characteristics, but was mechanically identical to the standard […]

Q&A #46: Scotland, .30 Carbine, and Mauser (w/ Mauro Baudino)

November 22, 2020 Ian McCollum 25

0:00:47 – What happened to the “Worst AK I’ve Ever Seen”? 0:02:23 – My filming logistics 0:06:47 – PDW vs SMG? 0:08:54 – Do I still do gunsmithing and restoration? 0:10:29 – Did France ever […]

Remington-Lee Model 1899: A Final Smokeless Version

November 21, 2020 Ian McCollum 16

This is Lot #1230 in the upcoming December 2020 RIA Premier auction. The Model 1899 was the last pattern of the Remington Lee Military Rifle, following the models of 1879, 1882, and 1885. In this final […]

Model 1881 Trapdoor Forager: Cheap Entertainment for the Troops

November 20, 2020 Ian McCollum 25

This is Lot #1236 in the upcoming December 2020 RIA Premier auction. At the suggestion of Colonel J.C. Kelton (Assistant Adjutant-General, Military Division of the Pacific and Department of California), the US Army adopted a […]

Fun With OOBs: An Austen MkII at the Range

November 19, 2020 Ian McCollum 13

A little while back I had a chance to take an Austen MkII out to the range. There were only a couple hundred of these ever made, at the end of World War Two in […]

British L66A1: A Pistol for Northern Ireland

November 18, 2020 Ian McCollum 40

In 1974, the British Royal Army Ordnance Corps purchased about 3,000 .22lr caliber Walther PP pistols to issue as Personal Defense Weapons to service members of the Ulster Defense Regiment. These were to be issued […]

The Best BAR: Luxembourg .30-06 FN-D at the Range

November 17, 2020 Ian McCollum 9

I normally want to have something specific to demonstrate what I take a gun to the range, but today I don’t. What I have today is and FN-D, the very best iteration of the Browning […]

Krupp 50mm Mountain Guns for Siam (Thailand)

November 16, 2020 Ian McCollum 23

In 1906, Siam (now Thailand) purchased a batch of 50mm mountain guns form Krupp of Germany. These were simple fixed barrel guns with steel-belted wooden wheels. Designed to be carried by elephant, mule, or even […]

MP5SD at the Range: Subsonic vs Supersonic

November 14, 2020 Ian McCollum 23

While the MP5SD is made with a barrel ported right at the chamber to reduce bullet velocity, I am curious to see if it will actually work. Can I tell the difference between 115gr supersonic […]

H&K MP5SD: The Cadillac of Suppressed Submachine Guns

November 13, 2020 Ian McCollum 20

Shortly after introducing the MP5 submachine gun, Heckler & Koch added an integrally suppressed model to its line at the request of special operations forces. It was called the MP5SD, for “shalldampfer”, or suppressed. In […]