Commentary
Russian Gun Laws w/ Max Popenker
Only two days left to get in on the preorder for my book, Chassepot to FAMAS! Get your copy today! Today Max Popenker joins me again, this time to explain the state of guns laws today […]
Articles by Ian McCollum
Semiauto Rifles
A Rifle for International Competition: the MAS 49-56 MSE
Preorders now open for my book, Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016! Get your copy here! The MSE (Modified St Etienne) version of the MAS 49-56 was developed specifically for international competition shooting by […]
How Does it Work
How Does it Work: Blow Forward
The blow forward system has only bee used on three commercially-produced firearms: the Schwarzlose 1908, Hino-Komuro, and Mannlicher 1894 (The SIG AK-53 uses a forward barrel movement, but in conjunction with a locked breech). It […]
Conversion
French NATO Standardization: the MAS 49-56 in 7.62mm
Preorders now open for my book, Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016! Get your copy here! In the late 1950s, France was still part of the NATO integrated military structure. When the 7.62x51mm cartridge […]
Book review
Book Review: The US Rifle M14 – The Last Steel Warrior
The M14 rifle is a rather controversial arm in American military service. As Frank Iannamico’s title says, it was the last steel-and-wood infantry rifle to be adopted by the US military, and it has a […]
General Purpose MGs
Shooting the HK21 Modular Machine Gun
The HK21 is a the belt-fed iteration of the H&K roller-delayed blowback mechanism. H&K built a wide range of firearms around that system, including submachine guns (MP5), rifles (HK33, HK91), precision rifles (PSG-1), and machine […]
Semiauto Rifles
France’s Final Battle Rifle Iteration: The MAS 49-56
Preorders now open for my book, Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016! Get your copy here! While the development of the MAS 49 had given France a very utilitarian rifle that could serve as […]
Q&A
Q&A 29: Galilean Sights and American AKs
The Kickstarter presale for my book, Chassepot to FAMAS, is still running, and you can still get an exclusive Kickstarter copy at a discounted price! Questions for today’s Q&A, as always, come from my Patrons, […]
Gunsmithing
Watchmaker’s Perfect Miniature MG08 Maxim
Today at the Kessler auction house in Kreuzlingen Switzerland, we are looking at an exquisitely made miniature model of an MG08 Maxim machine gun. This was probably made by a watchmaker in military service, but […]
How Does it Work
How Does It Work: Direct Gas Impingement
Interested in small arms history? Make sure to pre-order a copy of my book, Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866 – 2016! Direct gas impingement is an operating system that has been used only in […]