Prototype
Grant Hammond .32ACP Prototype at RIA
Grant Hammond is best known (to the extent he is known at all) for a .45 caliber pistol submitted to US military trials in 1917 and 1918. This pistol is a proof of concept prototype […]
Articles by Ian McCollum
Revolver
Merwin & Bray .42 Caliber Cupfire Revolver at RIA
One of the many revolver systems designed to work around the Rollin White patent was the Pant’s Patent cupfire revolver, made by Merwin & Bray in several calibers (.28, .30, and .42). This particular example […]
Bolt Action Rifles
Mondragon 1894 Straight-Pull at RIA
Most people who recognize the name Mondragon know it from Manuel Mondragon’s model 1908 semiauto rifle, the first such rifle to be adopted on a large scale by a military (the Mexican Army, in this […]
Semiauto pistol
7.65mm Radium Pistol at RIA
The Radium was the predecessor to the much more well-known (and more successful) Ruby pistol made by Gabilonda y Urresti, which was sold to the French Army by the hundreds of thousands during World War […]
Semiauto Rifles
Duplex .22-06 M1 Garand at RIA
During the 1950s, the US Army ran a series of programs trying to find a better solution for infantry rifles than firing single semiauto bullets. These projects (including SALVO, SALVO II, and SPIW) would include […]
Revolver
Colt “Cloverleaf” House Revolver at RIA
The Colt House revolver, better known as the Cloverleaf (and sometimes as the Jim Fisk Model) was the first revolver Colt designed from the ground up for rimfire ammunition. It entered the market in 1871, […]
Competition
2-Gun Action Challenge: The M44/92 Zorka Special!
Bet you’ve never heard of the M44/92 Zorka Special…well, sit back and relax with today’s 2-gun match video and find out why! (happy April Fool’s Day!)
Semiauto Rifles
Pedersen GY at RIA: A Copy of the M1 Garand
Two of the scarcest and least known of John Pedersen’s designs are the Model GY and GX rifles, which are basically copies of the production model of the M1 Garand. After losing out in the […]
Handgun
Elgin Cutlass Pistol at RIA
In an effort to take advantage of Jim Bowie’s popularity, George Elgin patented a huge knife attached to a single shot percussion pistol in 1837. The idea was simply to offer a dual-purpose weapon, and […]
Semiauto pistol
KrauseWerke .45ACP Luger at RIA
The story of the .45ACP Lugers is a bit complex, and widely misunderstood. What most people believe is that two such guns were made for US military testing, one was lost, and the other is […]