Prototype
Walther KPK Pistol at RIA
The Walther KPK was a modified version of the PPK automatic pistol made in very small numbers by Walther in hopes of winning a new military contract. Mechanically identical to the PPK, the KPK has […]
Articles by Ian McCollum
Accessories
M3 Infrared Sniper Carbine at RIA
The first US military night vision system used in active combat was the T3 Carbine system – an infrared light-amplifying scope and IR floodlight mounted on an M1 Carbine. About 150 of these were used […]
Artillery
Bethlehem Steel 37mm Cannon – Looking for Data
I recently got an email from a young man named Paul who is working on restoring a Bethlehem Steel 37mm cannon as an Eagle Scout project. The gun is sitting outside an American Legion post, […]
Prototype
Pedersen Selfloading Rifle at RIA
When the US military decided to seriously look at replacing the 1903 Springfield with a semiautomatic service rifle, two designers showed themselves to have the potential to design an effective and practical rifle. One was […]
Handgun
“My Friend” Knuckle-Duster Revolver at RIA
The “My Friend” knuckle-duster revolver was a defensive weapon sold on the civilian market from the late 1860s until the early 1880s. It functioned both as a revolver (this one is in .22 caliber, with […]
Uncategorized
Shanghai Municipal Police Colt 1908 at RIA
The Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerless was a very popular pistol for civilians – it was compact, comfortable, reliable, and exceptionally modern for its day. The initial production was all in .32ACP, but 5 years after […]
Uncategorized
Several Items…
No Vintage Saturday today – I’ve had a number of items stack up that I’d like to post in between the RIA videos this month. First up, I found a very neat Nova documentary on […]
Flintlock
Spanish Miquelet Flintlock at RIA
The miquelet lock is generally considered the first true, mature flintlock action in the progression of firearms technology. It combined the pan cover and frizzen (the plate against which the flint strikes) into a single […]
Lever Action Rifles
Spencer Rifle Conversion at RIA
The Spencer repeating rifle was a major leap forward in infantry firepower, and more than one hundred thousand of them were purchased by the US military during the Civil War. The Spencer offered a 7-round […]
Semiauto pistol
Iraqi Tariq Pistol at RIA
The official issue sidearm for the Iraqi Army (and many of its police agencies) is the Tariq, a domestically-manufactured copy of the Beretta M1951 pistol. The Beretta is a pretty decent pistol, mechanically fine and […]