Ian McCollum - Forgotten Weapons

The GI’s Darling: M1911A1 at the BUG Match

June 22, 2024 Ian McCollum 2

What more classic backup gun is there than the M1911A1, beloved by GIs as a backup to their M1 Carbines, M1 Garands, BARs, and tanks? Today I’m running an April 1945 production original military M1911A1 […]

Fort 221: The Ukrainian Tavor TAR

June 21, 2024 Ian McCollum 1

In 2008, Ukrainian manufacturing conglomerate RPC Fort received a license from IMI to produce a variety of Israeli small arms, including the Tavor TAR and Tavor X95. In Fort’s catalog, these were designated the Fort-221 […]

Makarov PB: Silenced KGB “Wet Work” Pistol

June 19, 2024 Ian McCollum 6

In 1967, the Tula arsenal introduced a specialized silenced version of the Makarov for covert use. This was a very effective pistol, and its design was also very heavily changed from that of the regular […]

Sten Mk5: The Cadillac of the Sten Family

June 17, 2024 Ian McCollum 24

The Sten Mk5 (sometimes written Sten MkV) was really the Cadillac of the Sten series. It was designed in 1943, and featured a full wooden buttstock patterned after the No4 Enfield rifle, as well as […]

Žiga from Polenar Tactical Reviews my Lynx Brutality AK

June 16, 2024 Ian McCollum 5

I decided to use a home-built Romanian AK for Lynx Brutality 2024. It began as a Romanian PM-63 AKM made at the Cugir factory complex in 1976, which was sold to the US about 20 […]

Shields, Ropes, and Cutting Wire: Lynx Brutality 2024 Day 2

June 15, 2024 Ian McCollum 0

Polenar Tactical has done it again, setting the bar for Brutality matches with this year’s Lynx Brutality. Held at the Lynx Pro Training Center outside Kočevje Slovenia, this year’s match was 10 stages over two […]

My AK vs Cars, Kettlebells, & Fast Ropes: Lynx Brutality 2024 Day 1

June 14, 2024 Ian McCollum 3

Polenar Tactical has done it again, setting the bar for Brutality matches with this year’s Lynx Brutality. Held at the Lynx Pro Training Center outside Kočevje Slovenia, this year’s match was 10 stages over two […]

M1911A1: America’s Definitive World War Two Pistol

June 12, 2024 Ian McCollum 65

The United States adopted the M1911 pistol just in time for the First World War, and between Colt and Springfield Arsenal some 643,000 of these pistols were made by the end of 1918. During that […]

Kord: Russia’s New .50 Cal Heavy Machine Gun

June 10, 2024 Ian McCollum 23

The Kord was developed to replace the Soviet NSV heavy machine gun. The NSV was developed in 1969 to replace the DShK, and it was a pretty good gun – but it was manufactured in […]

Shooting Shaved Webley Revolvers (w/ Steinel Ammo)

June 8, 2024 Ian McCollum 14

Steinel Ammunition has started making a rather niche new product, but one that I think is quite convenient: .45 ACP downloaded to .455 Webley pressure. This is for use in Webley revolvers that were shaved […]