Ian McCollum - Forgotten Weapons

Australian Weapons Identification

March 6, 2012 Ian McCollum 0

Thanks to reader and gunsmith Robert, we have today a copy of a 1945-dated Australian weapons identification list. If you have an Australian Lithgow Enfield, this is a great parts reference, as it shows very […]

Navy .308 Garand Conversion

March 5, 2012 Ian McCollum 6

Back in the 1960s, the US Navy decided to rechamber a bunch of its M1 Garand rifles to 7.62 NATO. The proper way to do this would have been to simply put new 7.62 barrels […]

Vintage Saturday: Downing Panes with a Potato Digger

March 3, 2012 Ian McCollum 9

Well, it’s more effective than trying to hit ’em with a Hotchkiss Portative…but I bet they wish they had a proper anti-aircraft mount!

Tomorrow’s Collectors

March 2, 2012 Ian McCollum 4

I attended the memorial service for Uncle Bob Faris on Wednesday, and it really highlighted to me why I (and my collaborators) devote so much of our time to building this web site, and made […]

Video Book Review: Swiss Magazine Loading Rifles

March 1, 2012 Ian McCollum 1

Swiss rifles offer a great place for a new collector to put together a set of rifles with mechanical and historical interest, that are in great condition and still available for reasonable prices. The Swiss […]

Chinese “Jingal” Wall Gun

February 29, 2012 Ian McCollum 7

“Jingal” was the name the British gave to both Indian and Chinese rampart guns used from the 1700s up until World War II. The guns were originally muzzle loaders, used in fixed defensive emplacements. They […]

Japanese Infantry Weapons (World War II)

February 28, 2012 Ian McCollum 6

We usually stick to documents relating to a single specific weapon, but today we have an interesting report on a whole bunch of guns. Our friend Hrachya sent us a copy of a 1943 US […]

Robert Faris Memorial Service

February 27, 2012 Ian McCollum 3

I realize this is very short notice, but there will be a memorial service for Robert Faris at Paradise Gardens in Scottsdale AZ tomorrow, Wednesday the 29th. The address is 9300 East Shea Blvd, Scottsdale […]

Japanese 1908 Hino-Komuro Pistol

February 27, 2012 Ian McCollum 4

We recently had the opportunity to take a look at a 1908 Japanese Hino-Komuro pistol – one of the most unique guns we’ve yet seen. It’s one of the very few true blow-forward designs ever […]

Vintage Saturday: An American Mosin in Paris…or Somewhere

February 25, 2012 Ian McCollum 7

Yup, the aftermath of the Gun Industry Bailout of 1918, when the Feds bought a bunch of Mosins they didn’t like to save Remington and Westinghouse when those pesky Bolsheviks refused to pay up. On […]