Book review - Forgotten Weapons

Book Review: The 100 Greatest Combat Pistols

December 19, 2013 Ian McCollum 17

Today we’re taking a look at the third of Tim Mullin’s hands-on firearms evaluation and testing books: The 100 Greatest Combat Pistols (the other two being on the subjects of rifles and SMGs/shotguns/machine pistols). Normally […]

Book Review: Firearm Anatomy I – Thompson M1A1 Submachine Gun

December 12, 2013 Ian McCollum 15

One of the questions I have gotten quite a few times is what resource I would recommend for folks who are interested in the technical engineering aspects of firearms design. It’s always been a tough […]

Book Review: Winston Churchill’s Toyshop

December 5, 2013 Ian McCollum 9

In July of 1939 Stuart Macrae was the editor of Armchair Science magazine, and he was approached by a Major Millis Jefferis from the British War Office looking for some information on magnets. The subsequent […]

Book Review: Allied Rifle Contracts in America

November 21, 2013 Ian McCollum 6

One of the characteristics that often leads me to be particularly interested in a given gun is a long and convoluted history. I really enjoy finding firearms that have found their way across the world […]

Book Review: The World’s Fighting Shotguns

November 14, 2013 Ian McCollum 38

Shotguns are a subject I don’t cover much, and I’ll admit that’s because of a prejudice on my part. I just don’t find most of them to be particularly interesting…but then I had the chance […]

Book Review: The Bear Went Over the Mountain

October 31, 2013 Ian McCollum 13

I’ve been aware of Lester Grau’s The Bear Went Over the Mountain: Soviet Combat Tactics in Afghanistan for a long time – I borrowed a copy many years ago – but only recently purchased a […]

Book Review: Forty Miles A Day on Beans and Hay

October 24, 2013 Ian McCollum 10

We wint to Arizona, for to fight the Injins there; We came near being made bald-headed, but they never got our hair. We lay among the ditches, in the dirty yellow mud, And we never […]

Book Review: Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works Firearms 1871-1993

October 17, 2013 Ian McCollum 18

The Iver Johnson company doesn’t get much respect or recognition these days, but they made a staggering number of generally very good, inexpensive handguns for many decades. The “cheap” image of the brand has largely […]

Journal Review: AFTE Quarterly

October 10, 2013 Ian McCollum 11

Today’s review is a bit different than normal, as I’m not looking at a book but rather a quarterly trade association journal. The association is AFTE, the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners – […]

Book Review: Testing the War Weapons

October 4, 2013 Ian McCollum 11

I was pretty excited to dig into Tim Mullin’s Testing The War Weapons when I first got a copy of it, having already read his book on SMGs, shotguns, and machine pistols cover to cover. I […]