Book review - Forgotten Weapons

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 […]

Book Review: The Early Arisakas

September 26, 2013 Ian McCollum 10

Are you interested in Japanese weapons and militaria? There is a group you should be aware of – Banzai. Formed in 1982, Banzai has been publishing a newsletter full of Japanese-weaponry-related articles for more than […]

Book Review: Archaeological Perspectives on the Battle of the Little Bighorn

September 19, 2013 Ian McCollum 36

I’m sure all my American readers are familiar with George Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, one of the more famous disasters in American military history. For our European folks, a bit of […]

Book Review: Handguns of the World

September 12, 2013 Ian McCollum 7

I normally don’t have all that much interest in coffee table type gun books – the glossy photos are nice, but they generally don’t have all that much actual information. I had assumed initially that […]

Book Review: The Fighting Submachine Gun, Machine Pistol, and Shotgun

September 5, 2013 Ian McCollum 11

I’ve really enjoyed spending this summer shooting some unusual old guns in “practical” type matches, both because it’s simply a lot of fun to do, and because I think it can really help give some […]

Book Review: Webley & Scott Automatic Pistols

August 29, 2013 Ian McCollum 11

Having previously read and quite enjoyed Gordon Bruce’ Evolution of Military Automatic Pistols, I was looking forward to checking out his much more in-depth volume on the Webley semiautos, appropriately titled Webley & Scott Automatic […]

Book Review: Fighting Iron

August 22, 2013 Ian McCollum 10

What is the difference between a Damascus knife and a Damascus shotgun? Why did barrel composition contribute to the short lifespan of the 6mm Lee Navy concept? Why did high-grade flintlocks use platinum touchhole sleeves? […]

Book Review: A Genius in the Family

August 15, 2013 Ian McCollum 15

Hiram Stevens Maxim is one of America’s less recognized polymath inventors, and quite a character in addition to all his quantifiable accomplishments. Starting live on a rural Maine farm, Maxim had only a few years […]