Commentary - Forgotten Weapons

Beretta M38A vs Suomi kp/31 (w/ John Keene)

November 4, 2024 Ian McCollum 64

If you had to pick one, would you take an early Beretta 38A (with bayonet), or a Finnish kp/31 Suomi? Both have semiauto selectors, although the Beretta’s its easier to use. The Suomi has a […]

The Infamous Klobb: Guns of GoldenEye N64

October 8, 2024 Ian McCollum 6

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/licensed-troubleshooter?ref=e0y2xl We are really close to hitting the stretch goal to add a section on the Guns of GoldenEye N64 to Licensed Troubleshooter! For a lot of people, James Bond was introduced not by Sean […]

Original US Military Machine Guns on the Civilian Market (w/ John Keene)

August 3, 2024 Ian McCollum 6

Today Ian is back with NFA specialist John Keene of the Morphy Auction Company to talk about US military machine guns. Specifically, how intact and original examples end up in the civilian market. Some models, […]

How Companies Bend US Import Laws (An Example)

August 2, 2024 Ian McCollum 12

Part of the 1968 Gun Control Act in the US put restrictions on importation of small handguns. These rules intended to protect US manufacturers and prevent people from having access to particularly inexpensive and concealable […]

History of SAW Use in the US Army

July 26, 2024 Ian McCollum 37

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO WIN! https://go.getenteredtowin.com/forgottenweapons DEADLINE to ENTER is TONIGHT 07/26/24 @ 11:59pm (PST). The first squad automatic weapon used by the US Army was the French Mle 1915 Chauchat, which was […]

Handguns in the US Army in World War Two

June 28, 2024 Ian McCollum 45

Was the 1911 an emotional support totem or a viable combat weapon? Or both? American soldiers had a bit different take on handguns than soldiers of many other armies, and I think it stems from […]

How to Avoid the Legal Pitfalls of a Transferrable H&K Auto Sear

April 29, 2024 Ian McCollum 2

One of the particularly popular transferrable machine guns out there is the H&K auto sear. Since H&K grip and trigger assemblies are interchangeable between 9mm, 5.56mm, and 7.62x51mm guns (ie, MP5, HK33, and G3) a […]

What is the Best Maxim Gun? (with John Keene)

April 21, 2024 Ian McCollum 12

Today, Ian is talking to John Keene, NFA specialist for Morphy Auctions. The question is, what is the best model of Maxim gun? Whether it’s for a recreation shooter or a historical enthusiast, there are […]

What is a Battle Rifle?

April 10, 2024 Ian McCollum 129

“Battle rifle” is not a formally recognized term like “assault rifle”, but it is widely used, and I think it has a lot of utility. It is intended to differentiate between intermediate-caliber and full-power military […]

Fundamentals of LPVOs: Cheap vs Expensive

April 7, 2024 Ian McCollum 2

At SHOT Show this year I took some time to speak with Mike Branson of Gideon Optics (formerly of Primary Arms and Swampfox). Mike’s a friend and a true optics nerd, and I figured he […]