Commentary - Forgotten Weapons

The Most Expensive Machine Gun Ever Sold

November 6, 2023 Ian McCollum 7

Morphy’s recently took the world record for the most expensive machine gun ever sold at public auction – with a transferrable FN Minimi. It sold for a winning bid of $490,000, which became a total […]

That One Terrible Gun Myth in Siege of Jadotville…

September 15, 2023 Ian McCollum 31

The Netflix film “The Siege of Jadotville” recounts the fighting between Katanga soldiers and mercenaries and Company A of the 35th Irish Infantry Battalion, who were deployed to the Katanga province of Congo in 1961 […]

Why Are the Russians So Bad? War Stories from Ukraine with Neil Vermillion

September 12, 2023 Ian McCollum 36

Back by popular demand, we have Neil Vermillion again today. We’re talking about his experiences while volunteering as a trainer for troops in Ukraine. We’re going to discuss why the Russians underperformed so badly, what […]

Training Scars: Will Competition Habits Get You Kilt in Da Streetz?

September 5, 2023 Ian McCollum 8

Training scars: the idea that your practice routine will dictate what you do under stress. Is it real? Yes. Does it need to be? No. The first objective of basic practice and training is to […]

The Post-War Legacy of the FG42

August 23, 2023 Ian McCollum 55

If the FG-42 was such a great gun, then why didn’t it get used after the war? Well, two answers… 1) It was crazy expensive to make and there weren’t very many lying around for […]

The First German Assault Weapon: The Lange Pistole 08

July 13, 2023 Ian McCollum 37

Get Entered to WIN this original Artillery Luger rig! https://go.getenteredtowin.com/forgottenweapons DEADLINE to ENTER is 07/28/23 @ 11:59pm (PST). The Lange Pistole 08 (long pistol), or Artillery Luger as it is commonly known today, has an […]

Interview with Neil Vermillion: Being a Volunteer Fighter & Trainer

July 3, 2023 Ian McCollum 6

Note: Some explicit language in this video. I am honored today to have a chance to interview Neil Vermillion about his experiences in Iraq, Kurdistan, and Ukraine. Neil is a US Army veteran (2002-2006) who […]

What’s Wrong with Private Jackson’s Sniper Rifle? (Saving Private Ryan)

June 30, 2023 Ian McCollum 26

Today we are going to take a look at how Private Jackson’s sniper rifle is portrayed in Saving Private Ryan. It’s a great movie, and I enjoyed it a lot – but this sniper rifle […]

The Interesting and Unusual Small Arms of Kurdistan and Ukraine w/ Neil Vermillion

June 26, 2023 Ian McCollum 9

I’m excited today to speak with Neal Vermillion, a US Army veteran (2002-2006) who served contracts in Kurdistan (2016) and Ukraine (2022) for the nonprofit PMC Sons of Liberty International. In Kurdistan he was a […]

Fascinating Finds in a Guadalcanal Relic Museum

June 16, 2023 Ian McCollum 8

Today I’m visiting the Solomon Islands War Memorial Museum in Honiara (the capital city on Guadalcanal). This is a private museum run by two brothers on the island, and it is filled to the brim […]