Handgun - Forgotten Weapons

FNA Brescia’s Last Project: The X4 and X5 SMG and Machine Pistol

August 10, 2026 Ian McCollum 7

FNA (Fabbrica Nazionale d’Armi) Brescia was a factory in the Val Trompia in northern Italy, the same valley that is home to Beretta and many other, smaller Italian arms shops. During World War Two the […]

CZ75 Legend: A Reissue of the Iconic Original Short-Frame CZ75 (BUG Match & Comparison)

August 8, 2026 Ian McCollum 5

“Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story” available now on Kickstarter with lots of extras: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=au6p35 CZ has started shipping the CZ75 Legend, a reissue of the original short frame CZ75 pistol. This was the first […]

Silenced SOE Lugers: Setting Europe Aflame Before the Welrod

July 22, 2026 Ian McCollum 34

In the early days of World War Two, Britain had a branch of the SIS for sabotage operations, called Section D. It became part of Special Operations Executive in 1940, but in the early days […]

Train Company Makes Guns: Union Switch & Signal M1911A1

July 11, 2026 Ian McCollum 3

Of the five companies that made 1911 pistols during World War Two, Union Switch & Signal was the last to be awarded a contract and the smallest mass production producer. A subsidiary of the Westinghouse […]

Russian Current Service Pistol: the PYa / MP443 Grach / MP446C Viking

July 6, 2026 Ian McCollum 46

The current Russian service pistol is the PYa, or MP-443 “Grach”, and it is (or was) made for civilian sales as the Baikal MP-446C “Viking”. The gun was adopted by the Russian Federation to replace […]

S&W Model 52-1: A Magnificent Target Pistol for .38 Special Wadcutters

June 26, 2026 Ian McCollum 31

The Model 52 is a purpose-built target pistol that Smith & Wesson built on the Model 39 frame. It is chambered for a very specific flush-loaded 148gr .38 Special wadcutter loading, to be used in […]

Prototype MAS 1925M Pistol: Cartridge Counting in 7.65 French Long

June 3, 2026 Ian McCollum 12

After World War One the French military created a plan to replace basically all of its small arms, including the array of handguns it had in use. The trials to adopt a single new replacement […]

BUG Match: Beretta 1934 (in .380)

May 29, 2026 Ian McCollum 20

Given the influx of very inexpensive Beretta M1934 pistols into the US market – and the fact that I have a fine Carabinieri hat – it is a no-brainer to run the monthly Back Up […]

RIA 5.0E: A Very Nice Pistol, But For Whom?

May 22, 2026 Ian McCollum 33

Rock Island Armory is best known for its Philippine-made 1911s, but expended into US pistol production with a novel design a couple years ago. The call it the 5.0, and it uses an interesting vertically-traveling […]

Iver Johnson Prototype .25ACP Blow Forward Pocket Pistol

May 13, 2026 Ian McCollum 16

This is a one-of-a-kind prototype of a .25ACP blow forward pistol made by Iver Johnson. It was patented in 1916 (patent applied for in 1912) by William O. Barnes of Massachusetts, and assigned to Iver […]