Handgun - Forgotten Weapons

From Service Sidearm to Match Gun: the Astra 400 Target Model

August 26, 2022 Ian McCollum 4

A very small batch of special target model pistols was made at the very end of Astra 400 production in 1945. They were fitted with Patridge front sights and adjustable revolver-style square-notch rear sights, much […]

Ask Ian: Analyzing the Savage Rotating Barrel (at 7500 frames/sec)

August 23, 2022 Ian McCollum 24

A question I have been asked by several different people in several Q&A threads is: “Does the Savage rotating-barrel system actually do anything?” In his 1905 patent, Elbert Searle specifically claims that his design creates […]

Belgian GP-35: Pre-War Browning High Power Complete Rig

August 17, 2022 Ian McCollum 8

The Browning High Power (“Grande Puissance”, aka GP-35) was developed by Fabrique National in Belgium, designed primarily by John Browning’s apprentice Dieudonné Saive. It began in the very early 1920s as a pistol designed for […]

Before the High Power was the FN Grand Rendement

August 8, 2022 Ian McCollum 34

The Browning High Power story begins with a French 1921 request for a new military pistol. FN engineer Dieudonné Saive developed a double stack, single feed magazine and John Browning adapted a Browning 1903 pistol […]

Coonan .357 Magnum at the BUG Match

July 23, 2022 Ian McCollum 4

Yesterday we took a look at the history and the mechanics of Dan Conan’s .357 Magnum 1911; today we are going to take it out to the range. Specifically, a BackUp Gun Match, plus a […]

When Revolver Meets 1911: The Coonan .357 Magnum Automatic

July 22, 2022 Ian McCollum 26

Dan Coonan first designed his pistol in graduate school as a drafting project: a 1911 pistol chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. No easy feat, designing a self-loading pistol magazine to cycle a big rimmed […]

AutoMag 160 in .357AMP: For When the Regular AutoMag is too Common

July 20, 2022 Ian McCollum 25

The AutoMag was originally designed to use a rimless version of the .44 Magnum cartridge; the .44 AMP. Shortly after it was introduced, though, the company Brough out a second cartridge, the .357 AMP. This […]

New .44 AutoMag Behemoth at the BackUp Gun Match

July 2, 2022 Ian McCollum 24

Yesterday we were looking at the new resurrection of the AutoMag pistol, and today I have it out at the monthly BackUp Gun match. Is it appropriate to bring this behemoth of a pistol to […]

Is the AutoMag Curse Over? The New Auto Mag 180-D

July 1, 2022 Ian McCollum 37

Historically speaking, the AutoMag 180 pistol has been a reaper of investors. Between 1971 and 1982, no fewer than six different companies went bankrupt trying to make a profit building Auto Mags. However, we may […]

Jatimatic on the Range

June 25, 2022 Ian McCollum 20

How well do the Jatimatic’s recoil-controlling features work? Will the front grip snap off while firing? Can I actually get the progressive trigger to work? Let’s find out!