Handgun - Forgotten Weapons

RIA: Saxon Double Barreled Wheel Lock

April 20, 2016 Ian McCollum 39

Wheel locks are one of the less common types of early firearm ignition systems, as the were much more expensive as the contemporary flintlocks. The wheel lock had a major advantage in reliability, though. Many […]

RIA: Reifgraber .38 S&W Automatic

April 17, 2016 Ian McCollum 21

Designed by Austrian immigrant Joseph Joachim Reifgraber, this is a prototype gas-assisted short recoil pistol in a .38 rimmed revolver cartridge. While this version did not see any serial production, the Union Firearms Company of […]

RIA: Brun Latrige Model 1900

April 14, 2016 Ian McCollum 32

Patented in 1896, this is one of several models of unique pocket pistols designed by Paul Brun-Latrige. He was a manager of the Manufrance company located in St. Etienne France, a large mail-order catalog company […]

RIA: Walther P38 Development

April 13, 2016 Ian McCollum 52

The Walther P38 was adopted by Germany in 1938 as a replacement for the P08 Luger – not really because the Luger was a bad pistol, but because it was an expensive pistol. Walther began […]

RIA: Japanese 8mm Hamada Pistol

April 11, 2016 Ian McCollum 32

Just as production of the .32ACP Type Hamada pistols was reaching full scale, Bunji Hamada was asked to redesign his pistol to use the standard 8mm Nambu cartridge. This he did, and after several changes […]

RIA: Japanese 7.65mm Hamada Pistol

April 10, 2016 Ian McCollum 33

The Hamada was one of very few Japanese military weapons made by a private commercial firm. Designed and introduced in 1940, the basic Type Hamada pistol was a blowback .32ACP handgun similar in style to […]

RIA: 11mm Devisme Cartridge Revolver

April 9, 2016 Ian McCollum 34

Devisme of Paris was one of the early manufacturers of a true centerfire cartridge revolver, with production of this model beginning in 1858 or 1859. This is a bottom-break 11mm, 6-shot revolver, made to a […]

RIA: Norwegian 1846 Postførerverge Knife-Pistol?

April 6, 2016 Ian McCollum 29

This is one of the more practical knife/pistol combinations I have seen – it actually has a pretty reasonable grip when used in either capacity. It has two muzzleloading smoothbore barrels, with a percussion cap […]

RIA: Yovanovitch Model 1931 Pistol

April 5, 2016 Ian McCollum 20

Lazar Yovanovitch was a Serbian native of Yugoslavia, born in Belgrade. He left engineering school to design firearms, and developed a couple .22 and .380 caliber pistols. None were adopted by the Yugoslav military, but […]

RIA: Cochran Turret Revolver

April 3, 2016 Ian McCollum 16

The Cochran turret revolver is one of the more common turret revolvers in the US, although that’s a pretty low bar, as only about 150 of them were made. Turret-sytle revolvers never became popular on […]