Revolver
New Beretta-Imported MR73 at the Range
The Manurhin MR73 has always been one of the very best combat revolvers made, but they have been hard to find here in the US. That has now changed, as the Beretta group purchased Chapuis, […]
Revolver
Antiques
Japan’s First Military Revolver: the S&W No.3
When Commodore Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay in 1853, he began a serious upheaval of Japanese life. Among other things, the insular Japanese society had been virtually the only nation to ever successfully implement gun […]
Competition
Back-Up Gun Match Teaser with an MR-73
It came out recently that the Beretta Group has purchased Chapuis, the French manufacturer of the legendary MR73 revolvers. A bunch of people have asked me if I’m getting one of the Beretta-imported guns, and […]
Revolver
Portugal’s Model 1886 Trooper’s Model Abadie Revolver
Isaac Abadie’s gate-loading system was a significant improvement in revolver technology in the 19th century, and Portugal was one of the first to adopt it. The initial Portuguese model was adopted in 1878 specifically for […]
Antiques
Savage & North “Figure 8” Revolver
Designed and patented in 1856 by Henry North (the grandson of company founder Simeon North), approximately 450 of these revolvers were made between 1856 and 1859. A first prototype was sent to the Washington Arsenal […]
Antiques
Salvatore Mazza Gold-Inlaid Percussion Collier Revolver
Before Samuel Colt popularized the mechanical connection between the revolver hammer and cylinder, the revolvers being made were manually operated. This example is a copy of a third type Collier (that is to say, a […]
Revolver
The Very Rare Union Semiauto Revolver from Ohio
The most well-known historic automatic revolver is the British Webley-Fosbery, but there were other handguns of the type that were put into production. One example is the Union auto-revolver, made in Toledo, Ohio shortly before […]
Antiques
Mounties’ First Revolver: the NWMP Adams MkIII
The first handguns issued by the North West Mounted Police (which would later become the modern RCMP) were 330 Adams revolvers, requisitioned by the new police service in March 1874, and shipped over from England. […]
Bolt Action Rifles
Terrible 2-Gun: Lebel, 1892 Revolver, and a WW1 Gas Mask
Today, I thought it would be fun (or at least interesting) to shoot a 2-gun match in a reproduction World War One gas mask and helmet. Specifically, a French M2 pattern, which was used extensively […]
Antiques
S&W’s Pistol-Carbine for the South Australian Police
In 1880, the South Australian Police service was introduced to the Smith & Wesson No3 New Model revolver at the Melbourne Exhibition. They took a liking to the design, and promptly ordered 250 of them, […]