Semiauto pistol - Forgotten Weapons

A .50 Caliber 1911: Guncrafter Industries Model 1

November 29, 2018 Ian McCollum 35

This pistol sold for $2,300 at Rock Island on November 30, 2018. Guncrafter Industries is a custom handgun company formed by one Alex Zimmerman in 2002 after many years working for Wilson Combat. Among other […]

4mm Zimmerstutzen Parlor Conversion for a Mauser 1914

November 27, 2018 Ian McCollum 17

This Mauser pistol and 4mm conversion kit failed to sell at Rock Island on November 30, 2018. This 4mm “Zimmerstutzen” conversion kit was patented by one Karl Weiss in 1921, and produced by the RWS […]

Colt Checks out the Spanish Wondernine: the Star 30PK

November 25, 2018 Ian McCollum 29

This pistol sold for $3,163 at Rock Island in December 2, 2018. Star entered the Wondernine era in 1978 with their Model 28 pistol, a double action 9mm offering with 15-round magazines. It was one […]

North China Type 19: The Improved Nambu Pistol

November 15, 2018 Ian McCollum 13

This pistol sold for $8,625 at Rock Island on December 2, 2018. The North China Type 19 pistol (not to be confused with the North China Type 19 rifle) is an improvement on the Type […]

Varan PMX90: Ambidexterity in South Africa

October 3, 2018 Ian McCollum 11

The Varan pistol was developed by two Rhodesian designers, Tony Blackshaw and Stewart Beecham, and was originally designated the PMX-80. Development would take nearly a full decade, however, and mostly took place in South Africa. […]

The Rhodesia Mamba: Big Hype and a Big Flop

September 28, 2018 Ian McCollum 2

The Mamba was originally conceived in a 1970s Salisbury, Rhodesia barroom bull session about the best elements of semiauto pistols. The project would wind up being pushed by an American expat named Joe Hale, and […]

Prototype Clement 9x20mm Military Pistol

September 26, 2018 Ian McCollum 1

Charles Clement is best known for a series of civilian pocket pistol made in the years before World War One, but today we are looking at a prototype Clement military pistol from 1914. This gun […]

Special Presentation: Semiauto Pistols of the 1800s

September 19, 2018 Ian McCollum 11

Today’s Special Presentation is an overview of all the semiautomatic pistols that were actually put into serial production before the year 1900. We have looked at these individually before, but I think it is worthwhile […]

Zip 22: Shooting the Worst Gun Ever

September 15, 2018 Ian McCollum 39

Today, may the good lord help me, I am taking the Zip 22 out to the range for some shooting. Note that while it actually worked remarkably well right up until it jammed solid, on […]

USFA Zip 22: How a Garbage Gun Destroyed A Good Company

September 14, 2018 Ian McCollum 36

USFA used to be the producers of probably the best Single Action Army reproductions on the market – but then the company owner decided to pursue a crazy whim and embarked on the Zip 22 […]