Semiauto pistol - Forgotten Weapons

Andrew Burgess’ Blow-Forward Pistols

May 29, 2015 Ian McCollum 24

You may recognize Andrew Burgess from guns like the Burgess folding shotgun and the 1883 Colt-Burgess lever action rifle…but you probably don’t know him for his semiauto handgun designs. Until recently, I had not even […]

Slow Motion: Mauser 1914 Pocket Pistol

May 14, 2015 Ian McCollum 17

Mauser’s classic early pocket pistol began as the model 1910, in .25 ACP caliber (6.35mm). It was then re-engineered for the larger .32 ACP (7.65mm) cartridge in 1914, and a final set of modifications too […]

Slow Motion: Interesting Extractor Problem (Schwarzlose 1898)

May 7, 2015 Ian McCollum 14

Many people don’t realize that an extractor is not strictly necessary in many types of pistols – several early blowback models (notably the Bergmann 1896, as well as some later Spanish pistols) did not even […]

Schwarzlose 1898 Pistol (Video)

May 4, 2015 Ian McCollum 37

The model 1898 Schwarzlose was a self loading pistol definitely ahead of its time. It was simple, powerful (for the period; it was chambered for 7.63mm Mauser), and remarkably ergonomic. It used a short recoil, […]

Mystery “Rocking Block” Pistol at RIA

April 23, 2015 Ian McCollum 20

There isn’t much I can say about this very unusual pistol, as I have no idea who made it or when. What I can tell is that it is a blowback action with a rather […]

Gustloff Prototype Pistol at RIA

April 22, 2015 Ian McCollum 9

Gustloff was a large industrial concern in Germany which made many different weapons for the military. In addition to these, its attempted to market a small-caliber pistol for police or SS use. This pistol used […]

Very Early Mars Pistol #4 at RIA

April 18, 2015 Ian McCollum 30

Until the midle of the 20th century, the most powerful automatic pistol made was Sir Hugh Gabbett-Fairfax’s Mars pistol. With the .45 caliber version approaching the energy of a .45 Winchester Magnum, it was quite […]

Japanese Inagaki and Sugiura Pistols at RIA

April 15, 2015 Ian McCollum 13

The most common Japanese pistols used during World War II were the Type 14 and Type 94 Nambu designs, by a huge margin. However, there were a number of other handguns used in small numbers, […]

Schouboe .32ACP Pistol at RIA

April 14, 2015 Ian McCollum 11

Before he adapted it to .45 caliber for US Army pistol trials, Jens Schouboe was building his pistol design in .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning). It was a blowback action, hammer fired, and very quick and […]

A Selection of Chinese Mystery Pistols at RIA

April 12, 2015 Ian McCollum 18

During the 1920s and 1930s, a combination of civil wars and international arms embargoes led to a lot of domestic firearms production in China. The size and quality of manufacturing facilities varied widely – everything […]