Aircraft MGs
11mm Vickers “Balloon Buster” Machine Gun
The United States adopted the Vickers gun as the Model 1915, but one of its uses was as an aircraft machine gun. Since it fired from a closed bolt, the design was easily fitted with […]
Machine Guns
Submachine Guns
MAS 38 at the Range – Finally!
My MAS 38 submachine gun is *finally* running properly and with the 7.65mm French Long ammunition now being made by Steinel Ammo, I can finally take this out to the range! What to shoot at? […]
Light MGs
FN Model D: The Last and Best BAR
Lot 1485 in the September 2020 RIA Premier auction. The FN Model D (“demontage”, or detachable) was the last and best evolution of the Browning Automatic Rifle. FN acquired a license to make the BAR […]
Submachine Guns
Hotchkiss Universal: The Most Folding Gun Made
The Hotchkiss Universal was a closed-bolt submachine gun submitted to French military trials in the late 1940s to replace the MAS-38. The French were looking for a compact SMG in 9mm Parabellum, and tested guns […]
Accessories
Hotchkiss 1914 Cow-Catcher Muzzle Device
I’m working on getting a Hotchkiss 1914 heavy machine gun up and running for some long range accuracy testing. It’s not quite ready yet, but I saw a very interesting effect of the WW1 muzzle […]
Conversion
Chinese 7.62mm Sten Gun
During World War Two, Canada supplied some 73,000 Sten guns (made by the Long Branch arsenal) to Chinese Nationalist forces in an effort to help them fight the Japanese. These Stens were standard MkII pattern […]
Submachine Guns
North Vietnamese K-50M Submachine Gun
This is lot #545 in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions every month, though! The K-50M was […]
Submachine Guns
H&K UMP: An H&K SMG Made for .40 and .45
H&K introduced the UMP (universal machine pistol) in an effort to attract sales from American law enforcement by offering a modern submachine gun in .45 ACP and .40 S&W calibers. The MP5 was and remains […]
Light MGs
DTM: The Soviet Tank Version of the DP-27 LMG
Almost as soon as the Degtyarev DP-27 was put into Soviet military service, variations were developed for aircraft (DA) and tank (DT) use. The tank pattern we have here is actually a later improved DTM […]
Submachine Guns
Swedish K: The Carl Gustav m/45B and the Port Said
During the 1930s, Sweden acquired an assortment of different submachine guns, including Bergmanns, Thompsons, and Suomis. As World War Two progressed, they decided that they really needed to standardize on a single caliber and model […]