Machine Guns - Forgotten Weapons

The Swiss Suomi: MP43/44 (With Bayonet)

March 19, 2025 Ian McCollum 48

During World War Two, the Swiss had adopted Adolf Furrer’s toggle-locked MP41 submachine gun, and they found it too fragile, complex, and expensive. Looking for an alternative, one easy choice was the Finnish Suomi. Used […]

ZB37: Czechoslovakia’s Super-Heavy Machine Gun

March 12, 2025 Ian McCollum 46

The ZB37 began in 1930 as a design by none other than classic Czech arms designer Vaclav Holek. The Czechoslovakian military was still using the Schwarzlose heavy MG, and wanted something to replace it. To […]

Praga I-23: Prototype Belt-Fed Predecessor of the ZB26

February 3, 2025 Ian McCollum 53

Vaclav Holek’s first machine gun design for the Czech military was the Praga I, built in 1922 and based heavily on the Vickers/Maxim system. However, it became clear that the military wanted something lighter and […]

Praga I: A Blow-Forward Bullpup Semi-Auto-Selectable Vickers Gun

January 15, 2025 Ian McCollum 19

The Praga I was the first machine gun design from noted Czech arms designed Vaclav Holek. Three examples were made for Czech military testing in 1922, but they were not acceptable. Instead, this design served […]

Development of the Uzi Family: Standard, Mini, and Micro

January 4, 2025 Ian McCollum 22

https://youtu.be/y3EIud0KKCM Full video cut available on the History of Weapons & War app. The Uzi was originally designed in the 1950s, and it was on the technological cutting edge at the time. The stamped receiver, […]

ZB47: A Truly Weird Czech SMG

December 23, 2024 Ian McCollum 35

The ZB47 was developed at Brno as a contender for Czech military submachine gun adoption in the late 1940s. The Czech Army had technically adopted a submachine gun prior to World War Two (the vz.38; […]

Sten MkII vs Ingram M10/9 (w/ John Keene)

December 11, 2024 Ian McCollum 20

If you had to pick one, would you take a Sten MkII or an Ingram M10/9? This applies specifically to the guns in their original factory configurations; no Lage products allowed! It’s hard to come […]

Berettas With Bayonets: The Very Early Model 38A SMG

November 29, 2024 Ian McCollum 1

The initial model of the Beretta 38A had a number of features that were dropped rather quickly once wartime production became a priority. Specifically, they included a lockout safety switch for just the rear full-auto […]

Beretta M38A vs Suomi kp/31 (w/ John Keene)

November 4, 2024 Ian McCollum 64

If you had to pick one, would you take an early Beretta 38A (with bayonet), or a Finnish kp/31 Suomi? Both have semiauto selectors, although the Beretta’s its easier to use. The Suomi has a […]

B&T APC-9: The Swiss Answer to the MP5

October 28, 2024 Ian McCollum 2

B&T owner Karl Brügger is a big fan of 9mm PCCs and SMGs, and decided that his company ought to offer an alternative to the MP5 and this was the Advanced Police Carbine (APC). In […]