Prototype - Forgotten Weapons

Joseph White Experimental .38 Caliber Automatic Pistols at James D Julia

April 3, 2017 Ian McCollum 7

Joseph White’s experiments in handgun design did not begin with the White-Merrill 1907 submitted to US handgun trials. In 1905 he submitted a patent (US #888560) for features in these two .38 caliber semiauto prototype pistols. […]

The Short-Lived No1 Mk6 SMLE at James D Julia

March 30, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

The SMLE No1 Mk3 was the iconic British infantry rifle of World War 1, but not the final evolution of the Lee Enfield design. By World War 2 it had been replaced by the new […]

US Test Trials White-Merrill .45 Caliber Pistol at James D Julia

March 29, 2017 Ian McCollum 29

One of the domestic US made pistols entered in the US military pistol trials of 1907 was this White-Merrill design. It is particularly interesting because White and Merrill submitted a manual along with the gun, […]

The Very Steampunk M1915 Howell Automatic Rifle at James D Julia

March 28, 2017 Ian McCollum 25

The M1915 Howell Automatic Rifle is a conversion of a standard No1 MkIII Lee Enfield rifle into a semiautomatic, through the addition of a gas piston onto the right side of the barrel. Despite its […]

Knoble .22 Rimfire Prototype Pistol at James D Julia

March 27, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

W.E. Knoble of Tacoma, Washington is not a well-known gun designer, and was in fact not a successful gun designer. But he did enter a .45 caliber pistol in the 1907 US pistol trials, and […]

Australian Experimental Jungle Carbines at James D Julia

March 24, 2017 Ian McCollum 9

In 1943, experimentation began in Great Britain, Canada, and Australia into developing a shortened and lightened version of the Lee Enfield rifle. In Australia, the work was done on the No1 Mk3* rifle, as the […]

US Test Trials .45 Caliber Knoble Pistol at James D Julia

March 22, 2017 Ian McCollum 14

One of the domestic American pistols entered in the US 1907 pistol trials was this short recoil, toggle locked design by W.E. Knoble of Tacoma Washington. Knoble submitted two experimental pistols to the trial, one […]

Canadian Experimental Lightweight No4 Enfield at James D Julia

March 20, 2017 Ian McCollum 7

In 1943 the need for a lighter and handier version of the Lee Enfield rifle became clear throughout the British Commonwealth, and experimentation began in Canada, Britain, and Australia. The work in Britain would culminate […]

Poland’s Battle Rifle: the wz.38M at James D Julia

March 17, 2017 Ian McCollum 39

Had it not been for the German and Russian invasions in 1939, Poland might have entered the 1940s with a very modern semiauto infantry battle rifle – the wz.38M. Designed by Josef Maroszek (notably also […]

Ross Experimental A2 Prototype (Video)

March 13, 2017 Ian McCollum 12

This is a very rare Ross automatic pistol, patented in 1903 by Charles Ross, of the Ross Rifle Company in Quebec. It is a short recoil, toggle locked design, made for the .45 Ross proprietary […]