Bolt Action Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Odd BSA Prototype Charger Bridge Long Lee

September 1, 2021 Ian McCollum 5

Today we have a very odd BSA prototype Long Lee rifle. The details of its production are unknown, but it has good provenance; the Charnwood Ordnance collection. What makes the rifle unusual is a unique […]

The Dutch Model 1871/79 Beaumont – from Ethiopia

August 27, 2021 Ian McCollum 12

The Beaumont was one of the early European breechloading metallic-cartridge rifles, adopted in 1871. The rifle is a combination of elements form the Chassepot, the Mauser-Norris, and a unique V-spring firing pin system invented by […]

Ross WWI Sniper Rifle w/ Winchester A5 Scope

August 23, 2021 Ian McCollum 19

The standard Canadian sniper’s rifle of World War One was the MkIII Ross fitted with a Warner & Swasey “musket sight” purchased from the United States. However, armorers in the field did create sniping rifles […]

Winchester Model D: The WW1 Origin of the Famous Model 70

August 11, 2021 Ian McCollum 13

Just as World War One broke out in Europe, TC Johnson was working on a new Mauser-based sporting rifle design for the Winchester company. With the war, Johnson added options for military configurations (handguard, bayonet […]

“Jungle Carbine” – the Lee Enfield No5 MkI Rifle

August 4, 2021 Ian McCollum 7

Today I am concluding our series on the standard-issue Lee Enfield system with the No5 MkI – the “jungle carbine”. Developed in 1943 as a shorter and handier pattenr of rifle than the No4, the […]

Bayonet Development for the Lee Enfield No4 Rifle

July 22, 2021 Ian McCollum 32

Having wrapped up our series on the major development of the Lee Enfield rifle in British service, I figured it would be a nice addendum to talk about the bayonets developed for the No4 rifle. […]

No4 MkII: The Lee Enfield’s Final Standard Upgrade

July 21, 2021 Ian McCollum 10

The final standard pattern of the venerable Lee Enfield as a standard-issue service rifle was the No4 MkII, introduced after the end of World War Two. The new pattern was adopted to resolve problems that […]

Britain’s Last Ditch: Wartime Changes to No4 Lee Enfield

July 14, 2021 Ian McCollum 37

When we think of “last-ditch” rifles, we normally think of 1945 and the very end of World War Two. For the British, however, the lowest ebb of the war was in 1941 and 42, and […]

A New Enfield for a New War: The No4 MkI

July 7, 2021 Ian McCollum 66

The stalwart No1 MkIII “Smelly” served the United Kingdom well during the First World War, but by the 1920s it was growing obsolescent. The war had revealed a number of shortcomings of the design, and […]

L96A1 Behind the Scenes: Manufacturing Catastrophes and Exploding Rifles

July 1, 2021 Ian McCollum 58

Accuracy International’s L96A1 was a stunning success in British military trials, and became the basis for one of the most respected line of precision rifles in the world. However, it very nearly was abandoned almost […]