Bolt Action Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

French Air Force Snipers: the FR-G1 and FR-G2

March 4, 2020 Ian McCollum 0

When St Etienne developed the FR-F1 sniper rifle, all the branches of the French military were given the opportunity to purchase them – and the Army, Navy, and Gendarmerie did. The Air Force, decided that […]

A Unique Partnership: Czech Mausers for Ethiopia after WWII

February 19, 2020 Ian McCollum 13

After World War Two, the Czech economy was in serious need of money to recover from the ravages of war. The arms factory at Brno was not bound by the same restrictions as German manufacturers, […]

RIA Feb 2020 Special: Field-Modified Mannlicher 1888 Carbine

February 14, 2020 Ian McCollum 6

Today’s quick RIA look is a Mannlicher 1888 that was cut down to carbine length and adapted to fit a Type 30 Japanese Arisaka bayonet. Most likely done in China in the teens or twenties, […]

Arming the Lion of Judah: Ethiopian FN Mauser Rifles & Carbines

February 11, 2020 Ian McCollum 11

In 1930, Haile Selassie I became Emperor of Ethiopia (aka Abysinia), and would rule for almost 45 years, with a brief exception when the country was occupied by fascist Italy. During that time, he paid […]

Rifles of Emperor Menelik II: Ethiopian Gewehr 88 and Karabiner 88

February 5, 2020 Ian McCollum 13

In 1889, Emperor Menelik II ascended to power in Ethiopia, and would rule for 20 years, moving Ethiopia (aka Abyssinia) forward into the modern age. He brought railways, sewer systems, telegraph lines, and other modern […]

Royal NW Mounted Police Ross MkI Carbine & MkII Rifle

January 31, 2020 Ian McCollum 10

One of the very early clients of the Ross Rifle Company was the Royal North West Mounted Police (later merged with the Dominion Police to form the RCMP). The Mounties purchased 500 Ross MkI carbines, […]

The Best SMLE: The No1 MkV Trials Rifle

November 18, 2019 Ian McCollum 11

After World War One, the British looked at how to apply the lessons of the war to development of a new infantry rifle. Even before the war, a decision had been made to move to […]

Cooey: The Unassuming Canadian Workhorse

November 6, 2019 Ian McCollum 24

Cooey is a brand name that will be immediately recognized by Canadians, but pretty much unknown everywhere else. Founded in 1903 by Herbert Cooey, the company would produce a series of simple and practical firearms […]

The Ross in the Great War: The Mk III (and MkIIIB)

November 1, 2019 Ian McCollum 15

While the MkII (1905) iteration of the Ross rifle had resolved most of the major mechanical problems form the MkI, it retained a number of characteristics that the Canadian (and British) military was not fond […]

Ross MkII: Sorry, We’ll Get it Right This Time

October 30, 2019 Ian McCollum 21

The many significant problems with the Model 1903 / MkI Ross rifle had quickly led to the development of the improved MkII design. This strengthened many parts, including the sights, nosecap, bolt latch, and more. […]