Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Type 63: China Makes an AK/SKS Hybrid

August 28, 2024 Ian McCollum 21

Starting in 1960, China ran a program to develop an infantry rifle that would combine the accuracy of the SKS with the firepower of the AK. The result was the Type 63, which used the […]

wz.35: Poland’s Remarkably Misunderstood Antitank Rifle

August 26, 2024 Ian McCollum 19

Polish wz. 35 ATR by Leszek Erenfeicht In 1929 Maj. Tadeusz Felsztyn [TADEUSH FELSHTEEN], Scientific Director of the Central Shooting School in Torun (a chief firearms research and instruction institution in Poland between 1919 and […]

Estonian R20L Designated Marksman’s Rifle in 7.62x51mm

August 24, 2024 Ian McCollum 8

Alongside their new 5.56mm R20 infantry rifles, Estonia has recently adopted the LMT 7.62x51mm MARS-H as its new designated marksman’s rifle; the R20L. These rifles were part of a single rifle contract, with the vast […]

H&K USC: Civilian Version of the UMP Submachine Gun

August 21, 2024 Ian McCollum 26

Heckler & Koch introduced the UMP submachine gun as a successor to the MP5, with a particular focus on American law enforcement agencies (hence its initial development in .45 ACP). The UMP never has come […]

WF-54: The Swiss FG-42 Scaled up to 7.5×55

August 19, 2024 Ian McCollum 20

After World War Two the Swiss needed a new self-loading military rifle to replace their K-31 bolt actions. Two major design tracks followed; one being a roller-delayed system based on the G3 at SIG and […]

R20 “Rahe” – Estonia Modernizes its Infantry Rifles

August 14, 2024 Ian McCollum 17

In 2017, the Estonian military began the process of replacing its infantry rifles. At that time, the primary rifle in use was the Galil, which had been purchased from Israel shortly after Russian occupation ended […]

Hunting in Communist Romania: Nicolae Ceaușescu’s Finnbear 61

August 9, 2024 Ian McCollum 5

Nicolae Ceaușescu ruled România through much of its communist period, from 1967 until 1989. Ceaușescu was a passionate hunter, and owned more than 100 firearms, mostly for hunting. These included some gifts from foreign dignitaries, […]

Kalthoff 30-Shot Flintlock: The First Repeating Firearm Used in War (1659)

August 7, 2024 Ian McCollum 26

The first repeating rifle used in combat by a military force was a flintlock system developed by the Kalthoff brothers. It was adopted in the 1640s by the Danish Royal Guard, who purchased a bit […]

WF-51: A Swiss Intermediate-Cartridge Copy of the FG-42

August 5, 2024 Ian McCollum 19

After World War Two the Swiss needed a new self-loading military rifle to replace their K-31 bolt actions. Two major design tracks followed; one being a roller-delayed system based on the G3 at SIG and […]

RT20: Croatia’s Insane Kludged 20mm Anti-Material Rifle

July 31, 2024 Ian McCollum 0

During its Homeland War, Croatia manufactured a wide variety of ad-hoc firearms including a number of anti-material rifles. The RT-20 was the largest of these, and its development began with the discovery of a stash […]