Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Colt 608: The AR15 as a Pilot’s Survival Rifle

July 29, 2024 Ian McCollum 18

As part of its effort to build out the AR-15 family of small arms, Colt introduced the Model 608 in 1965. This was intended to be an aircraft survival rifle, able to pack disassembled into […]

Enjoying Black Powder Episode 3: The Martini-Henry MkIV

July 27, 2024 Ian McCollum 0

The full version with hand loading information is available here: https://forgottenweapons.vhx.tv/videos/martini-app-cut Sorry about the wind noise! We did our best to deal with it in post-production. Black powder military rifles of the 1860s-1880s are a […]

MAGAL: A Galil in .30 Carbine for the Israeli Police

July 24, 2024 Ian McCollum 30

In the early 1990s, Israeli Military Industries (IMI) developed the Galil MAR (Micro Assault Rifle) and the MAGAL at the same time. Both were intended to be very compact rifles, with the MAR in 5.56mm […]

OTs-14 Groza: Russia’s Over-Hyped 9x39mm Spetznaz Bullpup

July 22, 2024 Ian McCollum 26

The 9x39mm cartridge was introduced in the final days of the Soviet Union as a subsonic round intended specifically for suppressed weapons. The first weapons developed for it were the AS Val and VSS Vintorez. […]

FN M249S SAW at the Range

July 20, 2024 Ian McCollum 6

Get Entered to WIN this insane FN M249S! https://go.getenteredtowin.com/forgottenweapons DEADLINE to ENTER is 07/26/24 @ 11:59pm (PST). We previously looked at the mechanics of FN’s semiauto version of the US SAW, the M249S. Today we […]

Nova Modul CTS9: a 9mm AK Upgraded for Competition

July 19, 2024 Ian McCollum 4

The CTS9 (Competition Tactical Shooting) is a 9x19mm AK variant made by Nova Modul in Romania. Specifically, in Cugir Romania – the same town that houses the massive small arms factory complex that made millions […]

Custom DeLisle: A .45ACP Mini-Mauser in Classic Sporting Lines

July 13, 2024 Ian McCollum 20

Today we are checking out a bespoke gunsmith’s project; a DeLisle-inspired .45ACP Mauser built by Lars Rannstad Slang of Oslo. Using a commercial small-ring Mauser action, he fabricated a new bolt head, trigger guard, follower, […]

Cugir Model 92 “Dragana” Mauser: Hunting Rifles From MG34s

July 12, 2024 Ian McCollum 12

With the fall of communism in Romania, the Cugir Arsenal complex lost its government financial support. Looking for commercial products to sell to keeps its workers employed, the factory turned to producing hunting rifles for […]

Wieger 942: East Germany Makes a 5.56mm AK

July 8, 2024 Ian McCollum 29

East Germany purchased a license for production of the AK-74 in 1981, but that license was for domestic use only. There was an apparent market for export production AKs in the western 5.56mm cartridge, and […]

Romanian Model 1879 Martini-Henry Rifles & Carbines

July 5, 2024 Ian McCollum 3

Following its experience in the Russo-Turkish War, the Romanian Army was quite impressed by the Martini-Henry rifle in Turkish service. Unlike so many Western observers who were taken by the Winchester repeating rifles that actually […]