Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

How to Swap FAMAS Ejection Left to Right

July 29, 2021 Ian McCollum 12

One of the very nice features of the FAMAS is that it can be swapped between left-hand and right-hand ejection in just a few moments without needing any tools or spare parts. I had this […]

Mini-Beryl: The Carbine Version of the Polish wz.96

July 27, 2021 Ian McCollum 11

Yesterday we looked at the standard Polish service rifle, the wz.96 Beryl. Today we have the carbine version, the Mini-Beryl. Specifically, we have an early example, predating several of the mid-life improvements that were made […]

wz.96 Beryl: Poland’s 5.56mm Military AK

July 26, 2021 Ian McCollum 23

With Poland’s entry into NATO in the 1990s, a new service rifles was needed, chambered for the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. Initial development work had been done in 1990/91 to adapt the wz.88 Tantal to 5.56mm, […]

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 […]

Authentic Polish wz.88 Tantal at the Range

July 17, 2021 Ian McCollum 18

Yesterday we took a look at the history and the design of the Polish wz.88 Tantal, and today we are taking it out to the range. Let’s see how that unique Polish 3-round-burst works!

wz.88 Tantal: Poland’s Alternative to the AK-74

July 16, 2021 Ian McCollum 19

As part of the Warsaw Pact, Poland anticipated adopting the AK-74 after it was developed by the Soviet Union. However, the eventual Soviet terms for license fees and export restrictions were too severe for Polish […]

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 […]

Qatari Royal Guard m/71-76 Valmet

July 12, 2021 Ian McCollum 7

The Valmet company in Finland made excellent AK-type rifles for the Finnish Defense Forces, but also offered a variety of designs on the international commercial market. The Valmet was a very expensive rifle for a […]

VHS-2 Bullpup at the Range

July 10, 2021 Ian McCollum 12

Yesterday we took a look at the inner workings of the VHS-2, and today we are going to put some rounds through it. I am trying out both a short-barreled VHS-K2 that was limited to […]