Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Steyr Dragoon Scout and African Big Game Cartridges: .376 Steyr, .375 Ruger, .375 H&H

July 16, 2020 Ian McCollum 26

Jeff Cooper envisioned a few variation on the Scout Rifle, most notably a heavier-caliber type suited more for African dangerous (or large) game hunting, for which the .308 Winchester cartridge was not really suitable. Cooper […]

Calico Liberty 100 Carbine on the PCC Evaluation Course

July 11, 2020 Ian McCollum 33

Before I even started filming this video, the Calico’s muzzle brake fell off…not an auspicious beginning! But we will push on without it, and see if the Calico can even finish the course without malfunctioning…and […]

Calico Light Weapons System: Roller Delay and Helical Drums

July 10, 2020 Ian McCollum 33

The Calico family of firearms was developed in the late 1980s, and put on the market just in time to be squashed by the 1994 Omnibus Crime Act. The heart of the Calico system was […]

The Gras in Ethiopia: Carbines of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu

July 7, 2020 Ian McCollum 9

Ethiopia is a fascinating and unique example of an African nation that was able to uphold its sovereignty through force of arms, and resist become a possession of any of the European powers during the […]

Elmech EM-992: Croatia’s First Domestic Sniper Rifle

July 1, 2020 Ian McCollum 14

There was a fair amount of small arms production in Croatia during the breakup of Yugoslavia, but most of it was not particularly high quality. After the government of Croatia had become established, it looked […]

1911 vs M1 Carbine in a Practical Match

June 27, 2020 Ian McCollum 61

The M1 Carbine was developed to be a personal defense weapon to replace the 1911 pistol for groups of soldiers like drivers, artillery crews, and others who did not need a full-size M1 Garand but […]

Arcelin Mousqueton: An 1850s Breechloader with a Ludicrous Bayonet

June 26, 2020 Ian McCollum 39

The Arcelin system was a capping breechloader provisionally adopted by the French military in 1854. It was a bolt action system with a folding bolt handle, firing a paper cartridge. It impressed Emperor Louis Napoleon […]

PCC Showdown: H&K SP5 vs Kalashnikov USA KP9 vs CMMG Banshee

June 20, 2020 Ian McCollum 10

Since SHOT Show this year, I have gotten three different 9mm carbines that are all interesting in their own ways. The Kalashnikov USA KP-9 is a virtual copy of the Russian Vityaz submachine gun, much […]

Samopal vz.58: The Czechoslovakian Answer to the AK

June 19, 2020 Ian McCollum 114

Among the nations of the Warsaw Pact, only Czechoslovakia designed and produced its own infantry assault rifle – everyone else used the Kalashnikov. The Czech vz.58 is often mistaken for an AK because it has […]

The Worst AK Build I Have Ever Seen, Bar None

June 18, 2020 Ian McCollum 48

This AK was purchased by someone I know, and it is so utterly awful that I just had to put it on camera. I’m obscured the name of the shop that did the build because […]