Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

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 […]

S&W Chemical Company 37mm Gas Gun

June 17, 2020 Ian McCollum 19

The Smith & Wesson company was purchased by the Bangor Punta conglomerate in 1964, and BP also owned one of the early pioneers in police tear gas products, the Lake Erie Chemical Company. Once it […]

Berthier with a Chauchat Magazine at the Range

June 13, 2020 Ian McCollum 30

Today I am out at the range to put the first shots through a completed replica of the French Chauchat-magazine Berthier conversion. The real versions of these guns were made on Mle 1890 cavalry carbines […]