Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Kalashnikov USA KP-9: A Perfect Copy of the Russian Vityaz SMG

May 1, 2020 Ian McCollum 31

The PP-19-01 Vityaz is a development of the PP-19 Bizon, a submachine gun developed by Izhmash at the request of the Russian Interior Ministry in the early 1990s. The Bizon design team included the sons […]

The EM2 in NATO Trials, with Jonathan Ferguson

April 29, 2020 Ian McCollum 14

Join the Kickstarter campaign and preorder your copy of Jonathan’s “Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901 – 2020”! Sorry for the poor audio quality – I am back at the Cody Firearms Museum talking […]

Archival E.M.2 Footage: Slow Motion and Janson Doing Mag Dumps

April 26, 2020 Ian McCollum 9

Thanks to Jonathan Ferguson and Royal Armouries Archivist Philip Abbott, we have a compilation of some archival video of the E.M. 2 testing circa 1951/1952. This is mostly high speed video clips showing reliability testing, […]

Ward Burton Model 1871: The US Tries a Bolt Action

April 25, 2020 Ian McCollum 10

This is lot #3220 in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions every month, though! The Model 1871 […]

Brown/van Choate Trials Rifle: Internal Hammer in 1871

April 24, 2020 Ian McCollum 10

This is lot #3221 in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions every month, though! Designed by Silvanus […]

The REAL Heroes of the M1 Carbine – not “Carbine” Williams

April 21, 2020 Ian McCollum 30

The Hollywood-spawned mythos of the M1 Carbine is that it was created by David Marshall “Carbine” Williams. The reality is far different. In real life, Williams was talented, but short-tempered, stubborn, and unable to work […]

Colt Franklin: Detachable 9-Round Magazine of .45-70 in 1884

April 11, 2020 Ian McCollum 15

This is lot #3213 in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions every month, though! Patented in 1884 […]

Brazil’s .30-06 Copy of the G43: The Mosquetão Semi-Automático M954

April 10, 2020 Ian McCollum 16

Sold for $5,750 with four other rifles at the February 2020 RIA Sporting & Collectors auction. In the aftermath of World War Two, Brazil decided to adopt a semiautomatic rifle for its military, in .30-06 […]

M1 Carbine: A Whole New Class of Weapon

April 9, 2020 Ian McCollum 92

The United States developed the M1 carbine very quickly at the beginning of World War Two, once the German “blitzkrieg” made it clear that highly mobile enemy forces could threaten rear echelon troops in a […]

Burgess 1878 Military Carbines: .45-70 Before Winchester

April 7, 2020 Ian McCollum 8

These are lots #1050 (top-loader) and #3077 (bayonet fitted) in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions every […]