Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

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 […]

Barton Jenks’ Model 1867 Rolling Block Trials Rifle

April 6, 2020 Ian McCollum 12

These are lots #133 (from-scratch rifle) and #134 (muzzleloader conversion) in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions […]

The G40k: A German Experimental Mauser Carbine

April 2, 2020 Ian McCollum 16

This is lot #1635 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! In April 1940, […]

Experimental Remington-Keene: Preventing Magazine Detonations

March 31, 2020 Ian McCollum 14

This is lot #183 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! This is a […]

Ross Rudd’s Prototype Delayed Blowback AR180

March 30, 2020 Ian McCollum 68

Sold for $1,610 in the February 2020 Sport & Collectors auction. Ross Rudd was born in Toronto in 1915, but his family moved to Springfield Massachusetts in 1917, and he would grow up there. Interested […]

H&K’s Middle Child: The HK33 and HK53 in 5.56mm

March 18, 2020 Ian McCollum 20

Introduced in 1968, the HK33 was Heckler & Koch’s adaptation of their roller-delay operating system to the 5.56mm / .223 Remington cartridge. In addition to the standard full-length rifle (with a 15.35 inch barrel) a […]

French Underfolding Paratrooper Rifle: MAS 36 CR39

March 16, 2020 Ian McCollum 10

The CR39 (“crosse repliable”, or folding stock) is the paratrooper version of the MAS 36. The need for a more compact and transportable pattern was recognized almost as soon as the MAS 36 was finalized, […]

Zastava M91: Serbia Modernizes its DMR to 7.62x54R

March 13, 2020 Ian McCollum 39

After World War Two, Yugoslavia was left with a tremendous amount of German war material – enough that it cost to adopt the 8x57mm Mauser cartridge as its standard. The M76 precision rifle was developed […]

Canadian Ross MkIII Sniper Rifle with Warney & Swasey Scope

March 11, 2020 Ian McCollum 5

The Canadian infantry that went to Europe in the early years of World Wa rOne were equipped primarily with the Ross MkIII rifle. The Ross would become quite the scandal, and was replaced in service […]