Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Merckelbagh Needlefire Conversion Rifle

March 3, 2019 Ian McCollum 9

This is an example of a needle fire conversion of a French 1822 rifle based on the patent of L. Merckelbagh. The conversion was done in Paris, probably in the early 1870s. Other base rifles […]

Parker Hale M85: Traditional Sniper in a Modern World

February 27, 2019 Ian McCollum 32

The 1985 competition to pick a new sniper rifle for the British military came down to a closely fought contest between the Accuracy International PM and the Parker Hale M85. The M85 was a fantastically […]

SIG AK-53: A Truly Weird Forward-Operating Rifle

February 22, 2019 Ian McCollum 71

One of the most mechanically unusual rifles I have had the chance to examine is the SIG AK-53. One of a long line of interested experimental self-loading designs made by SIG between the 1920s and […]

HK-32 Prototype in 7.62x39mm

February 20, 2019 Ian McCollum 14

Among the large family of roller-delayed rifles produced by Heckler & Koch, one of the rarest and least known is the HK32. This was the select-fire shoulder rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. These rifles appeared in […]

BXP: Blowback eXperimental Parabellum

February 18, 2019 Ian McCollum 11

Andries Piek was a farmer in South Africa in the late 1970s when he mail ordered an LDP 9mm carbine from Rhodesia. The gun was impounded by South African customs, and Piek wound up designing […]

L96A1: The Green Meanie – the First Modern Sniper Rifle

February 16, 2019 Ian McCollum 24

The Accuracy International Precision Marksman rifle was the winner of the British MoD’s competition to replace the L42A1 as the standard British sniper rifle, and was accordingly adopted as the L96A1. It was the vanguard […]

AMP 69: Hungary’s Grenade-Launching AK

February 13, 2019 Ian McCollum 19

The Hungarian AMP-69 is, I think, the undisputed ugliest military AK variant ever fielded. It is truly an example of function over form, designed specifically for the role of dedicated rifle grenade launcher. To this […]

CETME Modelo A: First Step Towards the G3

February 8, 2019 Ian McCollum 16

The Modelo A was the first series production version of the CETME rifle, following a series of successful trials in Spain. It was developed by a team of ex-Mauser engineers led by Ludwig Vorgrimmler, and […]

Colt CK901: An AR in 7.62x39mm for the Yemeni Military

February 6, 2019 Ian McCollum 16

Colt developed this rifle, the CK-901, for the Yemeni military in 2014 – which appears to be the only buyer they have found for it since. The rifle is basically an AR-15 chambered for 7.62x39mm, […]

Book Review: The British Sniper – A Century of Evolution

February 3, 2019 Ian McCollum 8

Steve Houghton’s newly released book “The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution” is an excellent reference on British sniper rifles, accessory equipment, and training from World War One through the present. Where Skennerton’s work ends […]