Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Italian Trials Czech ZK-391 Semiauto Rifle

December 30, 2017 Ian McCollum 31

The ZK-391 is one in a series of Czech developmental semiautomatic rifles designed by Josef Koucký. It was developed initially in 1939 (hence the “39” in the designation), and was tested by the Italian military […]

Prototype Friberg/Kjellman Flapper-Locking Semiauto Rifle

December 22, 2017 Ian McCollum 11

The origins of flap-locking (as used in the G41(W), G43, DShK, DP, and RPD, among others) goes back to a Swedish Lieutenant Friberg in 1870, who patented the system. At that time, however, the fouling […]

Repurposing Obsolete Rifles: The Lebel R35 Carbine

December 19, 2017 Ian McCollum 21

Get your “Only Dropped Once” shirt here, and do your part to push back against the stereotype of the French soldier! The French military had investigated the possibility of a Lebel carbine in the 1880s, […]

Papuan Vrijwilliger Korps Mauser Carbine

December 18, 2017 Ian McCollum 26

During the transition from Dutch colonial rule to independence, the Dutch government armed a group of Papuans to help defend the territory form Indonesian military incursion. This organization was the Papuan Vrijwiliger Korps (Papua […]

Khyber Pass Handmade Bolt Action AK Lookalike

December 13, 2017 Ian McCollum 48

Today we are looking at a unique rifle in the National Firearms Centre collection – at first glance it appears to be an AK in a full-lenght rifle cartridge, using a Bren gun magazine. A […]

Converting the Lebel to 7.5mm: The M27 Lebel

December 12, 2017 Ian McCollum 19

Get your “Only Dropped Once” shirt here, and do your part to push back against the stereotype of the French soldier! In the aftermath of World War One, the French military instituted a plan to […]

Gevelot 11mm Sliding-Chamber Pinfire Rifle

December 9, 2017 Ian McCollum 14

This rifle design was developed by the Gevelot cartridge company to compete with the Modele 1866 Chassepot for French military use, although it was not successful in that attempt. The weapon has an uncommon […]

Madsen LAR: An AK for NATO!

December 8, 2017 Ian McCollum 18

The Madsen LAR (light automatic rifle) was an attempt by the main Danish arms manufacturer to get into the military rifle market after World War Two (they also released a bolt action rifle around the […]

Thorneycroft: A Victorian Bullpup Rifle with Volley Sights

December 6, 2017 Ian McCollum 19

The Thorneycroft was the first military bullpup rifle, developed in the United Kingdom in response to combat experiences in the second Boer War showing the British infantry rifles to be overly long and cumbersome. Scotsman […]

The First Modern Military Rifle: The Modele 1886 Lebel

December 5, 2017 Ian McCollum 40

Get your “Only Dropped Once” shirt here, and do your part to push back against the stereotype of the French soldier! The Lebel was a truly groundbreaking development in military small arms, being the first […]