Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

The Keen-Walker Carbine – A Simple Confederate Breechloader

October 9, 2017 Ian McCollum 12

Little is known about the Keen-Walker Gun Company, except for a few Confederate arsenal records that have survived. From those we know that the company delivered a total of 282 of these single-shot .54 caliber […]

Really Not an M16 at All: Colt’s M231 Port Firing Weapon

October 6, 2017 Ian McCollum 47

The M231 Port Firing Weapon was developed in the 1970s as a part of the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Project. A modern relative of the WW2 Krummlauf, the weapon was intended to provide close-in firepower […]

Colt Monitor: The First Official FBI Fighting Rifle

October 5, 2017 Ian McCollum 33

The Colt Monitor was Colt’s improved version os the Browning Automatic Rifle intended for the law enforcement market. Colt had the sales rights to the BAR in North and South American (as well as a […]

Kurdish Zagros and Şer Anti-Materiel Rifles

October 4, 2017 Ian McCollum 27

Thanks to correspondent Ed Nash (he gave me permission to use his name after I had recorded the video), I have a number of really interesting photos and video clips of YPG (Kurdish) locally-produced anti-materiel […]

MAS-36 LG48: A Grenade Launcher for the Bolt Action Infantry

September 28, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

Once it became apparent that the MAS-36 was going to be used in a substantial amount of frontline combat (to the contrary of its intended role as a reserve or secondary rifle), it became important […]

Prototype Gustloff MKb-42(G) aka Model 206

September 27, 2017 Ian McCollum 18

This is a reposting of a video from September 2016 with a new introduction. The recent publication of the new and expanded edition of Hans-Dieter Handrich’s book “Sturmgewehr!” has revealed new information about the history […]

Prarie Gun Works Timberwolf: British Trials Sniper Rifle

September 26, 2017 Ian McCollum 17

Armament Research Services (ARES) is a specialist technical intelligence consultancy, offering expertise and analysis to a range of government and non-government entities in the arms and munitions field. For detailed photos of the guns in […]

MAS-36: The Backup Rifle is Called to Action

September 25, 2017 Ian McCollum 44

There is a common assumption that the MAS-36 was a fool’s errand from the outset – why would a country develop a brand new bolt action rifle in the mid 1930s, when obviously semiautomatic combat […]

Communist Heresy: Norinco’s M305A M14 in 7.62x39mm

September 22, 2017 Ian McCollum 43

Norinco is a huge consortium of manufacturing plants in China that make all manner of goods for export, including military hardware. One of Norinco’s factories has been making copies of the American M14 rifle for […]

The DeLisle: Britain’s Silenced .45 ACP Commando Carbine

September 16, 2017 Ian McCollum 30

Armament Research Services (ARES) is a specialist technical intelligence consultancy, offering expertise and analysis to a range of government and non-government entities in the arms and munitions field. For detailed photos of the guns in […]