Select-fire Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Type 63: China Makes an AK/SKS Hybrid

August 28, 2024 Ian McCollum 21

Starting in 1960, China ran a program to develop an infantry rifle that would combine the accuracy of the SKS with the firepower of the AK. The result was the Type 63, which used the […]

Estonian R20L Designated Marksman’s Rifle in 7.62x51mm

August 24, 2024 Ian McCollum 8

Alongside their new 5.56mm R20 infantry rifles, Estonia has recently adopted the LMT 7.62x51mm MARS-H as its new designated marksman’s rifle; the R20L. These rifles were part of a single rifle contract, with the vast […]

WF-54: The Swiss FG-42 Scaled up to 7.5×55

August 19, 2024 Ian McCollum 20

After World War Two the Swiss needed a new self-loading military rifle to replace their K-31 bolt actions. Two major design tracks followed; one being a roller-delayed system based on the G3 at SIG and […]

R20 “Rahe” – Estonia Modernizes its Infantry Rifles

August 14, 2024 Ian McCollum 17

In 2017, the Estonian military began the process of replacing its infantry rifles. At that time, the primary rifle in use was the Galil, which had been purchased from Israel shortly after Russian occupation ended […]

WF-51: A Swiss Intermediate-Cartridge Copy of the FG-42

August 5, 2024 Ian McCollum 19

After World War Two the Swiss needed a new self-loading military rifle to replace their K-31 bolt actions. Two major design tracks followed; one being a roller-delayed system based on the G3 at SIG and […]

Colt 608: The AR15 as a Pilot’s Survival Rifle

July 29, 2024 Ian McCollum 18

As part of its effort to build out the AR-15 family of small arms, Colt introduced the Model 608 in 1965. This was intended to be an aircraft survival rifle, able to pack disassembled into […]

OTs-14 Groza: Russia’s Over-Hyped 9x39mm Spetznaz Bullpup

July 22, 2024 Ian McCollum 26

The 9x39mm cartridge was introduced in the final days of the Soviet Union as a subsonic round intended specifically for suppressed weapons. The first weapons developed for it were the AS Val and VSS Vintorez. […]

Wieger 942: East Germany Makes a 5.56mm AK

July 8, 2024 Ian McCollum 29

East Germany purchased a license for production of the AK-74 in 1981, but that license was for domestic use only. There was an apparent market for export production AKs in the western 5.56mm cartridge, and […]

Fort 221: The Ukrainian Tavor TAR

June 21, 2024 Ian McCollum 1

In 2008, Ukrainian manufacturing conglomerate RPC Fort received a license from IMI to produce a variety of Israeli small arms, including the Tavor TAR and Tavor X95. In Fort’s catalog, these were designated the Fort-221 […]

Modernizing Le Clairon: the FAMAS Valorise

May 20, 2024 Ian McCollum 1

The FAMAS was the best bullpup rifle of its era, but it was a difficult platform to modernize with optics. In 1995, the “FELIN” (Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons INtégrés; Integrated Infantry Equipment and Communications) […]