Semiauto Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Pacific Theater USMC-Modified Johnson M1941 Rifle

August 25, 2023 Ian McCollum 8

Johnson M1941 rifles were used in limited numbers by the US Marine Corps in the Pacific theater of World War Two, but they were used – and generally well liked. Interestingly, there was a fairly […]

Taiwan’s Retro Gas Piston AR: the Type 65

August 21, 2023 Ian McCollum 5

When Taiwan decided to move from the M14 platform (the Type 57 in Taiwanese service) to a 5.56mm rifle, they decided to develop a domestic gas-piston version of the AR. Development began in 1973, with […]

Al Kadesih: Iraq’s Exceptionally Rare Dragunov Copy

July 26, 2023 Ian McCollum 11

The Al Kadesih (also sometimes spelled Al Kadesiah or Al Qadisiyah) is an Iraqi copy of the SVD Dragunov DMR/sniper rifle. It is not an exact copy, though, as it uses an AK-style stamped receiver […]

Slovenian Modularity: Perun X16 “PDW” in .300 Blackout

July 15, 2023 Ian McCollum 3

I was first introduced to the Tinck Arms Perun X16 at Lynx Brutality 2022 in Slovenia, and it is an interesting system emphasizing modularity and simple disassembly. I opted to use one (a 5.56mm carbine) […]

Hipster 2-Gun: Beretta AR-70/90 & Bernardelli P018S

July 8, 2023 Ian McCollum 0

We took a look at both of these guns individually this past week, and now it’s time to try them both out on the clock… While I like the Bernardelli quite a lot, it had […]

Italian GWOT Steel: the Beretta AR-70/90

July 7, 2023 Ian McCollum 12

While the Italian military did adopt the AR-70, it did not actually issue them to all troops. Most continued to use the 7.62mm BM-59 until 1990 when the Beretta AR-70/90 was adopted. This rifle was […]

Lynx Brutality 2023 Day 2 – Missiles and Grenade Launchers

June 10, 2023 Ian McCollum 0

Day Two at Polenar Tactical’s 2023 Lynx Brutality! My Arex Delta L and Perun X16 continue to run flawlessly in today’s final five stages. Despite making plenty of mistakes today, I ended up placing 27th […]

Lynx Brutality 2023 Day 1 – Kettlebells and Electrocution

June 9, 2023 Ian McCollum 1

It’s time for Lynx Brutality 2023! Polenar Tactical presented this match again at the Lynx Pro Training Center in Slovenia, and they outdid themselves. It was a really excellent match, with both great physical challenges […]

Nylon 66: Remington’s Revolutionary Plastic Rifle

May 19, 2023 Ian McCollum 61

In the 1950s, Remington decided that it needed an inexpensive new .22 self-loading rifle to add to its catalog. In looking at how to reduce the cost of such a rifle, they hit upon the […]

PTR-44 Sturmgewehr at a 2-Gun Match

May 17, 2023 Ian McCollum 9

Today I’m taking the PTR-44 Sturmgewehr out to the local 2-Gun match. I’m excited to get a chance to run it in a competitive environment – I have shot some original StGs, but only on […]