Prototype
Colt 607: The First AR Carbine
The Model 607 was Colt’s first attempt at a carbine version of the AR-15 rifle, shortening both the barrel and stock. The action is identical to a standard AR, but the barrel is only 10 […]
Select-fire Rifles
Select-fire Rifles
South Africa’s Sci-Fi Bullpup: Vektor CR-21 at the Range
Courtesy of DSA, I’m out at the range today with a Vektor CR-21 to see just how it handles compared to a regular Galil…
Select-fire Rifles
Original FG42: A Detailed Comparison of the 1st and 2nd Patterns
Today we are looking at examples of the 1st pattern (Type E) and second pattern (Type G) FG42, comparing their construction and disassembling both to get a close look at the internal differences. Despite sharing […]
Gunsmithing
Yugo-Albanian “Marksman’s” Mystery AK
This rifle was brought back to France from the Balkans (probably Kosovo) by a French military team in the late 1990s. It’s a neat example of a mix-master build (what is “bubba” in Albanian?), with […]
Select-fire Rifles
Rearming West Germany: The G1 FAL
Today we are taking a look at a German G1 pattern FAL. The initial purchased of the G1 were actual made by the German Border Guard (the Bundesgrenschutz). In the aftermath of World War Two, […]
Prototype
Project Lantan: Poland Designs a Modular AK in 7x41mm
In the early 1970s, Poland wanted to replace their 7.62x39mm Kalashnikov rifles. The Soviet Union was developing the 5.45mm AK-74, but the Poles wanted to make a more ambitious advance in small arms systems. They […]
Select-fire Rifles
Slovenia’s Specialized Bullpup: the F2000S
When the Slovenian Army decided to adopt a new infantry rifle in the mid-2000s, the Arex Defense company decided to submit the F-2000 into the trials. The H&K G36 was widely expected to be the […]
Select-fire Rifles
Italy’s M14: The BM-59 at the Range
Beretta in Italy developed the BM-59 after World War Two as an improvement on the M1 Garand – lightened, shortened, and given a box magazine, bipod, and selector switch. And the did this in a […]
Select-fire Rifles
The Very Rare FN CAL at the Range
The FN CAL (Carabine Automatique Legere) was Fabrique Nationale’s first attempt at a 5.56mm rifle, and it was not successful. They replaced it with the FNC, which saw much wider success. The CAL is quite […]
Select-fire Rifles
FG-42: Perhaps the Most Impressive WW2 Shoulder Rifle
The first production version of the FG42 used a fantastically complex milled receiver and a distinctive sharply swept-back pistol grip. A contract to make 5,000 of them was awarded to Krieghoff in late spring of […]