Uncategorized - Forgotten Weapons

The Very Rare Commercial Suomi SMG with VFG and Bipod

December 1, 2021 Ian McCollum 20

The kp/31, aka M31 “Suomi” submachine gun was adopted by the Finnish Army in 1931. It was produced by the Tikkakoski company (more commonly known today as Tikka), and in addition to Finnish military contracts […]

Finnish Brutality 2021 Day 2: Moving Trucks and Casualty Evacuation

November 20, 2021 Ian McCollum 7

Finnish Brutality took place on October 23 and 24 of this year, at the Loppi shooting range north of Helsinki. It was run by Varusteleka, the largest and definitely the awesomest military and outdoor supplier […]

Forgotten Weapons Gift Material, From Patches to Carbines!

November 14, 2021 Ian McCollum 6

You can find the WWSD 2020 rifle, WWSD Civil Defense Rifle, and KP-15 lower receivers at Brownells. Books are available from Headstamp Publishing. (Note that while you can pre-order my book on Chinese Warlord Pistols, […]

Vickers “K” – For Aircraft and the SAS/Long Range Desert Group

October 15, 2021 Ian McCollum 32

The Vickers “K” Class gun – also known as the Vickers Gas Operated – was the gun the Vickers company thought would replace the heavy water-cooled Vickers and allow them to remain primary machine gun […]

A Rare Navy Stopgap: the CLLE MkI Naval Enfield

September 6, 2021 Ian McCollum 5

The British Royal Navy tended to accumulate some of the obsolescent patterns of Enfield rifles around the turn of the 19th century, as the Army had higher priority for the new types of rifle. This […]

Odd BSA Prototype Charger Bridge Long Lee

September 1, 2021 Ian McCollum 5

Today we have a very odd BSA prototype Long Lee rifle. The details of its production are unknown, but it has good provenance; the Charnwood Ordnance collection. What makes the rifle unusual is a unique […]

Field to Table: Shooting (Delicious) Lionfish to Protect our Reefs

August 28, 2021 Ian McCollum 28

Want to do this yourself? Talk to Brady Hale at Ocean Strike Team, and tell him Ian sent you: Also, a huge thanks to Niuhi Dive Charters and Sake Cafe. Lionfish are a scourge on reef […]

Vickers Gun Meticulously Repaired as a Pilot Training Aid

July 28, 2021 Ian McCollum 17

This is a really interesting artifact of the First World War that I found in a collection and wanted to share (since the owner, understandably, wouldn’t part with it!). All the major powers in the […]

Features: Full Auto FAMAS F1 vs Semiauto MAS 223

July 19, 2021 Ian McCollum 17

Since I happen to have simultaneous access to both a military-pattern F1 FAMAS and also a civilian semiautomatic MAS-223, I figured it would be nice to compare them side by side and see how they […]

Livestream with Ian and his Dad Tonight!

June 18, 2021 Ian McCollum 13

Last chance today to get the purple cover edition! To celebrate the last two hours of the Pistols of the Warlords launch, I have Shanghai’d my father into coming down to join me in a […]