Q&A
Q&A #33: It’s All Compromises
Time for another monthly Q&A! 00:18 – Guns that exceeded and fell short of my expectations? 03:14 – Why did the US keep the 1903 instead of the 1917 after WW1? 04:59 – Bren guns […]
Video
Semiauto pistol
Ecia Model 1930 Family: Competitors to the Astra
Juan Esperanza was one of the two partners who formed the Astra company (with Pedro Unceta). When the two had a falling-out in 1925 and parted ways, Esperanza formed his own company and went on […]
Bolt Action Rifles
Shooting the Mle 1866 Chassepot
A while back, I visited @CanadianGunLover, and we did a bit of shooting with an 1866 Chassepot. I lost track of the footage and only just now found where I had put it – so […]
Prototype
Too Late and Not Much Better: the Austen Mk II SMG
The story of the Austen submachine gun did not end when the Mk I guns were pulled from combat service in 1944. The manufacturer continued to work on an improved version, which would be ready […]
Submachine Guns
The Diggers’ Dismay: Austen Mk I SMG
When World War Two began, Australia saw little threat of invasion from Germany (obviously), and sent a substantial number of firearms to Britain to help arm the Home Guard there, which was seriously concerned about […]
Commentary
AS Val, VSS Vintorez, OTs-14 Groza, and more: 9x39mm with Max Popenker
Today we welcome back Max Popenker of ModernFirearms.net to discuss the Soviet and Russian development of the 9x39mm suppressed rifle cartridge. From the early unsuccessful and sidetracked efforts to replace the PBS suppressor through the […]
Semiauto pistol
Star Pistol-Carbines: Model MMS and Model MB
Star produced 1911-style pistols in a wide variety of calibers and configurations for more than 50 years, including several models with shoulder stocks. Two of the later such models were the MMS and MB. These […]
Commentary
Arsenals of History 2019: 3D Printing & Scanning for Museums
Arsenals of History is an annual symposium of firearms museum, and met this year at the newly renovated Cody Firearms Museum. The theme of this year’s symposium was social media and museums. This presentation was […]
Light MGs
C2A1: Canada’s Squad Automatic FAL
Canada was the first country to formally adopt the FN FAL as its standard service rifle, and in 1958 it added the C2 light machine gun version of the FAL to its arsenal. The C2, […]
Bolt Action Rifles
SSG-82: The Enigmatic East German Sniper Rifle
Lot 3533 in the September 2019 RIA auction. When East Germany received the technical data package for the 5.45x39mm cartridge, they began a program to make their own AK-74 model. Alongside, they also wanted a […]