Video - Forgotten Weapons

Book Review: The Modele 1866 Chassepot

January 7, 2018 Ian McCollum 10

Until now, there has really been nothing substantial and scholarly printed on the Chassepot needle-fire rifle in English – but now that has changed, thanks to Guy & Leonard A-R-West. Their just-released book on […]

Meunier A6: France’s First Semiauto Battle Rifle

January 6, 2018 Ian McCollum 59

France began experimenting with self-loading rifle designs in the late 1890s, although most of this work is mostly unknown today. The work was done by the State arsenals, and kept as military secrets, without […]

Rhodesian FAL – with Larry Vickers

January 5, 2018 Ian McCollum 33

The iconic weapon of the Rhodesian Bush War is the FN-FAL, painted in a distinctive “baby poop” yellow and green pattern. Because Rhodesia was under international embargo, its options for obtaining weapons were limited. Some […]

Forgotten Weapons Short: Stacking Rods & Stacking Swivels

January 4, 2018 Ian McCollum 14

I get a lot of questions about the purpose of stacking rods and stacking swivels on rifles – so let’s see if we can clear some of them up today…

Lepage Wax-Bullet Dueling Pistols

January 3, 2018 Ian McCollum 28

In the early years of the 20th century, before the Great War tempered society’s interest in the martial arts, dueling came into the popular vogue. Not the lethal kind, but rather a more sporting style […]

Overview of Canadian Gun Laws

January 2, 2018 Ian McCollum 83

Today, a general overview of Canadian gun laws, so we Americans (and you folks across the ocean) can have a better idea of what the legal situation is in the Great White North. Please recognize […]

Italian Trials Czech ZK-391 Semiauto Rifle

December 30, 2017 Ian McCollum 31

The ZK-391 is one in a series of Czech developmental semiautomatic rifles designed by Josef Koucký. It was developed initially in 1939 (hence the “39” in the designation), and was tested by the Italian military […]

Hudson H9 Prototypes & Development (with Cy Hudson)

December 28, 2017 Ian McCollum 17

I am joined today by Cy Hudson, to take a look at the early prototypes of the Hudson H9 pistol – nicknamed the Brick and the Boat Anchor – and to discuss the development […]

Improvised & Craft-Built Firearms w/ Jonathan Ferguson & Nic Jenzen-Jone

December 27, 2017 Ian McCollum 24

Today I am joined for a round table discussion (well, octagon table, technically) by Jonathan Ferguson (Curator of the National Firearms Centre collection at the Royal Armouries) and Nic Jenzen-Jones (Director of Armament Research Services) […]

Just Shooting Compilation: 2017

December 26, 2017 Ian McCollum 3

The year in review with shooting! In order of appearance: EM-2 (.280/30) vz61 Skrpion kp/44 kp/31 Suomi ZB-26 RK-95/S American 180 Finnish Maxim KVKK-62 DP-28 Prototype Friberg/Kjellman SIG MP48 Dreyse light rifle PSM RSC-1918 RSC-1917 […]