Video - Forgotten Weapons

B&T VP9 Silenced Pistol: A Modern Welrod

July 18, 2017 Ian McCollum 28

Armament Research Services (ARES) is a specialist technical intelligence consultancy, offering expertise and analysis to a range of government and non-government entities in the arms and munitions field. For detailed photos of the guns in […]

Modele 1890 Berthier Cuirassier Carbine

July 17, 2017 Ian McCollum 14

When the Modele 1890 Berthier carbine was adopted for the French cavalry, the decision was made to produce a special version for the Cuirassier troops. These were the elite heavy cavalry, equipped with steel breastplates […]

Book Review: Ott-Helmuth von Lossnitzer, Technical Director of the Mauser Company 1933-1945

July 16, 2017 Ian McCollum 14

Ott-Helmuth (Otto, after he emigrated to the US) von Lossnitzer was a remarkable firearms engineer. He served through World War One as a machine gunner, gaining extensive experience with a variety of different machine guns […]

Modele 1890 Berthier Cavalry Carbine

July 14, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

The Berthier was adopted in 1890 as a new repeating rifle for the French cavalry, who were at that time still using single shot Gras carbines. The Lebel rifle had been adopted in 1886 for […]

Shooting the EM-2 in .280 British

July 13, 2017 Ian McCollum 15

I had 10 rounds of .280 British ammunition to work with today, so I opted for several rounds in semiauto (including some slow motion shots) and then one burst at the end. The .280 cartridge […]

KvKK 62: The Ugly Duckling of Light Machine Guns

July 11, 2017 Ian McCollum 38

The KvKK 62 was a squad automatic counterpart to the Rk 62, Finland’s domestic Kalashnikov rifle. It is an open bolt light machine gun chambered for 7.62x39mm, feeding from push-through RPD-style belts and firing at […]

1895 Daudeteau Series S Indochina Trials Carbine

July 10, 2017 Ian McCollum 24

Louis Marie Daudeteau was a persistent and prolific arms designer in France in the late 19th century. Born in 1845, he gained substantial military experience in the Franco-Prussian War, and afterwards turned to weapons design. […]

Book Review: Weapon of Choice by Dr. Matthew Ford

July 9, 2017 Ian McCollum 11

It may look like an airport bookshop thriller, but don’t let the cover fool you – Dr. Matthew Ford’s “Weapon of Choice” is a seriously rigorous academic study of the military small arms adoption process. […]

WW1 Rifle Mud Covers: Lebel & Gewehr 98

July 8, 2017 Ian McCollum 20

Given the prevalence of muddy horrible trenches in World War 1, why didn’t anybody design dust covers to protect the actions of their combat rifles? Well, they actually did… and today we are looking at […]

Final Prices: Rock Island June 2017

July 7, 2017 Ian McCollum 3

Final prices from the last RIA regional auction (June 2017).