Video - Forgotten Weapons

Lanchester MkI: Britain’s First (But Not Last) Emergency SMG

September 5, 2017 Ian McCollum 26

The Lanchester MkI was the first British effort to produce a domestic submachine gun during World War II. The British military had rejected these types of arms as “gangster guns” prior to the war, and […]

Arsenal AF2011: A Double Barreled 1911 Monster Pistol

September 4, 2017 Ian McCollum 15

The Arsenal AF2011 began as a manufacturing proof of concept, to showcase the technical ability of the company making it (their prior experience was largely in exquisite miniature firearms). It was introduced to the public […]

Reising Model 60 – A Wartime Semiauto Carbine

September 3, 2017 Ian McCollum 23

The Reising Model 60 was the semiautomatic-only variant of the Reising Model 50 submachine gun. Offered side by side with the submachine guns, the Model 60 was also chambered for .45ACP and used the same […]

The Schmeisser MP41: A Hybrid Submachine Gun

September 2, 2017 Ian McCollum 44

Most people think that the MP41 is simply an MP40 in a wooden stock, but this is actually not the case – and unlike the MP40, the MP41 can be accurately called a Schmeisser – […]

Professional Ordnance Carbon-15: A Super-Light AWB AR-15

September 1, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

The Professional Ordnance Carbon-15 was developed during the assault weapons ban in the United States as a way to market a pistol version of an AR15 action without exceeding the weight limit imposed by legislation. […]

Sudayev’s PPS-43: Submachine Gun Simplicity Perfected

August 31, 2017 Ian McCollum 66

The PPS-43, designed by Alexei Sudayev based on a previous submachine gun design by I.K. Bezruchko-Vysotsky, was the Soviet replacement for the PPSh-41. The Shpagin submachine gun was a very effective combat weapon, but was […]

Pattern 14 MKI W (T) – The Best Sniper Rifle of World War One

August 30, 2017 Ian McCollum 14

When World War One began, the British did not have a formal sniping program, and by 1915 the British found themselves thoroughly outclassed by the Germans in this area. They responded by developing tactics and […]

Chaffee Reece Model 1882: A Good Idea on Paper…

August 29, 2017 Ian McCollum 8

Patented in 1879 by Reuben Chaffee and General James Reece, the Chaffee-Reece rifle is an excellent example of how an idea that seems good on paper can easily become untenable in a fielded rifle. The […]

Soviet PPD-40: Degtyarev’s Submachine Gun

August 28, 2017 Ian McCollum 21

Degtyarev’s PPD-40 was the first submachine gun adopted in a large scale by the Soviet Union. Its development began in 1929 with a locked breech gun modeled after Degtyarev’s DP light machine gun, but evolved […]

Roper Repeating Rifle – An Early Type of Cartridge

August 27, 2017 Ian McCollum 47

While the design for the Roper rifle and shotgun originally came form Sylvester Roper, Christopher Spencer played a very significant role in its production. When sales of the Spencer lever action rifle dissolved at the […]