Video - Forgotten Weapons

RIA: Alkar Cartridge-Counting Pistol

June 13, 2016 Ian McCollum 23

Alkartasuna SA was a company formed in 1914 by a handful of disgruntled Astra (well, Astra was still called Esperanza y Unceta at that time) employees. This was a difficult time for the Eibar gun […]

RIA: Webley 1905 Pocket Automatic

June 12, 2016 Ian McCollum 25

William Whiting was an engineer who spent his entire adult career with the Webley company, and was responsible for all of their in-house self-loading pistol designs. This work initially focused on a behemoth of a […]

RIA: Gewehr 1898 – Germany’s Standard WWI Rifle

June 11, 2016 Ian McCollum 52

The Gewehr 1898 was the product of a decade of bolt action repeating rifle improvements by the Mauser company, and would be the standard German infantry rifle through both World Wars. Today we are looking […]

RIA: Pond .32 Rimfire Revolver (Video)

June 10, 2016 Ian McCollum 19

Lucius Pond was one of 4 major manufacturers successfully sued by Rollin White on behalf of Smith & Wesson, for infringing on White’s patent (exclusively licensed to S&W) of the bored-through cylinder. Pond had designed […]

RIA: Smith & Wesson Model 1913 Automatic Pistols (Video)

June 9, 2016 Ian McCollum 30

Smith & Wesson’s first venture into the autoloading pistol market was done under the leadership of Joe Wesson, Daniel Wesson’s son. He was quite the automatic pistol enthusiast, and made an agreement to license patents […]

RIA: Little Tom – the World’s First DAO Automatic

June 8, 2016 Ian McCollum 36

The Little Tom pistols designed by Alois Tomiška are notable for two particular features: their unusual reloading system and for being the first commercial DAO automatic pistols. Made in both .25ACP and .32 ACP in […]

RIA: Star Model 1920

June 7, 2016 Ian McCollum 13

The Model 1920 was Star’s first locked-breech pistol, basically a combination of features from the Colt 1911 and their traditional Eiber blowback .32 pistols. It was tested by the Spanish Army in 1920, with inconclusive […]

RIA: Darne 1892 Rotary Shotgun

June 6, 2016 Ian McCollum 28

The most popular shotgun made by the French Darne company was their 1897 sliding breech side-by-side, which saw sales and use worldwide. Before that, however, Darne invented a rotating breechblock system – first a series […]

RIA: Spanish “El Tigre” Winchester 92 Copy

June 5, 2016 Ian McCollum 29

Spain was historically a major center of patent infringement in firearms manufacture because its patent law left open a big loophole: patents were only enforceable if the patent holder actually manufactured their guns in Spain. […]

RIA: Dutch Police Revolver (with safety!)

June 4, 2016 Ian McCollum 39

This Dutch police revolver is an interesting example of technology being used as an element of police policy and procedure. The Dutch police administration in the late 1800s/early 1900s decided that officers should carry a […]