Video - Forgotten Weapons

Rigor, Discipline, and Excellence: Christian Prouteau on GIGN Training and the MR-73

December 16, 2021 Ian McCollum 26

I am honored today to be able to bring you an interview with Christian Prouteau, the founder and original leader of GIGN. This is France’s premier elite counter-terrorism force, who have been at the forefront […]

Finland’s M/39 PH Sniper from the Continuation War

December 15, 2021 Ian McCollum 9

The basic equipment of the Finnish Army came from what was left in Finland by departing Russian soldiers when Finland declared independence. As the Russians had no scoped rifles at that time, Finland didn’t have […]

L8(T) Enfield: The British Army Fails to Make a Sniper

December 14, 2021 Ian McCollum 9

We looked at the 7.62mm conversion of the No4 Enfield into Rifle L8 yesterday. Part of that program was an attempt to develop a new sniper rifle on the L8 platform. To this end, six […]

7.62mm Rifle L8: The Last Gasp of the Service Lee Enfield

December 13, 2021 Ian McCollum 23

After the British adopted the FAL as the L1A1 rifle, there was still an interest in converting stocks of existing No4 Enfield rifles to the new 7.62x51mm cartridge for reserve and training use. A conversion […]

Laugo Alien at the Range

December 11, 2021 Ian McCollum 18

Today we are taking the Laugo Alien out to the range – let’s see if the hype is real!

Laugo Alien: Real Innovation in Modern Handgun Design

December 10, 2021 Ian McCollum 31

The Laugo Alien is a pistol developed recently, and only introduced in 2018. Its lead designer was Ján Lučansky, who was also heavy involved in the CZ Scorpion carbine/SMG. The Alien is a significantly different […]

“Presentism”, Whiskey, Clips, & Museums: A Chat With Ashley Hlebinsky

December 9, 2021 Ian McCollum 22

I recently met up with Ashley Hlebinsky, former curator of the Cody Firearms Museum, and we sat down for a rambling discussion about the intersection of firearms and museums, mostly. Among other things, we will […]

The Sure Defender: An O.G. Knuckleduster Knife Gun

December 8, 2021 Ian McCollum 12

One of the early combination self-defense guns was the “Sure Defender”, with a combination of brass knuckles, a small and finicky wavy-bladed dagger, and a single shot percussion pistol barrel. The rather complex process for […]

What Are All These 9mm Cartridges, And Why?

December 7, 2021 Ian McCollum 46

Why do we have so many different 9mm cartridges, and what are they all? Why are 9mm Steyr and 9mm Largo virtually identical and yet different, while 9×18 Ultra and 9×18 Makarov are completely different? […]

Lindner’s Improbable Tube-Fed Striker-Fired Caseless Ammo Revolver

December 6, 2021 Ian McCollum 23

Edward Lindner was a Bavarian-born gunsmith who spent much of his professional life in the United States. He was granted no less than 13 firearms patents, and was involved in some very forward-thinking designs. Among […]