Caseless
RIA: Colette Gravity Pistol
Colette was a Belgian gun manufacturer that made this interesting parlor pistol. It used a rocketball type of cartridge, in which the powder and primer were encased in the hollow base of the bullet to […]
Belgium
Handgun
RIA: Stocked FN Model 1903
The FN Model 1903 was a Belgian-made scaled-up version of John Browning’s model 1903 pocket hammerless pistol. The pocket hammerless was made in .32 ACP and .380 calibers for (primarily) the civilian market in the […]
Bolt Action Rifles
RIA: Liegeoise 1888 Trials Rifle
The Belgian Army held rifle trials in the late 1880s to choose a new infantry rifle, and the winner was the Model 1889 Belgian Mauser. Quite a few different guns were involved in the competition […]
Biography
Biography: Léon and Émile Nagant
Note: Today’s post was written by our friend and occasional contributor Robert White. Thanks, Robert! One of the oldest pistols still in service is the Russian M1895 Nagant, designed by Léon and Émile Nagant. Léon […]
Percussion
Pinfire LeMat Grapeshot Revolver at RIA
Colonel Jean Alexandre LeMat was a native Frenchman who emigrated to the United States and in 1856 secured a patent for a “grapeshot revolver”, which had both a 9-shot .42 caliber cylinder and a 20-gauge […]
Biography
Biography: Henri & Nicolas Pieper
Today’s biography is a guest post by our friend Robert White – thanks, Robert! Henri Pieper was born and raised in modest German home in Soest (Westphalia) Germany on Oct 30, 1840. He received his […]
Prototype
Prototype Pieper .45ACP Pistol at James D Julia
Nicholas Pieper designed a blowback pocket pistol which was manufactured under license by Steyr in 1908. It was a reasonably successful pistol, and can be found today in .25ACP and .32ACP calibers. This particular one […]
Revolver
Apache Knuckleduster Revolver at RIA (Video)
The “Apache” was a combination knife, brass knuckles, and revolver made by several companies in Belgium and France, which became associated with a group of street thugs in Paris around the turn of the century. […]
Revolving Rifles
Mexican Pieper Revolving Carbine
I often find myself answering the question, why didn’t anybody adopt a revolving rifle based on the M1895 gas-seal Nagant revolver? It does seem like a natural solution to the gas-related problems inherent to a […]
Bolt Action Rifles
1889 Schulhof Rotary-Magazine Bolt Action at RIA
Another of the interesting pieces in the upcoming September RIA sale is a Belgian-made Schulhof bolt action rifle. It is notable for its 9-round rotary magazine, and this same model of rifle was tested by […]