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HomeFrance

France

General Purpose MGs

Darne Model 1933: An Economic & Modular Interwar MG

February 15, 2023 Ian McCollum 67

The Darne company was one of relatively few private arms manufacturers in France, best known for shotguns. During World War One they got into the machine gun trade, making licensed Lewis guns for the French […]

Bolt Action Rifles

Operation CARPETBAGGER: French Resistance No4 Enfield

November 18, 2022 Ian McCollum 8

During 1944, the US and UK cooperatively ran a major effort to drop arms and equipment to French Resistance forces in preparation for the Allied landings in France. It began as Operation Carpetbagger with night […]

Prototype

MAC Model 1947 Prototype SMGs

October 12, 2022 Ian McCollum 14

Today’s video – and many others – have been made possible in part by my friend Shéhérazade (Shazzi) Samimi-Hoflack. She is a real estate agent in Paris who specializes in working with English-speakers, and she […]

Accessories

Scrome J8 Commercial Production Update (For the FR-F2)

August 21, 2022 Ian McCollum 4

Scrome, the original maker of the J8 scope used by the French Army on the FR-F2 sniper rifle, is making a commercial run of J8 scopes for collectors who have the recently-released surplus FR-F2 rifles. […]

Prototype

CEAM 1950B: A Roller-Delayed Missing Link in .30 Carbine

June 27, 2022 Ian McCollum 27

At the end of World War Two, the Mauser factory complex was in the French occupation zone, and more than a few Mauser engineers went to work for the French. Among them were Ludwig Vorgimmler […]

Bolt Action Rifles

A .22LR Berthier for the French National Police (CRS)

June 15, 2022 Ian McCollum 17

In 1954, the Unique company (MAPF) in Hendaye France rebuilt a batch of 800 Berthier carbines into .22LR caliber for use by the Sûreté Nationale (later renamed the Police Nationale). These were to be used […]

General Purpose MGs

France in the Cold War: AA52 Replaces the Hotchkiss

May 27, 2022 Ian McCollum 24

For another perspective on the AA52 – and some live fire footage – check out Bloke on the Range’s video on the gun today: With the end of World War Two, it was finally time […]

Antiques

Beautiful Perrin Revolving Carbine

May 23, 2022 Ian McCollum 17

The Perrin was an 1859 revolver design originating in France, which was initially an open-frame, double-action-only system. It went through some significant improvements in 1865, including a single action mechanism and a fully enclosed frame […]

Bolt Action Rifles

Scrome J8: A Proper Scope for the FR-F2 Sniper

May 21, 2022 Ian McCollum 6

The French Army used a single pattern of rifle scope from 1949 all the way until 1995 – the APX L806, which was essentially a German ZF-4. It was finally replaced officially in 1995, with […]

Semiauto pistol

Serbian/Yugoslav Ruby Pistol

March 2, 2022 Ian McCollum 11

The Serbian Army was essentially destroyed in 1915, and lost a massive amount of equipment. It was rebuilt with French assistance and reequipped with French arms in 1917, including about 5,000 Ruby pistols. These were […]

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