France - Forgotten Weapons

Hotchkiss 1914 Cow-Catcher Muzzle Device

May 21, 2020 Ian McCollum 20

I’m working on getting a Hotchkiss 1914 heavy machine gun up and running for some long range accuracy testing. It’s not quite ready yet, but I saw a very interesting effect of the WW1 muzzle […]

PGM Precision Hecate II at the Range

May 9, 2020 Ian McCollum 17

Today, we are taking the PGM Precision Hecate II out to the range. It is a rifle designed for use out to 1800m, but I have neither the skills myself nor the range facility to […]

PGM Hecate II: A Battle-Hardened .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle

May 8, 2020 Ian McCollum 22

Courtesy of PGM Precision USA, we have a chance to take a look at a Hecate II sniper rifle today. This rifle’s story begins with the Ultima Ratio, a classic-based 7.62mm precision rifle designed by […]

French Gendarmerie C96: A German Pistol for the Occupation

April 20, 2020 Ian McCollum 29

This is lot #579 in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions every month, though! In the immediate […]

Le Français Type Armée – A Strange Service Pistol

April 8, 2020 Ian McCollum 25

This is lot #3540 in the upcoming RIA Premier Auction. It was scheduled for April, but has been postponed – check their web site for upcoming Online Only auctions every month, though! The Le Français […]

Light, Mobile, and Deadly: the French Mle 1937 25mm Puteaux AT Gun

March 20, 2020 Ian McCollum 30

After World War One, the French military set up a program to modernize all of its weaponry, and that included a replacement for the Mle 1916 light infantry cannon. An anti-tank gun had not been […]

French Underfolding Paratrooper Rifle: MAS 36 CR39

March 16, 2020 Ian McCollum 10

The CR39 (“crosse repliable”, or folding stock) is the paratrooper version of the MAS 36. The need for a more compact and transportable pattern was recognized almost as soon as the MAS 36 was finalized, […]

FAMAS PGMP w/ EOTech in a Team 2-Gun Match

March 7, 2020 Ian McCollum 23

My book is now in stock and shipping! Order your copy today! The PGMP (Poignée Garde-Main Polyvalente) handguard assembly is the original modification to allow mounting of optics to the FAMAS rifle. The FAMAS handguard […]

French Air Force Snipers: the FR-G1 and FR-G2

March 4, 2020 Ian McCollum 0

When St Etienne developed the FR-F1 sniper rifle, all the branches of the French military were given the opportunity to purchase them – and the Army, Navy, and Gendarmerie did. The Air Force, decided that […]

MAS 49-56 in a 2-Gun Match

February 1, 2020 Ian McCollum 13

A while back, I ran a 2-Gun match on my own with my MAS 49-56 (and a plain Glock 19), including the original APX L806 optic. It was not a particularly complex match, but it […]