France - Forgotten Weapons

The Gras in Ethiopia: Carbines of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu

July 7, 2020 Ian McCollum 9

Ethiopia is a fascinating and unique example of an African nation that was able to uphold its sovereignty through force of arms, and resist become a possession of any of the European powers during the […]

Arcelin Mousqueton: An 1850s Breechloader with a Ludicrous Bayonet

June 26, 2020 Ian McCollum 39

The Arcelin system was a capping breechloader provisionally adopted by the French military in 1854. It was a bolt action system with a folding bolt handle, firing a paper cartridge. It impressed Emperor Louis Napoleon […]

Berthier with a Chauchat Magazine at the Range

June 13, 2020 Ian McCollum 30

Today I am out at the range to put the first shots through a completed replica of the French Chauchat-magazine Berthier conversion. The real versions of these guns were made on Mle 1890 cavalry carbines […]

French FR-F1 Sniper Rifle at the Range

June 4, 2020 Ian McCollum 5

The FR-F1 was adopted in 1967 as the French Army’s marksman or sniper’s rifle. It was based roughly on the MAS-36 bolt action system, but with a heavier receiver and 10-round detachable box magazine. It […]

FAMAS G2: The French Navy Updates its Bullpup

May 27, 2020 Ian McCollum 9

The FAMAS rifle was originally adopted for use with 55 grain ammunition, with a 1:12 inch rifling twist rate and, of course, a proprietary 25-round magazine. This was the F1 pattern. Further development of the […]

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 […]