France - Forgotten Weapons

Mystery Shotgun With a Very Unusual Action

December 20, 2021 Ian McCollum 19

This is a commercial pump-action shotgun manufactured in France and proofed at the St Etienne proof house. I know basically nothing else of its provenance, including who designed it, who sold it (although I would […]

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 […]

Desert Brutality 2021 Day 2: Catastrophe and Redemption

December 4, 2021 Ian McCollum 10

When we left off yesterday, I had a perfect streak going with my FR-F2, but the choice of a .357 revolver for a Brutality match was looking pretty questionable. Well, we’ve got our more stages […]

Desert Brutality 2021 Day 1: Glory and Heartbreak

December 3, 2021 Ian McCollum 10

It’s time for Desert Brutality 2021! This match is a bit different from previous Brutality matches; it required three guns: pistol, rifle, and precision rifle. I chose to enter the Cold War division (all guns […]

ASAC Presentation: Development of French Military Repeating Rifles

December 2, 2021 Ian McCollum 11

At the Fall 2021 meeting of the American Society of Arms Collectors, I had the opportunity to make a presentation on the development of French military repeating rifles. The story begins with the Mle 1874 […]

FR-F2 French Sniper Rifle at the Range

November 27, 2021 Ian McCollum 9

Today I’ve taken the FR-F2 to the range to try it out. I’m using the early French Army scope, an APX L806-04. This is a 3.85x optic basically modeled on the German WW2 ZF-4. It […]

The French FR-F2: Best of the Cold War Sniper Rifles

November 26, 2021 Ian McCollum 24

In 1986, the French Army adopted the FR-F2 (Fusil à Répétition F2) as its standard sniper rifle. The F2 was never manufactured new; it was an improvement made on existing FR-F1 rifle by giving them […]

“FUSTAN” – The Competition Rimfire MAS-36 for North Africa

November 24, 2021 Ian McCollum 11

While the French military adopted a .22 rimfire training version of the MAS-36, that rifle (the “Tir Réduit 5.5mm”) was intended for military training, and not for formal competition. During World War Two, the design […]

BUG Match with a 98-Year-Old 6.35mm Le Français

October 16, 2021 Ian McCollum 39

Today I’m at the BackUp Gun Match in Tucson with a first model Le Français made in 1923. This is an early French semiauto pistol design intended for pocket carry. It has a 7-round magazine […]

A Tour of PGM Precision: Home of the Ultima Ratio and Hecate II

October 12, 2021 Ian McCollum 3

Today, I have the opportunity to take a look inside PGM Precision, in Annecy France. Ever been curious about where the Ultima Ratio and Hecate II come from? Let’s have a look! Note: PGM’s US […]