United Kingdom - Forgotten Weapons

Engraved Tranter 577-Caliber Hand Cannon

March 28, 2020 Ian McCollum 25

This is lot #1347 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! William Tranter’s Model […]

The FAL for British Troop Trials in 1954: X8E1 & X8E2

February 21, 2020 Ian McCollum 33

The NATO rifle trials of the early 1950s eventually chose the 7.62mm x 51mm cartridge, and the British and Belgians agreed on the FAL rifle to shoot it (and they thought the US would as […]

Book Review: The Martini Henry, For Queen and Empire

December 8, 2019 Ian McCollum 14

One of the perennial challenges facing authors of firearms reference books is balancing the very technical nit-pickery with the broad historical view of a gun and its context in world events. The emphasis is usually […]

Terry’s Breechloading Carbine: Used by Hussars and Confederates

December 5, 2019 Ian McCollum 12

This capping breechloader was patented in the UK by William Terry in 1856, and adopted (in limited numbers) by the British military in 1860. Approved for cavalry use, it was issued to the 18th Hussars, […]

1884 Tacticool: Silver & Fletcher’s “Expert” Auto-Ejector

December 1, 2019 Ian McCollum 29

In 1884, High Silver and Walther Fletcher patented a system to rapidly unload a gate-style revolver. They negotiated an agreement to have their system integrated into Webley revolvers (specifically the New Model RIC) as an […]

The Best SMLE: The No1 MkV Trials Rifle

November 18, 2019 Ian McCollum 11

After World War One, the British looked at how to apply the lessons of the war to development of a new infantry rifle. Even before the war, a decision had been made to move to […]

Beautiful Webley WS Target in 22 Rimfire

November 15, 2019 Ian McCollum 7

Webley introduced the WS model revolver in 1902, combining the square grip of the earlier WG model with the mechanical system of the Mark IV government revolver. The new WS pattern was available in both […]

AR-18 and AR-180: Can Lightning Strike Twice for Armalite?

November 13, 2019 Ian McCollum 45

The AR-18 has its genesis in the AR-10. I n an effort to develop a less expensive version of that rifle, Armalite created the AR-12, an experimental rifle which used a stamped or bent sheet […]

Turkish Vickers: A Gun With All the Widgets!

October 1, 2019 Ian McCollum 15

This is Lot 1127 in the upcoming October 2019 Morphys Extraordinary auction. During World War One, the Ottoman Empire would join the war on the side of the Central Powers, in part because of a […]

Quick Look at a 37mm Maxim “Pompom” Automatic Cannon

September 21, 2019 Ian McCollum 25

This Vickers, Sons & Maxim 37mm MkIII “Pompom” is on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. The MkIII pattern is quite scarce, with less than one hundred ever made. It is built around […]