United States

America’s Do-It-All Naval Gun: The 5 Inch Mk12 on the USS New Jersey

September 18, 2026 Ian McCollum 8

The Mk12 5 inch, 38 caliber gun was one of the triumphs of American naval weaponry from World War Two. First used in 1934, it remained a standard weapon on new vessels until 1948. It […]

Intro to EOTech: How Holographic Sights Actually Work

September 16, 2026 Ian McCollum 8

Holograms are pretty close to space magic, but today I will try to explain how they work in an understandable way. They have also proven surprisingly difficult to find commercial use for, but one program […]

Saco Defense M683: A Super-Simple SMG for the US Army

September 2, 2026 Ian McCollum 12

During the 1980s, the US ran the Joint Service Small Arms Program to reduce the number of different small arms in US inventory. The most significant outcome of this program was the M9 pistol, but […]

Colt’s Vietnam Prototype AK/M16 Hybrid: the Model 703

August 17, 2026 Ian McCollum 16

“From Hartford to Vietnam” is available here for preorder: Or you can find it bundled with “Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story” on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=3b3v8y The Model 703 was an experimental project at Colt which […]

US Type 1 Fencing Bayonet Made From Whale Tooth (Baleen)

August 14, 2026 Ian McCollum 10

In 1852-53, the Watervliet Arsenal in New York produced 1,500 fencing bayonets for the West Point Academy. These were made for practicing bayonet fencing with live opponents without risk of injury. They were comprised of […]

From Hartford to Vietnam: An Illustrated History of How Colt Brought the AR-15 to War

August 6, 2026 Ian McCollum 0

“From Hartford to Vietnam” is available here for preorder: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/hartford-to-vietnam Or you can find it bundled with “Tiger Stripe: The Vietnam Camouflage Story” on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/tiger-stripe?ref=3b3v8y From Hartford to Vietnam: An Illustrated History of How […]

America’s Do-It-All Naval Gun: The 5 Inch Mk12 on the USS New Jersey

Intro to EOTech: How Holographic Sights Actually Work

Saco Defense M683: A Super-Simple SMG for the US Army

Colt’s Vietnam Prototype AK/M16 Hybrid: the Model 703

US Type 1 Fencing Bayonet Made From Whale Tooth (Baleen)

From Hartford to Vietnam: An Illustrated History of How Colt Brought the AR-15 to War

How the USS New Jersey’s 16-Inch Guns Work: Top to Bottom

Train Company Makes Guns: Union Switch & Signal M1911A1

From the .50 M2 to the Mk7 16 Inch Turrets: All the Guns of the USS New Jersey

Pauza P50: A Failed Barrett .50BMG Competitor