United States - Forgotten Weapons

Powell’s Cartridge Counter Luger: The First Military 9mm

November 10, 2019 Ian McCollum 3

The US first tested the Luger in 1901, and it seemed potentially good enough that the government spent $15,000 to buy 1,000 of the pistols (in 7.65mm Luger; the only cartridge available at the time) […]

Chambers Flintlock Machine Gun from the 1700s

November 8, 2019 Ian McCollum 27

Joseph Chambers invented a repeating flintlock weapon in the 1790s, and I think it is appropriate to consider it a “machine gun”. The design used a series of superposed charges in one or more barrels, […]

Shanghai Municipal Police Colt 1908 in Competition

November 3, 2019 Ian McCollum 12

Today I am shooting a Colt 1908 originally issued to the Shanghai Municipal Police in 1925. The gun was chosen for issue by William Fairbairn, who is best known for training OSS and SOE operatives […]

An American .30-06 MG-42, and GPMGs after WWII

October 31, 2019 Ian McCollum 60

The perk for $100 Patrons is choosing a gun they would like me to find and film, and one such Patron (Mark) expressed a curiosity about US testing and lack of adoption of an MG-42 […]

Bill Ruger’s Prototype WW2 Light Machine Gun

October 23, 2019 Ian McCollum 21

In April 1940, the US Ordnance Department circulated a request for a new light machine gun to replace the Browning M1919A4. It was to be shorter and lighter than the Browning, and was not to […]

Transferrable? Pre-May? Post-86? Dewat? John Keene Explains…

October 20, 2019 Ian McCollum 3

Today I am speaking with retired Master Sergeant John Keene, who is the NFA specialist for the Morphy Auction Company. Specifically, we are discussing the terminology and categories of legal machine guns in the United […]

Before the Lewis Gun was the McClean Automatic Rifle

October 18, 2019 Ian McCollum 24

This is Lot 1158 in the upcoming October Morphy Extraordinary auction. Samuel McClean was a medical doctor from Iowa who began tinkering with firearms designs in 1889, and formed the McClean Arms Company in 1896. […]

Biggest Revolver Yet? A 10-Gauge Colt 1855…

October 17, 2019 Ian McCollum 22

This is Lot 1268 in the upcoming October 2019 Morphy’s Extraordinary auction. This ludicrously huge handgun is actually a 10-gauge Colt 1855 Revolving Shotgun with a cut-down barrel and a newly made grip frame. The […]

At the Range with the Marlin UD-42 SMG

October 8, 2019 Ian McCollum 13

This is Lot 1106 in the upcoming October 2019 Morphys Extraordinary auction. The Marlin / United Defense US-42 submachine gun was not used by the American military, but it did see service in World War […]

The CIA’s New Liberator: the 9mm Deer Gun

October 6, 2019 Ian McCollum 57

This is Lot 1523 in the upcoming October 2019 Morphy’s Extraordinary auction. The Deer Gun is a covert CIA pistol inspired by the Liberator. In fact, the initial desire was to pull Liberators out of […]