United States - Forgotten Weapons

Special Presentation: Semiauto Pistols of the 1800s

September 19, 2018 Ian McCollum 11

Today’s Special Presentation is an overview of all the semiautomatic pistols that were actually put into serial production before the year 1900. We have looked at these individually before, but I think it is worthwhile […]

Zip 22: Shooting the Worst Gun Ever

September 15, 2018 Ian McCollum 39

Today, may the good lord help me, I am taking the Zip 22 out to the range for some shooting. Note that while it actually worked remarkably well right up until it jammed solid, on […]

USFA Zip 22: How a Garbage Gun Destroyed A Good Company

September 14, 2018 Ian McCollum 36

USFA used to be the producers of probably the best Single Action Army reproductions on the market – but then the company owner decided to pursue a crazy whim and embarked on the Zip 22 […]

Forgotten History: The Americans Take Blanc Mont Ridge, October 1918

September 11, 2018 Ian McCollum 10

The German army captured Blanc Mont Ridge in the early months of World War One and occupied it throughout the years of fighting, fending off repeated French assaults throughout 1915 and 1916. While the ridge […]

8mm M1915 Chauchat Fixing and Range Testing

September 8, 2018 Ian McCollum 26

Well, my 8mm French Chauchat finally cleared transfer, as did my application to reactivate it. This was a “dewat”, or “Deactivated War Trophy” – a machine gun put on the NFA registry but modified to […]

S&W 1940 Light Rifles: Receiver Breakage is a Problem

September 6, 2018 Ian McCollum 29

Mark I Mark II Designed in 1939 by S&W engineer Edward Pomeroy, the S&W Light Rifle is an extremely well manufactured but rather poorly thought out carbine. It is a 9mm Parabellum open-bolt, semiautomatic, blowback […]

The Original Pasadena Auto Mag 180

September 5, 2018 Ian McCollum 19

RIA’s catalog page for this pistol The Auto Mag 180 was basically the result of two guys noticing that nobody made a semiauto .44 Magnum pistol…and that they could probably do it. The men were […]

Rock Island Arsenal M15 General Officer’s Model

September 4, 2018 Ian McCollum 19

RIA’s catalog page for this pistol The M15 General Officer’s pistol was the replacement for the Colt Model M, which had long been the military issue sidearm for General-level officers. By the late 1960s, however, […]

WW Marston Breechloading Pistol and Leather-Base Cartridge

September 3, 2018 Ian McCollum 3

RIA’s catalog page for this pistol William Walker Marston was born in 1822, and would spend his career as a gunsmith and gunmaker in New York City. He produced a wide variety of firearms, including […]

Competition with an SAA: The Colt Bisley and Bisley Target

August 30, 2018 Ian McCollum 9

Bisley in .45 Colt Bisley Target in .32 WCF Named for the famous British shooting competition range, the Colt Bisley was the target version of the 1873 Single Action Army revolver. Colt first offered a […]