United States - Forgotten Weapons

Jennings Muzzleloader Conversion: The Perils of Early Adoption

August 16, 2017 Ian McCollum 24

Early adoption of new technology is a sword which cuts both ways – you might be getting the first of a fantastic new system, or you might be paying for a flop – and in […]

Experimental Reising 7.62mm Full-Auto Battle Rifle

August 15, 2017 Ian McCollum 68

In the late 1950s or early 1960s, Eugene Reising experimented with adapting the mechanism of his submachine guns to a locked-breech 7.62mm NATO military pattern rifle. The resulting rifle used an M14 gas piston and […]

Book Review: Ott-Helmuth von Lossnitzer, Technical Director of the Mauser Company 1933-1945

July 16, 2017 Ian McCollum 14

Ott-Helmuth (Otto, after he emigrated to the US) von Lossnitzer was a remarkable firearms engineer. He served through World War One as a machine gunner, gaining extensive experience with a variety of different machine guns […]

Prototype Winchester WW1 .50 Cal Antitank Rifle

July 5, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

With the advent of the tank in World War One, antitank rifles became a priority for many countries, to provide infantry with some weapon to counter the new armored threat. The best known example of […]

French Winchester 94: A Backup Arm for Fliers and Drivers

July 4, 2017 Ian McCollum 38

The French military during World War One used a number of American-made small arms, including both the Winchester Self-Loader and the Winchester Model 1894. A total of 15,100 Model 94s were purchased by France in […]

Lewis Short Recoil .45ACP Prototype Pistol

June 28, 2017 Ian McCollum 15

Isaac Newton Lewis is best known for the Lewis light machine gun, but that was not his only foray into firearms design. He also patented two different types of handguns – one gas operated and […]

The Ching Sling – A Simpler Shooting Sling Compromise

June 22, 2017 Ian McCollum 7

The Ching Sling is an answer to the question, “how can one have a sling that is both a useful shooting aid and also quick to get in and out of?” The formal shooting sling […]

InterArms G33/50: Not a Real Carbine

June 21, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

Among the many Swedish Mauser carbines imported into the United States is an interesting batch of guns marked “InterArms G33/50“. What are these actually? They are rifles imported by InterArms, of course, and they began […]

Winchester Lever Action Development: Model 1895

June 19, 2017 Ian McCollum 32

Carbine Rifle We have reached the final iteration of the Winchester lever action rifle development story today, the Model 1895. This was another John Browning design, although the locking system is basically the same as […]

The Steyr Scout: Jeff Cooper’s Modern Day Frontier Rifle

June 18, 2017 Ian McCollum 60

Jeff Cooper was an icon of the American firearms community, best known for his work with the Southwest Pistol League and father of modern practical handgun competition. Cooper was a Marine Corps veteran and avid […]