United States - Forgotten Weapons

US Test Trials .45 Caliber Knoble Pistol at James D Julia

March 22, 2017 Ian McCollum 14

One of the domestic American pistols entered in the US 1907 pistol trials was this short recoil, toggle locked design by W.E. Knoble of Tacoma Washington. Knoble submitted two experimental pistols to the trial, one […]

Axel Peterson’s Complicated .22 Luger Conversion at James D Julia

March 21, 2017 Ian McCollum 17

Axel Peterson was a Swedish immigrant who became a very respected gunsmith in the Denver area in the late 1800s, and whose shop remained in business until World War 2. Peterson was best known for […]

British L129A1 Sharpshooter Rifle

March 16, 2017 Ian McCollum 18

Armament Research Services (ARES) is a specialist technical intelligence consultancy, offering expertise and analysis to a range of government and non-government entities in the arms and munitions field. For detailed photos of the guns in […]

Ralf Dieckmann Interview

March 14, 2017 Ian McCollum 46

Ralf Dieckmann is a German-born firearms designer who grew up as a small child in Berlin during World War II. His interest in firearms developed in the post-war years with war detritus literally lying about […]

Review: Semiauto DPM by SMG Guns

March 7, 2017 Ian McCollum 11

I have had a parts kit for a Soviet DPM light machine gun (actually a Polish one, but the design is identical) stashed away for many years now, with the hope to eventually have it […]

Book Review: Testing the War Weapons by Timothy Mullin

March 2, 2017 Ian McCollum 5

Written in 1997, Timothy Mullin’s “Testing the War Weapons” sets out to provide a practical users guide to a wide variety of military rifles and light machine guns from the late 1800s to the present […]

Who is Colt? A History of the Colt Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company (Video)

February 23, 2017 Ian McCollum 16

Today we will take a look at the history of the Colt company, from Sam Colt’s first efforts in Paterson (and before) to the West Hartford remnants that survive today. If you enjoy this type […]

Savage .25 ACP Prototype Pocket Pistols (Video)

February 19, 2017 Ian McCollum 19

Savage was very successful with their .32 ACP and .380 ACP pocket pistols, and in the 1910s was interested in also breaking into the .25 ACP market, to compete with the Colt 1908 “Baby Browning”. […]

Whitney-Beals Walking Beam Pocket Revolver

February 15, 2017 Ian McCollum 13

This revolver, designed by Fordyce Beals (how cool of a name is that?), was developed while Colt’s patent on using the hammer to index the cylinder was still in effect. To avoid that patent, this […]

Frank Wesson’s Rimfire Carbine (Video)

February 14, 2017 Ian McCollum 12

First patented in 1859 and sold as a sporting rifle before the Civil War (in calibers 32, 38, and 41 rimfire), Frank Wesson added a military model with a 24 inch barrel and chambered for […]