Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

H&R T223: In Vietnam Before the HK33

May 18, 2026 Ian McCollum 20

The very first iteration of the HK 33 roller-delayed rifle was included in early US rifle testing in Vietnam. H&K worked with Harrington & Richardson as their US representative, who did final assembly on a […]

North Korean Type 68-1 Export “Asian Contract” Underfolder (Semiauto Build)

May 16, 2026 Ian McCollum 2

North Korea is too poor to finance social credit points, but if they did have them, you’d get loads for wearing our Best Korea propaganda shirt: https://varusteleka.com/en-us/products/forgotten-weapons-best-korea-propaganda-t-shirt North Korea began making a version of the […]

Masterpiece Arms MPA-971: Frankengun of the Assault Weapons Ban

May 15, 2026 Ian McCollum 11

The Masterpiece Arms MPA-971 was designed in 2003, at the tail end of the US Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Among other things, the ban prohibited the manufacture or import of magazines holding more than 10 […]

Navy M1 Garand Conversions to 7.62mm NATO: Mk2 Mod0 & Mk2 Mod1

May 9, 2026 Ian McCollum 17

Available from Morphys here: Mk2 Mod0 – https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__DOCUMENTED_USN_SPRINGFIELD_M1_GARAND_MK_2_MOD_-LOT661040.aspx Mk2 Mod1 – https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__DOCUMENTED_USN_SPRINGFIELD_M1_GARAND_MK_2_MOD_-LOT661041.aspx When the US military adopted 7.62mm NATO, the Army considered converting M1 Garands to the new caliber, and decided it wasn’t worthwhile. For […]

Hungarian 48M Sniper Mosin (aka M52)

April 29, 2026 Ian McCollum 1

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__HUNGARIAN_91_30_M52_7_62X54MMR_BOLT_ACTION_SNI-LOT666019.aspx Under the Stalinist government that took control of Hungary in 1948, the Hungarian military adopted a whole suite of Soviet small arms. This included the M91/30 Mosin Nagant as the […]

Model 1867 Trapdoor: A Unique Rifle for West Point Cadets

April 24, 2026 Ian McCollum 4

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_A__SPRINGFIELD_MODEL_1867_TRAPDOOR_CADET_STYLE_RI-LOT661752.aspx When the US military academy at West Point opened in 1802, one of the things it did was train cadets in rifle drill. The cadets were as young as 14 […]

Late-War Commercial K98k – Production in 1944 But Not for the Wehrmacht

April 20, 2026 Ian McCollum 25

Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__RARE_LATE_WAR_COMMERCIAL_GUSTLOFF_WERKE_BCD_4_-LOT662278.aspx Late in 1944, a number of small companies assembled a batch of K98k rifles and commercially proofed them. These are a known group of guns to the collecting community, although […]

Simplified Warner Revolving Rifle: Caught by Colt’s Patent

April 10, 2026 Ian McCollum 4

Available from Morphy’s here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_A__RARE_WARNER_S_PATENT_OPEN_FRAME_GROOVED_CYLIND-LOT665548.aspx James Warner was a gunsmith and owner of the Springfield Arms Company. In the 1850s he produced a series of revolving rifle designs which are interesting, but poorly documented. Only […]

Battle Rifles in the Jungle: Guatemalan AR-10

April 8, 2026 Ian McCollum 11

Available at Morphy’s here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_N__ARTILLERIE_INRICHTINGEN_AR10_MACHINE_GUN__PRE_-LOT667077.aspx Guatemala was one of the handful of countries to purchase original AR-10 rifles, made at Artillerie Inrichtingen (AI) in the Netherlands. The sale was made by Sam Cummings, legendary arms […]

TRW Low Maintenance Rifle: America’s Roller Locked Flechette Rifle

March 30, 2026 Ian McCollum 63

TRW’s Low Maintenance Rifle seems to have been the result of a program to use a blank slate and a modern space age scientific mindset to develop a rifle that would be more reliable and […]