Single Shot Rifles - Forgotten Weapons

Bavarian Lightning: The New Model Werder M1869/76

September 23, 2026 Ian McCollum 3

https://youtu.be/KVt0qeG1Wu4 Poor Bavaria got the rug pulled on its infantry rifle program a solid three times in only about 20 years. With the development of the self-contained brass cartridge, they run a new rifle trials […]

Prototype SAKO Boy’s Rifle Version of the m/39

July 20, 2026 Ian McCollum 3

My Finnish guns book “Forged in Snow” is available for preorder here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/forged-in-snow In 1944, SAKO made two prototype boy’s rifles. They were intended to be used by essentially Boy Scout type organizations for both […]

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 […]

Civil War Gwyn & Campbell Carbines (aka Cosmopolitan, Union, & Grapevine)

March 2, 2026 Ian McCollum 10

The first version of this carbine was the Cosmopolitan, designed and patented by Henry Gross in 1859 and manufactured by Edward Gwyn and Abner Campbell. It is a single-shot .52 caliber carbine that loads from […]

Ross 1912 Cadet: Straight Pull .22 Rimfire Training Rifle

January 28, 2026 Ian McCollum 8

The Ross model 1912 Cadet rifle was introduced in 1912 as a diminutive rimfire companion to the 1905 and 1910 military Ross rifles. It was a single-shot straight pull rifle, with a somewhat unusual locking […]

Pienoiskivääri m/91 Finnish .22 Mosin Trainer

November 21, 2025 Ian McCollum 1

This and all the other Finnish Mosins are detailed in my new book “Forged in Snow”: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/forged-in-snow?ref=b8ft1r In the 1920s the Finnish Defense Forces wanted a reduced-power training rifle to allow low-cost marksmanship practice and […]

M1918A2 MOR: How to Make a Non-NFA BAR

September 24, 2025 Ian McCollum 18

Check out Headstamp Publishing’s extensive catalog of excellent firearms books: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/home-forgotten Prior to 1986, Group Industries imported BAR parts kits and then manufactured and registered full-auto receivers for them. This produced transferrable guns which were […]

The Official American Boy Scout Rifle: Remington 4-S

August 15, 2025 Ian McCollum 10

The scouting concept exploded into the American culture after 1907, with a multitude of local, regional, and national organizations setting up in the years before World War One. Among these was the American Boy Scouts, […]

Baker Pattern 1800 Rifle for Napoleonic Wars Sharpshooters

August 11, 2025 Ian McCollum 10

The British military decided to organize their disparate small units of riflemen into a single standardized group in 1800. The 95th Regiment – the British Rifle Corps – was founded and it was equipped with […]

Enjoying Black Powder Episode 11: The Snider-Enfield

May 24, 2025 Ian McCollum 7

Full video with reloading segment and clip solid file available here: https://forgottenweapons.vhx.tv/videos/ep-11-snider-app Black powder military rifles of the 1860s-1880s are a really enjoyable group of guns. A lot of them are relatively reasonably priced, and […]