Commentary
Guns that should have been
There are some guns that weren’t ever built, but really should have been. Like a paratrooper’s MP44. The shorty version of the AK is extremely cool, and it only stands to reason that a shorty […]
Select-fire Rifles
Select-fire Rifles
Last Ditch Innovation (Video)
I’m very happy today to present a video we did in cooperation with Oleg Volk, which I’ve titled “Last Ditch Innovation”. It is a look at two late-WW2 German prototype rifles which are the evolutionary […]
Select-fire Rifles
German Magazine Mistake
A piece of unusual trivia today. Magazines for the German StG44 were marked with the rifle’s designation in addition to the manufacturer’s code. Well, the gun started out life as the MP43 in 1943, and […]
Select-fire Rifles
Italian Cei-Rigotti self-loader
We have blogged about the Cei-Rigotti before, but I figured I’d do a re-cap on it, considering the new information we’ve found on its caliber. I’ve also uploaded a gallery of photos of the rifle […]
Prototype
Photos of 1950s Light Rifle Prototypes
In the aftermath of World War II, there was a significant amount of effort put into deciding what rifles would be used by the post-war Allied armies. The UK and US wanted commonality, but couldn’t […]
Select-fire Rifles
Syrian Sturmgewehr Cache
Allah ackbar indeed! Why can’t I ever find a storeroom full of Sturmgewehrs? If anyone reading this has contacts in Syria,you might consider recommending that they try to exchange them on some international market for […]
Select-fire Rifles
Fallschirmjagergewehr FG-42 Video
The German FG-42 paratroop rifle was a very impressive design, managing to meet a very strict set of performance criteria. The first production model in particular was exceptionally light and compact, while still offering semi […]
Select-fire Rifles
TRW Low Maintenance Rifle
As everyone is away, the M16 suffered from maintenance and reliability problems early in its deployment to Vietnam. While working to resolve these issues, the US government wanted to find a replacement weapon that would […]
Prototype
Caveat Emptor – “StG45 Prototype”
One of the fun parts of pursuing prototype and experimental firearms is that there isn’t much written or known about many of them – it’s like a great treasure hunt. Of course, the downside is […]
Select-fire Rifles