Light MGs
Lahti-Saloranta LS-26 LMG at the Range
I had a chance to shoot an LS26 once before, but without the benefit of a magazine loading tool – and so I could only get 4 or 5 rounds into the mag. This time, […]
Video
Light MGs
Lahti-Saloranta LS-26: Finland’s Domestic LMG
Finland’s first domestic light machine gun was the LS-26. The prime designer was Aimo Lahti, but because of his relative inexperience and lack of formal credentials, Lieutenant A.E. Saloranta was assigned to assist him. The […]
Interview
Rigor, Discipline, and Excellence: Christian Prouteau on GIGN Training and the MR-73
I am honored today to be able to bring you an interview with Christian Prouteau, the founder and original leader of GIGN. This is France’s premier elite counter-terrorism force, who have been at the forefront […]
Bolt Action Rifles
Finland’s M/39 PH Sniper from the Continuation War
The basic equipment of the Finnish Army came from what was left in Finland by departing Russian soldiers when Finland declared independence. As the Russians had no scoped rifles at that time, Finland didn’t have […]
Bolt Action Rifles
L8(T) Enfield: The British Army Fails to Make a Sniper
We looked at the 7.62mm conversion of the No4 Enfield into Rifle L8 yesterday. Part of that program was an attempt to develop a new sniper rifle on the L8 platform. To this end, six […]
Bolt Action Rifles
7.62mm Rifle L8: The Last Gasp of the Service Lee Enfield
After the British adopted the FAL as the L1A1 rifle, there was still an interest in converting stocks of existing No4 Enfield rifles to the new 7.62x51mm cartridge for reserve and training use. A conversion […]
Semiauto pistol
Laugo Alien at the Range
Today we are taking the Laugo Alien out to the range – let’s see if the hype is real!
Semiauto pistol
Laugo Alien: Real Innovation in Modern Handgun Design
The Laugo Alien is a pistol developed recently, and only introduced in 2018. Its lead designer was Ján Lučansky, who was also heavy involved in the CZ Scorpion carbine/SMG. The Alien is a significantly different […]
Interview
“Presentism”, Whiskey, Clips, & Museums: A Chat With Ashley Hlebinsky
I recently met up with Ashley Hlebinsky, former curator of the Cody Firearms Museum, and we sat down for a rambling discussion about the intersection of firearms and museums, mostly. Among other things, we will […]
Antiques
The Sure Defender: An O.G. Knuckleduster Knife Gun
One of the early combination self-defense guns was the “Sure Defender”, with a combination of brass knuckles, a small and finicky wavy-bladed dagger, and a single shot percussion pistol barrel. The rather complex process for […]