Volkskarabiner Steyr in 7.92×33 (Kurzpatrone) Caliber
After the beginning of December 1944, the decision in favor of the Carl Walther model in 7.92x57 caliber as the future “People’s Rifle” was made.
In autu... Read more.
A Missed Chance – Italy’s Semi-automatic Rifle Armaguerra Modello 39
After numerous more-or-less successful attempts to create a semi-automatic military rifle, the Italian Army officially introduced a self-loading rifle on the ev... Read more.
A Tricycle to Fight Tanks: The German Panzerhetzer Project
By Michael Heidler – On their advance through the conquered territories of the German Reich, the Allies often discovered development projects that had end... Read more.
When First Impressions are Misleading: The Czech Samopal vzor 1958
By Michael Heidler – “Just another Kalashnikov”—many may think so when looking at the Czech Samopal vzor 58. But the first impression is dec... Read more.
Weapon of Service: The UZI Submachine Gun in Germany
By Michael Heidler In the troubled 1930s, a boy named Gotthard Glas fled from the German Reich to Israel. There, he later developed a submachine gun whose name ... Read more.
Fruitless Efforts: Mauser’s Post-War Submachine Guns
By Michael Heidler The newly created Bundeswehr (German Federal Army) received its initial equipment of weapons, vehicles and equipment mainly from U.S. stocks.... Read more.
History of Early Russian Anti-Tank Rifles (Part III) – Simonow’s PTRS
By Michael Heidler – In contrast to Degtyarov’s single-loader, Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov’s semi-automatic gun was more complex to design and ... Read more.
The Swedish Automatgevär m/42 Ljungman
By Michael Heidler Shortly before World War II, interest in a semi-automatic rifle to strengthen the armed forces reawakened in Sweden, but (luckily) the feared... Read more.
The Swedish Recoilless Anti-Tank Rifle: Carl Gustaf’s pvg m/42
By Michael Heidler In Sweden, development work on a light anti-tank weapon for infantry use began in 1940 at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori (state-owned ... Read more.
Tortuous Paths – Manuel Mondragón and his Semi-Automatic Rifle
By Michael Heidler – At the beginning of the 20th century, Mexico was a country without any tradition in arms manufacturing. Interestingly enough a domest... Read more.