The three-day auction will take place Friday, Feb. 16, and run through Sunday, Feb. 18 at RIAC’s new, state-of-the-art 90,000-square-foot facility in Bedford, Texas. RIAC will host a full-day preview on Thursday, Feb. 15 beginning at 9 a.m., where guests can examine classic long guns and pistols, terrific sporting arms, modern firearms and an interesting lineup of Class III items.  

The auction will feature the finest firearms across multiple genres and time periods including but not limited to:  

• Historic guns from the Civil War, including a Brown Bess flintlock musket, a three-digit early production Henry rifle and a Civil War-issued Henry 
• Great handguns with interesting origins like Colt’s Model 1860 Army, the Ace pistol, and Smith & Wesson’s Pre-Model 29 and Performance Center Model 500 
• Lever action and historic Winchester models such as the Model 1866, 1895 and the legendary 1873 
• World War II guns including unique weapons from Austria’s Steyr, a U.S. Johnson Model 1941 semi-automatic rifle and a U.S.-marked Model 97 trench shotgun 
• Class III firearms including World War II submachine guns like a U.S. Guide Lamp M3, a reproduction Mark II STEN and a Thompson submachine gun 
• Sporting arms for hunters including deer rifles, skeet guns and waterfowl shotguns 

“To kick off 2024, we wanted to ensure our first auction delivered an outstanding lineup and we were able to deliver that with over 5,000 items slated for auction come February,” said Rock Island Auction Company President Kevin Hogan. “Those who have visited us in Illinois know our hospitality is second to none and we strive to provide that same experience for the welcoming community in Texas. In a state with such a rich firearms culture, we made sure our auction will feature impressive collections of historic and rare firearms that locals and visitors alike won’t want to miss.” 

Located at 3600 E. Harwood Road, Bedford, TX, RIAC’s newest headquarters offers auction visitors a firearms showroom, auction hall, vault and thousands of historic and rare firearms of numerous genres which guests can examine and inspect in-person.  

Unlike the U.S. Air Force, which thinks a hard-to-hit with skeletonized zip gun is a survival weapon, the German Luftwaffe went all-out, offering its pilots the ultimate survival weapon: a high quality, high priced, traditional German drilling-type rifle made by the illustrious J.P. Sauer and Sohn. This masterpiece of the gunmaker’s art had two 12-gauge barrels, with the right barrel designed for birdshot and the left barrel regulated for the famed German Brenneke shotgun slugs. Underneath the 12-gauge barrels was a 9.3x74R rifle barrel. This caliber is often preferred to its rival, the .375 H&H Magnum, which at the time, had seen numerous cases of poorly constructed bullets breaking up and failing to perform satisfactory on African game. The German ammunition makers made sure that ALL their bullets met standards and never failed to perform correctly. Not just most of them, like the numerous makers of .375 H&H Magnum cartridges did.

The utility of a 12-gauge shotgun on all sizes of birds and small game needs no elaboration. It has long been a favorite meat-getter around the world. The German Brenneke Torpedo Slug is not only super accurate, but it has also killed all African big game. A man armed with this drilling was able to take any game in the world while decisively dealing with any animal that attacked him. This is in sharp contrast to the U.S. Air Force survival guns which are chambered for the smallest and weakest small game cartridges and are virtually useless against many attacking big animals. It’s worth noting that after the war, I had a friend in Norway whose father was a commercial pilot flying the polar route. The airline had the same sort of drilling in the cockpit of every plane in case they went down. Being able to shoot seals and birds to feed the downed passengers and defend them against hungry polar bears was something that required this exact sort of gun. Once again, the value of human life was placed above the high cost of a top-quality weapon. They accepted the price for the ultimate subsistence and survival gun; a gun that was easy to make hits with and that they could be sure would provide sustenance and safety.

DEVELOPMENT

The survival drilling was the brainchild of Hermann Göring, the head of the Luftwaffe, Nazi-Germany’s air force. In addition to being a WWI fighter ace, Hermann had also taken over Baron Manfred von Richthofen’s command after the great ace was killed in combat. Göring was an avid hunter and quite an expert on sporting firearms. A former fighter ace himself; he wanted the absolute best for his fellow pilots in the Luftwaffe. He was keenly aware that the German drilling was the most versatile gun available, as it offered the ability to kill anything from birds to deer to elephants without changing the load in the gun. The word “drilling” comes from the German word “drei” which means “three”, hence it means a three-barreled gun.

For the contractor, he chose J.P. Sauer and Sohn, one of the finest drilling-makers of all time. They did not disappoint him. The Sauer Luftwaffe drillings were made to the highest German standards. They were lively and accurate pointing as shotguns and steady when sighting as a rifle. If you couldn’t make hits with the M30 drilling, then you couldn’t make hits with anything.

SPECIFICATIONS AND OPERATION

The finished gun delivered to the Luftwaffe was 7.5 pounds and 42 inches in overall length with a 25.6-inch barrel. It was a blitz action, having the mechanism mounted on the trigger plate. There is a forever-unresolved dispute over whether the trigger plate action was first developed by the Scottish “best quality” gunmaker John Dickson and Son of Edinburgh, or it was developed in Germany. John Dickson and Son employed a lot of German workmen making his guns at the time, and there’s no way to know if they took the design to Germany or if they brought it from Germany. John Dickson and Son also made 3-barreled shotguns in all barrel positions, as the trigger plate action allows this. Again, we don’t know whether they or the Germans were the first to make a three-barreled blitz-action gun. One thing we do know is that John Dickson and Son patented the trigger plate action.

To give you an idea of the high standards required of a three-barreled gun I knew a man who had to choose between building both a best quality double shotgun and a best quality double rifle, or one drilling (all with hand tools) as a capstone project before he could be accepted into the Belgium Gunmaker’s Guild. He chose to make the two doubles. Drillings are hard to make.

The Sauer drilling has a Greener-style crossbolt, as well as the traditional double locking lugs under the barrels. A Greener-style safety on the side is used as the normal safety position for a double barrel gun is taken up by the barrel selector on the drilling. To fire the rifle barrel underneath the two shotgun barrels, you push the selector forward which causes the V-notch 100-meter rear sight to pop up and the front trigger to engage the rifle barrel. Pulling the selector back causes the rear sight to fold down and activates the two side by side shotgun barrels. The front trigger fires the right barrel with birdshot while the rear trigger fires the left barrel with the Brenneke slug.

The barrels have side clips and there are gold-plated cocking indicators on the top of the receiver. The receiver is case hardened, and the blued barrels are made of the best Krupp steel.

There are three ordnance marks on the M30 drilling. The stock and the barrels both have the Luftwaffe Eagle, and the Luftwaffe ordnance stamp of Eagle 2 is on the front locking lug.

CASE

A gun without ammo and accessories is useless, so the M30 Luftwaffe Survival drilling came in a green-painted aluminum case. It weighed 32 pounds, fully loaded, and it was intended that the pilot would remove it from the plane after a crash landing. The case contained the drilling with the barrel and forearm separated from the action and stock in the European manner of trunk cases. It also contained a cleaning kit, sling (supremely important for an exhausted and possibly injured pilot in a survival situation), a 20-round box of 9.3x74R soft point hunting ammo, a 25-round box of 12-gauge Brenneke Torpedo slugs, and a 25-round box of 12-gauge birdshot shells. You can live off the land for quite a while with this kit.

USE

The M30 was standard issue for Messerschmidt BF109 fighter planes and Stuka dive bombers during the North African campaign where it was well appreciated by pilots flying over the Dark Continent. It also was used for trap shooting, as this training was mandatory for fighter pilots. Hermann Goring also presented some of them to Luftwaffe heroes. The Knights Order of the Iron Cross may have been a great honor for a Nazi pilot, but this was a practical gift that promised many days of peacetime pleasure. Since the drilling is a traditional German sporting gun, these could expect to see a lot of use.

CONCLUSION

Issuing such a high-quality weapon is the ultimate expression of the high value that a military places on its members. This was a situation where only the very best would do. Having been a licensed Alaskan trapper and a subsistence hunter, I consider this the ultimate subsistence hunting gun. I would love to have a drilling like this stocked to my measurements. The last thing I would want is one of the American Air Force skeletonized “survival” guns. I have never seen a real subsistence hunter using such garbage. They sought after the best gun they could get for their pilots, and the Germans got it right with the M30.

When we finished the Vickers Machine Gun book last year (I was co-author with Dolf, Robert, and Richard Fisher from the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association in the UK), as part of the book’s promotion, I was asked to do some 3-day courses on the Vickers Machine Gun, geared towards collectors of all levels. The goal was to get them all to the same learning plane, teach gauging, construction, laying the guns, firing, etc. I ran the course six times, with full attendance in every class. There are still a couple of guys who were in line but couldn’t make it… so now, I’ve talked with them and scheduled it over a weekend.

We’ll start on Saturday morning in the classroom, and the live fire is just function checking the guns at the range, loading and a few bursts each. We’ll schedule the weekend around the weather. Even though these are water-cooled guns, the gunners aren’t so, we’ll choose the best morning for the range.

I have literally hundreds of rare accessories, mounts, parts, pieces, and all the lore, as well as gauges. If you have a registered Vickers and want to bring it so it gets the once-over in the classroom, that’s all good, too. 

This class is for novices, MG-curious people, up to expert collectors – I’ll strive to give everyone a great time, and a learning experience about the history and technology of these historic firearms.

Here’s the rough syllabus. There’s a lot more to it, but this is the basics:

Saturday

• History
• Technology
• Construction
• Gauging

Sunday

• Tripods
• Water Technology
• Sighting Systems
• Accessories

Monday

• Range Time
• Set up and fire
• Cleaning and Care

Join us for the class on the weekend of November 18-19-20 2023 at Phoenix Defence in Henderson, NV. The class tuition is $895. Please contact us at 702-208-9735 or info@phoenixdefence.com to register.

by Pierangelo Tendas

From 1969 to 1988, Italy bore the brunt of the wave of political terrorism that hit Europe as a whole: bombings, shootings, kidnappings, robberies, and attacks against law enforcement, politicians, and magistrates by both extreme left-wing and extreme right-wing militant armed groups ended up killing over 400 people and wounding well over 1000. On top of this, the 1970s saw the rise of international terrorism, particularly by radical Middle Eastern groups; from 1973 to 1989, attacks by Palestinian terrorists against Italy and Italian assets all through the world killed 66 people and wounded more than 130.

Just like their counterparts more or less all over the world, the Italian firearms industry went on to study numerous solutions that could integrate the lessons learned from both the experience of law enforcement operators and that of the militaries in the recent conflicts around the globe – last but not least, the American experience in Vietnam – into practical solutions to tackle this kind of threat. Some would be more commercially successful than others, although, as in many other cases, more often than not, the most interesting products would be the brainchild of this or that underdog.

Headquartered in the city of Turin, the Società Italiana Tecnologie Speciali S.p.A. company (“Italian Company for Special Technologies, Ltd.”), best known by the acronym SITES, was established and led by two engineers – Roberto Teppa and Claudio Gritti, with a third engineer, Franco Manassero, acting as the CEO – spent some time evaluating the pros and cons of existing firearms in an attempt to create what would be the best all-round sub-machine gun for all law enforcement uses… from patrol (most law enforcement back in the day, and still today, relying on SMGs as their patrol long guns in lieu of the shotguns and semi-automatic carbines more popular in the U.S.) to close protection, from special operations to counter-insurgency.

The first iteration of their project, called the Spectre Model 2, was first showcased in 1983 and began production in 1985. By 1988, a few modifications concerning the manufacturing specs of certain components were implemented; the changes are detailed in our article by J.M. Ramos published on SAR V4N8 (May 2001), Volume 4. The result, dubbed the Model 4 – or SITES Spectre M4 for short – was manufactured by SITES from 1988 to 1998, with some variants still being assembled as late as in 2001.

Italian Innovation

In the highly competitive field of small arms manufacturing of the 1980s, the SITES Spectre was a blend of tradition and innovation. Built around a stamped steel receiver, with a trigger group assembly manufactured out of the same materials and very little synthetic components outside of the pistol grip and its foregrip, the Spectre wasn’t a featherweight by a long shot, weighing in at 2.9 kilograms (about 6.4 pounds) when empty.

What made it absolutely unique was its technical layout. Teppa and Gritti wanted the SITES Spectre to be ready to deploy and operate at a moment’s notice, without sacrificing performance, reliability, or safety. As strange as it seems, they did so by doing without a manual safety. The SITES Spectre was the world’s first sub-machine gun – and as of today, it remains the only mass-produced SMG – to employ a SA/DA trigger with no external safety, replaced by a decocker.

A half-moon selector, located right above the trigger guard on both sides and activated by the shooter’s index finger, only provided two positions – “S” for semi-automatic, and “F” for full-automatic. An ambidextrous lever located at thumb reach over the pistol grip could be activated to decock the gun, requiring a deliberate, long trigger pull to fire off the first shot, with all subsequent shots being fired in single-action. This made accidental or negligent discharges of the SITES Spectre basically impossible while still keeping the gun always ready for action.

The SITES Spectre was a hammer-fired, delayed-blowback, closed bolt design, with a peculiar two-part bolt and a dual recoil spring. When a round is chambered, the front portion of the bolt, which also houses the firing pin and the extractor, moves forward while the rear portion remains locked back, engaged to the sear, and acts as a hammer, to be released on the striker when the trigger is pulled. Both components travel rearwards together after the SMG is fired, but once the empty case is extracted and ejected, only the front portion slams back forward, loading a fresh round in chamber while the rear portion engages the sear and stays locked back until the trigger is pulled again. The timing of the interaction between these two separate masses creates the opening delay that makes the SITES Spectre safe for use in all calibers it was built for – but we’ll talk about those later.

Additionally, the two-part bolt was advertised as a “forced convection” device, a safety feature against overheating: the alternate movement of the two components would pump air around the chamber and the barrel, reducing the temperature of the system during sustained fire and thus the danger of a cook-off. That may seem redundant – a closed-bolt firearm is definitely more prone to cook-off than an open-bolt firearm, but a sub-machine gun is hardly the kind of weapon that will likely experience a cook-off – but, if anything, the bolt design also had the advantage of reducing moving masses at any given time, thus making the SITES Spectre extremely stable and controllable, with very low felt recoil and muzzle climb, and reliable even with high or very high-pressure ammunition (it was rated for 9mm Luger up to +P+ by the Italian military and government entities that procured it.)

Readily Ambidextrous, Suppressor-ready

Aside from the previously mentioned ambidextrous selector and decocker, the only other controls on the SITES Spectre are the non-reciprocating charging handle and the magazine release catch.

The former is located on top of the receiver and consists of a flat polymer lever with two serrated studs on both sides. An improvement from the first-iteration Model 2 (which featured an UZI-style cocking knob), the charging handle of the SITES Spectre M4 can be operated by the shooter’s index finger and thumb, with either hand, and doesn’t interfere with the sighting plan, nor with the position of the buttstock.

The magazine release is a flat button located within the trigger guard, just behind the magazine well, and by pushing it with their trigger finger, the shooter releases the hook that retains the magazine in place. Both controls can be operated by left-handed or right-handed shooters, making the SITES Spectre one of the very first fully ambidextrous firearms of modern times.

The SITES Spectre M4 fed through proprietary quad-stack, single-feed magazines manufactured out of sheet metal, inspired (at least in concept, if not officially) by the Finnish Suomi KP/31 “coffin” mags, and offered in two capacities – 30 and 50 rounds. The 30-round magazine was as tall as a pack of cigarettes, while the 50-round mag was as long as a standard 30- or 32-round mag used by any other SMG of the time. Reduced masses made the SITES Spectre more easily concealable – a plus for law enforcement operators working close protection details – while still packing enough ammunition to engage in sudden, high-intensity firefights and get the upper hand.

The SITES Spectre was fitted from factory with a 13 cm (5.11-inch) barrel, with a rather unusual sinusoidal rifling; similar in concept to the Sabatti MRR Multi-Radial Rifling pattern of modern manufacture, the SITES Spectre’s sinusoidal rifling consisted essentially of polygon rifling with softer edges between lands and grooves, which the bullet was thus allowed to fill better, acting as a gas seal as it traveled through the barrel, allowing very little (if any) gas to escape around the lands and maximizing propulsion efficiency.

Upon request, the SITES Spectre M4 could be obtained with a slightly longer, threaded barrel that would take a purpose-built silencer, manufactured entirely out of steel and dubbed the EM-F2. The sinusoidal rifling and the “gas seal effect” it achieved made the EM-F2 suppressor particularly effective, even with supersonic loads.

The SITES Spectre came from factory with an up-folding sheet metal stock, held in the closed position by a metal clamp that engaged the top ventilation holes of the barrel shroud and was thus very easy to deploy and not nearly as uncomfortable as other sheet metal stocks of sub-machine guns from the same era. The stock was cut on top – a reminiscence of the Model 2 pre-production model, where the stock had to have clearance for the UZI-style cocking knob – and even when closed, provides unobstructed view of the sights, specifically a fixed polymer rear sight and an elevation-adjustable front post, zeroed from factory for a 50-meter range (about 164 feet).

The SITES Spectre M4 strips very easily: with the chamber clear, hammer down, and magazine removed, the user only needs to open the stock and pull out the passing pin that integrates the rear sling swivel – which can be installed to the rear or left side, by the way – in order to remove the receiver end cap with the recoil springs and guide rods and slide the two-part bolt out. At this point, the entire trigger group assembly is removed from the bottom of the receiver. Additional stripping includes the removal of the barrel, which requires the use of a hex key to loosen the barrel retaining block nut.

Multicaliber… But Not Exactly

The SITES Spectre M4 was initially advertised as being available in three calibers: 9mm Luger, 45 ACP, and later, 40 Smith & Wesson. In reality, virtually all the select-fire Spectres still in existence are in 9mm Luger, and their recorded cyclic rate in full-automatic fire ranges between 850 and 900 rounds per minute, with the utmost level of reliability; the issues with the selector experienced by a well-known Guntuber with a full-automatic SITES Spectre in early August this year are to be attributed to the wear and tear and lack of maintenance of the individual firearm being tested rather than to inherent engineering or manufacturing issues.

The ergonomics of the SITES Spectre M4 were very reminiscent of those of the Beretta PM-12S, Italy’s main service sub-machine gun of the day. The Spectre might have been considered significantly superior due to the closed bolt operation and ambidextrous capabilities, but its lack of widespread acceptance and adoption among Italian government, military and law enforcement customers came down to the Italian authorities’ long-rooted reluctance in subjecting their personnel to extensive retraining. This, and in the fact that SITES was, after all, a small company, incapable of meeting the production volumes that a major government contract would entail.

This said, certain special units within the Italian military and law enforcement communities did procure significant quantities of the SITES Spectre M4, which was deployed as late as during the Italian participation to ISAF and the circa 2015 Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Confirmed international customers include Switzerland, France, and in the early 1990s, the South African Defence Forces and the governments of the freshly independent Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

SITES also manufactured three semi-automatic variants of the Spectre M4 for international commercial sales to civilian shooters and private security personnel, dubbed respectively the “Falcon,” the “Spectre HC,” and the “Ranger.”

The SITES Falcon was the civilian version of the Spectre M4 as sold in Italy; chambered in 9×21 IMI but also available in 40 Smith & Wesson and 45 HP (45 ACP would remain banned for civilians in Italy until the year 2000 and 9mm Luger wouldn’t be made legal until the year 2022), the Falcon was an outright Spectre M4, with the lack of select-fire capabilities but retaining the original foregrip and upfolding sheet metal stock.

The Spectre HC was the version for the U.S. civilian market, available in 9mm Luger, 40 Smith & Wesson, and 45 ACP, and imported first by FIE Inc. of Hialeah, FL then by American Arms, Inc. of Garden Grove, CA.

In order to comply with the 1934 National Firearms Act and the 1968 Gun Control Act, the Spectre HC came equipped with a manual safety located where the fire selector on the Spectre M4 would be, and of course didn’t feature either the upfolding stock and the foregrip of the original, which largely reduced its ergonomics. The Spectre HC was banned by name by the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and by similar state laws passed around the same time, in effect killing the presence of the SITES Spectre on the U.S. market.

Last, the SITES Ranger was a pistol-caliber carbine version for the Italian civilian market; manufactured in a handful of samples in 9×18mm Police, then solely in 9×21 IMI, the SITES Ranger was essentially the same as the Falcon, only with a slightly longer, unthreaded barrel. In order to comply with the Italian laws of the time, the stock of the SITES Ranger was locked in the open position and the 30-round magazine was pinned to a maximum capacity of 10 rounds (the same as the SITES Falcon, pistol, its magazine was similarly pinned to 15 rounds); but by “pinned” we mean literally, as the company used simple non-rebated passing pins that Italian shooters could, and often did, remove with a simple pin punch, returning the magazines to the original capacity and the stock to full function.

A 16-inch barrel PCC version of the Spectre was advertised briefly on the U.S. market, but, to our knowledge, not many were actually imported. FIE imported approximately 1,500 Spectre HC pistols, all in 9mm Luger, while American Arms imported a gross total of 4,000 samples, over 3,500 of which were in 9mm, only 300 in 40 Smith & Wesson, and less than 100 in 45 ACP.

When SITES closed permanently in 1998, the existing stock of parts for the Spectre M4 and its civilian counterparts was picked up by Claudio Gritti, who moved to Lugano, Switzerland, and established his own company – Greco Sport S.A. – which continued to assemble and sell them until 2001. The legacy of the Spectre M4 lives own, however, with BCM Europearms of Italy still working on the PM4 Storm pistol, which we wrote about on SmallArmsReview.com back in June.

From the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, an Italian company experimented on a large-size tactical pistol for home and property defense and for private security that never entered mass production: let’s take a look at it and see if there’s a future ahead for the design!

Albeit not successful as its creators (Roberto Teppa and Claudio Gritti from the Turin-based SITES S.p.A. company) would have wanted it to be, the SITES M4 Spectre sub-machine gun was by all accounts one of the most technically innovative and interesting firearms of the 1980s.

The Spectre design also saw civilian sales on both sides of the Atlantic: a stockless, single-grip variant dubbed the “Spectre HC” would be marketed on the U.S. civilian market, while European shooters had the choice of the “Falcon” pistol (essentially a semi-automatic M4 Spectre with a removable vertical foregrip and upfolding stock) and the “Ranger” carbine, same as above but with a longer barrel.

SITES shut down in 1997, but Gritti – now operating a company called Greco Sport S.A. in Switzerland – would continue to assemble and sell Spectre sub-machine guns, pistols and carbines until 2001.

For years, however, its creators would attempt to revise and improve the concept into an aesthetically new, more compact and ergonomically-friendly package that would be marketed chiefly as a semi-automatic pistol in two barrel lengths (5.3-inch (13.5cm) and or 8.6-inch (22 cm)), with a fast clip-on butt-stock available as an optional as Europe lacks the short barrel rifle restrictions of the U.S., that could become a desirable alternative for individuals looking for a high-capacity, highly controllable home and property defense pistol, as well as for local law enforcement and private security personnel, particularly those working cash-in-transit duties.

The first prototype of what was meant to be the Spectre’s heir apparent would be showcased at the 2000 EXA gun expo in Brescia, Italy by Claudio Gritti’s new company, THOR Projects, headquartered in the Swiss city of Mendrisio. In 2003, once again at the EXA expo, the design was on display again, this time known as the PPM-1 “Storm”, and announcements were made that it would be manufactured in Italy by a company called Modulo Masterpiece S.a.s. – back then a newcomer whose product line included both a vast line of bolt-action long-range precision shooting rifles and a series of high-grade competition-oriented 1911 pistols, a throwback to the post-SITES days of Gritti, who had worked on 1911 handguns with the Bologna-based TECNEMA company from 1990 to 1996.

Differences between the Modulo Masterpiece and THOR Projects teams sadly led to the project being dropped not much later, with not a single PPM-1 being produced commercially. The Italian company, however, retained the rights for the design and, in 2008, it underwent a corporate restructuring, becoming known as BCM Europearms. The development of the Storm pistol – now called the PM4 Storm – continued all through the early 2010s, with the final version being revealed in 2015.

Technically speaking, the BCM Europearms PM4 Storm is a semi-automatic, locked breech pistol designed to be manufactured in three calibers – 9mm Luger, 40 Smith & Wesson, and 9×21 IMI – but ultimately produced in an extremely limited number (approximately fifteen) only in the latter.

As the heir apparent of the SITES Spectre sub-machine gun, the PM4 Storm was conceived to be ready for use at a moment’s notice, while still remaining perfectly safe to carry or transport given the relatively compact size – a true plus for bodyguards and other private security professionals working close protection details – and boasting an aggressive look and feel that would alone act as a deterrent against the less well-prepared and determined attackers. Gun grabbers in the United States would call this an “assault pistol”, but well, the makers of the Storm don’t shy away from it.

As many of you may remember, the SITES Spectre featured a SA/DA striker-fired (or better, linear-hammer fired) trigger group, quite unusual for a sub-machine gun: an ambidextrous decocking lever located over the grip, at thumb reach, replaced the standard manual safety and allowed the user to drop the striker safely on a loaded chamber with the selector set on semi-automatic or full-automatic fire.

The Spectre could thus be carried ready to fire, much like a revolver or a double-action pistol. All the operator would need to do, if the need arose, was to bring the gun to bear and pull the trigger; the first shot would be fired in double-action, the following rounds would be fired in single-action. The SA/DA trigger design also allowed shooters to restrike a chambered round in the event of a malfunction.

The PM4 “Storm” improves and elaborates on the original SA/DA trigger group of the Spectre, albeit ever so slightly, by replacing the old linear hammer with a standard hammer for easier manufacturing and offering a better trigger pull in double action.

At the heart of the PM4 Storm is a massive cylindrical bolt, with a large hook-type extractor. The bolt is hollow and houses a free-floating striker and the return spring; the entire bolt assembly runs within a (likewise cylindrical) steel receiver to which the trigger group is hinged at the bottom, housed in its own metal chassis with two side bars for easy inspection and maintenance.

The charging handle of the PM4 Storm is screwed on to its seat within the bolt, is reciprocating, and runs into a slot cut on the left side of the receiver. It is also the only non-ambidextrous control of the gun, which in and by itself has very little controls, most notably no manual safety: a push-button located within the trigger guard, behind the trigger itself, acts as a decocker and engages the double-action.

The flat magazine catch is located right behind the mag well: it is meant to be operated by thumb, either by left- or right-handed shooters. The magazines don’t drop free and must be pulled away, although the PM4 Storm does lock open on an empty magazine.

Ditching the heavy, cumbersome and complex 50-rounds quad-stack “coffin” magazines of the original SITES Spectre, the Storm pistol has been conceived ever since its first iteration in the year 2000 to use tried and true, double-stack Uzi magazines. 15- and 20-round magazines were planned to be made available, but the pistol will feed through any iteration of the popular 9mm Uzi mag.

The mentioned steel receiver of the PM4 Storm is contained within a black high-strength polymer chassis; unscrewing the charging handle from its seat in the bolt and removing the rear endcap of the polymer chassis is required to field-strip the gun.

The chassis is composed of two parts: a lower, which includes the grip assembly and the magazine well; and the upper, featuring a full-length top MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail for optics or emergency flip-up iron sights.

Originally the PM4 Storm had to feature a shorter top rail and a set of integral sights, consisting of a fixed front post and an adjustable rear sight assembly; the idea was ditched in the final iteration in favor of a full-length top rail, as were many features of the previous prototypes such as a detachable pistol grip and a different, overall more smooth and sci-fi-ish design of the polymer chassis.

A second, removable screw-on piece of Picatinny rail is located in front of the magazine well, providing an interface point for tactical accessories or for a foregrip – once again, there’s no such thing as SBR or AOW regulations in Italy.

The barrel of the PM4 Storm pistol is 14.5 centimeters long (5.7 inches for those using freedom units), and ends in a thread-on, multi-port proprietary muzzle device that doubles as a flash hider and compensator. Like the SITES Spectre, the PM4 Storm opts for a sinusoidal rifling pattern, with six right-handed grooves and a very long twist rate (1 turn in approximately 1 meter, which would be 1:39.3-inch). The sinusoidal pattern is extremely effective in tightening groups, not as much as you’d need to come out on top in a shooting competition, but definitely enough to bring the hostiles down when the prize on the line is your own life.

As mentioned above, time and time again, there’s no such thing as SBR restrictions in Italy and in most of Europe. While in the US the difference between a long gun and a handgun is the intended mode of use – with long guns being “originally conceived to be fired from the shoulder” – the European Firearms Directive, ever since its first iteration in 1991, designates a long gun as a firearm that is both longer than 60 cm (23.6 inches) and has a barrel longer than 30 cm (11.8 inches), with anything shorter being classified as a handgun, regardless of any buttstocks or foregrips.

The Italian law, which like many other gun laws in European countries implemented the directive, goes so far as to state that the overall length of a firearm equipped with a collapsible or folding buttstock must be measured with the stock in its fully collapsed or closed position, thus focusing on concealability rather than the possibility of firing the gun from the shoulder.

It is, thus, no wonder that the Storm pistol was always planned to be equipped with a buttstock. As previously mentioned, the original prototype from THOR Projects in Switzerland came with a clip-on fixed stock, and as the various iterations of the design came to be, the companies involved in the development experimented with fixed, folding, removable, and collapsing wire metal stocks.

In the current iteration, the PM4 Storm’s factory chassis end cap can optionally be replaced with another that is threaded at the end for a MIL-SPEC or commercial buffer tube, allowing the use of M4-type collapsible buttstocks. The mount is hinged to fold to one side, making the PM4 Storm compact enough for concealed carry under a jacket even when the stock is installed.

Now, the PM4 Storm is by no means a diminutive firearm, standing in at 39.5 centimeters (15.5 inches) in overall length without a stock, or with the stock folded, while topping the scale at 2.5 kilograms approximately (5.51 pounds) when empty. But considering it is meant for rapid fire in close quarters, the extra mass helps keeping recoil and muzzle climb under control.

THOR Projects and Modulo Masterpiece briefly experimented with a carbine version, to be called the CM4, that would tentatively be 77cm (30.31 inches) long overall and feature a long barrel and a fixed buttstock.

The carbine project has however since being shelved; the reason for its demise are unknown, but once again, with SBR restrictions not really being a thing in Italy and most of Europe, the manufacturing company wouldn’t have to worry about overall length. The reader must also remember that the Storm pistol was conceived initially in the early 2000s, over a decade before the PCC craze ever saw the light of the day.

And to be more accurate, “shelved” is a description that applies to the entirety of the PM4 Storm pistol project. After a limited run of merely fifteen commercial samples, BCM Europearms put the production of the Storm pistol on an indefinite hiatus to focus on their core business of top-tier bolt-action competition rifles for the European commercial markets and high-precision sniping platforms for the Italian military and other professional customers worldwide.

“Indefinite hiatus”, however, doesn’t mean – in the words of the owner and CEO of BCM Europearms, Gianmattia Molina – that the PM4 Storm is dead. It’s on the back burner, for sure, but still in his mind; and the company still has the technology and owns the rights to the design.

A return – or to be more precise, a true full-scale commercial launch – of the PM4 Storm pistol sometime in the future can thus not be ruled out.

The design would require some tinkering, to adapt it to the sensibility of the modern markets: Molina explicitly mentioned lengthening the overall action and chassis to accommodate Glock magazines, abandoning the .40 Smith & Wesson option which has long fallen out of favor with civilian shooters and professional operators worldwide, and replacing the original end cap and M4 buffer adapter with a vertical Picatinny rail that would allow more versatility and flexibility in the installation of sling rings, SIG Sauer MCX/MPX type stocks, arm braces, and the like.

But in today’s civilian firearms market, even in Europe, a firearm like the PM4 Storm does have its space, and for someone like the writer – who has been following the development of the design ever since the 2003 edition of EXA – it would really be a pleasure to see it finally come to fruition.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Red, white, and polished blue steel. The 4th of July is a celebration of freedom, and America’s freedom was forged through courage and gunpowder. We’re looking back at the top 25 American guns of all time, and the competition is fierce. Most of the featured firearms are offered in Rock Island Auction Company’s upcoming August Premier Auction, along with a few examples from past events.

Iconic American arms from every era will be featured in Rock Island Auction Company’s August Premier.

The Kentucky Rifle

One of the first truly iconic arms of America was pioneered by German and Swiss gunsmiths who immigrated to the Colonies in the 18th century. Popularly known as the Kentucky Rifle or Pennsylvania Rifle, the American Long Rifle allowed accurate shooting up to 200 yards or more, a decisive advantage to backwoodsmen while hunting in the western wilderness or sniping Red Coats during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.

A John Armstrong Maryland Golden Age flintlock American Long Rifle, an extraordinary example of one of America’s best guns of all time. Available this August.

Colt Model 1851 Navy

A personal favorite of Samuel Colt, the Model 1851 Navy was one of the most prevalent sidearms on both sides of the American Civil War, even serving as the basis for numerous Confederate produced brass-frame revolver styles like the Griswold & Gunnison Revolver and the Leech & Rigdon revolvers. The sturdy sixgun’s impressive production numbers, widespread use on the American frontier, and status as the favored revolver for Western legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and countless early gunslingers elevate the 1851 Navy to one of best American guns of all time.

An exemplary cased, early factory engraved Colt Model 1851 Navy revolver with extremely scarce gold plated grip straps. The Navy set the standard for countless black powder revolvers, earning a clear spot on any list of iconic arms of America. Available this August.

The Sharps Rifle and Carbine

The various models of Sharps rifles and carbines earned a reputation as iconic arms of America in the Civil War, the Old West, and in popular culture thanks to films like ‘Quigley Down Under’ and ‘True Grit.’  Produced from the Antebellum Era through the late-19th century and noted for their exceptional accuracy and reliability, the Sharps filled a key role during the Civil War when the Union purchased approximately 80,000 Sharps carbines and almost 10,000 rifles. Specially ordered Sharps rifles were famously fielded by the 1st and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooter Regiments (the Berdan’s Sharpshooters) to great effect.

A historic Sharps Model Model 1853 “John Brown Sharps/Beecher’s Bible” slant breech percussion carbine documented as shipped to abolitionist General Samuel C. Pomeroy in Kansas during the Bleeding Kansas period. For its role in revolutionizing sniping tactics, the Sharps rifle platform wins a nod as one of America’s best guns of all time. Available this August.

The Springfield Model 1861 Rifle-Musket

The Springfield Model 1861 rifle-musket became one of the most prolific Northern rifles issued during the Civil War, taking the field in quantity from 1862 onward, from Shiloh to Appomattox. With over 1 million being produced during the conflict by Springfield Armory and two dozen other firearm producers, the dependable .58 caliber rifle improved precision over infantry traditional musket. This percussion powerhouse finds a worthy spot on our list of America’s best guns of all time thanks to its role in winning the Civil War, protecting workers on the Transcontinental Railroad, and serving as the material platform for a line of Springfield breechloading rifles that would culminate with the 1873 Trapdoor.

An outstanding Civil War U.S. Springfield Model 1863 Type II/1864 percussion rifle-musket, the final iteration of one of the most iconic arms of America. Available this August.

Remington Rolling Block

Developed from the Remington “Split Breech” carbine, a Civil War gun designed to fire the same cartridges as the Spencer repeater, the Remington Rolling Block family became not just one of the most iconic arms of America but a popular longarm around the world. As the most widely used single shot military breechloader of the 19th century, the Remington Rolling Block’s service record is expansive. The gun was produced in a variety of calibers, both rimfire and centerfire, and its action was sturdy enough to easily accommodate the increased pressure of new smokeless powders hitting the market in the late 1890s.

An impressive example of one of the best frontier guns of all time, this Remington No. 1 Rolling Block long-range target rifle sold for $8,050 in RIAC’s May 2021 Premier Auction.

The Colt Single Action Army

The Colt Single Action Army revolver is a no-brainer inclusion for any best guns of all time list. Possibly the most famous firearm ever made, “Judge Colt and His Jury of Six” was first adopted by the U.S. Army in July 1873 and went on to serve as the choice sidearm for countless lawmen, cowboys, homesteaders, and desperados who came to define the American frontier. For 150 years, the Colt SAA has prominently appeared in dime novels, radio shows, film, and television, and today continues to represent the enduring spirit of the American West.

An Ainsworth inspected Lot Five U.S. Cavalry Colt Single Action Army revolver with a Kopec Gold Seal letter, a stunning early example of one of the most iconic arms of America. Available this August.

The Winchester 1873

A well-armed frontiersman carried a Colt on his hip and a Winchester over his shoulder. As the successor to the Henry rifle and the 1866 Yellowboy, the Model 1873 put the name Winchester on the map and went on to conquer the open range. Dubbed “the Gun that Won the West”, the Winchester ’73 became a symbol of freedom and self-determination on the American frontier. From movie sets to modern-day cowboy action shooting competitions, these iconic arms of America have stood the test of time.

An exceptional example of one of the best guns of all time, a special order deluxe Winchester Model 1873 rifle. Available this August.

Winchester Model 94

The Winchester Model 1894 hit the scene too late to see the height of the American Wild West, but the rifle certainly kept Winchester’s frontier legacy alive. The Winchester 94’s balance and slim profile made it a favorite walking gun for hunters, ranchers, and law enforcement who appreciated the power and reliability of Winchester’s .30-30 WCF smokeless cartridge. The classic lever gun’s accuracy, simplicity, and rugged resilience earned it a place in millions of gun racks across America. In terms of tried-and-tested hunting arms, the Winchester Model 94 is hands down one of the best guns of all time.

A pre-64 Winchester Model 94 carbine with its original box, an outstanding example of one of the most iconic arms of America. Available this August.

Smith & Wesson Military and Police and Model 10

What qualities should a model have to be considered one of the best guns of all time? Production numbers? Versatility? Fame? The Smith & Wesson .38 Military & Police series checks all those boxes and more, remaining in continuous production for over a century and becoming the overwhelming favorite sidearm of countless police forces and militaries around the world. Later renamed the Model 10, this iconic revolver became the most produced wheel gun platform of the 20th century and a mainstay of nearly every police department around the country well into the 1980s. Now that’s an American success story.

As iconic arms of America go, it doesn’t get much better than a classic Smith & Wesson. This factory engraved .38 Military & Police Model of 1905 Fourth Change revolver sold for $4,025 in December of 2020.

Marlin Model 39A

The first lever action chambered in .22 LR, this classic Marlin went through a number of name changes over the last 132 years. Releasing as the Marlin Model 1891, the gun was redubbed “Bicycle Rifle” in 1897, then again renamed to Model 39 in 1922 before finally embracing its most famous iteration in 1939 in the Marlin 1939A.  As the longest continuously produced rifle in the world and the lever action Annie Oakley made famous, the Marlin Model 39A and its predecessors are undeniably iconic arms of America.

A scarce Marlin 90th anniversary Model Golden 39A rifle sold for $4,313 in December of 2021. As .22 rifles go, one of the best guns of all time.

Winchester Model 1897 Shotgun

One of the best guns of all time in terms of military shotguns, the Winchester Model 1897 shotgun was popularized as a sporting arm before finding a role during the Philippine-American War. In WW1, the Model 1897 was officially adopted as the U.S. “Model of 1917 Trench Shotgun” and modified with a bayonet lug, a heat shield, and a shorter barrel for maneuverability in the trenches of Western Europe. The shotgun and its slam fire heroics proved effective enough to earn a diplomatic protest from the Germans, who claimed that America’s use of trench guns caused “unnecessary suffering.”

The Winchester Model 1897 slide action trench shotgun earned a larger-than-life reputation in WW1 and has become one of the most iconic arms of America. Available this August.

1903 Springfield Rifle

Not all iconic arms of America were born in the Land of Stars and Stripes. Based on the German Mauser bolt action, America took the design and made it their own with the Springfield Model 1903 rifle. Initially chambered in .30-03, the rifle suffered from poor trajectory and excessive barrel wear. However, by chambering a lighter, spitzer bullet and a cooler burning propellant, a legend was born in the .30-06 cartridge, and battlefield and deer stand would soon feel the wrath of the mighty Springfield Model 1903.

One of the best guns of all time by sheer production numbers, the U.S. Springfield Model 1903 rifle is still widely fielded by shooters and hunters today. This rare example is equipped with the innovative 1918 Mark I Pedersen Device.

The Colt 1911

As the longest-serving military sidearm in American history, the legendary Colt 1911 pistol is going to find itself in any best guns of all time discussion. The brainchild of John Moses Browning, this .45-caliber magazine-fed semi-automatic pistol set a new design standard that helped the United States become back to back World War champs and continues to be carried by numerous American officers to this day. The M1911 design has been widely emulated, with few major changes made to the pistol’s internals over the decades, a testament to the gun’s exemplary performance record.

A scarce 1937 production Colt U.S. Navy contract Model 1911/1911A1 transitional semi-pistol. The 1911 pistol is easily one of the most recognizable and iconic arms of America. Available this August.

Browning Auto-5

John Browning was said to consider the Auto-5 his greatest achievement, a bold statement from the prolific gun inventor and more than enough to earn the famous “Humpback” a solid ranking among the most iconic arms of America. Browning’s 1903 recoil-operated design was a versatile workhorse for all types of fowling and target shooting. This sturdy scattergun continues to be fielded by the modern sportsman today and holds the title of second-best autoloading shotty of all time.

As the first successful semi-automatic shotgun, the Auto-5 should be considered one of the best guns of all time. The fantastic example below is a double signed, engraved and gold inlaid Belgium Browning Gold Classic Auto-5 with its original box. Available this August.

The Thompson Submachine Gun

In terms of cultural impact and a notable service record in WW2, Hollywood’s favorite gangster weapon merits consideration as one of the best guns of all time. Designed by John Thompson, the fully automatic Tommy Gun was completed too late to fill its intended role as a WW1 trench sweeper. The inventor subsequently marketed the weapon to everyone from law enforcement to ranchers, but the deadly submachinegun found an unexpected niche with organized crime. On the eve of WW2, the Thompson submachine gun was adopted by the U.S. military and employed by the British as well, with over 1.5 million of the new military-issued M1928A1 and M1A1 produced. This earned the weapon international recognition through German and Japanese propaganda posters that portrayed the U.S. and her allies as Tommy-toting gangsters.

From mafia to military to Hollywood, the Thompson became one of the most iconic arms of America. This fantastic example is a police documented Colt Thompson Model 1921 that includes a case and extra magazines. Available this August.

The M2 Machine Gun

A good portion of John Browning’s inventions have become iconic arms of American history, including the famous M2 Heavy Machine Gun. Affectionately dubbed “Ma Deuce” and “The Mother of All Machine Guns” by the troops who continue to rely on its .50 caliber firepower, this air-cooled, belt-fed behemoth has stood the test of time like few other firearms. As a U.S. military mainstay since the 1930s, the M2 has touched the battlefield in every major American conflict from WW2 onward.

One of the best guns of all time, this M2 machine gun lived up to its iconic reputation and sold for a stunning $94,000 in RIAC’s May Premier.

Ithaca 37

Hailed by many hunters as one of the best guns of all time, the Ithaca 37 shotgun is a legendary platform inspired by the ideas of John Moses Browning and John Douglas Pedersen. This pump action icon quickly found a market after its 1937 release and never looked back, becoming the longest continuously-produced shotgun in American history and earning a reputation as a versatile autoloader that was well suited for field, police, and military duty alike.

One of the most iconic arms of America in terms of longevity and adaptability, this USSF marked Ithaca Model 37 Special Forces trench-style shotgun highlights the platforms role as a military weapon. Available this August.

The M1 Garand

In the list of iconic arms of America during WW2, the M1 Garand might be number one. Fielded by millions of American GIs, General George Patton once hailed the rifle as, “the greatest battle implement ever devised.” The .30-caliber M1 Garand served as the standard U.S. infantry rifle from 1936 to 1959 and it continued to see use as late as the Vietnam War. From Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers to the Call of Duty video game series, few weapons can symbolize America’s valor in WW2 better than John Garand’s iconic rifle.

An exceptional WW2 U.S. Winchester “WIN-13” M1 Garand. For its role as WW2s most successful semi-automatic infantry rifle, the M1 Garand can be hailed one of the best guns of all time. Available this August.

The M1 Carbine

Another red-blooded American gun that complimented the M1 Garand’s high-volume fire, the M1 Carbine offered an effective firearm sized somewhere between a rifle and a pistol that was ideal for units like paratroopers, drivers, weapon crews, intelligence officers, and communications personnel who required a lighter burden. One of the best guns of all time thanks to its spectacular service history, the M1 carbine helped lead the United States to victory in Europe and the Pacific theater then went on to become widely owned and fielded after the war thanks to an abundance of WW2 surplus.

Winchester Model 70

If you’re widely known as the superlative bolt action rifle, chances are you’re going to make America’s best guns of all time list. Enter the Winchester Model 70. Widely dubbed “the rifleman’s rifle,” the Model 70 has gone through numerous changes and iterations over its nearly nine decades of production and is chambered to take everything from white-tailed deer to African dangerous game. The gun served the United States Marines as their precision rifle during the Vietnam War, famously fielded by Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, who used the mighty Model 70 during most of his 93 confirmed kills. Today, the Winchester Model 70 continues to find favor with shooters and collectors, the latter preferring the desirable “Pre-64” production model.

One of the most iconic arms of America, the Winchester Model 70 is instantly recognizable to nearly every sporting gun enthusiast. This rare documented U.S. property marked Winchester Model 70 “Van Orden Sniper” rifle includes an 8x Unertl U.S.M.C. sniper scope and case and a CMP Certificate of Authenticity. Available this August.

Smith & Wesson Model 29

Elmer Keith and Clint Eastwood helped elevate the .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 29 into one of the iconic arms of America. Elmer Keith had long been advocating for a more powerful version of the .44 Special cartridge. In 1955, Remington Arms introduced the .44 Remington Magnum cartridge, while Smith & Wesson delivered a revolver to chamber the beast. The S&W Model 29 found niche success with handgun hunters, law enforcement, and revolver lovers before launching into the stratosphere thanks to 1971’s ‘Dirty Harry.’ While this powerhouse pistol has been since surpassed by monsters like the .500 S&W Magnum, for a time Dirty Harry’s revolver truly was the most powerful handgun in the world.  

A Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 29-5 revolver from the Hank Williams Jr. Collection sold for $10,350 at RIAC in September 2021. For it’s power, aesthetic, and cultural appeal, the Model 29 family earns a nod as one of America’s best guns of all time.

Remington Model 870

With over 12 million in circulation and counting, the Remington Model 870 should be considered a candidate for any top 25 best guns of all time list. A shotgun known for its rugged reliability, the Model 870 has lent itself perfectly to every need over the last seven decades. Game wardens, duck hunters, police officers, and Vietnam Navy Seals have all shouldered the Model 870, and the gun is featured in nearly every modern film and TV show involving law enforcement, zombies, or action of any sort. One would be pressed not to find an example of this robust shotty in every town across the United States, and it continues to sell as the recently introduced Remington 870 Fieldmaster.

This example of a Remington Wingmaster 870 realized an astounding $38,188 in RIAC’s December 2021 Premier Auction, an impressive example of one of the most iconic arms of America.

The M60 Machine Gun

First issued in 1959, the M60 machine gun was an attempt to combine the firepower of the M1919 Browning with the relative mobility of the BAR. What resulted was one of the most iconic arms of America, a 23-pound belt-fed beast that could eat a ton of  7.62mm ammo and chew through anything down range. The M60 often found itself in the mud and muck during combat, and its relatively slow cyclic rate made this heavy hitter sound akin to a grunting boar. The Pig humped, sailed, and soared through Vietnam, Operation Just Cause, and the Persian Gulf War and continues to see service in specialized roles today.

Inspired by the German FG42 and MG42, the M60 became one of America’s best guns of all time. Available this August.

Marlin Model 60

For years, Marlin billed the Model 60 as “the most popular 22 in the world.” Whether that’s enough to also call this prolific semi-auto one of the best guns of all time is up for debate, but it certainly ranks as an American essential. Introduced in 1960, Marlin’s semi-auto .22 LR tack driver remained in production for six decades and was carried by generations of Americans who fell in love with its resiliency and ease of use. For target shooting, plinking, and small game hunting, the Marlin Model 60 is a true American classic.

Caleb Savant from Brownells shows off the Marlin Model 60, one of the most iconic arms of America.

The M16

Adapted from the famous ArmaLite AR-15 platform, the M16 offered an all-in-one battle rifle that could excel at both distance combat and close-quarter fighting. Though the refinement of the M16 was not without its hurdles, the rifle’s updates and successors soon stepped up to the challenges of modern warfare and became the longest-serving infantry long arm in U.S. military history, a contemporary defender of Lady Liberty, and one of the indisputably iconic arms of America.

Who doesn’t need a Colt M16A1 selective fire rifle in the 9 million serial range? Available this August.

Iconic Arms of America

While our top 25 list includes some undeniable American icons, there are countless gun models that could be considered legends in their field. For their historic influence, market success, or cultural impact, a few honorable mentions include the Colt Walker, the Hawken rifle, the Derringer, the Gatling Gun, the Winchester Model 1895, the Colt Detective Special, and the Winchester Model 21 shotgun, and examples of all these gun collecting cornerstones can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

Perhaps the most influential non-firearm weapon in American history, the Bowie Knife carries a fascinating story in its own right. This rare Tillotson Sheffield patriotic “Gold Hunters Knife” Bowie knife is available this available this August.

Author Anthony Vanderlinden has definitely set a high standard for firearms reference books with his latest release. One glance at the new expanded two-volume set of books titled FN Browning Pistols, Sidearms That Shaped World History is enough to see this has been a true labor of love for Vanderlinden.

Vanderlinden’s publishing company, Wet Dog Publications, has rightfully earned a solid reputation for high quality books on arms related to the FN firm. I have previously reviewed books covering FN Mauser rifles, the FN-49 rifle, the Polish VIS Radom pistol, and the earlier 2^nd edition of FN Browning pistols. (This second edition was reviewed in V21N3, April 2017.)  All these have been fine books, combining solid research with beautiful photography and layout. And yet, this new third edition goes above and beyond even Wet Dog’s high standards.

With the third edition having over double the material as compared to the second edition, it should come at no surprise that each book is oversize at 9.25 x 12.25 inches (235 x 310mm). The total page count is 840 pages. It also features 2790 color and period (B&W) photos.

Upon opening, the first thing you notice is that the pages are color-coded. The chapters are broken down by color, and the top of each page is colored accordingly.

Volume I begins with a long detailed section on history, then biographies of important people tied to FN, followed by production, sales network, and accessories.

Volume II covers the pistols themselves, with chapters on John M. Browning prototypes, the Models 1899, 1900, 1903, 1907, 1905, 1910, 1910 Grand Browning, 1922, Baby Browning, Le Grand Rendement (High Efficiency), High Power, the 100 Series, and an Engraving Gallery. The entire table of contents is repeated in both volumes. The page numbering runs continuously through both volumes, as does the color-coded pages.

Chapter 1 delves into the rich history of gun-making in Liege, Belgium, the Industrial Revolution as it applied to Liege, and the formation of FN to build the 1889 Mauser rifle under licence. During the early years, FN also built bicycles, motorcycles, and cars, as well. This is all documented in detail. The Sarajevo Affair covers the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Duchess Sophie Chotek that caused WWI. The pistol that the killer used was an FN Browning Model 1910.

Following this, chapter 1B covers The Great War: 1914-1918. Chapter 1C looks at the interwar years in Interbellum: 1919-1940. More cars, motorcycles, and even buses and typewriters are mentioned. Of course, small arms are covered, as are licence-built Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft cannons. Additional sub-chapters cover WWII including the takeover of the factory by the German army, the liberation of the factory in late 1944, and the postwar era. The entire History chapter is approximately 140 pages and covers a lot of ground.

Starting with master firearms designer John M. Browning, chapter 2 introduces us to various members of the FN team. Besides Browning’s son Val Browning, and assistant Dieudonne Saive, others such as Felix Funken, head of the engraving shop, and Auguste Benard, the artist behind much of the advertising posters and catalogs are introduced.

Chapter 3, Proofs and Markings, is a short, just 16 pages, but detailed look at proof marks, acceptance marks, and German occupation marks. Before spending a lot on a pistol, a thorough study of markings would be a very good idea.

Next is FN Production Processes. This is broken down into finishes, slide legends, serial and contract numbers, production years by model and serial number, and grips. There are many varieties of grips shown in full color, and quite a few have a counterfeit alert notation along side. Forgeries exist! Be warned.

Chapter 5, FN’s Sales Network, starts with the participation of FN in various World’s Fairs in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These fairs were a great way for companies and countries to show off their products. The book features a wonderful assortment of old sepia tone (B&W with a brown tinge) photos of FN-built cars, bikes, motorcycles, and pistols. Also shown are various presentation gifts like keychains and gold-plated cufflinks with small pistols attached, ashtrays and matches with the FN logo… and even cigars!

Volume I ends with Chapter 6, Accessories. This is broken down to include prewar FN catalogs, manuals, factory boxes, factory presentation cases, magazines, tools and cleaning rods, shoulder-stocks, pocket holsters, and finally belt and shoulder holsters. This section has an astonishing number of items featured, enough to make serious FN collectors envious.

Volume II is entirely focused on the firearms. Chapter 7 examines the prototypes of JMB. Many of these hand-made guns can be seen at the John M. Browning Firearms Museum in Ogden, UT. (While this book deals with entirely pistols, the museum also displays long arms and several early full autos as well.)

I found it amazing that the earliest of these early prototypes (1894 dated) is fast approaching 130 years old. Over a dozen models are shown, most photographed from three views (left, right, and top). (A few models have an extra close-up view of a particular detail). All are arranged in chronological order. This is to allow you to see the progression of improvements through the years. Unfortunately, none are disassembled to show the innards.

The following chapters discuss the development process, serial number sequences, various slide markings, international orders, and many other points of interest relating to the many models of pistols produced over the years.

A nice idea that has been included is a “see also” notation that directs you to various accessories, etc. I think of this as a manual “hotlink.”

The High Power chapter, at just over 100 pages is divided into three sub-chapters. These are prewar, Wartime, and Postwar. Incidentally, there is a sidebar that clarifies the correct terminology of the High Power. Belgian FN made, and Canadian made John Inglis marked pistols are always spelled High. Only the post-war American made, by Browning Arms Company are marked Hi-Power.

At first, I was surprised to note that there is almost nothing on the Colt M1911. However, this does make sense as the main subject is FN Browning, not Colt products. There is a chapter on the FN Modéle 1910 Grand Browning, however, which is the immediate predecessor to the M1911.  

The final chapter is a gallery of finely engraved pistols. There are some fantastic examples of the engraver’s art shown. These are often factory presentation models or sales samples. Many have either ivory or mother-of-pearl grips, and several have gold inlay. This looks very impressive when contrasted against deep dark blueing.  

As I have noted in previous reviews, all of Wet Dog’s titles are proudly printed and bound in the United States. Vanderlinden feels very strongly about this, even if it does add to the cost. Speaking of cost, yes, this set is certainly is getting up in price. However, it must be noted that high quality, limited printing reference books hold their value and often gain value once they sell out. A look online for other respected gun books shows they often double or even triple in cost. As well, by consulting this book prior to buying an expensive firearm or accessory, you might well avoid the pain of getting burned by a forgery. This may well pay for this set right there.

If you are fan of FN guns, especially sidearms, this 2-volume set is HIGHLY recommended.

Final thoughts… With the closing down of Collector Grade Publications in early 2022, their 3-volume set on the FN-FAL rifle is not likely to be reprinted. It is my hope that Wet Dog will consider filling the void and publish a top quality, highly researched book about the FAL rifle.

Due to its popularity in recent media, such as its appearance in the popular video games Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 5, the mystery of the Luger rifle has become quite infamous. As a consequence, more myths and misinformation have been shared about this unique rifle than many of its contemporaries. My objective today is to clarify a bit of the rifle’s history and speculate on where it might reside nowadays.

The Origins of the Luger

Hugo Borchardt was an innovative firearms designer, having made one of the first-ever automatic pistols in the world. He was infamous for his arrogance, holding such a high opinion of his pistol design that he felt it was flawless. This has caused his legacy to be overshadowed by his successor, Georg Luger.

Georg Luger was born in March 1849 at Steinach on the Bremmer pass in the Austrian Alps. He would join the army as an officer-cadet in 1867, giving him valuable experience in his later career. By 1882, he was already registered as a “Waffentechniker” ¹ and in 1892, Luger would move to Berlin and be employed by Ludwig Loewe & Cie, later renamed to Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken. Although he was an aspiring firearms designer, he was employed as a travelling salesman for the company’s products.

By 1893, he was given permission to have his own creations patented by DWM. In return, DWM would reserve the rights to profit from Luger’s inventions. Although he is known today for his toggle-locked-action pistol, Luger started out his engineering career with bolt-action rifles. Notably, the United States Navy was interested in adopting such a rifle, though the deal fell short when Luger refused to alter his rifle to meet with the calibre requirements of the trials. When Hugo Borchardt abandoned his semi-automatic pistol project to work on gas-operated appliances, Luger took over the project and refined it, leading to the Parabellum model of 1900; More commonly known today bearing the name of its creator, the Luger.

The Kaiser needs a semi-automatic rifle

In 1896, Paul Mauser would personally demonstrate his C96 pistol to Kaiser Wilhelm II. He found it to be remarkable, asking Mauser if such a design could work for an infantry rifle. “Five years, your majesty,” he reportedly replied. Until Mauser’s death in 1914, he would try to perfect such a design for the Kaiser, but, to no avail.

Luger would join Paul Mauser in his attempt to provide a successful self-loading rifle for the German military. His first patent taken out in 1905 was simply titled “Recoil-loader”. However, Luger’s earliest semi-automatic rifle, the one that is well known today, would be made in around 1911, when trials were held against the Borchardt self-loading rifle and possibly the Schwarzlose rifle, though I was not able to confirm that this rifle was ever made. The Luger rifle operated in a similar way to its pistol counterpart; It had a 5-round internal magazine, fed by either a stripper clip or by releasing the base plate and inserting rounds from beneath, similar to a RSC but without the en-bloc clip and the stock, which was similar in construction to the G98.

After the war, Luger was involved in a lawsuit with DWM about the rights to the guns he made while he worked there. During this trial, he exhibited a letter DWM received in 1914 from the Allgemeines Kriegsdepartment, a part of the German war department, where they reject the Borchardt and praised the Luger design, writing, “The Department most earnestly requests that the Luger self-loading rifle is kept secret until further notice.” Though, due to the war being declared later in the same year, no further testing was ever done with the Luger rifle.

PostbellumLuger passed away in 1923, leaving his son, Georg Luger Jr., in control of his estate. Luger Jr. persevered in attempting to promote his father’s rifles to the post-WWI successor of the GPK, the IWG. Having finally rejected it on the grounds of cost and complexity in 1927, he would sell his example of the rifle to the IWG’s study collection, where it remained in inventory until 1945, when the Russians raided the building during the Battle of Berlin. Most of the collection was taken to the St. Petersburg Artillery Museum, where it remains today. However, it is unclear if the IWG’s Luger rifle survived, as some expeditions into their private areas have failed to locate it. However, a Borchardt Self-Loading Rifle was found to still be under their care, so it is possible that they still have it somewhere on-site.

The only Luger rifle we know of today is serial number 4, which was located at the Mauser factory collection until the French took over and plundered it in the final stages of World War Two. It would stay at the St. Etienne Arsenal until it was sold off to the collector market, specifically the company Interarms, founded by Sam Cummings. In a “Guns Review” article from March of 1994, the author J. W. Sawyers got permission to visit the Interarms facility in Manchester and closely inspect the Luger rifle. After that, it was sold off in a Christie’s auction in 1995 and subsequently resold at an unknown auction-house in 1999.

Where is it today?

Sadly, no one has ever come out with this very rare and elusive rifle, so it is still unknown where it is located. The last time it was sold, from an unknown auction house, only gives a number of “167,500”, almost certainly this is how much it was sold for but there is no specific currency attached to it. The weight of the rifle is given in pounds and ounces, nothing uncommon for either the U.K. or the U.S., and there are no words that would give away if it was written in British English or American English.

So it is probable that the Luger rifle is still in the United Kingdom, although it is also possible someone exported it after it was sold. Possibly to the U.S., Switzerland or maybe even Malta.

Geoffrey Sturgess, a possible candidate for its ownership, sold his firearm collection around 2014 and some of his very rare firearms ended up in Maltese collections, like the unfinished 1921 Furrer Maschinenpistole, serial number 1.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that the Luger rifle will be found unless someone comes forward with it, or it ends up in another auction. As always, if anyone has any additional information or leads, you can always send me an email at sircoutin@gmail.com.

We at Small Arms Defense Journal have always tried to have a bit of reference material in each issue, something you can save for later identification. In this issue, we’re covering Heckler and Koch’s original 5.56x45mm select fire rifle—the HK33 series. It’s comprised of the HK33 rifle, the short-barrel HK33K, the semi-auto HK93, the HK33 SG1 sniper variant, the HK53 “Submachine gun,” and the various HK13 designs.

The weapon system was meant to be the roller locking answer to the 5.56mm M16 system and was successfully sold in many countries.

In 1965-66, HK produced a promotional catalog showing all of its products. At this time, the MP5 was called the HK54. In addition to the, then, unheard of HK25 belt fed .50 BMG which looked like an HK21 with a belt of .50 hanging from it, there were HK32 variants offered in 7.62x39mm and a number of 5.56mm variations: HK33, HK33K, and the HK13. The catalog lists the HK33 with a 20-round magazine, the HK33K with a 40-round magazine, and the HK13 with a 100-round magazine. We’ve never seen this offset “drum” type HK 5.56mm in the wild. Another item of note: the HK13 was a heavy barrel gun, but the original did not have a quick-change feature; the barrels of later HK13s could be changed like the HK21/23 series belt feds.

The HK magazines are of the box shape type, curved to match the taper of the 5.56mm case, and are double column, and present to the bolt from both columns. A magazine such as a Sten (not shown) is double column and feeds from a single central position—both columns must move the rounds to the center. A magazine that feeds from dual presentation, like the HK magazines and the M16 magazine, has less resistance in feeding, and the bolt must be designed to drive the cartridge to the feed ramp from both columns. It’s a successful and reliable design.

A closer look at the original and the 1994 compliant LE markings for U.S. import. 5.56x45mm is engraved along the edge.

Over the course of 40 years, myself along with William Vallerand, Herbie Woodend, Bob Faris, and others, designed an identification system that we referred to as the “Vallerand Magazine ID System.” There were about 4000 magazines for machine guns and rifles that we photographed and measured, hoping to someday put this into a forensic system. A description of the system is available on www.smallarmsreview.com. Just search the Archives section for “Vallerand” to find a link. If you have input on this, please let us know.

This post is brought to you by our friends at Rock Island Auction Company.

Sometimes a gun nickname is a term of endearment. Other times they stem from fear or detraction. Slang gun names can be derived from a weapon’s appearance, its sound when firing, a defining attribute, its impact on the battlefield, or sometimes as a clever play on the firearm’s official designation. However they originated, the most memorable gun nicknames include an element of truth and help cement a weapon’s legacy.

In an effort to narrow our list, we’ll try to avoid overly broad-brush terms like smoke wagon and boomstick, as well as artillery slang like Stovepipe, Thumper, and Screaming Mimi, and instead keep our focus on firearms. Here are our selections for the most famous gun nicknames, presented in alphabetical order.

The BAR

Slang gun names and military culture go hand-in-hand, and the BAR acronym was as catchy as it was obvious. Developed near the end of WW1, the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle was quickly adopted by the US Military and became a signature weapon for American infantry in WW2 and beyond. The gun’s nickname sprang from the weapon’s initials, “B-A-R”, a term that was easy to remember and soon became the rifle’s most common unofficial designation.

The Belgian Rattlesnake

The brainchild of U.S. Army Lt. Col. Isaac Newton Lewis, the light machine gun design that bore his name was initially rejected by the United States. Lewis set off across the Atlantic to produce his gun in Europe instead, where it was first adopted by Belgium and Britain.

With the outbreak of WW1, the invading Germans faced fierce resistance from the Belgian Army and their limited but strategically deployed Lewis guns. The distinctive “tacka-tacka-tacka“ rattling of the weapon and the hit-and-run tactics employed by the Belgian forces earned the gun the fitting appellation of “Belgian Rattlesnake” from the Kaiser’s troops.

The Broomhandle

The Mauser C96 self-loading pistol’s “Broomhandle” moniker quickly caught on in the early 20th century, a reference to the handgun’s unique round wooden grip. The gun’s nickname soon became a catch-all term for the entire series of C96 pistol models manufactured by Mauser and its subsequent foreign copycats. Mauser eventually embraced the popular nickname and even used it in official promotion campaigns in the Western market.

The Brown Bess

One of the most famous gun nicknames in firearms history, the Brown Bess was used to denote the typical British infantry muskets that served from 1722 through the early 1830s. In 1785, English author Francis Grose published an index of informal words titled ‘Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue’ and his entry for the Bess reads, “‘Brown Bess. A soldier’s firelock. To hug Brown Bess; to carry a firelock, or serve as a private soldier.”

The Brown Bess nickname appears to be derived from the slang “Bess,” which was an 18th-century reference to women of ill repute. The term “brown” simply meant drab, ordinary, and plain beyond just the subject’s color, as seen in the colloquial for the “Brown Bill” polearm, a farming tool often fielded by lowly infantry conscripts. This denotation was applied to the Brown Bess musket in the same way.

The Burp Gun

Dubbed the “Burp Gun” for the sound it made during extended fire, the PPSh-41 submachinegun was widely fielded by the Red Army in WW2. The burp gun fired 900 rounds a minute, nearly double the rate of the German MP40 it faced down in the streets of Stalingrad. The PPSh-41 was comparatively easy to produce, and a copy of the gun called the Type 50 was later adopted by Chinese and North Korean troops.

“Once we heard that sound—‘Burp! Burp!’—it was a frightening sound,” recalled British veteran Gerry Farmer, who served with the 1st Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in the Korean War. “It meant the Chinese were there. I think the sound of the burp gun and what it represented was more frightening than the rounds that came out of the weapon.”

The Devil’s Paintbrush

You don’t earn a gun nickname like “The Devil’s Paintbrush” without making a terrible impression. While Gatling guns had demonstrated the utility of high-volume fire on the battlefield, the Maxim design, the world’s first true recoil-based machine gun, perfected the strategy to a brutal degree.

With its cheaper cost of production and absence of a manual crank, the Maxim gun supplanted its Gatling gun forerunner and saw widespread adoption in Europe. The defensive advantage offered by the Maxim gun’s overwhelming firepower contributed to the trench warfare stalemates and high death tolls of WW1, and it’s easy to see why the “Devil’s Paintbrush” epithet caught on with the soldiers who faced this deadly efficient weapon.

The Figure 8

Patented in 1856, this Savage & North black powder revolver is as distinct as it is rare. Its informal gun name stems from the figure 8 shape made by the cocking lever and trigger guard. Using the operator’s middle finger, the ring-style cocking lever is pulled after each successive shot to advance the six-shot cylinder, automatically cocking the hammer.

The Grapevine Carbine

The Civil War saw the development of numerous breach loading carbines, including the unique-looking Gwyn & Campbell. This .52 caliber gun was nicknamed for its long hammer and serpentine-shaped trigger guard, qualities especially evident in the scarcer Type I Cosmopolitan Arms Co model. The “grapevine” nickname was less commonly applied to the Gwyn & Campbell Type II carbine, which saw service with numerous Union Cavalry units.

The Grease Gun

Another memorable weapon nickname bestowed by everyday troops, the M3 “Grease Gun” earned its title due to a close physical resemblance to hand-powered grease dispensers, a common auto mechanic’s tool of the period. In an effort to produce a cheaper and lighter alternative to the Thompson, inventor George Hyde developed a firearm that was stamped, riveted, and welded, taking on a crude, tube gun shape. The Grease Gun is an example of a gun nickname becoming more commonly known than its official designation.

The Gun that Won the West

Here’s a colloquial gun name almost everyone knows thanks to films like ‘Winchester ‘73’ and other popular Western movies, shows, and novels. The title “Gun that Won the West” didn’t officially emerge until early 20th-century advertising campaigns, a brainchild of Edwin Pugsley, a Winchester engineer who helped produce famous firearms like the Winchester Model 21 shotgun.

The sentiment behind the now-famous saying was grounded in the frontier era, as the Winchester 1873 rifle was a lightweight, reliable gun that was affordable to most settlers at a time when the Old West was filled with a danger for every treasure and opportunity.

Hitler’s Buzzsaw

Another gun nickname based on a blistering rate of fire, the MG42 machine gun was an imposing weapon to say the least. Called the most feared German gun on the WW2 battlefield, Hitler’s Buzzsaw was an upgrade from the already devastating MG-34. The MG42 machine gun’s high cyclic rate (about 1,200 rounds per minute) gave it a distinct and intimidating sound, very alien to Allied troops trained around slower-firing weapons. At that speed, individual gunshots are replaced with a steady, disturbing roar, earning the MG42 a terrifying reputation.

The Humpback

Known as “The Humpback” due to its trademark squared receiver, the Browning Automatic 5 is a versatile workhorse scattergun for all types of fowling and target shooting. John Browning’s 1903 recoil-operated design was the first successful semi-automatic shotgun and continues to be fielded by the modern sportsman today. Though often referred to as the Auto-5 or A-5, with period advertisements stressing how the firearm provided “Five shots under your fingers,” the Humpback nickname is what stuck the most.

The Kentucky Rifle

This classic gun nickname for the American Long Rifle was coined from a song about the 1815 Battle of New Orleans titled ‘Hunters of Kentucky.’ Pioneered by German and Swiss gunsmiths who immigrated to the Colonies, the American Long Rifle combined numerous features from the Germanic Jäger rifle and English hunting designs that allowed backwoodsmen to shoot accurately up to 200 yards when hunting in the western wilds of Colonial America. Famed frontiersmen like Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, and Michael Stoner relied on the rifle during their long hunts and during the eventual settlement of the Kentucky wilderness, where the rifle gained both its nickname and its legend.

The Lemon Squeezer

Widely dubbed “The Lemon Squeezer,” the Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless, or Smith & Wesson New Departure revolver, earned its nickname from the grip safety on its backstrap which required a firm squeeze to operate, much like everyone’s favorite citrus juicing tool. This feature was touted by Smith & Wesson when the double action top-break revolver was introduced in 1888, advertised as making the gun “nearly impossible” for a child to fire.

Ma Deuce

The M2 Heavy Machine Gun, a U.S. military mainstay since the 1930s, gained one of the most memorable service weapon nicknames around. “Ma Deuce” clearly plays on the M and 2 in the M2 designation, much like how the HU1 Helicopter was dubbed the “Huey.” It’s not hard to imagine the formal “Model” or “Mod” in Model 2 being shortened to “Ma,” a possible reference to the weapon’s other favored nickname, “The Mother of All Machine Guns.” Deuce has long been a slang for “two” in English, from the nickname of a second child to the gaming terms used for the two side of a dice and the number two card in each suit in a 52-card deck. Combined together, and you have an affectionate handle for a gun that became a second mother to the troops who relied on Browning’s .50 caliber behemoth to protect themselves and their company.

The Monkey Tail Carbine

Ordnance officers might get to choose official service weapon names, but the everyday infantrymen are always going to come up with a clever title that sticks. The single-shot capping breechloading rifles and carbines manufactured by Westley Richards were dubbed the “Monkey Tail” by the Boers in South Africa, a gun nickname that came from the lift up lever that was hinged to the rear of the barrel used to open and close the breech, thought to resemble a simian’s tail. A similar carbine design was offered in America by A.H. Waters of Millbury, Massachusetts, as pictured below.

Old Slabside

The designation “Model of 1911 U.S. Army Caliber 45” is quite a mouthful, and it didn’t take long for soldiers to offer a laundry list of unofficial gun names for Browning’s new service pistol. “Old Bigmouth,” The Army Automatic,” “The Yankee Fist,” “Colt .45” or simply “Forty-Five” are some common favorites, but perhaps the most prominent is “Old Slabside.” The name alludes to the gun’s slab-type grip panels, one of the many distinguishing features the M1911 had over its military-issued predecessors like the Colt M1892 revolver.

The Right Arm of the Free World

Developed by Dieudonne Saive after WW2, the Fusil Automatique Leger (known by the famous FAL acronym) has been fielded by more than 90 countries around the globe. Formerly serving as NATO’s official battle rifle, the FN FAL was the Western counter to the Kalashnikov rifle favored by communist forces the NATO allies faced off against in countless conflicts throughout the Cold War. The “Right Arm of the Free World” became a symbol of resistance against the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

The Peacemaker

The six shooter. “The Great Equalizer.” “Judge Colt and his Jury of Six.” A plethora of clever nicknames were inevitable for the iconic Colt Single Action Army revolver. Many early gun names for cartridge Colts originated with Benjamin Kittredge & Co of Cincinnati. One of Colt’s biggest distributors, Benjamin Kittredge, came up with monikers such as “Frontier Six Shooter” for Colt SAA variants chambered in .44-40, the nicknames “Lightning”,“Thunderer,” and “Rainmaker” for the Model 1877 revolvers, and “Omnipotent” for the Model 1878 in .45 Colt.

In 1874, Kittredge started marketing the Colt Single Action Army to the civilian market as “The Peacemaker.” The nickname was far more appealing than official designations for the gun like “New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol,” “45-caliber centerfire Colt Single Action Army,” “M1873,” or “The Model P.” The Peacemaker nickname played to the sentiment that an armed society was a polite society and the mere presence of the Colt revolver would dissuade any troublemakers from picking a fight they might not survive.

The Pig

As far as gun nicknames go, “The Pig” covers a lot of ground. We’re talking 23 pounds of belt-fed heavy metal that can eat a ton of ammo and chew through anything down range. The M60 often found itself in the mud and muck during combat, and its slow cyclic rate made this beast of a machine gun sound akin to a grunting boar. The Pig humped, sailed, and soared through Vietnam, Operation Just Cause, and the Persian Gulf War and continues to see service in specialized roles today.

The Potato Digger

First came its rather bland official first title, “M1895 Colt-Browning Machine gun.” John Browning’s Model 1895 quickly earned a more memorable slang gun name due to the gas port near the muzzle of the barrel that powered a spring-loaded lever arm to cycle the action, much like a lever-action rifle. This exposed operating arm, which projects down and away from the gun with significant force during the firing cycle, was known to dig holes in the ground if the gun’s tripod was resting on soft soil and sank low enough into the earth, and thus the Potato Digger connotation was born.

The Staple Gun

The Heckler & Koch P7 series is another name that doesn’t really roll off the tongue. Enter the “Staple Gun” moniker, or “Combat Staple Gun,” a nickname that originates from the squeeze-cocking lever on the P7 pistol grip that somewhat resembles older staple gun triggers.

The P7’s striker and sear only engage when the cocking lever on the front strap is depressed. Pull the lever and the striker is drawn back. Release the lever and the striker loses tension and returns to the resting position. This gives safety comparable to a double action only bobbed hammer semi-auto, where the pistol will not fire without positive user action, while still allowing a clean and relatively light single action style trigger pull as would be seen on a normal striker-fired pistol.

The Tommy Gun

“The Chicago Typewriter.” “The Street Sweeper.” “The rat-tat-tat.” The Thompson submachine gun gained dozens of colorful labels as it earned its reputation in the Melting Pot of South Side Chicago, toted by gangsters, bandits, and lawmen alike. Tommy Gun, the weapon’s most famous name, is a blue-collar shorthand for Thompson. Tommy was also a well-known term for British soldiers, and this connection might have proliferated the gun’s nickname after the British airborne adopted the Thompson Model M1A1 variant in the early years of WW2.

The Trapdoor

After the Civil War, the War Department wanted a standard-issue breechloading rifle that would chamber a self-primed, metallic cartridge. Erskine S. Allin of Springfield Armory proposed taking thousands of existing Civil War muzzleloaders and converting them by adding a hinged breechblock to the top of the receiver. This design resembled both the look and motion of a trap door panel when the user opened the rifle to load a new cartridge, giving the gun its now legendary name.

The Trench Sweeper

Another easy-to-understand gun nickname, in this case derived from the Winchester Model 1897 shotgun’s function in combat. The Model 1897’s shorter barrel made the weapon more maneuverable in the narrow trenches of WW1. Its lack of trigger disconnector allowed this combat shotgun to be slam fired as well, the act of holding the trigger while working the slide, repeatedly firing, ejecting a spent shell, and chambering a new shell.

A trained soldier could empty a trench gun of its six shells with devastating effect in less than two seconds. These traits made the Winchester Model 1897 ideal for the ferocious close-in fighting common to the Great War, earning the gun its Trench Sweeper nickname.

The Wonder Nine

The Wonder Nine is an informal gun name that applies to a broad series of semiautomatic 9 mm pistols that hit the market in the 70s and 80s. These guns share a number of features like DA/SA actions and double stack mags that could carry 12 or more rounds, with models like the S&W 59, the Beretta 92, and the CZ-75 being some of the earliest popular examples.

For advocates of these firearms, the Wonder Nine nickname referenced the ammunition, high capacity, and combination of features that made these pistols intuitive and easy to carry, though detractors used the nickname as a pejorative, including magazine writers who lamented the switch to these newfangled firearms over the revolvers that dominated the market and more traditional pistol designs like the .45 ACP 1911.

The Yellowboy

Some slang gun names are as simple as they sound. Like its Henry rifle predecessor, the Winchester Model 1866 had a frame composed of gunmetal, a strong type of bronze alloy made with copper, tin, zinc, and sometimes a small amount of lead. Also known as “red brass,” gunmetal was rust-resistant and easy to machine, and its unique muted yellow tint gave Winchester’s first lever action rifle its distinct look and Yellowboy nickname.

Gun Nicknames

Did we include your favorite gun nickname? Subscribe to the weekly Rock Island Auction newsletter to receive new gun blogs and gun videos each week on the firearms mentioned above, as well as some of those that didn’t make our list such as the M16 “Mattel Toy”, the Colt “Snake Gun” family, the Ghost Gun, and the Volcanic pistol, an official designation just as memorable as some of the colorful nicknames mentioned above.