Firearm History
The U.S. M3/M3A1 “Grease Gun”: Equipping Armed Forces in Post-War Austria
After World War II, thousands of M3 and M3A1 Grease Guns were scattered all over the world. Thanks to the...
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SITES Spectre M4: An Odd Italian Double-Action Sub-Machine Gun
In the highly competitive field of small arms manufacturing of the 1980s, the SITES Spectre was a blend of tradition...
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Tripping the Wire: German Alarm Devices in World War II
With thinly staffed Front lines, the gaps between the individual sentries must somehow be closed. Especially in dark, rainy or...
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Firearm Mysteries: The Hellriegel Submachine Gun
The Standschützen Hellriegel submachine gun could be considered the most notorious “mystery firearm.” Even before it’s infamous inclusion in the...
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Experimental French Carbines: Development of Small Arms from 1948 to 1951
Experimented with since 1947, the 7.65mm cartridge was tested and compared to the .30 M1, the 7.92mm Kurz and the...
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Back to Basics: The History of Gunpowder
Most gunpowder comes in three forms: black powder, cordite (now obsolete) or smokeless powder. The invention of gunpowder comes from...
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The Breda Modello PG: The World’s First Burst-Firing Automatic Rifle
During World War I, little had happened in Italy in terms of semiautomatic rifles. The country was too busy with...
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Bulky Monsters, Japanese Flare Pistols—Nambu Type 90
During World War II, the Japanese military forces only used a few different flare pistol models. The Imperial Army used...
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FORGOTTEN WAR, The War Between France and Thailand (1940-1941)
French missionaries tried to convert Siamese people since 1550 but without success. One century later, they established some missions, and...
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Kalashnikov, Humble Tank Sergeant, or Someone Else Entirely?
The AK-47 is an amalgam of several older systems which, when assembled into the rifle, is greater than the sum...
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