Editor’s Note: Over several decades of research on small arms for his books, as well as for SMALL ARMS REVIEW and other magazines, Robert Bruce has captured many thousands of copy photos in libraries, archives, and private collections.

Some sources have included U.S. National Archives, Springfield Armory National Historical Site, U.S. Army Center for Military History, U.S. Navy Historical Center, USMC Museum, U.S. Army Ordnance Museum (at both Aberdeen and Ft. Lee), U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, U.S. Army Infantry Museum, Library of Congress, and more.

What follows here is the first of an occasional series, this time providing a look at some representative images from his own files as well as some that are available to anyone from America’s National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Many of us who are fascinated by the evolution of man portable weaponry aren’t content to merely examine actual examples of historic firearms, ammunition, sighting devices and such. Accordingly, we become virtual time travelers, seeking contemporary documentation as well as photos, drawings and other imagery.

While enormous amounts of authoritative documentation are readily available for casual purposes in countless numbers of books from the last many decades, copyright restrictions must be strictly honored when formally publishing photos and quoting passages. (Details at copyright.gov)

Perhaps the very best source for copyright-free “public domain” info and imagery is NARA – the National Archives and Records Administration.

Decades ago, in a quest for imagery to accompany early efforts at providing feature articles to various magazines including Machine Gun News, predecessor to Small Arms Review, this author would venture into downtown Washington, D.C., where the ornate original building housing the National Archives was located. This arduous journey presented a number of challenges, not only in fighting the District’s notoriously complicated and congested traffic, but also finding rare parking places anywhere within walking distance.

Fortunately, later forays became much easier when much of NARA’s main holdings – notably including the Still Picture Branch – were relocated in 1994 to Archives II, a sprawling, sparkling new facility in nearby College Park, Maryland. Easily accessed from the Capitol Beltway with plenty of free parking right on site, it was a vast improvement in both accessibility and efficiency for researchers.    

America’s official repository of its government, military, and diplomatic activities since 1934, the collection has grown to include more than 30 billion items. Of greatest interest to those of us who research and write about military small arms is a wealth of information to be found among 44 million still pictures, astonishing numbers of motion pictures, 5 billion paper records, and much more.

Although a daunting task that will never be completed, work is ongoing to digitally scan these and post on the internet for anyone to freely access, view, download, and even publish.

The search for any and all begins at www.archives.gov where researchers are prompted to select specific areas of interest in “record groups including paper documents, microfilm, still pictures, motion pictures, and electronic media.” 

Since the focus of this featurette is on still photos, click “Research Our Records” and scroll down to bottom left to “Online Research by Format” for “Photographs and Graphic Works.” Choose “Still Picture Branch” in College Park, Maryland, review the introductory info and get off and running.  

COPYING PHOTOS ON OLD-FASHIONED FILM

These first several photos that follow are representative of a thousand or more copies the author had to make on 35mm black & white negative film and sometimes on color slides. Not only were there no digital scanners available in the cramped and poorly laid out downtown D.C. research room, but we also had to bring our own copy stands, lights, and even extension cords.

Noting the date and location in the last days of Hitler’s dying Third Reich, U.S. Ordnance and Military Intelligence units were encountering previously unknown weaponry. It’s understandable that Walther’s 1941 prototype Maschinenkarbiner MKb 42 (W) was a new discovery since only about 200 had been made for a competition that was lost to the Haenel entry. Haenel’s production model was fielded in vast numbers and best known today as the iconic Sturmgewehr (“storm rifle”).  

This is the first production model of the remarkable Fallschirmjager Gewehr (paratrooper rifle), initially fielded for Germany’s airborne infantry early in 1943. The 9.3-pound, selective fire machine rifle fired full powered 7.92 Mauser cartridges from a side mounted 20-round box magazine. Along with the improved Type 2, only about 7000 of these impressive but expensive weapons were made, soon overshadowed by the cheaply made and much more controllable Sturmgewehr assault rifle, firing 7.92 x 33 mm Kurz (short) cartridges.

This is the 90-degree Krummerlauf (curved barrel) device, clamped to the barrel of a Sturmgewehr. Originally intended to be mounted through the top of a tank turret and fired from inside to sweep away enemy infantry, it also came in a more practical and controllable 30-degree version with prism sight for hand-held use, literally “around the corner.” With his 1938 masterwork The Rifle in America, Philip Sharpe was already internationally famous as an authoritative writer on guns and ammunition, a distinction that continued to grow after the war. 

After Germany’s surrender, untold numbers of all types of small arms had to be secured and inventoried. In the foreground are dozens of Pistole 08 “Lugers,” a war souvenir highly coveted by American GIs.

At the end of the war, Europe was awash in explosives as used by all of the combatants, presenting Allied forces with the dangerous and daunting task of identifying and clearing munitions from not only minefields and battlegrounds, but also scattered around in innumerable cities, towns and villages.

SOME FROM THE ‘PICTURE PALACE’ AT COLLEGE PARK

Things got a lot easier for the staff archivists, as well as for those of us doing photo hunting, when the palatial College Park facility opened. Meticulously cataloged photos were now carefully arranged and stored nearby in seemingly endless rows of racks, readily accessible for the staffers to find and deliver carts of requested items. There, in a spacious, clean and well-lit setting, we found both professional grade photocopy stands with attached soft lights, along with a kiosk for scanning and digitizing. These next couple of examples are from both digital copy cameras and scanners.

Clever fellows of the British Army’s secretive SOE (Special Operations Executive) had packed these diabolically useful tools for parachute delivery in long, cylindrical CLE drop canisters containing stackable H Cell cans. Nighttime airdrops in secluded countryside locations were recovered by the Maquisards (guerrilla fighters) and Allied Jedburgh teams who would put the guns and explosives to deadly use against the hated German occupiers.  

Subsequent research shows this fellow to be a Hungarian soldier armed with what is most likely a Solothurn Golyózóró 31.M. Originally built by Solothurn of Switzerland as the MG 30, some 3000 were bought by Hungary, specially chambered for their 8x56mmR M30 cartridge. Fed by a side-mounted 25-round detachable box magazine, this efficiently handy light machine gun previewed some of the characteristics later utilized in the excellent German MG34, notably including a quick change, air cooled barrel.

SEARCH AND RETRIEVE IMAGES RIGHT FROM YOUR OWN COMPUTER

As described in the introduction, we armchair photo enthusiasts of today need only crank up our computers, access the internet and begin trolling America’s National Archives. We conclude here with a modest handful of examples, spanning various conflicts from the “War to End All Wars” to “Enduring Freedom.” All are available to download with the click of a mouse. Happy hunting!

With information not apparently known to Central News Service, the supplier of this image in September 1918 near the end of WWI, we know that the “NEW GERMAN GUN” is actually a 37mm Maxim-Nordenfeldt Quick Firing Gun. It was first fielded around 1890 and universally called the “Pom Pom” due to its distinctive sound when firing at 300 rounds per minute. Additional photo research tracks the original image to files in Germany’s Bundesarchiv where its modern caption for this enormous anti-aircraft gun reads (in translation): German soldiers with gas masks and M1916 steel helmets with 3.7 cm-Maschinen-Flak M 14.  

Scanned in high resolution right from its mounting card, this real battlefield photo shows these undaunted Marines with a Taisho 14 Type 3 heavy, air-cooled machine gun, originally a French Hotchkiss design modified by Kijiro Nambu. Note the prominent radiator style cooling fins and 30 rounds of 6.5 x 50mm Arisaka rifle cartridges on the feed strip.

Searching with the key words “machine gun,” we stumbled on this amusing photo of the “King of Rock ‘n Roll,” drafted into the U.S. Army, serving from 1958 to 1960 during what was known as the “Cold War.” Elvis insisted on being assigned to a regular combat unit and he proved to be a fine soldier, well-liked by his superiors and his fellow GIs. Looks like in the photo he’s probably adjusting the headspace for a blank-adapted Browning .30 cal. M1919A6 (heavy barrel) machine gun. Also note the back half of a 3.5 in. rocket launcher “Bazooka” tied to the pedestal mount. 

Although seemingly relaxing in the PBR’s forward gun tub, this young, flak-jacketed Sailor is no doubt ready to “light up” enemy attackers with devastating .50 caliber rounds pumped out at nine-per-second from his “Ma Deuce.” The formidable, combat classic Browning Machine Gun, Cal. .50, M2 Heavy Barrel, Flexible, has its origins at the end of WWI and is still serving with distinction to this very day with all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and many Allied nations. 

ENDURING FREEDON is the American Military’s official name for two decades of conflict for operations in Afghanistan against the Islamofascist Taliban from 2001 until the Biden administration’s withdrawal in 2021. Will the National Archives eventually catalog photos of the mountains of American military weapons, munitions, vehicles, aircraft, and other materiel abandoned to the enemy?

(This is a multi-part series. Click here to read Part I.)

In the last chapter of this story, we talked about the conversions patented and made during the interwar period. The United States had set out requirements for a new semi-automatic rifle, one of them being to re-use as much tooling from the M1903 Springfield as possible. Brand new nations rose up after the end of the first world war, like Czechoslovakia and Poland, who had to scavenge as much equipment their former overlords had left behind while trying to keep up technologically with the other great powers, leading them into the “conversion” route. Italy followed a similar route as the United States, having interchangeability/ease of manufacture in mind.

With the ascension of Germany and the threat of war looming again, some countries resorted to drastic measures to arm themselves. By the start of WWII, semi-automatic rifles had progressed to a point where they were viewed viable as an army’s standard issue rifle, like the M1 Garand. However, their importance was neglected by other nations like the United Kingdom, who, even though ran many trials throughout the interwar period, failed to adopt a semi-automatic rifle in time for the Second World War.

Others tried to capitalize on this issue, companies like A/B Snabb marketed a way to convert “obsolete” bolt-action rifles into semi-automatic ones for a fraction of the price. Though an attractive proposal, these usually came with a few caveats. Most conversions, however, came from private inventors trying to help their countries in such a time of need.

THE SUN NEVER SETS

The Commonwealth had a rough start in the Second World War. Despite many trials conducted in the inter-war period, they never settled on adopting any kind of semi-automatic rifle or submachinegun, finding them superfluous. With Germany’s Blitzkrieg catching the British by surprise in Dunkirk, the advances made in Africa and the Japanese threat in the Pacific, it was realized that there was a need for desperate modernization of small-arms in the Commonwealth forces.

The most successful attempt out of all of the conversions submitted was the Charlton Automatic Rifle. In fact, it is quite likely the most successful conversion ever made. This system was the brainchild of inventor Philip Charlton, who noticed his country’s dire situation when Japan declared war while most ANZAC troops were fighting on the North African front. The rifle was tested and passed with flying colors, which was followed by an order of converting 1,500 rifles, mostly obsolete MLEs and Lee-Metfords left over from the Boer war.

The Charlton operated very similarly to other Lee-Enfield conversions, with a gas-tube being precariously attached to the right side of the gun. However, the New Zealand model was unique in a sense, since it was one of the few conversions that allowed for fully automatic fire. The other Charlton manufactured in Australia was a more conventional rifle, having most of the inner workings covered up and being semi-automatic only.

Another less well-known rifle from the Oceanic colonies was the Ekins, however there is no evidence that his rifle went farther than a surviving draft dated to 1944.

The Rieder was another proposal from the colonies, this time from South Africa. Henry Rieder, who tinkered with radios and televisions, proposed a simple conversion of the SMLE to the South African authorities in early 1940. 18 rifles were then modified, and some were sent to England for formal trials. It seems that by 1944 with the war almost at an end in Europe the Rieder rifle was finally set aside, with a single rifle being returned to Rieder on behalf of the Admiralty.

Also from South Africa, the curious Howard-Francis carbine, chambered in 7.63x25mm Mauser. It was shortly trialed by the Ordnance Board in London where it failed to meet even the most basic expectations. The feed system malfunctioned, had to be manually fed every shot, and the rifle was noted to have extremely poor accuracy. The Ordnance Board concluded that there was no point in any further interest due to its poor results in the tests. Information about other submissions from the Empire are, unfortunately, hard to come by. Included is the Brown machine-pistol adapter for the No.1 and No.4 rifles, apparently it was very similar to the American Pedersen device of the First World War.

Designs from other countries were also considered. Rehnberg and his company offered to convert an SMLE to the SNABB system, which as far as the author knows was never undertaken. The other was the Scotti system being applied to a P14 Enfield rifle, which was completed and sent to the British for testing before the start of the Second World War. The rifle had a rough start, as when it arrived from Italy, some parts were already broken off and certain accouterments requested for testing were not present, such as spare barrels. Nevertheless, the British continued trials of this rifle until 1941 when it was finally deemed unacceptable. Meanwhile in Canada, a curious SMLE conversion by the American Russel Turner was being tested against the M1 Garand. Unfortunately, even though in some aspects it performed better than its competitor, it still lost out because it was deemed too complex.

MISCELLANEOUS COUNTRIES & CONVERSIONS

By the time the Second World War started, most countries had already written out conversions as a possibility, instead opting for brand new semi-automatic rifles, like the SVT-40 in Russia, the M1 Garand in the United States, and the G41/43 rifles in Germany. Despite this, some minor nations still considered the idea viable. As I couldn’t locate many from a single country like I’ve done in prior entries in this series, this part is going to be an amalgamation of what I was able to identify.

In Greece, we have the Rigopoulos conversion. Being tested shortly before the German invasion of the mainland, it was apparently approved for adoption and requests were sent for its production. Despite this, the author has not been able to identify much information about this rifle.

In Russia, at least two conversions were tested before the adoption of the SVT-40; these are the Mamontov and the Goryainov. Both worked in a very peculiar way, by utilizing the slight movement of a cartridge between the bolt face and the chamber, comparable to earlier attempts by Georg Roth and Garand of making primer-actuated rifles.

In Sweden, during trials to adopt the Ljungman self-loading rifle, an inventor named Erik Wallberg submitted a few designs for converting the Swedish Mauser to be semi-automatic. They all utilized a simple gas piston. Wallberg would go on to build SLRs from the ground up instead of conversions using the same principle.

And finally, China. In 1944, engineers named Wen Chengding, Wu, and Liu developed an automatic rifle based on the Arisaka by simply attaching a gas-piston to the left side of the gun. It seems that the rifle was tested against a M1 Carbine, which the designers remarked that their rifle had a better muzzle velocity and range.

This is another high-quality book from Schiffer Publishing. American Breechloading Mobile Artillery 1875-1953, by Williford and Batha describes U.S. artillery from shortly after the American Civil War up to the Korean War.

Following the Civil War, America had plenty of muzzle loading cannon, but no breech loading artillery. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 showed the importance of breech loading guns. The first attempt at a breech loader was actually a conversion of the Civil War-era Model 1861 3-inch ordnance rifle. This gun, essentially a trials gun with only six being made, is covered in The First New Breechloaders chapter.

The book is broken into chapters based on gun types presented in approximately chronological order. Typical chapters are Mountain Guns, Pre-War Heavy Artillery, First World War 75mm Field Artillery, Pack Howitzers, and Anti-Tank Guns. At the beginning of each chapter is a brief rundown of the characteristics of each class of weapons. The book does not contain anything on fixed coastal guns or anti-aircraft cannons. It also does not cover self-propelled guns or rocket artillery. This is by choice, presumably in order to keep the book to a reasonable size. For the same reason, it does not cover mortars, recoilless rifles, etc.

Each model of gun is given two pages and generally includes a history of its development and use in combat, along with a side view line drawing, period photos and a current photo of a surviving piece.

A list of factories that produced cannons or carriages is also included. This is divided into Government Facilities, Private Facilities, and Foreign Facilities. This last group is mainly Canadian, British, and French companies. Each company is given a brief history of its production of artillery pieces. Over the years, there have been a surprising number of firms doing so.

Well written, logically arranged, and featuring an interesting selection of old photos, this title covers the topic perfectly.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Title: American Breechloading Mobile Artillery 1875-1953: An Illustrated Identification Guide
• Author: Glen M. Williford with Thomas D. Batha
• ISBN: 978-0-7643-5049-8
• Copyright: 2016
• Binding: Hardcover with matching dust jacket
• Size: 8.5 x11in
• Pages: 232 pages
• Photos: 257 B&W photos
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
• Website: schifferbooks.com
• MSRP: $50

If you are a fan of the classic Vickers belt-fed machine gun, this book is for you.

Noted author Dolf Goldsmith has done it again. As the title page states, “This is an authorized, revised, and expanded edition of The Grand Old Lady of No Man’s Land, originally published by Collector Grade Publications, incorporated in 1994, which is now out of print.”

As often happens with high quality reference books, once they are out of print and unavailable from the publisher, the price rises dramatically. For quite some time, I have wanted to buy a copy of The Grand Old Lady but simply could not justify the inflated prices asked. (Asking prices of $500 and up are commonplace for several Collector Grade titles.)

With the closing of CGP following the passing away of owner R. Blake Stevens, it seemed as though we had few options. So, it was good news indeed, when Chipotle Publishing announced they were working with Dolf Goldsmith to produce an updated and enlarged edition entitled The Vickers Machine Gun: Pride of the Emma Gees.

Joining Goldsmith as contributing editors on this new edition are Dan Shea, Robert Segel, and Richard Fisher. Most unfortunately, Segel passed away just prior to the release of this book.

This new version follows the general layout of most Collector Grade titles, divided firstly into parts, then chapters, and then a series of short segments, often only a paragraph or two. While effective, this can give it a bit of a choppy effect. Where new material has been added, it’s noted by a vertical line adjacent to the addition. The new book has over 270 more pages than before. Most, if not all, Collector Grade books did not include an index at the back of the book. Presumably, this was thought not necessary due to the division into parts, chapters, and small segments. Fortunately, this Chipotle version does include a full index.

Parts

Part I: Early Days covers the history of the Vickers firm, a look at hand-cranked guns the early Maxim guns, and the adoption of the Vickers just prior to the start of World War I.

Part II: The Legend Is Born looks at the Vickers in WWI service from many angles. From manufacturing at Erith and Crayford, to the finer points of the various types of mechanical synchronisers that allow the guns on early aircraft to fire through the propeller arc… if it relates to the Vickers in WWI, it is likely here.

Part III: The Legend Continues covers the 1919 to 1968 period. (1968 saw the retirement of the Vickers in British service.)

Part IV: The Legend for Sale deals with various special models. The drum-fed Class “F” variant that fed from a 97 round Lewis drum mag is examined, as is the .5-inch (not the same case as the .50 BMG cartridge case) tank gun. In fact, there are several models of .5-inch Vickers for AFV, naval, and anti-aircraft use examined. Also covered are guns found in service around the world, literally from Abyssinia to Venezuela.

Part V: The Vickers in Depth is all about the inner workings. I suspect this will be the most interesting section for most readers. Theory of Operation, Accessories, Ammunition, and even a Troubleshooter’s Handbook make up the bulk of this section.  

The majority of the many photographs are black and white, as was the original version. However, starting with chapter 18, Parting Shot, there are many full color photos. Incidentally, Exercise Parting Shot was an event held in July, 2002 to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the disbanding of the British Army’s Machine Gun Corps, in 1922. Among those in attendance were Goldsmith, Shea, and Segel. Also taking part were three original WWI MGC veterans! More than 40,000 rounds of .303 British ammo were fired during the event.

Chapter 19, Vickers Memorabilia, features many items from Segel’s huge collection. The items range from badges and medals on up to fully complete guns and accessory carts. Just an amazing collection! And, of course there are the all-important accessories, such as clinometers (to measure incline when firing long distance), belt-filling machines, military manuals, etc. The chapter ends with a series of beautiful photographs of another privately owned Vickers. These studio-quality images would be suitable as large posters, with the light and shadows bringing out the stark beauty of the Vickers.

Chapter 21 is an extended interview of Goldsmith by Shea that was published in Small Arms Review magazine dating back to July 2006. He has lived an interesting life!

The book ends with Chapter 21, The Contributors.

Richard Fisher got interested in the Vickers by way of his grandfather, a WWII machine gunner. He bought a deactivated Vickers at the age of 12 and has been a fan ever since. He founded the Vickers MG Collection and Research Association and the website VickersMG.blog.

Robert G. Segel was the senior editor for Small Arms Review and Small Arms Defense Journal for many years.

Dan Shea is the owner of Chipotle Publishing and is the editor-in-chief and technical editor of both Small Arms Review and Small Arms Defense Journal.

This updated version of a classic title, by a much-respected author, is highly recommended.

Details

Since World War I, flamethrowers have had a permanent place in the armament of many armies. In the far north, however, there was no need for them – until the Russian invasion in November 1939, when the Winter War broke out.

In autumn 1939, the Soviet Union had demanded that Finland cede a large part of the Karelian Isthmus and other territories. After Finland refused the demands, the Red Army attacked the neighboring country on November 30, 1939. Although vastly superior in numbers and material, the Russians made only slow progress against the stubbornly fighting Finns, which avoided open field battles and used the rough terrain for guerrilla methods to inflict heavy losses on the enemy from ambush.

Flamethrowers would have been a helpful weapon for the battles in the dense forests and against the fortifications that were mostly built from wood. But the Finns did not have any. Since it had to be done quickly, they searched the international market and found what they were looking for in Italy. There, the military used the portable Lanciafiamme Spalleggiabile Modello 35 and the Italians agreed to sell 176 of them to Finland. However, the units arrived in Finland too late to be used. Despite all the fighting spirit, they could not permanently withstand the Red Army and the war ended in mid-March 1940. By then, only 28 flamethrowers had been delivered; the rest were still on their way by ship.

The Finnish Liekinheitin M/40 Solution

After the ignominious peace with their dangerous neighbor to the east, the Finns wanted to remain on guard. The Finnish army introduced the Italian flamethrower as the Liekinheitin M/40 to its engineer battalions. It consisted of two tanks, each divided horizontally. The upper chamber contained the propellant (nitrogen) and the lower one, the incendiary agent; 6 liters (1.58 gallons) of fuel oil, each. When filled, the flamethrower weighed just under 23 kilograms (50.7 pounds).

The ignition at the front of the lance was electric, either via an 18-volt dry battery or a high-voltage inductor. One charge could deliver 20 to 30 bursts of fire lasting one second. However, only at a range of about 10 to 15 meters (30 to 50 feet). If the maximum range of 20 meters (65 feet) was used, the number of possible bursts dropped rapidly.

The Finnish pioneers practiced intensively to get to know the device and to develop suitable tactics for its use. Very quickly, it became clear that the tanks should be filled shortly before use. The system was never completely leak-proof at 20 atmospheres, and the longer the waiting time, the shorter the duration and range of the operation. The electric ignition also caused considerable difficulties in humid conditions. Due to the weight and location of the valves, the operation of the M/40 flamethrower always required a second man.

Despite some shortcomings, the flamethrower proved to be a useful support weapon. And the practice soon paid off, because on June 25, 1941, the so-called Continuation War against the Soviet Union began. Finland strove to regain its lost territories.

Russian ROKS-2

It was during this renewed campaign that the Finns first encountered Russian flamethrower units. Their ROKS-2 model was first mentioned as booty in a military brochure from September 1941. Subsequently, more and more devices could be captured, so that the Finns introduced the flamethrower as the Liekinheitin M/41-R. Even spare parts were produced, and major repairs were carried out at Arms Depot 1 (Asevarikko 1) in Helsinki. In action against its former owners, the Russian model was much more popular and reliable than the Italian one.

In terms of appearance, the ROKS-2 does not correspond to a typical flamethrower. The Soviets had tried to disguise it as a rifle. The lance was embedded in the converted wooden stock of a Mosin-Nagant rifle, using the original rifle sling and with ignition by pulling the trigger. The two incendiary tanks on the back stretcher were covered with sheet metal to simulate a backpack. The bottle with the propellant hung crosswise under the box.

Whether this camouflage was really useful in practice is doubtful. The enemy soon got to know the device and the bulky sheet metal covering of the nozzle and the thick hose to the backpack could hardly be overlooked. And for the Finns it brought no advantage anyway, since the Russians knew their former possession very well. Towards the end of the war, the Finns also captured a few copies of the simplified ROKS-3, on which the tanks were no longer covered.

When filled, the ROKS-2 weighed about 23 kilograms (50 pounds), and also required two men to operate. The Soviets used special ignition cartridges made from standard 7.62x25mm cartridge cases. The propellant tank could be filled up to 115 atmospheres and gave the flamethrower an enormous range of 30 to 45 meters (98 to 147 feet) with about six to eight bursts. This also depended on the type of filling because the Finns used two different mixtures depending on the season: in summer 66% heavy fuel oil and 33% highly flammable fuel oil. In winter, 55% heavy fuel oil, 30% highly flammable fuel oil and 20% petrol.

Liekinheitin M/44 Upgrade

The two flamethrowers M/40 and M/41-R served the Finnish army well. They were feared by the enemy – and therefore became priority targets on the battlefield. Because of the total weight and the lance, the operator could only carry a pistol for defense. He was, therefore, always given a second man with a submachine gun at his side. Nevertheless, the situation remained unsatisfactory and the losses high.

To overcome this shortcoming, Sergeant M. Kuusinen of Infantry Regiment 1 designed a combination weapon. He combined a light flamethrower with the Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun. The structure of the flamethrower corresponded to the usual composition of tanks for incendiary and propellant agents. But the lance was now attached with a pair of clamps under the barrel jacket of the fully functional submachine gun. The flamethrower was initially called Liekinheitin M/Kuusinen and was renamed Liekinheitin M/44 when small series production began.

Battlefield Performance

Since Finland had few resources for developing its own weapons, Kuusinen’s idea came in very handy for the army. The Suomi KP/-31 did not require any modifications. A first prototype was successfully presented at the headquarters of the Finnish Armed Forces in April 1944 and led to approval for further development. This was followed by the production of a small series for intensive troop trials with cavalry, engineer, and tank units. The feedback was predominantly positive. The main criticism was the limited range: the flamethrower managed a total burning time of up to one minute or 50 to 70 short flame bursts. But only up to about 10 meters (33 feet.) That was considerably less than the two models that had already been introduced.

When fighting at short range in trenches or urban areas, the advantages of the M/44 became apparent: long endurance, comfortable carrying, and lighter weight. But such situations were rare. Most combat took place at longer distances and the power was not sufficient to cover that much ground. Moreover, the pilot flame on the nozzle burned permanently after the first ignition. During the first combat deployment of three prototypes with Pioneer Battalion 35 on the night of August 16, 1944, the Finnish attack unit was therefore discovered too early. Nevertheless, the operation near Loimola (Karelia) was ultimately successful and the men of the flamethrower squad were decorated for it.

The Finnish Army initially ordered components for 100 M/44s with a delivery date of July 15, 1944. Assembly was carried out by Arms Depot 1 in Helsinki. According to the few documents that have been preserved, only about 40 units were completed. At the same time, attempts were made to increase the range. A safety device in the form of a ‘dead man’s switch’ on the handle of the lance was also tested, so that the flame would go out immediately if the operator was injured or killed.

After World War II, flamethrowers played practically no role in the Finnish army. A small number were still kept by the border guards for training purposes and were scrapped in the 1970s. A few years after the war, Sergeant Kuusinen received a payment of 10,000 Finnish marks for his flamethrower design. Only a few examples of the Liekinheitin M/44 have survived in museums to this day.

As explored previously in SAR’s March online offering of selected motivational posters from WWI, it’s important to understand that so-called “propaganda” is often both necessary and essential for persuading a reluctant populace to rise above their fears and enthusiastically join the common fight.

This was particularly true in the dark early days of the United States’ entry into World War II, immediately after the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941.

The American people were understandably demoralized by horrific images of dead and horribly wounded sailors and many of our previously magnificent warships gutted and fiercely burning from multiple hits by enemy torpedoes and bombs. Coming as the latest in a string of victories, Japan’s war machine seemed invincible in its relentless assault in the Pacific.

Across the Atlantic, the Axis forces of Germany and Italy were rampaging across Europe, quickly overcoming British, French, Polish and Russian resistance.

America’s dangerously extreme pacifism after the Great War of 1914-18 had left our military woefully unprepared in manpower and weaponry. All odds seemed against stopping the enemy’s worldwide assault on freedom.

But motivated by righteous rage and spurred on by hard-edged speeches by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Americans rallied to the fight. Men rushed to recruiting offices for all branches of the armed forces and women on the home front poured into defense industry factories, “The Arsenal of Democracy.”

The U.S. Office of War Information went into high gear with multiple means of mass persuasion toward support of a unified war effort including radio broadcasts, movie newsreels, newspaper features, and posters, the subject of this feature.

A handful of weapons related posters are offered here as representative of countless examples that inspired Americans to enlist, to fight, to produce weapons and munitions, to buy War Bonds, and do just about anything else needed for victory.

WE’LL LICK ‘EM. JUST GIVE US THE METAL. A determined American soldier holding a battle-damaged Japanese flag and a formidable M1 rifle with long, menacing bayonet assures arms factory workers that their output will result in victory. Credit: U.S. National Archives via Wikimedia

March 1944, Bougainville, Solomon Islands. Supported by a massive Sherman Tank and advancing cautiously with fearsome 16-inch blade M1905 bayonets fixed on their .30-06 caliber semiauto Garand Rifles, this squad of GIs got the metal they needed to hunt down, spear or shoot fanatical Japanese infiltrators. Credit: U.S. Army Signal Corps, National Archives

DON’T BE A DOPE. HANDLE EQUIPMENT RIGHT! Newly enlisted and hastily trained soldiers couldn’t always be counted on to exercise the best judgement in using their weapons only as intended. Here, the comic character Joe Dope figures his M1903 Springfield Rifle is just the thing for prying a boulder outta the way before digging his foxhole. But when urgently needed to repel a Japanese attack the rifle’s bent barrel will cause the rifle to blow up in his face. Credit: U.S. National Archives via Wikimedia

July 1944, France. With his hard hitting, long ranging, bolt action .30-06 caliber M1903 Springfield Rifle slung handily over one shoulder, T5 Dexter Clayton helps Master Sergeant Nelson Ewing tighten up wire. For some reason, Clayton also has a little .30 cal. M1 Carbine slung muzzle down behind his back. Credit: U.S. Army Signal Corps, National Archives

BACK HIM UP WITH MORE G-E PRODUCTION. With clenched teeth, a tough Marine pumps lead into the enemy with this .45 ACP Reising Submachine Gun. The message to factory workers at G-E (General Electric) is don’t slack off on the assembly lines. Quality + Quantity = Victory. Credit: U.S. National Archives via Wikimedia

December 1943, Bougainville, Solomon Islands. Corporal Henry Bake, Jr., (left) and Private First Class George H. Kirk, Navajo Indian “Code Talkers” serving with a USMC signal unit, operate a portable radio set in a clearing they’ve hacked in the dense jungle close behind the front lines.

Note Kirk’s Reising M55 submachine gun with 20-round magazine and distinctive folding wire stock. Credit: U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. National Archives

YOUR IDEAS ARE ON THE ATTACK. KEEP ‘EM COMING! Ideas are weapons! Weapons win wars! Mail your ideas and suggestions to your local Ordnance District Office…. Looking right at you over the sights of his .45 ACP M1928A1 Thompson Submachine gun with 50-round drum magazine, this combat soldier wants good ideas that will increase the effectiveness of his weapons and ammunition. Credit: U.S. National Archives via Wikimedia

31 July 1940, Hartlepool, England. Not an American Gangster of the “Roaring Twenties,” it’s British Prime Minister Winston Churchill handling an American “Tommy Gun” while visiting his soldiers manning costal defense positions in anticipation of a German attack across the English Channel. Before the U.S. entered the war a year later, thousands of these iconic submachine guns were supplied to Britain under the Lend Lease Program. Credit: Imperial War Museum via Wikimedia

TIME TO GO! – & BEAT OUR QUOTA! A U.S. Paratrooper leaps out of a transport plane holding on tight to his little .30 caliber M1 Carbine. Factory workers at the Inland Division of General Motors, the largest producer of carbines, were encouraged to never miss a day in the desperate rush to turn out the many tens of thousands urgently needed by American GIs. Credit: U.S. National Archives via Wikimedia  

8 March 1945, Cologne, Germany. Combat infantrymen of Company G, 415^th Infantry, 104^th Infantry Division, take a well-deserved break during a lull in fighting. Second from left is Private First Class John Thresher of East Prairie, Missouri, who has taped a couple of 15-round magazines together for quickly reloading his light, handy, semiauto M1 Carbine in the heat of battle. U.S. Army Signal Corps, National Archives via Wikimedia

A GOOD SOLDIER STICKS TO HIS POST! And factory workers – “Soldiers of Production,” need to stick to the job at hand. Despite an apparent head wound and with artillery shells exploding nearby, this determined GI is no slacker, blasting the enemy with long bursts of bullets from his M1917A1 Browning Machine Gun. Credit: U.S. National Archives via Wikimedia

June 1942, Fort Knox Kentucky. Famed commercial photographer Alfred Palmer skillfully staged and captured this dramatic color image of a young GI with his pedestal mounted M1917A1, a 30-06 caliber, water cooled, belt fed machine gun, training to shoot down the enemy’s close attack aircraft. Credit: Office of War Information, National Archives via Wikimedia                                   

YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS EITHER! With bursts from his powerful .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun, this aerial gunner has just sent a Japanese Zero fighter into a fiery death spiral and he’s eager to get another one. The message to all American adult civilians is not to miss regularly purchasing War Bonds to finance the astronomical costs of the war effort. Credit: Office of War Information, National Archives via Wikimedia

1943. Staff Sergeant Maynard Smith posing for a news release photo with a .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun in a bomber’s waist gunner window position. Smith was a ball turret gunner in the 423^rd Bomb Squadron, 306^th Bomb Group, 8^th Air Force, on the 1 May 1943 mission to bomb heavily defended German submarine pens at Saint-Nazaire, France. His heroism and gunnery skill against a swarm of enemy fighter planes on that fateful day led to him earning the Medal of Honor. Credit: Army Air Corps, U.S. Air Force via Wikimedia  

KEEP IT UP BROTHER. THIS WAR’S NOT WON BY A DAMN SIGHT! With an M1911A1 pistol at the ready, this brave GI in the heat of combat urges defense factory workers to work harder and not slow down just because it looks like the Allies are beginning to win the war. Credit: Office of War Information, National Archives via Wikimedia

December 1942, Achncarry, Scotland. Armed with a hard-hitting, highly reliable, semiauto, .45 ACP M1911A1 pistol, this mud splattered soldier of the U.S. Army’s 29^th Ranger Battalion is ready to move out during intense commando training under battle-hardened British Royal Marines. In live fire or the real thing, he would certainly have racked the slide to load a round and move the hammer into cocked position. Credit: U.S. Army Signal Corps, National Archives

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.

Unfortunately, the word “propaganda” has come to be regarded as something bad; misleading at best and outright lies at worst. While this is true in too many cases, propaganda as originally intended is employed in various forms simply as a means of persuading its audience.

Between 1914 and 1918 – the period of “The Great War” (World War One, as we have come to call it) – poster art had achieved well-deserved prominence as an advertising and communications medium.

Usually big and bold, with colorful, eye-catching images and compelling words, posters were displayed almost anywhere a vertical surface was available on which to paste them.

So, posters were an obvious choice for mostly ethical propaganda as a means of encouraging a nation’s populace to support the war effort in all aspects. Messages included recruiting, training, honoring battle prowess, soliciting money, spurring greater war production, and certainly to negatively characterize the enemy.

As noted by O.W. Riegel, a propaganda analyst for the U.S. Office of War Information, “In the overall view, posters of the First World War were exhortations that sought to exploit people’s conscious or subconscious vulnerabilities to appeals to basic emotions of self-preservation, tribal patriotic pride, and traditional morality.”

What we’re offering here is a small selection from among thousands of these propaganda posters produced by combatant nations embroiled in the first war of a truly global scale.

And since our focus is, of course, on man portable weaponry, our choices are based on how some prominent examples of these weapons were skillfully and dramatically incorporated in the messaging.

MEN WANTED FOR THE ARMY. When this poster was created in 1914, the war in Europe had just started but America was officially neutral. Foreseeing what would soon become inevitable, the woefully undermanned U.S. Army stepped up recruiting. Here, a stalwart infantry corporal carrying an M1903 Springfield rifle leads his squad running toward their objective. The iconic felt campaign hats would be exchanged in 1917 for British style “tin hats” or French “Adrian” helmets in the trenches. Credit: Library of Congress via Wikimedia

May 18, 1918, Badonviller, France. These “Doughboys” of the American 42^nd Division are snipers, draped from head to toe in formless sack cloth camouflage and armed with M1903 Springfields, the Army’s standard infantry rifle. Highly accurate and very reliable, the 8.7-pound .30-06 caliber, bolt action rifle was sometimes fitted with an optical scope for target identification and longer-range sniping. Credit: US Army Signal Corps, National Archives

“AMMUNITION!” This American soldier has his hand outstretched in a plea for more ammo for his smoking hot French 8mm Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun. Somewhat improbably slung over his shoulder, he has a .30-06 caliber M1903 Springfield Rifle with fixed bayonet. Civilians at home were urged to buy War Bonds to help finance the astronomical costs of war materiel. Credit: Library of Congress

May 10, 1918, France. U.S. 1^st Infantry Division soldiers on the firing range with a French Mle 1914 machine gun on the awkward Omnibus tripod. When serving alongside French forces, shortages of American weapons and ammunition, as well as logistical efficiency, dictated the need to equip American troops with these combat-proven, 8mm, strip fed, air cooled guns with distinctive “doughnut” cooling fins. Note their “tin hat” style Brodie helmets, a holstered .45 caliber M1911 pistol, and sheathed “bolo” knife. Credit: US Army Heritage and Education Center

FIRST IN FRANCE. Deployed to the European battlefields at Verdun in March 1918, American Marines were – along with elements of the U.S. Army’s 2^nd Division – the first U.S. troops to join the fight against Germany and its allies. The artist has portrayed this charging “Devil Dog’s” .30-06 caliber Lewis Gun on ungainly bipod with dead-on accuracy. While not specific in intent, multiple messages are conveyed in this poster including praise for courageous Marines, sparking admiration among civilians at home and inspiring young men to enlist in the Corps. Credit: Library of Congress

1917. No location noted but probably on the range at MCB Quantico, Virginia, the Marine Corps is conducting firing tests of the Lewis Machine Gun. Soon proving quite satisfactory, some 6,000 of these were quickly ordered from Savage Arms. These pan-fed, air cooled, .30-06 caliber Model 1917 guns armed Marines sent to France in 1917. Credit: Library of Congress

MINE MORE COAL. This poster serves dual duty in urging America’s coal miners to increase production because coal fuels war material factories and fires boilers in trains and in cargo ships transporting supplies to soldiers in France. Dramatically posed side by side with pickaxe and Browning Automatic Rifle at the ready, they both fulfill necessary and honorable duty in the war. Credit: Library of Congress

18 February 1918, France. US Army Lieutenant Val Browning, son of prolific firearms inventor John M. Browning, is conducting a demonstration of his father’s Model 1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. The 15½ pound weapon was fed by a detachable magazine holding twenty .30-06 cartridges. Although not arriving until very late in the war, these highly reliable and accurate machine rifles were a godsend to Doughboys previously armed with the crude but surprisingly useful French Chauchat. Credit: U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center

THEY SHALL NOT PASS! “Twice I have stood fast and conquered on the Marne,” saving Paris from German occupation. By 1918, French and Allied soldiers had been deadlocked in vicious, savage and increasingly futile trench warfare for four horrific years. With bayonet fixed on his Fusil Modéle 1886/93 “Lebel” rifle, this ragged, battle-ravaged Poilu stands defiantly amid the shell blasted desolation of “no mans land.” Credit: Author’s collection/Library of Congress

1912, France. Two years before the outbreak of war, these well dressed and fully equipped French Chasseurs pause briefly during training maneuvers. An impressively long Modéle 1886/93 rifle in the foreground is readily identified by its straight bolt handle and 30½ inch long barrel. Its tubular magazine holds eight rounds of 8mm Lebel smokeless powder cartridges. Credit: Bibliotheque Nationale De France via Wikimedia

AND YOU? Sign War Loans. Asking his fellow German citizens to give money to support the war, a somewhat forlorn German infantryman clutches a “potato masher” stick grenade, ready to assault enemy trenches. This not so subtle, guilt-inducing appeal to civilians of the Fatherland is seen in similar posters from all the other combatant nations. Credit: Philasearch.com via Wikimedia

STAHLHELM HELDEN (Steel Helmet Heroes). This propaganda postcard image is from a series depicting heroic German soldiers in WWI. Here, Stosstruppen (shock troops) assault French positions with a hail of Stielhandgranaten (stick grenades). Additional grenades are carried in pairs of sandbags draped over their shoulders. This is a late war scene, probably 1917 or 1918 when grenades of all types had become the primary weapons of trench warriors on both sides. Credit: Philasearch.com via Wikimedia

MILITARY WAR LOANS. The Imperial Russian Army was very poorly prepared when it entered the war against Germany in 1914. A rush to mobilization and necessary war production followed, including the need for large numbers of heavy machine guns. This 1916 poster shows a rather idealized and uncommonly clean gun crew in combat action, firing their Pulemyot Maxima PM1910 (Maxim’s machine gun Model 1910) and urges everyone to “aid our glorious troops, and all who can must subscribe to the 5½ percent war loan.” Credit: Baburina N.I. via Wikimedia    

Although this photo was taken a decade or so after the Revolution of 1917 that took Tsarist Russia out of WWI, it’s useful in depicting the similar composition of a typical Red Army heavy machine gun section. Under the watchful eyes of two pistol-packing officers and flanked by protective riflemen who double as ammunition carriers, the gunner and his assistant are prepared to engage the enemy with a torrent of powerful 7.62 mm bullets from their Pulemyot Maxima PM1910. This iconic water-cooled and belt-fed weapon, characterized by its steel shield and wheeled Sokolov mount, has a sustained fire capability of 600 rounds per minute. Credit: Ukrainian SSR via Wikimedia

One of the most famous machine guns of the World War I, the Lewis MG, was based on a basic design by Samuel McClean. However, the eager tinkerer and inventor himself was denied great success throughout his life.

The name Samuel Neal McClean means something to only a few machine gun enthusiasts today. Yet the man was extremely active in this field and ultimately held more than 150 patents for weapons technology alone. Along the way, he also invented and improved washing machines, spark plugs and other devices.

McClean was born in Columbus City, Iowa, in January 1857. At the age of 28, he successfully completed his studies in human medicine at the University of Iowa and then practiced medicine in Washington. In the course of time, however, his penchant for technology probably gained the upper hand and, in 1896, he dissolved his medical practice. From then on, McClean devoted himself to the development and improvement of all kinds of technical equipment. And, of course, weapons.

In 1900, he therefore founded his own McClean Arms & Ordnance Company in Cleveland, Ohio and hoped to successfully market his projects. One of the first was a self-loading pistol and automatic cannon called the 37mm L/51 Automatic Cannon Mk I. Basically, the cannon was equivalent to an oversized gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. A new feature was the possibility of continuous fire. In the spring of 1901, 670 rounds were fired with it at Sandy Hook Proving Ground, but the results were not very satisfactory. Malfunctions and defects brought the test to an early end. But even after revision and new trials, firing bursts never succeeded without problems. Even though the U.S. Army showed no interest in it, the company was able to sell some copies abroad, such as 218 rifles to Russia.

At the same time, another major project was underway, namely a water-cooled machine gun. McClean was so convinced of success that he invested almost his entire fortune in the development of this weapon. Contrary to expectations, the work dragged on and turned out to be more difficult than he had foreseen. The expenses were offset by only a small income from sales and McClean was forced to sell his company to investors. However, he himself remained general manager and continued to work on his projects. In 1908, he brought the U.S. Army officer Ormond Mitchell Lissak on board as support. Together they developed a water-cooled gas-operated weapon. The complicated design tended to jam and failed U.S. Army and U.S. Navy tests. By this time, the company’s coffers were already alarmingly depleted and in December 1909, the Arms & Ordnance Company was forced to close. All patents were transferred by the investors to the newly founded Automatic Arms Company the following year.

McClean was now no longer there. He moved to the innovation department of the automobile manufacturer General Motors as an employee. The Automatic Arms Company now recruited the U.S. Army officer and weapons engineer Isaac Newton Lewis to give the machine gun project a successful turn after all. And the decision was a good one, because on the basis of the preliminary work Lewis developed a light, air-cooled machine gun with a drum magazine on top, which was then produced in large numbers during the World War I. McClean took legal action against the transfer of his patents in 1920, but he lost the case. He was not allowed to share in the success of the Lewis machine gun.

Even after the World War I, Samuel McClean was not defeated. In the meantime, he had earned money again with his work at General Motors and his civilian inventions and tried his hand again in the weapons sector. He developed an automatic rifle that could also fire bursts. Ideally, it was fired from a tripod with a small seat for the shooter on the rear strut. The unusual magazine is built like a ring and is slid over the rifle from the front until it locks in its place. The cartridge feed is from the top, the case ejection to the lower left.

The gas-operated system of the weapon resembles that of his early machine guns. The weapon is not an aesthetically pleasing sight. Below the barrel sits an unusually large gas tube, containing a push rod with a sealing disc of a proud 2.6cm diameter. There is no fire selector, but there are two triggers. The rear one for semi-automatic function and the front one for continuous fire. The system is cocked by a handle on the right side. It moves during firing and can be folded down when not in use. The barrel and the gas tube are additionally connected with a clamp, on the underside of which the foregrip is attached. In contrast to most other automatic weapons, the bolt does not lock via a few sturdy lugs but via interrupted-thread style locking lugs milled into both sides.

McClean gave the rifle to the U.S. Navy in 1919 for testing at the Naval Air Station in Anacostia (Washington D.C.). Unfortunately, without success. After this renewed failure, he gave up gun building for good and continued to work at General Motors. Samuel Neal McClean died in Cleveland on 30 May 1930.

Due to fortunate circumstances, the only one produced has been preserved to this day. Albeit without a magazine. And unfortunately, partially cut open, because in the United States the weapon is considered a machine gun and one of the previous owners had legalized the unregistered weapon in this way by deactivating it.

Photos: Thanks to Morphy Auctions for photos and information.

Most firearms of the early 20th Century have worn faint, but discernable trails through history. However, there are some mysterious guns that history all but forgets, save for a mention in the odd contract proposal, trial report, or journal of the day. These guns are the subject of this series of articles. Hopefully, with a little research and the help of our curious readers, we can learn about and solve some of history’s firearm mysteries.

Today’s topic is the Faletans semi-automatic rifle and its inventor. This is one of the very rare cases where no other articles or books have been written on this subject. What I was able to gather for this article was from reports I have read through and a very helpful and in-depth look into the Faletans family, courtesy of one of its living members.

The Who

The roots of the De Faletans family can be traced back to the year 1269. Being of a lower class of nobility, they took part in most conflicts that France got involved in. In 1871, Charles Constant dit Nicolas de Thierry de Faletans would become the new patriarch after his father, also named Constant, passed away. In the same year, he would marry Olga Aleksandrovna Naryshkina, giving us an important clue to his future inventions and deals with Imperial Russia.

Charles de Faletans is very likely the inventor of our mystery rifle. Being named the Marquis, he would be the only one in the family who could title his inventions and investments with his full title, which he did very often. He would invest in the Ouro Preto Gold Mines in 1884 and is only named in the certificate as “Marquis.” He was also nicknamed Balle-aur-couer (Bullseye) de Faletans, as he would frequent exhibitions of marksmanship on a regular basis.

Nicolas’s clear interest in firearms helps us understand how he began working on one of his first inventions in the field of gunsmithing. This was a small caliber conversion for the Berdan and Gras rifles, patented in the early 1890s. According to some sources, the Berdan conversion was allegedly adopted by Russia. So, it’s not hard to presume that his connections to Russian nobility helped his invention along the trial process, as his wife Olga was highly connected with the Tsarina of Russia.

The What

In the early 1900s, Britain would test a couple of semi-automatic rifles, including the Mondrágon, the Kjellman rifle (presented by Captain P. Möller), and the Cei-Rigotti. Another, mentioned in the Small Arms Committee (SAC) files is the Marquis de Faletan’s rifle and carbine, tested on the 4th of July of 1903. The SAC describes the rifle as follows:

“The thin barrel of a Mauser M1888 rifle, capable of sliding ½-inch to the rear within its steel barrel casing. Round the barrel was a spiral spring which forced the barrel to the front. Underneath the barrel was a projection slotted out longitudinally, in which were two pivoted levers; the front one retains the barrel in its rearmost position while the bolt is traveling to and fro. The bottom of the rear lever strikes a projection on the magazine, and the top of this lever throws the bolt with considerable additional velocity to the rear” 

“The bolt is locked by lugs on the front end engaging in recesses in the barrel immediately in the rear of the chamber. On the left side of the bolt is a longitudinal groove which is curved at the rear end. A stud pinned into the body works in this groove and unlocks the bolt on recoil taking place. The bolt is operated by hand by means of a slide on the right side provided with a handle.”

The rifle described seems to operate with a recoil system that pivots two levers when the action is operated. The Marquis continues by specifying that the rifle, in .311 caliber (described as being a short cartridge for Mauser rifles) was still in its early experimental stage while the short carbine, in 7.63x25mm Mauser, was more refined. In tests, the SAC did determine that, while the rifle version of the firearm did not perform well, the carbine version was remarked as working fairly well. He also offered to modify the current service rifle of the time, the M.L.E., to function with his system.

The Marquis would contact the SAC one more time to offer a full-sized caliber rifle for further testing by the committee, presumably in .303. But, following this letter, there was no further correspondence between the committee and Mr. De Faletans.

There are, however, reports of the Faletans rifle being tested by Switzerland in 1904. One year after that, Faletans’ rifle was submitted for testing in the United Kingdom. Even though I have seen some of the results of the Swiss trials, there is no mention of the rifle in the files I have gone through.

Where Does This Leave Us?

After this, the trail runs cold. To recap, the only mentions of this mystery rifle were found in the files of semi-automatic firearm evaluation conducted by the Small Arms Committee and on two old magazines which give no sources for the information they share. Even Faletans’ own patents don’t confirm the identity of our mystery designer, despite this, it can be presumed that only the current ruling member of the family could title himself as the “Marquis” which narrows down our choice to one member, Mr. Charles de Thierry de Faletans.

Nonetheless, I do have a few theories that I have discussed with other friends interested in this mystery;

Theory One: The Unknown Royal Armouries Example

There is a rifle in the Royal Armouries that somewhat fits with the description given to us by the Small Arms Committee. It’s in a very rough shape, like the rifle caliber version described in the documents, and it’s also a recoil-operated gun that uses two levers in a toggle position to operate the action. Despite this, the rifle might be the work of one Herbert Woodgate, more notable for his part in the Griffiths & Woodgate rifle. He took out a patent in 1906 which does resemble, although not perfectly, the gun in question.

Theory Two: The Mauser Connection

Mr. Rupert Willoughby, one of Faletans’s descendants, provided me with a chapter of the book he wrote about the Faletans family in which he mentions Charles Constant dit Nicolas’s inventions. He writes that in the summer of 1896, Nicolas was at Oberndorf am Neckar having two prototype rifles made by the Mauser company. This would explain the fact that the caliber of the two rifles were directly influenced by Mauser, as a reminder, one in 7.63x25mm and the other in what the inventor described as a “short cartridge for Mauser rifles.”

At the same time, this would mean that the first semi-automatic rifles ever made by the Mauser company were not even designed by Paul Mauser himself, predating the C98 flapper locking self-loader by two years. However, as far as I am aware, there is also no mention of Faletans in the Mauser literature.

How You Can Help

As mentioned before, I know of some sources that mention the Faletans, such as the Swiss trials reports of this rifle, but I have not been able to get a hold of these reports or any other comparable documents. I would also be very interested if anyone has a picture of something that might possibly be the Faletans.

I propose to you, the reader, that together we can solve these firearm mysteries. If you have any leads or additional information that I did not mention in this article, I urge you to send me an email at sircoutin@gmail.com.