Guns of the OSS: The High Standard HDM
Many of James Bond’s gadgets are pure fantasy, but some of them are rooted in aspects of reality. Some real life examples of similar objects were used during World ... Read more
Before the Guns: Ruger’s Hand Drill
When you think of Ruger, you immediately think of drills and other hardware tools you would find in your toolbox, right? No? Well, that could have been the path Ruger ... Read more
Evolution of the Winchester Lever-Action Rifle
Unless you’re a lifelong student of them, it can be hard to keep all of the details of the Winchester lever-action rifles straight. So, here’s a “cheat sheet” of important ... Read more
Ed McGivern’s Fast & Fancy Shooting
When the October 1974 issue of American Rifleman came out, featuring a cover story on Ed McGivern to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, it would have a lasting ... Read more
My Friend the Knuckleduster
No, I’m not being cheeky calling the knuckleduster revolver my friend. Instead, I’m using its actual name. James Reid got a wonderful belated Christmas present in 1865. On December 26, ... Read more
Inside the Collection of the National Museum of the United States Army
It wasn’t until fairly recently that I became aware of the fact that the U.S. Army is the only branch of our military not to have a national museum. This ... Read more
Book Review – Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor
You may have read Black Hawk Down and/or Lone Survivor. If you have (hell, even if you haven’t), next on your reading list should be Red Platoon: A True Story of American ... Read more
It Won’t Happen Here, or Why I Carry a Gun
This just happened at approximately 3:50pm Eastern time, Sunday, September 4, 2016. I was sitting in the parking lot of the local grocery store this afternoon — the Food Lion in ... Read more
Something Fishy: Joseph Aster’s Foot Operated Revolver
There’s an old rumor floating around that Charles Duell, commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (1898 – 1901), once said, “Everything that can be invented has been ... Read more
The US Military’s Last Flintlock Pistol
The concept of percussion ignition was invented in 1805 by a Scottish Reverend named Alexander Forsyth. English-born artist Joshua Shaw invented what we know as the percussion cap in 1822. ... Read more
