SURPLUS, CLASSIC & TACTICAL
WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND WORTH GETTING YOUR HANDS ON
Smith & Wesson...
A review of the S&W M48 .22 Magnum
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JC Higgins Model 80
The JC Higgins Model 80 is a classic.22 LR pistol by Hi-Standard
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.41 Magnum Old...
The Ruger Old Model Blackhawk is a great revolver in .41 Magnum
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Portugal Mauser 937
It’s very rare these days, but caches of World War II surplus still turn up. I recently discovered 1937-contract Portuguese m/937A and 1941 m/937B Mauser...
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The Browning Nomad
One definition of “sleeper” is, according to Merriam-Webster, “someone or something unpromising or unnoticed that suddenly attains prominence or value.”
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The Winchester...
Although revered for designing such battlefield classics as the Model 1911 pistol, M1919 and M2 machine guns and the great Browning Automatic Rifle, John M....
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The MAB Model D
Even if you ignore the caliber limitations, the MAB Model D is probably not a first-line choice as a carry gun, but it’s a cool item with a Gallic...
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Remington Model 8
Sometimes, a particular firearm can flat-out grab your attention just by the way it looks. For many of us, such models might include the P-08 Luger, Mauser...
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Stevens No. 35 Offhand
From its 1864 founding through its eventual 1920 absorption by Savage, the Stevens Arms Company was responsible for several signature creations — the...
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Chicago Typewriter
While the Thompson was a sub-optimal infantry tool, the argument could be made it was the finest criminal implement ever devised. Even today, little can...
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A Garand Adventure
In the late 1980’s, the name Blue Sky became famous among American military arms enthusiasts when the company began buying and importing M1 rifles from...
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Gangster Guns!
In the early third of the 20th century we Americans really did embrace small government. The nation nearly starved during the Great Depression, and citizens...
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SIG P226
Somewhere along the line during the past 40 years, the 9mm auto became “coin of the realm” in LE, military and, yes, civilian use.
They’ve been...
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Savage Model 23-B
In the 129 years Savage Arms has been in business, the company has produced more than its share of iconic firearms — the Model 99 lever-action rifle, the...
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Russia's Gas-Sealing Nagant
When it comes to handguns, the name, “Nagant,” in Russia carries with it the same weight and immediate recognition as “Colt” does in the United States.
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Walther OSP
In terms of specialization for a specific competitive purpose, few pistols — if any — can hold a candle to the Walther OSP.
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Beretta Model 71 Jaguar
Colt had its family of “Snake Guns,” revolvers such as the Python, Cobra, Diamondback and Anaconda. Beretta meanwhile birthed a family of “Cat...
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The Benelli Vinci
I can still recall the considerable splash Benelli’s seriously unconventional Vinci shotgun made on its 2009 introduction.
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Remington No. 4S Rolling Block
Remington’s Rolling Block — a simple, efficient single-shot action developed in the mid-1860s — served as an interim system worldwide (along with the...
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Addictions
Addiction is an unfortunate and ubiquitous component of my day job. I have seen folks addicted to cigarettes, narcotics, sex, ice, alcohol and children. The...
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The Finnish M28 Rifle
The Russians, under the leadership of a power-mad dictator, attacked a vastly smaller and weaker neighbor with what looked like overwhelming military force....
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The Lefever Nitro Special .410
The roll call of classic American-made side-by-sides is an evocative one: Ithaca, LC Smith, Fox, Parker, Lefever, Ithaca, Winchester and Remington.
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French 1886 Lebel
In the history of firearms, the French Mle.1886 rifle — unofficially and universally nicknamed the “Lebel” — looms large as the weapon making all...
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S&W Model 41-1
Most of us look upon .22 pistols as recreational plinkers, beer-can poppers or small game guns so it’s easy to overlook how much rich history they have in...
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The Colt Trooper
If you’re going to make a case for the 1950s as being the Golden Age of double-action revolvers, it’s going to be a fairly easy task because you’re...
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The Delightful Savage 1907
No less a gunfighter than Bat Masterson said this about the Savage 1907: “A tenderfoot with a Savage Automatic and the nerve to stand his ground, could...
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Polish P-64 SZKOLNY...
Today, let’s consider the Polish P-64 pistol. It was designed in the 1950s and finally adopted in 1965, but such is the nature of government-managed...
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Austria-Hungary’s M95 Rifle
Used primarily by Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria, the M95 rifle proved itself one of the finest battle rifles of the First World War.
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The Sacred Church of...
The M1 carbine was the most-produced American military firearm of World War II. In 1938 the Chief of Infantry asked the Ordnance Department to develop a...
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Page-Lewis Model D
Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, it seems virtually every American gunmaker offered at least one “boy’s rifle.”
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