SURPLUS, CLASSIC & TACTICAL

In the 1970s Northern Ireland was a tinderbox. The ongoing ethno-nationalist conflagration was called simply “The Troubles,” and it ultimately claimed...

The Swiss Infanterie Repetier Gewehr M1889 (Infantry Repeating Rifle Model 1889) and its M90 (7.5 x 53.5mm) smokeless powder cartridge were the mountainous...

Ask Colt revolver fans to list as many D-Frame models as they can and chances are the results will include fairly well-known names — many decidedly snaky.

Each Heckler and Koch VP70 sported a detachable shoulder stock and a radical polymer frame.

If you asked AK enthusiasts to rate the varied models of the venerable Galil by their quality of manufacture and shootability, the Israeli Galil, and...

In addition to the 1911 pistol, Browning designed every major machinegun used by the U.S. armed forces during World War II.

When the U.S. military selects a new rifle or pistol, some mighty fine “also-rans” are the inevitable result. Want a relatively recent example?

If there ever were a name to conjure up strong images of Western battles and big game hunts, it would be the name Sharps.

Bullpups are a fascinating breed and they’ve charmed shooters and weapons’ engineers for decades. It’s no accident in an era of highly mobile,...

When I was growing up, Ruger’s first entry into the long gun market was their unique .44 Magnum Carbine introduced in 1960. It was a head-turner.

While the American Civil War was raging, the U.S. Navy was already casting about for a metallic cartridge replacement for their cap-and-ball revolvers.

It’s easy to write off the RPK as an uninspired solution to a thorny tactical problem. The action is standard Kalashnikov, the barrel is fixed and the...

Springfield Trapdoors abound at gun shows, gun shops, pawnshops and in private collections. Some are so beat up they surely were in the Indian Wars.

You wouldn’t have recognized the elderly, and obviously eccentric, man roaming the wharves and streets of St. Petersburg, FL. Dressed in pajama bottoms,...

Given their extreme modularity, ARs are the chameleon of the firearms world. They can be configured in scores of different ways to fulfill a variety of...

Splashed across the pages and back covers of gun magazines of the 1950s and ’60s were the world’s greatest milsurp treasures from importers like Hunters...

In 2018, Savage is at the top of its game with a complete face-lift being given to their successful Model 110 line. First came their revolutionary and...

Fitting a handgun with a shoulder stock typically requires registration with the federal government, a $200 tribute and an interminable wait. What you get...

The years between the end of the Civil War and the adoption of the Krag-Jorgensen in 1892 was a period of continual experimentation by the Ordnance...

When I think of the Steyr M1912, I think of comedian Rodney Dangerfield’s immortal line: “I don’t get no respect at all.”

Centerfire rifles firing pint-sized pistol cartridges make a lot of sense. They’re fun — and cheap — to shoot. And their minimal recoil means the...

Ruger is proving to be a great proponent of the .450 Bushmaster cartridge — and why not?

When planning my book, Shooting World War II Small Arms, I almost didn’t include the Swedish Model 1896 Mauser chambered for 6.5x55.

Are you a purposeful collector or do you tend to simply accumulate a gun here and a gun there? Or are you so highly focused you cut through a gun show like...

Winchester billed their Model 1873 lever gun as “The Rifle that Won the West.” It didn’t, at least not all by itself but it did win my West.

Few guns have had the near-universal acceptance enjoyed by HK’s roller-lock family of weapons. From the iconic 9mm MP5 SMG to the .308 G3 battle rifle,...

The flintlock as we know it evolved over many decades. Though the history of firearms development is misty on the subject, it appears the familiar flintlock...

There is an elegance to the single-shot pistol not reflected in revolvers or semi-autos. They’re sleek, simple in action, easy to tune and nicely balanced.

Introduced in 1936 and reigning as America’s premier centerfire rifle until discontinued, the pre-’64 Winchester Model 70 was advertised as the...

Introduced in 1936 along with the Model 70, the M71, an improved version of the Model 1886, was in production from 1936 to 1958 with 47,254 made over a span...

It was a head turner as well as the first new, commercial cartridge introduced after World War II, and interestingly enough it was purely a varmint...

James P. Lee, a Scotsman by birth and a naturalized American citizen by choice, left an immense footprint on the firearms scene in the latter half of the...

From September 1, 1939, until September 2, 1945, somewhere between 50 and 80 million people lost their lives. World War II was the bloodiest, most...

Americans love their tactical shotguns. I think there’s a whiff of buckshot embedded in our collective DNA. As a country, we’ve carried them in every...

As originally envisioned after World War II, the FAL was a lithe select-fire rifle chambered in a to-be-determined intermediate-power cartridge along the...

The world of rimfire has been the scene of some very interesting designs over the years, both in firearms and ammunition. Several examples stand out in my...

Chassis shooters, rejoice! You no longer have to go to an extended range to hone your fundamental shooting skills—100 yards will do—and your ammunition...

Outpost 20, May 14, 1918, 2 a.m. Pvt. Henry Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts were manning the forward observation post in the Argonne Forest in the...

Gun collecting is a lot like big game hunting. You search for a specific quarry, stalking through endless gun shows, gun shops, antique shops, pawn shops,...

It never fails. Navigating through the SHOT Show, you turn a corner and suddenly you’re face-to-face with a product you didn’t know existed.

After having introduced their proprietary .26, .28, .30 and .33 beltless magnums, the small end of the Nosler line needed filling out. A

The Czech arms industry has enjoyed a long and rich history of innovative small arms design. Familiar examples coming to mind are the WWII Bren light...

Germany’s legendary Luger (Pistole Parabellum 1908) was never a great service pistol. Difficult to manufacture, the Luger P08 needed extensive hand...

The lessons taught by the telescopic-sighted rifle in the trenches of WWI didn’t exactly lie fallow in the British military after WWI. But implementing...

I like the 9mm M9 service pistol. It’s been in GI holsters now for over 30 years, it’s fought wars and pacified the streets of many of our cities in...