POTD: Freeman Army Model – Hoard’s Armory Civil War Innovation

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Hoard’s Armory Freeman Army Model percussion revolver manufactured 1863-1865, one of approximately 2,000 made. The Ordnance Department originally ordered 5,000, but the contract wasn’t filled. Some were purchased at state and pri...

By Sam.S

Ayoob: Can You Shoot Your 1911 Backwards?

The 1911 is truly a classic gun. It is robust, reliable and easy to shoot well. Well, it’s easy to shoot for right-handers, that is. Historically, the 1911 pistol has been a right-hander’s gun. Now, the history books tell us there was a time in America when a teacher would rap a naturally lef...

By Massad Ayoob

POTD: Francotte .410 Double Shotgun/Pistol – NFA Exempt Belgian Oddity

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have an Auguste Francotte .410 bore double barrel shotgun/pistol listed as exempt from National Firearms Act provisions by ATF Firearms Technology Branch and appearing on the BATFE Curio & Relic list by serial number. Built with 14-inch blued ...

By Sam.S

POTD: General Schwarzkopf’s Gold Damascened Star BM

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a spectacular gold damascened Spanish Star BM presented to U.S. Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who led Coalition forces during the 1991 Gulf War liberation of Kuwait. A letter from his daughter Cynthia Schwarzkopf certifies this pistol by...

By Sam.S

POTD: Mauser Model 1912 Prototype – 9mm Luger Experiment

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have Mauser Model 1912 prototype serial number 13 in 9mm Luger, one of a very limited number manufactured around 1912 for experimental purposes. This exact pistol and its internal workings are pictured on pages 93-94 of “Mauser Pistolen&#8221...

By Sam.S

POTD: Richard Davis 1919A6 – Commercial Browning with Bipod Mobility

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Richard William Davis manufactured Browning 1919A6 belt-fed machine gun built from a new-made sideplate and military surplus components. The A6 variant was developed during WWII in response to Germany’s MG34 and MG42, giving American t...

By Sam.S

POTD: German Enigma Machine jla/44 – 150 Quintillion Settings

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a 1944 Heimsoeth & Rinke Enigma machine marked “18499/jla/44”, one of an estimated 250-350 surviving examples from approximately 37,000 manufactured for the Wehrmacht during WWII. Arthur Scherbius designed the Enigma in 1918 as...

By Sam.S

POTD: Thompson .30-06 Autorifle Prototype – The Only One Ever Made

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have the only known example of an experimental Thompson .30-06 selective fire auto-rifle, documented in “Thompson: The American Legend” by Tracie Hill. Built in December 1943, this one-off prototype demonstrates how the Thompson submach...

By Sam.S

Is the AR-15 a Good Choice for a Beginner?

Its popularity is undeniable within the world of firearms. The AR design has been around since the 1950’s and is only becoming more commonplace in the firearms landscape. In addition, the range of variants of this design available these days is staggering. Their uses are as expansive as their d...

By Adam Scepaniak
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