Shortly after the adoption of the Kalashnikov design in 1949, Soviet small-arms development found itself at a doctrinal crossroads. The AK emerged as the final survivor of a rigorous postwar rifle competition, and, in an odd twist, it was accepted despite not fully meeting the full-auto accuracy ...
No other handgun cartridge has experienced quite as many ups, down and reinventions of purpose in so short a time as the 10mm Auto. Generally thought to have been a product of the 1980s, the 10mm’s whole story actually goes back further. A Brief History of the 10mm The mid-twentieth century saw...
Fifty years of continuous production is rare in the firearms world, and even rarer when the original design remains relevant. The CZ 75 has done exactly that, and this seven-pistol anniversary set captures the lineage in metal, wood, and markings that reflect decades of refinement. An excellent o...
In the mid-1950s, the Soviet high command accepted a compromise that would shape frontline infantry small arms for decades: prioritizing platform commonality over dedicated squad-level suppressive fire capability. That decision, formalized with the 1959 adoption of an AK-derived automatic rifle, ...
In the years after World War II, the Soviet military asked a simple question: how could an infantry squad bring a higher volume of automatic fire without surrendering mobility? A lesson they learned from the Eastern Front, where volume of fire was king. The answer, in part, was the RPD; this ligh...
Hearing, comms, performance, and downstream liability all get better when the rifle is less abusive to everyone standing near it.
In 2015, photographs and videos began circulating of several prototype rifle designs from the mid-2010s, chambered for an obscure experimental round, the 6x49, which was the Soviet Union's unified 6mm cartridge . The photos and videos show new developmental rifles chambered for the Soviet-er...
DPP, RMSc, RMR, ACRO, and Doctor Optics: all similar but different red dot footprints. Are you confused yet? The world of optics footprints is messy and confusing. The naming conventions sometimes overlap, also adding to the quagmire. In this article, we’ll sort through it all to provide a clea...
To readers of The Armory Life and many 1911 afficionados, Hilton Yam is going to be a familiar name. In the company of the many great gunsmiths and competitors who have built their professions around the construction or use of 1911 pistols, Yam offers a very unique perspective...
SHOT Show 2026 revealed a suppressor industry inflection point—$199 cans, cooling tech, and compact over-the-barrel designs pointing toward mainstream adoption. The post [SHOT 2026] The Year of the Suppressor appeared first on The Truth About Guns.