POTD: Needham Conversion Bridesburg Musket – 1of 5,020 Converted

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Needham conversion of a Bridesburg rifle-musket with an 1863-dated lock, one of approximately 5,020 Civil War muzzleloaders converted to breechloading centerfire using the Needham side-opening system. After the war the Army was sitting on an...

By Sam.S

POTD: Brown Manufacturing Ballard – Scarce Newburyport Single Shot

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Brown Manufacturing Company Ballard Patent single shot sporting rifle manufactured 1869 to 1873 out of Newburyport, Massachusetts, with at least 500 produced according to Flayderman’s Guide. Brown Manufacturing was one of several small...

By Sam.S

The Rimfire Report: Do You Have The Green For This Historic Henry?

When we talk about rimfires today, we mostly think of .22LR, .22 Short or maybe .22 Magnum. In the past few years, we’ve seen .17 HMR and .21 Sharp come on the scene, and the .17 HM2 come and go. All these cartridges have their advantages and disadvantages, but they’re all small-bore ...

By Zac K

POTD: Colt Model 1909 – Army Issue Before the 1911 Took Over

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a 1911-manufactured Colt Model 1909 double action revolver marked “UNITED STATES PROPERTY” on the barrel underside with RAC inspection marks on the barrel, frame, cylinder, and left grip. The 1909 was the Army’s standard side...

By Sam.S

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver — The Big-Tailed Beast

In 1937, the Curtiss SBC Helldiver entered service, but even at that point, the carrier-based two-seat scout/dive bomber was on the verge of being obsolete. Interestingly, it was also the second aircraft produced by Curtiss-Wright to earn the designation “Helldiver” after the United States Ma...

By Peter Suciu

POTD: Sheridan Knockabout – Simple .22 Single Shot From the 1950s

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Sheridan Knockabout single shot pistol manufactured 1953 to 1960, chambered in .22 S/L/LR. Sheridan is mostly remembered for air guns and that’s fair, but they made this thing too. The Knockabout was about as simple as a pistol gets. S...

By Sam.S

POTD: Tennessee Women’s Correctional Colt – Institutional Markings

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Colt Official Police revolver marked “TWC 327” on the butt, issued to the Tennessee Women’s Correctional Institution. Correctional facilities ran numbered weapons inventories for exactly the reason you’d expect. Every...

By Sam.S

Wheelgun Wednesday: Would You Like Some Diamonds With Your S&W?

The high-end auction houses always have some sort of interesting firearm up for auction - sometimes it’s a rare piece of history, sometimes the gun belonged to a notable figure from the past, and sometimes, it’s a set of diamond-encrusted, gold-plastered Smith & Wesson No. 1 revol...

By Zac K

POTD: Williamson Patent Derringer – Rimfire and Percussion in One Gun

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Williamson Patent Derringer manufactured 1866 to 1870, chambered in .41 rimfire, and including a percussion adapter for converting between cartridge and cap operation. The 1860s were a transitional period where percussion and metallic cartri...

By Sam.S
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