Russia’s Machine Gun Belts: From Soviet Legacy to Future Warfare

As warfare evolves, the machine gun will always be needed. The technology surrounding it may change, but the basic requirement remains the same. One area where Russia has taken a noticeably different path from many Western countries is machine gun belts. Russian PK and PKM belts can be a headache...

By Lynndon Schooler

Ayoob: Why the “Plain Jane” 1911 is Right for Me

When I was 10 years old, I read Jeff Cooper’s articles in Guns & Ammo magazine in which he extolled the 1911 “.45 automatic” as the ultimate gunfighting/self-defense handgun. What he wrote made a great deal of sense to me. All these years later, it still does. Slim and flat, among ...

By Massad Ayoob

The Thompson Submachine Gun

Few firearms have had as colorful a history as that of the iconic “Tommy Gun.” It was developed for the trenches of the First World War. But, as it arrived too late, the Thompson submachine gun was marketed to civilians, and later was carried by Allied soldiers in World War II. It could be ar...

By Peter Suciu

How the 1911 Evolved Into the 2011, and Took Over the Handgun Market

John Browning’s 1911 served the U.S. military for 75 years and became one of America’s most respected handguns. More than a century later, its trigger, ergonomics, and proven operating system live on in the modern double-stack 2011. Here is how a military sidearm evolved into one of today’s...

By Ryan Hodges

Turret to Trenches: The M240 Machine Gun

Some 650 to 950 rounds per minute. That is the exact mathematical formula required to turn an enemy formation’s fighting spirit into a desperate desire to simply survive. The United States military has spent decades crafting and perfecting this formula and has ensured its fighting men and women...

By Mason Berryman

Brownells Annual Action Hero Experience

I first heard about Brownell’s Action Hero Experience the same way most attendees did: through their YouTube channel . I decided to check it out since it was only a few hours away, and I’ve never been to a 2 Gun shooting competition before. The event coordinators were gracious enough ...

By Rob G

Dale Dye: Why Marines Are Called “Devil Dogs”

It’s one of the most memorable monikers for a fighting force around, and its legend stems from a brutal battle fought more than a century ago. The term was reportedly adapted from the German Teufel Hunden, and applied to American Marines following the Battle of Belleau Wood during World Wa...

By Capt. Dale Dye, USMC (Ret)

Ayoob: The 1911 at War

I recently heard someone say that handguns have no place in military combat. History shows us otherwise. For the tanker, artilleryman, radio operator or medic whose hands are too busy at designated tasks to hold a rifle, the pistol makes enormous sense. Behind the lines when unpleasant surprises ...

By Massad Ayoob

America’s Flaming Bayonet in World War I

In early 1918, as the American Expeditionary Force prepared to face battle-hardened German troops in France, the bayonet was a vital component of the Doughboys’ combat equipment. It is difficult for many people today to understand the importance the U.S. military placed on “cold steel” duri...

By Tom Laemlein
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