The RPD - Soviet Union’s First Squad Automatic Weapon

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...

By Lynndon Schooler

M21 Sniper Rifle — A Short History

The renowned M14 service rifle has a complex history: it was the U.S. military’s shortest-lived service rifle yet one of the longest in service. While its time as a standard-issue rifle for G.I.s was brief, its power and performance have ensured its continued use as a sniper and Designated Mark...

By Cory Ross

[SHOT 2026] Aly & Kaufman Introduce AKB-23 LSW

Last year at SHOT Show 2025, I was stoked to run into the guys from Ally & Kaufman who were offering a cool lower receiver kit that pairs with a Brownells BRN-180 18.5" upper receiver to create the ‘SA80 at home’. This set up, the AKB-23 got a lot of attention and had de...

By Matthew Moss

M1 Garand vs. M1941 Johnson Rifle Debate

Even positive changes can be hard to accept. Long before the M1 Garand rifle was in widespread service in the US military, it had its share of detractors. A number of these objectors simply disagreed with the Army’s decision to adopt a semi-automatic rifle at all. They argued that the...

By Tom Laemlein

M65 Atomic Cannon — America’s Atomic Annie

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union raced to develop weapons that could tip the balance of power. Among the most audacious creations of this era was the M65 Atomic Cannon, an enormous artillery piece capable of firing a nuclear shell. Nicknamed “Atomic Annie,” this wea...

By Eugene Nielsen
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