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

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15: First Soviet Swept-Wing Fighter

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 entered the Cold War as a swept-wing jet fighter that stunned Western planners and demonstrated its lethality in the skies over Korea. In this article, Peter Suciu examines how its advanced aerodynamics, heavy cannon armament, and combat performance against American ai...

By Peter Suciu

Wheelgun Wednesday: Buy Darth Vader's Shootin' Iron

James Earl Jones is known for lots of things—he played famous roles like Darth Vader’s voice in Star Wars and not-so-famous roles like General Solomon in the Command & Conquer video games. But he was also (perhaps to the surprise of those who only know him for his thespian work) a...

By Zac K

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

Fudd Friday: Seven Decades Of The Savage 110

When you ask people what the greatest classic American bolt-action hunting rifle is, you’ll probably hear most people talking about the Remington Model 700 or the Winchester Model 70, with maybe some chatter about Weatherby’s rifles or Springfield-based sporters. But I think the Savag...

By Zac K

Heinkel He 111 — Germany’s Jack of All Trades

Editor’s Note: In today’s article, Dr. Will Dabbs examines the versatile Heinkel He 111 in World War II. The German medium bomber became one of the most recognizable Luftwaffe aircraft of the war. Originally designed as a civilian airliner, the He 111 evolved into a versatile combat aircraft ...

By Will Dabbs, MD

Visiting a Collection of 1911s

David Freeman Most, if not all, gunwriters are also collectors. We almost have to be in order to be knowledgeable enough to write intelligently for our target audience. We have the luxury of being able to buy guns at reduced prices, which makes it tempting to acquire and keep guns we really like....

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