Forgotten Weapons

Forgotten Weapons

Subscribe Share
Forgotten Weapons
  • Universal AK Optics Rail from KGM Consortium

    At the IWA trade show earlier this year, a representative from the Polish KGM Consortium gave me a sample of a new AK optics rail to try out. This idea here was to create a universal optics mount for basically any AK/AKM/AK74 rifle that would be light, not require permanent modification, and not ...

  • Handguns in the US Army in World War Two

    Was the 1911 an emotional support totem or a viable combat weapon? Or both? American soldiers had a bit different take on handguns than soldiers of many other armies, and I think it stems from the American identity with the frontier - the Wild West was well within memory for many people when Worl...

  • CZ Bren 2 MS: The Civilian Version of a Modern Combat Rifle

    CZ's Bren 2 is one of the more successful recently developed military service rifles, having been adopted by the Czech Republic and Hungary, as well as entering licensed production in Ukraine. The semiauto Bren 2 MS is a fine rifle on its own merits, but also offers an opportunity to build a near...

  • Enjoying Black Powder Episode 2: The Model 1874 Gras

    Black powder military rifles of the 1860s-1880s are a really enjoyable group of guns. A lot of them are relatively reasonably priced, and they are actually pretty easy to reload for. The unavailability of factory ammunition (for most, although not so much for the Trapdoor) makes them seem like a ...

  • Žiga from Polenar Tactical Reviews my Lynx Brutality AK

    I decided to use a home-built Romanian AK for Lynx Brutality 2024. It began as a Romanian PM-63 AKM made at the Cugir factory complex in 1976, which was sold to the US about 20 years ago as a parts kit (with its original barrel at that time). I used a Nodak Spud receiver and reassembled it. For a...

  • Shields, Ropes, and Cutting Wire: Lynx Brutality 2024 Day 2

    Polenar Tactical has done it again, setting the bar for Brutality matches with this year's Lynx Brutality. Held at the Lynx Pro Training Center outside Kočevje Slovenia, this year's match was 10 stages over two days. I used a Romanian PM63 AKM that I assembled myself with a PK-A com bloc red dot ...

  • My AK vs Cars, Kettlebells, & Fast Ropes: Lynx Brutality 2024 Day 1

    Polenar Tactical has done it again, setting the bar for Brutality matches with this year's Lynx Brutality. Held at the Lynx Pro Training Center outside Kočevje Slovenia, this year's match was 10 stages over two days. I used a Romanian PM63 AKM that I assembled myself with a PK-A com bloc red dot ...

  • Fort 221: The Ukrainian Tavor TAR

    In 2008, Ukrainian manufacturing conglomerate RPC Fort received a license from IMI to produce a variety of Israeli small arms, including the Tavor TAR and Tavor X95. In Fort's catalog, these were designated the Fort-221 (TAR) and Fort-224 (X95). A small number were allegedly produced for special ...

  • Lynx Brutality 2024 Overview w/ Jari of Varusteleka

    Lynx Brutality 2024 is a wrap! Full match videos are coming in a couple days, but for now Jari and I will give you a brief overview of how the match went and what kit we used...

  • LMT Ion-LT Suppressor: Multipurpose, Light, & Low Back-Pressure

    LMT's new line of suppressors is designed for multi-purpose use in mind. The .30 caliber Ion 30 and Ion LT are rated for anything from .17 HMR to .300 Winchester Magnum, including automatic use. Both .30 and .22 caliber endocarps are available, and the mounting system is the standard Hub type. Th...

  • PTR Vent Suppressor: 3D Printed Titanium Foam

    PTR's new "Vent" line of suppressors are a really cool use of new technology to better execute an old design concept. The idea is that forcing muzzle gasses through a porous material will work well to slow and cool them, providing good sound suppression. Back in the 1940s (through the 60s or 70s)...

  • The GI's Darling: M1911A1 at the BUG Match

    Get Entered to WIN this legendary WW2 Remington Rand M1911A1!
    https://go.getenteredtowin.com/forgottenweapons
    DEADLINE to ENTER is 06/28/24 @ 11:59pm (PST).

    What more classic backup gun is there than the M1911A1, beloved by GIs as a backup to their M1 Carbines, M1 Garands, BARs, and tanks? Toda...

  • McCann Industries MAS 49/56 in the Elbonian Royal Air Service

    Elbonian Royal Air Service merch:
    https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/forgotten-weapons-royal-air-service-elbonia-t-shirt-cotton/78756

    In the early 2000s, the Elbonian Royal Air Service was looking for an aerial interdiction rifle - something to arm snipers in dirigibles, for shooting down li...

  • Last Day: Rifles of the Danube Discount & Special KS Edition!

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/rifles-on-the-danube?ref=64v2l6
    Today is your last chance to join the preorder for Rifles on the Danube!

    Until the end of today, you can still join the Kickstarter for "Rifles on the Danube: Hungarian Kalashnikov Firearms 1959-2002". This is the las...

  • Enjoying Black Powder Episode 1: The Trapdoor Springfield

    Black powder military rifles of the 1860s-1880s are a really enjoyable group of guns. A lot of them are relatively reasonably priced, and they are actually pretty easy to reload for. The unavailability of factory ammunition (for most, although not so much for the Trapdoor) makes them seem like a ...

  • Can I Shoot 1 MOA All Day? (Bloke/Polenar Challenge Accepted!)

    Bloke on the Range Challenge Video:
    https://youtu.be/BM3SHvYosSs

    Bloke and Žiga have challenged us - and you! - to shoot a 1 MOA group on demand, with a non-benchrest sort of rifle. The idea is that a whole lot of people will happily insist that their regular hunting rifle will quite easily shoo...

  • ATF Update: More Transferrable MGs and One-Week NFA Transfers

    Two pieces of surprisingly good news regarding the NFA :

    First, ATF has recognized that about 4,000 machine guns imported prior to 1986 for police agencies were mis-classified as dealer samples when they should have been fully transferrable. Those guns are being reclassified as transferrable now...

  • Belton Repeating Flintlock: A Semiautomatic Rifle in 1785

    In 1785, Joseph Belton (an American inventor) and William Jover (an English gunmaker) sold 560 repeating flintlock rifles to the British East India Company. The guns were a very remarkable design which used a detachable magazine tube of 7 rounds stacked in series with a seven sequential touch hol...

  • Arsenal Strike One: Russian Police Pistol Comes to the West

    The Strike One pistol originated around 2011 as a collaboration between Nicola Bandini and Dimitry Streshinskiy as a pistol to replace the Makarov in Russian police use. By 2014 is was progressing very successfully through testing and trials, and had gained some international interest, and that's...

  • Shooting Shaved Webley Revolvers (w/ Steinel Ammo)

    Steinel Ammunition has started making a rather niche new product, but one that I think is quite convenient: .45 ACP downloaded to .455 Webley pressure. This is for use in Webley revolvers that were shaved to use moon clips and .45 ACP when they were imported. This is a common modification done by...

  • Hungarian Blast Machine: AMD-65 at the Range

    "Rifles on the Danube" Kickstarter is live!
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/rifles-on-the-danube?ref=ewy77i

    Today I took my AMD-65 out to the range. I've shot regular AKMs with AMD muzzle brakes, but never had the chance to try the AMD-65 in its original proper configuration. And ...

  • Researching Hungarian Kalashnikovs: Interview with László Becz

    Rifles on the Danube: Hungarian Kalashnikov Firearms 1959-2002 is available now on Kickstarter:
    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/rifles-on-the-danube?ref=ezuyuv

    Nic Jenzen-Jones, Director of Research for Headstamp Publishing, spent some time in Budapest speaking with László Becz, a...

  • M1911A1: America's Definitive World War Two Pistol

    The United States adopted the M1911 pistol just in time for the First World War, and between Colt and Springfield Arsenal some 643,000 of these pistols were made by the end of 1918. During that production and the gun's field service in France, a number of potential improvements were recognized. T...

  • Sten Mk5: The Cadillac of the Sten Family

    The Sten Mk5 (sometimes written Sten MkV) was really the Cadillac of the Sten series. It was designed in 1943, and featured a full wooden buttstock patterned after the No4 Enfield rifle, as well as a front sight abductor bayonet lugs for the Enfield. It has a wooden pistol grip as well (and earl...