The Mauser C96 Broomhandle is one of the most recognizable firearms ever made, and also one of the least understood. That boxy frame, the long barrel, the integral box magazine ahead of the trigger, the round wooden grip that earned it the nickname "Broomhandle" -- there is nothing else that looks like it. It was...
Category: History
The Browning Hi-Power: It Armed Both Sides of WWII
John Moses Browning designed more successful firearms than any other person in history. The M1911, the Browning Automatic Rifle, the Browning machine guns, the Auto-5 shotgun, the Winchester lever-actions -- his catalog reads like a history of 20th-century small arms. But the last handgun design he worked on may be the most consequential of all:...
The .257 Roberts: The Quarter-Bore That Deserved Better
In my opinion, the .257 Roberts is ideal for a few specific types of shooters. First, anyone who is recoil-sensitive but wants genuine medium-game capability — the Roberts delivers deer-killing performance at recoil levels closer to a .243 than a .270. Second, handloaders who appreciate case efficiency and barrel life. Third, anyone who hunts in...
The Lamson, Goodnow & Yale Special Model 1861
I was in a gunshop recently and spotted a rifle-musket in a display case right at the front of the store. The owner encouraged me take it out and look it over. It is a Lamson, Goodnow & Yale Special Model 1861, lock dated 1864, .58 caliber, 40-inch barrel. About nine and a half pounds....