Image courtesy of Morphy Auctions (© Morphy Auctions – All Rights Reserved) The annals of American Civil War history are punctuated by stories of innovation, desperation, and regional pride—few artifacts encapsulate this convergence as powerfully as the elusive Columbus Armory Carbine. As one of the rarest Confederate-produced carbines, this weapon offers a compelling glimpse into…
CVLIFE Carbon-Fiber Bipod Series Review
If your rifle spends any real time on a bench, prone mat, or prairie dog town, a bipod isn’t optional—it’s a core stability system. Over the last few years I’ve run everything from classic spring-leg steel to boutique, multi-articulated aluminum rigs with quick-detach mounts and exotic feet. The CVLIFE carbon-fiber series sits in an interesting…
Morphy’s $7.5M Firearms & Militaria Auction Highlights
Top lots: factory-engraved Colt 1911A1, $102K; original Thompson Ramo Woodridge (TRW) M1-14 machine gun, $88,560; WWII German MG42 machine gun, $84K; 1628 cannon, $61,660DENVER, Pa. – At Morphy’s September 9-11, 2025 Firearms & Militaria Auction, some of the finest and most important firearms ever to appear for public sale flew past their high estimates to…
The Austrian Lindner Carbine: A Transitional Firearm
Introduction: Innovation at a CrossroadsIn the 1860s, as nations reeled from the shock of industrial warfare and scrambled to modernize their armies, a curious firearm quietly entered service with two very different militaries: the Union Army of the United States and the Austrian Empire. Known today as the Austrian Lindner Carbine, this weapon embodied the…
Sharps Bros. Heatseeker Chassis: Lightweight Bolt-Gun
Executive Summary The Sharps Bros. Heatseeker family is a line of 6061-T6 billet aluminum bolt-action chassis with long free-float handguards, AR-15 or 1913 stock interfaces, and broad M-LOK coverage. The lineup spans Remington 700 SA, Savage 110 SA, Ruger American (SA/LA/Ranch), Ruger Precision Rimfire, and Ruger 10/22—plus left-handed Ruger options. In May 2025, Springfield Armory…
Short-Action vs Long-Action Cartridges Explained
If you spend any time around bolt-action rifles, you’ll hear shooters toss around terms like “short action” and “long action.” It sounds simple enough—one is short, the other is long—but there’s a lot of myth and half-truth floating around this subject. The reality is more nuanced, and once you understand how cartridge length, magazine dimensions,…
Montrose Auction: September 13, 2025
Old West firearms from the estate of Mike Stewart plus two other premier estate collections form a high-powered trifecta to lead the September 13 Montrose Auction in Central Georgia.Bid in person, online or by phone on 551 expertly-curated lots including early Colt, Remington and S&W handguns; Caesar Guerini shotguns, Christensen rifles, coveted Cabot ‘American Joe’Upcoming…
Savage 1861 Navy Revolver: A Bold Union Sidearm
The American Civil War brought with it a flood of innovation in firearms design, and few weapons better illustrate the era’s mechanical ambition than the Savage 1861 Navy revolver. Its double-trigger design, unconventional profile, and mass production at a time of national emergency mark it as one of the most intriguing—and misunderstood—sidearms of the conflict….
The H&R DOE 9mm AR Pistol: A Retro Cold War Revival
Introducting the H&R DOE 9mm AR PistolIn the shadowy world of Cold War-era federal security operations, few firearms reflect the convergence of tactical necessity, government contract secrecy, and evolving firearm design quite like the Colt Model 633—a compact 9mm submachine gun built for the U.S. Department of Energy’s security teams. Now, four decades later, its…
The Morse Carbine: An Early Metallic Cartridge Arm
The Morse Carbine is one of the most overlooked yet overlooked innovations of the American Civil War. Developed in the crucible of national conflict, this unique breechloading firearm marked a bold leap forward in military arms—embracing the concept of metallic cartridges years before it became standard. While it never reached widespread deployment, the Morse Carbine’s…