A classic cowboy rifle that eats modern pistol ammoLever guns are having a real moment again, and in the middle of all the tactical rails and space age stock designs sits something delightfully unexpected. The Taylor & Company TC73 takes the classic 1873 rifle profile that shaped the Old West and marries it to the…
Category: Rifle/Long Guns
The Winchester Model 94: Innovation and Versatility
The Winchester Model 94Few rifles have shaped American history like the Winchester Model 1894, known simply as the Winchester ’94. From deer camps in the North Woods to the saddle scabbards of cowboys and lawmen, this lever-action rifle became the trusted companion of hunters, ranchers, and explorers for more than a century. Designed by John…
The Columbus Armory Carbine: Lost Confederate Icon
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…
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,…
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…
The CC & Minie-Cordier Percussion Rifle: A Forgotten Gun
The Minié-Cordier percussion rifle is a rare and distinctive firearm from the mid-19th century, believed to have been designed for training purposes. Attributed to Claude-Étienne Minié and manufactured by Cordier & Cie of Paris, this rifle showcases innovative features aimed at enhancing safety and efficiency in military instruction.Claude-Étienne Minié: Innovator in Military FirearmsBorn on February…
The M1867 Werndl-Holub Rifle: A Rifle Ahead of Its Time
The Werndl-Holub M1867 Rifle: Austria-Hungary’s Bold Leap into the Breech-Loading EraWhen the smoke of the mid-19th century battlefield began to clear, and the echoes of percussion-capped volleys faded into history, military minds across Europe faced a new imperative: modernization. The age of muzzle-loading muskets was over. In its place emerged the metallic cartridge, the breech-loading…