Let me preface this article by saying that the 1873 French Service Revolver is my absolute, all-time favorite revolver. As a major wheelgun fan, that's saying something. Where You've Seen It If you're a fan of the film The Mummy as I am, you may already know that the chunky brace of revolvers Brendan Fraser wields akimbo style throughout the first film are venerated 1873 … [Read more...]
Everyone hates Nazis. They're our favorite bad guys in everything from movies to literature, and for pretty darn good reason. But following close behind, cowering in the shadow of the Nazi regime, is Vichy France. Like some sniveling, traitorous playground snitch, France, upon getting their underpants firmly tugged to their shoulders in the Battle of France (AKA "the … [Read more...]
The bullpup rifle was developed to answer a number of military issues that armies around the globe needed to have answered. Today, some of the militaries that adopted bullpups in the 80's and 90's are now going to traditional style rifles. Bullpups were popular in concept due to the fact that much of the world in the 70's and 80's were training in the concept of mechanized … [Read more...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMbqzwHOE48 Earlier we covered the 1886 Lebel rifle and its groundbreaking 8x50mm smokeless powder cartridge. But as it turns out, the gun was not suited for some troops of the French empire. France needed a short gun to equip cavalry and artillery troops. A shortened Lebel rifle was tried, but because the gun had a long tubular magazine under … [Read more...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFSLP7t5pLM Despite the uneducated jokes, France developed the modern army as we know it today. She also had a hand in many innovative technologies--artillery ballistics, the helmet, the bayonet, standardized weaponry and uniforms. But the innovation we in the gun community take for granted today is smokeless gun powder, invented by--you … [Read more...]
