Guns | War History

Carcano: The Italian Firearm That Has Been Completely Forgotten By History

Lee Harvey Oswald holding his Carcano rifle and a newspaper in his backyard + John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy riding in a car with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie Brill

On a sunny November day in Dallas, Texas, Lee Harvey Oswald leaned out the sixth-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository and aimed his…

Grease Gun: The US Military’s Longest-Serving Submachine Weapon

Infantryman aiming an M3 "Grease Gun"

When the lightweight and cheap US Submachine Gun, Cal. 45, M3 was introduced into service in 1944, it was intended for use across all theaters…

The M1 Garand was ‘The Greatest Battle Implement Ever Devised’

Rosemary Giles
Two soldiers aiming their M1 Garands

Of the many guns to see combat during the Second World War, the M1 Garand was the first standard issue autoloading rifle used by the…

The Ukrainian Military Has Repurposed the Soviet DShK as a Shoulder-Fired Infantry Weapon

The Russian-produced DShK is among the longest-serving machine guns still in use today. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian military found itself…

M1919 Browning: An Innovative and Revolutionary Firearm

Gunner manning an M1919 Browning

The M1919 Browning machine gun is one of the most prolific firearms used by the US military, having seen use during the Second World War,…

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s Famed Revolver Was Stolen and Returned – Twice!

Todd Neikirk
Theodore Roosevelt holding up his hat + Colt M1892 revolver on a purple sheet

There has never been a US President quite like Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, and there’s unlikely to be another ever again. Born frail and weak, Roosevelt…

The Lee-Enfield Repeating Rifle Has the World’s Second-Longest Service History

Todd Neikirk
British soldiers training on Lee-Enfield repeating rifles

The first version of the Lee-Enfield repeating rifle entered into service in 1895. Since then, 17 million units and a number of variants have been…

Was Ball Turret Gunner the Worst Position to Hold During World War II?

Gunner sitting in the entrance to a ball turret

There were plenty of positions during World War II that put a serviceman’s life at risk. Arguably one of the worst was being the ball…

Lahti L-39: The Anti-Tank Weapon the Finnish Nicknamed the “Elephant Gun”

Two Finnish soldiers lying behind a Lahti L-39

When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, its military was largely unprepared. In fact, the vast majority of men who signed up to…

The M203 Grenade Launcher’s Decades of Service Are Proof of Its Effectiveness

US soldier lying on his stomach with an M16A2 rifle equipped with an M203 grenade launcher

Throughout the course of the Vietnam War, the US Army developed a number of grenade launchers to aid forces in Southeast Asia. One of those…

US Army Announces Replacements for M4 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon

Clare Fitzgerald
US soldier aiming an M4 Carbine

The US Army has officially announced the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) that will replace the M4/M4A1 carbine and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The…

US Troops in Vietnam Hated the M16 So Much They Picked Up the Enemy’s AK-47s

US Navy sailor firing an M16 rifle

The M16 rifle was initially adopted for use in jungle warfare operations in Vietnam. However, it wound up being such an unreliable weapon that American…