Historical Firearm Features

One of only three semi-automatic pistol models ever manufactured by Remington, the Model 51 was first offered to the public in September 1919 in .380 Remington Autoloading Cartridge.

When my father retired in 1967, he gave me a Colt revolver. It is stamped “COLT D.A. 38” and has a serial number in two adjacent places: the trigger guard next to the screw and the frame next to the trigger guard: 138XXX or 136XXX. I was told that Billy the Kid carried a Colt double-action revolver. Do you know if that is true?

Deemed a safer option than a direct attack on Nazi-occupied France, Operation Torch—the Allied invasion of French North Africa—was nonetheless a hard-fought, six-month campaign. These are the guns that helped America’s warfighters win victory.

In an effort to outdo Smith & Wesson’s fast-loading, top-break revolvers, Colt brought a solid-frame, swing-out-cylinder revolver to the market in 1889. Its initial models were large-frame handguns in .38 and .41 calibers designed for military use.

Of the many revolver designs made by Colt, the Single Action Army family is one of the most famous and long-lived. Follow Rick Hacker as he delves into the specifics of collecting second generation examples of these classic wheelguns.

Through the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), qualifying buyers can enter a lottery to purchase their own genuine U.S. military-surplus M1911 or M1911A1 pistol.

Following many European militaries’ trend toward the adoption of semi-automatic pistols, in 1907, the United States Army held a series of trials with the aim of selecting a self-loader for its own forces.

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is accepting applications from those interested in taking ownership of one of the retired U.S. Military 1911 pistols it is currently offering for sale. Requests must be postmarked on or before Sept. 30.

Can you help identify a small box of what I believe is Russian-made ammunition?