Shooting the "Digger"

by
posted on February 19, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
2013219104942-potato_digger_m.jpg

Photo Courtesy of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library

As you may have noticed, this is the first time a Colt’s Automatic Gun, Model 1895 has appeared on the cover of American Rifleman. As Philip Schreier’s March 2013 cover story points out, this was the first machine gun model (mechanical guns such as the Gatling are not self-loading, fully automatic machine guns) used by the U.S. Army in combat. Of course we have Gatling video here, too.

For American Rifleman, this really is the year of the “Potato Digger,” as we also fired a Marlin-made version of the Model 1895 for American Rifleman Television’s "I Have This Old Gun" segment. This gun, made available to us through a good friend of American Rifleman TV Field Editor Martin K.A. Morgan, will be featured on Wednesday May 8, on the Outdoor Channel. But if you want to see what firing a “Potato Digger” is like, check out the short behind-the-scenes video clips below. One of the shooters is American Rifleman TV cameraman and editor Jake Stocke. Jake, who spends most of his time shooting or editing the show, rarely misses a chance to fire a vintage machine gun. Do you blame him?

Latest

Smith Wesson Model 29 10 Facts 1
Smith Wesson Model 29 10 Facts 1

10 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About The Smith & Wesson Model 29

Without a doubt, the Smith & Wesson Model 29 is one of the 20th century’s most shootable, collectible "superstar" revolvers. Here are a few little-known facts about the gun.

Packable Punch: Discreet Ways to Carry More Firepower

While folding and takedown firearms chambered for full-power rifle cartridges may be niche defensive tools, the dark situations in which they shine brightest aren’t going away anytime soon.

Southpaw Solution: Ruger Introduces Left-Handed American Gen II Ranch Rifles

Traditionally, Ruger has offered a range of left-handed rifle models for the southpaws among us, and now, the company's Gen II American rifles are available in a left-handed variant, starting with the Ranch models.

Gun of the Week: Kimber 1911 DS Warrior LW

In 2026, Kimber developed its 1911 DS Warrior, an American-made, double-stack design that is intended to be an affordable entry point into Kimber's double-stack handgun line.

The Armed Citizen® April 24, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Spin Difference: The Impact of Barrel Twist Rates on Terminal Performance

When most shooters think of rifling-twist rates, they mostly think of rifles with their high BC projectiles, but the rpm of a bullet also plays a part in terminal performance.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.