The Gallery

Please enjoy this small sample of the strange and historical firearms in the collection.  This page was originally created for a photography class at my University, but now all can see!

PLEASE NOTE: All weapons were verified unloaded, and any live ammunition was removed from the set. Every photograph that was taken was done safely.

This first photograph is of my every day carry rig

The firearm is a CZ-75 P01 with an attached streamlight TLR-7 for use in low light conditions

The firearm holster is a Kryptek Raid camoflouge pattern and it is made by legacy firearms company with two tuckable DCC clips and the magazine holster is a Kryptek Raid camoflouge pattern and it is made my Tier 1 concealed with pull the dot loops as the attachment method

What makes the CZ-75 unique from most other pistols on the market today is that the slide rails are on the inside of the frame rather than the outside. Pictured below is a partially disassembled CZ-75 and the frame of a P10c

Next in my collection is my main AR-15. It has two optics on it, one 3x prism sight and a red dot sight offset at 45 degrees. It has an inforce light on the left side that can be switched between white light and IR. On the right side is a laser (I hope to upgrade to a Steiner DBAL). I find this setup very reliable and highly versatile. The photograph next to it shows the light switched on. The final photo shows how the two optic setup looks from the butt end of the rifle. The sling stays detached during storage because otherwise everything in that safe gets tangled up.

Next we have a weapon which looks a lot like an AR-15, but technically isn't. It is based on the Colt SMG 9mm

Beginning in the 1980's, law enforcement agencies wanted something with AR-15 style controls but that could feed 9mm cartridges reliably. Colt decided to do this. The magazines are modified Uzi magazines. The lack of a bayonet lug may indicate it was manufactured during the Federal Assault Weapon Ban of 1994, but this cannot be confirmed without a letter from the organization which does historical research for Colt.

Next up is the US Rifle Caliber 30 M1 also known as the M1 Garand with a bayonet on the end

This was the main infantry rifle of the United States Army during WW2

Next up is a Wire Wrapped SMLE NO I MK III

The SMLE (Short Magazine Lee Enfield) is a rifle that entered service in the United Kingdom in 1895

It went through several variants and upgrades. The main variant used in the first world war was the No I Mk III

After the war, it was realized that firing rifle grenades put significant stress on the rifles to the point that the stocks would crack, necessitaing a wire wrapping. Unfortunately I do not possess a launcher, but launching some tennis balls in the desert would be fun.

Next up, we have the FN-49, the last "True" battle rifle. While I do not have time to read the entire book about it to you, I can tell a short story

John Moses Browning had an apprentice named Dieudonné Saive (the man who completed the Hi Power) who began working on a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle between the world wars. Unfortunately, Belgium was invaded and taken over by Germany before the design could be finalized. By the end of the war, military doctrine was changing. Instead of hard-hitting cartridges and precision marksmanship, it was the volume of fire that would win battles. The FN-49 saw use in conflicts such as Korea and the Suez Incident of 1956

Pictured below is an FN-49 equipped with the original Belgain sling and on the right is a close up view of the receiver.

After that, We have the successor to the FN-49, the FAL

In the wake of WW2, new alliances were formed. Several countries banded together to form the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. There was just one problem; the countries of the allinace all had different equipment, different cartridges, different rifles. This could not stand for an alliance that needed to be able to fight together. Negotiations for a new service rifle were tough. The United Kingdom proposed an intermediate cartridge, but the United States demanded a full power cartridge. Finally it was agreed that Belgium would produce the rifle with a full power cartridge, 7.62x51, however the Untied States backed out of the arrangment at the last minute and made the M14

My FAL is a reproduction made by DS Arms of Lake Barrington Illionios, it has a Low Power Variable Optic scope with a green dot offset

Next I have my personal defensive shotgun. It is a Mossberg 590A1 equiped with a Streamlight ProTac and a Bayonet

Next we have one of the more unusual pistols in my collection, my Israeli Proofed Webley Revolver

Most handguns these days load via magazines, and revolvers usually have a swing out cylinder. The webley, however, is a break top revolver.

The most unusual firearm in my collection would have to be my Steyr Hahn Model of 1912

This one in particular does not have its provenance confirmed, however, from my research it is most likely a Romanian contract firearm that was either recalled due to the war breaking out between Austria-Hungary and Romania (and the other powers) OR it was imported in 1989 when King Michael I was still exiled from the country.

The most unusual things about this handgun are:
The barrel rotates to lock and unlock instead of swinging downward

It has a fixed magazine and is fed by stripper clips; ejection of rounds is out the top

I would like to round off this gallery with a discussion of right hand bias in the firearms world.

As you may have guessed from this gallery, most firearms are designed for use by right handers and the controls are not friendly to left handers. There are some firearms that stand out among the rest when it comes to ambidexterity

The CZ Bren 2 MS is the service rifle of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. It is designed with a magazine release and bolt release that can be operated with either hand (for safety reasons using the bolt lock/release that is inside the trigger guard is not recommended). The charging handle can also be switched over. Due to import restrictions, actual rifle versions were unavalible in the United States for a long time and therefore I have the 14.7 inch pistol version.

An example of a concealed carry handgun that implemented ambidexterity in an unequal manner would be the Heckler and Koch P2000

The story of this handgun begins in the early 1990s. Heckler and Koch develops the USP for the Bundeswher as their new service pistol; unfortunately it does not see very much success outside of Germany. It is a very heavy handgun and while extremely reliable and being the first handgun with an integrated accessory rail, not enough compels government agencies to switch.  In 1995, US Military Standard 1913 is released, allowing anyone to put a universal rail on their firearm. In 2001, the H&K P2000 is released with many changes over the original USP. Of note, the rail is a US MIL STD 1913 rail, the decocker is on the back of the weapon, and the grip texture is different and more suitable for concealed carry.

A right hander decocking the P2000 only has to move their thumb a small amount; A left hander has to break their grip and reach over the hammer.

To end off this gallery (for now) I present the first semi automatic rifle available for civilian sale in the United States, the Remington Model 8 beginning in 1905

Mine is a 35 remington and it was manufactured in 1925

It saw military use during WW1 with French Air Units and domestic police use in the United States

What makes the model 8 interesting and unique is that instead of being gas operated, it is recoil operated, meaning the action cycling depends on the recipricol force of you pressing it into your shoulder.

Reportedly, Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 safety based on the Model 8 safety.