For most of its history, Smith & Wesson had been known for producing high quality revolvers. When the polymer pistol craze began, S&W jumped on the bandwagon as well and, while they still make a wide variety of revolvers, are mostly known for their pistols and AR-15 rifles – at least to the younger generation […]
Because of my involvement in the Civilian Marksmanship Program sports and similar hobbies surrounding old military rifles I often find myself in an ethical debate with my fellow competitors and enthusiasts. In a loud world of dime-a-dozen AR clones and wannabe snipers assembling parts builds out of multi-thousand dollar actions, the (relatively) quiet debate over […]
Guns made by Portsmouth, Virginia-based Thomas W. Cofer are some of the rarest examples of Confederate revolvers. Based on the Whitney Navy, estimates put total production numbers somewhere between 86 and 140; less than 10 are known to exist today. The biggest visual differentiation between the Whitney and Cofer revolvers is that Cofer’s gun features […]
Revolvers made by Dance are some of the most distinctive guns to come out of the south. While they are copied from the Colt Dragoon, they differ in a very important aspect of appearance. Dance revolvers lack a recoil shield on both sides of the gun, giving their frame a very flat look. Made in […]
The Spiller and Burr factory was originally established in Richmond, Virginia, as the brainchild of wealthy businessmen Edward Spiller and David Burr, along with firearms expert James Burton. Burr was a southern sympathizer running a commission business in Baltimore, Maryland; Spiller was born and raised in Richmond where he made steam engines and locomotives. Burton […]
Before the Civil War, Samuel Griswold was a successful businessman, having found a good living making cotton gins. Business was so good that he purchased 4,000 acres outside of Macon, Georgia, where he established and named a town after himself – Griswoldville, Georgia. Arvin Gunnison had worked for Griswold many years before the war started. […]
Just as we continue to try to perfect projectiles in the 21st century, the same was true back in the 19th century. Buck-and-ball fired from a shotgun allowed the shooter to have multiple projectiles per shot at their disposal. In theory, this improved the likelihood of hitting your target, but it wasn’t always the […]
Many of James Bond’s gadgets are pure fantasy, but some of them are rooted in aspects of reality. Some real life examples of similar objects were used during World War II by actual spies. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the direct forerunner of today’s Central Intelligence Agency. William J. Donovan (nicknamed “Wild […]
