On Friday, January 24, 1975, far above the earth’s surface, the Soviet Union conducted humanity’s first and last test of an orbital space cannon. The tale of how the species got to that point is simply fascinating.
Historical Guns
The Russian Rikhter-23M Kartech Autoloading Space Cannon
BY Will Dabbs Published: January 3, 2021 Updated: January 3, 2021The World’s Foremost Homicidal Psychopath: Hitler’s Wartime Rifle
BY Will Dabbs Published: November 22, 2020 Updated: November 22, 2020Adolf Hitler was the very embodiment of evil. He stole territory and murdered millions driven by the baseless idea that he was just better than everybody else.
The Humble Heroes of Sutherland Springs & the Guns of the Most Deadly Church Massacre
BY Will Dabbs Published: November 8, 2020 Updated: November 8, 2020Real superheroes don’t wear spandex. On November 5, 2017, the real superhero was taking a nap.
What Makes the AK47 Special? Genius Russian Solutions to Unique Russian Problems
BY Mark Miller Published: November 1, 2020 Updated: November 1, 2020Kalashnikov’s legendary AK47 is unlike the battle rifles of the NATO. The AK47 was a unique marriage of an intermediate cartridge with a sophisticated mass production design. Perfectly integrated with the Soviet doctrine of mass attacks and mass fires, it became a symbol of revolution.
Jim Jones: Maniacal Monkey Salesman, Leftist Koole Aide, Democratic Congressional Massacre, and The Guns of the Largest Mass Murder in American History
BY Will Dabbs Published: November 1, 2020 Updated: November 1, 2020This loss of life was the single worst case of mass death in American history prior to 911. The Jonestown tragedy serves as an extraordinary example of what results when true darkness is unfettered within the hearts of men.
Howard Unruh and his P08 Parabellum: The Sordid Tale of the Alpha Monster
BY Will Dabbs Published: October 25, 2020 Updated: October 25, 2020Howard Unruh was technically the third prolific spree killer in American history. However, his utter cold-blooded ruthlessness set a template for countless psychopathic losers to come.
The Dawn of Destruction: The World’s First Aerial Dogfight
BY Will Dabbs Published: October 18, 2020 Updated: October 18, 2020It is tough to imagine the sorts of men who would go to war in such conditions as these. The airplanes were canvas, and they had no parachutes. With balls that big how did they ever get off the ground?
Know Where Your Ammo Comes From! Project Pole Bean: How Sneaky Green Berets Blew Up a Few Guns and Frightened an Entire Army
BY Mark Miller Published: October 11, 2020 Updated: October 11, 2020In 1968, American troops in Vietnam reported scattered incidents where dead NVA soldiers were found with parts of their exploded rifles protruding from their skulls. Technical Intelligence attributed this to poor metallurgy and bad ammunition. The situation was a little more complicated than it appeared.
The Blue House Raid: From Sleeping with the Dead to Man of God
BY Will Dabbs Published: October 11, 2020 Updated: October 11, 2020In 1966 Kim Il-sung directed the formation of an elite assassination squad titled Unit 124. Comprised solely of commissioned officers from the Korean People’s Army, Unit 124 trained relentlessly for two years for a single mission.
The Musket that Changed the World: The Land Pattern “Brown Bess”
BY Mark Miller Published: September 27, 2020 Updated: September 27, 2020The Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives were in use for 116 years of official service and close to 160 years of actual use with many incremental changes in its design. It remained in production for 140 years, making the Brown Bess’ production one of the longest production runs for a firearm in history.