The M-1 Carbine: America’s “Proto-Assault Rifle” Home July 21, 2022 William “Bucky” Lawson The United States military was late to the assault rifle game. Yes, I know that’s a controversial term, but what else am I going to call them? The American M-16 wasn’t adopted until 1964, fifteen years after the Soviet AK-47. The M-16 was a new design, but its battlefield role had aly been filled for over two decades by an unlikely firearm: the M-1 Carbine. US Marines fire M-1 Carbines in Seoul, South Korea in 1950. The Assault Rifle Concept A light rifle chambered for an intermediate cartridge wasn’t a new concept. Russian gun designer Vladimir Federov produced an automatic carbine chambered in the Japanese 6.5mm cartridge in 1916. World War II saw the Germans field the StG 43 and StG 44 Sturmgewehr in the 7.92×33. The German term Sturmgewehr (Storm Rifle) is the origin of the […]

During the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 markup: Reps. Cicilline and McBath made fools of themselves by incorrectly referring to stabilizing arm braces for pistols as “bump stocks” and machineguns; Rep. Nadler admitted he wanted to violate the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment; and Rep. Johnson accidentally made the argument for why civilians should have these so-called “assault weapons.” The hearing revealed just how ignorant opponents of the Second Amendment are about firearms, and even their own legislation. Bump Stock Buffoons After many hours of debate, an Amendment was offered to remove arm braces from the “assault weapons” ban in order to help ensure equal access to firearms for disabled shooters. But the bill sponsor, Rep. Cicilline, strongly opposed the amendment, stating that “this stabilizing brace, when coupled with a buffer tube, operates as a bump stock.” Rep. McBath jumped in to back him up, saying “I understand […]

As with any type of collectible, the firearms world has a vast number of unique niches which some arms collectors seek to build collections around. Some look for high-condition examples of old designs, others look to build a collection consisting of oddities and rarities. Here at Rock Island Auction we see it all; and are often able to cater to the tastes of any collector. Documented brace of H&K USP 9 match semi-automatic pistols as documented from the London-based prop house Baptys & Co. as Angelina Jolie’s on-screen “hero” pistols from the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Includes a Lara Croft photograph signed by Angelina Jolie. Rock Island Auction Company’s August 26 28 Premier Auction is no different, though two lots stand out for collectors of a very particular type of item: film-used firearms. There is no doubt ers are by now familiar with the Han Solo blaster […]

When it comes to Old West gunfighters, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok is arguably the most famous name around. Hickok’s life and death are forever etched into American mythology, and the scarce few guns attributed to Wild Bill rank among the most desirable firearms in the collecting pursuit. The Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 Wild Bill Hickok may have carried when he was killed in Deadwood. Any good poker fan knows the general story behind Wild Bill’s death and the final hand he was dealt in the moments preceding his cold-blooded murder. Two black aces and two black eights, “the Dead Man’s Hand.” The historic Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 owned and believed to be carried by Wild Bill Hickok during his final poker game in Deadwood is up for auction this August with Rock Island Auction Company. The Legend of Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok was […]

Last month, in the People’s House, Rep. Cicilline called YOUR constitutional right to keep and bear arms “bullsh**t.” This month, Rep. Cicilline has introduced a bill to BAN “ASSAULT WEAPONS” that will be voted on by the House Judiciary Committee next week. After the Senate voted to pass gun control in June, I’m calling on GOA members like you to turn up the heat on the House and Senate to stop this next assault on our God-given rights. Please add your name to our pre-written letter to your House representative and two Senators to VOTE NO on banning so-called “assault weapons.” An “assault weapons” ban would be a dangerous slippery slope for our country. Not only is such a phrase intended to needlessly scare the public, but its vagueness also gives anti-gunners free rein to ban an ever-growing list of firearms. At some point, any firearm could be classified as […]

); The House Voted Anti-Gun…AGAIN Make Your Voice Heard by Thanking Your Rep if They Opposed Gun Control or Spanking Them if They Voted in Favor Click on the Take Action button to send a pre-written message to your representative and senators. The system will automatically choose the correct “Thank or Spank” letter. It won’t surprise you to hear the House of Representatives just voted for more gun control. H.R. 6538, the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022, is not a public safety tool, but rather an anti-gun propaganda program intended to further public hysteria by hyper-inflating the authentic number of “active shooter” incidents to expand support for […]

A Quick Guide To 2011 And Other Double-Stack 1911 Pistols Every 2011 is a widebody/double-stack 1911, but not every widebody/double-stack 1911 is a 2011. While the term gets used colloquially to refer to any double-stack 1911, they just aren’t. The 2011 frame was invented by the founders of STI, the company now called Staccato…but it isn’t the only widebody 1911 frame that uses a double-stack magazine. So, let’s talk about what a 2011 actually is. We’ll go over what’s so great about them as well as some pitfalls to be aware of. While it’s an amazing handgun, it’s not necessarily for everyone. The Genesis Of The Double-Stack 1911 The 2011/double-stack 1911 was designed to keep the positive attributes of the 1911 (the trigger, ergonomics, etc.) while enhancing capacity, with the first examples emerging in the early 1990s. The idea mostly came from IPSC and USPSA shooters who wanted a […]

Standard Manufacturing Switch Gun Vs S333 Standard Manufacturing produces some innovative firearms, two of which are the S333 (formerly called the S333 Thunderstruck) and their newly-released Switch Gun. Both are a bit of a departure from other compact .22 pistols and have a niche and purpose that they could fulfill as a concealed carry gun. If you wanted to carry something a little different, these two guns would certainly be different and interesting. But which would be better? As with anything else, it depends on you and what your needs and priorities are. We think there’s a role for both, and we’ll tell you why during this comparison. So let’s dig in. Standard Manufacturing Switch Gun The Switch Gun .22 Magnum Revolver is a folding single-action micro revolver chambered in .22 Magnum, aka .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, .22 WMR, etc. The gun has a five-shot cylinder, and a single-action […]

Standard Manufacturing Switch Gun Vs S333 Standard Manufacturing produces some innovative firearms, two of which are the S333 (formerly called the S333 Thunderstruck) and their newly-released Switch Gun. Both are a bit of a departure from other compact .22 pistols and have a niche and purpose that they could fulfill as a concealed carry gun. If you wanted to carry something a little different, these two guns would certainly be different and interesting. But which would be better? As with anything else, it depends on you and what your needs and priorities are. We think there’s a role for both, and we’ll tell you why during this comparison. So let’s dig in. Standard Manufacturing Switch Gun The Switch Gun .22 Magnum Revolver is a folding single-action micro revolver chambered in .22 Magnum, aka .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, .22 WMR, etc. The gun has a five-shot cylinder, and a single-action […]

The Basics Of One-Handed Shooting Today we’re going over engaging targets with only one hand instead of two. One-handed shooting in a practical sense is based on the assumption that maybe you’re recovering from an injury with your arm in a sling, maybe you’re in a gunfight in one of your hands gets wounded or your arm or your shoulder whatever and it renders you unable to do a two-handed grip. You might also have one hand occupied holding a shopping bag or your child or grandchild’s hand. One-handed shooting should be included in your practice regimen as you may have to shoot one-handed should you find yourself confronted with a serious threat. How To: One-Handed Shooting There’s there’s a couple different schools of thought for this. A lot of guys like to shoot squared to the range, with their hand on their chest or their belly, or maybe hook […]

The Basics Of One-Handed Shooting Today we’re going over engaging targets with only one hand instead of two. One-handed shooting in a practical sense is based on the assumption that maybe you’re recovering from an injury with your arm in a sling, maybe you’re in a gunfight in one of your hands gets wounded or your arm or your shoulder whatever and it renders you unable to do a two-handed grip. You might also have one hand occupied holding a shopping bag or your child or grandchild’s hand. One-handed shooting should be included in your practice regimen as you may have to shoot one-handed should you find yourself confronted with a serious threat. How To: One-Handed Shooting There’s there’s a couple different schools of thought for this. A lot of guys like to shoot squared to the range, with their hand on their chest or their belly, or maybe hook […]

A Quick Guide To 2011 And Other Double-Stack 1911 Pistols Every 2011 is a widebody/double-stack 1911, but not every widebody/double-stack 1911 is a 2011. While the term gets used colloquially to refer to any double-stack 1911, they just aren’t. The 2011 frame was invented by the founders of STI, the company now called Staccato…but it isn’t the only widebody 1911 frame that uses a double-stack magazine. So, let’s talk about what a 2011 actually is. We’ll go over what’s so great about them as well as some pitfalls to be aware of. While it’s an amazing handgun, it’s not necessarily for everyone. The Genesis Of The Double-Stack 1911 The 2011/double-stack 1911 was designed to keep the positive attributes of the 1911 (the trigger, ergonomics, etc.) while enhancing capacity, with the first examples emerging in the early 1990s. The idea mostly came from IPSC and USPSA shooters who wanted a […]