BAP45

Weaponsman: The Rise and Fall of the Halftrack

As a kid in the sixties, you couldn’t get away from ’em. Turn on Combat with Vic Morrow, and there’d be one in every few episodes, hauling American infantry up to the point where they’d start walking. A couple years later, The Rat Patrol stuck German Balkankreuz symbols on them and made ’em the bad guys. Around that time, they made the TVContinue reading “Weaponsman: The Rise and Fall of the Halftrack”

My Best Donation

Sometimes it pays be be known as gun nut. Not exactly a footlocker find but close. What appears to be an unfired WWI era M1911 got tossed my way. The story is that it belonged to the father (or some other relative, its been a long time and its was glossed over) of my unclesContinue reading “My Best Donation”

Is .22s the Ideal Self Defense Round?

It’s just a matter of shot placement right? .22 would give you the least recoil and easiest follow up shots wouldn’t it? Penetration is decent enough too, and there’s no deafening bang to concuss you. Conversely over penetration is not much of an issue with it either. So why aren’t we all using it? HaveContinue reading “Is .22s the Ideal Self Defense Round?”

Weaponsman Wednesday: Legendary Knives of SF

Over the years and the decades, certain knives have come to be associated with Special Forces. Unlike the SEALS, we haven’t endorsed thirty different Rambo knives and toad-stabbers, and we’ve never associated with anything as impractical and, well, ugly as the Buckmaster. But hey, the frogs are alright, you gotta love them for what theyContinue reading “Weaponsman Wednesday: Legendary Knives of SF”

WeaponsMan Wednesday: Some Toy Guns from Fifty Years Ago

Three things have pretty much killed toy guns: But when we grew up, in the sixties, toy guns were everywhere. There were little ones in Cracker Jack and Frosted Flakes boxes. There were big ones in a whole aisle in department stores. When Saturday cartoons came on, especially as the Christmas gift-giving season approached, weContinue reading “WeaponsMan Wednesday: Some Toy Guns from Fifty Years Ago”

Colt 1911 History

So I have a feeling if you’re here you enjoy the 1911. Well here are some documentaries from C&Rsenal that make youtube worth having around. In the creators own words they grew up on and were huge fans of the show “Tales of the Gun” and wanted to bring that type of show back. TheyContinue reading “Colt 1911 History”

Weaponsman: OSS Simple Sabotage Mini-Manual

A repost from Hognose, the original comments have been included for completeness. We think we’ve covered this booklet before. If we have, it wasn’t recently, and it deserves to be plugged again. This is the Simple Sabotage Field Manual of the OSS. (PDF hosted at CIA.gov). It is not a guidebook in blowing up castles or dynamiting the HooverContinue reading “Weaponsman: OSS Simple Sabotage Mini-Manual”

Korean War Showcase

As you all know the Korean War is often called the forgotten war being sandwiched between two larger wars, WWII and Vietnam. Add to that, that even while the war was on going pubic attention had largely drifted away after the first year. These days that compounds as even when trying to research it thereContinue reading “Korean War Showcase”

Reproduction ARVN Rucksack Comparison

So a reproduction of the ARVN rucksack has finally come to market. Which is a welcome development in the circles that know of the elusive little pack. Particularly now that originals are becoming more expensive as well as more fragile with time. Something interesting with these reproductions is that they use reclaimed surplus for someContinue reading “Reproduction ARVN Rucksack Comparison”

Reproduction Beogam/Leopard Camouflage

For history dorks like me getting a hold of appropriate (key word here) early Vietnam War spot camo has been a real headache. Often called Beogam or leopard camo there are a ton of varieties that existed. Mainly because it was sourced from all over at the time. I might have to do a postContinue reading “Reproduction Beogam/Leopard Camouflage”