D.E. Watters

What Happened to the Winchester Hybrid X?

I was questioned the other day about the various “screwdriver bit” projectiles, and remembered the patent for the Winchester Hybrid X. After a brief blitz of publicity from SHOT Show 2018, the Hybrid X quickly faded into obscurity. As the name implied, it was an odd hybrid of a screwdriver-style polymer tip fitted to aContinue reading “What Happened to the Winchester Hybrid X?”

MBA Short Stop Data Dump

We’ve covered some AP projectiles the last few days, so how about one that won’t penetrate anything? As I mentioned with the Sting RAG and Soft RAG yesterday, less lethal riot control was the topic of day in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Robert C. Mawhinney of MB Associates (MBA) came up with one of theContinue reading “MBA Short Stop Data Dump”

Commercial Timeline of Colt M1911, Clones, and Variants

Here is a timeline of the commercial introductions of the Colt M1911, its variants, and numerous clones.

Tom Burczynski’s Latest Projectile Design

Folks may not recognize Burczynski’s name, but they definitely know at least one of his commercial projectile designs: Hydra-Shok, Starfire, Quik-Shok, EFMJ/Guard Dog, and Golden Saber Black Belt.

Magmatics – The Magnum Semi-Auto Pistols

Today, we are going to provide a data dump regarding Magnum caliber semi-automatic pistols.

Retaining the M1911A1 – The Final DOD Holdouts

After the adoption of the 9mm M9 in 1985, some special units within the DOD were loath to give up their .45 M1911A1 pistols.

Colt Law Enforcement Pistol

For Missed Opportunity Monday, we have yet another abandoned Colt design: the .40 caliber Law Enforcement Pistol. It also served as the platform for their Smart Gun tech. Here are some of the Smart Gun patents, which show bits of the pistol’s design as well. While the exterior profile looks a bit like the “AllContinue reading “Colt Law Enforcement Pistol”

Notes on the History of Custom Competition and Carry Pistols (Pre-WW2)

Part One of a Four-Part Series

Ross Seyfried’s Swenson Combat Commander

In 1981, Ross Seyfried was the last man to win the IPSC World Shoot using a non-compensated pistol in open competition. While that feat was accomplished with a Pachmayr Combat Special built on a full-sized Colt Government Model, Seyfried cut his teeth in IPSC shooting with today’s featured pistol. This is the pistol he usedContinue reading “Ross Seyfried’s Swenson Combat Commander”

Silent Weapon System – Alpha

Here’s a data dump on the Silent Weapon System – Alpha and related captive piston cartridges. Sadly there is more known about the ammunition than the actual firearms designed to use them. First, we have the patent for the Alpha cartridge’s predecessor, the Cal. .30 XM76. The XM76 was intended for legacy .30-06 firearms. However,Continue reading “Silent Weapon System – Alpha”