Category: Weapon History

History of all weapon types

German Gewehr 71/84 Mauser Rifle

Germany’s First Repeating Service Rifle Right side profile of a German Gewehr 71/84 Mauser rifle. Photo property of Eisel Armory. The Gewehr 71/84 was the German Empire’s first bolt-action repeating rifle, adopted in 1884 as an upgrade to the earlier single-shot Model 1871 Mauser. By adding an eight-round tubular magazine beneath the barrel, German ordnance […]

Belgian Model 1889/16 Mauser Carbine

Belgium’s First Smokeless Mauser, Reworked for WWI Right side profile of a Belgian Model 1889/16 Mauser carbine. Photo property of Eisel Armory. The Model 1889 was Belgium’s first smokeless-powder, Mauser-pattern service rifle, adopted in 1889 and chambered for the 7.65x53mm Mauser cartridge — a round that went on to arm several other nations’ militaries as […]

US Model 1917 (P17) Enfield Rifle

America’s Emergency Rifle of the First World War Right side profile of a US Model 1917 (P17) Enfield rifle. Photo property of Eisel Armory. When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, its arsenals could not produce Springfield M1903 rifles fast enough to arm the rapidly expanding Army. The solution was to […]

English R.B. Rodda & Co. Howdah Pistol

A Big-Bore Sidearm for the Hunting Field Full profile of an English R.B. Rodda & Co. double-barrel percussion howdah pistol. Photo property of Eisel Armory. The howdah pistol takes its name from the “howdah,” the raised seat mounted on an elephant’s back from which British and colonial hunters pursued tiger and other dangerous game across […]

US Navy Model 1861 Whitney Plymouth Rifle Musket

A Navy Contract Born from Fleet Trials Right side profile of a US Navy Model 1861 Whitney Plymouth rifle musket. Photo property of Eisel Armory. The Whitney Plymouth rifle takes its name from trials aboard the sloop-of-war USS Plymouth in the late 1850s, conducted under the direction of Captain (later Admiral) John A. Dahlgren, where […]

Romanian PSL Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle

A Cold War Marksman’s Rifle from Cugir Right side profile of a Romanian PSL semi-auto sniper rifle with scope mounted. Photo property of Eisel Armory. The PSL (Puşcă Semiautomată cu Lunetă, “semi-automatic rifle with scope”) entered service with the Romanian Army in the early 1970s as the country’s standard designated-marksman rifle, chambered for the long-serving […]

FN FAL Identification Guide: Metric Pattern Markings & Manufacturer Codes

A plain walk-through for the FN FAL rifle family — how to read Belgian proof marks and manufacturer rollmarks, tell metric pattern from inch pattern at a glance, and separate a real military-contract FAL from a modern semi-auto build like DSA’s SA58. Metric-pattern focus here, since that covers most Continental military contracts and current US-market […]

Lee-Enfield Identification Guide: Maker Codes, Marks & Import Stamps

This Lee-Enfield identification guide is a plain walk-through for reading maker codes, model marks, and US import stamps — the Lee-Enfield was built by more factories, in more countries, over more decades than almost any other military rifle, so the markings carry a lot of information. Cousins (No. 5 “Jungle Carbine,” SMLE variants) get a […]

SVT-40 Identification Guide: Arsenal Marks, Serials & Capture Stamps

This SVT-40 identification guide is a plain walk-through for reading arsenal marks, serial matching, and the Finnish “SA” capture stamp — including the fake-stamp problem every buyer should know about before paying a premium for one. Cousins (SVT-38, AVT-40) get a short callout. Jump to contents Quick identification checklist What you’re looking at Arsenal marks […]

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