audience statistics Interesting Firearms

Since the beginning of the war, more than 2000 civilians have been killed by Russian missiles, according to official data. Help us protect Ukrainians from missiles - provide max military assisstance to Ukraine #Ukraine. #StandWithUkraine

The Road Locomotive undergoing tests in Leeds England prior to being shipped to South Africa, June 1901

Interior of the cars. They were large enough to transport field guns inside.

Design of the Fowler's wagon cars. The armored sides could be upright, to carry men, with an open top for fresh air, or if carrying ammunition, folded down to provide an armored roof.

The MK22M0 "Hush Puppy" suppressor utilized rubber and plastic "wipes" similar to a modern (and now legally questionable for civilian ownership) Dead Air suppressors. These were a wear part, needing to be replaced every 20-30 rounds, and losing effectiveness with each shot.

This image shows the MK22M0 "Hush Puppy" close up - note the slide lock, which prevents the action from cycling. Unfortunately, after extended use, both frames and locking arms are prone to cracking.

Both single and double stack S&W Mark 22 Mod 0's were commissioned by the US Government, but less than 150 units in total were ever produced. These pistols and suppressors saw service until the early 1990s, when they were overtaken by the H&K Mark 23 Mod O which offered new features such as accessory rails, modern sights, and of course a natively subsonic standard ammo (.45acp) which offered more stopping power.

Colloquially referred to as the "Hush Puppy", the MK22M0 featured a locking slide which prevented action noise and blowoff gasses, as well as preventing spent casings from ejecting. Using specially designed 158gr 9x19mm ammunition, with the slide locked in place, the pistols report could be as low as 129db (a jackhammer is typically 120-130db, unsupressed standard-velocity 22lr is 140-150db).

This Model 39 dates to 1966 and was designated "Mark 22 Mod 0" for use by the US Army, and later in the Vietnam conflict, the Navy SEALS.

The S&W Mark 22 Mod 0 featured an extra inch of barrel, threaded for a suppressor, as well as permanently affixed suppressor height sights, and a dovetailed backstrap which accepted a detachable stock.

Fowler Armored Road Locomotive in South Africa

Bomb blast on the USS Enterprise

Mark 22, Mod 0

Ahhh, The good ol' days

Remember that scene in Robocop (1987), where the gang boss threaded a suppressor onto his Desert Eagle, which was made to look like another, tinier Desert Eagle barrel and slide assembly? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

Indonesia's PINDAD PS-01 ‘Serbu’ (Assault) Pistol. It's a hefty 2.64 pounds with a 7.4 inch barrel and chambered in 5.56x21mm Pindad which is essentially just a cut down 5.56mm NATO round.

The Pindad PS-01 a prototype pistol from Indonesia

Several would end up looted in the service of the Finnish army, defending their land from the Soviet invasion. These would last through the end of the war, and serve to bolster the already woefully underequipped but ridiculously motivated Finnish army.

Woefully inadequate, the tanks would perform poorly in combat. Stuffed with too many people, too poorly armored, and with just too much going on for an already overworked commander to manage, nearly all of them would end up lost within the first few months of the German invasion of the USSR.

A Soviet design from the interwar period when tanks were new, doctrine was radical, and ideas for just how to use these new toys was rapidly changing, several hundred T-28 would see service in the Red Army, and eventual combat with both the Finnish and German armies in early 1940 and '41.

Russian T-28 tank

Happy Victory Day, chat. To peace in our times and good fortune for all. And, barring that, to a swift and brutal victory over your enemies.

And the British, being the eternally smarmy fucks they are, held their own parade to celebrate the victory in July 1945. Pictured above is Winston Churchill inspecting the cromwell tanks of the 8th Hussars, 7th Armored Division 'Desert Rats,' prior to the commencement of the parade and celebrations.

A formation of American M24 Chaffee's parade down the center of Berlin in the September parade.

The soviet IS-3 tanks parade through Berlin in 1945, celebrating the surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of fighting in Europe. Built too late to participate in the fighting in Berlin, the first batch of these then cutting-edge battle tank were rushed to the occupied city to participate in the parade. A shock to western observers, the Soviet IS-3 and the british Comet tank would go on to inspire the next generation of true Main Battle Tanks.

Build your own indoor airgun shooting range.