#support hf

[historicalfirearms]

Historical Firearms Stickers Are Here!

Hi guys, I'm very pleased to say we now have some pretty cool Historical Firearms stickers! I’ve been working on these for a while now. They're 3in or 7.5cm diameter and have a vinyl finish. They have been specially designed and are now available as a ‘thank you’ perk for $3+ Patrons.

I've also rehashed the Patron tiers so the long running Historical Firearms Monthly Wallpapers series is now available to ALL Patrons, from $1 up!  I'm really excited to have a new physical perk as a way of saying thank you to supporters of the blog.

Thank you all so much for your continued support of HF, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Whether you read, like and share the posts or support via Patreon I can’t thank you enough. The Patreon funds have enabled me to purchase books, pay for web-hosting and save some money towards research trips. Your support is invaluable. Find out more about the new stickers here.

Thank you,

~Matt

[historicalfirearms]

HF Wallpaper/Poster - Mars Automatic Pistol  

Hi guys! 

This month’s Historical Firearms Patreon wallpaper/poster features a very complex early self-loading pistol, the Mars Automatic Pistol.  The Mars pistol was designed by Hugh Gabbet-Fairfax in the mid 1890s and very few were produced. 

It used a long recoil action with a rotating bolt and the guns themselves were made by Webley & Scott. This wallpaper/poster features diagrams from Hugh Gabbet-Fairfax's October 1900 US patent. Available in a number of calibres including 9mm and .45 calibre, it was a huge pistol weighing 3 lbs with a 12+ inch barrel. 

The Mars proved a failure but the few surviving examples are extremely popular amongst collectors. A cumbersome attempt at an early self-loading pistol! If you enjoy the blog you can support the HF over on Patreon and download this wallpaper/poster and dozens of others and check out some of the other perks. 

~ Matt

[historicalfirearms]

Winchester’s SPIW Prototype

Following on from the beautiful simplicity of the subject of last month’s Historical Firearms Wallpaper, this month we have something much more complex. This is Winchester/Olin’s entry into the US Army’s Special Purpose Infantry Weapon (SPIW) programme. 

It is a gas operated weapon which had an integral recoil mitigation system, which is the subject of the patent drawing in the top left. The other diagrams come from a patent to protect Winchester’s fire control mechanism - the rifle fired from an open bolt in full-auto and a closed bolt in semi-auto. It also had a button to allow the rifle trigger to fire the weapon’s grenade launcher. 

This wallpaper is made up of detailed drawings from two patents dating from 1968 and 1978 an is accompanied by a photograph I took of one of the few surviving prototypes last year. I’ll have a full article and a TAB video on Winchester’s SPIW prototype coming soon. In the meantime if you’re a Patreon supporter you can download the hi-res version (6176x4328) of this wallpaper here.

If you enjoy the blog and can spare a $1 please consider checking out the Patreon page here. Thanks as always for the support be it through Patreon or just by liking and sharing posts. As always, I really appreciate your support!

~ Matt

[historicalfirearms]

February 2019 - HF Patreon Wallpaper - Winchester Model 1900

Hi guys, 

My apologies that this month's Patreon supporter wallpaper is a little late! This month's features what is perhaps John Browning's simplest design to make it into production. Developed in the late 1890s and patented in 1899, the Model 1900 was Browning's response to Winchester's need for a very simple, cheap .22 calibre plinking rifle. The Model 1900 proved a real success, popular all over the world.

As we can see from the original patent drawings the small bolt action rifle is beautifully simple. I've written about the Model 1900 in the past, check that article out here. You can download the hi-res version (5000x3000) here.

If you enjoy the blog and can spare a $1 please consider checking out the Patreon page here. Thanks as always for the support be it through Patreon or just by liking and sharing posts. More news on some changes and new perks coming soon hopefully, I really appreciate your support!

~ Matt 

[historicalfirearms]

An Unboxing of Books (the best kind of unboxing) & Thank You to Patreon Supporters

Just a quick video of opening up a box of books that arrived this morning and a thank you to Patreon supporters who made the purchase possible. Thanks guys!

~Matt

[historicalfirearms]

February’s Patreon Supporter Wallpaper

This month's hi-res Historical Firearms wallpaper features Eugene Stoner's Stoner 63, a modular weapon system which could be adapted to various roles from GPMG to assault rifle with a number of feed options and configurations. A truly revolutionary design when it first appeared in the mid 1960s.  

The intricacies of Stoner's design can be seen in this month's high res wallpaper which brings together various patent drawings to show the various configurations, feed systems and the weapon's action. The Historical Firearms wallpapers are available in hi-res to patreon supporters so Check it out here.

Also this month, I finally have some pretty cool tangible rewards! For those who would like donate up to $8.00 or more a month you'll receive a thank you package including a Historical Firearms bookmark and your choice of either a MP40 or a P38 keyring. While I won't be able to send one of these packages each month you will receive the monthly hi-res desktop wallpaper!  Check that out here.

Check out the Patreon page here to find out more about why I have a patreon, thanks for your continued support - it means a lot!  

Matt