https://militaryantiquecollector.com The archive of Military Antique Collector magazine: firearms, edged weapons, uniforms, insignia, and military material culture, Colonial through Vietnam. Articles shown with original publication dates. en-us https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/confederate-bullet-struck-waist-belt-buckle/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/confederate-bullet-struck-waist-belt-buckle/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT he brutally cold winter of 1863–1864 had finally given way to spring by mid-April 1864, and the armies under generals Joseph E. Johnston and William T. Sherman were preparing for the upcoming campaign. The stinging defeats at Chattanooga… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/congress-to-col-willett-sword-of-marinus-willett/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/congress-to-col-willett-sword-of-marinus-willett/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT he honor came late, as such honors sometimes do. Marinus Willett earned it in 1777, when the Revolution was still in doubt, and the Mohawk Valley was full of smoke, rumor, hunger, and hard marching. The sword itself did not appear until… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/major-general-william-mahones-sword/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/major-general-william-mahones-sword/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT William Mahone was born in Southampton County, Virginia, to Fielding Jordan and Martha Drew Mahone on December 1, 1826. Little “Billie” Mahone grew up in his father’s well-known Mahone’s Tavern, located in Jerusalem,1 Southampton County,… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/portrait-of-texas-ranger-samuel-h-walker/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/portrait-of-texas-ranger-samuel-h-walker/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Samuel H. Walker half-plate daguerreotype, circa 1847. The oval image measures approximately 3.75” x 4.75” (case 5” x 6”). In this striking daguerreotype, Captain Samuel H. Walker, only thirty years old, wears the uniform of a captain in… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/saratoga-in-bronze-a-british-cannon-marked-by-surrender/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/saratoga-in-bronze-a-british-cannon-marked-by-surrender/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT SURRENDERED / BY THE / CONVENTION / OF / SARATOGA / OCTR 17 1777. Few Revolutionary War objects state their case so plainly. The barrel does not need a museum label or a printed caption. The metal carries the record itself. The piece is in… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/the-american-longrifle-and-the-fall-of-burgoyne/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/the-american-longrifle-and-the-fall-of-burgoyne/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Saratoga was decided in part by an unfamiliar weapon in unfamiliar hands. The Pennsylvania longrifle, in the service of Morgan’s Rifle Corps, did what no Brown Bess could do. It gave a small body of expert marksmen the reach to unsettle a… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/the-drum-that-beat-the-lexington-alarm/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/july-august/the-drum-that-beat-the-lexington-alarm/ Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT William Diamond was nineteen years old, trained in military drumming, and not the childlike “drummer boy” of popular memory. His rope-tension drum survived April 19, 1775, and survives still, though the painted decoration seen today… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/a-mosby-rangers-bullet-pierced-slouch-hat/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/a-mosby-rangers-bullet-pierced-slouch-hat/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT The classic Confederate slouch hat shown here has a remarkable documented history. An old paper tag accompanying the hat reads: “Captured from Mosbeys Guerrilla Battle of Cedar Creek 1864 Major C M Car-” (others have said it reads “Cary”;… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/an-interview-with-tim-prince/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/an-interview-with-tim-prince/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT that was not going to pan out. However, I found I had a natural ability to mix audio for bands, and by the time I graduated from college, I had many local bands as clients I did sound for. Everything in Nashville at that time was about… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/book-review-on-sharps-firearms/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/book-review-on-sharps-firearms/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Sharps Firearms – A Collector’s Guide. By Roy Marcot, Ron Paxton, and Edward W. Marron, Jr. Northwood Heritage Press, 2025. Hundred’s of photographs, and index, 206 pages, $60, hardback. Reviewed by Jack W. Melton Jr. https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/john-c-tidball-and-his-presentation-sword/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/john-c-tidball-and-his-presentation-sword/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Ihad been a collector of swords, specifically Imperial German Army ones, since 1968. One day a gentleman seeking my assistance in selling a family sword approached me. The sword was a Civil War presentation piece. I had never had any… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/lieutenant-john-low-csn/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/lieutenant-john-low-csn/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lieutenant John Low (born January 24, 1836, Tulloch, Aberdeen, Scotland) was a distinguished officer of the CSS Alabama. Having previously served in the British Merchant Service, he emigrated to Savannah, Georgia, in 1856, where he… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/the-girardoni-air-rifle-an-18th-century-leap-to-repeating-fire/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/may-june/the-girardoni-air-rifle-an-18th-century-leap-to-repeating-fire/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT In the closing decades of the 18th century, when European armies still measured firepower by how quickly a man could bite a cartridge, pour powder, and ram a ball down a fouled barrel, a onehanded gunsmith in a Vienna suburb was quietly… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/carolina-on-my-mind/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/carolina-on-my-mind/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT n the middle of January 1850, James Tyler Ames stepped off a ship in Charleston, South Carolina. From there, he navigated a series of trains, steamboats, and stagecoaches to make his way to New Orleans, and then back to Charleston, before… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/general-meades-presentation-sword/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/general-meades-presentation-sword/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Abstract This article examines the early military career of George Gordon Meade and the ceremonial sword presented to him by the citizens of Philadelphia in 1847. It details Meade’s formative service as a young officer, his actions in the… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/the-dreadful-trophies-of-war/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/the-dreadful-trophies-of-war/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT could not restrain them, they dashed into every Danger & when they had dislodged the Enemy they straggled into the Main Body by 3 & 4 at a time without the least order & threw everything into confusion, in short every body did as they… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/the-model-1883-gatling-gun/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/the-model-1883-gatling-gun/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Building upon earlier designs created by Dr. Richard J. Gatling, the Gatling Gun Model 1883 was a significant advancement in the realm of automated weaponry. The idea of a Gatling gun dates back to the middle of the 19th century; the first… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/tranter-revolvers-their-southern-service/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/march-april/tranter-revolvers-their-southern-service/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT The revolvers produced by English gunmaker William Tranter were some of the most advanced and modern handgun designs to see use by the Confederacy during the course of the American Civil War. Tranter was born in 1816 and died in 1890, and… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/boyle-gamble-macfee-belt-and-plate/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/boyle-gamble-macfee-belt-and-plate/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT There are no maker-marked Confederate belt buckles, but a rare few have known makers. So, how are these few identified? It all goes back to the sword. Whenever a sword was purchased— whether through a government contract for cavalry swords… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/confederate-general-john-b-gordons-frock-coat/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/confederate-general-john-b-gordons-frock-coat/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT “I was shot down by a fifth ball, which struck me squarely in the face, and passed out, barely missing the jugular vein. I fell forward and lay unconscious with my face in my cap; and it would seem that I might have been smothered by the… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/confederate-kerr-rifles/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/confederate-kerr-rifles/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT bands. The rifles were marked like most London Armoury-produced Enfield pattern arms, with the date of manufacture over L.A. Co. on the lock plate, forward of the hammer. The tail of the lock plate was marked with a British Crown over the… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/model-1841-significance-of-a-6-pounder/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/model-1841-significance-of-a-6-pounder/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Ah, the 19th century. Never before has the field of weaponry seen so many advances in so narrow a window. Warfare saw such innovations as ironclad ships, the telegraph, naval mines, submarines, and much more. The field of firearms saw so… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/the-cincinnati-gun/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/the-cincinnati-gun/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT John Morris graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971 and served in various ships participating in the Vietnam War. He worked in weapons development during shore assignments. John left the Navy in 1980 to work for the Navy as a… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/the-rectangular-csa-buckles/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2026/january-february/the-rectangular-csa-buckles/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Perhaps the most identifiable of all the Confederate belt plates, the origin of these CSA plates is still shrouded in somewhat of a mystery. Early in the war, the Confederate Ordnance Manual, prepared under the direction of Colonel Josias… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/an-antebellum-new-orleans-retailed-english-bentley-revolver/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/an-antebellum-new-orleans-retailed-english-bentley-revolver/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT On December 4, 1852, Joseph Bentley received British Patent No. 960/1852 for a percussion revolver, and on April 4, 1854, he received an additional patent for “improvements to the revolver,” No. 768/1854. Bentley was a long time… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/carved-palmetto-model-1852-muskets-captured-at-fort-walker/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/carved-palmetto-model-1852-muskets-captured-at-fort-walker/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Professionally carved on either side of butt stock “CAPTURED at Hilton Head / South Carolina / Nov. 7th 1861” and “J. Butterworth / U. S. Ship Susquehanna.” This musket was once part of Norm Flayderman’s incredible Civil War collection and… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/oak-leaves-acorns-ropes-and-sea-serpents/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/oak-leaves-acorns-ropes-and-sea-serpents/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Lieutenant Joseph Foster Green was already a 25-year Navy veteran when he received his Model 1852 Pattern Naval Officers Sword. He was most likely unaware that this ornate-edged weapon, known to collectors today as a rare, martially marked… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/palmetto-iron-workswilliam-glaze/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/palmetto-iron-workswilliam-glaze/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Glaze & Radcliffe partnership sold an additional 640 Model 1842 muskets to the state of South Carolina; this time, they were obtained from Benjamin Flagg, who had previously worked as the foreman in the Waters operation and who was… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/the-austrian-rifle/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/the-austrian-rifle/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT Historical Publications LLC Military Antique Collector 2800 Scenic Drive, Suite 4-304 Blue Ridge, GA 30513 800-777-1862 Email: mail@MilitaryAntiqueCollector.com Website: MilitaryAntiqueCollector.com Hours 9-5 EST, Monday-Thursday https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/the-battle-of-port-royal-sound/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/the-battle-of-port-royal-sound/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT In the early days of the American Civil War, before the brutal bloodletting at Shiloh or Antietam defined the scale of the conflict, a significant, yet often overlooked, engagement unfolded along the South Carolina coast. On November 7,… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/the-story-of-the-gun-and-personal-tragedies-of-the-colt-dynasty/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/november-december/the-story-of-the-gun-and-personal-tragedies-of-the-colt-dynasty/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT of the Episcopal faith who have lived in Hartford. I have spent many hours in Sam’s library researching different projects. During this period, I was able to piece together the following story of the mysteries, scandals and personal… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/a-young-confederate-from-missouri-and-his-carved-canteen/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/a-young-confederate-from-missouri-and-his-carved-canteen/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT My father came into possession of this highly decorated Confederate wooden canteen in 2023. No research had been done on the T. Martin, whose name was carved onto the side. Even less was known about his connections to “CSA,” “Lexington… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/general-john-s-crockers-militia-officers-sword-and-epaulets/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/general-john-s-crockers-militia-officers-sword-and-epaulets/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT The epaulets, in their original Japanned tin storage case, belonged to General Crocker. This set feature a gilt-embroidered eagle and an applied five-pointed sequin star, indicating his general officer rank. The devices have a red velvet… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/inside-the-ames-manufacturing-company/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/inside-the-ames-manufacturing-company/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT The Ames Manufacturing Company was a notable American producer of swords, tools, and cutlery, situated in Chicopee, Massachusetts. It additionally functioned as a prominent iron and bronze foundry. Founded in 1774 in Chelmsford,… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/printing-variants-of-the-charleston-mercury-broadside/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/printing-variants-of-the-charleston-mercury-broadside/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT Historical Publications LLC Military Antique Collector 2800 Scenic Drive, Suite 4-304 Blue Ridge, GA 30513 800-777-1862 Email: mail@MilitaryAntiqueCollector.com Website: MilitaryAntiqueCollector.com Hours 9-5 EST, Monday-Thursday https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/southern-colt-revolvers/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/southern-colt-revolvers/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT Jackson A. Davis, Company E, Holcombe Legion South Carolina Cavalry Battalion, wearing variant enlisted frock with front pocket posed with .69 caliber musket and two .36 caliber Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers. The unit’s motto was “It is… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/the-confederate-ch1-stamp-a-reappraisal/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/the-confederate-ch1-stamp-a-reappraisal/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT he CH1 inspector’s/viewer’s stamp is found on military firearms procured in Great Britain by Confederate purchasing agent Captain Caleb Huse and state agents from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The stamp, typically located on… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/the-guns-of-theodore-roosevelt/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/september-october/the-guns-of-theodore-roosevelt/ Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT In the collecting world, the most coveted firearms are prized for their rarity, artistry, condition, and history. Where provenance is concerned, few names add more weight to a gun’s value than the legendary Theodore Roosevelt. America’s… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/a-confederate-altered-u-s-model-1841-mississippi-rifle/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/a-confederate-altered-u-s-model-1841-mississippi-rifle/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT At the beginning of the American Civil War nearly 20,000 U.S. Model 1841 “Mississippi” rifles were in arsenals of the various states that seceded to form the Confederacy. Some 9,304 had been issued to the Southern states between the years… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/cadet-flemings-colt-model-1851-navy/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/cadet-flemings-colt-model-1851-navy/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT This personalized marking was likely added in Charleston, S.C., around the time the unit was formed in mid-1862. Such engraved firearms were not uncommon among Confederate officers, serving as both practical weapons and personal mementos… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/clash-of-steel-the-story-of-two-swords-at-gettysburg/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/clash-of-steel-the-story-of-two-swords-at-gettysburg/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT On July 3, 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s grand assault on the Federal center at Gettysburg failed, culminating in a desperate struggle within The Angle on Cemetery Ridge. The attack included a preparatory artillery bombardment… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/daniel-sickles-murder-and-gettysburg/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/daniel-sickles-murder-and-gettysburg/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT Hours 9-5 EST, Monday-Thursday ON THE COVER: The Colt Model 1855 “Root” percussion revolver, inscribed to Medal of Honor recipient and Civil War general Daniel Sickles and his gilt presentation Tiffany & Co. knight pommel 1861 dated dress… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/phosphorescent-markers-on-d-day-1944-and-2025/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/phosphorescent-markers-on-d-day-1944-and-2025/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT Phosphorescent Markers on D-Day: 1944 and 2025 With Cautionary Notes for Collectors By Christopher J. Bell and Nicola Tisato Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/the-birth-of-the-belt-feed-machine-gun/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/july-august/the-birth-of-the-belt-feed-machine-gun/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT All the predecessors of Sir Hiram Maxim’s invention lacked a few key points that the Maxim machine gun addressed. They were limited in the number of rounds a cylinder or magazine could hold and they needed to be operated by hand to… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/42nd-alabama-colonels-leech-rigdon-belt/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/42nd-alabama-colonels-leech-rigdon-belt/ Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Lawrence Babits, Ph.D., Craig L. Barry, Craig D. Bell, J.D., LLM in Tax, Jack Bell, Jim Bender, Greg Biggs, Daniel J. Binder, Gordon Blaker, Vin Caponi, Glenn J. Dutton, Joe Engesser, Rafael Eledge, Dickey Ferry, Chris E. Fonvielle Jr.,… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/a-masterpiece-of-innovation-and-honor-cased-maynard-set/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/a-masterpiece-of-innovation-and-honor-cased-maynard-set/ Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT In the aftermath of the American Civil War, recognition of military valor extended beyond medals and commendations—sometimes taking the form of meticulously crafted firearms presented to distinguished officers. Among the most celebrated… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/a-rare-singer-model-1911a1-45-acp-pistol/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/a-rare-singer-model-1911a1-45-acp-pistol/ Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT About the Singer Manufacturing Company Singer Sewing Machine Company, a global leader in sewing machine manufacturing, received a government production study in 1939 to design M1911A1 pistol blueprints and standardize raw material sizes.… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/an-arms-chest-packing-slip-m1884-springfield/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/an-arms-chest-packing-slip-m1884-springfield/ Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT Collecting historical artifacts is often a “local” thing; at least it is with us. We like objects associated with our original home, Alabama, or Virginia, where we now live. Sometimes you find something that accomplishes that objective,… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/confederate-purchased-bar-on-band-enfield-rifles/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/confederate-purchased-bar-on-band-enfield-rifles/ Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT On January 25, 1856, one of the first and most important long arms to be derived from the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket was officially approved for use in the British Army. The Pattern 1856 “Short Rifle” was an iron mounted long gun… https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/the-civil-war-collection-of-james-c-frasca/ https://militaryantiquecollector.com/issues/2025/may-june/the-civil-war-collection-of-james-c-frasca/ Thu, 01 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT A group of nine Union infantrymen posing in what appear to be 5 button sack coats and forage caps with their accoutrements. Eight hold Austrian Model 1854 rifle muskets with fixed bayonets while the musician is holding regulation eagle…