Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based freelance writer who regularly covers firearms related topics and military history. As a reporter, his work has appeared in dozens of magazines, newspapers, and websites. Among those are Homeland Security Today, Armchair General, Military Heritage, Mag Life, Newsweek, The Federalist, AmmoLand, Breach-Bang-Clear, Newsweek, RECOILweb, Wired, and many others. He has collected military small arms and military helmets most of his life, and just recently navigated his first NFA transfer to buy his first machine gun. He is co-author of the book A Gallery of Military Headdress, which was published in February 2019. It is his third book on the topic of military hats and helmets.

Guns

Meet The USAF AR Style Survival Gun – the GAU-5A

May 27, 2020July 7, 2020 Peter Suciu 1 Comment Air Force, AR Rifles, carbines, Top 4 Featured Articles

A pilot who finds himself downed behind enemy lines needs a survival gun. Beginning with the Cold War, survival rifle development has led to the most recent GAU-5A, chambered for 5.56 mm so it can take down game, and more importantly, enemy soldiers.

King Farouk I of Egypt inspecting army units in Abdeen Square in the early 1950s. The Egyptian Army looks rather "British" and is still armed with a mix of British Lee Enfield and German Mauser bolt action rifles.

Guns

The Egyptian Small Arms of the Cold War

May 20, 2020July 7, 2020 Peter Suciu 0 Comments carbines, Peter Suciu, rifles, Top 4 Featured Articles

During the cold war Egypt was able to produce some well-made small arms. However, the Egyptian homegrown versions required foreign influence.

An Imperial Storm Trooper armed with a BlasTech E-11 Blaster Rifle -- in reality a British Sterling SMG.

Guns

Guns of Star Wars (Not Really From a Galaxy Far, Far Away)

May 11, 2020July 7, 2020 Peter Suciu 1 Comment Friday Night at the Movies, Peter Suciu, Top 4 Featured Articles

Guns of Star Wars: Here’s a look at how modern – and not so modern – firearms were dressed up to make Star Wars weapons like Han Solo’s (in)famous blaster.

The "Fusil Mitrailleur Modele 1915 CSRG" – more commonly known as the Chauchat. (Author's Collection)

Learnin'

The Chauchat’s Unique and Troublesome Magazine

February 10, 2020February 18, 2020 Peter Suciu 0 Comments Top 4 Featured Articles

The most widely manufactured automatic weapon during WWI, the Chauchat has a reputation as one of the worst machine guns ever made due to magazine design.

Guns

M1 Carbine history: more than the Garand’s little brother

January 15, 2020July 7, 2020 Peter Suciu 2 Comments Weapon Crush Wednesday

Want to freshen up on M1 Carbine history? Read the colorul life of its designer, “Carbine” Williams, M1 war service, and its influences in popular culture.

James Bond had a "Signature Camera Gun" in the film License to Kill – but real spies had less high-tech weapons.

Assorted Ramblings

Spy Guns: not quite James Bond, but still pretty cool

January 8, 2020February 19, 2020 Peter Suciu 0 Comments Weapon Crush Wednesday

Spy Guns are a favorite Hollywood prop, but they’ve made appearances in real-world ops too. Peter Suciu details some Spy Guns employed by various agencies.

Eugene M. Stoner, left, and Mikhail T. Kalashnikov hold the rifles they designed, taken May 1990. (Photo by Sgt. Chris Lawson/Public Domain).

People

Stoner and Kalashnikov: A Tale of Two Very Different Gun Designers

January 6, 2020January 7, 2020 Peter Suciu 5 Comments Man Crush Monday, Top 4 Featured Articles

Stoner and Kalashnikov each designed iconic and prolific modern firearms: the AR15 and the AK47. Read about their stories, how they met, and their legacies.