Why I Am Interested In Obscure Firearms History

In a nutshell, it's gaming.

If you're aware of a piece of equipment which seems to appear anachronistically early, you get an upgrade to your character's capabilities.

Game stats often don't consider the numerous reasons these old things aren't as good as the more familiar modern equivalent.

A good example was the Warner and Swasey M1913 scope.  In service it was a pain in the ass.  It fogged over a great deal and the solution was to make it easy to take apart so one could wipe at it, perpetuating the moist air is inside problem causing the fogging.

The mounting screws loosened themselves regularly causing problems retaining zero.

While the scope itself is fairly robust, it was easy to knock it out of zero.

But it's a 6x optic and all you need to do is find out how your game handles such and you can have one in 1913, when scopes were uncommon.

There's more than a couple of character sheets with an FG.42 on them because, in game terms, you get a full power, selective fire rifle which compares favorably with the much newer FAL.

No mention of them not being very accurate by FAL standard or very durable.  The stamped receiver is on the very edge of not being able to take 7.92x57mm, so they start deforming rather quickly.

Plus they are balanced oddly.  I got to fire an early version (type E) and it felt like it wanted to roll to the left with a full magazine and not when it was close to empty.  Not rolling hard, but just enough that you needed to pay attention.

I've often wondered if the later type G version was better about that.  I will happily test a clone if someone were to mail me the $6k or an example from SMG.

Then there's also guns like the Czech ZH-29 where you can get a semiautomatic rifle in 1929!  YEARS before the Garand and in a more adventurer friendly caliber than .30-06.

I've done the same thing with a Mondragon rifle, 7mm Mauser being very adventurer friendly for Swashbuckler's campaigns set in South America.

Pistols tend to be easier to sneak past and once the HP35 hits, well... It's the wonder-nine for the next 40 years.