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High Caliber History Dispatch

Join historian, writer, and appraiser Logan Metesh in exploring historic firearms, military artifacts, collector pieces, and the people behind them through deeply researched history, market insight, and artifact-driven storytelling.

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When Revolvers Came With Knives and Knuckledusters

Long before tactical accessories, gunmakers were bolting blades and brass knuckles onto pocket revolvers. Surprisingly, people actually bought them.

He Bought a Shooter-Grade Thompson. Then He Took Off the Barrel

A hidden serial number led to one of America's most notorious gangster arsenals.

The Rare Smith & Wesson You've Never Seen

The Model 125 was supposed to launch a new era for Smith & Wesson. Instead, it became one of the company's greatest "what ifs."

I Was Wrong About This WWII Weapon

For years I repeated the accepted story about the Sedgley Fist Gun. Then another historian showed me the evidence - and it changed everything.

How Theodore Roosevelt Designed His Dream Rifle

From a sketch on White House stationery to the African wilderness, the story of Roosevelt's Holland & Holland is unlike any other presidential firearm.

The Rarest Engraver's Signature Isn't on a Gun

Most collectors spend six figures chasing his engraved firearms. I found something far rarer hiding on a three-cent coin.

Arming the World: American Gun-Makers in the Gilded Age

Book review of Geoffrey S. Stewart's 2024 work

The Rifle That Survived a Flamethrower

This battered Type 99 Arisaka still bears the burn marks of Iwo Jima, one of World War II's most brutal battles.

Could Americans Own Cannons During the Revolution?

A claim repeated by politicians sent me back to the historical record. Here's what the evidence actually says.

The Gun Industry's Most Important Man You've Never Heard Of

He armed six nations, ran armories on two continents, and shaped military history - yet he has become one of firearms history's forgotten figures.

Did Mattel Really Make M16 Rifles?

Vets have repeated it for decades. FOIA requests, Colt records, and historical evidence tell a different story.

Behind the Camera with John Garand

A newly discovered photograph reveals how one of the most famous M1 Garand films was actually made.

The Medal in the Antique Shop

How one forgotten award sent me on a multi-year search for ten extraordinary firearms - and the missing pieces of history that belonged with them.