8mm Roth-Steyr: The First Army-Adopted Autoloader Round
Discover the true first army-adopted automatic pistol cartridge: the Roth-Steyr M1907 and its unique 8mm round, engineered for Austro-Hungarian cavalry use.
Maksym Kovaliov
Maksym Kovaliov came to the United States at age 25 as a refugee from the Soviet Union. Having grown up under communism, he deeply values America’s culture of freedom, especially free speech and the protections of the First and Second Amendments. He is grateful to the United States for the opportunities and liberties that come with living in a free country.
Maksym is a practicing hunter and hands-on firearms enthusiast with a strong focus on calibers, reloading, and practical gunsmithing. He works with real equipment and real results - load development, component selection, brass prep, and field-ready rifle setup. All of his writing is grounded in firsthand experience, safety-minded practices, and respect for applicable US laws and regulations.
38-40 Winchester: Testing the “Weaker” Myth
Explore the true story behind the 38-40 Winchester cartridge myth, revealing its unique design, performance, and historical role versus the more famed 44-40 round.
41 Long Colt: A Market Failure, Not a Ballistics One
Discover the true story behind the 41 Long Colt cartridge - its strong ballistic performance, key manufacturing flaws, and why it lost ground despite early success.
7.63mm Mauser: Separating Fact From Broomhandle Myth
Explore the true history and technical details of the 7.63mm Mauser cartridge, separating fact from myth about its power and compatibility with 7.62mm Tokarev rounds.
30 Luger: A Cartridge Ahead of Its Market
Discover the history and unique ballistics of the 30 Luger cartridge, a pioneering flat-shooting, low-recoil pistol round launched in 1900 ahead of its time.
7.62mm Nagant: How the Gas Seal Actually Works
Discover how the Nagant M1895 revolver's unique gas-seal mechanism works, its history, design, and why it remains a standout in firearm engineering.
9mm Glisenti: Weaker Than It Looks
Discover the crucial distinctions and safety risks of the 9mm Glisenti, a historically unique Italian cartridge often mistaken for the more powerful 9mm Luger.
9mm Largo: The Dangers of “Close Enough” Ammunition
Discover the crucial differences between 9mm Largo and 9x23mm Winchester to avoid dangerous ammunition mix-ups in vintage Spanish firearms and ensure safe shooting.
9mm Steyr: A Practical Identification Guide
Discover the crucial differences between 9mm Steyr, 9mm Largo, and 9mm Luger cartridges to safely identify and handle each unique historic military round.
9mm Browning Long: How Logistics Beat a Sound Cartridge
Explore the history and technical details of the 9mm Browning Long - a competitive cartridge that lost the standardization race due to timing and logistics, not ballistics.
Best Powders for 40 S&W Handloading
Discover expert 40 S&W powder selection tips tailored for target, defense, and hunting loads. Maximize performance with safe, data-backed ammo recipes.
44 Special in a Lever-Action Rifle
The 44 Special shines in a lever-action carbine.