In the years after World War II, Los Angeles was a city caught between Hollywood glamour and a growing criminal underworld. East Coast mobsters saw opportunity in Southern California’s booming nightlife, leaning on clubs and businesses for as much as a quarter of their profits....
Read More[audio mp3="http://firearmsresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/E10_mixdown.mp3"][/audio] In the season finale of History Unloaded, Danny and I turn the lens forward and share an inside look at what’s coming next in our professional worlds. It’s a rare chance for us to talk not only about the history we study, but...
Read More[audio mp3="http://firearmsresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/HU_S8_ep9bszik.mp3"][/audio] The newest episode of History Unloaded takes a reflective look at Danny and my own paths into the world of arms history. Danny and I revisit the formative experiences that shaped our professional interests, including family trips to Civil War battlefields, early encounters...
Read More[audio mp3="http://firearmsresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/S8_E89bcsz.mp3"][/audio] In the latest episode of History Unloaded, we’re joined by a special guest, the Curator of Springfield Armory National Historic Site, for a discussion on one of America’s most important centers of arms innovation. Together, we explore the fascinating history of...
Read MoreFor more than a century, Sarah Winchester has been portrayed as the cursed heiress of the “Mystery House,” trapped by guilt and ghosts. But the real Sarah was a visionary—an educated, independent woman who used her wealth to innovate in design, technology, and employment during...
Read More[audio mp3="http://firearmsresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/S8_E7bvxa6.mp3"][/audio] The newest episode of History Unloaded takes a step off the beaten trail to explore the lesser-known firearms that shaped the Old West. While most people can identify a Colt Single Action Army or a Winchester Model 1873, Danny and I focus on...
Read MoreThis fall, the Firearms Research Center will host its annual conference, Sparking the Revolution: Flintlocks, Gunpowder, and Policy in America’s War for Independence, on November 20–21, 2025, at the Springfield National Armory Historic Site in Springfield, Massachusetts. This year’s conference will explore the pivotal themes...
Read More[audio mp3="http://firearmsresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/S8_E6_mixdown8b2rx.mp3"][/audio] The latest episode of History Unloaded takes aim at love, discussing iconic gun couples throughout history. Danny and I discuss competitive and exhibition shooters, such as Annie Oakley and Frank Butler and Ad and Elizabeth (Plinky) Topperwein. We also step beyond the shooting...
Read More[audio mp3="http://firearmsresearchcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/S8_E595myu.mp3"][/audio] In this week’s episode of History Unloaded, Danny and I take a closer look at the development of early repeating firearms and the ways in which both technology and terminology evolved alongside them. Our conversation unpacks the realities of early repeaters’ performance, tracing...
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