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Travis Pike

Travis Pike

The National Interest

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For the U.S. Marines, the Future of Warfare Is Robotic

Summary: Over the past eight years, the U.S. Marine Corps has undergone significant modernization, embracing new technologies, tactics, and equipment,...

07.05.2024 60

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Officer on Deck: How the U.S. Military Embraced the Modern Salute

01.02.2024 50

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The M2 Hyde: This Submachine Gun was Ahead of Its Time

During World War II, the United States had two dominating submachine guns, the M1A1 Thompson, also known as the Tommy Gun, and the more...

19.12.2023 6

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The Nock Gun: When You Need Seven Barrels to Get the Job Done

In the age of single-shot muskets and early rifles, the rate of fire was fairly low. Fire a shot, then reload, and reload slowly at that. Over time...

19.12.2023 6

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Did the Navy SEALs Bring the HK SMG 2 to War?

It’s rare when a gun is truly mysterious and we can’t answer why it was made, who used it, or why it succeeded or failed. Today’s case is more...

19.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Meet the Bailey: The Father of the Belt-fed Machine Gun was 150 Years Old

The belt-fed machine gun might be the norm these days, but in 1874 it was rather new. Early belt-fed weapons existed as far back as 1855 in the form...

15.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Burst Fire Weapons Could Be the Worst Gimmick Ever Created

Burst fire is when fully automatic settings are limited to firing a certain number of rounds per trigger pull. Typically bursts are three rounds, but...

15.12.2023 6

The National Interest

Travis Pike

With Sword in Hand, This Armored Knight Stood Against the Nazis

World War II was such an utterly massive conflict that it really is amazing how many great stories rarely get their due. When you have a war that big...

15.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

In the Hands of British Special Forces, the MC51 Was a Monster

If you look at the last 100 years of rifle design, you’ll notice that as guns have gotten quite fancy with numerous attachments, they’ve moved...

13.12.2023 5

The National Interest

Travis Pike

These Are the Weirdest Shells to Ever Be Fired by a Shotgun

Shotguns are fairly versatile weapons due to their simplicity. They are essentially smoothbore weapons with a bore diameter between 18 and 20mms...

13.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

5.56 vs. 7.62: Which Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) Is the King?

The DMR, or designated marksman rifle, has become an integral part of the infantry rifle squad. Numerous American and foreign forces have adopted some...

13.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

These Weapons Were So Good That Everyone Used them in World War II

While it’s easy to focus on western Europe, Russia, and the Pacific Campaign during World War II, we often forget how far-reaching the war was. With...

08.12.2023 3

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The Nazi's FG-42 Rifle Was Born from the Depths of Defeat

The German arms industry has always been a fairly robust and advanced one. From Mauser to HK, it is often ahead of the game. This was very true during...

07.12.2023 8

The National Interest

Travis Pike

AR-1: What Happens When You Give a Drone an Assault Rifle?

The advent of drones has changed warfare. Drones are now a stable of warfare and will likely be for quite some time. Today we are discussing a new...

07.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The Colt M1903 Made the OSS a True Menace

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the United States’ first major intelligence apparatus. During World War II, the OSS acted as spies,...

06.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Geared Up: These are the 5 Best Pieces of Military Equipment Ever Issued

I’ve been issued a lot of gear in my time. Some of it was okay, a lot of it was absolute crap, but some of it really stood out. Not all issued gear...

06.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The CZ Scorpion Proves that SMGs are Far from Dead

I often run across curious weapons from around the world, and I often feature them in my  service rifles from around the world series. However,...

06.12.2023 5

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Legend or Fact? Did Mattel Build Its Own M-16 Rifle?

05.12.2023 6

The National Interest

Travis Pike

You Won't Know How Deadly These Snipers Are Until It's Too Late

Snipers utilize a craft all their own. It’s an odd one that involves small elite teams, armed with accurate rifles, often going out alone and away...

05.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The Teradaya Incident: When a Revolver Became a Samurai's Best Friend

How exactly does a samurai named Sakamoto Ryōma become more well-known for his gun-slinging than sword-swinging skills? Today, we are going to dive...

02.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The Ukraine Foreign Legion Wants You to Fight for Kyiv

It’s been more than a year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. During this period, many volunteers from around the world came...

01.12.2023 5

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The 5 Weirdest Military Traditions to Ever See Combat

The military has its own culture that is completely separate from mainstream American culture. It’s full of its own customs, courtesies, and of...

01.12.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Want to Hunt Like the U.S. Military? Try Out These 7 Guns

Most military weapons are purpose-built. Assault rifles, light machine guns, submachine guns, and more are designed from the ground up with a military...

29.11.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

What Does It Take to Win Wars? According to Marines, a Flying Jeep

A simple grainy black-and-white picture of the STAMP initially drew me in. I am drawn to the weird side of things but in the world of military...

28.11.2023 3

The National Interest

Travis Pike

These Trench Guns were the True Victors of World War I

World War I brought about a massive upheaval in how wars were fought. The mass introduction of tanks, planes, machine guns, flamethrowers, and poison...

28.11.2023 4

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Why Do New Recruits Love the U.S. Marine Corps?

Military recruiting is facing a crisis with most branches failing to make their recruiting goals in 2022 or having to tap into their pools of...

27.11.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

The Best Bullpup Rifle? How the Tavor X95 Serves Israel With Distinction

As a rather new country, Israel’s small arms development has been fascinating to watch. During their first years, the Israeli Defense Forces (the...

22.11.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Born from Disaster: The FG-42 Rifle Was a Paratrooper’s Dream Gun

The German arms industry has always been a fairly robust and advanced one. From Mauser to HK, it is often ahead of the game. This was very true during...

16.10.2023 2

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Improv or Die: Meeting the DIY Weapons the Military Made Up on the Fly

There is a great streak of ingenuity that runs through the American people. The phrase improvise, adapt, and overcome is intertwined into our...

16.10.2023 2

The National Interest

Travis Pike

These Weapons Made Ukraine’s Foreign Legion a Nightmare for Russia

The Ukraine Foreign Legion (also known as the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine) is made up of fighters from many countries, including...

13.10.2023 10

The National Interest

Travis Pike

Downfall: How the Mighty Submachine Gun Fell from Fame to Obscurity

Submachine guns (SMGs) are an interesting category of weapons. They are typically defined as selective-fire weapons that feed from a removable...

06.10.2023 2

The National Interest

Travis Pike

These are the 5 Best Rifles to Ever Go to War

Picking five of the many excellent service rifles the United States military used was tough. There are so many excellent firearms that the U.S....

05.10.2023 2

The National Interest

Travis Pike

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