Matteo Millan
@matteomillan.bsky.social
Historian of only the most cheerful subjects, such as fascism, paramilitary, armed associations and most recently guns. PI of the ERC funded project EU-GUNS (@euguns.bsky.social). Full professor at the University of Padova and proud citizen of Arcellatown.
Reposted by Matteo Millan
The EU-GUNS project investigates the second life of military rifles and how this seemingly obsolete hardware shaped the relationship between Europeans and guns for decades. #euguns #eugunssnippets #gunhistory #europeanhistory
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
The EU-GUNS project investigates the second life of military rifles and how this seemingly obsolete hardware shaped the relationship between Europeans and guns for decades. #euguns #eugunssnippets #gunhistory #europeanhistory
Reposted by Matteo Millan
Old British Martini-Henry rifles — the weapon that helped conquer the British Empire in the second half of the 19th century — were converted into miniature rifles for training young British boys and for use in indoor shooting galleries.
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Old British Martini-Henry rifles — the weapon that helped conquer the British Empire in the second half of the 19th century — were converted into miniature rifles for training young British boys and for use in indoor shooting galleries.
Reposted by Matteo Millan
Major manufacturers as well as artisanal gunsmiths converted French Gras and Italian Vetterli rifles into shotguns that were cheap enough to be affordable to many rural hunters and farmers.
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Major manufacturers as well as artisanal gunsmiths converted French Gras and Italian Vetterli rifles into shotguns that were cheap enough to be affordable to many rural hunters and farmers.
Reposted by Matteo Millan
An often overlooked consequence of this was that millions of old-model rifles ended up in military stores. Some were sold to non-European countries or used in colonial wars, but hundreds of thousands ended up on the civilian market.
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
An often overlooked consequence of this was that millions of old-model rifles ended up in military stores. Some were sold to non-European countries or used in colonial wars, but hundreds of thousands ended up on the civilian market.
Reposted by Matteo Millan
In the coming months, EU-GUNS will further explore the significance of this duality for prewar Swedish shooting sports and the transformation of the role of guns in the public sphere. (Source for the photo: Stockholm City Museum, author unknown)
June 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
In the coming months, EU-GUNS will further explore the significance of this duality for prewar Swedish shooting sports and the transformation of the role of guns in the public sphere. (Source for the photo: Stockholm City Museum, author unknown)