Forgotten Weapons
Season 2019
Host Ian McCollum goes over, disassembles, tests, and assesses some of history's most captivating and unorthodox firearms.
Where to Watch Season 2019
300 Episodes
- Vektor H5: Pump Action Adaptation of the South African GalilE1
Vektor H5: Pump Action Adaptation of the South African Galilhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The H5 is a pump-action conversion of the South African R4/R5 Galil rifles, developed by Vektor in the early 1990s. It was fairly difficult at that time to get a permit for a semiautomatic rifle in South Africa, but manually operated rifles were much less strictly regulated - so the H5 was introduced to sell to the civilian market. It was found to be quite popular with private security firms, and so a second version was introduced for them, with a pistol grip, folding stock, and black furniture in place of the original wood. Three barrel lengths were offered between the two models, a long sporting barrel and two shorter ones equal to the R4 and R5 barrels. The rifle is designed to keep as many standard Galil parts as possible for economic manufacture, but the whole gas system was omitted. This necessitated a new top cover, new safety, and obviously a new front handguard which would work as a pump handle. No iron sights were put on them, instead they have a scope rail fixed to the top cover and were shipped with 4x32 inexpensive scopes. With the clarification of South African gun laws around 2000, semiautomatic rifle permits actually became substantially simpler to acquire, and the market for the H5 pretty much disappeared. Many thanks to the private collector who provided me access to these two examples to bring to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Open Bolt vs Closed Bolt FirearmsE2
How Does it Work: Open Bolt vs Closed Bolt Firearmshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons How Does it Work: Open Bolt vs Closed Bolt Firearms Most semiauto firearms fire from a closed bolt and most fully automatic firearms fire from an open bolt, but these are far from strict rules, and many exception exist. Open bolt offers better cooling and prevents any possibility of cookoff, while closed bolt offers better practical accuracy. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - FN CAL: Short-Lived Predecessor to the FNCE3
FN CAL: Short-Lived Predecessor to the FNChttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The CAL (Carabine Automatique Leger; Light Automatic Carbine) was FN's first attempt to produce a 5.56mm rifle as a counterpart to the 7.62mm FAL. While light and handy, the CAL was a relatively complex and expensive design, and failed to garner many sales. About 12,000 were made in total before FN pulled the gun in favor of the FN FNC, which would prove to be much more successful. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Evolution of the Dutch-Made AR10E4
Evolution of the Dutch-Made AR10http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The AR-10 rifle was developed in the United States (Hollywood California, specifically) by Eugene Stoner, but the Armalite company did not have a suitable large scale manufacturing facility to produce the number of guns they expected to sell to military forces. Instead, a deal was struck to license production to the Dutch firm of Artillerie Inrichtingen in Delft. Production would only run for about 4 years before the Dutch government shut down arms production for political reasons, but during that time the AR-10 rifle would undergo significant evolution. Today were are looking at three examples of the rifle. First is a Cuban pattern, second is a Sudanese pattern, and third is a Portuguese pattern. These do a good job of showing the changes from the early (pre-Dutch military trials) and late patterns of the rifle, as it gradually traded increased weight for increased durability and more features. Many thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto for the opportunity to showcase their AR-10 rifles for you! Check them out on Instagram to see many of the guns in their extensive collection: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: AK47 - The Grim Reaper (Second Edition)E5
Book Review: AK47 - The Grim Reaper (Second Edition)Available from the publisher: https://www.smallarmsreview.com/inventory/detail.item.cfm?product_id=158 Or from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SsYXsw The expanded second edition of Frank Iannamico's "AK47: The Grim Reaper" is a hefty 1100-page tome which tackles the ambition goal of being a single reference for all things Kalashnikov. Ot begins with a section on Soviet development of the AK rifle starting at the Type 1 and proceeding through the milled-receiver Type 2 and 3, the AKM, the AK-74, and into the modern rifles like the AK-107/8, AEK, and AN-94. Also included are the RPK and RPK-74, the PK, and the Dragunov. Next is a series of chapters covering AK production by other countries in the Warsaw Pact, and then an set of chapter on production by countries outside the Pact. Finally are chapters on the AK in the US (both imports and domestic production), accessories, ammunition, and magazines. Overall, I think the book is the best single reference book on the AK platform. Its coverage of American Ads in particular is unmatched, and it does a good job of covering the main variations made across the world. I am a bit disappointed by the black and white pictures (the color ID photo profiles at the end are better than nothing, but not what I would prefer). I would also prefer to have a bit denser book, with less white space on every page...but that is getting rather nit-picky. As good as Iannamico's book is, the serious AK enthusiast will still want to also have copies of the other two good AK reference books on the market. "The Grim Reaper" cannot match Roodhorst's "Kalashnikov Encyclopedia" sheer volume of odd variants covered, not does it match (or attempt to match) the technical and developmental information in Ezell's "Kalashnikov: The Arms And The Man". Still, I think it is the best rounded of the three and would be my recommendation for the person who only wants one AK book - and at $70, it is pretty economical for over a thousand pages. http://www. - H&K P8A1: The Bundeswehr's USPE6
H&K P8A1: The Bundeswehr's USPhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Thanks to my friends at Bear Arms in Scottsdale, we have an H&K P8A1 to take a look at today - the current Bundeswehr issue version of the USP. Chambered for 9x19mm and adopted in 1994, only a few things differentiate the P8/P8A1 from the standard commercial USP. Most notably is the safety, which operates in the opposite direction as the commercial guns - up is fire and down is safe. This was specified by the German government to duplicate the operation of the pistol the P8 replaced - the P1. In addition, the P8 uses translucent magazine bodies (15 rounds capacity), allowing one to see how much ammunition is in the magazine from a glance. A few further changes distinguish the P8A1 form the original P8. Most noticeable are the sights, which were plain white dots on the P8 and were replaced with luminous painted dots on the A1. The slide finish was changed to a more durable type on the A1, and a few places on the inside of the slides were beefed up as well. This was in response to reports of slide cracking with extended use of very hot ammunition. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Ammo Evaluation: Romanian 8mm MauserE7
Ammo Evaluation: Romanian 8mm Mauserhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Towards the end of the Cold War, Romania was a major exporter of arms and ammunition on the world market. Today we are looking at Romanian pattern 1971 8mm Mauser ammunition, made between 1972 and 1978 (this particular sample is form 1972). It was produced at the U.M. Sadu plant in Bumbesti Jiu, Romania. At the time of production, Romania had no 8mm Mauser firearms in active military service, suggesting that this ammunition was made for export (or perhaps a planned weapon which never actually saw adoption). Interestingly, the cases across the entire production run of this ammo are about 1mm shorter than standard 8mm Mauser, measuring closer to 56mm than 57mm. The shoulder is in the proper location, and this slightly short neck does not appear to produce any abnormal effects, either positive or negative. The ammunition is packed in wooden crates, each containing two sealed tins. It was packaged both loose in boxes (20 rounds per box, 380 rounds per tin, 760 rounds per crate) and also on 5-round Mauser stripper clips (15 rounds per box, 340 rounds per tin, 680 rounds per crate). This particular sample is packaged loose. Velocity: I tested velocity using an 8mm Kar98k Mauser rifle (barrel length 23.6 inches). Measurements were taken at 10 feet from the muzzle, with a sample size of 15 rounds fired. I found an average velocity of 2674 fps, extreme spread of 107 fps (max 2716, min 2609), and standard deviation of 25.75 fps. None of the rounds exhibited any unusual behavior when fired. In my experience outside this specific test, this ammunition has never shown and duds or hangfires. Bullets: I tested the weight of 10 bullets using a calibrated Lyman electronic scale. I found an average weight of 154.2 grains, extreme spread of 2.4 grains (max 155.4 gr, min 153.0 gr), and standard deviation of 0.86 grains. Bullet construction is boa - Semiauto M2 Hyde Reproduction: The Interim US WW2 SubgunE8
Semiauto M2 Hyde Reproduction: The Interim US WW2 Subgunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons George Hyde designed the gun that would eventually be adopted as the M2 submachine gun in the late 1930s, and it was first tested at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in October of 1939. At that time, the gun had many good traits (weight, handlings, etc) but suffered from parts breakage and unreliability. Hyde went back to work on the gun at the Inland Division of GM, and came back with a much improved version in April of 1942. The Inland-Hyde SMG was chambered for .45 ACP ammunition and used standard Thompson magazines, and was poised to become the US Army's new submachine gun, replacing the overly expensive Thompson. The Hyde passed a 6080 round endurance test with flying colors, and exhibited much better effectiveness in fully automatic than the Thompson. At the end of the April tests, it was formally accepted to replace the Thompson and given the designation M2. A contract was given to the Marlin company (Inland being busy with other projects) to manufacture 164,450 of the guns, with delivery to begin in December 1942. However, Marlin had problems tooling up to produce the new gun, in particular with dies for several parts to be made using powdered metal sintering. Actual delivery of the first guns did not happen until May of 1943. In the meantime, Hyde and Inland had continued working on cheaper and simpler designs, and created the stamped sheet metal M3 "Grease Gun". By the time the M2 was actually ready for delivery, the M3 had been tested and accepted by the Army as a better replacement than the M2. By mid-June, the M2 was declared obsolete and Marlin's contract cancelled. In total only about 500 M2 submachine guns were made, with (I believe) 6 surviving today. The example in this video is a semiautomatic-only reproduction made from scratch by a viewer of the channel, who graciously offered to loan it to me for this filming. Thanks, - How Does it Work: Blowback ActionE9
How Does it Work: Blowback Actionhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons How Does it Work: Blowback Action The simplest for of firearms action is blowback, also called simple blowback. It is basically just an application of Newton's 3rd Law; that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. As the bullet moves forward down the barrel, the slide or bolt of the gun moves backwards. The two move with the same energy, meaning that the light and very fast bullet is balanced out by the heavy and slow bolt or slide. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Stechkin APS: The Soviet Machine PistolE10
Stechkin APS: The Soviet Machine PistolSorry, slight mistake on my part - the arsenal mark on this is Molot, not Tula! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The APS is a machine pistol developed by Igor Stechkin in the late 1940s and adopted by the Soviet Union in 1951, basically at the same time as the Makarov pistol. The Stechkin and Makarov share many characteristics - both are double action, both fire the 9x18mm cartridge, both have decocking mechanisms, both have heel magazine releases, and both are simple blowback actions with fixed barrels. The Stechkin, however, is capable of both semiautomatic and fully automatic fire, and is paired with a detachable combination shoulder stock and holster. The Stechkin is also a substantially larger gun, with a 20-round double stack/double feed magazine and a rate reducing mechanism in the grip. In practice the Stechkin was not particularly successful, as is a difficult weapon to shoot accurately. It was intended as a personal defense weapon for personnel like drivers, vehicle crews, and the like - men who needed a weapon of some sort, but did not have the need for an infantry rifle. In the US military at the time, this role was performed by the M1/M2 carbine. In the 1970s the Stechkins were pulled out of service and replaced by short-barreled AK rifles - but they did see a limited resurgence of use by the Spetznaz in Afghanistan, where they were used with suppressors for special operations. Thanks to Movie Armaments Group for sharing their Stechkins with me for this video! Check out MAG on Instagram: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Русская версия: https://youtu.be/Bz3ReI4Hc-U Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the Stechkin: How Does It Measure Up?E11
Shooting the Stechkin: How Does It Measure Up?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I have been curious to try shooting a Stechkin machine pistol for a while, and now thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto, I have a chance to! I hate to be a downer, but my takeaway from this experience is that the Stechkin is little more than a range toy, at least in fully automatic. With the sights reciprocating back and forth on the slide, I found it impossible to maintain any sort of sight picture while firing. In semiauto it was fine, and nicely accurate as one would expect form a stocked pistol. But the automatic mode is really something for experts only - exactly the opposite of the men who were issued the Stechkin. That said...it is still pretty fun. Check out MAG on Instagram: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - La Lira: A Spanish Copy of the Mannlicher 1901E12
La Lira: A Spanish Copy of the Mannlicher 1901http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Spanish firm of Garate Anitua y Cia manufactured this copy of the Mannlicher 1901/1905 pistol for just a brief period around 1910. It is not a straight copy, as the Mannlicher was chambered for its own 7.63mm Mannlicher cartridge and fed using stripper clips and a fixed internal magazine while the La Lira design was chambered for the more common .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) and used a typical type of detachable magazine. In addition, the La Lira was a simple blowback action, not including the slight delaying mechanism built into the original Mannlicher. In addition to two standard La Lira pistols, we also have one gold damascened example to take a look at. These are quite rare today - no documented production records are known, but it is estimated that only 500-1000 were made total. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - I Found a Machine Gun: What Should I Do?E13
I Found a Machine Gun: What Should I Do?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons There are thousands of machine guns currently in the National Firearms Act registry registered to people born before 1900. Think about that for a moment - every one of those owners is deceased, and those machine guns are still out there somewhere. Periodically, the family of a deceased veteran will find a machine gun amongst there possessions. There is a straightforward process for passing a registered machine gun to a lawful heir, but it is dependent on the gun actually being legally registered. It is up to the family to locate the paperwork to prove that registration - or else contact the BATF to get a copy of it. Today I am discussing this situation with John Keene of the Morphy auction company. Sgt (retired) Keene is an expert of the NFA and this type of paperwork, and has helped many families through the process. This video is intended to help people in this situation understand how to deal with a gun which may or may not be registered. John Keene can be contacted at jkeene@morphyauctions.com . Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - H&K P7 Family: Pistols for Gun CognoscentiE14
H&K P7 Family: Pistols for Gun Cognoscentihttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Developed in the 1980s in response to a need for new West German police sidearms, the H&K P7 is one of the most mechanically unusual pistols to have been commercially successful in recent decades. It incorporates a number of features which are rather polarizing; brilliantly innovative to some, and pointlessly unproductive in the eyes of others. The biggest innovation H&K made in the P7 was the squeeze-cocking system. The front strap of the pistol must be depressed (with a substantial amount of force) in order to fire. This action acts to cock the striker back to its full travel, and when the front strap is release, the striker is dropped completely forward. As a result, there is no chance of a discharge, and could potentially happen on a traditional striker-fired gun which keeps the striker partially cocked at all times. The P7's system also allows it to have a better trigger press by not using the trigger to retract the striker. For the action, H&K chose a gas-delayed blowback system. This system has been used in a few other places (Heritage Stealth, Norinco M77B, etc), but it not at all common. Basically gas pressure acts on a piston under the barrel to hold the slide closed until the bullet has left the barrel. This system allows the gun to have a fixed barrel, contributing to very good inherent accuracy. The downsides to the P7 are its tendency to rapidly heat up (because of that gas piston), its unfamiliar manual of arms, and its low magazine capacity. Whether it's a wonderful sleeper of a pistol design or just some German nonsense it up to you... Note: In future videos, I will cover some of the other non-standard branches of the P7 family, including the P7M7, P7M10, P7A13, and P7K3. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - World War One Q&A with Othais from C&RsenalE15
World War One Q&A with Othais from C&RsenalToday I have made the trek to the C&Rsenal studio to have a Q&A with Othais. Not familiar with his channel? It is a wonderfully in-depth look at firearms history, development, and use focusing on the weapons of World War One. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClq1dvO44aNovUUy0SiSDOQ And if you are looking for someone to support directly, I can think of few who are more deserving and who work harder than Othais, Mae, and the whole crew behind the scenes of C&Rsenal. I support them, and you should too: https://www.patreon.com/CandRsenal/overview We would also like to thank Andrew at Archival Research Group for assistance finding great information in the US national archives: https://archivalresearchgroup.com And last but not least, thanks to Cam and Alex for the t-shirts! Our questions today are: 0:06:22 - Why was the Madsen not used more in WW1? 0:08:10 - How would the Pedersen Device has fared in combat? 0:12:12 - Trench shotguns in WW1 0:14:53 - Ammunition for black powder rifles in WW1 0:17:56 - Why did integral rifle grenade launchers take so long to develop? 0:20:39 - How were territorial armies supplied with arms? 0:24:12 - Cut down rifles and "Obrez" pistols 0:29:00 - What changes would the 1919 secret weapons have brought to the war? 0:33:51 - Practicality of the semiauto rifles available in 1914/5? 0:38:04 - Scarcity of Austrian M95 rifles on the surplus market 0:41:17 - Best rifle for the Entente to standardize on? 0:44:21 - Captured rifles being rechamsbered for different cartridges 0:47:41 - Intermediate cartridge development in WW1 0:48:56 - Was the Winchester 1907/1910 an assault rifle? 0:51:26 - Why not more 10-round or larger magazines? 0:54:10 - Was the SMLE issued with spare magazines? 0:56:35 - What did the British do with their Arisakas? 0:58:12 - Popular field modifications of rifles 1:02:55 - Firearms design lessons of WW1 1:05:13 - Favorite WW1 carbine? 1:07:28 - Favorite WW1 "Forgot - South African Army .22 Rimfire Conversion for the R4E16
South African Army .22 Rimfire Conversion for the R4http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In order to allow cheaper and simpler training of troops, the South African Defense Forces adopted a .22 rimfire conversion kit for their R4 rifles. The system was developed by an engineer named Willie Klotz working for Thor Engineering. It is an open-bolt firing system which is quite complex, and interestingly uses the sear of the Galil/AK fire control system to fire rather than the hammer. The conversion is rather tricky to install, and in practice often required hand-fitting each kit to a specific rifle. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Neophytou Gas-Operated .22 Rimfire Conversion for the R4/GalilE17
Neophytou Gas-Operated .22 Rimfire Conversion for the R4/Galilhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we are looking at - and shooting - a one of a kind .22 rimfire conversion kit for the Galil developed by South African designer Tony Neophytou (better known for the Neostead shotgun, Neopup grenade launcher, and NTW-20 anti-material rifle). The idea here is to convert a standard R4 Galil service rifle to .22 Long Rifle for reduced training cost and easy use at small or indoor ranges. Most conversions like this are either simple blowback or a take on the Williams floating chamber idea, but Neophytou chose to use a little gas piston system instead. The advantage of this design of conversion kit is that it retains the exact same handling as the parent rifle. The hammer and trigger are unchanged, so the trigger pull is identical. The original mainspring is used, and while the bolt carrier is replaced, the .22 version has a charging handle identical to the standard pattern. The magazines in .22 is simply a 10-round insert fitted into a regular Galil magazine. What is particularly remarkable is looking at the frankly terrible design of .22 conversion that was ultimately adopted by the South African Army...this design was rejected for political and bureaucratic reasons, and the one shown here is the only example ever made. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: US Aerial Armament in World War IIE18
Book Review: US Aerial Armament in World War IIAvailable from Schiffer direct: https://www.schifferbooks.com/u-s-aerial-armament-in-world-war-ii-the-ultimate-look-vol-1-guns-ammunition-and-turrets-3936.html Or from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2GXZmC3 Aircraft armament is an area of firearms study that is vastly under appreciated by most people, largely because it's difficult to study aircraft guns without the aircraft themselves (and those take up a lot of storage space, among other things). William Wolf's book on US WWII aircraft armament is actually much more than the title would suggest, basically covering all aircraft gun development from WW1 through 1945 (and later, in some areas). In addition, he discusses in dense detail the surrounding equipment that is a critical part of these guns: turrets, gunsights, ammunition, early radar systems, and more. This is a book that will give you a tremendous crash course in all things aerial gunnery related. It is virtually all data, with little fluff at all (although there is some analysis, like the section on the debate between cannon (slow but very destructive) and machine guns (faster but less impactful). It's not a book I would expect anyone to read cover to cover, but rather it is there for reference, or for reading sections individually for a bit of daily learning. While the technical sections on things like electronic fire control systems will put some people to sleep, I think the balance between that and the firearms themselves is well done. The sections on iterative developmental models of all sorts of US aircraft guns are very interesting (and it includes a wonderfully snarky John Browning quote). The cover price is $70, and for the information it includes it would be a bargain at twice the price. If you have any interest in machine guns or firearms mechanics, it's a great reference on a very much under-recognized aspect of the subject. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgot - Walther's .45ACP MP (P38 Precursor)E19
Walther's .45ACP MP (P38 Precursor)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons During the process of developing the pistol which would become the German army's P38, the Walther company was also interested in potential export contracts (like the one they actually did get from Sweden). One potential contract briefly explored was to the United States, and a few prototype MP pistols were made in .45 ACP caliber. These were larger in all dimensions than the standard MP, and shared the features of those other developmental guns (most distinctively the shrouded hammer and internal extractor). This pistol was almost certainly taken as a souvenir form the Walther plant in 1945 by an American GI. No records exist of any American trials of the guns, and it seems that the plan to offer them for sale was never followed through on, probably because of the (9mm) guns' success in German military trials. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Ammunition Evaluation: 1941 Turkish 8mm MauserE20
Ammunition Evaluation: 1941 Turkish 8mm Mauserhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Turkey adopted the 8mm Mauser cartridge as part of its modernization after World War One, and with the assistance of German technicians developed a copy of the German 8mm S cartridge. Most of the surplus Turkish 8mm ammunition available in th eUNited States at this time is 1940s production, with this sample being dated 1941. It was packaged 1400 rounds to the crate, with 20 bandoliers per crate and 70 rounds per bandolier, on 5-round Mauser stripper clips. This ammunition has a well-deserved reputation for damaging semiautomatic rifle and machine guns due to poor storage causing pressure to increase above original specifications. Velocity: I tested velocity using an 8mm Kar98k Mauser rifle (barrel length 23.6 inches). Measurements were taken at 10 feet from the muzzle, with a sample size of 15 rounds fired. I found an average velocity of 2948 fps, extreme spread of 72 fps (max 2905, min 2977), and standard deviation of 22.24 fps. None of the rounds exhibited any indication of hagnfires, but recoil was more intense than normal. Primers showed consistent cratering, and the rifle developed a crack in the wrist of the stock by the end of the test firing. This is definitely overpressure ammunition. Bullets: I tested the weight of 10 bullets using a calibrated Lyman electronic scale. I found an average weight of 154.3 grains, extreme spread of 2.4 grains (max 156.0 gr, min 153.6 gr), and standard deviation of 0.66 grains. Bullet construction is flat base with an open base, lead core, and a cupronickel jacket (these bullets do attract a magnet). The primers are Berdan and corrosive. The cases are brass. Raw data: Velocities (fps): 2921, 2931, 2968, 2922, 2954, 2975, 2975, 2951, 2977, 2947, 2976, 2905, 2946, 2933, 2937 Bullet weights (grains): 154.3, 154.3, 154.7, 154.3, 153.7, 154.4, 153.6, 153.6, 156.0, 154.4 If you - Paramax: Final Iteration of the LDP KommandoE21
Paramax: Final Iteration of the LDP Kommandohttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Kommando semiauto carbine was designed in 1975 by Alexis du Plessis in Rhodesia, and went on the be manufactured in South Africa a few years later by the Maxim Parabellum company. The final iteration of the design came in 1980/81 with this, the Paramax. The molded lower housing of the Kommando was replaced with a bent square steel housing, the folding stock was replaced with a collapsing one, and a number of other internal changes were made. Apparently the Paramax was intended for international export, but this does not appear to have ever actually happened, and they are very scarce guns today in South Africa. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Operating vs Locking SystemsE22
How Does it Work: Operating vs Locking Systemshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons How Does it Work: Operating vs Locking Systems To properly understand how firearms work, one must first recognize the difference between two fundamental mechanical systems in them. One is the locking system, and the other is the operating system. The locking system is what keeps the breech end of the gun sealed when firing (examples include tilting bolts, rotating bolts, flapper locking, roller locking, and others). The operating system is what allows the gun to unlock once pressure is at a safe level after firing (examples include long and short gas pistons, long and short recoil, and others). Blowback firearms are somewhat of an exception to this, as they use a single mechanical system to both lock and unlock (inertia of the moving parts). Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - H&K G41: The HK33 Meets the M16E23
H&K G41: The HK33 Meets the M16http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The H&K G41 was developed for the NATO trials of the early 1980s, which were set up to look at both rifles and cartridges for NATO standardization (although they did not end up choosing a rifle). The gun is a basically an HK33 roller-delayed system set up to use standard M16 magazines and with a selection of other M16 features like a dust cover, forward assist, carry handle, and bolt holdopen/release. Two versions were made, a standard length rifle and a shorter barreled carbine with a collapsing stock. The system was not a commercial success; most potential clients opted to either buy the HK33 or the M16, rather than this sort-of hybrid. It is worth noting that the G41 was the first H&K rifle to offer a 3-round limited burst option and the first to use the universal bullet icon selector markings, both of which have become commonplace on all their other weapons since. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the HK G41: Like an HK33 But WorseE24
Shooting the HK G41: Like an HK33 But Worsehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons We took a look at the history and mechanics of the G41 yesterday; now it's time to actually try it out on the range! It, ah, did not go so well. But I did get to see a cool new malfunction I had never seen before! In fairness to HK, this was a demo gun that has been used and abused. On the other hand, nothing else form the Grey Room that we shot on this trip had any malfunctions at all. In my opinion, the G41 really is the exception that proves the rule of H&K's overall excellent engineering. Many thanks to H&K USA for giving me access to the G41 rifles in their Grey Room for this video, and to Trijicon for loaning us use of their Virginia range! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Bernardelli UB: Hammer and Striker Fired 9mm BlowbackE25
Bernardelli UB: Hammer and Striker Fired 9mm Blowbackhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the years following World War Two, the Bernardelli company in Italy made an attempt to enter the full-power pistol market with a simple blowback 9mm Parabellum design. They basically scaled up their existing .32/.380 pocket pistol designs to the larger cartridge, and actually designed this new pistol to safely fire (at leas tin limited amounts) the 9mm Lungo cartridge, a high velocity 9x19mm loading developed for the Beretta M38 submachine gun. Only about 85 of these pistols were ever made, as they were a commercial and military failure. Two main versions were made; one hammer fired and one striker fired, with sub-types of each. These were made simultaneously, presumably in hopes of the option provoking more interest than if only one type were available. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - P.A.F. Junior - South Africa's First Production GunE26
P.A.F. Junior - South Africa's First Production Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Pretoria Arms Factory was founded in 1954 by Piet Nagel and Jan Willem Dekker. both Dutch immigrants to South Africa after WW2. They began manufacturing a simplified copy of the Baby Browning pocket pistol, chambered for the .25 ACP (6.35mm Browning) cartridge. This appears to be the first domestic South African commercial firearms production, which gives the gun more historical significance than its design and production would otherwise justify. The initial 500 or so guns had a flaw in the frame design which led to the front of the barrel retaining lug breaking off when the slide went into battery, sending the barrel and frame flying off the front of the gun. The problem was fixed relatively quickly, but not quickly enough to save the reputation of the company. After the bankruptcy of the P.A.F. company, its assets were purchased by one Bertram Rudolph Freiling, and he attempted to restart production under the brand name BRF. This was unsuccessful, with only a few hundred BRF pistols made. Today, the PAF guns are relatively accessible in South Africa, and can also be found in the United States and Europe. The white plastic grips are virtually all shrunken and cracked, however. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Luxembourg FN49 Semiauto Sniper RifleE27
Luxembourg FN49 Semiauto Sniper Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After World War Two, Luxembourg was one of the nations which opted to purchase new FN-49 rifles. It bought a total of 6,203 of them for the military - an initial purchase of 4,000 semiauto SAFN rifles and a followup purchase of 2,000 AFN select-fire rifles and 203 semiauto rifles fitted with Belgian OIP telescopic sights. The scope mounts were commercial Echo mounts, designed and manufactured by an American engineer named Herkner, in Boise Idaho. When Luxembourg replaced its FN49 rifles with the newer FN FAL type, the snipers were either scrapped or sold as surplus, but the scopes were kept and reused on FALs. However, the Luxembourg rifles used the same pattern OIP scopes as the Belgian military, and these are often found mounted to surviving Luxembourg rifles. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Short Stroke Gas PistonE28
How Does it Work: Short Stroke Gas Pistonhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons How Does it Work: Short Stroke Gas Piston The short stroke gas piston operating system is common on modern rifles. It is defined as a gas piston which travels less than the distance of the bolt carrier (and is thus by definition not connected to the bolt carrier). This is in contrast to the long-stroke gas piston, which travels the full length of bolt carrier movement. The short stroke gas piston system was first made popular in the Soviet SVT-38/40 rifles, and was used in the Armalite AR-18, which formed the basis for many modern semiautomatic rifles. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Becker Blow-Forward Revolving ShotgunE29
Becker Blow-Forward Revolving Shotgunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Becker shotgun is a very unusual blow-forward, revolving cylinder shotgun made in Germany in the 1920s (although it was originally patented in the late 1890s). Only a very small number were made - allegedly as few as 100. The serial number on this one appears to be 755, which could mean more were made, or that the company perhaps numbered several different types of guns in the same serial number block. All of the known examples are in 16 gauge, with a capacity of 5 rounds. Thanks to Hire Arms in Johannesburg for giving me access to this very scarce gun to film for you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting a Type 99 Nambu in 7.62mm NATOE30
Shooting a Type 99 Nambu in 7.62mm NATOhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Some older footage from the vault - this was a gun I bid on, but did not win. Didn't want to have the whole audience thinking about bidding against me...but now that it's been sold there's no reason not to post the video. The conversion of the Type 99 Nambu form 7.7x58mm Japanese to 7.62mm NATO requires only a new barrel, and no permanent modification to the gun. Some people have converted M14 magazines for them because original 7.7mm magazines are very rare and expensive. The same conversion has also been made to the Type 96 Nambu, but the 99 is a larger and more robust gun better suited to it. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: The British Sniper - A Century of EvolutionE31
Book Review: The British Sniper - A Century of Evolutionhttps://www.swiftandboldpublishing.co.uk/the-book/ Steve Houghton's newly released book "The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution" is an excellent reference on British sniper rifles, accessory equipment, and training from World War One through the present. Where Skennerton's work ends in the 1980s, some of Houghton's best information covers the Accuracy International L96A1 and Arctic Warfare rifles. The whole work is nicely illustrated in color, and provides a very digestible history of both rifles and optics, as well as supplementary gear like spotting scopes and sniper-specific clothing. The text is also dotted with first-hand anecdotes from snipers discussing the different rifles and their actual use. Houghton covers a variety of aspects of his subject matter. In addition to the development and use of the different rifles, he also discusses markings and practices that are quite useful in authenticating rifles - quite useful in a field where fakes are not uncommon. I would highly recommend a copy for anyone interested in sniping or British military small arms! It is not available on Amazon, instead being sold directly through the publisher. Price is 57 pounds plus shipping, and orders should be directed via email to: swiftandboldpublishing@gmail.com http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Unique Military Trials Steyr-Hahn M1911 PistolE32
Unique Military Trials Steyr-Hahn M1911 Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we are looking at a unique military trials Steyr-Hahn M1911 pistol which has been fitted with an adjustable tangent rear sight. The standard model of the Steyr-Hahn has a fixed rear notch, but it seems that a potential client requested (or Steyr anticipated that someone would request) and adjustable sight model along with a detachable shoulder stock/holster. So they took one of the first batch of commercial production guns and modified it for aimed ("aimed") fire out to 1800 meter. The stock was relieved to match the new sights as well. Ultimately, of course, this pattern was not adopted by anyone, and this is the only known example of such a configuration. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 26: SHOT Show and MoreE33
Q&A 26: SHOT Show and Morehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons More Q&A! No specific theme this time, but a combination of SHOT Show news, what-ifs, and some specific questions about me… 0:00:34 - SHOT Show Report 0:05:22 - 1895 Lee Navy destructive testing 0:07:40 - Opinion on the L85A2 0:09:25 - How did NATO adopt the 5.56x45mm? 0:11:32 - Cold War small arms: West vs Warsaw 0:13:38 - Fightlite belt-fed AR 0:15:21 - Fashion and art in guns 0:17:08 - Gun gadgets - folding Glocks, digital displays, etc 0:19:20 - Favorite gun from Project Lightening 0:20:21 - Why not more AK-based rifle designs 0:23:09 - The 9x39mm AK on the US market 0:26:16 - Aimpoint P1 ACRO 0:29:01 - Weird Lebel variations 0:31:12 - Why did Browning design semi-rimmed cartridges? 0:33:40 - Match gear: original or reproduction? 0:35:40 - Collections, factories, or museums with pre-CNC machine tools 0:38:35 - Better to keep or restore sporterized guns? 0:41:25 - What if the US had adopted the M1 in .276 Pedersen? 0:43:05 - Guns that are unintuitive to disassemble 0:43:57 - Imports of SSD reproduction guns from Germany 0:47:34 - Historical reenacting 0:49:24 - Cost and practicality of semiautomatic bolt rifle conversions 0:51:20 - VZ58 upgrades 0:52:05 - How do WWII submachine guns hold up compared to modern ones? 0:53:02 - Armament for powered exoskeletons 0:55:02 - Was the Lebel in use in the 1940 Battle of France? 0:56:31 - The US and military shotguns 0:57:37 - Specific tactics for the RSC and Chauchat in WW1 0:59:38 - Pro and con of 7.5mm Berthier and Lebel conversions 1:01:30 - What is the M16/AR15 had not been adopted? 1:02:24 - What rifle would I choose for the US Army in 1938? 1:05:14 - Is the comped red dot handgun a fad? 1:06:32 - Do I gamble in Vegas? 1:07:25 - How did I become interested in gun history and engineering? 1:08:20 - What are my hobbies outside guns? 1:09:40 - What music do I - Colt CK901: An AR in 7.62x39mm for the Yemeni MilitaryE34
Colt CK901: An AR in 7.62x39mm for the Yemeni Militaryhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Colt developed this rifle, the CK-901, for the Yemeni military in 2014 - which appears to be the only buyer they have found for it since. The rifle is basically an AR-15 chambered for 7.62x39mm, but uses the 7.62x51mm Colt CM-901 rifle as its base. This means that the bolt and carrier are substantially larger than standard 5.56mm types, which alleviates the durability problems encountered when converting the 5.56mm bolt to the larger 7.62x39mm case head. Many other small elements of the design were modified to suit the new chambering, including the gas vent holes in the bolt carrier and the firing pin profile. As a result, parts are not interchangeable between the CK and CM rifles. The CK-901 uses standard AK magazines, although not drums - the drum feed tower is too short to fit the CK901 magazine well. It has a center paddle magazine release, and no bolt hold open functionality. The bolt hold open controls were removed, and the rifle produced with an ambidextrous charging handle instead. Interestingly, Colt chose to ship the rifles with US Palm lightweight polymer magazines. At the 2016 SHOT Show, Colt representatives suggested that the CK-901 would be offered for commercial sale (in semiautomatic configuration, naturally) in the US. As of the publication of this video in early 2019, that has not happened. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Long RecoilE35
How Does it Work: Long Recoilhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Long recoil operation is one of the most mechanically interesting of the main firearm operating systems. When the gun fires, the recoil energy generated forces the barrel to move rearward, and the bolt remains locked into the barrel until the two reach the full length of travel (the length of the whole cartridge). At that point the bolt is held rearward and the barrel unlocks and moves forward under pressure from a return spring. The empty cartridge case is held in the bolt face, and the barrel pulls forward off the front of it. An ejector kicks the empty case out when the barrel is fully clear, and when the barrel has returned to its firing position a trip releases the bolt, which moves forward under pressure of a second return spring and feeds the next cartridge into the chamber. Long recoil system are very safe, as they allow the longest time of any system to let pressure vent from the barrel before unlocking. They are also mechanically complex, and tend to exhibit higher than normal felt recoil. The system was employed successfully in a wide variety of firearms including light machine guns (the Chauchat), rifles (the Remington Model 8/81), shotguns (the Browning Auto-5 and Winchester Model 1911), and handguns (the Former Stop). All of these date from the early 1900s, when designers were still exploring ways to safely and reliably build self-loading firearms. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - CETME Modelo A: First Step Towards the G3E36
CETME Modelo A: First Step Towards the G3http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Modelo A was the first series production version of the CETME rifle, following a series of successful trials in Spain. It was developed by a team of ex-Mauser engineers led by Ludwig Vorgrimmler, and is part of the link between the late-WW2 StG45(M) and the H&K G3 rifles. The CETME A was chambered for the reduced-power 7.62mm CETME cartridge, and had a fire control system which fired from an open bolt in full auto and a closed bolt in semiautomatic. It has a buttstock design reminiscent of the German Strumgewehr, and uses a folding bipod in lieu of a proper hand guard over the barrel. In addition, it still uses a tangent leaf rear sight, unlike the later Modelo C and G3 rifles. There is an interesting anecdote about interdicted CETME A rifles being used by French marine commandos in Algeria, which you can read about here: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/french-marine-commandos-with-cetme-rifles/ Many thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto for the opportunity to showcase their CETME-A for you! Check them out on Instagram to see many of the guns in their extensive collection: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Chinese CS/LS2: A Modern Bullpup SMG with no Redeeming QualitiesE37
Chinese CS/LS2: A Modern Bullpup SMG with no Redeeming Qualitieshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This the fairly modern Chinese CS/LS2 - the 9mm Parabellum export model of the 5.8mm QCW-05 submachine gun. It takes most of its design cues form the QBZ-95 rifle, as you can see form the grip layout. It is a bullpup, with a right-ride ejection port that cannot be swapped. It is a bullpup style design, with the magazine behind the trigger, and it fires from an open bolt with both semiautomatic and full auto selector options. The receiver is made of aluminum, contributing to a quite light gun. The bolt is also relatively light, resulting in a high cyclic rate and more felt recoil than many 9mm SMGs. The bolt is slamming into the rear of the receiver on each shot, which causes a lot of movement in the gun while shooting. The iron sights are a removable option on an integral pica tinny rail, which is a good thing - they are awful. The same minuscule rear aperture that the QBZ rifle has. The suppressor is not particularly efficient. I have no prejudice against Chinese small arms - Chinese AKs were/are extremely well made. But this modern bullpup family is really pretty mediocre in all its forms. Many thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto for the opportunity to showcase their AR-10 rifles for you! Check them out on Instagram to see many of the guns in their extensive collection: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does It Work: Patents and BlueprintsE38
How Does It Work: Patents and Blueprintshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons What is the difference between patents and copyrights? If someone wants to reproduce an old firearm design, how do they get the rights to? Why can't you reproduce a gun design from patent drawings? What information is in a technical data package? This and more, today on How Does It Work! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Bernardon-Martin: France's First Commercial Semiautomatic PistolE39
Bernardon-Martin: France's First Commercial Semiautomatic Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Bernardon-Martin was the first commercially viable semiautomatic pistol manufactured in France; a .32ACP (7.65mm Browning) striker-fired pocket pistol competing with the FN Browning 1899/1900. The first model was introduced in 1907 with a fixed magazine, which rather quickly was changed to a 7-round detachable box magazine. In 1909 a few structural changes were introduced to the gun, including substantially grippier slide serrations and the addition of a lever on the front of the trigger guard to lock the slide open. However, the gun simply could not compete against the other designs in the market and the company was liquidated in 1912. For more details on the Bernardon-Martin, I recommend Ed Buffaloe's page on them: https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/B-M/b-m.html Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Boberg XR9S & XR45S: The Bullpup PistolsE40
Boberg XR9S & XR45S: The Bullpup Pistols(Re-uploaded to fix audio issue - sorry!) http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Rock Island is selling these two Boberg pistols as part of a Lot 1089 in their upcoming Regional auction on February 14th, 2019. Arne Boberg founded Boberg Arms in 2009 and released his first pistol in 2011, the XR9-S. This was followed by the longer XR9-L, and then the XR-45S in 2014. The conceit of the Boberg pistol is basically that of the Bullpup rifle: maximizing barrel length while minimizing overall length. To this end, Boberg used an unconventional system of pulling cartridges out the back of the magazine rather than pushing them forward, allowing about an inch of extra barrel in a given pistol. The resulting feed system is a bit complex and very cool, and reminiscent of the old British Mars pistols. It is not without its faults, though, and the lowest priced Boberg pistols were over $1000 retail, which significantly limited their sales in a concealed carry market awash with good options at half the price. In 2016 Boberg sold the gun to the Bond Arms company, which markets is today as the Bond Bullpup. Original Boberg production guns have, thus, become collectible items for those interested in unusual handguns. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - AMP 69: Hungary's Grenade-Launching AKE41
AMP 69: Hungary's Grenade-Launching AKhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Hungarian AMP-69 is, I think, the undisputed ugliest military AK variant ever fielded. It is truly an example of function over form, designed specifically for the role of dedicated rifle grenade launcher. To this end, the muzzle is fitted with a grenade spigot, a side rail mounts a high-angle optical sight, both the hand guard and buttstock are fitted with recoil-absorbing springs, and the pistol grip is made of a pliable rubber. The standard magazine was a 10-round one with a block in the front to prevent regular ammunition from being loaded. Hungarian rifle grenades used with the AMP-69 were launched with blank cartridges, and were not pass-through or bullet-trap designs. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 Русская версия: https://youtu.be/ASE1Ut3GDIY - Bobbie Ford's Romantic Derringer (NSFW - Happy Valentine's Day!)E42
Bobbie Ford's Romantic Derringer (NSFW - Happy Valentine's Day!)Sold for $12,650. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This surprising derringer was commissioned in the 1970s by Walther Buhl Ford III for his wife Bobbie Ford, and hand crafted by Alvin White, Colt’s renowned master engraver. Bobbie Ford was a collector of Western curiosa and particularly enjoyed brothel memorabilia - so that was the theme used by White on this custom pistol. In addition to the inscription “To Bobbie - Every Inch A Lady” and the plaque for “Madame Ford’s Pleasure Palace, 69 Tenderloin St, 1st Class in Every Respect”, is an extra surprise… Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - L96A1: The Green Meanie - the First Modern Sniper RifleE43
L96A1: The Green Meanie - the First Modern Sniper Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Accuracy International Precision Marksman rifle was the winner of the British MoD's competition to replace the L42A1 as the standard British sniper rifle, and was accordingly adopted as the L96A1. It was the vanguard of the modern sniper rifle, with a highly modular chassis design, and it revolutionized British sniping performance. Thanks to Steve Houghton, was have access today to one of a tiny number of original L96A1 rifles in private hands. If you are interested in learning more, I highly recommend checking out Steve's newly released book, "The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution". It can be found at: https://www.swiftandboldpublishing.co.uk/the-book/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: FN Browning Pistols by Anthony VanderlindenE44
Book Review: FN Browning Pistols by Anthony VanderlindenGet your copy here: https://www.wetdogstore.com/NEW-FN-BROWNING-PISTOLS-Side-Arms-that-Shaped-World-History-0-9707997-9-9.htm Or through Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UZkCJF Anthony Vanderlinden is a noted FN collector and author of a book on FN Mauser rifle as well as this volume on FN's Browning pistols. Both are excellent reference works, with a remarkable amount of contextual information in addition to the very specific detail that appeal to the collector. This work begins with about 70 pages on the history of the FN company, detailing its work in firearms, automobiles, and other products through the Great War, the Great Depression, World War Two, and other events. It then spends a period discussing unique and interesting FN pistols, like the presentation guns made for FN's celebration of producing a million Browning pistols and the guns used by Gavrilo Princip and his cohorts in the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. There are then sections on FN's association with John Browning and on Browning himself, and on the markings and proofs used by FN throughout its history. The remaining bulk of the book is broken up into chapters covering the development, production, and use of each model of Browning pistol produced by FN (namely the 1899/1900, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1922, Baby Browning, and High Power). These chapters do an excellent job of providing information on the early development of the guns as well as the commercial and military production, often broken down by the different contracts for each model. For instance, the 1922 chapter includes sections on Yugoslav, Dutch, Mexican, Greek, Turkish, French, Romanian, Danish, Finnish, and German procurement of those pistols. For the historian, the context presented does an excellent job of explaining each gun's significance in larger events. For the collector, the attention to the details of differences in marking and production between each different variant is thorough and very useful. My only rea - BXP: Blowback eXperimental ParabellumE45
BXP: Blowback eXperimental Parabellumhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Andries Piek was a farmer in South Africa in the late 1970s when he mail ordered an LDP 9mm carbine from Rhodesia. The gun was impounded by South African customs, and Piek wound up designing modifications to the gun to meet South African laws. He was contracted to do this to all the LDPs sent to South Africa, and after thus becoming interested in firearms design he went on to create his own light, compact, and inexpensive 9mm carbine. In its first iteration, it was a fully automatic submachine gun marketed to South African security services, and afterward it was picked up by Milkor as a semiauto civilian carbine. The BXP ("blowback experimental parabellum") would move through the hands of several other owners and manufacturers between 1978 and 2010. These included Milkor, Supreme Technologies, Tressitu, Travel, and Gary Barnes. Truvelo retains ownership of the system, should they decide to restart production. Mechanically, the BXP is very similar to the Uzi, with a telescoping bolt and magazine in the grip. While Uzi magazines were used in the initial prototypes, the production versions use a copy of the Walther MPK/MPL magazine holding 30 rounds. The fully automatic version of the BXP fires from an open bolt with a fixed firing pin, and the semiautomatic versions fire from a closed bolt with a hammer. Of all the South African and Rhodesian guns of this basic layout, the BXP is one of the best. It may not be elegant, but it is well made, reliable, and durable. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Ammo Evaluation: Malaysian L2A2 7.62x51mmE46
Ammo Evaluation: Malaysian L2A2 7.62x51mmhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Malaysian factory SMOE (Syarikat Malaysia Explosives Ltd) is the only ammunition producer in Malaysia, and produces a variety of calibers for small arms and light weapons. The factory was established in 1969 with the partnership of Oerlikon and Dynamit Nobel, and became wholly owned by the Malaysian government in 1974. Today we are examining their L2A2 designated 7.62x51mm ammo. This was imported into the US packaged in both .50 caliber cans (540 rounds per) and .30 caliber cans (300 rounds per). Within the cans the ammo is packaged in both 20-round and 40-round brown cardboard boxes. Observed dates for this ammunition include the late 1970s through mid 1980s. Velocity: I tested velocity using a 7.62x51mm converted Israeli K98k Mauser rifle (barrel length 23.4 inches). Measurements were taken at 10 feet from the muzzle, with a sample size of 15 rounds fired. I found an average velocity of 2702 fps, extreme spread of 60 fps (max 2727, min 2667), and standard deviation of 19.37 fps. None of the rounds exhibited any unusual behavior when fired. Note that while this velocity is below the US specification for M80 ball (2750 +/- 30 fps) it is squarely on the British specification for L2A2 (2700 +/- 30 fps). Bullets: I tested the weight of 10 bullets using a calibrated Lyman electronic scale. I found an average weight of 146.2 grains, extreme spread of 1.5 grains (max 145.2 gr, min 146.7 gr), and standard deviation of 0.41 grains. Bullet construction is boattail with an open base, lead core, and bimetal jacket (these bullets do attract a magnet). Primers are non-corrosive Berdan. Raw data: Velocities (fps): 2707, 2712, 2677, 2698, 2711, 2702, 2704, 2726, 2674, 2702, 2667, 2678, 2718, 2721, 2727 Bullet weights (grains): 146.0, 145.2, 146.5, 146.1, 146.5, 146.3, 146.1, 146.7, 146.1, 146.1 Contact: Forgotten Weapons - HK-32 Prototype in 7.62x39mmE47
HK-32 Prototype in 7.62x39mmhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Among the large family of roller-delayed rifles produced by Heckler & Koch, one of the rarest and least known is the HK32. This was the select-fire shoulder rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. These rifles appeared in H&K sales literature for a time, but were only made in very small numbers for one or two poor documented contracts. What we have here today is a very early prototype rifle in 7.62x39mm using a regular NATO caliber receiver with a magazine well block to fit a proprietary H&K magazine. The rifle retains many CETME features, including the muzzle brake, metal forehand with integral bipod, carry handle, stock design, and a unique 2-position rear notch sight. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this very rare rifle! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - SIG AK-53: A Truly Weird Forward-Operating RifleE48
SIG AK-53: A Truly Weird Forward-Operating Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons One of the most mechanically unusual rifles I have had the chance to examine is the SIG AK-53. One of a long line of interested experimental self-loading designs made by SIG between the 1920s and 1950s, the AK53 is a gas operated rifle with a fixed breechblock and a barrel that cycles forward when fired. The gas system compresses a spring rearward first, which then releases and pushes the barrel forward in a system with a few elements in common with the British Farquhar-Hill rifles and machine guns. The magazine is also unique in design to allow rounds to move directly upward so as to have the barrel drop over them in a reverse sort of feeding (the magazine bears some vague similarity to the Madsen and Mendoza LMG magazines in this way...a bit). For reasons which will become very clear upon disassembly (if not already made clear by that description), only prototypes of the rifle were ever made, with no series production. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this very rare rifle! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Lugerman's .45 ACP Target Model LugerE50
Lugerman's .45 ACP Target Model Lugerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Eugene Golubtsov - aka Lugerman - has been building beautiful .45 ACP Lugers base don the original DWM technical data package for the 1907 trial Luger for a little while now. We previously looked at one of his standard guns, and today I have a chance to do some shooting with the long-barrel target model. Of all the different varieties he makes (compact, classic, target, hunter, and carbine, in both .45 ACP and 10mm Auto) I think this is hands down the most awesome. And unlike the other .45 Lugers I have shot, these actually work! And that's exactly what a gun like this is for; to be awesome. Like a Rolex or a Ferrari, it is an extravagant example of what is possible beyond the limitations of practicality. For the people who can afford to indulge in this sort of thing, I think that it is a fantastic blend of historical inspiration, match accuracy, and solid reliable pistolsmithing. It sure does make that spinner look easy... Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Systeme LefaucheuxE51
Book Review: Systeme LefaucheuxAvailable at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EhFSor The pinfire system, as invented by Casimir Lefaucheux and expanded by his son Eugene, is one of the most significant corners of cartridge firearms development that has been thoroughly overlooked by collectors and firearms enthusiasts. This was probably the most widespread and relevant cartridge prior to the standardization of the centerfire brass cartridge, and yet it is generally dismissed as cheap junk. It can be hard to blame people too much for this, though, as there is precious little literature to help illuminate the history and significance of the lowly pinfire - with Chris Curtis' book being the best option bar none. Curtis' work is really just an introduction to the subject, because it is really is such a broad topic to attempt to cover in one book. Curtis does a good job condensing all this information down to about 300 pages, including chapters on the work of both Casimir and Eugene, European and American military use of pinfire arms, commercial pinfire long guns and handguns, pinfire pepperbox pistols, pinfire oddities, pinfire cartridges and reloading, and a chapter specifically for those looking to collect pinfire arms. That chapter on collecting includes several pages of proof marks that can be found on these guns, which is often the only reliable way to document their date and place of origin. Anyone who wishes to become a well-rounded firearms historian would be overlooking a major part of the subject if they did not have this book in their library, and Curtis is to be commended for dedicating so much effort to a topic so widely ignored and dismissed. Cover price is $44.95, but it is more typically found for $50. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - South Africa's Berettas: The Vektor Z88 and SP1E52
South Africa's Berettas: The Vektor Z88 and SP1http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the 1980s, the South African military and police were using substantial numbers of different handguns, and began looking for a way to consolidate to simply maintenance and logistics. Studying the different guns they had, they decided to pursue a copy of the Beretta Model 92. No foreign manufacturer was willing to undertake production for them because of the international sanctions then in force against South Africa, so instead Musgrave and Lyttelton Engineering opted to reverse engineer the gun and produce them domestically. A batch of 20 Berettas were used in a remarkable program which successfully recreated a full technical data package for the pistol, and production was begun by Vektor under the designation Z88. Aside from changes to markings and grip panels, the Z88 was a faithful and parts-interchangeable copy of the M92. Beretta was not happy about this, of course, but attempts to bring a lawsuit against Vektor were equally stalled by the sanctions, which prevented South Africans form traveling internationally. Eventually, a settlement was negotiated to allow Vektor to produce the Z88 for use within South Africa (but not for export). Shortly thereafter the sanctions were lifted, and Vektor decided to modify the gun enough to give it a new name and offer it for export (and domestic) sale. This new pistol was the SP1, and it changed the profile of the Beretta, replaced the distinctive open slide with a fully enclosed (and simpler to machine) slide, and replaced the slide mounted decocker with a frame mounted manual safety. These were produced and marketed in several variations (compact, service, target, and competition) in 9mm and also as the SP2 in .40 S&W. Production of both ceased in 1998, when Vektor shut down all small arms production. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Dig Hill 80: Presentation of FindingsE53
Dig Hill 80: Presentation of Findingshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons More than a year ago, viewers of Forgotten Weapons stepped up and were instrumental in successfully funding the Dig Hill 80 project - an archaeological excavation of a remarkably intact series of trenches from Wrold War One in the town of Wytschaete, Belgium. Through the spring and summer of 2018 the dig took place, with limited time before construction of housing was scheduled to begin on the site. The final Presentation of Findings was made in late 2018, showing the history that had been uncovered. I was privileged to be able to attend the presentation in London on November 12th, and am proud to be able to share that presentation here for you. If you were not involved before and would still like to help, the project is still accepting donations to finish cataloging and publications - there were many more human remains recovered than expected, and that pulled a lot of money out of other parts of the project budget. You can donate here: https://dighill80.com/products/donate/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Parker Hale M85: Traditional Sniper in a Modern WorldE54
Parker Hale M85: Traditional Sniper in a Modern Worldhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The 1985 competition to pick a new sniper rifle for the British military came down to a closely fought contest between the Accuracy International PM and the Parker Hale M85. The M85 was a fantastically accurate rifle, every bit the equal of the AI submission and to this day there are still people who were involved in the trials who insist that the M85 should have been selected. Ultimately, the decision came down to the logistical issues surrounding the rifle, where AI's chassis system was superior to Parker-Hale's traditional construction. Despite being defeated, Parker Hale sold some 800 M85 rifles - nearly as many as the military contract would have procured (and in fact, a few M85s were purchased by several military units). If you are interested in learning more, I highly recommend checking out Steve Houghton's newly released book, "The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution". It can be found at: https://www.swiftandboldpublishing.co.uk/the-book/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Benelli B76 Family: Italian Inertial Locking AutopistolsE55
Benelli B76 Family: Italian Inertial Locking Autopistolshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Benelli is not the company we think of today for modern service pistols - and according to the sales record of the B76 family, they weren't in the 1980s either. Designed in the early 1970s and put into production in 1976, the Benelli B76 is very pretty single-stack service pistol, notable for being an inertially locked design. Aside from the Sjogren shotguns of the very early 1900s, Benelli is really the only company to successfully market inertially locked guns - shotguns, specifically. They tried to do the same with the B76 pistols, but the result was basically a commercial flop. The whole family was: - B76 - 9mm Parabellum, inertially locked, SA/DA trigger - B76 Sport - same as B76 but with extended 5.5" barrel, adjustable sights, and target grips - B77 - .32 ACP, simple blowback, SA/DA trigger - B80 - 7.65mm Parabellum, inertially locked, SA/DA trigger - B80 Sport - same as B80 but with extended 5.5" barrel, adjustable sights, and target grips - B82 - 9x18mm Ultra, simple blowback, SA/DA trigger - MP3S - 9mm Para or .32 S&W Long, 5.5" barrel, extra fine finish, target grips, adjustable sights, and SA-only trigger The B76 used a single stack 8-round magazine, had a relatively finicky disassembly process, and a not-particularly-ergonomic safety; all features which did not help it compete against the new generation of "wondernine" service pistols hitting the market at about the same time. Less than 10,000 were made by 1990, when the whole series was discontinued. Of those, less than 500 were the very high-end bullseye MP3S model - one of which we are thankful to have on loan from viewer Todd! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Benelli B76 vs MP3S at the RangeE56
Benelli B76 vs MP3S at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Benelli MP3S is a very rare pistol in .32 S&W, and a nearly unheard of one in 9mm Parabellum. Well, thanks to viewer Todd we have one of those 9mm examples to take to the range today - thanks, Todd! I figured it would be interesting to try it side by side with my standard Benelli B76 and see what benefit I could get from the extra bullseye features of the MP3S... Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Merckelbagh Needlefire Conversion RifleE57
Merckelbagh Needlefire Conversion Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This is an example of a needle fire conversion of a French 1822 rifle based on the patent of L. Merckelbagh. The conversion was done in Paris, probably in the early 1870s. Other base rifles were converted as well (like this example https://collegehillarsenal.com/product.php?productid=2053), but like most upgrade conversion systems it does not appear to have been commercially successful. Unfortunately, there is virtually nothing I could find written about the man or design. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Yugoslav M52 Sniper: East Meets WestE58
Yugoslav M52 Sniper: East Meets Westhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1947, Yugoslavia received about 4600 Russian M91/30 PU sniper rifles as military aid, which were basically not used, as Yugoslavia had standardized on the 8mm Mauser cartridge. In 1952, however, a new sniper rifle was requested and the 91/30s were put to use. The Zastava factory took 4,618 M48A rifles of particularly good accuracy and fitted them with the rails and scope mounts from the Soviet 91/30s. Onto this, a domestic Yugoslav copy of the PU scope was mounted, and the result was the M52 (or M53, depending on the source) sniper rifle. The new optic was necessary because of the difference in ballistics between the 7.62x54R and the 8x57 cartridges. It is unclear whether these rifles were all made and were actually put into service or not. In addition, some appear to have had the scope mounts welded into the rails and some had threaded muzzles for suppressors. Documentation is very sparse on these rifles, and I suspect there are some inaccuracies in the story as we currently understand it. Regardless, this is a very interested type of east/west hybrid design with a Mauser action and a PU optic! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Colt M13 Aircrewman Revolver: So Light it was UnsafeE59
Colt M13 Aircrewman Revolver: So Light it was Unsafehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1951 and 1952, Colt supplied a small number of extremely lightweight revolvers to the US Air Force, designated the M13 Aircrewman. These guns were very similar to the commercial Colt Cobra; .38 special 6-shot guns with aluminum alloy frames and cylinders with a loaded weight of just 11 ounces. Only 1189 were made, and they were issued with a special low pressure loading of .38 Special ammunition. It was designated M41 and fired a 130 grain FMJ bullet at just 725 fps. This reduced pressure loading was safe in the aluminum cylinders of the guns, but nothing prevented a person from loading and firing standard .38 ammunition - which was definitely not safe. In 1959 the Air Force decided that the potential hazard from standard ammunition was not worth the slight weight reduction of the aluminum cylinder, and recalled the guns for destruction. Only a small number survived to get into the commercial market today, making the Colt Aircrewman a very scarce revolver indeed. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Springfield Arms Double Trigger Navy RevolverE60
Springfield Arms Double Trigger Navy Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Springfield Arms Company existed only for a brief period in 1850 and 1851, making revolvers designed by its chief engineer, James Warner, before being driven out of business by Colt patent lawyers. During that time, Springfield (no relation to the arsenal) made a variety of models in .28, .31, and .36 caliber and with a variety of barrel lengths and other features (including a well-designed safety notch to allow the guns to be carried fully loaded safely). In an attempt to avoid patent infringement, Warner separated the cylinder rotation and firing mechanisms into two different triggers on some models, including this Navy pattern example. The front trigger would rotate and lock the cylinder, and then it would trip the rear trigger which released the sear and fired the gun. This was not sufficient to save him from copyright infringement suits, though, and only about 125 of the double-trigger Navy revolvers were made. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - M37: The Ultimate Improved Browning 1919E61
M37: The Ultimate Improved Browning 1919http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In November of 1950, the US Ordnance Department requested an improved version of the Browning 1919 air cooled machine gun for use in tanks. The new version was to be able to feed from either the left or right, a feature which was unimportant for an infantry gun but much more relevant when mounting guns into the tight spaces of an armored vehicle. An interim conversion of existing guns to the M1919A4E1 pattern came first, followed by manufacture of all-new guns by the Rock Island Arsenal and Saco-Lowell company from 1955 until 1957. The design of the gun fell to Bob Hillberg at High Standard. He came up with a clever set of reversible plugs to change the bolt between left and right hand feed, as well as a captive recoil spring, manual safety, improved top cover and rear cover latches, and several other strengthened parts. He also incorporated a charging handle extension with integral manual hold open and a link ejection chute that could be mounted to either side of the gun. His T153 design was formally adopted as the M37, in caliber .30-06. A 7.62mm NATO version (the M37E1) followed as well. The M37 would serve into the late 1960s on the M48 and M60 tanks as well as several helicopters. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Genhart Horizontal Turret RifleE62
Genhart Horizontal Turret Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Heinrich Genhart was a Swiss designer working in Liege, Belgium in the 1850s making horizontal turret rifles. His design was actually pretty decent, and included recessed chamber mouths and a calming barrel which would lock more or less solidly into each chamber for firing, thus minimizing cylinder gap flash. This particular example is a roughly .38 caliber rifle with a 10-shot cylinder, in a pretty rough stock (I suspect a replacement). Genhart patented this design in Belgium in 1853 and in the United States in 1857, but turret rifles quickly fell out of popularity and his production ended by about 1860. The Genhart guns were designed for a specialty cartridge, formed of lead or tin foil using tools sold with the gun. They used a type of tube primer set into the base of each cartridge during assembly, which was crushed by a hammer moving directly upwards. The whole system seems quite good, but doomed by the advent of much better cartridge technology. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Bolt Action Cartridge Conversion of a French M1822 RifleE63
Bolt Action Cartridge Conversion of a French M1822 Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This is a conversion of a French 1822 rifle to a single shot bolt action, using a newly manufactured receiver. It is unfortunately not marked with a patent name or date, and I have been unable to find any additional information about it. It actually seems like a pretty solid system, compared to many of the crude and complicated alternatives that many inventors produced. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Spanish 1892: Last of the Single Stack Magazine MausersE64
Spanish 1892: Last of the Single Stack Magazine Mausershttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Mauser 98 may have been the best bolt action design of all time, but it did not spring forth from Paul Mauser’s head fully formed. The Mauser took nearly 10 years of development and iteration to reach its full potential, and the 1892 pattern Spanish Mauser we are looking at today is one of the scarcer intermediate variants showcasing that development. The model 1892 uses a unique improved single stack magazine that can be disassembled using a cartridge case. It also introduced the central safety position for disassembly of the bolt, the long rotary extractor, and a guide rib in the receiver to help smooth the bolt movement. Spain tested and approved the 1892 pattern, first with a small purchase in 7.65mm and then with a much larger order for rifles in 7x57mm. However, the introduction of the 1893 pattern with its flush double-stack magazine was a significant improvement, and Spain opted to supersede its order for 1892 rifle with 1893s instead. As a result only about 2000 rifles and 400 carbines were actually received in the 1892 pattern. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Forehand & Wadsworth Old Army RevolverE65
Forehand & Wadsworth Old Army Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Forehand & Wadsworth company was a better firearms manufacturer than most people tend to give them credit for. It evolved from Allen & Wheelock, with Sullivan Forehand and Henry Wadsworth both having married daughters of Ethan Allen. When Wheelock died in 1863, the two were made partners in the firm, which became Ethan Allen & Co. Forehand was a particularly hard worker, and when Allen also passed away in 1871, the company again changed names to Forehand & Wadsworth. Their main business was .32 and .38 pocket revolvers, which they made a quiet large number of. In 1873 they decided to compete in the service revolver arena, releasing the Army model we see here today. It was a 2.5 lb gun with a 7.5 inch barrel, chambered for the .44 Russian cartridge. Single action only, with a 6-shot cylinder and a rather weak and clumsy manual ejector rod. Ultimately, the gun simply could not compete with the superior Colt and Smith & Wesson offerings, and less than a thousand would be made in total. A slightly improved version chambered for .44-40 was introduced in 1878, but this also failed to gain any significant traction in the market. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Model 1927 Thompson Semi Automatic CarbineE66
Model 1927 Thompson Semi Automatic Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons One of the rarest versions of the Thompsons Submachine Gun is the Model of 1927 Thompson Semi Automatic Carbine. These were regular 1921 machine guns that had their fire control groups slightly modified to only firm in semiauto and their receivers remarks to show Model 1927 instead of 1921. The rationale was a number of requests Auto Ordnance received from potential customers who wanted the look of a Thompson, but not an actual machine gun - mostly police and prison agencies that did not want to entrust their officers will fully automatic arms. Only about 100-150 1927 model guns were sold (and there is no specific serial range, they were simple converted one at a time as ordered). Of that very small number, only a very small percentage survive intact today, as most were converted back to fully automatic by later owners. Note that because the receiver is basically identical to a standard Thompson SMG receiver, these are considered machine guns under US law despite being factory semiauto carbines. However, this does mean that they can be legally converted to fully automatic (as, in fact, most have been). Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Walther Model 3: A Tiny Early .32E67
Walther Model 3: A Tiny Early .32http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Walther was founded as a rifle making company in the 1880s, and expanded into the flourishing market for semiautomatic pocket pistols around 1910. The Model 3 was the company’s first .32 ACP caliber pistol, and was a very small gun. With a 6-round capacity it offered one round more than the Pieper Bayard, the only smaller .32 available at the time. Compared to guns like the FN 1910, it was quite tiny indeed. Only about 3500 were produced between its introduction in 1913 and the end of WW1, and its production was massively superseded by the larger but otherwise very similar Model 4, which was ordered in significant quantity by the German military during the war. Walther development after WW1 would return to a focus on the .25 ACP cartridge. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Knoch Needlefire PistolE68
Knoch Needlefire Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This is a handmade, single shot needle fire pistol (zündnadelpistole) made by a German gunsmith named A. Knoch in Munich in 1850. I have been unable to find any documentation about the man, but the gun is an interested example of the needle fire system that existed as one of the intermediate technologies between the percussion cap and the self-contained metallic cartridge. This example is in unfortunately rough condition, but on disassembly we can see how everything was supposed to work. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Whitney Wolverine: Atomic Age Design in a .22 RimfireE69
Whitney Wolverine: Atomic Age Design in a .22 Rimfirehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Whitney Wolverine was a .22LR semiauto pistol designed by Robert Hillberg in 1954. It is a very distinctive looking gun, with the nickeled versions in particular being the epitome of Atomic Age styling. Unfortunately, the gun was a commercial failure, and only 13,371 were made in total by two different companies before the whole project shut down in the early 1960s. Today we will look at the mechanics of the Whitney and also discuss why it failed. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - ManuFrance Commercial LugerE70
ManuFrance Commercial Lugerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Between 1909 and 1915, the huge French mail-order firm of Manufacture Francais d’Armes et Cycles de St Etienne (later called Manufrance) sold Luger pistols (as well as many other types of firearms). They were enough of a substantial customer that DWM was willing to roll-mark their pistol barrels with the company name. In total, the company would sell 236 Luger pistols during the period, approximately evenly split between 9mm and 7.65mm. They cost 110 Francs each, equating to about $2500 in today’s US dollars - not cheap guns! Manufrance also sold C96 Mauser’s and 1905 Mannlichers during this period, and it is interesting to note that Mannlicher and Luger sales were roughly equal, which C96 Mauser’s sold twice as well as either. The Lugers being sold with the St Etienne retail mark were standard 1906 commercial models, with serial numbers in the upper 40,000 and lower 50,000 range. There is no specific listing of serial numbers, as they were simply pulled from normal stock when an order was placed. This example also has a pair of numbers in the bottom of the grip, the significance of which is not clear. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Schlegemilch 1896: Closest Competition to the Mauser 98E71
Schlegemilch 1896: Closest Competition to the Mauser 98http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Louis Schlegemilch had been one of the contributors to the Gewehr 1888 and when the German military decided to replace it, Schlegemilch was there with a design he hoped would win. His model 1896 rifle was a two lug bolt action design with a number of clever machining details, and a distinctive massive shroud covering the bolt. The rifle was chambered for the 6x58mm cartridge and was tested from 1896 to 1898 against Paul Mauser’s best design. Schlegemilch ended up losing the trials, and aside form a few rifles made for the hunting use of German aristocracy, the design never saw further production. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Swing and a Miss: The Joslyn Army RevolverE72
Swing and a Miss: The Joslyn Army Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Benjamin Joslyn patented this .44 caliber, 5 shot, side-hammer revolver in 1858. He initially contracted with one W.C. Freeman to act as manufacturer and sales agent, but Freeman was unable to actually fulfill the first 500-unit order received from the US military. The contract was cancelled, Joslyn brought manufacturing in-house, and proceeded to make 2500-3000 of the guns to sell on the commercial market. About 1100 of these were purchased by various units of the Federal military, including 225 bought (and formally inspected and marked) by the US Navy - one of few (if not the only) significant purchase of .44 caliber revolvers by the Navy. The guns did see combat at Shiloh and in other battles, but the records available show a generally poor reputation among troops. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Hudson Mfg Bankruptcy and the Reality of Firearms ManufacturingE73
Hudson Mfg Bankruptcy and the Reality of Firearms ManufacturingWe have just seen the news that Hudson Manufacturing has filed for bankruptcy - and the HMG Sturmgewehr rifles are also still nowhere to be seen. What's the deal? http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 27: Machine Guns with John KeeneE74
Q&A 27: Machine Guns with John Keenehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons For today's Q&A, I am joined by John Keene, retired US Army Master Sergeant and NFA specialist for the Morphy auction company (and for the James D Julia company before their acquisition by Morphy's). John has a tremendous knowledge of machine guns, the machine gun collecting community, and the legal issues surrounding it. We have some great questions from Patrons, and I think you will really enjoy the show today! Timestamps for questions: 0:00:52 - Favorite WW2 machine gun to handle or shoot? 0:02:28 - What transferrable MG is the best investment? 0:03:47 - What delayed development of large-caliber heavy MGs like the M2? 0:05:20 - If the NFA registry for machine guns was reopened, would you be happy? 0:10:14 - US copy of the MG42 in .30-06 US training film about German MGs: https://youtu.be/Oyj-ZHXFKQI?t=96 0:15:40 - Is the Browning M2 still made or are the guns all WW2 vintage? 0:16:51 - What MG deserved more attention than it got? 0:20:42 - Opinion on Soviet MGs? 0:23:39 - Why did the Germans have high rates of fire on the MG34 and MG42 and why did the US not do the same? 0:25:58 - What was the most important development in early MGs? 0:28:08 - Converting PPSh or PPS to 9x19mm 0:30:58 - Why did the US not adopt the MG3? 0:33:14 - How common are rewelded/reactivated machine guns? 0:35:50 - What are good options for the introductory machine gun collector on a budget? 0:42:15 - Why did Germany continue to produce the MG34 after the introduction of the MG42? 0:44:15 - What factors determine machine gun value, and do some obscure guns fall through the cracks? "The Schmeisser Myth" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NZvZ1X 0:50:27 - What are some examples of transferrable guns the you wouldn't expect to exist in the registry? 0:52:56 - What are the strangest machine guns that came through Julia an - L118A2: Accuracy International Arctic WarfareE75
L118A2: Accuracy International Arctic Warfarehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After the British adoption of the Accuracy International PM as the L96A1 sniper rifle, other nations began to give a very serious look at the company and its rifles. One of the first was Sweden, which requested a rifle like the PM/L96 but with a few changes to better suit the northern environment of Scandinavia. The bolt body surface area was reduced with scalloped relief cut to prevent ice form locking up the bolt, and a 3-position safety designed to allow the bolt to be cycled while still locking the trigger. Use of the rifle with gloves was eased by increasing the size of the stock thumbhole and giving the magazine floor plates protruding grasping tabs. The result was an excellent rifle, and was adopted into service by the Swedes in 7.62mm NATO, becoming known as the Accuracy International "Arctic Warfare." British special forces took note of the improvements, and opted to purchase some of the Arctic Warfare rifles themselves. While the weapon was formally classified as the L118A1 (fixed stock) and L118A2 (folding stock), only very small numbers were acquired and it did not replace the L96. The rifles were in fact simply commercial AW rifles sold to the UK, not specially made. A number of features were added over the basic commercial model including improved bipod mounting options and a rear monopod foot, and in British service they were issued with a wide selection of additional kit. This included both thermal and image-intensifying (aka night vision) optics to mount in front of the L17A1 3-12x Schmidt & Bender scopes, backup iron sights, thermal straps, and suppressors. Although only used in small numbers, the L118 rifle would be the transitional weapon leading to the L96's eventual replacement by the .338 Lapua Magnum Arctic Warfare Magnum as the L115. Thanks to Steve Houghton, for providing me access to this rifle! If you are in - Israeli Light-Barrel FAL (from DS Arms)E76
Israeli Light-Barrel FAL (from DS Arms)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Israel was one of the very First Nations to adopt the FN FAL rifle - after Canada but before many actual NATO nations. Israel made its first purchases of the rifles in 1955, and delayed them almost immediately in the 1956 Suez Crisis. The first rifles were wholly made by FN in Belgium, but over time IMI in Israel would produce almost all parts except receivers (they had a good working relationship with FN, which had licensed production of the Uzi submachine gun from IMI). These first rifles are good examples of many early FN design elements, which are not seen on later major NATO contracts, as the design details evolved over time. Israel would use the FAL through the Yom Kippur War in 1973 before transitioning to the 5.56mm Galil rifles. In addition to the light-barrel infantry rifle, Israel also adopted a heavy barreled version of the FAL as a light machine gun or automatic rifle. These were fitted with stout bipods, but used the same 20-round magazines as the standard rifles. A very small number of Israel semiauto FAL rifles were imported in the late 1980s, and they are very scarce in the United States today - or they were, until DS Arms acquired a supply of Israeli light-barrel parts kits and began assembling them into complete rifles to sell. They are particularly nice builds as the DSA markings and serial number are on the inside of the magazine well, allowing the external surface to be engraved with a very nice recreation of the original Israeli receiver markings with their distinctive Hebrew text and IDF insignia. Stay tuned for an upcoming 2-Gun Action Challenge Match on InRangeTV using this rifle! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: La Régia Fabbrica d'Armi di TerniE77
Book Review: La Régia Fabbrica d'Armi di TerniAvailable on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YhNsHO This is no ordinary firearms reference book. This is a 900-page, nearly 12 pound tome in Italian. And not justify Italian; hand-written cursive Italian. With a substantial number of hand-painted illustrations. It is about the history of the Terni Arsenal and its products, from the needlefire Carcano through the M91 in World War Two. I can't read Italian, but the sections at the end covering a number of unusual experimental weapon designs persuaded me to order a copy, and I don't regret it (although it is an expensive book, at about $150 shipped depending on where you buy it). I really can't offer any review of the text content as a result, but if the depth and scale of the information matches that of the illustrations, it must be quite substantial. Definitely not a book for everyone - or even for very many - but it's quite the impressive work to look at! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - North & Skinner Wedge-Lock Revolving RifleE78
North & Skinner Wedge-Lock Revolving Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Patented in 1852 by Henry North and Chaucey Skinner, about 700 of these revolving rifles were made by 1856. The design used a locking wedge to seal the cylinder forward so that the firing chamber would nest into the barrel and seal the cylinder gap. The operating lever that did this also served to index the cylinder and recock the hammer, making for a fairly sophisticated design. The rifles were manufactured by North & Savage of Middletown Connecticut; the Edward North who was partner in the company was brother of Henry North, who was co-designer. The company dates back to the North & Cheney partnership formed to produce military pistols for the US government in 1799. The improved patent of 1856 would replace the locking wedge system with a toggle link, and would be the basis for the North & Savage “Figure 8” revolvers. The revolving rifle design was abandoned in favor of handguns, as they presumably were significantly more popular on the market. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Musgrave 9mm: A Gun for the Black MarketE79
Musgrave 9mm: A Gun for the Black Markethttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the brief couple of years between the election of a new black-majority government in South Africa in 1994 and the dissolution of the Musgrave company, it attempted to produce a new 9mm pistol to sell to the burgeoning market of black South African citizens buying handguns. Ownership of pistols by black citizens had been legal under apartheid, but was (not surprisingly) quite uncommon - this began to change in 1994. The most popular pistol at the time was the Norinco 213 Tokarev in 9x19mm, which was available in large numbers and at very low cost. To compete against this, Musgrave designed a simple blowback, polymer framed pistol chambered for 9x19mm using Beretta 92 magazines (which Musgrave had a large supply of, being the license Beretta distributor in the country). The gun was extremely simple, held together with a handful of screws and using a single action only hammer-fired mechanism. It was a commercial flop, however - unable to match the quality and price combination of the Tokarev and only about 500 were made in 1995 and 1996. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Long Stroke Gas PistonE80
How Does it Work: Long Stroke Gas Pistonhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The long stroke gas piston system was in its heyday about 50 years ago, and was popular in both rifles and machine guns. The principle is that the gas piston is fixed to the bolt carrier, and both cycle rearward for the full length of the cartridge upon firing. The system was used in such distinguished designs as the M1 Garand, Kalashnikov, Browning Automatic Rifle, and ZB/Bren light machine guns among others. By including the mass of the gas piston in the reciprocating parts, the long stroke system potentially carries more momentum when cycling, this improving extraction and feeding. This generally comes at the cost of increased perceived recoil, as the extra mass impacting the rear of the receiver at the end of travel is felt by the firer. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Arctic Warfare Magnum: Accuracy International L115A3E81
Arctic Warfare Magnum: Accuracy International L115A3http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 2007, the British Army placed an order for 582 AI Arctic Warfare Super Magnum rifles chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, formally adopting the model as the L115A3 sniper rifle. This followed special forces use of the .338 Accuracy International rifles in Afghanistan, where the A1 (fixed stock) and A2 (folding stock) models had both been given designations.With the adoption of the L115, the British retired all of their remaining L96A1 rifles, and moved to the .338 cartridge for all of their sniping equipment. At this same time, the SSIP (Sniper System Improvement Program) was improving and updating all the ancillary gear used with the guns - scopes, bipods, ballistic calculators and training programs, spotting scopes, and more. These remain the current British sniper weapon today, and they are quite formidable kit in properly trained hands. Thanks to Steve Houghton for providing me access to this rifle! If you are interested in learning more, I highly recommend checking out Steve's newly released book, "The British Sniper: A Century of Evolution". It can be found at: https://www.swiftandboldpublishing.co.uk/the-book/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the H&K MP7E82
Shooting the H&K MP7http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Thanks to H&K and Trijicon, I have a chance to do some shooting with an MP7A1 PWD today. The MP7 is unusual for a gun of its size and configuration in having a fully locked operating system; essentially a G36 scaled down to 4.6x30mm. This allows the gun to be lighter, as the action is not dependent on bolt mass to delay the breech from opening. I was expecting the MP7 to be extremely soft shooting, and was rather surprised to find it with more pronounced recoil than I expected. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - The Last Dreyse Needlefire: 1874 Border GuardE83
The Last Dreyse Needlefire: 1874 Border Guardhttps://www.forgottenweapons.com/the-last-dreyse-needlefire-1874-border-guard The Dreyse needle fire rifle was invented by Niclaus von Dreyse in 1836, adopted by Prussia in 1841, and would serve as their standard military rifle for 30 years, undergoing constant tweaking and improvements. By 1871, however, the days of the needle fire were coming to a rapid end, as it was rendered obsolete by the development and perfection of the metallic self-contained cartridge. After the death of Nicolaus von Dreyse in 1867, his son Franz took over the company. Franz was also a talented designer, and devised a modification of the basic Dreyse system to allow for automatic cocking upon opening the bolt (as we would associate with any “normal” bolt action design today) instead of the more complex manual of arms required before. This was patented in 1874 and put into production in 1875 in an effort to keep the needle fire Dreyse relevant in a world of new bolt action rifles. The system was used for a variety of commercial sporting rifles until about 1900, but the only government purchase was a batch of guns for the Baden border guards and customs police. Those rifles have serial numbers in the 13,000 and 14,000 range, and today’s rifle is an example of one of them. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Municion L.M.P. 1889: Paris Commune to Spanish Civil WarE84
Municion L.M.P. 1889: Paris Commune to Spanish Civil Warhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Thanks to Staghounds for the invaluable help researching this episode! The French Munition Lancée à la Main Pierre is one of the little-known French infantry weapons of the Great War. Originally developed as a man-portable version of the Munition Trébuchet Bloc de Rocher 1873, it would be progressively simplified and used in large numbers throughout World War One. It would prove so successful that both German and Russian copies were made, the Großessteinstück Leutezuwerfen Art 18 and Разве ты не хочешь взять в руки рок-товарища партии. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Armstrong & Taylor Carbine - Too Little Too LateE85
Armstrong & Taylor Carbine - Too Little Too Latehttps://www.forgottenweapons.com/armstrong-taylor-carbine-too-little-too-late/ The Armstrong & Taylor carbine is a neat single shot breechloading carbine patented in 1862. It operates by way of a button on the top of the rear tang, which allows the barrel assembly to rotate open around a pin located below the barrel. An extractor is mechanically camel to the pin, and pushes the empty cartridge case out as the barrel assembly rotates. The inventors were clearly hoping for a military contract, but were unable to supply the gun to the government until after the Civil War had ended. Instead, it was entered in the 1866 breechloading rifle trials, where it was eliminated (along with 21 other designs) in the first round of trials. It managed to fire 100 rounds of .41 rimfire ammunition at a rate of 14 rounds per minute, but was considered unsuitable. The trials would eventually choose the Allin Conversion as their winner, better known as the Trapdoor Springfield. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Ingram M10 & M11 SMGs: The Originals from Powder SpringsE86
Ingram M10 & M11 SMGs: The Originals from Powder SpringsAfter the commercial failure of Gordon Ingram’s M6 submachine gun in the early 50s, we would radically change the layout of his designs. Instead of a Thompson lookalike Ingram’s M10 (the M7, M8, and M9 doing experimental prototypes only) would be a boxy and compact affair with a Czech-style telescoping bolt. It found little interest until a meeting between Gordon Ingram and Mitch WerBell resulted in WerBell demonstrating it to excited military audiences in Vietnam in 1969. WebBell was an ex-OSS man who had started a company called Sionics, selling suppressors to the US military. He thought the combination of Ingrams submachine gun and his suppressor would be a fantastic package, and he found plenty of interest in special operations personnel in Vietnam. He would create the Military Armament Corporation based at his farm in Powder Springs, GA and entice Ingram to join as his chief engineer. The result would be the .45ACP M10, a 9mm version of the M10 (made for use with subsonic 9mm ammunition), and a scaled-down .380 ACP M11 submachine gun. MAC would have a short life, with all its assets sold at a bankruptcy auction in April 1976 - but it had plenty of time to create what would become an iconic gun - the Big MAC. Many imitations and copies would follow, but Powder Springs was the home of true original Ingram M10 and M11 submachine guns! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - .577 Caliber Bland-Pryse Stopping RevolverE87
.577 Caliber Bland-Pryse Stopping RevolverThere were probably less than a hundred of these Pryse-Patent break-action .577 revolvers made in total, and this one has managed to maintain an excellent nickel finish. Pushing approximately a 400 grain bullet at about 725 fps, these 5-shot revolvers were made as last-ditch “stopping” guns in case of attack by large animals, and most of them were taken to India during the Victorian period. This one was made in Belgium, and then retailed by Thomas Wilson in London. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - AVS-36: The First Soviet Infantry Battle RifleE88
AVS-36: The First Soviet Infantry Battle RifleThe AVS-36 was the first self-loading rifle adopted by the Soviet Union to be a standard infantry rifle, and it was not just semiautomatic, but also capable of fully automatic fire. Designed by Sergei Simonov over the course of about ten years, it would only last a short time in service before being replaced by the Tokarev SVT-38 and then SVT-40. The AVS-36 uses a short stroke gas piston system that remains popular to this day, and a quite unusual locking system incorporating two asymmetrical locking flaps and a vertically traveling locking block. It is striker fired, with semi and full auto selector positions and a 15-round detachable magazine (plus stripper clip guide). In total, 65,800 were made between 1934 and 1940, with true mass production beginning in 1937. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - The Soviet Jackhammer: Shooting an AVS-36E89
The Soviet Jackhammer: Shooting an AVS-36Yesterday we looked at the history and mechanics of the Soviet AVS-36 battle rifle, and today we are taking it out to the range. As a light rifle firing full-power 7.62x54R ammunition, this is sure to be an exhilarating experience. I am curious to see how the muzzle brake performs, and if this rifle can be any better to handle and shoot than the M14... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Nikita Kruschev’s MTs-11 Communist Party ShotgunE90
Nikita Kruschev’s MTs-11 Communist Party ShotgunPresented to Nikita Kruschev at the opening of the 21st session of the Communist Party session in 1959, this is an example of the best sporting arms being made in the Soviet Union at the time. It is an MTs-11 (МЦ-11) side by side double gun, mechanically a Beesley-patent Purdey type with plenty of bold engraving. Only some 600 MTs-11 guns were made between 1951 and 1960, by TsKIB SOO (ЦКИБ СОО) - the Central Design and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Arms located in Tula. It is a very well made gun, complete with stereotypically poor quality case, and lacquer coating the barrels for some reason. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Heym SR30: Straight Pull Ball-Bearing Lock?E91
Heym SR30: Straight Pull Ball-Bearing Lock?The Heym SR30 is a modern hunting rifle produced in Thuringia, Germany using a rather clever and interesting locking system. It is a straight-pull rifle with six ball bearings around the circumference of the bolt head. When the bolt handle it forward, it forces a central plunger down the interior of the bolt body, forcing the ball bearing out to lock into recesses in the receiver. Pull the bolt handle back, and the plunger retracts, allowing the locking bearing to retract into the bolt so it can open. This avoids the usual problem of straight pull systems having quite stiff actions when a camping system is used to translate linear motion of the bolt handle into rotary motion of the bolt head. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon from San Juan HillE92
Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon from San Juan HillBenjamin Hotchkiss was an American artillery designer who moved to Paris in 1867 in hopes of building a business for his improvements in artillery shells. He experienced the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, and understood the failure of the French Mitrailleuse multi-barrel volley guns. In his opinion, an effective rapid-fire weapon needed to fire explosive projectiles to have a real effect at extended range (unlike the mitrailleuse which fired simple rifle bullets). So being the inventive sort, he went ahead and designed just such a gun. His revolving cannon was sized for 1-pound (450g) 37mm explosive shells (although he would also produce armor piercing and canister ammunition). The gun looks like a Gatling gun at first glance, but its mechanical operation is quite different. The Hotchkiss cannon would become quite popular, with major purchases by the French and American navies as well as many other nations. They would serve into World War One, including some use repurposed as antiaircraft weapons. This particular example was captured by American forces in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, most likely from San Juan Hill. It is a magnificent example of the type, and with a fantastic historical provenance to match. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Silent Destroyer: Reimagining the DeLisle Commando CarbineE93
Silent Destroyer: Reimagining the DeLisle Commando CarbineTom Denall’s “Silent Destroyer” (originally built on surplus Sanish “Destroyer” carbines) is a Ruger 77/44 bolt action rifle with a large integral suppressor. Chambered for the .44 Magnum cartridge, it allows the use of a heavy bullet to maximize ballistic potential while remaining subsonic, prevents mechanical action noise by being a bolt action system, and feeds from 3-round detachable box magazines. This particular example has been fitted with a light and small Burris Fastfire red dot optic, and makes for a handy and extremely quiet carbine. Like the DeLisle, but without all of that system’s flaws! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Boys Anti-Tank Rifle: Mk I and Mk I* ImprovementsE94
Boys Anti-Tank Rifle: Mk I and Mk I* ImprovementsThe Boys Anti-Tank Rifle was adopted by the British military in 1937, and remained in production until 1943 when it was replaced by the PIAT. During that time more than 114,000 were made, both in the UK and in Canada. Canadian engineers at the John Inglis company devised a number of improvements to the rifle in 1942, which were adopted as the Mk I* pattern that year. Today we are looking at these improvements with examples of each type side by side. They are a new style of muzzle brake, simplified rear sight, and improved bipod design. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Canadian 8mm “Sterile” Bren GunE95
Canadian 8mm “Sterile” Bren GunThe John Inglis company in Toronto first opened in 1859 as a metalworking shop, and grew steadily over the decades under first John Inglis, and then later his sons. Inglis did substantial amounts of military work during World War One, but the Great Depression hit it hard, and both William and Alexander Inglis died in 1935 and 1936 respectively. The company went into receivership but was purchased by one Major James Hahn (DSO) and a group of business partners in November of 1936. Hahn and his associates saw an opportunity to use this large manufacturing facility to make machine guns for the military, and they were successful - in October 1938 they were awarded a contract to make 5000 MkI Bren guns.More contracts would follow, and by the height of World War Two the company had some 15,000 employees and more than a million square feet of floor space. Among many other projects, Inglis was contracted to make small arms for sale to the Nationalist Chinese government under Chiang Kai Shek - both High Power pistols and Bren guns in 8mm Mauser (to fit the Chinese standardization on that cartridge). A batch of 8mm ZB-30 light machine guns were brought in from the Far East to use as a pattern, and Inglis engineers were able to successfully redesign the Bren to use that cartridge and magazine. Where the story gets hazy is in trying to determine how many were made and for whom. The Chinese guns are marked in Mandarin on the receivers, and have “CH” prefix serial numbers, like the Chinese contract High Power pistols. However, two additional variations exist without those Chinese markings. Some are marked “7.92 Bren MkI” and “Inglis 1943” (or 44 or 45), and others - like this one - are just marked “7.92 Bren MkI”. The dated ones are typically referred to as Resistance guns, intended to be supplied to European resistance units for whom 7.92mm ammunition was more readily available than .303 - although information on how many guns were supplied in this way (if any) is difficult - Shooting the Inglis 8mm Bren GunE96
Shooting the Inglis 8mm Bren GunThe Bren gun is widely regarded as one of the best light machine guns ever built, but that reputation is based on the British .303 caliber version. How does the design perform in 8mm Mauser? Today I am going to find out, using one of the John Inglis "sterile" 8mm Brens. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Israeli SP66: A Modern Mauser SniperE97
Israeli SP66: A Modern Mauser SniperAround 1980, Israeli purchased a batch of modern Mauser SP66 precision rifles to supplement or replace their stocks of M14 and Mauser K98k sniper rifles. This new rifle was based on the Mauser 66 sporting rifle action, and had been developed by Mauser in the 1970s to meet the new demand for serious snipers’ rifles for the new modern counter-terrorism agencies like GSG-9. It offered features like an adjustable cheek rest, magnificent trigger, and excellent mechanical accuracy. The IDF equipped them with a variety of different optics including Kahles, Nimrod (both 6x and 10x), and Swarovski. They were eventually replaced by newer Mauser SP86 rifles, and surplussed out, to be purchased mostly by Springfield Armory and imported into the US. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Italy Modernizes: the Carcano Needlefire Rifle ConversionE98
Italy Modernizes: the Carcano Needlefire Rifle ConversionWhen Prussia and its Dreyse needle fire rifles defeated Austria and its muzzleloaders at Shadow in 1866, much of the world took note. In Italy, the reactive was to immediately begin looking for both a new rifle and also a system for converting existing stockpiles of muzzleloaders into something more modern. After considering separate-primer systems like the Albini, Manceaux, and Lindner; metallic cartridges, and needle fire cartridges, the Italians decided upon Salvatore Carcano’s needle fire system as the idea solution. Reusing the existing muzzleloader barrels meant a caliber of 17.5mm, and needle fire paper cartridges were substantially lighter than metallic cartridges of that size. The needle fire system could still fire an impressive 8 shots per minute, and at less than 10 Lira per gun, the conversion was affordable. Carcano’s system was based on the Doersch-Baumgarten needle fire system, which was in itself an improvement on the Dreyse. The rear end of an existing muzzleloader barrel was cut away and a bolt added to the gun. While it is an unorthodox type of firing system, Carcano’s design incorporates multiple safety mechanisms and is remarkably good for its cost. The first conversions were made in 1867, with 18,000 guns for the Bersaglieri. This was followed by conversions for the Carabinieri in 1869 and for the Artillery in 1871. This example, like most of the surviving ones, is an 1844/67 Artillery type. These guns were never used in a major conflict, and most were eventually scrapped, leaving them pretty rare today. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Lee Carbine: Gunmaking is not for the Faint of HeartE99
Lee Carbine: Gunmaking is not for the Faint of HeartJames Paris Lee is known today as the inventor of the detachable box magazine, and the “Lee” in the “Lee Enfield” rifle system - a very significant contributor to firearms development. His first foray into the business of gun design and manufacture, however, was a rather ignominious failure. Lee patented a single shot swinging barrel system in 1862, and hoped to win an Army contract for it. In February of 1864 he submitted a rifle version to the Army, and was promptly rejected - the Army was not interested in breechloading rifles. Lee came right back in April 1864 with a carbine pattern, and this was accepted for testing - the Army was indeed looking for breechloading cavalry carbines. It took a full year, but in April 1865 the Army came back and gave Lee a contract for 1,000 carbines at $18 each. Lee rounded up investors and capital, and created the Lee Fire Arms Company in Milwaukee to produce the guns. His first two samples were delivered in January 1866 - in .42 rimfire caliber. At this point, there is some disagreement. Lee claims that his sample guns in .42 caliber were accepted, and thus his followup delivery of .42 caliber carbines should have been accepted. The government said that the contract specified .44 rimfire caliber, and his delivery of .42 caliber guns was unacceptable, and thus rejected. A court case would ensue, but with the rejection of the first 250 guns and the cancellation of their contract, the company had to look hard and fast for a backup plan. In March 1867 newspaper ads were placed in Milwaukee for sporting rifles and carbines from the Lee company. The parts planned for military production were used instead for civilian guns in a variety of configurations - carbines, light rifles, and heavy rifles in several barrel lengths and several calibers. By 1868 all production had ceased, and the Lee Fire Arms Company dissolved. James Lee returned to his former profession of watchmaking, but this experience with gun manufacturing would no - S&W 3566: An IPSC Game-Changer that Didn’tE100
S&W 3566: An IPSC Game-Changer that Didn’tIn 1994, Smith & Wesson began shipping the Model 3566, a double-stack, single action pistols tuned for high-level USPSA competition. It was a pistol that was going to dominate the new Limited division, with the capacity of a standard 9x19mm handgun but enough power to qualify for Major. And then in February 1995, the USPSA Board revised their rules to require a minimum bullet diameter of .40 inch for any Major caliber. Was S&W unfairly screwed by USPSA? Or was S&W trying to exploit a rule loophole contrary to the spirit of the game? Either way, the victim was the .356 TSW cartridge, which had a lot of potential but was basically dead on arrival because of the USPSA rule change. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Hotchkiss 1914: A French and American WWI Heavy MGE101
Hotchkiss 1914: A French and American WWI Heavy MGThe gun that became the Hotchkiss 1914 and served as the bulwark of French and American forces in World war One was actually first designed and patented by an Austrian officer; Adolph von Odkolek. He took his idea to the Hotchkiss company in Paris hoping to arrange for them to produce it under license. The design was inspected by Laurence Benet (chief engineer at Hotchkiss) and Henri Mercie (Benet's assistant), and they concluded that the gun was not suitable for production. However, the core concept in the patent - Odkolek's gas piston system - was a worthy one and would allow production of machine guns to compete with Maxim and Colt without violating their existing patents. So Benet arranged to simply buy the patent outright for a flat fee, and then Hotchkiss set about redesigning the gun to be much better. The result was the model 1897, an air-cooled, strip-fed heavy machine gun that was sold to many different nations. It was improved in 1900, and between the two models sales were made to Japan, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, China, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Luxembough, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Portugal, and Venezuela in a variety of calibers. The French government also purchased some Hotchkiss guns, primarily for colonial use. For the bulk of the metropolitan army, France opted to design its own gun in the state arsenals (which was the Modele 1907 St Etienne gun; which is suspiciously like a Hotchkiss with the operating direction of the parts reversed to avoid patent infringement). When World War One broke out, and the need for vast quantities of machine gun became apparent, the Hotchkiss was finally adopted on a large scale by France. The commercial 1900 pattern was revised slightly (a better barrel locking system and replacement of the shoulder stock with a D-ring rear handle) and some 45,000 would be produced by 1918. The Hotchkiss would supplant the 1907 St Etienne over the course of the war, as it was a more reliable and less expensive desig - The Hotchkiss Heavy: Shooting the Great War's Modele 1914E102
The Hotchkiss Heavy: Shooting the Great War's Modele 1914The Hotchkiss was the primary heavy machine gun for the French and American forces in World War One, and this 1918-production example was just begging to be given a workout. So we took it out to the range to run a few strips of ammunition through it. Compared to my previous shooting experience with Vickers and Maxim guns, it was rather nice to not have water or seals to deal with...and the tripod made for almost boringly easy shooting. These guns were absolute workhorses, and while they don't get the recognition or respect of the Maxim and its derivatives today, they are fantastic pieces of engineering. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - MAC Operational BriefcaseE103
MAC Operational BriefcaseIf a swanky outfit like H&K can make an “Operational Briefcase” with a submachine gun hidden inside it, then you can bet Military Armament Corporation is going to do the same! MAC made these briefcases for both the M10 and M11 submachine guns, and made a shortened suppressor for the M10 pattern guns to fit. They actually have a distinct advantage over the H&K type by fitting a gun with suppressor - but a distinct disadvantage in the exposed trigger bar on the bottom of the case, with no safety device of any kind. Note: Possession of the briefcase with a semiauto MAC-type pistol that fits it is potentially seen as constructive possession of an AOW.A machine gun can be legally fitted in the case, but a semiauto pistol in it is considered a disguised weapon, and thus requires registration as an AOW. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the MP35: Germany's Left-Handed SMGE104
Shooting the MP35: Germany's Left-Handed SMGThe MP-35 is one of several very nicely made inter-war German submachine guns. Unlike most, it has the magazine mounted on the right, and ejects out the left - a configuration chosen to standardize the manual of arms with the K98k style bolt handle. The MP-35 is also unusual in having a progressive type of trigger - although it's not really a normal progressive trigger even. Instead, it is a normal sort of trigger for semiautomatic fire, and a second lever below the trigger which must be pulled for full auto fire. I suspect this will take a bit of getting used to... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - US Navy Driggs Mk IX 37mm Quickfire CannonE105
US Navy Driggs Mk IX 37mm Quickfire CannonDeveloped between 1883 and 1889 by Lt. William Driggs and Commander (later Admiral) Seaton Schroeder, the Driggs cannon was an improvement on the market-standard Hotchkiss quick-fire cannon of the day. By quick-fire, I am referring to a single-shot cannon that has a recoil mechanism and ejects its empty case automatically, leaving the breech open for rapid reloading and subsequent shot. This was the standard type of naval armament for allowing large vessels to combat small and quick torpedo boats in the late 19th century. The Driggs guns were made in many variations and calibers but limited total quantities until about 1908. This example is a Mk IX type in 37mm, made in 1897. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Finnish m/44 Prototype Blowback 9mm PistolE106
Finnish m/44 Prototype Blowback 9mm Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The m/44 pistol was intended to be a lower-cost replacement for the Lahti L35 pistol for the Finnish Defense Forces, but production delays resulted in the first batch of 25 examples not being completed until after the end of the Continuation War. Treaties limited Finland's right to conduct arms development after the war, and the project was never taken farther than that first batch. Mechanically, the pistol is a simple blowback 9x19mm pistol, with a single stack 8-round magazine, single action trigger, and external hammer. The barrel locking system is very reminiscent of the Ruby and Browning fixed barrel pistols, and the fire control parts are contained in a removable unit like a Tokarev. Production was done at VKT, the Finnish state rifle factory in 1944. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 28: From PDWs to Constant RecoilE107
Q&A 28: From PDWs to Constant Recoilhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons For this month's Q&A, we go back to a wide variety of questions, without a single specific theme. They are: 0:00:30 - Rifle, pistol, and machine gun for a modern squad 0:04:35 - Favorite non-firearm historical site 0:08:50 - What is my daily schedule like? 0:10:47 - Advantages of toggle locking systems 0:12:05 - Best PDW 0:13:40 - Can there be a comeback of Gyrojet/rocket ball ammunition? 0:15:50 - Collaboration with Time Ghost? (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLfMmOriSyPbd5JhHpnj4Ng) 0:17:15 - Coverage of aerial guns 0:19:05 - Video backlog 0:22:00 - Could 6mm Lee Navy have worked with modern powder and steel? 0:23:10 - Helical magazines 0:24:35 - Restoration of rifle importation? 0:28:50 - Berthier rifles with manual safeties 0:30:01 - Book on Broomhandle Mausers (Leonardo Antaris' book on Astra: https://amzn.to/2Dk45te) 0:31:00 - Entering the gun industry with a modernized P7 0:33:05 - Single feed mags in pistols 0:34:50 - 8mm Kurz in guns other than the MP44? 0:37:16 - Big-bore pistols 0:38:05 - Why judge service rifles as target rifles? 0:39:52 - Collaboration with The Chieftain (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheChieftainWoT) 0:40:34 - Book on the FN MAG 0:41:05 - Have I contacted printers before reviewing out-of-print books? 0:42:14 - Why no more top-feed LMGs? 0:44:14 - Possibility of new modular platform in new 6.5/6.8mm cartridge? 0:45:29 - Why was the Walther MPK/MPL unsuccessful? 0:46:23 - Gunsmithing support for rare guns (https://www.patreon.com/anvil) 0:48:33 - Preferred brand of gin 0:51:17 - Wierdest operating system? (https://youtu.be/eUzL6clu-90) 0:53:08 - Where will Forgotten Weapons be in 5 years? 0:54:29 - Political pushback when visiting collections? 0:56:18 - Germany WW2 use of captured small arms 0:59:16 - Steyr-Hahn machine pistol 1:00:09 - Variable pitch recoil springs 1 - Viper MkI: A Simplified Steampunk StenE108
Viper MkI: A Simplified Steampunk Stenhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Viper Mk I was an experimental submachine gun developed in the UK for use by military policemen in post-WW2 occupation West Germany. It was a simplified Sten gun (full-auto only, without the semiauto option normally included in the Sten trigger mechanism) put into a wooden housing. It was intended to be carried slung over one shouldered fired under the arm with just one hand. To this end, it had neither sights nor trigger guard. The whole concept seems pretty questionable, and while multiple different Viper submachine guns were designed to fill this role, none were ever adopted. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this very rare rifle! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Original Vietnam-Era M60 at the RangeE109
Original Vietnam-Era M60 at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The M60 was the first modern American military machine gun, developed from the operating system of the German FG-42 and the feed system of the German MG-42 in the years after World War Two. It has a rather schizophrenic reputation, being loved by many who used it in Vietnam and hated by many who used it later in its service life. The design had some fundamental flaws, but did offer a far more mobile base of fire than the M1919A6 that it replaced. Today, I am going to do a bit of shooting with an original Vietnam pattens M60, which will act as a baseline for future videos covering the various improvements and modernizations of the platform. Thanks to the Institute of Military Technology (https://www.instmiltech.com) for giving me the opportunity to bring this M60 on camera for you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Morse Carbine: If the Army Says No, Sell it Commercially!E110
Morse Carbine: If the Army Says No, Sell it Commercially!George Morse was one of the most significant American inventors in the development of modern ammunition. In 1856 he received a patent for the first completely self-contained brass cartridge, and a breechloading firearm to use it. Morse’s cartridge was made of several parts, a solid brass case head with a case body made of a piece of flat brass rolled into a cylinder and soldered down its seam, and then soldered to the case head. At the base, a standard percussion cap was seated and sealed in place with a rubber washer. Morse entered his rifle in a US military trial in 1857, where is did very well but ultimately lost out to the Burnside carbine. In order to generate some cash flow while pursuing a contact to convert military muzzleloaders to his breechloading system, Morse contracted with the unmaking company of Muzzy & Co to make 100 of his guns for commercial sale. These were marketed as cased sets with one receiver and a carbine barrel, a rifle barrel, and a shotgun barrel (calibers varied, .48-.54 for the rifled barrels and 12 or 16 gauge for the shotgun barrel). The price for these sets was $125, quite a lot of money in 1857. The guns did not sell well, much to Morse’s dismay. However, he was able to get a contract with the US military for a $5 royalty on each of 2000 guns they would convert to Morse’s system. This work had stalled by 1860, when it was moved to the Harper’s Ferry arsenal. No long after that, the Civil War would erupt, and needless to say the conversion project ended with the sacking of the arsenal. Morse would side with the Confederacy, and pursue production of his rifles in the South, which is the subject for a separate video… http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Engraved Glock 19 Pistols - Yes, That's a ThingE111
Engraved Glock 19 Pistols - Yes, That's a ThingWould you believe it? Factory engraved Glocks are actually a thing! They have not made all that many, but they do turn up from time to time, recognizable by their ELP serial prefixes. These three were displayed by Glock at the 2002 SHOT Show, and are now on the civilian market. They were made as a set of three, in three different levels of engraving. All three of these are G19s, although other factory engraved guns include a variety of other models - 17, 17L, 19, 22, 26, etc. Scoff if you want, but I guarantee these will be highly sought-after collectibles in time… http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Marga Trials Rifle: Competition For the Belgian ArmyE112
Marga Trials Rifle: Competition For the Belgian ArmyWhen the Belgian military decided to adopt a new rifle in the late 1880s, they attached a wide variety of competitors. The best of the batch were Mauser and Mannlicher, with Mauser ultimately winning - but among the other entrants was Belgian Captain Uldarique Marga and his bolt action rifle design. Marga’s rifle used a Beaumont-style V-spring for the firing pin, 10 rear locking lugs, a single-stack blind magazine, and included a cartridge cutoff. It was an acceptable rifle, if not excellent (the V-spring Beaumont system was less reliable and durable than coil springs, and the rear locking lugs were an artifact of the recent black powder days) - but it simply did not show the excellence of the Mauser rifle. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Erma/Glaser Luger .22 Rimfire ConversionE113
Erma/Glaser Luger .22 Rimfire ConversionIn 1927, a Berlin resident named Richard Kulisch patented a .22 rimfire conversion kit for the Luger pistol. Kulisch’s conversion used a magazine and fired semiautomatically, which made it a much more practical conversion for military and police training than the 4mm single shot conversions than in use. Kulisch appears to have sold the rights to his design to the Erma company - they were an ideal company to market such a thing, having previously sold a .22 rimfire conversion for the Gewehr 98 rifle to the German military. They proceeded to do the same thing with the Luger conversion, which was tested by the military in 1931 and adopted in 1932. It would remain in production until 1940 for the military and police, although it was not really made in large numbers.In addition to this military contract, Erma made a version for the Swiss commercial market, which was sold by a Zurich gunsmith named W. Glaser. The kit turned the Luger into a simple blowback pistol, and is quite a clever design. In the 1950s, Erma would begin production again for the American commercial market, with a few changes. These were sold by Interarmco, and packaged in a distinctive green box. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Portugal's MG-13: the M938 Light Machine GunE114
Portugal's MG-13: the M938 Light Machine GunThe MG13 was an interim machine gun used by the German military in the 1930s until the MG34 was adopted and widely issued. The MG13 (so designated to allow a claim that it was a WW1 era design, not a new development by Rheinmetall in the 1920s) was a closed-bolt, magazine fed, short recoil, hammer fired design. It has a particularly interesting mechanism allowing the recoil spring tension to be adjusted, and also has a folding stock - an unusual feature on a light machine gun. Fed by both 25 round box magazines and 75 round double drums, this particular example is a Portuguese contract example designated the M938. Today’s video will focus on the mechanical operation of the gun, rather than its developmental history. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Chassepot: Best of the Needle RiflesE115
Chassepot: Best of the Needle RiflesPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book The Model 1866 Chassepot was France's first military cartridge-firing rifle. It used a self-contained paper cartridge on the same basic principle as the Prussian 1841 Dreyse rifle, but was a substantial improvement on that system. The Chassepot fired an 11mm bullet at about 1350 fps (410 m/s), which was substantially higher velocity than the Dreyse. It was more accurate and had a substantially longer effective range. The French would produce about 1.5 million Chassepot rifles, most of them before the Franco-Prussian War. Despite the quality of the Chassepot rifle, that war would go tremendously badly for the French, with hundreds of thousands of men and arms captured by the Prussians and the new German state being declared in the palace of Versailles. In the aftermath, many German cavalry units would adopt Chassepots for their own use, until the Gewehr 71 was available in carbine form. The French would resume Chassepot production briefly after the war, but would soon transition to a new rifle, the metallic cartridge firing Gras. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Extra-Fancy 20-Shot Pinfire RevolverE116
Extra-Fancy 20-Shot Pinfire Revolver(Video reuploaded to removed an allegedly copyrighted still image) http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The pinfire cartridge was a popular development in Europe in the mid-1800s that never saw much exposure in the United States. A huge variety of pinfire revolvers were made by a myriad of large and small shops, with Liege Belgium being one of the biggest manufacturing centers. Guns ranged from tiny folding-trigger 5mm models to massive 12mm weapons, with capacities from 5 to 20 shots. This particular one is both mechanically and visually interesting. It is a twin-barrel example, with a 20-round cylinder using chamber in two concentric rings. The inner ring of ten rounds are fired from the lower barrel and the outer ring of 10 rounds are shot through the top barrel. As one cocks and fires, the gun automatically alternates between the two. It is a clever way to get a large capacity without the cylinder become too ridiculously huge. Visually, of course, this revolver is pretty arresting, with its complete coverage of decorative gold embellishing and fancy case. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Samuel Pauly Invents the Cartridge in 1812E117
Samuel Pauly Invents the Cartridge in 1812(Video reuploaded to removed an allegedly copyrighted still image) Samuel Johannes Pauli was born outside Bern, Switzerland in 1766, and became an engineer of wide interests. Among them were bridge design, passenger-carrying balloons (he would work seriously on a 15-20 passenger balloon service between London and Paris later in life), and firearms. Only a few years after Forsyth’s invention of fulminate priming, Pauly would become the first to use it in a fully self-contained cartridge. He patented this invention in Paris in 1812, having moved there in 1802 in pursuit of financing for his many grand projects (going then by the name Jean Samuel Pauly). Pauly’s cartridge was a multi-part affair with a rimmed brass base containing a fulminate powder, connected to a paper or cardboard cartridge body which held a charge of regular gunpowder and the shot or ball to be fired. It was an expensive system, but contained all the necessary elements of a modern cartridge. Pauly would move to England in 1814 (then taking the name Samuel John Pauly) in pursuit of aviation inventions, although he continued to tinker on his firearms design and filed to additional patent improvements. He died in London in 1821, and his name and work became rather obscure. His former apprentices would carry on his legacy in their own work - Nicolaus Dreyse would produce the needle fire system of Dreyse rifles used by the Prussian military, and Casimir Lefaucheux would create the pinafore system based on Pauly’s designs. Lefaucheux in fact became owner of the company in 1827, and with his son would provide the most direct link between Pauly’s design and the modern metallic cartridge. - An Overview of the Pinfire Revolver SystemE118
An Overview of the Pinfire Revolver System(Video reuploaded to removed an allegedly copyrighted still image) http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The pinfire system was an early cartridge type which saw widespread use in Europe, but was not widely adopted in the United States. First invented by a French designer named Pauly, it was made commercially feasible by Casimir Lefacheaux. It was Casimir's son Eugene, however, who took the pinfire cartridge to its full potential, garnering a French military contract in the 1850s and building Lefacheaux into one of the largest French/Belgian non-government arms manufacturers in the mid 1800s. Todays we are looking at an assortment of pinfire revolvers, to get some basic idea for the sort of variety that was made over the decades. Small to large, plain to fancy, and with all manner of quirky details (like folding bayonets and Lefacheaux's triple-action fire control system). Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - A Brief Introduction to the M240 GolfE119
A Brief Introduction to the M240 Golfhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The FN MAG was adopted by the United States military to replace its aging inventory of M60 machine guns. It was designated the M240 in US parlance, and first used as a vehicle-mounted machine gun. Subsequently both the US Army and US Marine Corps adopted ground mount versions for infantry use; the Army chose the B model with a handguard and the Marines chose the G model without the handguard. Today we are going to do a bit of shooting with a 240G... Thanks to the Institute of Military Technology (https://www.instmiltech.com) for giving me the opportunity to bring this 240 Golf on camera for you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Foundations of Sniper MarksmanshipE120
Book Review: Foundations of Sniper MarksmanshipGet a print copy here: http://www.looseleaflaw.com/catalog/bookdetail.html?sku=978-1-60885-212-3 Or an ebook copy here: http://looseleafdownloads.com/purchase.ASP Or on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JellnE John C. Simpson has been teaching military and police sniper training since 1985 - nearly as long as I have been alive. I encountered him back when I filmed a video on a Confederate Whitworth sniper, and he helped me correct my explanation of how the British were measuring rifle accuracy and precision. This speaks to his understanding of sniper craft in long historical perspective, and it made me much more interested in his printed work. He most recent book is a small paperback of just over 120 pages. It is "Foundations of Sniper Marksmanship", a handbook intended as preparation for a person attending a sniper training course. While it is limited to the basic fundamentals of the subject, it is presented to make clear what is important and what is not. I learned several new pointers on positional shooting and scope zeroing, and several myths are tackled and clearly debunked. In a field like this where the fundamentals have been well understood for many decades (if not centuries), newcomers looking to attract attention will often add complexity to create an impression of special greater knowledge - Simpson cuts through this with the practical experience of a man with more than 30 years' experience both teaching and doing. The impetus for this book was to prepare students before attending a class, and I can completely understand that motivation. I have seen plenty of people arrive to a shooting match with a brand new, un-zeroed gun and do terribly as a result. Simpson describes the same thing; students wasting their time and others' at a training course by arriving without a proper zero and a proper understanding of basic marksmanship principles. He also includes a section on practical fitness, which I was happy to see acknowledged as an important part of r - The 1874 Gras: France Enters the Brass Cartridge EraE121
The 1874 Gras: France Enters the Brass Cartridge EraPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book After the disaster of the Franco-Prussian War, it was clear to the French military that the rationale for using paper cartridge in the Chassepot was no longer valid - a future rifle would need to use brass cartridges. A competition to design a conversion of the Chassepot to use modern ammunition resulted in the 1874 adoption of the rifle designed by French Artillery Captain Basile Gras. This maintained the use of the bolt handle as a single locking lug, but introduced a separate bolt head and extractor. The new cartridge was the 11mm Gras; very similar to the Chassepot loading but at a slightly higher velocity. The Gras would be produced from 1874 until 1884, with more than 4 million made in total. Most were full length infantry rifles, but two patterns of carbine and a musketoon were also included for cavalry, gendarmerie, and artillery troops. These rifles saw significant use in colonial conflicts, but the much-anticipated war of revenge against Germany would not happen while the Gras was the standard French rifle. Instead, it would see a supporting role in the First World War, both in the original 11mm caliber and also converted to 8mm Lebel. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Morphy's April 2019 WrapupE122
Morphy's April 2019 WrapupPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201 Today we are looking at the results from the Morphy's April 2019 sale to see what happened with the guns that I featured in videos over the last few weeks. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Local Boy Saves Nation: The Australian Owen SMGE123
Local Boy Saves Nation: The Australian Owen SMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The One submachine gun is one of the ugliest SMGs ever designed, and yet also one of the most beloved by its users. The original basis for the gun was a .22 rimfire submachine gun designed by 23-year-old Australian Evelyn Owen. That prototype was found by his neighbor Vincent Wardell after Owen left for military service. Wardell was the manager of Lysaght Works, an engineering firm, and thought that the gun might be the basis for a useful military SMG. As it turned out, he was right - it became the standard SMG of The Australian military through World War Two and the Korean War, and was one of the best such guns of that period. For more details on the history of the Owen, see my full article: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/submachine-guns/owen-smg/ Thanks to Movie Armament Group in Toronto for giving me the opportunity to bring you this video! Check out MAG on Instagram: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Developmental History of the AK with Max PopenkerE124
Developmental History of the AK with Max PopenkerPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book I am very happy to be joined today via Skype by Russian small arms researcher Max Popenker. You may know Max from his nearly 20 years publishing world.guns.ru, one of the original small arms reference web sites. He has also written numerous magazine articles and several books in both Russian and English. Today, Max is going to discuss the development of the AK and address several questions that are not well understood in the US: How did a neophyte designer like Kalashnikov produce such an excellent gun? Was he just a fake figurehead created for Soviet propaganda? How much influence did German engineers have in the design and production of the AK? When the whole story of the AK is understood - as Max does a great job conveying - lots of things make much more sense. The AK was just one element of a much larger program to create a wholly new small arms system in an intermediate caliber. The SKS, RPD, and AK were adopted as part of this program, filling the roles of infantry carbine, squad automatic weapon, and submachine gun. So settle in and join me for a history lesson from an expert int he subject! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - French 1878 Marine KropatschekE125
French 1878 Marine KropatschekPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book The French Navy chose not to adopt the Gras rifle, and continued to use the paper-cartridge, needlefire Chassepot into the late 1870s. When they finally decided to adopt a new metallic-cartridge rifle, they decided to jump right to a repeater. Testing was done in 1877 of the Winchester-Hotchkiss, Krag-Petersen, and Kropatschek, and the Kropatschek was the winner. As the Navy did not need very many rifles, it opted to buy them directly from the Werndl factory in Steyr (Austria), which owned the rights to the system. An order for 25,000 was placed in 1878 and deliveries were completed in 1881. This rifle was designated the Model 1878 Marine (ie, Navy), and it was chambered for 11mm Gras with a 7-round tube magazine. They were delivered polished in the white, as naval small arms often were at the time. While limited in number, these rifles would see widespread service in French colonies, and would also form the basis for development of the French-build model 1884 rifles - which we will cover in the next video. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Chassepot to FAMAS: French Language Edition?E126
Chassepot to FAMAS: French Language Edition?Have't ordered your copy? Get it now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=bqnnsu Know a shop in France that would be interested in working with me to distribute a French-language version of "Chassepot to FAMAS"? Have them contact us here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/contact - Knight's Assault Machine Guns at the RangeE127
Knight's Assault Machine Guns at the RangePreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=exzymu Knights Armament introduced their "Assault Machine Gun" a couple years ago, and I had a chance to take both versions (5.56mm and 7.62mm) out to the range recently. The gun is the spiritual descendant of the Stoner 63, but is more directly mades on Eugene Stoner's Model 86 light machine gun. It utilizes the content recoil principle, with the bolt never actually contacting the rear of the receiver during the cycling process. This results in recoil being felt by the shooter as a continuous steady force instead of a rapid series of impacts and that makes it tremendously controllable. Not surprisingly, these guns are already being sold to military and security organizations worldwide... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Basque-Made Rolling Blocks of the 3rd Carlist WarE128
Book Review: Basque-Made Rolling Blocks of the 3rd Carlist WarAvailable direct from the publisher: https://gunandswordcollector.com/product/spanish-rolling-block-basque/ This new book from Mowbray is an English translation of a work originally written in Spanish by Fernando de Aguinaga and Jose Luis de Aguinaga, which clearly involved a tremendous amount of original research. The full title is "Spanish Rolling Block: The Basque Made Rifles of the Third Carlist War", and it is a very specifically focussed book. The main production of small arms for the Spanish military during this period (the 1870s) was the Oviedo Arsenal. However, the Carlist Wars and the fighting in Cuba and Puerto Rico involved substantial numbers of locally organized volunteers, who could not source their arms form the military. Instead, they purchased gun made by private companies, most substantially La Escalduna in Placencia and La Azpeitiana in Azpeitia. The military also contracted for rifle production from these factories, and this led to several different classes of arms: commercial contracts, military contracts, and Carlist occupation production. Most of the guns made were versions of the Remington Rolling block, but they also included pinfire swivel breech guns, Snider conversions, and more. This book does an excellent job of documenting the variations in these arms and the history surrounding their production. Many original documents are reproduced and cited to explain different production orders, and the subtle variations between the different models are well documented photographically. It is a very well done book on a very specific and narrowly focused subject. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - 1884 Kropatschek: Groundwork for the LebelE129
1884 Kropatschek: Groundwork for the LebelPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book After the adoption of the single-shot Gras rifle in 1874, attitudes towards repeating rifles began to shift in the French military. The Battle of Plevna had shown that regardless of their hypothetic detriments, repeating rifles could substantially magnify a force's firepower and allow a smaller force to defeat a larger one. In 1878 the French Navy had adopted a tube-magazine Kropatschek rifle, and the head of the Chatellerault Arsenal tool shop, Albert Close, spent several years improving it and adapting it for French production. He presented his completed rifle in 1883, and it was adopted and put into mass production. Both the Chatellerault and St Etienne arsenals would build Mle 1884 rifles, although they both ceased in 1886 when the Lebel and its smokeless powder changed the whole face of military small arms. A total of about 83,000 Model 1884 rifles were made, and they would serve as the basis for the 1885 and by extension the Lebel itself. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - RIA May 2019 WrapupE130
RIA May 2019 WrapupPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book Today we are looking at the results from the Rock Island May 2019 sale to see what happened with the guns that I featured in videos over the last few weeks. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Swiss 1929 Simplified Luger (Yes, Swiss and Simplified)E131
Swiss 1929 Simplified Luger (Yes, Swiss and Simplified)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Switzerland was the First Nation to adopt the Luger as a service pistol, and they purchased them DWM in Germany from 1900 until 1914. World War One stopped deliveries, of course, and after the war the Swiss opted to begin their own production at Waffenfabrik Bern. These Swiss Lugers have become known as the model 06/24 by collectors, and were made until 1933. During that time, Bern was looking for ways to simplify and economize their production, and these efforts came together with the development of the Model 1929. It actually entered production in 1934, and was made until 1947 with a total of about 28,000 made for the military and about 1,900 made for the civilian market. The main mechanical change to the 1929 pattern was a lengthening of the grip safety. Other changes included simplifying the profile of the front strap of the grip, removing knurling and serrations on the controls, and only serializing four parts. A production date stamp was also added to the inside of the frame, however. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Chassepot to FAMAS Update: Quantified AwesomenessE132
Chassepot to FAMAS Update: Quantified Awesomenesshttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=4u7rfn Just a reminder of how much really cool stuff we have been able to add to the presale edition of "Chassepot to FAMAS"! And an explanation of the three new bundle options. Get you copy (or copies!) here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=4u7rfn - A Mild Rant: Stupid Marketing NamesE133
A Mild Rant: Stupid Marketing Nameshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons One of my pet peeves is when people buy collectible guns because they have been stuck with clickbait sorts of gimmicky names. In particular, the "Grey Ghost" P38 and the "Black Widow" Luger - especially the Luger. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - H&K "Gun Jesus" PosterE134
H&K "Gun Jesus" Posterhttps://www.headstamppublishing.com/merchandise/poster-chassepot-to-famas You can thank Nic and James at Headstamp Publishing for jumping through all the hoops to make this happen on short notice - we are offering the "Gun Jesus" art in poster form (and big poster form; 18x24 inches). My preferences about hyping this meme aside, the artwork by LK Designz (https://www.instagram.com/lk.designz/) is really awesome! And, of course, if you would like a copy of the book you can still get in on the presale: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=dczkox - MAS 44: The French Adopt a Semiauto RifleE135
MAS 44: The French Adopt a Semiauto RiflePreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book The French Army had been planning a semiauto infantry rifle since 1921, but indecisiveness and bureaucracy delayed its development. A major trial was held in 1931, and elements of two experimental rifles were chosen to be combined into what would eventually become the MAS 1944. It was put through field trials in late 1939, and passed with flying colors - but too late to get into production before the 1940 armistice with Germany. The project was hidden from the Germans at St Etienne, and would be revived upon the factory's liberation in the fall of 1944. By late 1945, rifles were coming off the production line. The MAS 44 was a direct gas impingement operating system with a tilting bolt, as was a remarkably rugged, dependable, and simple rifle. It was initially adopted by the French Navy, and only 6200 were made before a number of improvements were made and a new model was designated; the MAS 1949. When those 6200 rifles were ultimately surplussed in the 1980s, the vast majority of the surviving examples came to the United States, where their scarcity is not well appreciated. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the Chatellerault FM 24/29 Light Machine GunE136
Shooting the Chatellerault FM 24/29 Light Machine GunThe Chatellerault FM 24/29 is an oft-forgotten light machine gun despite its relatively early design (predating the ZB/Bren series, DP28, and Nambu LMGs) and very long service life. It was the standard French LMG for World War Two, Indochina, Algeria, and many small African interventions. It has a decent bipod, good 25-round box magazines, a front handguard for hip- and shoulder-firing, and a dual trigger system for semiauto and fully automatic fire. I was curious to see how it handles, so we took this one out to the range... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Chassepot to FAMAS Final Stretch Goal: Livestream Party!E137
Chassepot to FAMAS Final Stretch Goal: Livestream Party!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=9hdw2i The amount of support for the presale of my book has been way beyond anything I expected. We are posting out final stretch goal (which I have no doubt we will hit, at this point). I will be livestreaming the last couple hours of the Kickstarter while partaking of my various French adult beverages - I have some good cognac, some French whiskey, Chartreuse VEP, French Foreign Legion wine, and (naturally) all the makings of the French 75. The livestream will be open to all my Patreon supporters and everyone who have backed the Kickstarter. How far will it go? We are the 10th most-funded Patreon publishing project ever right now; can we break become the biggest ever? It's all up to you now. I'll see you on the 31st! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=9hdw2i - Book Review: The Dreyse Military Needle-Ignition SystemE138
Book Review: The Dreyse Military Needle-Ignition SystemAvailable direct from the publisher: http://www.woodfieldpublishing.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p438.html Leonard and Guy A-R-West have released the second book in their series on antique military rifles, this time on the Dreyse system. As anyone interested in the Dreyse has probably already learned, there is very little written in English about them, and this book a welcome addition! It includes an engaging history of the military use of the various Dreyse arms by the different German states, a series of overviews of the different Dreyse models, and plenty of additional information about accessories. As the West brothers are also avid shooters, the book includes plenty of material about the proper construction of cartridges for the system and shooting impressions from a variety of different models. As with their previous book on the Chassepot, this volume is illustrated with a mixture of photographs and painting done by the authors. Cutaway images are used well to illustrate the mechanical differences between models, and overall the book is an excellent reference guide to the system for shooters, collectors, and historians alike. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - MAS 49: A Universal Service RifleE139
MAS 49: A Universal Service RiflePreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book As the MAS 44 saw combat service with French Marines in Indochina, some of its shortcomings began to reveal themselves. The rifle was reliable and durable, but it lacked some capabilities, most importantly rifle grenade launching and optics mounting. After a test series of MAS 44A rifles, a new pattern was adopted as the MAS 49 and put into production in 1951. A total of about 80,000 MAS 49 rifles were made, and they incorporated a scope mounting dovetail in the left side of the receiver and a grenade launching muzzle device and sight. In addition, the bayonet was left out, as it was no longer seen as necessary. Not all rifles were used with scopes or for launching grenades, but with the universal capability it was simple to adapt any rifle to whatever specialized role was required. Ultimately the MAS 49 would be replaced again in only a few year, by the MAS 49-56 iterative improvement - but that's a subject for a future video. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does It Work: Direct Gas ImpingementE140
How Does It Work: Direct Gas ImpingementInterested in small arms history? Make sure to pre-order a copy of my book, Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866 - 2016: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/chassepot-to-famas-french-military-rifles-1866-201?ref=9kqy9c Direct gas impingement is an operating system that has been used only in a few production guns (all of them rifles). It is extremely simple, although perhaps not well suited to adjustability. It is also not the operating system of the AR series of rifles - we will cover those in a separate video next month. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Watchmaker's Perfect Miniature MG08 MaximE141
Watchmaker's Perfect Miniature MG08 Maximhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today at the Kessler auction house in Kreuzlingen Switzerland (direct link prohibited by YouTube), we are looking at an exquisitely made miniature model of an MG08 Maxim machine gun. This was probably made by a watchmaker in military service, but there is not specific evidence to point to who they may have been. The piece is a completely faithful model of the real thing, right down to a rifled barrel. Truly an amazing piece of mechanical art! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 29: Galilean Sights and American AKsE142
Q&A 29: Galilean Sights and American AKsQuestions for today's Q&A, as always, come from my Patrons, who are noted for their classy good looks and excellent taste. Specifically: 00:22 - First Polish purchase for a C&R licensee 04:00 - What's the deal with the black powder .50 BMG Hotchkiss revolving cannon reproductions? 05:35 - Tarja or Floor? 05:54 - Where to start doing primary-source research? 07:54 - Does the depiction of guns in movies and video games help or hurt the community? 09:18 - Forgotten Weapons on Amazon Prime 10:20 - What are the next books coming from Headstamp Publishing (https://www.headstamppublishing.com) 12:21 - Carbine conversion kits 16:12 - What load out for the trenches of WW1? 17:37 - Are black powder cartridges like modern cartridges? 19:16 - Was the Kropatschek really an improvement on the Gras in a practical sense? 22:58 - Interarms/Mauser Luger - is there a Swiss connection? (recommended book: https://amzn.to/2JTkLMg) 26:59 - What is my next book project? 28:28 - How about a French pistols book? 30:14 - Is my wrist ready to sign 3,000 books? 30:25 - What does my book presale success say about the future of publishing? 31:39 - What are the top 3 fun and interesting open-bolt SMGs? 33:42 - Expert status and imposter syndrome 35:58 - Favorite thing I learns while writing my book? 38:16 - Has anyone adapted the AK to short stroke piston or DI? 39:04 - Would Germany have been better off with the G98 in 5x57mm? 40:26 - Deigning my own firearms; lessons from handing old guns 41:28 - Why you should not buy a machine gun 44:34 - Galilean optical sights in WW1 47:09 - Government property marks on guns 48:55 - Why so few vintage suppressors for sale? 51:30 - Night sights in WW1 53:00 - Why are American AKs so awful? 56:25 - What load out for Desert Brutality 2020? 59:42 - What gun am I current looking for? http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forg - France's Final Battle Rifle Iteration: The MAS 49-56E143
France's Final Battle Rifle Iteration: The MAS 49-56Preorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book While the development of the MAS 49 had given France a very utilitarian rifle that could serve as both for both marksmen and grenadiers, it could still be made better. In large part, the change to the 49-56 pattern was motivated by the move to adopt NATO-compatible 22mm rifle grenades. With the new muzzle hardware, several other changes were made. A gas cutoff was added, to prevent wear and tear on the action from grenade use (something that was found to be a real problem on the MAS 49). The gas port was also moved farther down the barrel, and the handguard and barrel were both shortened to make the rifle a bit lighter and handier. Production began in 1957, and about 175,000 of the rifles were made, seeing as France's standard front-line infantry rifle until the adoption of the FAMAS in 1979. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the HK21 Modular Machine GunE144
Shooting the HK21 Modular Machine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The HK21 is a the belt-fed iteration of the H&K roller-delayed blowback mechanism. H&K built a wide range of firearms around that system, including submachine guns (MP5), rifles (HK33, HK91), precision rifles (PSG-1), and machine guns. Originally they made a version in 5.56mm and one in 7.62mm, but later combined both guns into a single universal platform. The standardized receiver can be fitted with either magazine-feed or belt-feed mechanisms in either 5.56mm or 7.62mm, greatly simplifying H&K's production and logistics. This is the 7.62mm belt fed model, which was popular with clients like Portugal who used the G3 rifle but not the MG3 machine gun. It has a reputation for unrivaled reliability under terrible maintenance and harsh environments. The downside, however, is harsher recoil than most other guns I have used in its class. Many thanks to H&K USA for providing me access to this HK21, and to Trijicon for graciously providing use of their range and their VCOG optic! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: The US Rifle M14 - The Last Steel WarriorE145
Book Review: The US Rifle M14 - The Last Steel WarriorAvailable from the publisher: https://www.smallarmsreview.com/inventory/detail.item.cfm?product_id=M14v2 Or from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YOJbeo The M14 rifle is a rather controversial arm in American military service. As Frank Iannamico's title says, it was the last steel-and-wood infantry rifle to be adopted by the US military, and it has a great many very loyal and dedicated fans. At the same time, it had the shortest production span of any US infantry rifle, and one that was plagued by problems. And yet, as a marksman's rifle it was used by the USMC until 2012. A worthy successor to Blake Steven's book of the same primary title, Frank Iannamico's second edition of "The US Rifle M14: The Last Steel Warrior" is an excellent reference for those who wish to more fully understand the M14, both its triumphs and warts. The book covers the experimental iterations of the M1 Garand that led to the M14, as well as the trials between the T48 (FAL) and the T44 (to become the M14) as well as the other US-made competitors in those trials. It covers the government and commercial contract production of the M14, and also the semiautomatic versions later created for the civilian market. Where Blake Stevens' book was published in 1983, Iannamico is able to follow the M14 story all the way to its end in US military service, covering the M25, M39, and Mk14 iterations put into use from the 1980s to 2010s. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - French NATO Standardization: the MAS 49-56 in 7.62mmE146
French NATO Standardization: the MAS 49-56 in 7.62mmPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book In the late 1950s, France was still part of the NATO integrated military structure. When the 7.62x51mm cartridge was adopted as standard for the alliance, France looked to be in a good position to simply convert their MAS 49-56 rifles to use it. After all, the 7.5mm cartridge the rifle was designed for was very similar to the new NATO round. After several years of trials, however, the project was dropped as impractical. It turned out that the much different pressure curve of the 7.62mm round would require significant redesign of the MAS rifles. They suffered from poor extraction, broken parts form high bolt velocity, and other issues (not coincidentally, the exact same problems reported with the 308 MAS 49-56 rifles imported by Century...). The St Etienne factory only made a total of 150 of them in 7.62x51mm before the project ended. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Blow ForwardE147
How Does it Work: Blow Forwardhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The blow forward system has only bee used on three commercially-produced firearms: the Schwarzlose 1908, Hino-Komuro, and Mannlicher 1894 (The SIG AK-53 uses a forward barrel movement, but in conjunction with a locked breech). It offers a simple system with a theoretical extra margin of safety because the side cannot come backward off the gun, but at the cost of substantially increased felt recoil. Once the blowback system was out of patent protection, there was no convincing reason to use the blow forward mechanism. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - A Rifle for International Competition: the MAS 49-56 MSEE148
A Rifle for International Competition: the MAS 49-56 MSEPreorders now open for my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016"! Get your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book The MSE (Modified St Etienne) version of the MAS 49-56 was developed specifically for international competition shooting by French military teams. The standard MAS 49-56 service rifle was much more of a combat weapon than a target rifle, and the MSE improved several of its shortcomings in that arena. Most significantly, it added a longer stock and a proper pistol grip to improve handling. The MSE also has a substantially improved trigger and iron sights with much finer adjustments that the standard rifle. These elements were combined as a kit of upgrade parts to be dropped onto a regular 49-56; the MSE was not made as a complete new rifle. Only some 900 were originally made, and they are often faked today. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Russian Gun Laws w/ Max PopenkerE149
Russian Gun Laws w/ Max Popenkerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today Max Popenker joins me again, this time to explain the state of guns laws today in Russia. This is part of continuing series I am doing about gun laws around the world. What is involved in owning a gun in different places? What about hand guns, machine guns, and large collections? Let's find out... Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the Sjogren Inertial ShotgunE150
Shooting the Sjogren Inertial Shotgunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When I filmed this, I had limited time and figured I would do the shooting first and then film the history and disassembly of the gun afterwards. Alas, I ran out of time and never did get that part completed. I will follow up with a video on the history of the Sjogren the next time I have access to one, but I think the shooting footage worth posting by itself. Also, please note that I did not have my proper high speed camera on this trip (I had not anticipated being able to shoot anything!) and so we used an iPhone slow motion function instead. Happily, the Sjogren operates slowly enough for that substitution to still work decently. Anyway, the Sjogren is a very unusual system, an internally-locked semiauto shotgun developed by a Swedish inventor and produced in Copenhagen. A rifle variation of the system was tested by a few militaries but never put into production. A few thousand of the shotguns were made and sold commercially prior to World War One. You can find more information on them here: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/early-semiauto-rifles/sjogren-rifle-shotgun/ As I say in the video, I found the Sjogren to be a quite pleasant shotgun to shoot, especially for being chambered for 12ga shells. I had a Walther toggle-locked shotgun out at the range the same day, and the contrast between the two was quite significant! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Machine Gun Accessories & Support EquipmentE151
Book Review: Machine Gun Accessories & Support EquipmentAvailable direct from the author: https://emmageeman.com/products/handbook-of-machine-gun-support-equipment-and-accessories-1895-1945-by-robert-g-segel Robert Segel, long-time editor of Small Arms Review magazine, has just published a book on machine gun accessories and equipment, and it's a very valuable new piece of reference material for the community. Mr. Segel has long been a machine gun collector, and has paid particular attention to accessories, tool kits, and that sort of ancillary gear. You know, the little pouches of completely indecipherable little widgets. Well, his book offers a guide to all those widgets! The book includes some 77 different models of machine gun, ending its scope at 1945. The depth of information varies from one type to another, as might be expected. Guns like the MG34 and MG42 have quite robust chapters, while some of the more esoteric guns, like the Fiat-Revelli, have rather less. The basic organizational pattern for the book is to show a given kit properly packed, and then again fully unpacked with each item laid out and individually identified. This allows collectors to both learn the purpose of the various tools and parts, and also to identify items missing from their own kits. In addition to parts and tools, Segel also includes accessory items like tripod adapters, belt loaders, optics, clinometers, anti-aircraft sights, and similar items. These are not presented in a comprehensive way, but rather sporadically as appropriate. The book does not attempt to present a detailed history of the design, production, or use of these items, but rather to catalog and identify them. I was able to put the book to the acid test myself just a few days before filming this video. A multi-wrench sort of tool showed up on GunBroker, identified only as "HOTCHKISS" on the side. I was able to use the Hotchkiss chapter to identify which model of gun it went to, and thus determine if it was an item I needed myself (for the record, it was a - Charola Y Anitua: Tiny Spanish BroomhandlesE152
Charola Y Anitua: Tiny Spanish Broomhandleshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Manufactured from 1899 until 1905, the Charola y Anitua pistols (later becoming just the Charola pistols) were basically scaled down C96 Mauser designs chambered for the 5mm Clement and 7mm Charola cartridges. They were briefly tested by the Spanish military, but not adopted and ultimately only sold on the commercial market. A total of about 8400 were made, probably split about 50/50 between the two calibers. By the end of production they were made with detachable magazines in the hopes of competing with the other guns then available, but with their rather bulky ergonomics and underpowered ammunition they would not survive long. The information in this video cam form Leonardo Antaris' excellent book "Astra Pistols & Selected Competitors", available on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2IJ9ptP . Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - South African R2 and its Special FurnitureE153
South African R2 and its Special Furniturehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In South African military service, the R1 was the FN FAL and was the preferred infantry combat rifle until the adoption of the Galil as the R4 rifle. So what were the guns in between? Well, the R2 was a South African adaptation of the G3. A large number of rifles were needed as a reserve, and also to equip second echelon units like the Air Force, Cape Corps, and South West Africa Territorial Force. To reduce the expense of this, South Africa purchased something like 100,000 G3 rifles from Portugal and designated them R2. The Portuguese hand guards and buttstocks were found to be unsatisfactory, however. In the heat and harsh ultraviolet radiation of South West Africa (now Namibia) in particular, the plastic would shrink and lose its fit, leading to the guns being called "rattlers" by the SADF troops. The fix this, the American firm of Choate Machine & Tool was contracted to make new hand guards based on the H&K export pattern - wider and longer and with fittings for a bipod. New stocks were also made, duplicating the shape of the R1/FAL stock. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Rhodesian-Production G3 HandguardE154
Rhodesian-Production G3 Handguardhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons While the standard Rhodesian Army rifle was the FAL, their next most common rifle was the G3. These were mostly of Portugueses origin, and had the thing and narrow style of G3 handguards. In an effort to counteract the rapid heating of these handguards, a domestically designed and produced clamp-on insulator was made. Molded from resin, they are relatively fragile and were not made in large numbers. Thanks to Bear Arms in Scottsdale AZ for loaning me use of their G3 and FAL for the video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - PM63 Rak: An Interesting Polish SMG/PDW HybridE155
PM63 Rak: An Interesting Polish SMG/PDW Hybridhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The PM-63 Rak is a pretty interesting Polish Cold War machine pistol or personal defense weapon. It fires from an open bolt, but uses a slide like a pistol rather than a bolt in an enclosed receiver like a typical SMG. There are several other interesting elements to the design, so let's take a closer look... Thanks to Movie Armament Group in Toronto for giving me the opportunity to bring you this video! Check out MAG on Instagram: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Polish PM63 Rak at the RangeE156
Polish PM63 Rak at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Whether it is described as a machine pistol, a submachine gun, or a personal defense weapon, the PM63 Rak is really not the best examples of this sort of thing to actually shoot. The open-bolt/slide mechanism is very cool from an engineering and design perspective, but does in fact have a tendency to hit one in the face, as inadvertently demonstrated by my high-speed video shooting volunteer. Even if it doesn't do that, the sights reciprocating on the slide make it a difficult gun to shoot accurately. Thanks to Movie Armament Group in Toronto for giving me the opportunity to take this to the range! Check out MAG on Instagram: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: P38 Pistol - Spreewerk ProductionE157
Book Review: P38 Pistol - Spreewerk ProductionAvailable from Checkpoint Charlie's: (sorry, but you will have to Google it - YouTube does not allow links to sites that also sell firearms) I initially put off getting a copy of Jan Balcar and Ron Clarin's book on the Spreewerk P38 because, well, I assumed it was just about Spreewerk. Upon finally reading it, I discovered that it is actually a very well-rounded history of the P38 as a whole, with particular extra attention given to Spreewerk. Originally written in Czech, it includes a great deal of information about the the city of Grottau where the Spreewerk factory was located. It also includes several sections on the other manufacturing done by Spreewerk, including a section on the VG-2 rifle. The book does a great job covering the development of the P38 in detail as well as its production. The specific variations made by Spreewerk are obviously a focal point, but reading just this book will provide a good overall understanding of the gun. For those who do not want to shell out $500+ for a set of Warren Buxton's books, this would be my recommendation for the single best P38 book available. Krutzek's recent work is a good companion to get details on the Walther and Mauser subtypes, but it provides much less background and context than Balcar and Clarin do. Unfortunately, this volume is mostly out of print today, and will be more difficult to find once Checkpoint Charlie's sells out their remaining stock. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Egyptian FN49 Sniper (Late Pattern)E158
Egyptian FN49 Sniper (Late Pattern)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Egypt was the first country to adopt the FN-49 rifle, and its purchases actually predated FN's development of a method for mounting a telescopic sight to the rifles. So Egypt came up with its own solution, using Czech Meopta 2.5 power scopes. However, by the time Egypt was making its last orders for FN49 rifles, FN had begun offering Echo mounts for telescopic sights. So, on the last order of 2,000 rifles, Egypt ordered guns with additional third sling swivels and converted a number of them into snipers after delivery. They did this by adding FN/Echo pattern scope mounts and converting their Meopta scopes to fit them. Original pattern Egyptian FN49 snipers are virtually nonexistant in the United States, but a number of the later pattern examples were imported and are available on the collectors' market. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Gas-Delayed BlowbackE159
How Does it Work: Gas-Delayed Blowbackhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Gas-delayed blowback is a relatively uncommon operating system used in handguns. It is not an efficient mechanism for high-pressure rifle power cartridges, but works well with something like 9mm Parabellum. It tends to provide benefits of light felt recoil and better-than-average accuracy, in exchange for overheating much more quickly than other systems. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Smith & Beecham Prototype Polymer High PowerE160
Smith & Beecham Prototype Polymer High PowerMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The South African company Smith and Beecham was not a large operation, and their most notable product was a .380 caliber compact pistol, of which not more than 2000 were ever made (it was not a success). Experimentally, the company also developed a polymer frame for the Browning High Power, however, and that is what we are looking at today. The weight savings from this are less than one might initially expect, because the High Power was designed with a metal frame in mind. Many of the pin positions and moving surfaces will not work when made of polymer, and so the Smith & Beecham design used a substantial metal insert within its polymer shell. Only a few were made, because the design simply did not deliver much advantage. The closest it came to production was when the Republic Arms Company submitted a version of it mated with an RAP401 pistol for South African police trials, but it was rejected. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Nagant Model 1877 Gendarmerie Double Barrel Rolling Block PistolE161
Nagant Model 1877 Gendarmerie Double Barrel Rolling Block PistolEmile and Leon Nagant set up their manufacturing company in Liege, Belgium in 1859, and it would become one of the most prominent in the city. The brothers worked with a variety of other patent holders, including striking a deal with the Remington company. This would lead to Nagant production of rolling block rifles for the Vatican guards, and also the model 1877 Gendarmerie pistols. Adopted as standard ams for the Belgian Gendarmerie and not replaced until the introduction of the Browning Model 1899, these were double-barreled rolling block action pistols chambered for the Belgian 9.4mm revolver cartridge. They have a single trigger and two hammers, and the trigger will fire either barrel if only one is cocked, or the right and then left barrel if both hammers are cocked (the trigger must be released to reset between barrels). A total of 2000 were made, and their Gendarmerie usage is indicated by the “W” stamp on the buttcap. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Lightweight Experimental Lanchester SMGsE162
Lightweight Experimental Lanchester SMGsMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons George Lanchester was the engineer responsible for originally reverse engineering the German MP28 submachine gun for production by the British, under the designation Lanchester. Once he finished that design work, the gun was put into production by the Sterling Engineering Company, and Lanchester went to work for them as part of the manufacturing process. Once there, he began tinkering with improved designs to reduce the weight of the gun - one of its main drawbacks. He created these three prototypes, but went no father, as government officials ordered him to stop when they discovered this work in 1942. By that time the Sten was in production, and continued development of the Lanchester was seen as a waste of time and resources. The guns remained in the Sterling company’s reference collection, and elements of the final stock design would resurface in a later prototype design in the 60s. Beyond that, these guns were a simple dead end of design. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble these unique submachine guns! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - At the Range with the Iconic MP5A3E163
At the Range with the Iconic MP5A3My first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The MP5 is widely considered the best submachine gun ever made, for its reliability, its handling, and it's closed-bolt delayed-blowback action. It is so widely praised, in fact, that H&K's efforts to replace it with less expensive polymer submachine guns have largely failed, as their customer simply insist on the MP5. I have had only a brief bit of experience actually using the MP5 myself, and I wanted to take this opportunity while visiting H&K to fix that. So, does it live up to its reputation? In a word, yes. Many thanks to H&K USA for providing me access to this MP5A3, and to Trijicon for graciously providing use of their range! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: German Military Rifles and Machine Pistols 1871-1945E164
Book Review: German Military Rifles and Machine Pistols 1871-1945Available from the publisher, Schiffer: https://www.schifferbooks.com/german-military-rifles-machine-pistols-1871-1945-4576.html Or from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HAZqG2 I have had several people ask if I might write a book on the development of German military rifles in the same format as my book on French rifles. I do not plan to, in large part because there is a lot of literature on the subject already published in English. In particular, Hans Dieter Gotz' book "German Military Rifles and Machine Pistols 1871-1945" does a quite good job of covering this history. Gotz' book is not a collector's guide so much as a book for historians and enthusiasts. It does not include things like details of production dates by serial number, or explanations of specific markings. Instead, it explains why each new type of rifle or submachine gun was adopted, how it was developed, how it was used in service, and why it was eventually replaced. The books does a good job covering some of the controversies and difficulties associated with various rifles, and is easy to read. It pulls no punches when describing faults and flaws, either, with section headings like "The Rifle Nobody Wanted" and "An Expensive Armament Record - The New Guns Fail". This book was originally published in German by Verlag, and has been translated into English and sold that way by Schiffer. The photography is not bad, although entirely black and white. Cover price as of this filming is $60, although used copies can be found for less. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Armaguerra Last-Ditch M35 PistolE165
Armaguerra Last-Ditch M35 PistolMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When Italy signed an armistice with the Allied powers in 1944, the German military took over control of several Italian arms factories still in their geographic control. These included Beretta and Armaguerra, in Cremona. The German military was happy to use Italian pistols and submachine guns, and under their control the Armaguerra plant set up a production line for the Beretta M35 pistol, in .32ACP (7.65mm Browning). Only about 400 were made before the end of the war, and they show very crude machining, typical of "last ditch" arms worldwide. Curiously, the safety markings were reversed on these guns, compared to the standard Beretta production... Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does it Work: Stoner's AR SystemE166
How Does it Work: Stoner's AR SystemMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Eugene Stoner's AR-10 and AR-15 use an operating mechanism that is often called "gas impingement," but which is actually a cleverly structured gas piston located within the bolt carrier. Gas is tapped form the barrel and moved all the way back to just behind the chamber, where it enters the bolt carrier. There the carrier and bolt act as the two parts of a sealed piston, and when the bolt carrier moves rearward the cam pin forces the bolt head to rotate and unlock. The expanding gas is then vented out through holes in the side of the bolt carrier. By locating the piston on the same axis as the barrel, the harmonics are improved and the overall weight of the gun can be reduced by using the gas piston elements as mass in the bolt carrier assembly. Contrary to the old adage "it shits where it eats," the operating gasses are not vented into the magazine or chamber, and the system has proven to be very reliable. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Sanna 77: A Czech SMG Turned South African CarbineE167
Sanna 77: A Czech SMG Turned South African CarbineMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Sanna 77 was a semiauto copy of the Czech Sa 25 submachine gun. It was first produced in Rhodesia by the GM Steel company for the Rhodesian military. In this form, it was the GM-15 and GM-16 (available as either civilian semiauto or military full auto), and was made without and licensing agreement. The Rhodesian military wanted more submachine guns, and a captured Czech example looked like a simple and effective weapon that would be easily manufactured. It appears that when the tooling was made for the GM-15/16, a second set was also produced, and brought into South Africa. In 1978, the Sanna 77 was put on the market as a semiauto only version of the GM-15/16. It differed only in the stock, which was a single polymer part (instead of a the metal stock of the Czech original and the Rhodesian copy). A substantial number were made and sold by 1983, when production ceased. The remain relatively common in South Africa today, although they have a poor reputation for reliability and virtually all of the stocks have broken. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 30: ACRs, Besas, and CzechoslovakiaE168
Q&A 30: ACRs, Besas, and CzechoslovakiaMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Another month, another Q&A! 00:24 - Why did the British adopted the Besa? 03:51 - Reproduction French WW1 uniforms (http://www.doursoux.com) 04:54 - Could the Magpul Masada/ACR worked as a replacement AR upper? 08:02 - Why are auto-ejecting magazines not popular? 11:03 - What smaller countries have impressive small arms development? 13:50 - En-bloc clips - pros? Cons? History? 18:21 - Smaller/faster cartridges in future handguns? 20:14 - How is group size measured? 24:03 - Guns with added ballast just to control recoil? 26:04 - Guns that fire open-bolt in full auto and closed-bolt on semi 29:17 - Future of the SIG 550 series in the US? 31:51 - Will there be an ebook version of Chassepot to FAMAS? 33:31 - Would the Dreyse have been good in the US Civil War? 34:19 - Memorably surprising auction prices 36:10 - How did I hurt myself on an EM2? 37:25 - Most advanced arms that could have been made ca. 1900? 40:06 - Thoughts on the Daewoo K2 41:29 - French trials of the Madsen LMG 42:01 - Lefty-friendly rifles and pistols 43:26 - British 4.85mm (The Last Enfield: https://amzn.to/2wdvv0f) 44:55 - Lunch at Rock Island Auction Co 46:27 - What weapon for fighting Franco in 1936? 49:12 - What are the most interesting firearm locking and operating systems? 49:50 - What "Forgotten Weapon" do I want to see back in production? Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Negev LMG: The Israeli Take on the SAWE169
Negev LMG: The Israeli Take on the SAWMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the Israeli Defense Forces tested the FN Minimi, they found it to be lacking in a few areas, and decided that they could develop a better SAW domestically. Developed in the 1980s, the result was the Negev. Like the Minimi, the Negev is a 5.56mm light machine gun that can feed from either belts or box magazines (Galil mags or AR mags with an adapter), has quick-changes barrels, and fires form an open bolt. The Negev has several features the Minimi does not, though, including a semiauto fire control position, optics mounting on the receiver (instead of the top cover), a standard folding stock, and some mechanical improvements internally. So, let's dig into this Negev and see how it ticks! Many thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto for the opportunity to showcase their Negev for you! Check them out on Instagram to see many of the guns in their extensive collection: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the Negev LMGE170
Shooting the Negev LMGMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After yesterday's look at the history and mechanical details of the Israeli Negev LMG, today we are taking it out the the range. It certainly is a very pleasant experience to shoot! The recoil is very light, although not as light as in a true constant-recoil system like the new Knight's LAMG. As you can see in the high speed footage, the bolt carrier clearly does impact the back of the receiver with each shot. Still, it has a simple gas adjustment, a very easy barrel-changing system, excellent sights, and runs well on both magazines and belts. Many thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto for the opportunity to showcase their Negev for you! Check them out on Instagram to see many of the guns in their extensive collection: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review Double Feature: Webley Solid Frame RevolversE171
Book Review Double Feature: Webley Solid Frame RevolversAvailable from Schiffer: https://www.schifferbooks.com/webley-solid-frame-revolvers-nos-1-1-1-2-2-bull-dogs-and-pugs-3854.html https://www.schifferbooks.com/webley-solid-frame-revolvers-models-ric-mp-and-no-5-4502.html Or from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Wk5Txp https://amzn.to/2YPv9Jd Joel Black partnered with several coauthors (Joseph L. Davis and Roger G. Michaud for the first and Homer Ficken and Frank Michaels for the second) to produce two volumes cataloging an immense variety of Webley solid-frame revolvers. These books include only small and scattered text segments, with the bulk of the pages consisting of photography of hundred of different Webley revolvers. They are organized by model and serial number, and each gun does have a caption itemizing its characteristics. While this may sound less than helpful, I found it to be very useful. The organization (particularly by serial number) made it easy for me to locate where one of my own revolvers would fit, and see the characteristic it was supposed to have, as well as compare it to the iterations before and after. These books include not just the standard Webley models, but also a great many variations both rare and common, and also copies made by other shops in Britain and beyond. The small amount of text is well utilized to explain context about different models as well as Webley contracts, relationships with retailers, and other important details. At $99 per volume, these are not cheap books, particularly as most people who are interested in one would probably prefer to have both. However, for the aspiring collector, that $200 would very likely pay for itself almost immediately by putting a potential purchase in proper context. These books are certainly of only niche interest, for those those folks who do share the interest they are an outstanding reference. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Con - AAI 2nd Gen SPIW Flechette RiflesE172
AAI 2nd Gen SPIW Flechette RiflesMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The SPIW program began in 1962 with entries from Colt, Springfield, AAI, and Winchester. The first set of trials were a complete failure, and both Colt and Winchester abandoned the project at that point. AAI pressed on, producing these second generation rifles - one for trials in 1966 and one after. Both are chambered for the XM-645 5.6x57mm single-flechette cartridge. Under testing, both showed multiple serious problems in reliability, noise, cook-offs, and accuracy. The company would struggle on for years continuing to develop the flechette rifle system, but would be ultimately unsuccessful. Thanks to the Rock Island Arsenal Museum for allowing me access to film this very interesting rifle! If you are in the Quad Cities in Illinois or Iowa, the Museum is definitely worth a visit. They have a great number of small arms on display as well as an excellent history of the Rock Island Arsenal. http://www.arsenalhistoricalsociety.org/museum/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Slow Motion Malfunctions of Exotic FirearmsE173
Slow Motion Malfunctions of Exotic Firearmshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Over many years of filming with my high speed camera, I have a decent little library of malfunctions in a wide variety of guns. These don't normally make it into videos, and I figured it would be neat to present a bunch of them together. Enjoy! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Sterling S11: Donkey in a Thoroughbred RaceE174
Sterling S11: Donkey in a Thoroughbred RaceMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the 1960s, the Sterling company began to worry about the prospects of continued sales of the Sterling (Patchett) SMG, especially in light of new competitors like the H&K MP5. Its chief design engineer, Frank Waters, created the S11 as a gun to replace the classic Sterling. The S11 was based on a simple stamped/folded steel receiver, and was intended to have a lower unit cost that the Sterling. It kept the excellent Patchett magazine, but had a barrel and sights offset to the left side, and offered two separate bayonet lugs - one for the No5 rifle and one for the L1A1/FAL. Unfortunately for Sterling, it was determined that the tooling cost would have made the S11 actually more expensive that the existing guns, whose tooling costs had been long since covered. Also, the S11 was just not a very good or very reliable design - a "donkey in a thoroughbred race" to quote one Sterling manager. This one prototype was the only example ever made, and the project was shelved in 1967 in favor of expanding into more civilian models of the original Sterling. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this one of a kind submachine gun! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - History of the SVD Dragunov with Max PopenkerE175
History of the SVD Dragunov with Max PopenkerMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Russian small arms researcher Max Popenker joins us again today, and this time he is discussing the history and development of the Dragunov rifle. We start from the desire to match longer-ranged NATO forces and the competition between Simonov, Konstantinov, and Dragunov through its development and adoption. Then various experiments in flechettes and larger and smaller cartridges, as well as the bullpup SVU rifles. Finally, we cover the interactions of modernized Dragunovs through the SVD-M currently in use. Max presents a fascinating history of the rifle, the likes of which you will not find anywhere else in English! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - H&K Mk23 SOCOM .45 DevelopmentE176
H&K Mk23 SOCOM .45 Developmenthttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The H&K Mk 23 pistol was developed in the 1990s for the US Special Operations Command and US Navy. The goal was to produce an "offensive handgun" that could serve as a primary armament for a special forces operator as well as a backup arm. It was required to be no more than 12 inches long, fit a suppressor and aiming module with laser and illumination options in both visible and IR spectrum, have at least 10-round magazines, chamber .45 ACP (specifically a 185gr +P loading), and pass a 30,000 round endurance test. Only two companies were able to supply acceptable initial pistols; H&K and Colt. The Colt pistol failed to pass the 1st phase testing. H&K presented a gun based on the recently-developed USP design, was ultimately chosen as the project winner; adopted as the Mk 23 pistol in 1996. The testing this pistol went through during development is really quite remarkable. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Does the Boberg/Bullpup9 Design Reduce Recoil?E177
Does the Boberg/Bullpup9 Design Reduce Recoil?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons If you ask Bond Arms, they will tell you that their Bullpup9 (previously the Boberg XR9S) gets multiple benefits from its unique operating mechanism. Most everyone familiar with the gun knows about the idea that it provides and extra cartridge-length worth of barrel for the same overall length as a traditionally design pistol. However, it is also claimed that the Boberg design reduces slide weight and velocity, thus imparting less felt recoil and less muzzle climb when firing. This is an interesting question, and one that is often ignored in discussion of the design, I think. It's easy to fixated on the more obvious strengths and weaknesses of the design, but the question of felt recoil has a lot of merit. Felt recoil is influenced by many factors, and I am curious whether Bond Arm's claim in this matter is justified. So, I grabbed my long-time friend Joel and we took a selection of comparable pistols out to put it to the test. We have a Bond Bullpup9, a Rohrbaugh R9, a Kahr PM9, and a Sig P365. The intent is not to judge them overall, but just to compare recoil and handling, both by shooting impression and also through high speed videography. So, let's get down to it! To see more of Joel and get an entertaining and educational perspective on off-grid life, check out his web site: http://www.joelsgulch.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Echoes of an African WarE178
Book Review: Echoes of an African WarAvailable from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QoLD8l Chas Lotter was 22 when, in 1971, he enlisted as a field medic in the Rhodesian Army. He served until 1980, leaving as a Sergeant and emigrating to South Africa. His book, "Echoes of an African War" is a collection of poetry he wrote throughout his military service and in the years after. It shows the Rhodesian War not from a tactical or strategic or political perspective, but rather as a camera tuned inward on a single soldier and his psychological experience of the war. From basic training to combat engagements to the fury of retribution for comrades killed to the bitter pill of reconciliation and political cease-fire to the struggles of reintegration into civilian society in a new country and new city and the latter-year reminiscences that lose their edge or fear and horror. This is a journey of a soldier's experience that transcends the particular war he fought in and, I believe, shows a common set of experiences and emotions felt by men who have fought in every war, and on both sides. For what my opinion is worth having never experienced these things, Lotter's work stands as a worthy companion to the soldier poets of World War One. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Last Gasp of the ZB26: Czech vz 52/57 LMGE179
Last Gasp of the ZB26: Czech vz 52/57 LMGMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Czechoslovakia adopted the 7.62x45mm cartridge after World War Two, introducing both a vz.52 rifle and vz.52 light machine gun using the round. It was about 200 fps faster than the Soviet standard 7.62x39mm. It was marginally more effective in the LMG, but not so much that the Czechs put up a big fight to keep it, and changed over to the 39mm round in 1957. At that time, they converted both the rifles and light machine guns to the new round with the designation vz. 52/57. The rifle would be quickly replaced by the much superior vz.58, but the LMG would stick around for a while. The vz.52/57 machine gun is the last production iteration of Holek's original ZB 26 light machine gun. This design was tremendously successful, with the ZB 26 and slightly improved ZB 30 doped by many nations. It was also the basis for the .303 British conversion that became the Bren. Scaled down to intermediate cartridges, it was used by the Czechs in this form and also copied by the Finns as the KvKK-62. The vz.52/57 is one a rather small group of guns which can be fed from either belts (50 round here) or box magazines (25 rounds). It is also one of a small group which use the pistol grip as the charging handle. Despite not seeing more widespread us, it is mechanically a very interesting and claver design. Thanks to the Institute of Military Technology (https://www.instmiltech.com) for giving me the opportunity to bring this 52/57 on camera for you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Overview of Maltese Gun LawsE180
Overview of Maltese Gun Lawshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Continuing our periodic series discussing gun laws around the world, I am joined today by Stephen Patroni of the Association of Maltese Arms Collectors and Shooters to discuss the laws on Malta. Malta is one of the smallest countries in the European Union, and has some rather remarkable laws by comparison to most of the EU. As always, please remember that this is an overview only, and many details are generalized. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - H&K Prototype Sniper: the SL7 MatchE181
H&K Prototype Sniper: the SL7 Matchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Built in the 1990s, this rifle is part of an experimental series of precision rifles made by H&K. It is marked "SL7 Match", and uses the same action as the standard SL7 sporting rifle (the roller-delay blowback system of the G3). It is set in a competition type stock the an adjustable cheekrest and front rail for a sling mount. It is chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, and never went into series production. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - An Ambitious New Project for Forgotten WeaponsE182
An Ambitious New Project for Forgotten Weaponshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Forgotten Weapons began as an archive for historical firearms data - photos, manual, trials reports, and more. Over the years it has evolved into a daily video channel, but I would like to expand back towards my original vision for the site. However, I have no available time to put into sourcing, curating, and organizing a significant archive, because I am continuing to produce daily video. So, I would like to be able to hire a professional curator to oversee a new incarnation of ForgottenWeapons.com, complete with a budget to pay researchers. This is an ambitious goal, and the financial cost of providing a competitive salary for a qualified person as well as a budget for paying researchers is pretty daunting. In theory, this could perhaps be financed through advertising. However, I would much prefer to keep the site an oasis of ad-free content in an internet that is awash in popups and banners. From the other side, most major online ad networks aren't willing to work with sites that focus on firearms. Considering both of these issues, I would much prefer to have the project funded directly by those of you who want to see it happen. I have made a couple tweaks to the Forgotten Weapons Patreon page to reflect this project. I don't have specific perks for supports figured out yet - I need to consider what will be valuable and desired without compromising the fundamental goal of making the archive information all freely, readily, and easily accessible. If you think this is a project worth doing, let me know and please consider showing your support directly via Patreon. Thanks! - Milkor M32 and M32A1 40mm Grenade LaunchersE183
Milkor M32 and M32A1 40mm Grenade Launchershttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The USMC adopted the Milkor USA M32A1 rotary multiple grenade launcher (MGL) in 2012. The history of this weapon goes back to South Africa, where designer Andries Piek was inspired to create it after building the 37mm "Stopper" for the South African police and then seeing a Manville 25mm gas launcher in the movie "Dogs of War". He created a 6-barrel 40mm launcher that was adopted by the South African military, and proved quite popular. It was adopted by other countries subsequently, and by the early 2000s a company bought rights to produce it in the United States - Milkor USA. The original M32 version was used in small numbers by US SOCOM, and the updated M32A1 widely purchased by the US Marines. The A1 version has a shorter barrel and is generally strengthen, allowing it to fire medium-velocity grenades instead of just the low velocity loadings. This increased its effective range from 375m to 800m as well as allowing larger grenade payloads and increased effectiveness on target. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Shooting the Milkor M32 40mm Grenade LauncherE184
Shooting the Milkor M32 40mm Grenade Launcherhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Thanks to Milkor USA, I have a chance today to do some shooting with both the M32 and M32A1 rotary grenade launchers they make for the US military. I'm using 40mm chalk training ammunition, with some steel targets at about 75-85 meters. In live fire, it's quite clear how much of an improvement the M32A1 trigger is over its predecessor! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Vickers Guide - WWII Germany, Volume 2E185
Book Review: Vickers Guide - WWII Germany, Volume 2Available directly from the publisher: https://www.vickersguide.com/ww2-germany-vol2 The latest Vickers Guide book is now available: WWII Germany, Volume 2. Where the first volume focused on bolt action rifles and submachine guns, this second volume has the really cool stuff: semiauto and select-fire rifles, machine guns, and last-ditch arms. It also includes a section on presentation pistols. And fair disclosure; I was one of the contributing authors, so you will find some of my bylines in the book. The Vickers Guide series are not meant to be reference books, but rather gorgeous coffee-table material. The photography that James Rupley brings to them is just fantastic; a quality you will not find in any other firearms print material. That said, the books have been getting slowly more detailed in their text commentary over time, and this one includes sections from a bunch of subject-matter experts - you might just learn something while looking between the photographs! Of particular note in this book in terms of rarity are both early and late pattern FG-42s (and their accessories), a Grossfuss StG, an StG45(H), MG-30, MKb42(W), and a folding-stock G33/40 rifle. If you are interested in German WWII small arms, it is not one to miss. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - German-Capture 1910 Russian Maxim in 8x57E186
German-Capture 1910 Russian Maxim in 8x57http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This is a very interesting WW1 heavy machine gun. It is a Russian M1910 Maxim that was repaired at some point using the brass jacket from a 1905 Russian Maxim. This may have been done by Russians or buy Germans, as the gun was also captured by German forces at some point and refitted to use German 8x57mm ammunition. We can see the changes made to do this - the "S" marking on the top cover to indicate 8mm, the changes to the feed block and the fitting of a German MG08 lock as well as a German optics mounting bracket. The mount, however, is a very rare WW1 pattern Russian Sokolov mount with both wheels and tripod legs. These tripods would be simplified after the war to remove the legs, and finding a WW1-pattern example intact is quite difficult today. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - History of the PK, PKM, and Pecheneg w/ Max PopenkerE187
History of the PK, PKM, and Pecheneg w/ Max PopenkerMy first book is available for pre-order; check it out! https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I'm happy to be joined once again by Russian small arms historian Max Popenker, for a discussion of the development of the Kalashnikov PK machine gun. This is universally regarded as one of the best general-purpose machine guns ever designed. We will look at the Soviet machine gun systems at the end of World War Two, the development of the Nikitin MG, the Kalashnikov competing design, and then the modernization of the PK into the PKM and PKP Pecheneg (with it's interesting Lewis-style cooling system). Русскоязычная версия: https://youtu.be/gRts4eM2I-I Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Toolroom Prototype .32 ACP Walther OlympiaE188
Toolroom Prototype .32 ACP Walther Olympiahttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the late 1930s, Walther experimented with the idea of an Olympia target pistol in .32 ACP. They used the frame from a 1936 pattern standard (.22LR) Olympia with a .32 caliber barrel, increased mass slide, and magazine adapted from a Walther PP. The project never progressed beyond the toolroom sample we have today, probably due to a combination of less-than-huge market demand for such a gun and the increasing military production Walther was undertaking. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - How Does It Work: Lever Delayed BlowbackE189
How Does It Work: Lever Delayed Blowbackhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Lever-delayed blowback is a relatively uncommon action system, although it is applicable to a wide variety fo firearms and has been successfully used in submachine guns, rifles, and light machine guns. It uses a principle of mechanical disadvantage on a fulcrum lever to force a mass to accelerate rearward while the bolt remains closed. This allows the effective weight of the moving parts to be amplified, resulting in a lighter firearm. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - P7M7: The Mythical Lost .45 ACP H&KE190
P7M7: The Mythical Lost .45 ACP H&Khttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The P7 was one of the most interesting and original handgun designs of the last few decades. Originally created for West German police trials, it was chambered in 9x19mm. As it became popular beyond Germany, the question arose of it being offered in additional calibers. The P7M10 was released in .40 S&W (that's a story for a different video), but it was never put into serial production in .45 ACP, despite H&K USA pushing heavily for it. On the technical side, the .45 ACP cartridge caused problems with the design's gas-delay system. It simply did not work reliably with the bullet weight and gas pressure of the .45 cartridge. Instead, H&K engineers replaced the gas piston with a hydraulic buffer or damper. However, only a total of 6 prototype were made in the mid 1980s, as the German branch of the company was against its production (presumably because they did not think it would sell well enough to justify the production retooling costs it would require). I believe this example (serial number 2) is the only one in the United States today. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Some Brief Shooting with a SIG 553RE191
Some Brief Shooting with a SIG 553Rhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Some of my last footage from my trip to Switzerland last year; a bit of shooting with a SIG 553R. This is the model in 7.62x39mm, and the guns here are set up with 3-round burst. Cameo by Larry Vickers. :) Sorry that it's not a proper full video, but the time wasn't there. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: History of the Mauser Rifle in Chile, by David NielsenE192
Book Review: History of the Mauser Rifle in Chile, by David NielsenAvailable from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2S1IfRr Or direct from the publisher, Schiffer: https://www.schifferbooks.com/history-of-the-mauser-rifle-in-chile-mauser-chileno-modelo-1895-1912-and-1935-6585.html David Nielsen's newly released book on Chilean Mauser rifles is a tremendous piece of academic work - which is both good and bad. It is 192 pages dedicated to the testing and procurement of the Models 1895, 1912, and 1935 Chilean Model Mauser rifles and carbines (although the focus is much more on the 1895 than the other two). As an academic type of work, it is scrupulously detailed and references, with an extensive bibliography of primary sources. It is also relatively dry, unless one is already particularly interested in the subject matter. I cannot help but think of a comparison to Anthony Vanderlinden's book on FN Mauser rifles, which is about an equally esoteric topic, but does a tremendous job of drawing the reader into its story. Nielsen's work has more of the academic feel in which being too expressive is somehow vaguely uncouth. That being said, this does not in any way detract form the book's value as a reference to the inside story of Chilean Mauser rifles adoption. It covers the state of the Chilean military (and its associated politics) prior to the arrival of the Mauser, and has a quite detailed account of the Chilean rifle and ammunition trials that eventually led to selection of the 1893 Mauser. The primary source basis for the book also allows wonderful insight into the behind-the-scenes machinations and negotiations between FN, Steyr, and DWM over who would win the Chilean contracts. A few related topics are covered, like the Chilean 1895 Navy rifles, the conversion to 7.62mm NATO, and the Chilean purchase of embargoed Boer rifles/carbines. There are all dealt with quite briefly compared to the main focus of the book, however (which are the main contracts and rifle patterns). Could this book have been improved by much more and better - Larry Vickers' Delta Force Colt 723 CarbineE193
Larry Vickers' Delta Force Colt 723 CarbineThe newest Vickers Guide book, WWII Germany Volume II (which I co-authored with Larry) is now available, along with AR Volume I and AR Volume II at: https://www.vickersguide.com Today I'm with Larry Vickers, taking a look at the recreation of his Delta Force Colt 723 carbine - the rifle he used at Modelo Prison in Panama and in Desert Storm hunting for SCUD missiles. Use of carbines like this one by Delta and other special forces groups set the stage for the adoption of the M4 Carbine and Aimpoint M68 optic by the US military at large, and it's very interesting to listen to Larry's first-hand experience of how and why it was put together. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Overview of Estonian Gun LawsE194
Overview of Estonian Gun Lawshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I am joined by an Estonian collector friend to discuss gun laws in Estonia. This a continuing series on gun laws in different countries around the world, and is intended to be an overview only - we do not cover every detail and many subtleties are generalized. I find it interesting to learn what the different laws are in different places, as they often include some unexpected details - like the Estonian firearms permit requiring first aid training. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Walther Experimental Hybrid Olympia/WoodsmanE195
Walther Experimental Hybrid Olympia/Woodsmanhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the early 1930s, Walther began to experiment with changes to its Olympia target pistol in hopes of beating the Colt Woodsman out of its place as the most popular pistol of the type. The most distinctive difference between the Woodsman and the Olympia was in their grip angles; quite straight for the Olympia and sharply angled for the Woodsman. In an effort to answer the question of which was better, Walther built this prototype Olympia with a Woodsman-style grip angle. They clearly decided that they preferred their existing grip design, because the new 1936 pattern Olympia would continue to use it, leaving this gun as a dead end of an experimental hybrid. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Forgotten History: Musée de Plans-Reliefs (Paris)E196
Forgotten History: Musée de Plans-Reliefs (Paris)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Hidden away up on the 4th floor of the Paris Army Museum (in Les Invalides) is the rather unexcitingly-named Musée de Plans-Reliefs. Up here in the dark is a collection of strategic dioramas dating back some 350 years. French King Louis XIV created a workshop to build these 1:600 sale models of the major fortifications around the French coast as a tool for planning military actions. Napoleon resumed the practice in the 1800s, and today the collection includes some 100 different models. Not all of these are on display, but they are quite large and intricately detailed. Truly a hidden gem of military history in the attic of the museum. If you have an opportunity to visit the Paris Musée d'Armée, don't miss the chance to take an hour or so to see these! http://www.museedesplansreliefs.culture.fr Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - FAL in the North: The Canadian C1A1E197
FAL in the North: The Canadian C1A1http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Canada was the first country to adopt the FAL rifle, purchasing trials rifles from FN within weeks of the formal standardization of the 7.62mm NATO cartridge. Canada acquired production rights to the rifle along with the technical package form FN, and spent 18 months converting the drawings into 1st-angle inch pattern (which would be used by the rest of the Commonwealth nations subsequently). Both a C1 rifle pattern and a C2 LMG pattern were made, although todays we are looking at just the C1. The first production was a run of 20 toolroom prototypes, one of which we have in today's video. After a few changes were made - most distinctively to the rear sight - full-scale production commenced. Over the following years, a few minor changes were made, and a slightly improved C1A1 pattern adopted. These would service the Canadian military until eventually replaced with the C7 rifles. Special thanks to Paul Wassill for providing the prototype C1 for this video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Tirmax: A Pre-WW1 .32ACP Light CarbineE198
Tirmax: A Pre-WW1 .32ACP Light Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Tirmax is a handy little carbine made between 1909 and 1914 in Liege by a German company. It is a semiauto action using a 5-round detachable magazine. The guns are quite scarce today because only a fairly small number appear to have been produced before World War One ended its manufacture. Mechanically, the Tirmax is simple blowback, although incorporating a heavy hammer spring into the system to increase the bolt's resistance to opening when fired. The hammer also has a lever extension on the left side of the receiver, allowing it to be manually cocked prior to manually cycling the bolt. Out on the range, this particular example exhibited a bunch of problems, although that may or may not be representative of overall production. In addition to feed problems, I had one instance where the firing pin appears to have stuck in the forward position, resulting in 3 rounds slam firing in extremely fast succession - note that this is part of why one does not put one's hand over the ejection port! After that incident, I stopped firing and the gun's owner will have it looked at by a good gunsmith. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Arming the WestE199
Book Review: Arming the WestAvailable from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FZGLTf Published in 2008, "Arming the West" is, as it self-describes, "a fresh new look at the guns that were *actually carried* on the frontier." Herbert Houze used the sales records of the Shuyler, Hartley, and Graham company to compile a survey of the makes and models of firearms actually shipped to the frontier states and territories from 1868 to 1886. The romantic view of the frontier would have every man (and many a woman) armed with a Winchester 1873 and Colt Peacemaker - but the reality was very different. Colts and Winchesters were expensive guns, and many settlers had plenty of expenses to eat up their whole savings without buying a flashy premium firearm. Instead, many bought utilitarian arms from second-tier manufacturers or surplus arms form the US Civil War or European armies. Shuyler, Hartley, and Graham was by no means the only wholesale supplier of arms in the US at the time, but they were one of the largest, and their sales records provide a representative picture of what was being sold overall. Houze has broken down the sales by date and by state/territory, which gives a further interesting differentiation of what sorts of guns were popular in which parts of the frontier - the needs of Montana were very much different from those of Texas! "Arming the West" was published in 2008, and is widely available through Amazon and other booksellers. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Abercrombie & Fitch LugerE200
Abercrombie & Fitch Lugerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Back before World War One, when Abercrombie & Fitch was still a true sporting goods company catering to the likes of Joseph Steinbeck and Theodore Roosevelt, they decided to offer Luger pistols for sale. This was simple enough, with guns ordered from DWM in Germany. It became harder after the war, however, when the Versailles Treaty strictly limited German arms production. So Abercrombie found a workaround by ordering 100 pistols through Hämmerli-Walther in Switzerland, who bought incomplete guns and installed their own barrels and did their own finishing. These guns (50 in .30 Luger and 50 in 9x19mm) arrived with the barrels marked with A&F's name, and they are a particularly desirable variation of Luger for collectors. So, today Brad Simpson is going to walk us through how to authenticate a true Abercrombie Luger. We will look at the serial number, the finish, the front sight, and the frame reinforcing on the inside. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Researcher Profile: Miles Vining and Silah ReportE201
Researcher Profile: Miles Vining and Silah ReportToday I am chatting with Miles Vining, co-creator of Silah Report, a blog and intelligence network researching firearms in MENA - the Middle East and North Africa. Miles and his colleagues have created an organization that both understands the languages and customs of this region, but also are serious "gun guys", able to recognize and speak on technical matters relating to firearms. Miles' work has appeared in Small Arms Review, Small Arms Defense Journal, TFB, RECOIL, Armament Research Services, and more. Check out the Silah Report through your choice of platforms: https://silahreport.com https://www.instagram.com/silah_report/ https://twitter.com/silah_report And Khyber Armoury is also a Silah Report contributor: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoIooLZ4yU_UOhfIu9COomg http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - SIG Chylewski: One-Handed Vest Pocket AutomaticE202
SIG Chylewski: One-Handed Vest Pocket Automatichttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Designed by Witold Chylewski, this was only the second pistol manufactured by SIG (the first being the 6.5mm blow-forward 1894 MAnnlicher design). It was patented prior to WW1, but only after the war was Chylewski able to find a manufacturer interested in his gun. The most notable element of the design is the use of a sliding trigger guard to allow the pistol to be cocked using the trigger finger, thus allowing carry with the chamber empty but still able to be drawn and fired one-handed. The pistol was chambered for .25 ACP (6.35mm Browning), and had a 7-round magazine. SIG contracted to produce 1000 of them on license, but seems to have been unable to sell them all. Chylewski later took the patents to the Lignose company, where they formed the basis of a series of "Einhand" pistols in both .25 and .32 caliber, which were more successful (and as a result, more commonly found today). Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 31: Russian and Soviet Arms w/ Max PopenkerE203
Q&A 31: Russian and Soviet Arms w/ Max Popenkerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons We are joined today by Max Popenker to answer your questions about Soviet and Russian firearms: 00:32 - Russian-contract Colt 1911 pistols 01:33 - Clarification on SVD accuracy standards 02:57 - Is the PSO-1 BDC calibrated for LPS ball or 7N1? 03:57 - What was the purpose of the IR detection in the PSO-1? 04:58 - Did Izhmash AK quality drop during Perestroika? 06:20 - Was the Soviet 5.45mm development influenced by US 5.56mm? 08:07 - Why no English books on Soviet arms? 10:58 - Russian reports on the vz58? 12:32 - How common was Soviet SMG issue during the latter half of WW2? 14:05 - Good source for detailed SKS history? 15:01 - Soviet arms trials seem more realistic than American ones - it this true? 16:31 - Why did Czechoslovakia not use the AK? 17:41 - Thoughts on AK-12 and AK-15? 19:04 - Purpose of Groza, VSS, and SR-3 (9x39mm rifles)? 20:54 - Koborov delayed-blowback rifles 22:38 - Russian development of helical AK mags? 23:32 - What happened to PPSh-41 SMGs after the PPS-43 was introduced? 25:30 - Why did it take so long for Russia to use aperture sights? 26:27 - Was Soviet small arms procurement as hampered by bureaucracy as American? 28:00 - Was the SKS used in the Battle of Berlin? 29:20 - Naval Infantry use of the SVT-40 30:36 - Why was 9x18 adopted to replace 7.62x25? 32:14 - Will 9x39 continue to see service in the future? 33:25 - What small arms elements did the USSR copy from Finland besides the Suomi SMG drum? 34:13 - Russian preconceptions about western or American guns 35:49 - If the SVD was a designated marksman's rifle, what was the sniper rifle? 37:27 - The 12.7x55mm cartridge 39:12 - Why has Russia not replaced the 7.62x54R with a rimless round? Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - From Bolt Action Lee to LMG: The Charlton Automatic RifleE204
From Bolt Action Lee to LMG: The Charlton Automatic Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Charlton automatic rifle is one of very, very few examples of a conversion from bolt action to self-loading rifle actually working reasonably well. Typically this sort of project founders in expense and unreliability. Charlton, however, was able to take his vision for providing the New Zealand Home Guard with a new weapon made form obsolete surplus and bring it fully to fruition, with 1500 guns made. They were never fired in anger, but allowed New Zealand to put all of its Bren guns into the field while retaining Charlton as emergency weapons in case of Japanese invasion. Sadly, virtually all were destroyed in a warehouse fire after the war, leaving them extremely rare today. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this very scarce automatic rifle! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ For the whole detailed story on Charlton manufacture, and to download a copy of the manual, check my web site article here: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/light-machine-guns/charlton-automatic-rifle/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Virtual Tour: Newly Renovated Cody Firearms MuseumE205
Virtual Tour: Newly Renovated Cody Firearms Museumhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Cody Firearms Museum has spent many months undergoing a complete renovation and rebuilding, and is not back fully open to the public. The new layout has not just improved visibility and put the guns in better display context, but it has actually increased the number of guns on display. When I last filmed at Cody, most of the really interesting unusual stuff was back in the vaults - but during filming this past week we had to take a remarkable number of guns out of displays to film. This is a great improvement - the Cody museum was always good, but this new design has made it the best firearms museum in the United States, in my opinion. Visiting? The CFM is part of the 5-museum complex that is the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in beautiful Cody, Wyoming: https://centerofthewest.org Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: The Winchester Model 1895: Last of the Classic Lever ActionsE206
Book Review: The Winchester Model 1895: Last of the Classic Lever Actionshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Rob Kassab and Brad Dunbar have just published an excellent new book on the Winchester Model 1895 rifle - the Last of the Classic Lever Actions, as their subtitle describes. It is a very nice looking and feeling book (US-printed, leather-bound, and 432 pages long), it is chock full of good photography and historical period pictures, and it covers a wide range of subjects. It begins with the development of the 1895, including the history of the Browning brothers with the Winchester company, as well as Winchester's own engineers like William Mason. It then covers all the different aspects of Model 1895 variations - and there's a lot to cover there! Beyond the couple basic receiver patterns ("flat side" and standard), there are changes in magazine design, the addition of takedown models, and changes to small parts like hammers and extractors. The receiver markings changed periodically as well, of course. Elements like the sights, stocks, and barrels are not only relevant to the 1895, but also carry over to other Winchester models. There is also a section on the embellishments offered by Winchester, in both fancy wood and engraving. It next delves into the different cartridges that were offered with the 1895, and also elements like the cartridge boxes and loading tools. The final sections include whole chapters on the 1895's use in Mexico, it's World War One Russian contract, its one small US military contract, its famous safari use by Theodore Roosevelt, and its use by a variety of lawmen in the Old West. The whole text is liberally sprinkled with reproduced original documents, period photos, and very nice modern photography in a way that does a great job of conveying the whole character of the 1895, not just mere data. This was a highly personal gun to many of its buyers - it was the one rifle that they depended on for hunting or li - Belgian GP35: The First Military Browning High PowerE207
Belgian GP35: The First Military Browning High Powerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Grande Puissance - High Power - was John Browning's last firearms design. In fact, he only began the design; it was taken to completion by his protege Dieudonné Saive at FN in Belgium. It was the best military handgun of the time, with a double-stack 13-round magazine capacity, and chambered for the 9x19mm cartridge. Belgium was the First Nation to adopt it for military service, purchasing 1,000 guns for field trials and approving them in 1935 for standard issue as the GP-35. The Belgian trials guns have a distinctive oval ejection port, which would be changed on production models. They were also fitted with flat board shoulder stocks and tangent sights adjustable up to 500 meters. These features would last until German occupation of the FN factory complex during World War Two, when the guns were simplified under German occupation production. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Researcher Profile: Cartridge_GramE208
Researcher Profile: Cartridge_Gramhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I would like to introduce you to Jack, who runs the Cartridge_Gram account on Instagram. Ammunition researchers and collectors are a somewhat rare subset of gun collectors, and theirs is a subject that is often overlooked. Jack is posting some pretty cool stuff, and I look forward to seeing his project grow! Check him out on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/cartridge_gram/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Maxim "Prototype": The First Practical Machine GunE209
Maxim "Prototype": The First Practical Machine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Hiram Maxim was the first person to create a truly practical and functional machine gun, based on a patent he filed in 1883. He pioneered the recoil operating system - the concept of harnessing the recoil generated by a firearm to perform the actions of reloading that firearm. His patent was based on a lever action rifle, but his intent was to create a machine gun, complete with belt feed and water cooling. After a testbed "forerunner" gun, he built this model which he called the "Prototype". It was meant as a proof of concept, and used in many public exhibitions and demonstrations. The Prototype used a hydraulic rate of fire control system which could be set as high as 500 rounds/minute and as low as just one round per minute. The gun did not have a trigger as we would recognize it today, but rather a single lever like a vehicle accelerator which acted as both trigger and fire rate control. Only three of these Prototypes exist today, with one belonging to the USMC, one on public display at the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds, and this one in the NFC reserve collection at Leeds. For a fantastic exploded view of all this guns working parts, check out this work by YouTube channel vbbsmyt: https://youtu.be/P1SbcZQ0N5A Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film this tremendously important artifact! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Arsenals of History 2019: Next Generation Collectors & Curators, by Logan MeteshE210
Arsenals of History 2019: Next Generation Collectors & Curators, by Logan Meteshhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Arsenals of History is an annual symposium of firearms museum, and met this year at the newly renovated Cody Firearms Museum (https://centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms/). The theme of this year's symposium was social media and museums. This presentation was given by Logan Metesh of High Caliber History on the topic of museum staff and visitor demographics and interests. Where do today's collectors get their information, and how does this impact their interest in firearms museums? Mr. Metesh has previously worked for the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and NRA Museum. I apologize for the difficulty in understanding some of the audience comments - I did not realize it would be such an interactive presentation, and only had one microphone on Mr. Metesh. I did my best to boost the audio to capture the rest of the room, but it is still difficult at times. Mr. Metesh can be contact at High Caliber History: https://www.highcaliberhistory.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - 1885 Dimancea: A Revolver With SprocketsE211
1885 Dimancea: A Revolver With Sprocketshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Patented in 1885 by Romanian military officer Haralamb Dimancea, this revolver is actually a true hammerless design. Instead of simply shrouding a hammer inside the frame, Dimancea used a pair of rotating sprockets to cock and release a striker and act as hand and stop for the cylinder. The Gatling Arms Company of Birmingham England produced a run of 1,000 of the guns, which were used in Romanian military trials, and also tested by the French as a replacement for their 1873 revolver. Neither country ended up adopting the gun, though. A .45 caliber 5-shot version was apparently made in small numbers, but the standard pattern (like this example) is a .38 caliber, 6-shot model. The barrel, crane, and cylinder pivot 90 degrees to the left to extract empty cases and reload. While Dimancea's design was innovative, is really did not provide any benefit over a traditional revolver, and is considerably more complex to manufacture. It fires in double action only, with no mechanical way to manually cock the action for a "single action" shot. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Virtual Tour: Cody Dug-Up Gun MuseumE212
Virtual Tour: Cody Dug-Up Gun Museumhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons There is a second gun museum in Cody Wyoming that is a lot smaller than the main one, but just as interesting - albeit in very different way. The Cody Dug Up Gun Museum houses a large collection of guns literally "dug up" and in less-than-ideal condition. These can be fascinating to see, as much like archaeologists learn about people by their waste, we can see what guns were actually in use by finding the ones that were dropped and lost throughout time. It is easy to assume such things were all dropped in gunfights, but they were often lost in more mundane ways - falling out of holsters or bags while on horseback, thrown away when broken, or just simply lost and forgotten. The Dug Up Gun Museum presents gun mostly from the "Old West" period, but with some sections dating back to American independence and some as recent as World War Two. The guns are in a wide range of conditions, from complete disintegrating relics to rusty-but-maybe-functional. Nearly every gun is paired with a descriptive card, and it is a place one could literally spend hours - the more you look at each can,e the more you realize that there is to see. If you are visiting Cody to see Yellowstone, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, or just passing through, I would highly recommend stopping in for a visit to the Dug Up Gun Museum. admission is free, with donations requested. The Museum is located on 12th Street just north of Sheridan. https://www.codydugupgunmuseum.com/index.html Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Amateur's Guide to the Colt's Thompson SMGE213
Book Review: Amateur's Guide to the Colt's Thompson SMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Tom Davis Jr, having previously written on the history of the Thompson SMG in British WWII use, has recently released a buyer's guide to the Colt's Thompson SMG. This is not intended to be a history of the gun - although it does include some elements of that, like a remarkably thorough section on the semiautomatic 1927 model Thompson. Instead, this book is intended to be a buyer's guide to the world of the Colt Thompson. Or, as the subtitle says, "how to be an informed buyer in a very expensive market". The market for a Colt's Thompson is, indeed, a very pricey one. Only 15,000 Thompsons were made by Colt, and they are the pinnacle of collectibility, much higher valued than the multitude of WWII production guns that would come afterward (to say nothing of West Hurley guns). What Davis' book does is describe in detail how to inspect a Colt's Thompson to determine what is right and what is wrong with it, prior to purchase. This is a task not really focused on by the other Thompson literature published, and this is definitely a book worth getting for anyone interested in joining the ranks of Thompson owners. It's an expensive book for its size, at $50, but that's simply an appropriate introduction to the world of the Colt Tommy Gun. If you hesitate at that outlay, you should just drop any notion of buying one of the guns. Available through Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JTtNsi Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - P7A13: H&K's Entry into the US XM9 Pistol TrialsE214
P7A13: H&K's Entry into the US XM9 Pistol Trialshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The US held three series of pistol trials beginning in the late 1970s to find a replacement for the venerable M1911 handgun. H&K was a participant in all three - in the first the entered a P9 and a VP-70, both of which were rejected. In the second series, they entered the P7A10 - a single-stack P7 pistol with an extended 10-round magazine to meet US Army minimum capacity requirements. This second trial also ended without a winner, and H&K further developed the P7 to enter into the third and final set of trials as the P7A13. This model introduced the first significant changes to the P7 design - a double-stack magazine holding 13 rounds of 9mm, a lever magazine release located behind the trigger, and a plastic heat shield to ameliorate the heating of the gun's gas piston. Ultimately, some 30 examples of this design were made but they failed to win the trials. Regardless of the gun's merits, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the P7 would not be chosen, as the gun cost substantially more than many other competitors, including the Beretta M92 that was selected as the new M9 pistol. Instead, H&K used the A13 developments in a new series of commercial and police pistols, the P7M8 and P7M13. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Researcher Profile: Matt Moss & The Armourer's BenchE215
Researcher Profile: Matt Moss & The Armourer's Benchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I would like to introduce you to Matt Moss, who runs the HistoricalFirearms.info web site and The Armourer's Bench YouTube channel. Matt is a firearms researcher with an academic background, who covers a variety of very rare and interesting firearms on video, as well as other aspects of military history. You can find Matt on your choice of platforms: https://armourersbench.com https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgvKdxHf2bJOaZA4TtabjdA https://www.instagram.com/armourersbench/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Hiram's Extra Light Maxim GunE216
Hiram's Extra Light Maxim Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Designed in an effort to compete with the then-new Colt/Browning air cooled 1895 machine gun, the Extra-Light Maxim weighted in at just 27 (maybe 28) pounds for the gun, and 44 pounds with tripod. This may sound heavy, but it was a remarkable improvement over the 100+ pounds of most models of Maxim with mount. The water jacket was replaced with an air jacket (necessary to support the muzzle), and the whole gun was narrowed. The mainspring was moved to the inside of the receiver, allowing lighter construction but complicating disassembly and removing the ability to tune the mainspring tension to fit a particular batch of ammunition. The concept proved to be a commercial failure, as the air cooling lacked the sustained fire capability that militaries were looking for. A total of 135 examples were made, but most were sold in small orders for testing, with no major contracts forthcoming. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film this tremendously rare artifact! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 32: Curatorial Adventures with Ashley HlebinskyE217
Q&A 32: Curatorial Adventures with Ashley Hlebinskyhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Cody Firearms Museum recently held its third annual Arsenals of History symposium, gathering professionals from firearms museums across the world to discuss issues specifically related to this particular speciality within the museum world. This year the symposium had a particular focus on social media, and so a number of folks like me were also invited. After the symposia concluded, I sat down with Ashley Hlebinsky, curator of the Cody Firearms Museum to discuss a variety of questions raised by my Patrons… 02:06 - How does one become a firearms museum curator, and how awesome is it to be one? 05:26 - How do you maintain guns in the collection, especially ones on display? 08:22 - Best ways to support gun museums 10:19 - Cotton or nitrile gloves? 14:09 - Direction and future of museum industry 16:14 - Experiences of a female curator? 20:04 - Shooting vs preservation 25:28 - Displaying replica items? 26:12 - What evolutionary process is best represented at Cody? 28:15 - Interaction between firearms museums? 30:01 - Most challenging aspects of managing a large collection? 32:57 - Archival documents 35:48 - How does Cody maintain inventory control and not lose items? 37:57 - Legal complications for firearms museums 40:01 - Scholarly firearms research in a hostile academic environment 44:13 - What old firearms concepts does Ashley want to come back? 45:30 - Private vs collection, and how does Ashley spend her time? 47:10 - What changes have been made to the Cody Firearms Museum? 51:50 - Cultural attitudes towards guns, Cody vs Smithsonian 55:07 - Has Cody turned down a gun donation, and why? The Cody museum has just recently reopened after a complete renovation. They have even more guns on display now than before, and the layout of the museum has been improved. I would rate it the best firearms-specific museum in the - Berthier Carbine with Chauchat MagazineE218
Berthier Carbine with Chauchat Magazinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Early in World War One, a small number (less than 200) Berthier rifle and cavalry carbines were adapted to use Chauchat magazines for aerial use. They were employed as defensive arms in observation balloons and as survival rifles in powered aircraft - applications where the larger capacity was of specific use, and the need to reload or carry extra ammunition was less important. Only a few exist today in museums and private collections, and the owners of Galerie de Mars in Paris were generous enough to let me film this example from their private collection for you. Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - The French Finger Trap: MAS-36 Bayonet ShenanigansE219
The French Finger Trap: MAS-36 Bayonet ShenanigansHaven't ordered a copy of Chassepot to FAMAS yet? You can place your order right now: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book Soldiers will be soldiers...give them something that *can* be screwed up, and they *will* screw it up. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: Carvings From the Veldt (3 Volumes)E220
Book Review: Carvings From the Veldt (3 Volumes)Available direct from the author through: http://www.boerwarriflecarvings.net/index.html You can also see the author's new YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4clzJ_1Pj8HSiqAFHfYb8g/videos Over the past 15 year, Dave C. George has compiled three volumes of his book "Carvings From the Veldt", documenting nearly a thousand carved rifles from the Boer War. This is feature almost unique to the Boer War, in which the Boers were really much more of a civilian militia than a formal standing army, and were expected to provide their own weaponry. As private property and not Army issue, they often enjoyed embellishing the stocks of their rifles with their names, dates of battles, and coats of arms or other decoration. The practice spread to the British Empire troops who fought, as many were allowed to keep their rifles at the end of the war. There is a huge variety in the style and quality of the work done on these guns (they are mostly rifles, but Volume 2 and 3 include some handguns as well), and George has created a remarkably extensive catalog of them in this work. In addition, he has worked to research the personal histories of the men who carried the guns. Some carved only initials, and cannot be identified, but others provided enough information that George was able to provide some very interesting personal histories of the war. All three volumes are available currently, through the author's web site. For the collector or historian interested in South Africa, the Boer War specifically, or the British colonial period in general, I think they are an excellent set to have! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - SPAS-15: Franchi's Improvement on the SPAS-12E221
SPAS-15: Franchi's Improvement on the SPAS-12The SPAS-15 was Franchi’s successor to the SPAS-12, improved with detachable box magazines (6 round capacity) and a construction of simple sheet metal samplings and polymer. Like the SPAS-12, the -15 allows the used to switch between manual pump action and semiautomatic at basically the touch of a button. There is a grip safety as well as a manual safety, and that manual safety is integrated into the slide lock in an interesting way. The SPAS-15 entered production in 1986, and apparently 180 were imported into the US before the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban prohibited them. In 2005 production ceased so that Franchi could focus on sporting arms while Beretta (which acquired the Franchi firm in 1993) would cover the security and law enforcement market. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Freeman's Patent Revolver (No, Not Half Life)E222
Freeman's Patent Revolver (No, Not Half Life)Patented by Austin H. Freeman in 1862, 2000 of these revolvers were manufactured by Hoard’s Armory in Watertown New York in 1863 and 1864. None were purchased by the Federal government, but they were sold to states and private individuals, and saw use in the Civil War. Freeman’s patent was for an interesting cylinder removal mechanism, in which a sliding latch allows the cylinder and axis pin to slide out the right of the frame as a complete unit, quickly and easily. Otherwise, the Freeman is a fairly typical Army-type revolver, with a .44 caliber bore, 6-shot cylinder, single action mechanism and 7.5 inch barrel. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Walther KKW: Competition Shooting in Nazi GermanyE223
Walther KKW: Competition Shooting in Nazi GermanyThe KKW (“Klein Kaliber Wehrsportgewehr”, or small caliber military sporting rifle) was developed by BDW in 1937 as an amalgamation of various .22 rifle elements form other manufacturers as well as BSW itself. It was intended to fill the role of the German national standard target rifle. When he Nazi party took over Germany in the early 30s, the SA consolidated and reorganized the civilian shooting sports in to a format aimed at military training. To this end, they wanted a standardized rifle which would duplicate the handling of the Mauser K98k in .22 long rifle caliber. This was initially the DSM, but in 1935 the SA decided that it wanted a rifle that more closely mirrors the military pattern Mauser. The result was the KKW. For more information on these and other German 1930s/40s training rifles, I recommend the recent book on the subject by Bob Simpson. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Scheintod Revolver: A German Tear Gas PepperboxE224
Scheintod Revolver: A German Tear Gas PepperboxFirst appearing in the decade of so before World War One, the Scheintod guns were designed to fire either flash or irritant cartridges, not lethal projectiles. The word “scheintod”, in fact, translates to something along the lines of “apparent death”, as in something that looks lethal but actually isn’t. They would remain popular as self-defense weapons through the 1920s, and were made in a wide variety of configurations. This one is a particularly large example, with 5 chambers nearly 3 inches in length. It would have fired a round of red pepper, tobacco powder, or other eye and nose irritants. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - The Type 81 LMG in Civilian Form: Norinco Model 313E225
The Type 81 LMG in Civilian Form: Norinco Model 313The Norinco 313 is the semiauto commercial variation of the Type 81 LMG. The Type 81 was a small arms family of rifle and LMG developed to finally replace the SKS and RPD in Chinese military service. When the Chinese and Soviets parted ways, China was making milled AKs, but did not have the stamped AKM technical data package. They had adopted the AK in the submachine gun role, but had retained use of the SKS as an infantry standard rifle. The Type 63 AK/SKS hybrid was developed in the 1960s, but was not successful enough to replace the SKS. This situation finally came to a head in 1979 with the first Sino-Vietnamese War, and China decided it really had to modernize its small arms. Under the lead of Wang Zi Jun, the Type 81 was developed. It started both AK and SKS design elements, with a rotating bolt and stamped receiver like the AKM, but a short stroke gas piston like the SKS. It was chambered for the 7.62x39mm cartridge, specifically to be an interim system until development of the 5.8x42mm cartridge could be completed. In particular, the Type 81 was developed to be more accurate than the AK - and it did this successfully, with trials showing it to be 40% more accurate at 300m in semiautomatic fire than the AK. The Type 81 rifles were equipped with 30-round magazines, and the LMG variant could use those or a 75-round drum. The box magazines are very similar in appearance to AK magazines, but not directly interchangeable, as the Type 81 includes a hold open feature to lock the bolt open when the magazine is empty. The Type 81 family would go into mass production in 1986, and serve as China’s standard rifle and LMG through the 1990s. It was also sold to a number of foreign countries including Algeria, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Norinco imported a very small number of semiauto civilian versions into the United States in the late 1980s, of which this is one. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! - Spencer 1871 Conversion: From Carbine to Infantry RifleE226
Spencer 1871 Conversion: From Carbine to Infantry RifleDuring the Civil War, the Union purchased about 12,000 Spencer rifles and many tens of thousands of carbines, and the weapon became a standard arm for the Cavalry service. After the war, thousands of Spencers were in warehouses and arsenals in need of refit either from combat damage or just abuse and neglect. Springfield Armory took on the job of repairing these weapons after the war. In February of 1871, the Armory commandant suggested that he had received a batch of about 1,100 Spencer carbines from Fort Leavenworth, and that he could refit them into infantry rifles. This plan was approved by the Ordnance Department, and a total of 1,109 conversions were produced in 1871. The conversion work was done by replacing the Spencer barrel with a new three-groove 1868 model rifle barrel (32.5 inches long) and 26 inch cleaning rod. Two barrel bands were used instead of the three on factory-original Spencer rifles. The wood and metal were refinished or repaired as necessary, and the receiver serial number (which could be anything from 1 to 34,000) was added to the left side of the barrel. If the carbine did not have a Stabler cutoff, one was added. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Marston 3-Barrel Selectable Pocket DerringerE227
Marston 3-Barrel Selectable Pocket DerringerWilliam Marston was born in the UK in 1822 and emigrated to the US in the 1830s with his father, who was a gun smith. William became a naturalized citizen in 1843, and in 1844 went to work for his father in the family business. He would later open his own shop, and became successful making a wide variety of firearms - mostly concealable pocket pistols - until his death in 1872. This is one of his 3-barrel derringers, with a pretty neat auto-indexing system. This one is in .32 rimfire with 3” barrels, although 4” barrels and .22 rimfire versions were also made. Production began in 1858, but really picked up with the addition of an extractor in 1864. That improved model would see some 3300 examples made. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Dreyse Model 1835 Needlefire Breechloading PistolE228
Dreyse Model 1835 Needlefire Breechloading PistolJohann Nicolaus Dreyse, later promoted to the aristocracy as Nicolaus von Dreyse, designed the first mainstream military breechloading rifle. His rifle was adopted by Prussia and changed military history, but this was not his only work. Dreyse also endeavored to sell guns commercially, both rifles and handguns. This is an example of one of his first, the Model 1835. It is a single shot breechloader, with the chamber consisting of a rotating tumbler. The firing mechanism is identical in concept to that of his Model 1841 rifle, just scaled down for the smaller pistol. The piece uses a power charge of just 6 grains, but its breechloading action was quite advanced for the 1830s! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - 1938 Swedish Army Trials LugerE229
1938 Swedish Army Trials LugerSweden tested the Luger in 1904, along with all the major semiauto pistols available at the time. The Luger was found to be the most accurate gun in the trials, but expensive and not as reliable in cold weather as the Browning 1903 - which was formally adopted as the m/1907 a few years later and produced under license at Husqvarna. Fast-forward to the 1930s, and Sweden has begun to purchase batches of submachine guns in 9x19mm. Their Browning pistols are in 9x20 Browning, and it would make a lot of sense to standardize on just one 9mm pistol cartridge. In 1938/9, Sweden held a second set of trials with the Luger (the New Model this time) the Walther HP (P38) and the Finnish Lahti M35. The Lugers in question were 300 guns purchased form Mauser. They were all 1938 dated, with 275 in 9mm Luger with 4 3/4 inch barrels and 25 guns with 4 inch barrel chambered for .30 Luger. They did not receive and specifically Swedish markings, and can be identified only by serial number - 5700v to 6000v. Interestingly, the 9mm ones have salt-blued barrels but the other parts rust-blued (except for the small parts that were normally strawed). The late 1930s testing once again found the Luger to be the most accurate pistol, but it was still expensive. A purchase of 1500 Walther HP pistols was made, but the outbreak of war interrupted the supply from Germany. Instead, the Lahti was adopted at the m/40 pistol, and produced in large numbers at Husqvarna as the Browning had been before it. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Barnekov Greene Prototype 1870 Open-Bolt Army RifleE230
Barnekov Greene Prototype 1870 Open-Bolt Army RiflePatented by Kiel V. Barnekov of New York in 1870, this is a toggle-locked, single shot, open bolt rifle. It was entered into the US 1872 rifle trials which would ultimately select the Allin “Trapdoor” conversion of the Springfield as the next US serve rifle. Barnekov’s design was intended to be simple and foolproof, although it had real problems in terms of safely carrying and accurately shooting. One would cock the action open and manually insert a cartridge into the chamber. When the trigger was pulled, the action would slam shut, two extractors would ship over the cartridge rim, and it would fire. When the action was then manually re-cocked, the extractors would pull out the empty case and drop it through the open bottom of the receiver, and the gun would be ready to have another round loaded and fired. Trial records show that the Barnekov rifle was withdrawn from the 1872 testing, and it never appeared elsewhere afterwards. This carbine appears to be a prototype of the system in .45 caliber - perhaps a pistol cartridge. In the formal trials, a full length rifle in .50-70 caliber was submitted. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - 6mm Navy Straight Pull: The 1895 Lee Navy RifleE231
6mm Navy Straight Pull: The 1895 Lee Navy RifleThe US Navy held a trial in 1894 to adopt a new rifle, one to finally replace the .45-70 black powder Trapdoor Springfield. The rifle was to be chambered for the .236 Navy cartridge, a radically modern small bore round firing a 135 grain bullet at a remarkably fast 2500 fps. This was a lightweight cartridge which allowed sailors and Marines to carry more ammunition (standard load out was 180 rounds per man), and its high velocity provided a very flat trajectory and very good penetration. For this round, James Paris Lee developed and patented an unusual straight-pull action. It was a tilting bolt type of system, with a bolt handle that calmed the bolt upward to unlock it (instead of the rotating bolt heads usually found on straight-pull rifles). He also developed an en bloc clip for loading in which the clip allowed 5 rounds to be loaded at once, but was not essential to the cycling of the action. Lee’s clip fell out as soon as the first round was chambered, and the rifle could be loaded with loose rounds, unlike Mannlicher’s clip system. The Lee rifle ultimately won the trials, and a total of 15,000 were ordered in two batches by the US Navy (plus a few more supplied to replace guns destroyed in a New York dock fire). The rifle would only serve as standard for about 6 years, being replaced by the 1903 Springfield in order to unify Army and Navy ammunition logistics. During that time, however, it saw use in the Spanish-American War, in the Philippines, and in the international expedition to China. It was successful and well liked by the sailors and Marines who used it, despite a few design problems (like the extractor being easily lost when the bolt is removed). The gun was a commercial failure for Winchester, with a few thousand sales until 1902, when a large supply of cheap surplus captured Spanish Mausers dropped the bottom out of the modern small-bore rifle market in the United States. The last commercial sale was recorded in 1916. http://www.patreon.com - Big Iron: Development of the Colt 1848 Dragoon RevolverE232
Big Iron: Development of the Colt 1848 Dragoon RevolverSam Colt’s first foray into firearms manufacturing did not end well - after 6 years, he went broke and shut down production of Paterson revolvers and revolving long guns. His guns were too expensive, too fragile, and too underpowered to become a commercial success. They did make an impression on some people, however, and a few years later Colt would work with Captain Samuel Walker of the Texas Rangers to develop a much larger and more robust revolver. The US military purchased 1,000 of these Model 1847 “Walker” revolvers, and this set Colt back on the path to financial success. Colt contracted with the Whitneyville Armory to produce his Walkers, and part of the contract was that Colt would own any tooling developed for the manufacturing process. The Walker was successful enough that it spurred a second 1,000-pistol order form the government, and Colt used the Walker tooling along with his newfound capital to set up shop in Hartford CT producing guns himself. He immediately made a number of changes to the Walker pattern, primarily making is a bit shorter and lighter (4lb 2oz, with a 7.5 inch barrel), reducing the powered charge to 50 grains (the Walker had used 60 grains), and improving the loading lever retention latch. This would become known as the Model 1848 Dragoon revolver. Between 1848 and 1860, a total of 20,700 Dragoons were made, 8,390 of them for the US military. There would be three main variations, called the first, second and third types today. In today’s video, I will show you all three and explain how they differed from each other - and we will also take a look at a rare long-barreled version as well as one with an original shoulder stock. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Platypus or Prototype? Authenticating a Hybrid EntiniE233
Platypus or Prototype? Authenticating a Hybrid EntiniI debated whether or not to film this rifle, because I can’t say with 100% confidence that it is genuine. It really seems genuine to me though, and so I decided to use it as an example of the sort of conundrum that comes up in gun collecting. Here I will present the evidence that suggests that it is a rare hybrid training rifle circa 1910-1914, and also the evidence suggesting that it is a fantasy rifle - a “platypus”, as the British rifle collecting community calls it. Take a look, and let me know what you think! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - P. Percy's Prototype Patent Model RifleE234
P. Percy's Prototype Patent Model RifleThis appears to be a handmade prototype form one P. (or J. P.) Percy of Albany, NY, although I don’t have any information about who he was or when he built this. The gun itself is a .44/.45 caliber rimfire rifle, with three triggers. The first is actually a latch to release the tip-up barrel, and the other two and a sort of set trigger system. Inside, the whole trigger assembly is built as a removable unit, which is pretty interesting to see. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Lindsay's Two-Shot US Army MusketE235
Lindsay's Two-Shot US Army MusketJohn Parker Lindsay patented a superposed, 2-shot muzzleloading rifle action in 1860, and remarkably, was able to get a contract to sell them to the US Federal Army. The system was fairly simple, with two percussion caps and firehouse leading to a front and rear chamber. The rifle was loaded with two successive charges of 60 grains of black powder and 500 grain bullets, and a single trigger fired the two rounds in succession. In August 1863 the rifle was tested at West Point by Captain S.V. Benet and found acceptable. In fact, Benet found that the pressure from firing the first round tended to very firmly seat the second round, which then cleared fouling from the bore better than a regular rifle when it was fired. A contract was signed in December of 1863 for Army purchase of 1,000 Lindsay rifles at $25 each, and they were delivered in August of 1864. The rifles were issued to the 16th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and saw use in the Battle of Peeble’s Farm. Both in battle and in extended testing, the rifles were found to be flawed in ways they had not been initially recognized. Troops complained of double shots, with a single trigger pull firing both charges. Testing also found that the front chamber fire tube tended to foul and plug too easily, rendering the front chamber impossible to fire. No additional Lindsay rifles were purchased by the military. Lindsay did also make several versions of handgun using his system - these sold better than the rifles, but were still not a commercial success by most standards. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Cummings Dot Rifle: Indoor Marksmanship TrainingE236
Cummings Dot Rifle: Indoor Marksmanship TrainingMade by the Cummings Gun Works of Boston late in World War One, this is a pseudo-firearm training device for teaching some aspects of marksmanship without the safety hazard of bullets actually flying around. This one appears to be intended to teach shooters to hold the rifle perfectly vertical. Equally interesting to me is the use of unfinished Mosin Nagant components, almost certainly procured from Remington when its Mosin Nagant contract was interrupted by the Russian Revolution. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - HK4: Heckler & Koch's Multi-Caliber Pocket PistolE237
HK4: Heckler & Koch's Multi-Caliber Pocket PistolThe H&K Model 4 was named for the fact that it was offered in four different calibers - .22LR, .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP. The gun came with a complete set of spare barrels and magazines to allow conversion between all of them, and interesting feature not offered by any other pistols like it at the time. The design was by Alex Seidel, one of the founding engineers of H&K. He had familiarity with the Mauser HSc from his time working at Mauser, and it was the rough basis fo the HK4. The changes between centerfire calibers required nothing more than swapping barrels (and recoil springs, which were pinned to the barrels) and magazines. Differing spring strength for each caliber were enough to make the gun both safe and reliable in the different chamberings. The convert too .22LR rimfire, it was also necessary to unscrew the removable breech face and flip it around. The breech face had two firing pin holes (one centerfire and one rimfire), and the firing pin could pivot enough house either one. When the breech face was removed, the firing pin could be positioned for whichever setting was desired. The HK4 was interesting and reasonably successful, but never able to really compete with guns like the Walther PP and PPK. During a 16-year production run from 1968 until 1984 a total of 38,200 were made, including 12,400 for the German customs police. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Boer Lee-Speed Rifle from the Jameson RaidE238
Boer Lee-Speed Rifle from the Jameson RaidThe Jameson Raid in December 1895 was one of the key events in the lead to the second Boer War. Leander Jameson took a force of about 600 men on December 1895 to make a surprise attach on Johannesburg, incite support form the multitude of British miners who felt oppressed by the Boer government, and ultimately bring in British forces to take over. The plan failed in a complete and public manner, though, as Boer forces knew about it from the very beginning. The raiding party was ambushed at Doornkop outside Johannesburg and forced to surrender. It was a tremendous public relations setback for supporters of British intervention. In addition, the Boers captured a nice selection of very modern arms, including half a dozen artillery pieces, a dozen Maxim machine guns, and about 500 Lee rifles. This Lee-Speed is one of them, given to a Boer burgher who used it in the war that eventually broke out in 1899. He carved his name into the stock, as was common for the Boers. This is one of only two known and documented surviving rifles form the Jameson Raid, and it is both a very cool piece of history for that reason as well as a great time capsule of the Lee-Metford MkI pattern of rifle. Most of the early Lees in British military service were updated and repurposed over the decades, and finding them in original configuration is quite difficult today. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Prisons and Pirate Mutinies: the Duck's Foot PistolE239
Prisons and Pirate Mutinies: the Duck's Foot PistolDuck’s foot pistols are one of the iconic classic “weird gun” categories. The one exemplifies the typical pattern, with four barrels arranged in a wedge, fired simultaneously with a single flintlock action. Traditionally, these are attributed to people like prison wardens and ships’ captains, who might have to confront mobs of prisoners or a mutinous crew. Whether this is actually supported by historical fact or is just apocryphal communal belief, I do not know… http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - HK 41: "Paramilitary Rifle" for the BundeswehrE240
HK 41: "Paramilitary Rifle" for the BundeswehrThe HK41 (designation: “paramilitary rifle”, caliber 7.62x51mm) was the first semiautomatic version of the G3 military rifle. It was made for the Bundeswehr reservist market; a rifle that could be privately owned in Germany but which would duplicate the handling of the G3 for reservists to practice with. It went into production in 1966, with a standard pinned lower and S-E semiautomatic trigger group. To comply with German laws, it would only accept a 5-round magazine and could not mount a bayonet or rifle grenades. In addition to German commercial sale, there was also interest form the US, and rifles were exported there. In 1968, the Gun Control Act was passed int he US, which enacted stricter rules about what could be imported. In addition, in 1973 German law changed and made the HK41 effectively impossible to own in Germany. This prompted a change in the design, with a new pin-less power introduced to comply with US laws (and along with it a “S-F” semiauto fire control group). This model was imported into the US by SACO in 1974 in small numbers. In 1975 HK USA was formed, and in 1977 production of the HK41 ended, to be replaced with the HK91 designed specifically for export sale to the US and elsewhere. In total, only about 1350 HK41 rifles were made, and only about 400 of them imported into the US. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Menz Liliput Pocket Pistols: 4.25mm and 6.35mmE241
Menz Liliput Pocket Pistols: 4.25mm and 6.35mmThe Liliput was made by the August Menz Company in Germany during the 1920s, in several variations. It was introduced in both 4.25mm and 6.35mm (.25 ACP) and also later offered in 7.65mm (.32ACP). These were typical defensive pistol chambering at the time, although the 6.35mm version was much more popular than the 4.25mm one. They are simple blowback pistols, and competed against similar but more successful designs like the FB Baby Browning, Walther Model 9, and Mauser 1910. For a detailed history of the Menz Company and its pistols, check out Ed Buffaloe’s page: https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/Menz/menz.html http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Nichols & Childs Revolving RifleE242
Nichols & Childs Revolving RifleRufus Nichols and Edward Childs had a partnership in Conway MA making revolving firearms in the late 1830s. Their patent was granted in 1838, for an indexing mechanism that linked the cylinder to the hammer. However, the guns also used a spring loaded cylinder with nested cones on the mouth of each chamber to prevent gas leakage. The cylinder had to be manually unlocked before it could be rotated, and then manually locked again before firing. Interestingly, some of their rifles (like this one) omitted the indexing mechanism entirely, leaving the shooter to line up the cylinder by hand. In total, the pair made 100-150 rifles in both .36 and .44 calibers, and about 2 dozen pistols. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - America's First Contract Pistol: North & Cheney Model 1799E243
America's First Contract Pistol: North & Cheney Model 1799In 1798, the US Congress allocated a huge sum of money - $800,000 - to the procurement of military equipment to supplement the output of the Springfield Armory. One of the first contracts placed with this money was for 500 .69 caliber flintlock pistols from Simeon North of Berlin, NH. These would actually be the first contract of pistols actually made in their entirety by the contractor for the US - previously the government had procured parts itself and then contracted simply for their final assembly. North was instructed to basically copy the French model 1777 pistol, but with a slightly longer barrel. This pattern is rather distinctive, with a brass frame and no wooden front hand guard. Cheney was paid $6.50 per pistol, and his production was so satisfactory that before the contract was complete he was given a second contract for another 1,500 guns, at $6.00 each. All 2,000 were delivered by September of 1802, and the work would be the start of a long arms making career for North and his descendants. Today only a tiny number (20 or so) of these Model 1799 pistols survive, making them a very scarce and very interesting piece of US martial history. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Lakeside Vindicator BF1: A Belt-Fed .22 PlinkerE244
Lakeside Vindicator BF1: A Belt-Fed .22 PlinkerIn 1983, Dennis Tippmann started a company making beautiful half-scale Browning machine guns, fully functional and chambered for the .22LR cartridge. This was a pretty cool idea, and the guns remain popular today because of their mechanics and easy transportation and cheap shooting cost - but the passage of the Hughes Amendment in 1986 cut off registration of new transferrable machine guns. Tippmann sold the company shortly thereafter (moving into paintball markers), and it was owned by Vollmer until 2001 when it was bought by Eric Graetz of Lakeside Machine. The BF1 Vindicator was designed by Graetz as a way to make a fun recreational plinking machine gun using the tooling he already had for the Tippmann Brownings. The BF1 handles like a Mini-14, but is fed via a miniature Browning belt-fed system. A total of 61 were made, 50 in .22LR and 11 in .17 HM2 caliber - some as post-sample machine guns and some (including this one) as semi autos. They are long out of production now, but are a fun gun for the belt-fed enthusiast who wants something with less infrastructure and overhead than an M1919A4 or the like. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - SSG-82: The Enigmatic East German Sniper RifleE245
SSG-82: The Enigmatic East German Sniper RifleWhen East Germany received the technical data package for the 5.45x39mm cartridge, they began a program to make their own AK-74 model. Alongside, they also wanted a precision rifle using the new cartridge, and that became the SSG (Scharfschützengewehr) 82. It was developed for the internal security services rather than the army, however, and only about 2,000 appear to have been made, all the the Ernst Thälmann factory in Suhl. The SSG82 is an interesting microcosm of East Germany - good engineering, but lousy finishing touches. The barrel is well made, and the gun is capable of pretty good accuracy when used with quality ammunition. The scope is a 4x Zeiss Jena model, with a simple German post reticle. The gun overall weighs in at 11 pounds, and handles like a nice precision rifle. Little else is known about these rifles here in the US, and the only reason we have examples of them like this is because eCentury International Arms imported about 600 around the year 2000. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - C2A1: Canada's Squad Automatic FALE246
C2A1: Canada's Squad Automatic FALhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Canada was the first country to formally adopt the FN FAL as its standard service rifle, and in 1958 it added the C2 light machine gun version of the FAL to its arsenal. The C2, later updated to C2A1, was a heavy-barreled version of the regular FAL rifle. It shared all the same basic action components, but with a dual-use bipod/handguard, a rear sight calibrated out to 1000 meters, and 30-round magazines as standard. The gun was mechanically fine, but not a great light support weapon, as its rifle lineage sacrificed handling and sustained fire capability. Only about 2700 were produced, and it was ultimately replaced by the C9 (FN Minimi) in the 1980s. Many thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto for the opportunity to showcase this FAL for you! Check them out on Instagram to see many of the guns in their extensive collection: https://instagram.com/moviearmamentsgroup http://www.moviearms.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Arsenals of History 2019: 3D Printing & Scanning for MuseumsE247
Arsenals of History 2019: 3D Printing & Scanning for Museumshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Arsenals of History is an annual symposium of firearms museum, and met this year at the newly renovated Cody Firearms Museum (https://centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms/). The theme of this year's symposium was social media and museums. This presentation was given by Scott Gausen, an Education Specialist for the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. He has been experimenting with the use of 3D scanning and 3D printing technology for museum and educational purposes. You can find more information about Springfield Armory National Historic Site at their web site, including current special events, visiting hours, and more: https://www.nps.gov/spar/index.htm Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Book Review: The Ross Rifle StoryE248
Book Review: The Ross Rifle Storyhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons "The Ross Rifle Story" is the Bible of Ross rifle collecting - it is the only substantial reference work on the subject and it has a tremendous amount of information about the development of the Ross. However, it is also one of the worst-edited firearms reference books I am aware of. It has a second Table of Contents on page 85 - need I say more than that? Well, I will. The photographs are black and white and often too dark or too light. Beyond it really being two separate manuscripts printed back to back, the organization is really lacking. Finding information in the book is sometimes very difficult, as the subject matter jumps around a lot. The story of the Ross - especially separating the civilian and military development - is a pretty complicated one, and even a well-edited book on the subject might be a bit difficult to parse. This book is really bad at times. But for all that, it *does* have the information (with only a few errors), and it's the only book that does. If you are interested in the Ross, this is a must-have book despite its problems. A second printing was run in 2002, and not much effort was put into marketing it. Despite the online prices all being $300+, the seller still has a couple dozen copies remaining as of this writing. To order one (for $100 plus shipping, via PayPal) email him at ross.rifle.story@sympatico.ca . Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Star Pistol-Carbines: Model MMS and Model MBE249
Star Pistol-Carbines: Model MMS and Model MBhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Star produced 1911-style pistols in a wide variety of calibers and configurations for more than 50 years, including several models with shoulder stocks. Two of the later such models were the MMS and MB. These were standard 5 inch barreled pistols shipped with wooden combination holster stocks and three magazines - one 8-round, one 16-round, and one quite long 32-round. The MMS was chambered for .30 Mauser (7.63x25mm), and 1,174 of them were made between 1971 and 1985. The MB was in 9mm Parabellum, and 1,757 were made in two runs, 1956-1960 and 1972-1975. Both patterns have been added to the list of stocked pistols exempt from NFA requirements, happily. For more information on these and all other Star handguns, I recommend Leonard Antaris' book, Star Firearms: https://amzn.to/2HdxLub Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - AS Val, VSS Vintorez, OTs-14 Groza, and more: 9x39mm with Max PopenkerE250
AS Val, VSS Vintorez, OTs-14 Groza, and more: 9x39mm with Max Popenkerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we welcome back Max Popenker of ModernFirearms.net to discuss the Soviet and Russian development of the 9x39mm suppressed rifle cartridge. From the early unsuccessful and sidetracked efforts to replace the PBS suppressor through the AMB-17 currently in development by the Kalashnikov Concern, we will discuss the AS Val, VSS Vintorez, OTS-14 Groza, SR-3, SR-3M, VSK-94, and more! You can visit Max's extensive small arms web site at: https://modernfirearms.net/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - The Diggers' Dismay: Austen Mk I SMGE251
The Diggers' Dismay: Austen Mk I SMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When World War Two began, Australia saw little threat of invasion from Germany (obviously), and sent a substantial number of firearms to Britain to help arm the Home Guard there, which was seriously concerned about the possibility of a German invasion. When Japan and Australia declared war in December 1941, the situation immediately became much more serious for Australia, and the government began looking for arms. At the start of the war, there were effectively no submachine guns at all on the continent - just a couple examples. These included an MP38 somehow confiscated by Australian customs, which would take on a significant role. Australia looked to Britain for arms, and they were sent a technical data package to produce the Sten MkII - but found the design pretty underwhelming. Australian manufacturers decided to make their own improvements to it, using elements of the MP38 - specifically the sealed telescoping recoil spring system and underflowing stock. They also gave the gun a pair of pistol grips for improved handling. The Owen SMG was going into production at this time, and had been in development for a while under private civilian supervision. The Australian Sten, called the Austen, lacked that developmental track record and it went into production without passing proper trials. It faced significant manufacturing delays and reliability problems, and was not well liked by troops - in contrast to the excellent Owen. The Austen was ultimately made in smaller numbers than the Owen (19,914 of the MkI guns) and pulled from combat use in August of 1944. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film this rare artifact! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre - Too Late and Not Much Better: the Austen Mk II SMGE252
Too Late and Not Much Better: the Austen Mk II SMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The story of the Austen submachine gun did not end when the Mk I guns were pulled from combat service in 1944. The manufacturer continued to work on an improved version, which would be ready in 1946, after the end of World War Two. Only 200 were made total, and they were both adopted and declared obsolete in August of 1946. The changes made to the MkII Austen mostly involved increasing the use of die cast components, which fit the manufacturer's tooling and experience. The front grip and magazine well casting was enlarged, and the whole rear assembly was made into a second cast part integrating the rear sight, stock mounting and latch, and fire control group. The one significant internal change was to remove the firing pin from the telescoping recoil spring assembly and make it an integral feature of the bolt face. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film this very rare artifact! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers: https://royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre/ You can browse the various Armouries collections online here: https://royalarmouries.org/collection/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Apocrypha: WW1 Tour Sneak PeekE253
Apocrypha: WW1 Tour Sneak PeekWant to see all of my Apocrypha behind-the-scenes videos? They are a perk for Patrons who help directly support Forgotten Weapons: http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I partnered up with Military Historical Tours to guide a World War One battlefield tour this week, and I figured I'd give you a bit of a peek into it. We are looking at the war chronologically, starting with a day in Belgium to look at the German attack in 1914, visiting the remains of Fort de Loncin in Liege and the Mons cemetery. Next was a day in Ypres for the stagnation into trench warfare in 1915, seeing the Dodengang up on the Yser and then the Bayernwald trenches, Passchendaele Museum, and Kitchener's Wood. The year of 1916 marks two of the huge Western Front offensives, and we took one day on the Somme (Beaumont-Hamel and Lochnagar Crater) and a day at Verdun (Driant's command post and tomb, Fort Vaux, Fleury Village, and the Douaumont Ossuary). Today we move to the Chemin des Dames to look at the disastrous French Nivelle Offensives at the Plateau de Californie and the Caverne du Dragons, and tomorrow we will see the arrival of significant American forces and the Hundred Days Offensive the ended the war, through the sites of Les Mares Farm, Belleau Wood, and Blanc Mont. We have a great group of people along, and it's been a lot of fun, if quite sobering at times. I hope to see you on a future tour! https://www.miltours.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Shooting the Mle 1866 ChassepotE254
Shooting the Mle 1866 Chassepothttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons A while back, I visited @CanadianGunLover, and we did a bit of shooting with an 1866 Chassepot. I lost track of the footage and only just now found where I had put it - so today is some Chassepot shooting! A couple things to note; the rifle sounds very quiet because my microphone was clipping it off, sorry. And yes, we are on a very short range bay - it's what was available at the time. The ammo we are using was made by CGL, and was a bit longer than military spec, which led to the bolt getting tight to close more quickly that would have originally been the case. But even with that, the rapidity of fire offered by the Chassepot completely outclassed all the muzzleloaders still in service. Want a whole lot more information on the Chassepot? Well, it's covered in the first chapter of my book, "Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles": https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Book Review: Arms & Accoutrements of the Mounted Police 1873-1973E255
Book Review: Arms & Accoutrements of the Mounted Police 1873-1973http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Royal North West Mounted Police (later merged with the Dominion Police to become the RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police) are an interesting and often overlooked element of the western frontier. We Americans tend to only think about the Old West up to northern Montana and Idaho, but of course things were not that much different on the other side of the border in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and the other western provinces. Starting with their founding in 1873, law enforcement in western Canada was the domain of the RNWMP, and they used an interesting mixture of British Empire arms and American arms - Colts and Adams; Winchesters and Sniders. "Arms and Accoutrements of the Mounted Police, 1873-1973" covers the whole range or arms and accessories used by the Mounties. Handguns, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, swords, lances, and even artillery (yes, they had some artillery). This is a great book for any Canadian collector, and quite interesting for the rest of us as well - a window into a police agency we don't often think about. The book is generally out of print, but as of this writing still in stock for $35 at JoeSalter.com: https://www.joesalter.com/category/products/Arms-and-Accoutrements-of-the-Mounted-Police-Softcover Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Ecia Model 1930 Family: Lost Competitors to the AstraE256
Ecia Model 1930 Family: Lost Competitors to the Astrahttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Juan Esperanza was one of the two partners who formed the Astra company (with Pedro Unceta). When the two had a falling-out in 1925 and parted ways, Esperanza formed his own company and went on something of a patenting binge. He made an unsuccessful attempt at designing a new machine gun for the Spanish army, and then settled down to make a family of pistols to compete with his former partner's. These were all called the Ecia Model 1930, and there was a small frame .25 ACP (targeted at the Astra 200 market), a medium frame .32 ACP / .380 ACP (to compete with the Astra 300), and a large frame 9mm Largo model to match up against the Astra 400. The Ecia design was double action, and each size offered a magazine capacity one greater than the comparable Astra. They also have a nicer grip angle, and handle more nicely than the Astra. Unfortunately for Esperanza, the Spanish military had already adopted the Astra in 1921, and the new Ecia was not sufficiently better to warrant replacing the guns already in service. The pistols were also relatively expensive, and there was minimal civilian interest. Total Ecia production was just 100-150 guns, with each frame size being numbered in a separate series. For more information on the Ecia as well as Astra and other Spanish handguns, I recommend Leonardo Antaris' reference book "Astra Pistols and Selected Competitors": https://amzn.to/2HbAcgE Contact: Forgotten Weapons PO Box 87647 Tucson, AZ 85754 - Q&A 33: It's All About CompromisesE257
Q&A 33: It's All About Compromiseshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Time for another monthly Q&A! 00:18 - Guns that exceeded and fell short of my expectations? 03:14 - Why did the US keep the 1903 instead of the 1917 after WW1? 04:59 - Bren guns in .30-06 07:07 - Book on French handguns or bayonets 08:45 - My jobs before Forgotten Weapons became full-time 11:12 - Any effort at .30 Carbine handguns in WW2? 12:44 - 7.65mm French Long brass by Starline 14:15 - Objectively bad gun that I like anyway 15:20 - Eye relief and eye box in scopes 18:19 - Prototypes with neat features dropped from production models 19:38 - Have I met Oleg Volk? 20:22 - Why wasn’t the Winchester 1907 SL more popular? 21:08 - Will I continue to collect French arms now that my book is done? 21:45 - Sites to visit in Paris related to the Resistance and Occupation? 22:36 - Why didn’t France adopt the M16? 22:57 - Glock 17 or Walther P38; which was more influential? 24:44 - Is push feed worthwhile or important? 27:12 - Plans to do video on the Ross and Huot? 27:52 - Finnish Mosins 29:39 - Why so many blocky looking handguns? 31:03 - How was the experience using Kickstarter for book launch? 33:23 - Was the Charlton the only bolt-to-semi conversion used by a military? 34:21 - Is the Spencer still my preferred Civil War carbine? 35:48 - Why don’t more guns use the constant recoil concept? 38:00 - Why isn’t there more use of ASP-style “guttersnipe” sights? 39:02 - Military rifle trials tests 42:36 - How did US small arms technology compare to Europe in the Civil War? 45:05 - Widgets to increase revolver capacity? 46:35 - First 8mm Lebel rifle, and PPU ammo compatibility 48:52 - Why don’t more guns use the Farquhar-Hill buffered piston idea? 50:00 - Why didn’t the US adopt the MG-42? 51:39 - How did the M14 go from replaced service rifle to EBR? 52:52 - Chinese small arms? 54:49 - Channels about bladed arms? 55 - Britain's Tubeless WW1 Sniper Optics: Martin Galilean SightE258
Britain's Tubeless WW1 Sniper Optics: Martin Galilean Sighthttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When Britain entered the First World War, it had no formal sniper program. Germany was the first combatant to train and utilize snipers, and their effectiveness quickly convinced the British military that a similar program was necessary. Initially a wide variety of rifles were put into service, including many scoped hunting rifles send form the British Isles. These were of little use, as they were in non-standard calibers, and not generally rugged enough to survive the rigors of WW1. The first uniform equipment purchased and used were several versions of Galilean optical sights. Introduced into competition shooting at Bisley before the war, this is a type of magnified sight which uses independent lenses mounted to the front and rear of a rifle (some fitted to the SMLE rear sight and some attached to the back of the receiver). This was low profile, relatively inexpensive, and quick to put into service, but the sights themselves were severely handicapped compared to modern telescopes. They offered about 2.5x magnification and a very large depth of field, but at the cost of a very narrow field of view and small eyebox. They were also easily dirtied, and the front aiming point was often difficult to discern against the background image. The four main models purchased by the British were Lattey, Neill, Martin, and Gibbs. The model in this video is a Martin, patented by J.E. Martin of Glasgow. Once proper telescopes became available, they rendered the Galilean optics obsolete, and very few survived the war. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 Русская версия: https://youtu.be/v_MVRh5-XAc - Arsenals of History 2019: Guns in Video GamesE259
Arsenals of History 2019: Guns in Video Gameshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Arsenals of History is an annual symposium of firearms museum, and met this year at the newly renovated Cody Firearms Museum (https://centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms/). The theme of this year's symposium was social media and museums. This presentation was given by Danny Michael, Assistant Curator for he Cody Firearms Museum. Video games today are a massive influence on much of society, and today's big-name games (like Battlefield One and Call of Duty) often include quite accurate representations of historical firearms. How can a museum best cater to the interest of gamers who find themselves looking at the real-world models of those game elements? Should museums recognize this at all? What are some options and potential practices? Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Sterling Meets Owen: The Australian F1 Submachine GunE260
Sterling Meets Owen: The Australian F1 Submachine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Australian Owen submachine gun was once of the best overall SMG designs of the Second World War, and when Australia decided to replace them in the 1960s, the new F1 design have big shoes to fill. The basic configuration of the top-mounted magazine remained, but coupled with elements of the Sterling SMG. The F1 used a simple sheet metal tube receiver with elements welded on, and a typical open bolt, blowback operating system. The unique rear system of separating the recoil spring from the main receiver body in the Owen was not included, instead using a basic open tube and large diameter mainspring. The sights are curiously still mounted to the right side of the gun, with a thing folding rear sight and a front sight affixed to the magazine well. These simplifications did have the effect of lightening the F1 compared to the Owen, which is a nice improvement. The F1 was manufactured from 1962 until 1973, with a total of about 25,000 made. It served in Vietnam and through the 1990s, when replaced by a variant of the F88 Austeyr. All reports are that it was a perfectly adequate submachine gun, but it did not earn the affection of troops like the Owen had. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Quick Look at a 37mm Maxim "Pompom" Automatic CannonE261
Quick Look at a 37mm Maxim "Pompom" Automatic Cannonhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This Vickers, Sons & Maxim 37mm MkIII "Pompom" is on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. The MkIII pattern is quite scarce, with less than one hundred ever made. It is built around the 37 x 124mm cartridge, firing a 1.25 pound explosive or armor piercing projectile. This one (or one of the same model) was mounted on the CGS Canada, a coastal patrol vessel built by VSM in 1904 for the Canadian Fisheries service. Firing fully automatically at 300 rounds/minute, the "pompom" (so named for the sound of its firing) was capable of tremendous firepower, although few ever saw much use in combat. Only the Boers made much use of them as land artillery, and by WW1 most were relegated to antiaircraft use. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Book Review: Flayderman's Guide to Antique American FirearmsE262
Book Review: Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearmshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Norm Flayderman opened an antique gun shop in 1952, and a few years later expanded his marketing to a mail-order catalog. He would ultimately print 119 such catalogs by 1998, researching and documenting a tremendous amount of information on antique American firearms. In 1977 he published the first edition of Flayderman's Guide, compiling this information into a single volume. Mr. Flayderman passed away in 2013, but his Guide has been a central pillar of firearms knowledge, reprinted most recently in the 9th updated edition (this video shows the 8th edition). The information in Flayderman's Guide is generally not very deep, but it is specific and direct, covering production numbers, configurations, and other basic important details of an incredible breadth of American arms history. From the Colonial period and American Independence through the Spanish-American War, this work covers virtually everything. There are not many books that I would consider essential staples of any firearms reference library - usually such things are too varied by specific areas of interest. But Flayderman's is truly a book that every scholar and enthusiast should have. Happily, it was printed in significant quantity, and is easy to find. The current 9th Edition retails for $45, but older editions are readily available for less than $10 at gun shows and through sellers like Abe Books: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&an=&tn=flaydermans+guide&kn=&isbn= Current 9th Edition: https://amzn.to/2KN5m0g Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - 16 Days in Berlin: The Climactic Battle of WW2 in EuropeE263
16 Days in Berlin: The Climactic Battle of WW2 in Europehttps://www.indiegogo.com/projects/documentary-16-days-in-berlin#/ The team that produced The Great War channel on YouTube, now organized as an independent company call Real Time History, is working an ambitious and very exciting project to create a documentary history of the Battle of Berlin, entitled "16 Days in Berlin". The project would continue the day-by-day format of The Great War, covering the details of the climactic battle of WW2 in Europe - the Battle of Berlin. Today I had a chance to chat with Florian Wittig, head of Real Time History, about the project and its ongoing IndieGoGo fundraising campaign. The campaign has nearly met its basic goal as of this filming, but additional funding beyond the goal will provide the team with the ability to make the series bigger, deeper, and better in many ways. It will allow the episodes to be longer, and it will allow RTH to do more with animated graphics, license more original footage and photography, fund original research by professional historians, expand collaborations with specialist YouTube content creators (like Military History Visualized and Military Aviation History, as well as myself) and museums like the German Tank Museum and the Bovington Tank Museum. In addition to the progression of the battle itself, the series will go on location to show us some of the actual locations in Berlin, and will cover a variety of related topics (the more funding they get, the more of this there can be). I will be covering (not surprisingly...) some of the small arms that played an essential role, like the Panzerfaust. The 16 episodes of the series will not be available on YouTube - the Battle of Berlin is essentially a complete collection of all the elements that YouTube quietly censors, and RTH does not want to try to write the show around YouTube's hidden rules and algorithms. Instead, it will be available via non-YouTube video hosting for those who fund it in the IndieGoGo campaign and those who pay to - Steyr Model 1911 Semiautomatic Trials RiflesE264
Steyr Model 1911 Semiautomatic Trials Rifleshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1909, the Austro-Hungarian Empire announced a desire to find a new semiautomatic military rifle, and requested proposals from arms manufacturers. Six rifles were submitted to the resulting trials in 1911, including this model from Steyr chambered for the 7x57mm Mauser cartridge. It uses a two-lug rotating bolt and a short stroke annular gas piston system very similar to the German Gewehr 41 of three decades later. It also featured an unusual rotating dust cover, which was automatically opens and closed by the cycling bolt. The trials resulted in no rifle being deemed suitable, and further development was interrupted by the First World War. In the after math of the testing, Steyr did release a civilian pattern version of the rifle in 6.5mm Mannlicher but did not garner significant sales. Total production is not known, but was very small. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Forgotten History: Violent Jewish Resistance to the HolocaustE265
Forgotten History: Violent Jewish Resistance to the Holocausthttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I wrote this paper back in 2003 or 2004 for a college class I was taking (HIST 595 - The Holocaust And Genocide). Today, it sounds a bit amateurish - but I suppose that is to be expected of something written by someone barely out of their teens. I think it could be much better written today, and its subject matter deserves much greater depth, but I believe its conclusions are sound. In particular, I would not be so casual in identifying the perpetrators simply as "the Germans", as this is an unfair simplification of the guilt for the crimes of the Holocaust. Some people will interpret this paper though narrow political viewpoints today, which is unfortunate. I shouldn't have to say it, but obviously such interpretations are certainly not reflective of my own beliefs. Bibliography: Ainsztein, Reuben. Jewish Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Europe. Paul Elek Ldt, London: 1974. Arad, Yitzhak. Ghetto in Flames. Holocaust Library, New York: 1982. Berenbaum, Michael. The World Must Know.New York: Little, Brown, and Co, 1993. Donat, Alexander. The Death Camp Treblinka. New York: Holocaust Library, 1979. Gutman, Yisrael. The Jews of Warsaw, 1939-1943. Indiana University Press, Bloomington:1982. Mark, Ber. Uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto. Schocken Books, New York: 1975. Novitch, Miriam. Sobibor: Martydom and Revolt. Holocaust Library, New York: 1980. Rotem, Simha. Memoirs of a Warsaw Ghetto Fighter. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994. Zuckerman, Yitzhak. A Surplus of Memory. University of California Press, Berkeley: 1993. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - John Browning vs Hiram Maxim: Patent Fight!E266
John Browning vs Hiram Maxim: Patent Fight!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When John Browning designed his Model 1895 machine gun with it's rotary-lever gas operation system, Hiram Maxim filed suit claiming patent infringement. Maxim had filed quite broad patents covering gas pistons operation, but specifically in a linear format. Browning and Colt (who had the license to manufacture the Model 1895 machine gun) countered that the swinging lever was a different system, and thus not covered by Maxim's patents. More to the point, they claimed that the gun would work without using a gas piston at all - and built this experimental model using a gas trap or muzzle cap system instead to prove the point. Ultimately, the genesis of the fight was moot (the Maxim did not run well in 6mm Lee Navy, and would not have won a US Navy contract regardless of the Colt/Browning gun), and the court ultimately decided in favor of Colt and Browning. But this gun remains from the incident... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Rock Island Final Prices: The Million-Dollar RevolverE267
Rock Island Final Prices: The Million-Dollar Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Let's take a look at what some of the guns in the last RIA sale went for, shall we? If you've got a cool million bucks you can get an old revolver with no finish! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Experimental Triple-Magazine Henry RifleE268
Experimental Triple-Magazine Henry Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This rifle is an experimental twist on the Henry, built with three magazine tubes in a fixture pivoting around the axis of the barrel. While only half the length of the barrel itself, the three tubes allow a capacity of 21 rounds, compared to the original design's 16. The magazine assembly also acts as a front handguard, and removes the issue of the exposed follower tab on the original design. However, it adds a level of complexity, expense, and weight to the rifle that had to be balanced against its larger capacity. This idea was not put into production, and the only known example is this one. Thanks to the Cody Firearms Museum for allowing me access to film it! Check them out here: https://centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - WW1 Villar Perosa SMG at the RangeE269
WW1 Villar Perosa SMG at the RangeCourtesy of the Morphy Auction Company, I am out at the range today with a very rare Italian Villar Perosa machine gun from World War One. These are pretty unorthodox machine guns, as they were initially designed as aircraft armament and later repurposed as ground guns. The basic design is a pair of actions and barrel with a single rear trigger housing. The actions are (slightly) delayed blowback, feeding from 25-round magazines and firing at about 1500 rpm each. The grip has two separate thumb triggers, which fire the two barrels independently. For an aircraft application, this allowed a very high volume of fire for a very short time; exactly what aerial combat called for. As an infantry gun, the design was much less practical. The bipod held the gun up, but did not have any firm stop that could be pushed into. Coupled with the lack of a buttstock, the gun was very difficult to keep on patter with anything but the shortest burst. The small aperture sight certainly doesn't help things either. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Model 1808 US Navy Pistol by Simeon NorthE270
Model 1808 US Navy Pistol by Simeon NorthThe US Congress passed a Militia Act in 1808 to provide funding for military supplies, and one of the immediate resulting contracts was to Simeon North for 1000 pairs of Model 1808 Navy pistols. These were the first pistols contracted by the fledgling US Navy, and they specified a .64 caliber flintlock with a 10.5 inch barrel and a belt hook on the left side. The guns came in at 2 pounds, 14 ounces (1.3 kg). After the initial contract for 1000 pairs in June of 1808 (at $11.75/pair), a second contract was signed in December 1810 for an additional 500 pairs (this time at $12/pair). http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - CETME C2, aka CB-64: Spain's Version of the Sterling SMGE271
CETME C2, aka CB-64: Spain's Version of the Sterling SMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Developed by CETME in the 1960s, the C2 (aka CB64) submachine gun was clearly inspired by the Sterling, but includes several clever mechanical safeties. The charging handle is non-reciprocating and integrates a bolt lock which it automatically deactivated when the charging handle is used. This allows a loaded magazine to be safely carried with the bolt forward on an empty chamber. It also has a bolt block that is retracted when the trigger is pulled, which will stop the bolt from fully closing if the gun is jarred or the charging handle snagged. Finally, it has a retracting spring loaded firing pin that does not come forward until the bolt is fully forward, thus preventing out of battery detonations. Made in both 9mm Parabellum and 9mm Largo, it is a clever and well designed submachine gun, only let down by an uncomfortable folding stock. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Turkish Vickers: A Gun With All the Widgets!E272
Turkish Vickers: A Gun With All the Widgets!During World War One, the Ottoman Empire would join the war on the side of the Central Powers, in part because of a decision by the British Navy to seize a pair of battleships under construction for the Ottomans in the UK. This also caused the Ottoman military to adopt the 1909 Maxim as their standard machine gun, purchasing them from DWM in Germany. Once commercial sales ended in 1916, they would continue to use German MG08 and MG08/15 machine guns provided as military aid. When World War Two broke out, England (and Winston Churchill personally) very much wanted to avoid a repeat of the the previous war. In an effort to build an alliance with Turkey, they provided nearly 1200 like-new refurbished Vickers machine guns to Turkey. The Turks had outfitted their previous inventory of Maxims with an assortment of accessories, and these were added to the new Vickers guns. In addition to being rechambered for the 8x57mm Mauser cartridge, Turkey added antiaircraft sights, ZF12 optical sights, and MG 08/15 drum brackets, and completely rebuilt the tripods to make them more stable and add antiaircraft capability. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - State of the NFA Collecting Community 2019, with John KeeneE273
State of the NFA Collecting Community 2019, with John Keenehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When I film at the Morphy Company, I always enjoy taking time to chat with Master Sergeant (retired) John Keene, who is their NFA expert. He always has some very interesting insights into the state and trends of the machine gun collecting community. This time, I figured I would share some of that conversation with you... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Striker 12: Shotgun Turned "Destructive Device"E274
Striker 12: Shotgun Turned "Destructive Device"The Striker shotgun was designed by a Rhodesian named Hilton Walker in the late 1970s, although not manufactured until after he had emigrated to South Africa. He partnered with the owner of the Armsel company to finance production, which was actually done by a company called Aserma Manufacturing. The original Striker version of the gun used a wind-up spring-powered 12-round cylinder coupled with a gas auto-ejection system for all but the final round fired. This was treated as a semiautomatic shotgun by the South African police, and Walker redesigned it in 1991 to be manually indexed (by pivoting the front grip and barrel shroud between shots). This allowed for less regulated sale in South Africa at the time. For the export market - like the United States - the distinction was not relevant, and it was the Striker model with its wind-up cylinder that was brought in by a company called Sentinel Arms. Both a full-length version with an 18 inch barrel and folding stock, and an “entry” version with a 7 inch barrel and no stock, were sold. In 1994, public pressure led the Clinton administration to designate the Striker-12 along with the Cobray Streetsweeper and USAS-12 shotguns as Destructive Devices under the 1934 National Firearms Act. This was legally possible because the NFA considers all firearms with bore diameters over 1/2 inch to be Destructive Devices, with guns like shotguns exempted if they are considered suitable for sporting purposes. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - America's Forgotten SMG: The Hyde/Marlin M2E275
America's Forgotten SMG: The Hyde/Marlin M2http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The United States went into World War Two with the Thompsons submachine gun - a weapon far too heavy and too expensive for its role. The British went to the other extreme with the Sten and while the US did not want a gun quite that crude, the Sten did spur a desire for something cheaper than the Thompson. George Hyde (the working for the Inland Division of GM) had worked on submachine gun designs in the 1930s, and he put together a weapon that would fit US needs. It was much cheaper than the Thompson and weighed in a full 2 pounds lighter. At tests in the spring of 1942, it also proved to be much more accurate in automatic firing, as it had a much more ergonomic stock design than the Thompson. The weapons was approved as the M2 submachine gun in 1942, and a contract went to Marlin to produce it (Inland had no extra production capacity at the time). The receiver of the M2 was made through a metal sintering process, and Marlin had trouble getting this properly tooled up. The first gun delivery didn’t actually happen. Until May or 1943, and by that time Hype had finished designing the M3 “Grease Gun”, which was cheaper still, and more attractive to the military. The contract for the M2 was cancelled in June of 1943, with only 400 guns delivered. There are only six known surviving examples today, split between private collections, museums, and military institutions. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Marlin M2 at the Range: A Remarkably Nice SMGE276
Marlin M2 at the Range: A Remarkably Nice SMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After yesterday's history and disassembly, I had a chance to take the Hyde/Marlin M2 submachine gun out to the range today for some test firing. It is a remarkably nice gun to use - with a good in-line stock design and low rate of fire, it was extremely controllable. Better than both the Thompson (in any of its forms) and the M3 Grease Gun, in my opinion. I think this is one of a very small number of guns which were actually really excellent despite being cancelled or abandoned before seeing substantial military service. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - The CIA's New Liberator: the 9mm Deer GunE277
The CIA's New Liberator: the 9mm Deer Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Deer Gun is a covert CIA pistol inspired by the Liberator. In fact, the initial desire was to pull Liberators out of storage to use in the 1950s, but out was found that they had all been scrapped in 1947/8. So instead, a new gun was designed with the same criteria of simplicity and low cost. Instead of being stamped like the Liberator, this would be made primarily form a single aluminum casting, and chambered for 9x19mm. It was loaded by unscrewing the barrel and manually inserting a cartridge, then replacing the barrel and manually cocking the striker. A hollow in the grip held a couple spare rounds and an ejector rod. Russel Moore of American Machine & Foundry was given a contract for $300,000 to build 1000 of the guns, which he did in 1962. The intend was that once tooled up, subsequent contracts would cost only $3.95 per gun - but no further purchases were made. The use of the Deer Guns are largely unknown, as the CIA has rejected all FOIA requests related to them. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Japanese WW2 Training Machine GunE279
Japanese WW2 Training Machine GunBefore and during World War Two, the Japanese used a variety of training rifles and machine guns in both formal military instruction and technical schools to teach basic military drill. These guns were used for teaching basic drill skills, and were built to use wooden-bullet blank ammunition instead of regular cartridges. This greatly simplified arranging safe facilities for the training. The training machine guns were intended to replicate the basic handling of the Type 96 and Type 99 Nambu guns, with similar bipods, grips, stocks, sights, and top-mounted magazines. Mechanically, however, they are simple tube receivers with blowback open bolt firing mechanisms. Some, like this one, have dummy gas systems so that bayonets can be fitted as on real machine guns and so the gas adjustment procedure can be pantomimed. The parts are held together by simple screws for simplicity of production. At least six different companies made training machine guns, and they are found in a wide variety of configurations - usually without any identifying markings. This example is one of the more complex designs and also a very nice-condition example. Unfortunately, the magazine is missing (as they usually are). WARNING: DO NOT FIRE LIVE AMMUNITION IN THESE GUNS! They are intended only for wooden-bullet blanks, and live ammunition will severely damage the gun and potentially injure the shooter. Also, be aware that these guns are considered machine guns by Federal law in the US, and are illegal if not registered under the NFA. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - At the Range with the Marlin UD-42 SMGE280
At the Range with the Marlin UD-42 SMGThe Marlin / United Defense US-42 submachine gun was not used by the American military, but it did see service in World War Two. Its 9mm chambering made it inconvenient for the US, but ideal for agencies like the OSS and SOE to drop to resistance organizations within occupied Europe. So, let's take this one to the range and see what those resistance fighters were actually getting... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - The WW2 Double-Magazine MP40/IE281
The WW2 Double-Magazine MP40/IThe MP40/I was an experimental modification of the MP-40 submachine gun developed by the Erma company (we think) in late 1942. It was presumably developed in response to complaints of Soviet fire superiority with SMGs because of their large drum magazines (and also the larger number of SMGs used by the Soviet forces compared to German units). The concept is a pretty simple one – the regular magazine housing was replaced by a much wider housing with a sliding block that held two separate standard magazines. One of the two magazines would always be positioned where it could feed and fire, and when that magazine was empty the shooter could simply slide the block to one side and move the second (still full) magazine into position to fire. The prevented the need to fish around in a slow magazine pouch to find a new magazine when a reload was needed. However, there were several disadvantages to the dual magazine system. For one thing, an MP-40 with two full magazines hanging off it becomes quite the heavy and poorly-balanced weapon to handle and carry. The additional open areas required for the sliding block were much more prone to gather dirt and foul than the standard gun, and the extra weight on the relatively thin receiver tube often contributed to creases or other damage to the magazine well and ejection port areas of the gun, rendering them unusable. The large amount of m metal removed from the receiver tube also left it much more vulnerable to bending than a standard MP40. Only a small number of these guns were ever made (around the middle of 1943), and very, very few survive today. They were made form preexisting gun retrofitted, and do not appear have comprised any specific serial number block. In addition to the magazine housing, the conversion process also involved slightly shortening the ejector and reshaping the bottom of the buttplate so that it would clear the new magazine release catches. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotte - Osorio Selectiva: A Nicaraguan .22 Rimfire Machine PistolE282
Osorio Selectiva: A Nicaraguan .22 Rimfire Machine PistolMade by Señor Osorio in Nicaragua, this is a .22 rimfire caliber machine pistol with several clever design elements. It fires from an open bolt, using a .22-round Italian magazine of indeterminate origin. It has a selective trigger, with the top firing in full automatic (sliding rearward) and the bottom firing in semiauto only (pivoting). Aside from some sharp edges on the vz61-like folding stock, it is a remarkably well built and refined little pistol! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Bernardelli VB: Not Actually a Beretta 38 CopyE283
Bernardelli VB: Not Actually a Beretta 38 CopyThe Bernardelli company, known mostly for sporting arms, made an effort to break into the law enforcement/military/security market in the year after World War Two. This Model UB submachine gun was manufactured in 1948 and 1949, with a total of about 500 made. While it looks like a copy of the Beretta 38/42 at first glance, it actually differs in almost every detail. The receiver length is different, disassembly is different, sights, bolt handles, ejection ports, safeties, triggers, and recoil springs are all different and not interchangeable. At about this same time, Bernardelli also introduced tow different types of 9x19mm service pistol, which were similarly unsuccessful. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - SMG Comparison: Bernardelli VB vs Beretta Model 4E284
SMG Comparison: Bernardelli VB vs Beretta Model 4Yesterday we looked at the short-lived Bernardelli VB submachine gun made a few years after World War 2, and compared it to the post-war Beretta Model 4 SMG. Having seen how different the two guns really are, it's time to take them to the shooting range and see how they compare in actual firing... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Turkish Conehammer "Broomhandle" C96 MauserE285
Turkish Conehammer "Broomhandle" C96 MauserThe “cone hammer” was the first commercial version of the Mauser C96, so named for the stepped conical sides of its hammer. The C96 did not sell particularly well in the first few years after its introduction, and the only major bulk sale was to Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire, who bought 1,000 of the guns for his palace guard. These guns were numbered in Farsi in their own range from 1 to 1000, and were all sold with matching shoulder stocks. The order was signed in December of 1897 and the guns were shipped a few months later, in May of 1898. Under the Sultan’s rule, there was significant concern over potential military coups, and most arms were locked away in armories, including many of the C96 pistols. After the revolution in 1908/9, guns were more liberally distributed to the military and police, and these C96 pistols were issued out to both groups for service use. Some were used in combat in World War One, and after the war they were considered surplus, available for purchase inexpensively by Army or police officers. This meant that they saw a lot of use, and as a result few survive today, with many of them in rather rough condition. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Systema OBREGON: The Mexican Rotating-Barrel 1911E286
Systema OBREGON: The Mexican Rotating-Barrel 1911Patented by Alejandro Obregon in Mexico in 1934 and in the US in 1938, this pistol is an adaptation of the classic Browning 1911 to use a rotating barrel locking system. In addition, Obregon integrated a couple other clever elements. The safety lever and bolt stop were combined into a single part, in the process doing away with the need for the plunger tube on the side of the frame. The mainspring was made into a contain unit with the guide rod and spring plug, and a magazine safety was added through slight modification of the trigger bow and magazine catch. Only about 800 of these pistols were made, at the Fabrica de Armas factory in Mexico City. It was not adopted by the Mexican military (which used the M1911A1), and was relegated to private sales only. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - The Owen SMG: Looks Bad; Shoots GoodE287
The Owen SMG: Looks Bad; Shoots GoodThe Owen Gun is one of the really good submachine guns fielded during the Second World War, but is a very scarce gun to find today. I had a chance to briefly shoot one year ago, and when I had the opportunity to try one out at Morphy's, I jumped at it. Feeding from the top and ejecting out the bottom, and using a unique internal design that keeps the mainspring segregated from dirt and debris, the Owen was a famously reliable gun. It may look like a lot of rubbish, but it handles well and shoots well! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Shooting the AuSTEN MkI - Not Actually So Bad!E288
Shooting the AuSTEN MkI - Not Actually So Bad!I have read much about the Australian dislike for the Austen submachine gun, but until now I never had the chance to actually try shooting one. I did not have very high expectations, but the gun is actually pretty darn reasonable! It doesn't climb like I expected the stock would cause it to, and the pistol grips are a huge improvement over the Sten. The sights are not ideal, and the stock does wobble - but I didn't find anything that seems like it would justify the intense dislike for the gun in Australian military service. Now I'm curious to dig into this gun more and find out just what was at the root of the Aussie complaints. Perhaps it was simply a matter of reliability in less-then-ideal circumstances? http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Biggest Revolver Yet? A 10-Gauge Colt 1855...E289
Biggest Revolver Yet? A 10-Gauge Colt 1855...http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This ludicrously huge handgun is actually a 10-gauge Colt 1855 Revolving Shotgun with a cut-down barrel and a newly made grip frame. The backstop and trigger guard of the shotgun were handily reshaped into a grip frame, and the finished product actually looks nicely proportional - until you try to actually pick it up, of course. .The grip is filled with brass inlay, about a third of which are missing (possibly from the recoil of actually firing?). Despite the rather poor finish condition, the gun cycles smoothly, and appears to be fully functional. Just the thing for someone who wants to make the Colt Walker look puny! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Before the Lewis Gun was the McClean Automatic RifleE290
Before the Lewis Gun was the McClean Automatic RifleSamuel McClean was a medical doctor from Iowa who began tinkering with firearms designs in 1889, and formed the McClean Arms Company in 1896. He was an intelligent and talented designer, but never quite managed to get a gun good enough for military acceptance. His work included bolt actions rifles, self-loading shoulder rifles, machine guns, and self-loading cannons. By 1910 his company had gone bankrupt twice, and he was forced out by his investors. Isaac Newton Lewis was brought in, and turned McClean’s initial concepts into the ultimately-successful Lewis Machine gun. However, McClean made one least attempt to produce his own gun after World War One. This is the McClean Automatic Rifle, and it was tested by the US Navy in 1919 - and rejected. This pattern uses an operating system similar to McClean’s early work, and thus also quite similar to the Lewis gun. Instead of two large locking lugs, however, it has several dozen small lugs in two rows on each side of the bolt. The gas piston is also huge by modern standards; over an inch in diameter. The gun is unfortunately missing its magazine Still, it is the only example of the type known to exist, and probably the only one ever manufactured. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Origins of Constant Recoil: The Ultimax Mk3 (feat. Mae & a Yeti)E291
Origins of Constant Recoil: The Ultimax Mk3 (feat. Mae & a Yeti)The Ultimax light machine gun was developed by James Sullivan for the Singaporean military, and it is the first mass-production machine gun to be designed with the "constant recoil" system in which the bolt never impacts the rear of the receiver and the recoil impulse is felt as a continuous push instead of series of rapid impacts. So, is it really as good as people say? Let's find out - and let's get more than one opinion on the question. Thanks to Mae and Othais at C&Rsenal for appearing in this video! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClq1dvO44aNovUUy0SiSDOQ http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Transferrable? Pre-May? Post-86? Dewat? John Keene Explains...E292
Transferrable? Pre-May? Post-86? Dewat? John Keene Explains...http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I am speaking with retired Master Sergeant John Keene, who is the NFA specialist for the Morphy's. Specifically, we are discussing the terminology and categories of legal machine guns in the United States. From the very common misconception of a "Class III License" (which does not exist), to the variety of terms like pre-May, post-May, pre-86, post-86, transferrable, defat, deactivated, and so forth - what do they all mean? Who can buy a machine gun, and what is the legal process for doing so? It's a complicated topic, and hopefully this discussion will make things clearer! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Papers Behind the Pistol: Mauser's Archives on the Model 1910E293
Papers Behind the Pistol: Mauser's Archives on the Model 1910http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Courtesy of the Paul Mauser Archive, we have a very cool opportunity to look at the documentation and paperwork behind a production pistol design, from beginning to commercial sales. This sort of documentation is rare for pre-WW1 German small arms in general, and the Mauser Model 1910 pistol is a very rare example of a complete set of archival papers surviving. So, what we can look at is the whole development process form behind the scenes at Mauser. Initial design drawings, blueprints, glass-plate photography, internal assembly instructions, costing, corporate-level final approval, marketing, and final print manuals. Thanks to Mauro Baudino for supplying these original documents for me to show you! The Paul Mauser Archive (http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com/index.htm) is a wealth of information for researchers, and make sure to check out the recent book on Mauser coauthored by Mauro Baudino and Gerben van Vlimmeren: https://amzn.to/2LIXH3p Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Martyr of Verdun: Émile Driant's Command PostE294
Martyr of Verdun: Émile Driant's Command Posthttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Émile Driant was a French army officer who served originally as an aide to General Boulanger (and married his daughter). This connection would tarnish his career when politics forced Boulanger to resign (and shortly afterward commit suicide). It became clear that he would never rise much in rank, and in 1905 he resigned his commission. In 1910 he was elected to the French National Assembly, where he was still serving when was erupted in 1914. Driant was focused on French military readiness his entire life, and wrote extensively about potential future wars. In 1914, he was recalled to military service, although he retained his Assembly position. He was given command of a reserve unit of Chausseurs (infantry) in the quiet backwater Verdun sector, where he couldn't cause too much trouble to the military establishment. Through 1915 he watched Joffre remove men and guns from the forts around Verdun to reinforce more active areas of the front. He was intensely concerned that this was leaving Verdun a weak point ripe for German attack. As an officer, there was not much he could do about this except complain to his own commander - but as an active member of the National Assembly, he was able to bypass the military chain of command and take his concerns directly to the civilian government. This did nothing to endear him to Joffre, but the attention he brought did result in more defensive preparations being made in and around Verdun. On February 21st, 1916 Driant's warnings were proven true when the Germans launched the Battle of Verdun, which would become one of the most significant operations of the war for France. Driant and his 1200 Chausseurs were stationed in the Bois de Caures forest, right in the middle of the German offensive. His men fought valiantly to hold back the attack in their sector, but were reduced to less than 200 men combat- - Bill Ruger's Prototype WW2 Light Machine GunE295
Bill Ruger's Prototype WW2 Light Machine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In April 1940, the US Ordnance Department circulated a request for a new light machine gun to replace the Browning M1919A4. It was to be shorter and lighter than the Browning, and was not to be based on the Browning system (presumably the Department wanted to move on from the bulky and heavy 1919 system to something more modern). Being an optimistic and self-confident young engineer at the time, Bill Ruger figured, "How hard could it be?". He whipped up a design and took it to the Auto-Ordnance corporation, who promptly wrote up a contract to build the gun and submit it to trials. As it turns out - and as Ruger would later write - it could be quite hard to create a ground-up new design to beat John Browning's work in just 4 or 5 months (shocking!). When Ruger's gun was tested, it was found to have a few good aspects, but was generally unreliable and failed to complete the scheduled 10,000-round endurance test. All of the other guns in that trial failed for various reasons, though, and a second trial was scheduled, giving the manufacturers time to improve their designs. Ruger and Auto-Ordnance were unable to substantially correct the problems with the gun, however, and it did as badly in the second trial as it had in the first. Ultimately, a separate procurement process by the Infantry Department would result in the M1919A6 Browning, which was adopted for the role of light machine gun. This experience would serve Ruger well, as he would go on to do quite a lot more work with Auto-Ordnance before forming his own tremendously successful company. Thanks to the Cody Firearms Museum for allowing me access to film this one-of-a-kind machine gun! Check them out here: https://centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Q&A 34: Brought to you by ScotchE296
Q&A 34: Brought to you by Scotchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today's Q&A is brought to you by the Patrons who make Forgotten Weapons possible! Not actually by Glenlivet Nadurra (pelted cask) - although maybe that's why it went longer than normal. Our questions this month are: 0:00:50 - Why not post a series of videos all back-to-back? 0:02:58 - Most I have filmed in one day or trip? 0:05:21 - Self-cocking revolvers 0:06:32 - How much money to save for surplus rifles? 0:07:00 - Magazine safeties 0:09:24 - Example of the right gun at the right time 0:12:13 - Why not more revolver carbines? 0:14:30 - The one that got away? 0:15:40 - Simultaneous development of tilting bolt semi autos? 0:17:33 - My favorite Lee Enfield 0:18:37 - Would the USSR have benefitted from more SVT-40 rifles? 0:20:03 - My favorite modern pistol 0:20:34 - Would the vz.58 have benefitted from using AK magazines? 0:23:04 - What if Germany was first to invent smokeless powder? 0:25:15 - Will Headstamp publish a new version of my father's book? 0:26:25 - Disconnecting mainspring from bolt a la G41(M)? Recommended video (Dreyse 1910): https://youtu.be/IY-fbrzPS5U 0:28:46 - Why did Britain keep using military revolvers so long? 0:31:09 - M1E5 folding-stock Garand 0:33:42 - Book on British top-break revolvers Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ozgxf6 0:35:31 - Thoughts on the Gewehr 88 0:37:36 - Will the machine gun registry be reopened? 0:39:00 - Straight pull vs turnbolt 0:40:30 - My choice for hearing protection 0:41:59 - Best book for collecting Japanese rifles? Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Vuros9 0:43:08 - Modern red dot on a WWII rifle 0:44:26 - Can the public view the NFA registry? 0:44:48 - Ejection ports angled 45 degrees downward 0:45:30 - Rifle AA sights 0:46:48 - What gun made the 9x19 cartridge so popular? 0:47:27 - HK VP70 vs Mauser M712 0:48:43 - Modern toggle-lock pistol? 0:49:08 - Favorite .2 - Three Variations of Party Leader PPK PistolsE297
Three Variations of Party Leader PPK PistolsNote: I goofed on a detail here; "DRGM" is a trademark designation, not something related to the party. Sorry! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today, courtesy of Tom from Legacy Collectibles, we are taking a look at "party leader" PPK pistols. There are three different versions of these, and we will look at all of them in sequence. They are highly valued in the collecting community, and also extremely easy to fake, making authentication quite difficult. I will give you as much information as I can to assist in this, and Tom is happy to help (free of charge) as well. To see more about Legacy, check out their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Star Model 1914 at a Backup Gun MatchE298
Star Model 1914 at a Backup Gun Matchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This didn't come out as well as I was hoping (one of the stage videos got corrupted and the others don't show the shooting stages as well as I'd anticipated), but I will do better in future work. The gun, on the other hand, performed much better than I was expecting! The Star Model 1914 was a pistol purchased by the French army starting in 1915 as an emergency wartime substitute standard sidearm alongside the Ruby. The Star was a more expensive gun, but also higher quality than many of the Ruby clones. It is a single-action, simple blowback action chambered for .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) with a single-stack 9-round magazine. I did have to download the magazine to 8 rounds for it to be reliable, but that may well just the result of wear and tear on a century-old magazine. The match where I am shooting today is designed for backup guns, like compact automatics and snub-nosed revolvers. Each stage is designed for 5-10 rounds, with no mandatory reloads - which makes it a good venue for me to use a gun like, which I only have a single magazine for. Note that because of the wide variety non non-range-safe ways people carry backup guns, the match stages never begin with a live gun holstered. Instead, you substitute a dummy gun in your carry style of choice (for me today, a 1916 pattern French Ruby holster). At the buzzer, you draw the dummy gun and then swap it for your real gun. Overall, I placed much better than I had expected - tied for 4th out of 28 shooters! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Book Review: French Tanks of the Great WarE299
Book Review: French Tanks of the Great WarAvailable on Amazon: https://amzn.to/32a369F Having recently finished guiding a WW1 battlefield tour in France and Belgium, I found myself curious to learn more about the details of French tank development and service. We are used to seeing and hearing about the British tanks, but it was actually the French Renault FT-17 light tank that would set the future of modern tank development. The book I found was Tim Gale's "French Tanks in the Great War"; a history of both the development and combat use of the three models that saw French service (the Schneider, the St. Chamond, and the FT-17). The developmental story is not really technical in this book - it is focused instead on the logistic and organizational development of the tank service (the "Special Artillery"). The technical development is covered, but not in much detail. Where the book is loaded with detail is in the combat history of the tanks. From the Nivelle Offensive in 1917 through the end of the war, Gale describes the actions of the tank units deployed to each major unit. This information comes form the original after-action reports of the French military archives, and is loaded with details, often down to the actions of individual tanks. What we see from this is a very interesting evolution of French tank doctrine, from a shaky start when no-one had any experience in the employment of tanks (and when a poor performance could have jeopardized their whole existence) to the fall or 1918 when the art of tank employment (which was really the art of combined arms operation, including infantry, tanks, aircraft, and artillery together) was really coalescing as a proven doctrine. The ties to small arms are a bit slim, but the book does discuss German anti-tank weaponry and tactics, including the deployment in 1918 of the tankgewehr AT rifles. In my opinion, the understanding of tanks is essential to a proper well-rounded understanding of the First World War, but this is definitely not a book heavy on sm - Ross MkI: Canada's First Battle RifleE300
Ross MkI: Canada's First Battle Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Sir Charles Ross was heir to a very wealthy Scottish family, and was a talented if temperamental engineer. He took an interest in firearms and their design, and worked with American and English connections to produce a line of his own straight--pull sporting rifles. Upon returning from the Boer War he looked to expand into the military market. At this same time, the Canadian government was looking to replenish its arms supplies after the war, and requested Enfield rifles form the British. The request was turned down, as Britain did not have enough supply to spare any form the Canadians. The Canadians were expected to construct their own factory to make rifles oft he standard British pattern. Well, the Canadian government was not eager to invest that sort of capital into the project. They investigated buying arms elsewhere, but the consensus was that Canada's armaments should come from either Britain or from within Canada itself. No good solution was apparent until Sir Charles Ross stepped in. Ross offered to fund the construction of a factory himself, and use Canadian labor and industry to manufacture Ross rifles for the military. This seemed like an excellent solution - for zero initial cash outlay, the Canadian government would get rifles both designed and produced domestically! The rifles would be chambered for the standard .303 British cartridge, thus handling the British objections about arms compatibility (Ross pointed out that the British themselves used something like 7 different patterns of rifle at the time). In 1902, Ross and the Canadian government signed a contract for 12,000 rifles to be made in 1903 and 10,000 per year thereafter, at the price of $25 each. In addition to the Canadian military, the Royal North West Mounted Police also adopted the new Ross rifle. Deliveries did not actually begin until 1905, and when th