Forgotten Weapons
Season 2020
Host Ian McCollum goes over, disassembles, tests, and assesses some of history's most captivating and unorthodox firearms.
Where to Watch Season 2020
300 Episodes
- Chatting About Cannons & Tanks with Glenn FlemingE1
Chatting About Cannons & Tanks with Glenn Fleminghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When I arrived at DriveTanks.com down in Texas, I was happily surprised to find my old acquaintance Glenn Fleming working there as lead gunsmith. Glenn and I first met on the set of a certain TV show many years back, and he is a great guy - in marked distinction from the rest of the show's cast. Anyway, Glenn left the show shortly after my appearance (coincidence?) and has been working as a gunsmith since. For a while he ran a Youtube channel call the Gunner's Vault (https://www.youtube.com/user/ThegunnersVault/). Anyway, Glenn is now the head gunsmith for DriveTanks, doing fun and interesting things with machine guns and artillery, like rebuilding a 14.5mm KPV from a parts kit. He took a few minutes to chat with me about some aspects of shooting and working with tanks and artillery... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - H&K's Experimental SMG and SMG II for the US NavyE2
H&K's Experimental SMG and SMG II for the US Navyhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the 1980s, the US Navy requested a new submachine gun to replace the MP5 then in use. In particular, the Navy wanted a gun that was optimized for use with a suppressor. H&K built two models of experimental guns in the 1980s to meet this request, creatively named the SMG and SMG II. Both guns were hammer fired, closed bolt designs that used simple blowback actions. They had collapsing stocks similar to what would later be used on the MP7, and vertical front grips. The early pattern had a remarkably complex rear sight offering two different sets of range calibrations for subsonic and supersonic ammunition (out to 150m). The SMG II reverted to a more standard HK drum rear sight, but added a very interesting velocity-reduction system. A pressure vessel under the barrel was connected to the barrel via a set of holes just in front of the chamber, and when opened it would reduce chamber pressure and thus velocity. It could reportedly reduce muzzle velocity from 350 m/s (1150 fps) to 305 m/s (1000 fps), thus bringing it below the speed of sound. The Navy tested both models, and decided that neither warranted replacement of the MP5. No other sales were made of the designs, but much of the developmental work would be put into the UMP program that came afterward. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Soviet 122mm D30 Cannon (Firing)E3
Soviet 122mm D30 Cannon (Firing)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The D30 is a Soviet 122mm multi-role gun introduced in the 1960s and still in use around the world today. It has a somewhat unusual 3-leg mount that is slower to set up than a standard trail, but allows for complete 360-degree rotation of the gun. The piece was designed for both indirect fire (maximum range 15.4km; more with rocket-assisted munitions) or direct anti-tank fire. Note that it came with an armor shield for the crew, which was left off the gun for this trip to the range. Thanks to Battlefield Vegas for the chance to film this awesome cannon firing! It belongs to them, and will be set up at their facility for a pretty awesome rental firing experience if you are into that... http://www.battlefieldvegas.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - SS-Contract Walther PP and PPK PistolsE4
SS-Contract Walther PP and PPK Pistolshttp://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 Walther PP and PPK pistols made specifically for the SS. These guns comprised several special contracts, distinct from general military and commercial production. They were not the only such special contracts, as such arrangements were also made for organizations like railway security and bank guards. Tracing back these specific guns has been done by a group of researchers using the archives preserved by the American and German armed forces. If you would like more information or authentication of a Walther PP or PPK, Tom is happy to help (free of charge), and can be reached at info@legacy-collectibles.com . To see more about Legacy, check out their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw The specific variations are: PP Var 1: Non-P suffix slide, 997985 - 981212 PP Var 2: P Under serial, 124774P - 125168P PP Var 3: External numbered slide, high polish. Crown-N proofs, 114343P - 157923P. Eagle-N proofs, 161757P - 162691P, 193484P - 194201P, 202786P - 204905P PP Var 4: External numbered slide, military finish, 331xxxP - 333xxxP PPK Var 1: Muzzle numbered. RZM-marked, 838769 - 841397. Non-RZM, 844936 - 990787, 1001262 - 1002477, 192083K - 192925K PPK Var 2: K Under serial, 206019K - 234852K PPK Var 3: External numbered slide, high polish, 242844K - 330358K PPK Var 4: External numbered slide, military finish, 382985K - 426712K Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Short: Inspecting an RSC 1917 Gas SystemE5
Short: Inspecting an RSC 1917 Gas Systemhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The French Model 1917 RSC rifle has a rather unusual gas system, and without some experience it can be difficult to know what one is looking at in one. So today, we're taking a quick look at how to be sure all the essential parts are in place in an RSC. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - H&K's Hydrocephalic P7M10 in .40 S&WE6
H&K's Hydrocephalic P7M10 in .40 S&Whttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Everyone has an off day eventually, and for H&K one of those off days took the form of the P7M10. Introduced in 1991, the M10 was based on the frame and magazine body of the double-stack P7M13, with a .40 caliber barrel and a substantially increased slide mass. This extra mass was deemed necessary by Oberndorf engineers to safely handle the .40 S&W cartridge, although this was not a universally shared determination. In addition to slowing the opening of the slide, this extra mass substantially handicapped the pistol's handling, making it top-heavy and bulky. The effort had been aimed at law enforcement sales, for whom the .40 was a very popular cartridge at the time. The poor handling and looks of the gun prevented any major agency sales, and the gun was taken out of production in 1994 when the AWB passed. The ban prohibited importation of the P7M13, and while the M10 had legally-acceptable 10-round magazines, it was clearly a poor seller and was based not he M13 production infrastructure. With the M13 removed from manufacture, the M10 no longer made sense to build. Enough remained in inventory to list in H&K's 1995 catalog, but they were gone by 1996. The P7M10 is a scarce and collectible gun among a niche group today, simply because of its small production numbers. Thanks to H&K for letting me film in the Grey Room for you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Why Drum Magazines are a Bad IdeaE7
Why Drum Magazines are a Bad Ideahttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I often see questions form people asking why drum magazines are not more widely used - the BAR and the MP40/I in particular. People often view the box vs drum magazine question simply in terms of capacity - where the drum is obviously superior. However, there are several other elements to the question, and drums don't fare so well with most of them. Drum magazines are heavier, more expensive to make, and much more complicated to carry than simple box magazines. Drum magazines are a tempting idea, and they periodically pop up in military usage around the world. However, what I find telling is that virtually no military adopted two drums in a row. The US dropped the Thompson drums, the Finns went form a drum to a box magazine for the Suomi, the Soviets dropped the PPSh-41 drum in favor of a box mag on the PPS-43, and neither the Lewis nor DP was followed by another gun using their pan magazines. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Mauser-Norris Prototype: Origins of the Mauser LegacyE8
Mauser-Norris Prototype: Origins of the Mauser Legacyhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we are looking at one of the rarest and earliest rifles built by Paul and Wilhelm Mauser, a design which would set in motion all the events that led to the Mauser company becoming one of the great world leaders in small arms. The Mauser brothers were born in Oberndorf am Necker in the Kingdom of Württemberg, sons of a gunsmith. They would take up their father's trade and were creative and intelligent boys, but opportunities were limited in the small, rural town of Oberndorf. In 1865 they presented a rifle to the Austrian Army in Vienna for trials, where it was rejected. However, it was noticed by an American sales rep for the Remington Company, a man named Samuel Norris. Norris saw the potential in the Mauser brothers' design to convert needlefire rifles to metallic cartridges, and he signed a deal with the brothers to further develop the system. The Mauser's moved to Liege Belgium to do their work, and within just a few years they were making rifles for Norris. This example is based on a Chassepot, as Norris hoped to sell the conversion system to the French Army. That deal was rejected, however (the French were happy sticking with paper cartridges as of 1868), and Norris' plans began to unravel when the Remington company discovered that he was making dealings in his own name instead of for them. The Mauser brothers ended up walking away from the deal with ownership of the patents they had filed with Norris, and when they submitted the design to the Prussians a process began which would result in the Mauser Model 1871 being adopted. From there, their talents would lead to the whole line of Mauser repeating rifles culminating in the Model 1898, arguably the pinnacle of the bolt action military rifle. Thanks to the Liege Arms Museum for access to film this for you! If you - The Most 80s Gun Ever: COP 357 at the Backup Gun MatchE9
The Most 80s Gun Ever: COP 357 at the Backup Gun MatchGet your righteous sleeveless hoodie here: https://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons/products/fw-logo-stone-2-hoodie The C.O.P. (Compact Offduty Police) .357 was designed by Robert Hillberg, patented in 1983, and manufactured by COP Inc in California. It's a stainless steel, 4-barrel, .357 Magnum derringer. It's also an awful pistol to shoot. The trigger is one of the worst I've ever felt, recoil is sharp (although much more pleasant with .38 Special ammunition), and the barrels don't really shoot to the same point of aim...which is a bit tricky to find with the sights anyway. Naturally, this struck me as a perfect pistol to take to our local Backup Gun Match...and a perfect excuse to break out the headband and sleeveless hoodie! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Overview of Danish Schouboe .45 & .32 Caliber PistolsE10
Overview of Danish Schouboe .45 & .32 Caliber Pistolshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1903, Danish engineer Jens Schouboe began developing an automatic pistol for the Dansk Rekylriffel Syndikat in Copenhagen (later to become the Madsen company). He made the guns in both .32ACP and also in a proprietary Danish .45 caliber based (I believe) on the centerfire conversion of Denmark's 1867 pinfire revolver. The .45 cartridge used a wood-cored bullet of only about 55 grains weight, traveling at some 1600 fps. Schouboe's pistol was a simple blowback design with a shrouded hammer and 6-round magazine (10 round in the .32 caliber models). About 400 or 500 Schouboe pistols were made between 1903 and 1917, but never in a true mass production series. Every known example differs in small details, in addition to the existence of three major patterns (1903, 1907, and 1910, plus potentially a 1916 model). Today we're going to look at an assortment of Schouboes across this developmental timeline, including two presentation models and one with a holster stock. For more information, check out Ed Buffaloe's article on the Schouboe pistols: https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/Schouboe/schouboe.html Madsen-Rasmussen Rifles: Model 1888 - https://youtu.be/1i59rTpXfj4 Model 1896 - https://youtu.be/t62qMhanUHA Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Book Review: Browning Auto-5 ShotgunsE11
Book Review: Browning Auto-5 ShotgunsGet your copy direct from the publisher: https://www.wetdogstore.com/Browning-Auto-5-Shotguns-The-Belgian-FN-Production-0-9707997-6-4.htm Or on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MGxoLg I am normally more interested in military small arms than sporting ones, but the Browning Auto-5 is such an important firearm that it deserves the recognition of and proper small arms enthusiast. It was not only the first long recoil firearm, but also the first viable semiautomatic shotgun - and it remained very popular for many decades. H.M. Shirley, Jr and Anthony Vanderlinden teamed up to write the definitive reference work on the gun, covering everything from prototypes and Browning's patents as he designed it to the Japanese production almost a century later. The book begins with an excellent extended overview of the history of FN, John Browning, and their collaborations - a section which will be excellent reading for anyone not familiar with that history (and with lots of detail that many folks probably don't know). It then explains really every aspect of the gun's production and variation - proofing, barrel marks, different grades and options, mechanics, serial numbers and date codes, special models, engraving, and more. This really is a one-stop-shop for anyone interested in the FN production of the Auto-5! 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 85740 - Post-War Paris Police MAS 38 VariationE12
Post-War Paris Police MAS 38 Variationhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons At the end of World War Two, the Paris Police decided that they needed a few different features on a police submachine gun than the then-standard MAS 38 offered. A few hundred were converted to the new police requirements, interestingly mirroring the characteristics that would be used a few years later when the military adopted the MAT 49 to replace the MAS 38. These changes include a barrel shroud, collapsing wire stock, and a folding magazine well. In addition, a selector lever was added to allow semiautomatic fire (the original MAS 38 was full auto only). Thanks to the French Ministry of the Interior for providing me access to this MAS 38 to bring to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - SdKfz 2 Kettenkrad: Germany's Halftrack MotorcycleE13
SdKfz 2 Kettenkrad: Germany's Halftrack Motorcyclehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Sd.Kfz. 2 Kettenkraftrad (aka Kettenrad) is a deliciously German sort of vehicle, a small utility tractor made with a pair of treads and motorcycle front wheel. It was powered by a 4 cylinder Opel automotive engine generating 36 horsepower, and had a 3-speed gearbox with high and low range transfer case. Top speed was 44 mph, and it could tow about 1,000 pounds of ammunition or other supplies in a small 2-wheeled trailer, or directly tow light artillery pieces. The vehicle was developed in 1939, and in mass production in time to see substantial use in Operation Barbarossa; the German invasion of Russia. Although complex to maintain and expensive to produce, the Kettenkrad was quite well suited to the terrain and distances of the Eastern Front. As the war progressed and supplies became scarcer and artillery became heavier it was less universally useful, but remained in service until the very end of the war, tasked with jobs as mundane as towing aircraft at airfields. After the war, they were put into civilian agricultural service (much like the Jeep in the US). This example is in the rental fleet at DriveTanks.com, available for instruction and driving to anyone. It is one of my very favorite vehicles form World War Two, and I really appreciate DriveTanks giving me the opportunity to do some driving on it and show it to you! See all their available rentals here: https://www.drivetanks.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Star Z45: Spain's Improved MP40 Submachine GunE14
Star Z45: Spain's Improved MP40 Submachine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Z45 was a submachine gun designed during World War Two by the Start firm in Eibar, Spain for export sale to Germany as well as domestic Spanish use. It was heavily based on the MP40, including the same stock, telescoping mainspring guide/cover, and disassembly method as the MP40. To this, however, Star engineers added a progressive type trigger mechanism, a detachable barrel, and a moving firing pin to improve safety. No sales were actually made to Germany, but the gun was adopted by a variety of Spanish military and security organizations in 9mm Largo and also sold for export in 9mm Parabellum, .38 ACP, and .45 ACP. It remained in production into the early 1960s, when it was replaced by Star's new Z62 submachine gun. Many thanks to Movie Armaments Group in Toronto for the opportunity to showcase this Spanish SMG 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 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ians Top 5 SMGsE15
Ians Top 5 SMGshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Want one of these new sleeveless hoodies? Get it here: http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons One of the questions I got for this month's Q&A was, "what are your favorite submachine guns?" Well, I figured that would be a good idea for a standalone video instead of just a Q&A answer, so here we are! My top SMGs are: 5: vz61 Skorpion (honorable mention; more PDW than SMG) 4: M/31 Suomi 3: US M2 2: Beretta 38A 1: Gotta check out the video for that! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Real, Reworked, or Faked? Authenticating a C96 MauserE16
Real, Reworked, or Faked? Authenticating a C96 Mauserhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When you get into expensive historical firearms, values begin to diverge significantly for guns in particularly good condition. This, naturally, leads some people to take poor quality guns and make them better. Sometimes this is done with an innocent view to improving condition, and sometimes it is done with truly fraudulent intent (like renumbering parts). Today we are looking at two examples of WW1 German military C96 Mauser pistols to start to learn how to discern elements of a gun that have been repaired, improved, or outright fabricated. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Q&A #37: FNs in Korea and Suomis in Denmark (and more)E17
Q&A #37: FNs in Korea and Suomis in Denmark (and more)Q&A time again! As always, our questions are provided by Patrons of Forgotten Weapons. Want to ask a question? Sign up to support the channel: http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons 0:00:21 - Do I only drink Scotch? 0:02:03 - Belgian semiauto rifle at Chosin Reservoir? 0:03:54 - Do patent laws improve firearms design? 0:05:49 - Who do I like when I read fiction? Neal Stephenson on Amazon: https://amzn.to/36iq4gN 0:06:14 - Would it have been easier to make a reproduction StG45 than StG44? 0:08:33 - FG-42 controllability and its stock buffer spring 0:11:08 - Finnish submachine gun with he Danish Resistance? 0:12:10 - How do collectors afford machine guns? 0:16:13 - If France had not fallen in 1940, would the French have developed an intermediate cartridge rifle? 0:19:26 - When did the US military have the biggest advantage and biggest disadvantage in small arms? 0:23:44 - Was the MG42 really so good? 0:26:54 - Was the SKS really a good idea for Russia? 0:30:53 - Opinion on the new cheap Chinese semiauto shotguns? 0:32:35 - Did Japan show an interest in the StG-44? 0:35:16 - Explain the C&R License. 0:39:39 - Can you lock two FG42s together like MAS 36 rifles? 0:40:49 - Why wasn't the Maxim Pom-Pom used more in WW1? 0:43:39 - How do I get into different places to film? 0:46:43 - Are people biased in favor of their own nation's service rifles? 0:49:43 - Most interesting "forgotten ammunition" 0:50:54 - K&M M17S Bullpup 0:53:15 - Should the US Government reopen Springfield Armory (or something like it)? 0:56:43 - Why are museums like the Royal Armouries not open to the public? 0:59:56 - Why did the French never get rid of the Chauchat magazine holes? 1:02:14 - Did the US simplify weapons like the Axis "last ditch" things? 1:04:16 - What does my wife think of Forgotten Weapons? 1:05:52 - Are my "Only 3 Guns" still the PKM, WWSD, and Hudson9? Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons https://w - MAT 49-54 Police Submachine GunE18
MAT 49-54 Police Submachine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After the adoption of the MAT 49 as the standard French military submachine gun, elements of the French security services also adopted it to replace the 7.65mm MAS 38 submachine guns. These included the Paris Police, who developed a special variation of the MAT 49 for their use, designated the MAT 49-54. This model had a fixed wooden stock, a long (365mm / 14.4") barrel, and a new trigger mechanism with a semiauto trigger and a second full auto trigger with a special block to prevent unintentional use. Unlike the police model MAS 38 SMGs (which were rebuilt from standard guns), the MAT 1954 was produced as a special run by the Tulle arsenal from scratch. Only a few hundred were made. Thanks to the French Ministry of the Interior for allowing me access to this example to show you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Why Antitank Rifles Were Not Sniper RiflesE19
Why Antitank Rifles Were Not Sniper Rifleshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When talking about antitank rifles, I often hear people ask why such things were not fitted with telescopic sights and used as snipers' rifles. So today, I figured I'd take a few minutes to explain the various reasons why...starting with why Carlos Hathcock's scoped M2 Browning was not the same thing and does not apply to this question. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Swedish K: The Carl Gustav m/45B and the Port SaidE20
Swedish K: The Carl Gustav m/45B and the Port Saidhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons During the 1930s, Sweden acquired an assortment of different submachine guns, including Bergmanns, Thompsons, and Suomis. As World War Two progressed, they decided that they really needed to standardize on a single caliber and model of gun, and requested designs from both the Carl Gustav factory and Husqvarna. The Carl Gustav design won out, and was adopted as the m/45. It was a very simple open-bolt, tube-receiver, fixed-firing-pin design chambered for 9x19mm Parabellum ammunition. The original guns were built around Finnish Suomi magazines, both 71-round drums and 50-round "coffin" mags. After the war these were replace by a new 36-round traditional box magazine, and magazine well adapters were fitted to the guns which precluded the use of the larger mags. The new magazines were much more convenient to carry, less expensive, and more reliable. The name "Swedish K" comes form the full designation: Kulsprutepistol m/45. The guns were used by American special operations forces in Vietnam until the Swedish government stopped export sales to the US, at which point the Navy commissioned Smith & Wesson to produce the Model 76 submachine gun (essentially a copy of the m/45). The design was also licensed by Egypt, which also licensed the AG-42 Ljungman rifle at the same time. The Egyptian copy was called the Port Said, and shows the features fo the original Swedish m/45 pattern, where the guns in Swedish service were mostly updated to the m/45B pattern. Photo of m/45C with bayonet from: http://www.gotavapen.se/index_eng2g.htm Check them out for a ton of information on Swedish small arms! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - French Resistance 2-Gun: FG-42 & Mle 1935A (Prep for Desert Brutality)E21
French Resistance 2-Gun: FG-42 & Mle 1935A (Prep for Desert Brutality)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Next week is Desert Brutality 2020, the big annual 2-Gun "nationals". I'll be shooting it in the Classic division (guns from 1946 and earlier) this year, with an SMG semiauto FG-42 rifle and a French Modele 1935A pistol. This is my last chance to practice with the gear, so I'm shooting the regular monthly 2-gun match with it. Want to see how I do in the real match (6 stages over two days)? Subscribe to InRangeTV and you'll find out! https://www.youtube.com/inrangetvshow Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Remarkable Art Deco Style FN/Browning B25 ShotgunE22
Remarkable Art Deco Style FN/Browning B25 Shotgunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The B25 was introduced by FN in 1925; the last of John Browning's designs and the first successful over/under sporting shotgun. The one we are looking at today was created as a presentation piece for the celebrations in 1939 for the inauguration of the Albert Canal between Liege and Antwerp. As part of the festivities, the city of Liege hosted an Exposition of Water showcasing water-related technology - and FN was part of that Exposition. The gun was embellished in a wonderful Art Deco style, with its engraving done by Felix Funken, who would go on to head up FN's Custom Shop in the 1950s. Instead of checkering for the grip as one might expect, the wood is instead carved to emulate waves on water, creating a very interesting effect. This shotgun is part of the Liege arms museum's display of civilian arms, and I'd like to thanks them for taking it out of their display so I can show it to you! If you are in Liege, stop in and see the museum: https://www.grandcurtius.be Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Truth Behind the Great G36 ControversyE23
The Truth Behind the Great G36 Controversyhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Is the G36 a great rifle unfairly maligned? Or is it mealy and inaccurate? Let's look at the question, and find out what was really going on with the Great G36 Controversy. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Beretta 57: Italy Makes a .30 Carbine SMG for MoroccoE24
Beretta 57: Italy Makes a .30 Carbine SMG for Moroccohttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Model 57 is a select-fire carbine made by Beretta around the .30 Carbine cartridge. It uses a newly designed magazine much more durable that the American M1/M2 Carbine magazines, and has a tilting bolt locking system coupled with a gas tappet style of piston. Many of the features are distinctly Beretta, like the left side ejection and right side charging handle (like on the Beretta 38 submachine gun family) and the dual triggers (front for semiauto; rear for full auto). Only one contract was made for these carbines, to Morocco in the early 1960s. This is probably because of the ready accessibility of surplus M1 and M2 Carbines for any western-affiliated nation interested in the cartridge. 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/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Interview: Uli Wiegand of InterOrdnance on Importing Guns from AfricaE25
Interview: Uli Wiegand of InterOrdnance on Importing Guns from Africahttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Uli Wiegand is the President of InterOrdnance, and recently invited me to his facility to take a look at the first shipment from a huge batch of collectible firearms he spent 8 years working to import from central Africa. The cache includes all manner of models, including Enfields, Mausers, Carcanos, Gras, Lebel, vz52s, and much more. Amongst the bulk of standard models are a fascinating smattering of very rare and sometimes unique patterns. While the bulk of the guns will be sold through distributors, InterOrdnance will be directly selling the best and most interesting pieces themselves... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Royal NW Mounted Police Ross MkI Carbine & MkII RifleE26
Royal NW Mounted Police Ross MkI Carbine & MkII Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons One of the very early clients of the Ross Rifle Company was the Royal North West Mounted Police (later merged with the Dominion Police to form the RCMP). The Mounties purchased 500 Ross MkI carbines, which were actually the only factory-made Ross carbines ever produced. The guns were made in 1904 and delivered in 1905 - and quickly began to show problems. In particular, the bolt stops were unreliable and many springs had poor temper and lost strength. The RNWMP complained to Ross, who agreed to replace the carbines with new MkII Ross rifles. Those new rifles did not arrive until 1909, and in the intervening years the police went back to issuing their old Lee Metford carbines. When they did finally get new rifles, the police commissioner was leery of their quality, and chose to hold them in storage at Regina headquarters and used for training and marksmanship competition only until he was confident that they were suitable for issue to his troopers. Before that confidence could be gained, however, a fire in the Regina warehouse destroyed all but 34 of them. Ultimately, the force was able to purchase Lee Enfield carbines form the British government in 1914, and never did successfully issue a Ross. Many thanks to the collector who provided these original RNWMP guns for me to show you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - MAS 49-56 in a 2-Gun MatchE27
MAS 49-56 in a 2-Gun Matchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons A while back, I ran a 2-Gun match on my own with my MAS 49-56 (and a plain Glock 19), including the original APX L806 optic. It was not a particularly complex match, but it was fun to give the 49-56 a whirl. Takeaways: - The 10-round magazines of the MAS family are definitely a hindrance in competition. Both the small capacity and the very slow nature of the period web gear, thanks to the external magazine latches. - The trigger is also not very good. - The APX L806 optic is good and durable, and does allow use of iron sights while mounted. It has a fairly small field of view by modern standards, which can be a problem at closer ranges. My final score was 30th out of 40 shooters. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Evolution of the Military Mauser HSc PistolE28
Evolution of the Military Mauser HSc Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Mauser had been at the forefront of military self-loading pistol design with its C96 pistol, but by the 1930s it had lost major market share to Sauer and Walther in police and commercial guns. The Mauser 1910/1914/1934 line of compact pistols was getting a bit old, and the Sauer 38H and Walther PP/PPK were very popular. Mauser want to produce a new offering, and they tasked a very young (25 at the beginning of the project) engineer named Alex Seidel with it. Seidel would go on to be one of the founding partners of Heckler & Koch, and his work on the HSc would heavily influence the HK4 pistol several decades later. The HSc was carefully designed to avoid infringing on other patents, particularly Walther's. It was a double action, blowback system chambered for .32 ACP (and later .380). The initial guns were ready in 1938, but it took until 1940 to secure government permission to put them into production. Once available, they were sold to the German Army, Navy, various police forces, and on the commercial market - with a total of about 272,000 made by the end of the war (including about 15,000 made under French occupation of the Mauser factory complex). Today, we will be looking at a preproduction prototype, early low-screw model, standard early and late war production (to exhibit the decline in finish quality as the war progressed), and a 1942 stamped slide experimental version that would inform later Volkspistole designs. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - How to Become a Professional Gun DesignerE29
How to Become a Professional Gun Designerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The introductory clip was from my interview with Tony Neophytou, a talented and successful South African firearms designer (his work includes the Neostead 2000, Inkunzi PAW, and NTW-20 rifle). He doesn't mince words; it's a very difficult field to succeed in - and I regularly get inquiries from high school and college students asking how they can do what he has done. My answer, in short, is that is you enjoy hands-on fabrication you should get an education as a machinist. If you don't enjoy that work, you should pursue a career unrelated to guns and make them your hobby. I think that has a much better chance of leading you to happiness and success. For a more detailed written take on the question, I would refer you to my blog post on the subject: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/how-to-become-a-professional-gun-nerd/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Rifles of Emperor Menelik II: Ethiopian Gewehr 88 and Karabiner 88E30
Rifles of Emperor Menelik II: Ethiopian Gewehr 88 and Karabiner 88http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1889, Emperor Menelik II ascended to power in Ethiopia, and would rule for 20 years, moving Ethiopia (aka Abyssinia) forward into the modern age. He brought railways, sewer systems, telegraph lines, and other modern amenities to the country, particularly the capital of Addis Ababa. In addition, Menelik II was a very capable logistician and military strategist, and decisively defeated an Italian colonial invasion at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. This victory was made possible by Ethiopian acquisition of modern arms of many types. Early support came from Orthodox Russia in the form of Berdan rifles, but other arms would flow into the country as well, including Gewehr 88 and Karabiner 88 rifles and carbines. These two are marked in Amharic as Menelik’s property, and are a part of what allowed Ethiopia to be the only major African nation not colonized by Europe. Thanks to InterOrdnance for giving me access to these rifles to bring to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Bavarian Lightning: The 1869 Werder PistolE31
Bavarian Lightning: The 1869 Werder PistolThis is a lot in the upcoming February 2020 Morphy Field & Range auction. Adopted by Bavaria in 1869, Johann-Ludwig Werder’s breechloading rifle was a brilliant piece of engineering, offering an automatically ejecting falling-block system with a remarkably high effective rate of fire and a wonderfully modular system of parts. Removing a single screw releases the entire breech and fire control system as a self-contained unit for easy maintenance and servicing. The Werder was made in rifle, carbine, and pistol form, with the carbines and pistols chambered for an 11x35mm short cartridge (340 grain bullet over 66.4 grains of black powder), while the rifle used an 11x50mm cartridge (386 grain bullet over 66.4 grains of black powder). The rifles saw a relatively short service life, as attempts to convert them to 11mm Mauser (11x60) were plagued by problems (the Mauser cartridge being substantially more powerful than the original Werder cartridge). The pistols and carbines were not converted in this way, but left service at the same time that the rifles did. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - SIG 44/16: The Best Service Pistol, But The Road Not TraveledE32
SIG 44/16: The Best Service Pistol, But The Road Not Traveledhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When SIG was developing the pistol that would ultimately be adopted as the m/49 by the Danish Army and the P49 by the Swiss Army (P210 commercially), they initially experimented with both single stack and double stack variations. Today, we will take a look at a SIG 44/16, the double stack version - both on the table and out at the range. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - DTM: The Soviet Tank Version of the DP-27 LMGE33
DTM: The Soviet Tank Version of the DP-27 LMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Almost as soon as the Degtyarev DP-27 was put into Soviet military service, variations were developed for aircraft (DA) and tank (DT) use. The tank pattern we have here is actually a later improved DTM model, but it shares most features with the DT. It has a collapsing stock to save space inside a vehicle, and a pistol grip in place of the more traditional DP stock and grip (the original DA and DT pistol grips would be implemented on the infantry DPM in 1944). The stock is crenelated to allow for different lengths, and these crenellations make it quite uncomfortable to use as a cheek rest, unless you put your hand between the stock and tour face. The DT/DTM also discards the barrel jacket of the DP, and instead mounts a larger round bracket to fit the ball mount of a tank. It uses a 60 round drum instead of the 47-round infantry type, and the two are not interchangeable - the tank guns can only use the smaller-but-taller tank drums. The rear sight is higher than the DP to rise above the taller drum, and the front sight is a removable unit that is not used when the gun is mounted in a vehicle. The bipod and front sight comprise the dismounted-use kit, to allow the gun to be salvaged from a disabled tank. DT machine guns were mounted in pretty much ll the early Soviet World War Two tanks, including the T-26, T-34, and KV-1. Uncomfortable stock and tall bipod aside, they are quite good guns, and were used extensively by Finns who captured them during the Winter War. I'd like to thank DriveTanks.com for giving me the opportunity to bring you their 3.7mm Pak! They have a very cool collection of armored vehicles, artillery, and machine guns available for rental in Texas; check them out: http://www.drivetanks.com Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, A - "System Mauser" - The Very First C96 PistolsE34
"System Mauser" - The Very First C96 Pistolshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The very first group of C96 pistols made. -about 200 in total - are called "System Mauser" pistols. They have this hand-engraved on the top of the barrel, and have a number of other very early features that would quickly change. Most of these changes involve lightening the gun, but they also have a distinctive stepped barrel and a holster/stock that opened to the left; the opposite of all the later standard holsters. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Arming the Lion of Judah: Ethiopian FN Mauser Rifles & CarbinesE35
Arming the Lion of Judah: Ethiopian FN Mauser Rifles & Carbineshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1930, Haile Selassie I became Emperor of Ethiopia (aka Abysinia), and would rule for almost 45 years, with a brief exception when the country was occupied by fascist Italy. During that time, he paid particular attention to Ethiopia’s military strength. As part of his coronation celebration he toured Europe, including the factory works at FN in Belgium. Selassie developed a good relationship with the Belgians, and in the mid 1930s he would place several orders for arms and equipment from FN (and also hired Belgian military advisors to help train his army). In particular, Ethiopia purchased 17,500 FN Model 1930 rifles and 7,500 Model 1930 carbines, which we are looking at here. The Ethiopian guns are basically identical mechanically to standard 1898 Mausers. The Ethiopian carbines are unusual in not having side mounted sling attachments, and they have a unique serial number placement. In order that the numbers could be read while the guns were in racks, the serial numbers are in very large numerals on the receiver bridge, not alongside the chamber as typical. Both rifle and carbine also have a distinctive Ethiopian crest on the receivers. Because Ethiopia did not have the technical expertise to proof the guns themselves, they hired the Belgian military to do so on their behalf; a service that FN and Belgium offered at the time. Thanks to InterOrdnance for giving me access to these rifles to bring to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Preview Day at RIAE36
Preview Day at RIAhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today is Preview Day for RIA's February 2020 Sporting & Collector auction. They have more than 11,200 guns that will be auctioned off over the course of four days - they most they have ever done in a single auction. Despite how long I have been filming here, I've never actually attended one of the auctions myself...and this seemed like a fine time to finally do that (and it didn't hurt that I was heading here anyway to film for their next Premier auction). So, here's what a Preview Day looks like. It's open to the public, so anyone interested in bidding can come in and look at all the items in person to assess their condition and check any details that weren't discussed in the catalog or photos. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - RIA February 2020 Special: Venezuelan and Argentine FN49sE37
RIA February 2020 Special: Venezuelan and Argentine FN49shttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today at RIA, a quick look at a pair of FN-49s - one Venezuelan pattern in 7x57mm, and one Argentine Navy model in 7.62mm NATO using detachable mags (the only variant of FN-49 to do so). Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - RIA Feb 2020 Special: Field-Modified Mannlicher 1888 CarbineE38
RIA Feb 2020 Special: Field-Modified Mannlicher 1888 Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today's quick RIA look is a Mannlicher 1888 that was cut down to carbine length and adapted to fit a Type 30 Japanese Arisaka bayonet. Most likely done in China in the teens or twenties, but impossible to say for sure. Very neat! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - RIA Feb 2020 Special: Mystery Spanish RevolverE39
RIA Feb 2020 Special: Mystery Spanish Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today's quick look at RIA is a Spanish revolver that I can't identify. The proof stamps indicate that it was made in 1931, and it has an unusual cylinder latch that looks like a loading gate, but isn't. It's marked 8mm (8mm French Ordnance, or something else?), and has a 7-shot cylinder. Perhaps someone watching will recognize the pattern? Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - RIA Feb 2020 Special: Sporterized M1 CarbineE40
RIA Feb 2020 Special: Sporterized M1 Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Our final quick video from RIA this weekend is a look at a sporterized M1 Carbine - but one that was actually done quite nicely! I would never suggest that someone cut up an intact collectible firearm to do something like this, but once it's already done there is no reason to automatically dismiss it. While most sporterization is cringe-worthy at best, this particular M1 Carbine is an example of how it can be done well. Everyone who picked it up found themselves really liking it... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - FN Grand Browning: The European 1911 that Never HappenedE41
FN Grand Browning: The European 1911 that Never Happenedhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When John Browning licensed his handgun patents, the North American rights were granted to Colt, and the Western European rights to FN in Belgium. Browning provided the patents and patent model guns to the companies, and they were then free to interpret the design however they thought best. In the case of the shrouded-hammer blowback system, the Colt interpretation (the Pocket Hammerless) was a civilian concealed pistol in .32ACP, while the FN interpretation (Model 1903) was a substantially larger gun in 9x20 Browning Long intended for military service. The locked-breech patent was the same. Colt developed it into the Model 1911 adopted by the US military, and FN built a slightly smaller version in 9.65x23mm intended for European military service. However, while the Colt pistol became tremendously popular, FN's development was disrupted by World War One, and never completed in its aftermath. Only a couple dozen examples of the Grand Browning, as it was called, were made before the war, and just a few survive today. We will never know how European militaries would have responded to a Browning locked-breech pistol at the time... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Q&A #38: Short-recoil SMGs and Kimber Model 1907 .45sE42
Q&A #38: Short-recoil SMGs and Kimber Model 1907 .45shttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons 00:45 - Rifles with 3-dot pistol style sights? 01:56 - Why not more short-barreled machine guns, if barrel length doesn't impact accuracy? 03:53 - Is bolt/carrier mass important in a roller delayed system? 04:45 - How do I maintain my gun collection? 06:01 - Recoil reduction in rifles 07:20 - If the Savage .45 had been adopted, would we have Kimber 1907s today? 09:16 - What would today's Sten gun look like? 10:53 - What are my hobbies outside guns and whiskey? 12:26 - Gun lubricant recommendations 13:57 - Were US servicemen in WW2 allowed to carry non-regulation sidearms? 15:15 - What non-firearm weapons have I studied? 16:28 - What are the best deals in the NFA market today? 19:54 - Do I plan cannon videos in advance or just film them at moments of availability? 21:38 - Guns I would refuse to film? 23:32 - What does a proof mark really mean? 25:16 - Etymology of "carbine" in a post-horse military world? 26:32 - M1 Carbine improvements, and the 5.7 Spitfire cartridge 29:50 - Can SMGs really fire when dropped, like in True Lies? 32:16 - Why not more bullpup SMGs? 33:57 - Unusual magazine types 37:21 - 3D printing of guns today by major companies 39:10 - Weird mechanisms I have not yet filmed 40:16 - Mag-fed vs belt-fed squad automatic weapons today 41:35 - Could the AR-10 have won its US trials if Stoner had more development time? 43:49 - Thoughts on the Ruger 57 pistol 44:51 - Why did England use the Webley revolver for so long? 45:58 - Why are so many modern AKs in 7.62x39 and not 5.45mm? 46:51 - How do more modern firearms effect troop training? 49:08 - English-language resource on 7.62x39mm cartridge development 50:00 - Century .308 conversion of the MAS 49-56 51:33 - Bullpup shotguns 52:31 - Any successful short recoil SMGs? Contact: Forgotten - A Unique Partnership: Czech Mausers for Ethiopia after WWIIE43
A Unique Partnership: Czech Mausers for Ethiopia after WWIIhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After World War Two, the Czech economy was in serious need of money to recover from the ravages of war. The arms factory at Brno was not bound by the same restrictions as German manufacturers, and still had a production line for the Mauser K98k, which they had been making for the Wehrmacht. Eager to bring in some hard currency, Brno continued to produce rifles on that German tooling, and sold them internationally. One of the not well known buyers was Israel, but another was Ethiopia (which also acted as the transit point for the shipments bound for Israel). These rifles used remaining inventory of receivers already marked with German arsenal codes, as well as other parts that had been manufactured during the war, so some will have waffenamt’d small parts. The trigger guards and magazine floor plates presented a problem, however, as these had been supplied by German factories during the war. So, Brno tooled up its own design, with a stamped floor plate reminiscent of the American 1903A3 and a large stamped trigger guard to allow for use with thick gloves. On this Ethiopian contract, a stock disc was added to each right stamped with an image of St George slaying the dragon, an Ethiopian national symbol. Thanks to InterOrdnance for giving me access to this rifle to bring to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ian and Joel Chat About Auctions and Gun CollectingE44
Ian and Joel Chat About Auctions and Gun Collectinghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Joel from the Rock Island Auction Company and I take a few minutes away form their recent auction to shoot the breeze ab out auctions, collecting, and the state of the younger generations in the hobby... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The FAL for British Troop Trials in 1954: X8E1 & X8E2E45
The FAL for British Troop Trials in 1954: X8E1 & X8E2http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The NATO rifle trials of the early 1950s eventually chose the 7.62mm x 51mm cartridge, and the British and Belgians agreed on the FAL rifle to shoot it (and they thought the US would as well, but that's another story). The British government formally accepted the FAL for troop trials, and in 1954 an order for 4,000 X8E1 rifles (with iron sights) and 1,000 X8E2 rifles (with SUIT 1x optical sights) was placed. These rifles were mechanically the same as what would be finalized as the L1A1 rifle, but they include a number of differing features. Both models had 3-position selector switches allowing automatic fire, and they also had manual forward assists on the bolt handles. The iron sights rights had top covers with integrated stripper clip guides, as there was concern that troops would have to manually reload their magazines, and stripper clips would speed this process up. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film these very scarce trials rifles! 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 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Type 94 Nambu at the Backup Gun MatchE46
Type 94 Nambu at the Backup Gun Matchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Type 94 Nambu pistol is best known for the exposed sear that allows it to be fired by pressing on the side of the gun. This is actually not really the safety issue it's usually made out to be, but that's a point for another video. Today, I took a Type 94 to my local Backup Gun Match. This match has stages intended for limited capacity, close range guns, and is a great chance to do some quasi-practical shooting with guns like this one. Unfortunately, the Precision Cartridge ammunition I used for this match was inconsistent and underpowered, leading to several malfunctions (I should have made a point to get Steinel 8mm Nambu...). Other than that, the gun was very nice to shoot - it has a good trigger, small sights, and is much more comfortable to handle than it looks like it would be. It is also a more durable gun than the much nicer-looking Type 14 Nambu, and it's smaller size made it more convenient for the pilots, tank crews, and others who carried it. I chose to shoot the match with an issued katana as well, which forced me to shoot one-handed... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Prototype .280 FAL from 1950s NATO TrialsE47
The Prototype .280 FAL from 1950s NATO Trialshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After World War Two, the new NATO defense alliance held a series of trials to adopt a standard cartridge and infantry rifle. This would eventually devolve and the goal of a standardized rifle would be abandoned, but during the early trials there were three main contenders: the British EM-2, the American T-25, and the Belgian FAL. The Fusil Automatique Leger was designed by Dieudonne Saive and originally presented to the British government in 8mm Kurz, before being scaled up to accommodate the British request to use the .280 cartridge. A small number of these prototype FAL rifles in .280 were delivered by FN, and used in the 1950 NATO rifle trials. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this very scarce trials 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 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Truth About the Type 94 Nambu "Surrender Pistol"E48
The Truth About the Type 94 Nambu "Surrender Pistol"http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons If there is a historical military firearm out there as badly misunderstood as the Chauchat, it is probably the Type 94 Nambu pistol. Nambu designed this pistol with an exposed sear bar, which was not a great idea - but it was also nowhere near as bad of an idea as many people think today. In fact, the Type 94 was preferred by many Japanese officers because it was smaller, lighter, and more reliable than the Type 14 Nambu that preceded it. So let's take a closer look, and see if we can bring some reality to this unfairly maligned pistol... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Last of the Czech Mausers: the East German TGF1950 Goes to EthiopiaE49
Last of the Czech Mausers: the East German TGF1950 Goes to Ethiopiahttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The last batch of Mauser K98k rifles made by Brno after World War Two was a run in 1950 for East German border guards. These rifles have receivers marked “tgf 1950” in a style just like the wartime German arsenal codes, but where the codes were random letters, this one stands for “Tschekoslovakische Gewehr Fabrik” or Czechoslovak Rifle Factory in German. The rifles are very rare in the US, having remained in East Germany until the late 1970s, when a relationship developed between the new socialist government in Ethiopia and the DDR. A batch of the tgf 1950 Mausers was supplied to Ethiopia as military aid around this time. Thanks to InterOrdnance for giving me access to these rifles to bring to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - How to Import Guns into the US (Legally!)E50
How to Import Guns into the US (Legally!)I have had a bunch of people ask me what the process is for legally importing firearms into the US. I have gone through this process now a couple times over the past few years, and I think I have a good enough understanding to give you an overview. If you are interested in importing a firearm, the two things to know are that (1) it is possible to legally do this, and (2) it will be pretty expensive to do. The customs broker I use is Polaris Worldwide Logistics (http://www.polaris-logistics.com/). They were one of the supporters of Desert Brutality, and my import experience with them has been the best of any of the several companies I have used. I would highly recommend them if you are looking to get into this process. You can reach them via the head of their firearms department, Les Winner, at les.winner@polaris-logistics.com. Some resources that will be useful in this process: ATF Import Guide: https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/guide/atf-guidebook-importation-verification-firearms-ammunition-and-implements-war/download Form 6: https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/form/form-6-part-1-application-and-permit-importation-firearms-ammunition-and/download Form 4590 (handgun requirements): https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/form/atf-form-4590-factoring-criteria-weapons/download http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Forced-Air Cooling in an Experimental Ross Machine GunE51
Forced-Air Cooling in an Experimental Ross Machine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In addition to building three main patterns of straight-pull bolt action rifle for the Canadian military and the commercial market, Sir Charles Ross also experimented with self-loading rifles. Starting with a standard Ross Mk III, this experimental rifle has a gas piston and trigger to allow automatic fire and a very neat forced-air cooling system. A one-way ratchet mechanism (now broken, unfortunately) spins the fan when the bolt cycles, pushing air into a barrel shroud similar to that of a Lewis gun. This rifle was most likely made in 1915 or 1916 with an eye to a military light machine gun or automatic rifle contract - which never happened. Thanks to the Canadian War Museum for providing me access to film this Ross for you! https://www.warmuseum.ca Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - 106mm M40 Recoilless Rifle, History and FiringE52
106mm M40 Recoilless Rifle, History and Firinghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The M40 was the final and largest iteration of the recoilless rifle in American military service. Designed to fix the shortcomings of the 105mm M27 that preceded it, the M40 was light and powerful, and added a .50 caliber spotting rifle to assist in being able to make first-round hits. The massive backlist of a recoilless rifle dictates that a crew generally only has one chance to make a hit before they must relocate to avoid retaliatory fire. Thanks to Hamilton & Sons Firearms for permission to film their M40 and bring it to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - High Standard's Prototype World War One .45 ACP PistolE53
High Standard's Prototype World War One .45 ACP Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The High Standard company only made on .45 caliber pistol, and it was an improvement on the Grant Hammond pistol tested by the US military during World War One. After his gun's rejection by the military, it appears that Grant Hammond took the design to his friend "Gus" Swebelius who ran High Standard, to see if they could make it into a viable commercial product. The locking system was changed a bit and this prototype was made, but development and production ended there. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - How the 1911 Got Its Safeties - and Why Its Ancestors Had NoneE54
How the 1911 Got Its Safeties - and Why Its Ancestors Had Nonehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Some people put a lot of weight on the fact that the 1911 has a grip safety and a thumb safety...but I don't think many folk understand how it ended up that way. John Browning's first self-loading pistols had very different safeties...and often, no safety at all. So today, let's look at the guns that led up to the 1911 - the 1900, 1902, 1903 (Hammer and Hammerless) and 1905, as well as the US military trials pistols from 1907, 1909, and 1910, and see what they can tell us about the standards and practices of the time. (Thanks to Tam for the inspiration to film this!) Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - French Air Force Snipers: the FR-G1 and FR-G2E55
French Air Force Snipers: the FR-G1 and FR-G2http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When St Etienne developed the FR-F1 sniper rifle, all the branches of the French military were given the opportunity to purchase them - and the Army, Navy, and Gendarmerie did. The Air Force, decided that it didn't need any, though. Until about 20 years later, when they decided that they did, in fact, want some precision rifles. By that time the FR-F production lines were all shut down, and so the Air Force had to find an alternative solution. That solution was to simply build a very similar precision rifle on a standard MAS 36 receiver. They did so in the 1990s, and the result was the FR-G series. The G1 pattern used the FR-F1 style of bipod and the G2 pattern used the FR-F2 type of bipod. Only about 600 were made in total, and they were replaced starting in 2013 with the H&K 417. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Movie Review: 1917E56
Movie Review: 1917http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I have had a bunch of requests to comment on the recent movie 1917 by Sam Mendes, and I finally had a chance to watch it... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - H&K UMP: An H&K SMG Made for .40 and .45E57
H&K UMP: An H&K SMG Made for .40 and .45http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons H&K introduced the UMP (universal machine pistol) in an effort to attract sales from American law enforcement by offering a modern submachine gun in .45 ACP and .40 S&W calibers. The MP5 was and remains an extremely popular SMG, but it has never been made in .45 caliber, and that was seen as a popular option in the United States. The UMP was designed as a thoroughly modern gun with polymer upper and lower assemblies and a blocky, easy-to-machine bolt. It does retain the closed bolt operation of the MP5, providing much improved single-shot and first-shot accuracy compared to most SMGs. It was designed initially for .45 caliber, and then barrels, bolts, and magazines followed for .40 S&W (which was popular at the time) and 9mm Parabellum. The rate of fire in .45 is relatively slow (about 500 rpm), although it is faster in 9mm (more like 600 or 650 rpm). Sales have been primarily in the larger calibers in the US, but a number of security agencies in Europe have purchased UMPs in 9mm. Thanks to H&K USA for access to bring this UMP to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - FAMAS PGMP w/ EOTech in a Team 2-Gun MatchE58
FAMAS PGMP w/ EOTech in a Team 2-Gun MatchMy book is now in stock and shipping! Order your copy here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book The PGMP (Poignée Garde-Main Polyvalente) handguard assembly is the original modification to allow mounting of optics to the FAMAS rifle. The FAMAS handguard was not designed to hold an optic, and is not nearly stable enough to retain zero. The PGMP adds a hefty metal block to secure the optics rail to the body of the rifle, and also includes a mounting point for a laser designator or other accessory on the side of the handguard. These are used with a variety of optics in French military service, including Scrome 4x scopes and EOTech holographic sights (the Army is purchasing Aimpoiint CompM5 red dots for the new 416F rifles). The Scrome is extremely rare in the US, so I chose to set it up with an EOTech. It has a very high cheek weld (chin weld, really), but it does work alright. Today's match is a two-main team setup, where booth shooters engage different sets of targets simultaneously, and the team's time ends when both sets of targets are neutralized. On the handgun section (the second half of each stage), the faster shooter can help complete his partner's targets is opportunity allows. Thanks to Jordan for joining me for this match, as Karl was not able to attend. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - Military Trials Beretta 34 - Can You Make it More Walther?E59
Military Trials Beretta 34 - Can You Make it More Walther?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the Italian military was looking for a new sidearm in the early 1930s, they really liked the pistol submitted by Beretta - but they also really liked the Walther PP. During the development process, the military requested that Beretta add a Walther-style slide-mounted safety to the Model 1934. That is the model that Beretta began making for the initial military trials contract of 650 guns, but partway through they were told to drop it (much to the relief of Beretta engineers, I expect). As a result, only a few hundred of these early dual-safety models were made. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - How Does It Work: Roller LockingE60
How Does It Work: Roller Lockinghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Roller locking is a system that is not used in many guns and often confused with roller-delayed blowback - which is understandable, given the similarities between the systems. Roller locking is really a sub-type of flapper locking mechanism. It was most significantly used in the MG42, and also in the Czech vz.52 pistol. In essence, it uses rollers in place of flaps to lock the bolt and barrel securely together during firing, and depends on an external system (short recoil, in the case of the MG42 and vz.52) to unlock before it can cycle. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Canadian Ross MkIII Sniper Rifle with Warner & Swasey ScopeE61
Canadian Ross MkIII Sniper Rifle with Warner & Swasey Scopehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Canadian infantry that went to Europe in the early years of World Wa rOne were equipped primarily with the Ross MkIII rifle. The Ross would become quite the scandal, and was replaced in service with the SMLE in 1916 - but as a sniper rifle the Ross excelled. Its problems in service were largely based on poor quality ammunition, and this was not an issue for the sniper corps. In addition, Great Britain was having enough trouble equipping its own snipers to have any extra scoped rifles to hand over to the dominions. And so, the Canadians modified 500 Ross rifles into a sniper configuration using American-sourced Warner & Swasey M1913 "Musket Sight" scopes. These were 5x magnification prismatic scopes, also used by American forces on the M1903 sniper rifle and the M1909 Benet-Mercie machine guns. The scope was not very good, suffering from fogging and other issues, but it was available. The Canadian rifles were made in two batches of 250 each, one in 1915 and one in 1917. This was actually more rifles than needed, and many of them (including the two in this video) remained in Canada for training (and were used at least until 1942). Canadian Warner & Swasey scopes can be identified by three elements. They have elevation dials marked out to 2400 yards, serial numbers between 1 and 500, and no data plate on top. Canadian scope cases are marked with the serial numbers of the scope and the rifle they were issued with. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ian Reviews the Greatest Book Ever: Chassepot to FAMASE62
Ian Reviews the Greatest Book Ever: Chassepot to FAMASAvailable only direct from Headstamp Publishing: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book I am very excited to finally be able to formally present to you Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016! After about 3 years of work, it's finally here and shipping. My goal with this book was to create a reference guide that would allow someone to identify any French military rifle they would encounter, be it in museums, gun shows, auction, and collections.It covers military rifle designed and built in France, and has 10 chapters comprising more than 530 pages: Chassepot, Gras, Kropatschek, Lebel, Berthier, RSC, MAS 36, MAS semiauto, FR, and FAMAS. within each chapter is a history of the design, variations, markings, production dates and totals, combat use, bayonets, mechanics, and more. The photography is outstanding, and it really shows. James Rupley's efforts in that area have made it the best-looking firearms reference book ever published, if I may be so bold as to make that claim. This is not a typical book full of dark black-and-white photos. While there are a few other books in English on French rifles, none is even remotely close to the scope of mine. This is a must-have resource for anyone interested in French arms, or who collects them. Perhaps this is a biased opinion since it comes from the author, but I am confident that outside review will back me up. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Zastava M91: Serbia Modernizes its DMR to 7.62x54RE63
Zastava M91: Serbia Modernizes its DMR to 7.62x54Rhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After World War Two, Yugoslavia was left with a tremendous amount of German war material - enough that it cost to adopt the 8x57mm Mauser cartridge as its standard. The M76 precision rifle was developed for that cartridge, and saw substantial military use. By the 1980s, however, the decision was made to move to the Soviet 7.62x54R cartridge for machine guns and rifles like the M76 in the 1980s. The M91 was the result of a program to replace the M76 with a 7.62x54R chambered rifle, and it was adopted by the Serbian military as Yugoslavia broke up. The original M91 rifles were made with milled receivers, as the M76 had been. This changed to a stamped receiver in 2012, and polymer furniture replaced wood. The rifle we are looking at today is a current-production M91 made at the Zastava factory in Serbia, and configured for commercial importation into the United States. Thanks to Zastava USA for providing this rifle for filming! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - French Underfolding Paratrooper Rifle: MAS 36 CR39E65
French Underfolding Paratrooper Rifle: MAS 36 CR39https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book The CR39 ("crosse repliable", or folding stock) is the paratrooper version of the MAS 36. The need for a more compact and transportable pattern was recognized almost as soon as the MAS 36 was finalized, originally for paratroops but in practice also for alpine troops. Two years were spent devising the new rifle, starting in 1937, and in 1939 is was formally adopted. The barrel was shortened about 5 inches (from 575mm to 450mm), and the wooden stock replaced by a cast aluminum stock that folded underneath the action. A unique and very cool sling design went Alon with the new stock; a spring winder (like a car's seat belt) was fitted in the stock so that the sling would coil up neatly as the stock was folded. These winders are rather fragile, however, and usually broken today. A small number of CR39s were produced before the 1940 armistice, and production restarted almost immediately upon liberation of St Etienne. The CR39 would remain in production until 1960, with almost 34,000 made in total. For more information, check out my new book, Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles 1866-2016 - now in stock and shipping! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85704 - How Does It Work: Roller Delayed BlowbackE66
How Does It Work: Roller Delayed Blowbackhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Roller delayed blowback originated in the Mauser company R&D department when engineers were attempting to design a roller-locked version of the G43 rifle. They found that when the bolt bounced in automatic fire, the system would sometimes work without being fully locked. With some refinement, this became the roller delayed system, and would have been used in the StG-45 rifle if the war had gone longer. After the war, the system was applied to prototype French arms, then to the Spanish CETME program which eventually became the German G3 rifle. The system would see use primarily as the basis of a whole family of arms from Heckler & Koch, although it has been used in a few other places. Mechanically, the system uses an angled "locking" wedge to put a mechanical disadvantage on a pair of rollers that must retract into the bolt head before it can move rearward. The combination of the wedge angle and the mass of the bolt carrier assembly are carefully calculated to delay the action from opening until pressure is reduced to a safe level. These systems do typically open faster than locked actions, though, and generally require the use of chamber fluting to ensure reliable extraction. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - H&K's Middle Child: The HK33 and HK53 in 5.56mmE67
H&K's Middle Child: The HK33 and HK53 in 5.56mmhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Introduced in 1968, the HK33 was Heckler & Koch's adaptation of their roller-delay operating system to the 5.56mm / .223 Remington cartridge. In addition to the standard full-length rifle (with a 15.35 inch barrel) a shorter version was made as the HK33K (with a collapsing stock and 12.4 inch barrel) as well as a "submachine gun" variant, the HK53 (with an 8.3 inch barrel). While it was never adopted by a first-tier global military, substantial numbers were purchased by a number of smaller forces, including Malaysia, Brazil, and Thailand. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Scotch, Crackling Fire, and the Story of the ChassepotE68
Scotch, Crackling Fire, and the Story of the ChassepotOne of the stretch goals in the presale Kickstarter for Chassepot to FAMAS was for me to do some reading from the book, on video. So, I present the story of the Chassepot! Signed copies of Chassepot to FAMAS are now sold out, but standard copies are still available at: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/french-rifle-book ... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Light, Mobile, and Deadly: the French Mle 1937 25mm Puteaux AT GunE69
Light, Mobile, and Deadly: the French Mle 1937 25mm Puteaux AT Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After World War One, the French military set up a program to modernize all of its weaponry, and that included a replacement for the Mle 1916 light infantry cannon. An anti-tank gun had not been necessary during the Great War, as Germany never fielded tanks in substantial numbers - but as a pioneer of the modern tank, the French recognized the need for a good AT gun. Taking a lesson from World War One, they wanted a light gun that was flexible and mobile, easily moved around the battlefield and easily concealed from enemy fire. A 25mm cartridge was specified, and both the Hotchkiss company and the Puteaux arsenal created guns to use it. Both were adopted into service, with the Hotchkiss Mle 1934 being a bit heavier and the Puteaux Mle 1937 being a bit lighter, at only about 600 pounds. The Puteaux gun was quite small, easily moved by a horse or virtually any motorized vehicle. It had a long barrel and the 25mm AP projectile had a muzzle velocity of about 3150 fps, making it quite effective on the light and medium tanks of the 1930s. It was also remarkably accurate, and the long barrel and flash hider gave it a very small firing signature. Aiming was done with either a 4x magnified optic or a set of backup iron sights. A total of 1285 of these guns were made before the armistice of June 1940, and they served ably in the Battle of France. A few were also used by the British before Dunkirk, and after the armistice they were used by German forces in limited numbers, and also supplied to Spain and Finland as military aid (this particular one has a Finnish property tag on it). Thanks to DriveTanks.com in Uvalde Texas for giving me access to film this Puteaux cannon for you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Blow-Forward Schwarzlose 1908 at the Backup Gun MatchE70
Blow-Forward Schwarzlose 1908 at the Backup Gun Matchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Schwarzlose 1908 is the only blow-forward firearm ever to see real commercial sale. It is a compact pocket pistol chambered for .32 ACP, with a 7-round magazine. They were sold by Schwarzlose in Germany and also assembled and sold in the United States in a slightly altered form by the Warner Arms Company. I've long wanted to try one out in a semi-practical environment, and the Backup Gun Match provides a perfect venue, as its stages are designed around 5-round revolvers. The Schwarzlose has a number of deficiencies as a practical gun. It is small and narrow for good conceivability, but that narrow backstop really concentrates the recoil. You would not expect much recoil from a .32, but the blow forward action magnifies it almost to the point of the gun being snappily unpleasant to fire. The sights are small and completely non-adjustable. Most significantly, however, are the potential safety hazards of the blow-forward action for basic handling. The gripping surfaces on the slide are not great and the recoil spring is fairly stiff, and it takes a lot of care and attention to not muzzle one's own hand. This is particularly worrying when clearing malfunctions, which I had two of during the match. This is definitely a pistol that should be appreciated for its history and mechanical curiosity only! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Prototype Locked-Breech 9x19mm Mauser HScE71
Prototype Locked-Breech 9x19mm Mauser HSchttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When Mauser began development of the HSc pistol, it was intended to be a pair of guns - a simple blowback gun in .32 or .380 caliber for civilian and police use and a larger locked-breech type in 9x19mm for military use. Mauser had tried this before with their 1910 pocket pistol, but in that effort they tried to make both sizes blowback, which did not work well. This time, the designer - Alex Seidel; later a founder of H&K - looked at what technology Mauser owned, and chose Josef Nickl's rotating barrel patent to use in the 9x19 version of the HSc. This pistol is number V1001, the very first prototype HSc, and it's one of the rotating barrel locked breech guns. Ultimately this gun suffered the same fate as the Mauser 1909; it was not accepted by the military, and saw no commercial production. The German military would decide that it required an exposed barrel, which the HSc did not have. Mauser would develop the HSv for military trials, but it would be defeated by the Walther HP, which was adopted as the P38. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Pietro Venditti Copies the Volcanic Repeating PistolE72
Pietro Venditti Copies the Volcanic Repeating Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Venditti pistols are copies of the Volcanic made in southern Italy in the mid to late 1870s - well after the rocket ball style of ammunition had become obsolete. Pietro Venditti’s first patent was in 1872 for a two-barreled rocket-ball-firing pistol. He followed that with an 1875 patent for a Volcanic type pistol with a 26-round capacity, and in 1877 with a patent on a style of cartridge. Two types of Venditti pistols were actually built, although only a few hundred in total. The first type was the large-capacity style, which had a standard Volcanic-type magazine tube but also two additional tubes on either side. These held addition ammunition, which could be transferred into the true magazine tube when it was empty. The second type looked like a standard Volcanic, but used a cartridge with a metallic case, thus necessitating the addition of extractors into the bolt design. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - USMC Force Recon & MEUSOC: the M45A1E73
USMC Force Recon & MEUSOC: the M45A1http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the US military adopted the Beretta 92 as the M9 pistol in 1985, some elements of the USMC (MEUSOC and Force Recon, among others) opted to retain the 1911 as their sidearm. For about 15 years they maintained a supply by taking existing M1911A1 pistols and having the precision rifle team at Quantico rebuild them with high end commercial parts into truly outstanding match-quality guns, designated the M45. However, these guns needed relatively frequent service, and the rifle team was only able to supply a limited number of them each year. When deployments increased after 2001, a new solution was clearly required. As an interim measure in 2003, a batch of Kimbers was purchased, and a formal contract was signed in 2012 with Colt for the M45A1. That’s the pistol we are looking at today, as a quantity of them were recently returned to Colt and released onto the civilian market. This is the last gasp of the 1911 as a formally issued sidearm, as the M45A1 was replaced in 2016 by the Glock 19. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - North Vietnamese K-50M Submachine GunE74
North Vietnamese K-50M Submachine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The K-50M was a North Vietnamese modification of the PPSh-41 submachine gun to mimic the handling of a French MAT-49. Made from Chinese Type 50 guns (which were direct copies of the original PPSh-41) in small shops, the K-50M used a wholly new lower receiver assembly. This new lower fitted an AK pistol grip and a collapsing wire stock patterned after the MAT-49. The barrel was kept intact, but the barrel shroud was shortened, the muzzle brake/compensator removed, and a new AK (or SKS) style of front sight block added. Mechanically, the guns remained unchanged, firing from an open bolt in 7.62x25mm Tokarev caliber, with the semiauto selector switch of the original Shpagin. The K-50M is compatible with PPSh-41 drums (allowing for fitting issues), but was issued with 35-round box magazines. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Engraved Tranter 577-Caliber Hand CannonE75
Engraved Tranter 577-Caliber Hand Cannonhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons William Tranter’s Model 1868 revolver was his first centerfire design, and became very popular, made in a wide variety of sizes and styles. One of the very rarest of these today is the 5-shot .577 Boxer caliber, an absolute monstrosity of a revolver made for British adventurers worried about facing down lions and tigers. This is the only known engraved example, and it is beautifully done. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ross Rudd's Prototype Delayed Blowback AR180E76
Ross Rudd's Prototype Delayed Blowback AR180http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons You can see Rudd himself explaining his pistol here: https://youtu.be/7lAxVYYhACM And his patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3998126A/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Experimental Remington-Keene: Preventing Magazine DetonationsE77
Experimental Remington-Keene: Preventing Magazine Detonationshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This is a fascinating experimental Remington Keene rifle, build in an attempt to alleviate concerns about magazine tube detonation. With centerfire ammunition in a linear tube magazine, there was an ever-present (if very slim) risk of a bullet detonating the primer ahead that it was resting against. Remington’s experiment here was to add a second magazine of donut-like spacers to separate bullets from primers in the magazine. These spacers were manually inserted between cartridges when loading the rifle, and they were automatically returned home when cycling the action, so as to not be disposable items. The system was clearly too complex to be practical, and the move to box magazines removed the issue entirely before long. Interestingly, this prototype was also designed to cock automatically when the bolt was closed, where the standard production Remington-Keene rifles head to be manually cocked. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Japan's Interim Handgun: The "Papa" NambuE78
Japan's Interim Handgun: The "Papa" Nambuhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The pistol colloquially known to American collectors as the “Papa” Number is actually the Modified Nambu Automatic Pistol Type A - an improvement to Kijiro Nambu’s original design (the “Grandpa” Nambu). The Papa was introduced at the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal in 1906, continuing the same serial number range as the Grandpa. It would remain in production there until 1923 with 4600 made, and was also manufactured by Tokyo Gas & Electric from 1909 until 1928 (with an additional 5700 made). Although marked “Army Type”, the Papa was never formally adopted by the Japanese Army. The Navy did adopt it in 1909 however, and Army officers purchased them as well, as they were required to supply their own sidearms. The Papa differs from the Grandpa in a number of areas, although the basic mechanics of both pistols are the same. The Papa has a larger trigger guard, swiveling lanyard loop, no stock slot, and a redesigned magazine with an aluminum baseplate. Magazines are not interchangeable between the two models. Production of the Papa ended at the Tokyo Arsenal basically because of the 1934 Tokyo earthquake, and it ended at TG&E after the Army adopted the Type 14 in 1925 and the Navy followed suit in 1927. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The G40k: A German Experimental Mauser CarbineE79
The G40k: A German Experimental Mauser Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In April 1940, WaPrüf 2 directed Mauser to begin development of a shortened Master carbine with a 490mm (19.3”) barrel, presumably for specialty troops. Development meandered on until July 1942, by which time just 28 rifles had been made, in two series. The first batch were numbered 3-15 and the second batch in the 70s and 80s with a V (“Versucht”, experimental) prefix. Only one other example is known in the US, number V81 in the Aberdeen Proving Ground collection. The development program was dropped in 1942, probably because the need for the rifles had been adequately filled by Brno-production G33/40 carbines instead. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Colt's Special Revolver for Airline PilotsE80
Colt's Special Revolver for Airline Pilotshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The 1970s were a period with epidemic levels of airline hijackings, and this revolver was designed by Colt at the request of Eastern Airlines to arm pilots. To address concerns about over-penetration of aircraft skin or windows (or of a potential target), a projectile made form plaster of Paris was designed. Colt started with MkIII and MkV Lawman snub-nosed revolvers, and replaced the cylinders with a new one made of Zytel, with six steel sleeves installed. Each sleeve held a sealed cartridge, with a plaster bullet inside a sabot (the plaster was brittle enough that engaging rifling would shatter it). The cylinder was disposable, meant to be discarded when empty. Only a small number were made, as Eastern Airlines ultimately decided to use Federal Sky Marshalls instead of arming its pilots, and that was the end of the project for Colt. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Sturmtruppen Firepower: The Artillery LugerE81
Sturmtruppen Firepower: The Artillery Lugerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The lP08 (Lange pistole 08) was formally adopted in 1913 to replace the Reichsrevolver for the field artillery. These were the German light artillery troops, who were specifically given a pistol caliber carbine to provide maximum firepower in a very compact package. They were made by the Erfurt Arsenal in 1914, and by DWM throughout the war, with a total of about 180,000 made. What is most interesting to me is the evolution of the use of the “artillery Luger” throughout the course of World War One. Starting as simply a compact weapon for artillery, it was quickly recognized by aviators as an ideal weapon for aircraft before the mass introduction of aerial machine guns. The stock allowed more accurate fire, and the semiautomatic operation minimized the handling movements required to fire. More substantially, it was adopted by the German Sturmtruppen for maximizing the striking power of small and flexible units. It is for these men that the 32-round drum magazine was developed in 1916. This represents one of the very few formal military uses of a pistol-caliber semiautomatic carbine, as it was superseded by the advent of the submachine gun in 1918. A few small batches were made in the 1920s and 1930s, but it would not see significant use in World War Two - leaving it a weapon specifically iconic to the Great War. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Barton Jenks' Model 1867 Rolling Block Trials RifleE82
Barton Jenks' Model 1867 Rolling Block Trials Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Barton Jenks was parts of a family rifle with inventors. These included Joseph Jenks, who was granted the first patent in the American colony in 1646 (for a sawmill design), his uncle William Jenks who created the Jenks Mule-Ear carbine, and his father Alfred who was an innovator in textile machinery. When the Civil War began, Alfred and Barton had a very successful company manufacturing machines for working wool and cotton in Bridesburg Pennsylvania. They tooled up to make rifles for there Union, delivering more the 100,000 during the war, and in the aftermath of the conflict Barton invented a rolling-block style system to convert muzzleloaders into breechloaders. Unlike the Remington rolling block, the Jenks Model 1867 did not rely on the hammer to lock the breech, and thus was able to integrate the breech opening and rechecking into a single action. He submitted his rifle to both US military and New York State trials in 1867, but it failed to win either. Jenks did not opt to continue work on the design, instead moving to other fields and inventing mining equipment in the 1870s. Jenks’ patent for the Model 1867 can be seen here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US74760A/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Burgess 1878 Military Carbines: .45-70 Before WinchesterE83
Burgess 1878 Military Carbines: .45-70 Before Winchesterhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Andrew Burgess is an underappreciated arms designer, and his Model 1878 (aka the Whitney-Burgess-Morse) had the potential to be a very serious competition to Winchester. It was chambered for the .45-70 Government cartridge, and unlike the Winchester 1876 Burgess’ design could handle to power of that round. However, a series of misjudgements led to production ending after less than two years. The first problem was unreliability of the lifter mechanism as originally produced. This was a primary cause of the rifle failing the 1878 military repeating rifle trials, but Whitneyville had finalized the production tooling without waiting to see the trial results. Thus the first thousand or so guns shipped to customers tended to have double feeds. In addition, it was discovered that UMC cartridges had very sensitive primers that would detonate in the magazine tube with enough regularity to be a serious problem. This was addressed by UMC offering a special loading for the Burgess, but this was done only after the problem gained some publicity. The Burgess 1878 was offered as both a military carbine and a sporting rifle, and we have a pair of military carbines to show you today. One is a first model that loads from the top (extraordinarily rare) and the other is a third model with a bayonet lug (also extremely rare). The guns were initially offered in both top- and side-loading configurations, and the side-loading was so overwhelmingly preferred that virtually all the top-loaders were adapted to the side-loading pattern. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Le Français Type Armée - A Strange Service PistolE84
Le Français Type Armée - A Strange Service Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Le Français pistol was designed by Etienne Mimard in 1912, and listed in the Manufrance catalog in 1914. It was a .25ACP (6.35mm Browning) civilian defensive pistol for pocket carry, and designed with elements specifically for that purpose. It had a long double action trigger instead of a manual safety, and used a tip-up barrel to avoid requiring the slide to be manually cycled. In 1928, Manufrance introduced a much larger version of the gun chambered for 9mm Browning Long (9x20SR), named the Type Armée. It was envisioned as a military service pistol, and was tested several times by the Versailles Commission. It was never found satisfactory, basically because the loading mechanism and trigger were much more suited to a pocket pistol than a service sidearm. The lack of an extractor was also not appreciated by the military trials commission. Despite military rejection, about 4900 of the guns were sold, including some to officers who had to procure their own personal weapons. The first 1100 (1928 pattern) had a smooth barrel, and the remaining 3600 or so (1931 pattern) had a distinctive finned or ribbed barrel. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - M1 Carbine: A Whole New Class of WeaponE85
M1 Carbine: A Whole New Class of Weaponhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The United States developed the M1 carbine very quickly at the beginning of World War Two, once the German "blitzkrieg" made it clear that highly mobile enemy forces could threaten rear echelon troops in a modern war. The M1911 pistol was seen as a difficult weapon to use well, and a light carbine would offer much greater effectiveness with less training. It was estimated that 500,000 would be needed, and more than 6 million were eventually produced during the war. The M1 Carbine would equip drivers, artillery crews, mortar men, headquarters staff, paratroops, and many more. The M1 Carbine was developed by Winchester, but they were not participants in the first round of trials, Instead, their design came about when Rene Studler (head of the Ordnance Department) saw Winchester's "M2" rifle prototype, a lightweight .30-06 intended to compete with the M1 Garand. He urged them to scale it down for the light rifle trials then ongoing in 1941, and Winchester complied. The design used a Garand-like rotating bolt and a gas tappet system designed by David Marshall Williams for the .30-06 rifle. The new carbine was cobbled together in less than two weeks, and is a truly fantastic achievement. Thanks to InterOrdnance / Royal Tiger Imports for providing this M1 Carbine for filming! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Brazil's .30-06 Copy of the G43: The Mosquetão Semi-Automático M954E86
Brazil's .30-06 Copy of the G43: The Mosquetão Semi-Automático M954http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the aftermath of World War Two, Brazil decided to adopt a semiautomatic rifle for its military, in .30-06 caliber to fit logistically with the US. Curiously, they did not choose the M1 Garand, instead opting to begin domestic manufacture of a G43 copy in .30-06. The rifles were ready in 1954, made by the Fabrica de Itajubá in Minas Gerais. However, the guns had a lot of problems - not surprising when you look at the poor construction quality - and only about 300 were made before production was cut off. Ultimately the Brazilian military would continue using updated Mauser bolt actions in .30-06 (confusingly also designated M954) until adopted the FN FAL in 1964, built in the same Itajubá factory. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Colt Franklin: Detachable 9-Round Magazine of .45-70 in 1884E87
Colt Franklin: Detachable 9-Round Magazine of .45-70 in 1884http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Patented in 1884 and designed by retired Civil War General William Franklin, this was an effort by Colt to win a military contract for a repeating rifle. It was a wholly new rifle (not a conversion) that operated like a Gras action, was chambered for .45-70 cartridges, and fed from a 9-round hopper type magazine. Only 50 were made, and they underwent extensive trials with both the US Army and Navy in 1887 and 1888. Despite successfully firing some 4,000 rounds, none were ordered - probably because the magazine would have been far too easily damaged in field use. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Cavalry Trials for Browning's Automatic Pistol: The Colt 1907E88
Cavalry Trials for Browning's Automatic Pistol: The Colt 1907http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the US military held its automatic pistol trials in 1907 (actually beginning in December 1906…), Colt submitted a Model 1905 pistol. Despite what would be considered today to be significant problems, it was judged one of the best guns tested. A few changes were requested (more vertical ejection, a loaded chamber indicator, and a grip safety), and Colt was contracted to make 200 guns for a year-long field trial. Those guns would be the Model 1907, and they were issued to Cavalry units in Iowa, Minnesota, and the Philippines for an extensive trial. The trial results were actually pretty poor. Unit commanders complained of significant jamming problems, broken parts (mostly firing pins and sears), difficulty getting accurate fire, and awkward handling on horseback. These issues were partially alleviated by a few modifications made to the guns in the latter half of 1909 (larger ejection ports and larger grip safeties, primarily). Ultimately, however, John Browning’s continued developmental work during the course of the field trial would result in a substantially improved mechanical design for the gun… Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - A Few Last Changes Before Perfection: The Colt Models 1909 & 1910E89
A Few Last Changes Before Perfection: The Colt Models 1909 & 1910http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Even while the field trials of the Colt 1907 were ongoing, John Browning was improving his pistol. With the Model 1909 he designed the single-link barrel system that would prove to be the core of the final 1911 design. The 1909 model also included an enlarged grip safety, a slide release integrated with the barrel link pin, a new magazine release button that could be operated with one hand, and the firing pin retention plate. It wasn’t quite sufficient, however, and was closely followed by the Model 1910. It was in the 1910 that Colt and Browning revised the grip angle from the quite square 1900/1902/1905/1907/1909 style to the more steely angled pattern we recognize form the 1911. The 1910 model also added the internal extractor, combined the mainsprings into a single three-finger piece, and improved the ejector. It would be modified to also include a thumb safety, to allow safe reholstering. The first major test of the 1910 against the Savage .45 took place on November 10, 1910, and while the Colt/Browning pistol was the better of the two, it had 15 malfunctions and four broken parts in the 6,000 round endurance test. Neither it nor the Savage were deemed acceptable, and a second test was scheduled for March 15, 1911. It was in that March of 1911 test that the Colt/Browning passed the endurance test with no failures of any kind - a very remarkable achievement. The Savage was still suffering significant problems, and Colt was declared the winner, with the pistol to be adopted as the Model of 1911. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - You're Doing It Wrong: Tea and Milk with Jonathan FergusonE90
You're Doing It Wrong: Tea and Milk with Jonathan FergusonYou can still pre-order a copy of Jonathan's book on that OTHER quintessentially British subject, bullpup rifles! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=5mcvzm We do not have a source where you can buy one of the teapots/cozies. Sorry. If you are wondering what on earth this video is about, it is a followup to Jonathan's response to the first day of our Kickstarter for his book: https://youtu.be/1XO4VgkC_JE - Origin of the Term "Bullpup" - with Jonathan FergusonE91
Origin of the Term "Bullpup" - with Jonathan FergusonJoin the Kickstarter campaign and preorder your copy of Jonathan's "Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901 - 2020": https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=69xx06 Sorry for the poor audio quality - today I am back at the Cody Firearms Museum talking to Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries in the UK. Today we are talking about the term "bullpup" - where did it come from, and what IS a "bullpup" anyway? The more you look at the definition the trickier it gets to nail down... http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Variations of the .455 Webley Fosbery Automatic RevolverE92
Variations of the .455 Webley Fosbery Automatic Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we are taking a look at the different variations in .455 caliber Webley-Fosbery automatic revolvers. The two main types are the Model 1901 and Model 1903 (the Model 1902 was the very rare .38 caliber version). The main change between the two is the change from a coil mainspring to a V mainspring, to improve reliability when dirty; done in response to British military testing. In addition the 1903 has an improved fire control mechanism, a lower hammer profile and a new cylinder removal system. Within the Model 1903, there is also a change from a standard frame and cylinder to shortened versions of both. These changes occurred at about serial number 3350, in 1912. The shortened cylinder was made to fit the new Webley MkII ammunition, which was notably shorter than the MkI type - and a shorter cylinder reduced weight. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Semmerling LM4: The Smallest Repeating .45ACPE93
Semmerling LM4: The Smallest Repeating .45ACPhttps://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction Patented by Philip Lichtman in 1979, the Semmerling LM-4 is a unique sort of pistol. It’s a manually operated .45 ACP carry gun, intended to be the smallest magazine-fed gun of its caliber and also the best made. Retailing for a hefty $645 in 1979, the LM-4 was a low-production, handmade item marketed to a high class clientele. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - French Gendarmerie C96: A German Pistol for the OccupationE94
French Gendarmerie C96: A German Pistol for the Occupationhttps://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction In the immediate aftermath of World War One, it appears that the French government purchased 2,000 Mauser C96 pistols for use by occupation forces who were to be stationed in Germany. While the direct link to the French military is missing, a sale of 2,000 C96 pistols through German dealer Albrecht Kind is documented, and we know that French Gendarmerie did use the C96 in the occupation. The guns that are identified as making up this purchase are in the 430,000-434,000 serial number range, produced right at the end of the war or just after. They are 7.63mm guns with 100mm (3.9 inch) barrels, and distinctive hard rubber grips with an intertwined “WM” logo. Many have a commercial export “Germany” stamp on the receiver, as the purchase was taken from existing stocks and not made to order for the French. The rear sights are 500m sights left over from Prussian Red 9 production, and the shoulder stocks were similarly leftovers - oak stock made for full-length barrels, without lanyard rings. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Fakiest Fake Berthier I Have Seen All DayE95
The Fakiest Fake Berthier I Have Seen All DayI found this online and it was unusual enough I figured it would be a fun video to put together for you. Need to improve your library of firearms reference books? Start with the newest offering from Headstamp Publications, "Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901-2020", current in presale! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=df9k1k - The REAL Heroes of the M1 Carbine - not "Carbine" WilliamsE96
The REAL Heroes of the M1 Carbine - not "Carbine" Williamshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Hollywood-spawned mythos of the M1 Carbine is that it was created by David Marshall "Carbine" Williams. The reality is far different. In real life, Williams was talented, but short-tempered, stubborn, and unable to work effectively as part of a team - and a cohesive, cooperative team is what the M1 Carbine required. While Williams was off sulking about how the work was being done wrong, a team of Winchester machinists and engineers including William Roemer and Fred Humiston were actually making it happen. The most impressive anecdote of the whole story, to me, is from when the solitary Winchester prototype broke its bolt in the middle of the final testing. Fred Humiston was representing Winchester at the trials, and he was told that if he could provide a new bolt within 24 hours the gun could continue the trials - but he could not take the gun off the testing ground. So Humiston went back to the Winchester shop and made a new bolt from memory (no drawings yet existed for the gun) and without being able to test-fit it in the gun. When he returned the next day, his new bolt dropped in perfectly, and the gun went on to win the trials. That is an epic feat of skill, and it is really a shame that he does not get more recognition for it. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Curtis 1866: The First Bullpup - with Jonathan FergusonE97
Curtis 1866: The First Bullpup - with Jonathan FergusonJoin the Kickstarter campaign and preorder your copy of Jonathan's "Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901 - 2020": https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=wf5ub7 Sorry for the poor audio quality - today I am back at the Cody Firearms Museum talking to Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries in the UK. Jonathan has written a new book on the history of British bullpup firearms, which Headstamp is very proud to be publishing! Today we are discussing the Curtis bullpup - a rifle designed and patented by William Joseph Curtis of the UK in 1866, but not put into production. It is a quite interesting design, with a slide action mechanism and drum magazine. The gun is designed to sit atop the shooter's shoulder, with a trigger right out at the muzzle and the drum and firing mechanism actually behind the user's back. Lawyers from the Winchester company discovered Curtis' patent in the 1890s while looking for slide action mechanisms as part of their defense of the Winchester 1893 again patent infringement claims by Francis Bannerman. This example of Curtis' gun was actually built in the Winchester tool shop as an example for the lawsuit, giving it a quite remarkable history intersecting several different areas of arms development. Video on the Curtis from The Armourer's Bench: https://youtu.be/zWEu0CRGfvs http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - I Can't Believe It's Not Sporterized! Mexican Colt 1902 MilitaryE98
I Can't Believe It's Not Sporterized! Mexican Colt 1902 Militaryhttps://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction The Colt 1902 Military model was a more popular pistol than some folks might expect, and remained in production well after the introduction of the various .45ACP caliber Colts. It was also rather popular in Mexico - shipments to Mexican dealers accounted for about 2400 guns, roughly 13% of total 1902 Military production. Many of these went to the Mexican military, including 800 specially ordered with mother of pearl grips and a Mexican national crest engraved on the top of the slide. This is an example of a gun from that order - definitely not the look you would expect for a formal military contract! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Brown/van Choate Trials Rifle: Internal Hammer in 1871E99
Brown/van Choate Trials Rifle: Internal Hammer in 1871https://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction Designed by Silvanus Frederick van Choate and manufactured by the Brown Manufacturing Company of Newburyport Massachusetts, this was a single shot rifle entered into US military testing in 1872. It has a number of interesting features - although that is not that same as having useful features. In particular, it has an unusual internal hammer firing system, which accounts for the dual triggers. The rear trigger is actually the cocking lever (opening the bolt will also recheck the hammer automatically) and the front trigger fires the rifle. This allows for manual decocting, albeit in a way that would be considered quite hazardous by today’s standards. Choate also patented a system for adjusting the friction of the bolt opening and closing, which appears to have been implemented in this rifle. This is a great example of an answer to a question nobody was asking… Not surprisingly, the rifle failed to make an impression in testing, and only a handful were ever made. It did not see commercial sale. https://patents.google.com/patent/US94047A https://patents.google.com/patent/US89902A http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ward Burton Model 1871: The US Tries a Bolt ActionE100
Ward Burton Model 1871: The US Tries a Bolt Actionhttps://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction The Model 1871 Ward-Burton was one of the early experimental rifles trialled by the US military in its search for a new breechloading rifle to replace the theoretically-interim Allin conversion that made muzzle-loading rifles into Trapdoor Springfields. Four breechloading cartridge rifles were selected for field trials in the early 1870s: the Sharps, the Trapdoor Springfield (as a control), the Remington Rolling Block, and the Ward-Burton bolt action. It was a single-shot design, and the only one of the trial designs that would not have already been relatively familiar to US troops at the time. While the bolt action system is ubiquitous today, it was quite novel in the 1870s. Mechanically, the Ward-Burton was fairly standard by today’s standards, although it used two sets of interrupted threads at the rear of the bolt for locking, rather than the two large front lugs preferred today. The names associated with it are two US Generals, William Ward and Bethel Burton. Ward held a patent on the bolt action system the rifle used (US Patent 81,059), and Burton held a patent on the extractor/ejector mechanism (US Patent 99,504). In total, 1013 Ward-Burton rifles (32 1/8″ barrel) and 313 carbines (22″ barrel) were manufactured by Springfield chambered for the then-standard .50-70 cartridge, and issued to a variety of units. These included the 13th Infantry and 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 9th Cavalry companies. Ultimately, of the 95 field reports filed on the different rifles in these trials, not a single one recommended the Ward-Burton for adoption. The guns had a few mechanical issues (including heat treat problems with the bolts), but more significant seems to have been the general unfamiliarity of the bolt system with troops. The Trapdoor Springfields, Rolling Blocks, and Sharps rifles all had vary prominent manually-cocked hammers that would clearly communicate w - Archival E.M.2 Footage: Slow Motion and Janson Doing Mag DumpsE101
Archival E.M.2 Footage: Slow Motion and Janson Doing Mag DumpsInterested in the E.M. 2 and the rBritish bullpup rifles? Now is your chance to pre-order a copy of Headstamp Publishing's second book, "Thorneycroft to SA80": https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=dt923d Thanks to Jonathan Ferguson and Royal Armouries Archivist Philip Abbott, we have a compilation of some archival video of the E.M. 2 testing circa 1951/1952. This is mostly high speed video clips showing reliability testing, plus drop tests and other "rough handling". At the end, there are a series of clips of test-firing rifle grenades (the framing unfortunately crops out the grenades themselves), and then the coolest part - Stefan Janson himself dumping about a hundred rounds through an E.M. 2 as fast as he can. Janson, of course, was the rifle's designer. A Polish expatriate working in the UK, his was born Stefan Januszewski, but Anglicized his name when he lived in England. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hopkins & Allen XL No.8: A Failed Competitor to the Colt SAAE102
Hopkins & Allen XL No.8: A Failed Competitor to the Colt SAAhttps://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction Hopkins & Allen was founded in 1867 based on the factory of the defunct Bacon Manufacturing Company. Its founding partners were pretty savvy businessmen, and would become quite successful in the 1870s and 1880s working as an OEM parts manufacturer for a variety of brands (including Merwin & Hulbert and Evans) as well as making their own line of firearms. However, the predominant reputation of the brand was that of cheap pocket handguns, and this would cause them problems when they tried to introduce a martial style revolver. This new revolver was the XL No. 8, introduced in 1877. It was offered in the Army pattern in either .44 Henry or .44 WCF (aka .44-40) and also Navy and Police patterns in .38 Rimfire. None would be successful, with just a few hundred of each type made before production ended in 1885. Customers looking to spend substantial money on a large, high-quality revolver simply didn’t look to Hopkins & Allen - they went to Colt or Smith & Wesson. Mechanically, the XL No. 8 was a solid-frame revolver with a loading gate copied directly from the Mersin & Hulbert and an ejector rod that stored under the barrel. Capacity was 6 rounds, with barrel lengths offered from 4.5 inches to 7 inches and sights much in the style of the Colt SAA. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The S&W No.3 Russian Model Made at Tula in RussiaE103
The S&W No.3 Russian Model Made at Tula in Russiahttps://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction The Russian government was the largest purchaser of Smith & Wesson No.3 revolvers, buying more than 300,000 in total. These purchases began with guns bought directly from S&W, also included guns purchased from Ludwig Loewe in Germany, and by the 1880s, the Tula Arsenal in Russia had tooled up to produce the guns under license. A total of about 35,000 were made there between 1886 and 1893, before they were replaced by the Model 1895 Nagant revolver. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The EM2 in NATO Trials, with Jonathan FergusonE104
The EM2 in NATO Trials, with Jonathan FergusonJoin the Kickstarter campaign and preorder your copy of Jonathan's "Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901 - 2020": https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=ei2j4w Sorry for the poor audio quality - I am back at the Cody Firearms Museum talking to Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries in the UK. Jonathan has written a new book on the history of British bullpup firearms, which Headstamp is very proud to be publishing! Today we are talking about the British E.M.2 bullpup rifle in the 1950s NATO trials, which were intended to find a single rifle and cartridge to unify all NATO nations. After the experience of logistical supply in World War Two, everyone realized that in a future conflict it would be a great advantage to all use the same basic equipment. However, the various nations came into the trials with different ideas of what was ideal in a rifle and cartridge - in particular the United States and the United Kingdom. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Q&A 40: Ian Sabotages the Elbonian Army and Throws Shade on the Taurus JudgeE105
Q&A 40: Ian Sabotages the Elbonian Army and Throws Shade on the Taurus JudgeElbonian shirts and posters now available here: https://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Time for another month Q&A! Thanks as always to the awesome folks on Patreon who make Forgotten Weapons possible - our questions come from their submissions each month. This time we have: 00:35 - Why are reliable magazines so hard? 05:07 - Why didn't Finland buy surplus American Mosin Nagant rifles? 09:15 - Where does the Hollywood ricochet sound come from? 10:17 - Why was sporterizing popular and why isn't it anymore? 12:59 - What has been my most difficult gun to get working? 15:16 - What advantages do rifle grenades have over under barrel grenade launchers? 17:21 - Thoughts on electronic trigger mechanisms 20:48 - Opinion on the 10mm Auto cartridge 22:39 - Parts kit builds I have done 25:21 - What if Britain adopted a rimless .303 round 27:16 - Why do some handguns have magazines that are 80% compatible? 28:57 - Biggest infantry rifle cartridge ever issued? 31:36 - Military use of obscure cartridges like 5.7x28 and 4.6x30 34:21 - Mechanically unusual vs historical provenance 35:48 - Gun books in non-English languages 38:34 - Have I consulted for media work? 39:39 - Opinion on Islay Scotch 41:18 - Why did the MIL Thunder 5 fail but the Taurus Judge thrive? 44:34 - Is it worth buying a MAS-35 pistol now? 45:42 - How will the pandemic impact gun prices long term? 48:59 - What guns get faked? 53:02 - Is the Meunier A6 better than the RSC-1917? 54:23 - What are the worst guns for a new country in 1945? Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Kalashnikov USA KP-9: A Perfect Copy of the Russian Vityaz SMGE106
Kalashnikov USA KP-9: A Perfect Copy of the Russian Vityaz SMGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The PP-19-01 Vityaz is a development of the PP-19 Bizon, a submachine gun developed by Izhmash at the request of the Russian Interior Ministry in the early 1990s. The Bizon design team included the sons of both Mikhail Kalashnikov and Evgeniy Dragunov, and they created a well-designed unlocked blowback adaptation of the AK system using a 64-round helical drum magazine and chambered for the 9x18mm Makarov cartridge. In actual use, the magazine proved unreliable (shocking...) and in the early 2000s a new version was developed based on the experience with many iterations of the Bizon. This new version was the Vityaz, chambered for 9x19mm Parabellum and using a conventional 30-round double stack, double feed polymer magazine. It was made as a select fire submachine gun, but also offer in semiauto form on the civilian market as the Saiga-9. Kalashnikov USA is manufacturing a virtually indistinguishable copy here as the KP-9 pistol (or KP-9 rifle, with a 16 inch barrel). The example in this video is a KP-9 that has been registered as a short-barreled rifle and fitted with the appropriate side-folding stock to duplicate the form of a Vityaz. Thanks to Kalashnikov USA for providing the KP-9 for this video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Cool New Thorneycroft Poster and Paypal for the Book PresaleE107
Cool New Thorneycroft Poster and Paypal for the Book PresaleWant to use PayPal to preorder a copy of Thorneycroft to SA80? You can now do that here: https://british-bullpup-firearms.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders We are also really excited to present our author poster for the book - featuring Jonathan Ferguson in a dark Eduardian London night with his trusty Thorneycroft carbine! We plan to make this a running series with all our Headstamp Publishing authors, and this one is a great start. Check it out: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/merchandise And, of course, if you want to join the Kickstarter and order a copy of the book using a credit card, that campaign is still running: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=45ou5z - Kalashnikov USA KP-9 (Semiauto Vityaz) at the RangeE108
Kalashnikov USA KP-9 (Semiauto Vityaz) at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I have Kalashnikov USA's KP-9 (which is a virtually exact semiauto copy of the Vityaz SMG) out at the range. I chose the most suitable ammo to try it out with; slightly rusty steel-case Tulammo. And it just ate it all up. The KP-9 does not have the best trigger or the lightest recoil (although neither is actually bad), but it simply runs like flawless clockwork - and it easy to hit with to boot. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - UVF Gewehr 88: Gun Running Into Ireland in 1914E109
UVF Gewehr 88: Gun Running Into Ireland in 1914http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Ulster Volunteer Force was a Loyalist organization dedicated to keeping Ireland in the United Kingdom, in reaction to the Home Rule bills being considered by the UK parliament. In 1914 they purchased nearly 25,000 surplus rifles and 3 million rounds of ammunition in Hamburg and arranged to have them smuggled into Ireland. The gun consisted of Vetterli-Vitalis, 1904 Steyr Mannlichers, and Gewehr 88s like this one. The operation was pulled off successfully, and many of the guns were stamped with the mark of the UVF upon their arrival in Ireland - including this one. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Italian Workhorse: Carcano M91 RifleE110
The Italian Workhorse: Carcano M91 Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we start a series looking at the evolution of the Carcano series of rifles. Starting with the M91 rifle adopted in 1892, the Carcano would be the workhorse of the Italian military through two world wars and many colonial expeditions. The rifle is a simple but durable and reliable system with a Mauser type bolt, split bridge, Mannlicher magazine/clip system, and Salvatore Carcano's safety design. It was designed around a 6.5x52mm cartridge, the first 6.5mm military round adopted by any nation and using progressive-twist rifling. The Carcano action would remain unchanged through all models of production until the end of World War Two, and it was a simple enough system that no "last ditch" sport of simplification was needed when the stresses of wartime manufacture began to press Italy. It is a much better system than it is generally given credit for. Thanks to InterOrdnance / Royal Tiger Imports for providing this rifle from their Ethiopian imports for the video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Exploring the Details of an E.M.2 with Jonathan FergusonE111
Exploring the Details of an E.M.2 with Jonathan FergusonJoin the Kickstarter campaign and preorder your copy of Jonathan's "Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901 - 2020": https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/thorneycroft-to-sa80-british-bullpup-firearms-19012020?ref=690vlw Sorry for the poor audio quality - I am back at the Cody Firearms Museum talking to Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries in the UK. Jonathan has written a new book on the history of British bullpup firearms, which Headstamp is very proud to be publishing! Today we are looking at the finer details of an E.M.2 rifle; specifically Jansen's own personal rifle. He brought this with him, we believe, when he moved to the United States to start working for Winchester in the 1950s. The rifle is currently in the collection of the Cody Firearms Museum, and Jonathan will use it to explain some of the many changes that were nearly continuously being made to the E.M.2 as it went through trials. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - English Transitional Pepperbox RevolverE112
English Transitional Pepperbox Revolverhttps://www.instagram.com/rockislandauction/ https://www.youtube.com/user/RockIslandAuction Before modern revolvers, the pepperbox was a popular low-cost defensive firearm. Between the invention and patenting of proper revolvers and their widespread affordable availability, a transitional style of pepperbox grew up, particularly in the UK. These guns used a paperboy style action, with the barrel cluster truncated into a cylinder and a single rifled barrel affixed to the end of the axis pin. The result was a pretty weak firearm, but one which was accessible and inexpensive, and more accurate than the traditional smoothbore pepperbox. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - PGM Hecate II: A Battle-Hardened .50 Caliber Sniper RifleE113
PGM Hecate II: A Battle-Hardened .50 Caliber Sniper Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Courtesy of PGM Precision USA, we have a chance to take a look at a Hecate II sniper rifle today. This rifle's story begins with the Ultima Ratio, a classic-based 7.62mm precision rifle designed by Gilles Payen in France circa 1991 for the French RAID police unit. The rifle was very well-received, and Payen partner with colleagues Alain Gonnet and François Morier to form PGM Precision in order to scale the design up to .50 BMG caliber. The resulting rifle was named the Hecate, and tested by French troops in Sarajevo in 1994. After a few requested changes were made, the improved Hecate II was formally adopted by the French military in 1995. It is built to be a supremely accurate rifle, with an effective range of 1800m, and easily maintained in field conditions. It have been used widely by French forces since its adoption, and also adopted by a variety of other military forces around the world, developing a reputation as the best military .50 caliber precision rifle available. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - PGM Precision Hecate II at the RangeE114
PGM Precision Hecate II at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today, we are taking the PGM Precision Hecate II out to the range. It is a rifle designed for use out to 1800m, but I have neither the skills myself nor the range facility to do something like that - instead I have a target set up at 200m. I was quite surprising by just how soft-shooting the Hecate II is for a rifle chambered for .50 BMG. I can very honestly say that many .308 precision rifles have more felt recoil than this does - although the Hecate does have a substantial muzzle blast and concussion! Unfortunately, my shooting isn't up to the task of properly showing off the accuracy the rifle is capable of - I'll have to leave that to better shooters to demonstrating. However, if you are curious how .50 BMG behaves on steel, check out today's InRangeTV video! Thanks to PGM Precision USA for the opportunity to borrow this magnificent rifle to show to you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ethiopian Modified Gewehr 88 CarbineE115
Ethiopian Modified Gewehr 88 Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This rifle began life as a German Gewehr 88 rifle in German military service. It was sent to Ethiopia, marked in Amharic, and then at some point cut down to carbine length. The shortened gun retains the infantry-type side bayonet lug and front sight, but has a slightly bent bolt handle and no rear sight at all. This is definitely not a factory configuration, but I don't know when the changes to it were made... Thanks to InterOrdnance for giving me access to film a bunch of their interesting Ethiopian-import rifles! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Carcano Moschetto 91 Carbine and its Folding BayonetE116
Carcano Moschetto 91 Carbine and its Folding Bayonethttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Following rapidly on the heels of the M91 rifle, the Italian military adopted the Moschetto M91 in 1893 as a carbine to equip a variety of forces. They were issued to cavalry, Bersaglieri, Carabinieri, and others who needed handier weapon with an attached bayonet. This is a remarkably light and handy weapon, which is still not uncomfortable to shoot thanks to the light-recoiling 6.5x52mm cartridge. Production continued until 1938, when an M38 pattern of the Moschetto appeared in 7.35mm and then reverted to 6.5mm in 1940. Production really took off after 1940, as this was the most economical pattern of Carcano to produce and was widely issued during World War Two. Thanks to InterOrdnance / Royal Tiger Imports for providing these carbines from their Ethiopian imports for the video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Chinese 7.62mm Sten GunE117
Chinese 7.62mm Sten Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons During World War Two, Canada supplied some 73,000 Sten guns (made by the Long Branch arsenal) to Chinese Nationalist forces in an effort to help them fight the Japanese. These Stens were standard MkII pattern guns, chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge. However, many of these were eventually converted to 7.62mm Tokarev ammunition, especially after the victory of the Communist forces over the Nationalists. The conversion involved a new barrel and new magazine and magazine well. The 7.62mm barrels were typically longer than the original ones, and the magazine of choice was that of the PPS-43. Some were done by installed a magazine adapter into the original magazine well, and some (like this one) were done by cutting off the original magazine well and replacing it with a new one. In addition, some Sten guns were made domestically in China, both in 9mm and 7.62mm. The 7.62mm Tokarev cartridge was popular both from Russian pistols and submachine guns and also from China's long military use of the dimensionally-identical 7.63mm Mauser cartridge in C96 pistols. Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this interesting 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 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Scout Rifle Study: A Book Review and Critique of the Scout Rifle ConceptE118
The Scout Rifle Study: A Book Review and Critique of the Scout Rifle ConceptAvailable on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KAkv45 Let me preface this by saying that I remain a big fan of the Scout Rifle concept and the Steyr Scout in particular. When I ordered a copy of Richard Mann's "The Scout Rifle Study", I was hoping to find a critical assessment of the concept. I was hoping to see pros and cons of the forward-mounted optic in particular, and the inclusion of an AR-10 on the cover made me think that there might be serious discussion of the modern lightweight self loading rifle in the context of the Scout Rifle concept. Basically, I was hoping for a book that would independently critique Cooper's concept, and bring fact-based conclusions about where it was suitable or unsuitable. Instead, the book is much more a compilation of the primary source material of the Scout Rifle, as a one-stop-shop for those who are already happily convinced that it is a universal general-purpose rifle needing no defense. If the Scout Rifle is considered a cult, this book would be its Nicene Creed, not its Ninety-Five Theses. Of course, for the person who is a devotee of the concept, this is a great book, compiling all of Cooper's original definitions and detailing the history of Gunsite and the various Scout Rifle Conferences. As one might expect, the various pseudo-Scout rifles made by Ruger, Savage, Mossberg, and others are discussed, but ultimately deemed underserving of the title for various violations of Cooper's standards (ignoring the fact that the Steyr Scout fails to make the required weight, because Cooped deemed it worthy). The entire realm of self-loading platforms are rejected on the basis that they are too heavily regulated in some places (and more importantly, not legal to use on African safari). I was particularly curious to see discussion of the forward-mounted optic and its characteristics, as this it really the only thing that distinguishes a true Scout Rifle from a light and handy rifle with iron sights. While Cooper's original reaso - CMMG Banshee: The Unique Radial Delayed Blowback SystemE119
CMMG Banshee: The Unique Radial Delayed Blowback Systemhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 2015, the CMMG company decided to develop a pistol-caliber AR carbine firing .45 ACP. Such things were becoming common in 9mm, but .45 was a more open market opportunity. They spent substantial time trying to perfect a simple blowback system, only to find that the recoil impulse was causing occasional feed failures that just couldn't be rectified. They next tried using the regular AR "direct impingement" operating mechanism, but that wouldn't provide enough energy to run the system reliably - and was very direct to boot. Just when the project looked hopeless, they took inspiration form the WWII Reising submachine gun - a delayed blowback .45ACP system. Thinking about delayed blowback options, they hit upon the idea of using the AR cam pin as an accelerator lever. By cutting the back of the AR bolt lugs at 45 degrees, they created a system where the bolt would try to rotate and unlock under direct pressure from firing. This rotating acted through the cam pin to accelerate the mass of the bolt carrier rearward before the bolt head could start to extract the cartridge case. They named the system radial delayed blowback, and proceeded to spend 2016 perfecting the system, ultimately releasing it in April 2017 to the market. Following that, they expanded their product line from .45 ACP to include 9x19, 5.7x28, .40 S&W, and 10mm Automatic. There are very few new ideas in firearms operating system these days, and the radial delayed blowback is a clever and elegant one, using an existing set of parts in a novel way. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - CMMG Banshee at the RangeE120
CMMG Banshee at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Yesterday we looked at the novel Radial Delayed Blowback system invented by CMMG for their 9mm AR carbines; today we are taking it out to the range to try. It does indeed do exactly as advertised - even in a lighter platform like this SBR, the recoil impulse is significantly less than in simple blowback 9mm ARs. Very cool to see innovation still existing in a marketplace that has been so heavily optimized! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Vektor SP1: Important Safety Warning (reupload)E121
Vektor SP1: Important Safety Warning (reupload)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons A batch of very worn Vektor SP1 pistols was recently imported and sold here in the US. If you got one of them, please make sure to inspect the locking block prior to firing it. A large number of them have locking luges that are cracked or sheared off entirely, which makes them dangerous to fire. Fortunately, this is a very easy problem to remedy, as the SP1 can use a standard Beretta 92/96 locking block - and those are readily available and inexpensive. I have reposted this to remove the name of one particular reseller who sold these. They are working with buyers to solve the issue, and it was never my intention for people to deluge them with threatening emails. Caveat Emptor is not always a legal defense, but it is always an important principal for the wise collector. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Conclusion: Atlantic Firearms and the Broken Vektor SP1 PistolsE122
Conclusion: Atlantic Firearms and the Broken Vektor SP1 Pistolshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons If you find a Vektor SP1 imported by IArms LLC of Jensen Beach Florida, you should make sure to inspect the locking block carefully before firing it. But Atlantic Firearms did do their due diligence in contacting their customers when they discovered the problem - they only had 10 of these guns to begin with and it was easy for them to contact each buyer without needing to post a notice in public. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Type 68 North Korean Tokarev/High Power HybridE123
Type 68 North Korean Tokarev/High Power Hybridhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Type 68 is a North Korean hybrid of the Tokarev and the High Power, used as a military service pistol until replaced by the Beak-Du-San copy pop the CZ75. The general outline of the gun is a copy of the Tokarev, with a modular removable fire control group, lack of manual safety, and tall thin sights. It is chambered for 7.62x25mm, and uses a magazine identical to the standard Tokarev except for not having a magazine catch cut, as the Type 68 has a heel magazine release. Internally, the High Power elements include a detent-retained barrel pin, use of a solid barrel cam instead of a 1911/Tokarev swinging link, and a fixed barrel bushing. Two patterns of markings exist, one with a date and North Korean marking, and one (like this example) with only a serial number. North Korean guns of all types are very rare in the United States. A very small number of Type 68s have come into the US, generally through Central America (probably via Cuba) and South Africa (via Rhodesia/Zimbabwe). Update: It appears that the original design work for these was done by an independent engineering firm in Yugoslavia. The design (a TT33 with High Power type locking and angled slide serrations) was not completed in time for the trials that would lead to adoption of the Yugoslav M57, and the drawings were transferred to "another country" - probably North Korea. Thanks to Legacy Collectibles for loaning me this pistol for filming! Check out his YouTube channel, with lots of other interesting guns: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Special Troops M91 Carcano Carbine and the M91/24 CarbineE124
Special Troops M91 Carcano Carbine and the M91/24 Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons "Special Troops" does not mean Special Forces; it means all the various service branches that need neither a full length rifle nor a permanently attached bayonet. This included artillery, engineers, naval troops, and more. The Moschetto 91 TS was basically a carbine-length Carcano rifle, albeit with a unique perpendicular bayonet lug. These carbines became quite popular during World War One. After the war, instead of restarting M91 TS production, the Italian military opted to convert worn out M91 long rifles to TS carbine pattern. This model is easily identified by the short barrel but long rear sight base, and was designated the M91/24. More than a quarter million of these conversion were made at the Terni Arsenal between 1924 and 1929. When the supply of suitable candidates for long rifle conversion ran dry, production of the M91 TS restarted, now using standard bayonet lugs. They would remain in production until 1938, when Italy adopted the 7.35mm cartridge, and after the reversion to 6.5mm in 1940. They are extremely handy little carbines! Thanks to InterOrdnance / Royal Tiger Imports for providing these carbines from their Ethiopian imports for the video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Trials Soviet M91/30/43 Mosin - Semin's Folding BayonetE125
Trials Soviet M91/30/43 Mosin - Semin's Folding Bayonethttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons As World War Two developed, the Soviet Union found that bayonets were frequently lost from its M91/30 Mosin Nagant rifles. The standard bayonet, as adopted all the way back in 1891, was a long spike attached via socket over the muzzle. Carried on the belt is was long and awkward and easily discarded, and fixed to the rifle it made an already long weapon even less mobile. In an effort to find a solution, a selection of folding bayonets were investigated, which the best design coming form one N.S. Semin. His bayonet would ultimately be adopted as part of the M44 Carbine, but before that happened it was also tested on M91/30 long rifles. Where the M44 used a permanently attached type, the version trialed on the M91/30 used a similar socket to the original bayonet, albeit with an addition locking pin to keep it in place. Testing began in the summer of 1943, and ultimately 11,500 were made by the end of that year and another 10,000 in early 1944. They were used in active fighting, but by the spring of 1944 the M91/30 was slated to be replaced entirely by the M44 carbine and further production of the long folding bayonet ceased. A few years ago a small batch (about 100 guns) of these rifles was located, having been refurbished and put into storage after the war. They were imported into Canada, where an anonymous collector was kind enough to give me access to film this one. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hotchkiss 1914 Cow-Catcher Muzzle DeviceE126
Hotchkiss 1914 Cow-Catcher Muzzle Devicehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I'm working on getting a Hotchkiss 1914 heavy machine gun up and running for some long range accuracy testing. It's not quite ready yet, but I saw a very interesting effect of the WW1 muzzle device (used on both the Hotchkiss 1914 and the St Etienne 1907 machine guns) in use... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Zastava's Heavy Hitter: The Yugoslav M76 DMRE127
Zastava's Heavy Hitter: The Yugoslav M76 DMRhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the 1970s, the Yugoslav Army decided that it wanted a semiautomatic marksman's rifle, something akin to the Romanian PSL or Soviet Dragunov. Not having the technical data package to manufacture the SVD, the Zastava factory set about scaling up its M70 Kalashnikov to meet this requirement. The result was the M76, chambered for the 8mm Mauser cartridge. It fed from a 10-round detachable magazine and was fitted with the Zrak ON-M76 scope, a simple but robust 4 power optic with a BDC cam for an elevation adjustment and basic rangefinder included in the reticle. The M76 would be the JNA's squad marksman rifle for about 15 years, until replaced by the M91, a similar design using 7.62x54R ammunition. A few thousand of these rifles eventually found their way into the United States, like this one. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - An AK in 8x57mm: The Yugoslav M76 at the RangeE128
An AK in 8x57mm: The Yugoslav M76 at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Yesterday we looked at the history and mechanics of this Yugoslav M76; today we are taking it out to the range... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Upcoming Morphy Auction May 28/29E129
Upcoming Morphy Auction May 28/29http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Morphy's Auction Company has been very kind to me and provided opportunities to shoot a bunch of very rare machine guns on film for you, and I wanted to give them a shout out here. I had planned to travel to their facility for a week of filming last month, but for reasons that need no explaining, I was not able to. They are still holding their auction on schedule at the end of this week though, and there is a bunch of very cool stuff there worth taking a look at in you are a firearms collector... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Luftwaffe-Issue Walther PP & PPK PistolsE130
Luftwaffe-Issue Walther PP & PPK Pistolshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Courtesy of Legacy Collectibles, we have a pair of Luftwaffe-issue Walther pistols to look at today, one PP and one PPK. The Luftwaffe bought more than 500,000 pistols during World War Two, including not only Walthers but also the Luger, P38, HSc, CZ38, Femaru 37, and FN 1922. Identifying Luftwaffe-issue Walthers is tricky, as they were not specifically marked - but we do know a few specific serial number batches. As with other state and military organizations, Walthers made for the Luftwaffe were sold as special contracts, with unique serial numbering procedures. Specifically, Luftwaffe guns will have magazines serialized on their floor plates. The three specifically known groups are: From 1940, about 1800 guns chambered for 9x17mm, between 198,000P and 202,000P From 1941/2, about 12,000 PPs in .32 caliber between 216,000P and 229,000P From 1941/2, about 6,000 PPKs in .32 caliber between 297,000k and 304,000k Other Luftwaffe guns exist, but their serial number blocks have not yet been identified. Make sure to check out Legacy Collectibles' YouTube channel! They have a bunch of videos on interesting firearms and firearms collecting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - M38 Carcano: Best Bolt Rifle of World War Two?E131
M38 Carcano: Best Bolt Rifle of World War Two?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons During the 1920s, Italy was concerned about insufficient lethality with their 6.5x52mm cartridge, and began experimenting with larger bore diameters. By the late 1930s they settled on a new 7.35x51mm round, based closely on the existing 6.5mm cartridge case. They also planned to replace the original M91 rifles with a much more compact and more modern short rifle for the infantry. This design was adopted as the M38, and it featured side-mounted sling attachments, a folding bayonet more like a fighting knife than the old sword type, and did away entirely with the long-range adjustable sight, instead opting for a fixed 200m notch. I submit that this configuration was the ideal one for World War Two, and Italy was the only nation to really adopt a reality-based rifle design. The use of rifles beyond 300m was almost unheard of during the war, and the fixed sight both reduced production overhead and also made the rifles more durable and soldier-proof. It retained the 6-round Mannlicher clip that was fast to load, and both the 7.35mm and 6.5mm cartridges were closer to intermediate cartridges than other contemporaries like the 8x57 and .30-06. The M38 is handy, inexpensive to make, and comfortable to shoot. I think it is a massively under-appreciated rifle. Thanks to InterOrdnance / Royal Tiger Imports for providing this carbine from their Ethiopian imports for the video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - FAMAS G2: The French Navy Updates its BullpupE132
FAMAS G2: The French Navy Updates its Bullpuphttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The FAMAS rifle was originally adopted for use with 55 grain ammunition, with a 1:12 inch rifling twist rate and, of course, a proprietary 25-round magazine. This was the F1 pattern. Further development of the rifle with an eye toward international sale led to the G1 pattern, with a 1:9 inch twist suited to the Belgian SS109 62 grain projectile adopted by NATO, as well as the use of NATO-standard magazines (specifically FNC magazines). While the French Army was quite satisfied with its F1 rifles, the French Navy decided to modernize in the early 1990s. The commercial G1 rifle had been economized by removing many of the extra features like bipod legs and grenade launching hardware, and the Navy wanted those elements reinstated. GIAt did that, and the result was the FAMAS G2. A total of 10,000 were manufactured for the French Navy, and they are the last FAMAS rifles to be produced before the St Etienne production facility was shut down and GIAT left the small arms business entirely. Thanks to the French Ministry of the Interior for allowing me access to this very scarce rifle to show you! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Q&A 41: Rebuilding Elbonia, and Lots of British RiflesE133
Q&A 41: Rebuilding Elbonia, and Lots of British RiflesElbonian shirts and posters now available here: https://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons 0:00:27 - Followup: Restoring the Elbonian military 0:05:48 - How to learn about pricing of collectible firearms 0:09:57 - Why are German small arms so highly desired? 0:13:32 - Pick a gun in a new caliber 0:15:32 - Why not recoil spring above barrel for reduced recoil? 0:17:34 - Why aren't guns better prepared for Army trials? 0:21:46 - Why isn't gas-delayed blowback more common? 0:24:13 - Fluted barrels 0:27:09 - Advice for firearms writers 0:31:33 - StG44 vs Cold War rifles 0:33:51 - Updating versus replacing military small arms 0:37:02 - Breechloaders converted to use magazines 0:40:11 - Farquhar-Hill in WW1, would it have worked? 0:42:06 - Why is 7.62x54R still a thing? 0:45:45 - What military adoption boards actually got it right? 0:47:43 - Why is the Mauser DA90 made by FEG? 0:49:38 - Designs limits by contemporary metallurgy? 0:50:58 - Real-life inspiration for the Half-Life: Alyx pistol? 0:53:17 - What to collect if firearms are too expensive? 0:56:03 - What is the US adopted a Mauser 1892 instead of the Krag? 0:58:30 - M1 Carbine as a replacement for the Thompson SMG 1:01:42 - Why did Japan adopt a semi-rimmed cartridge? 1:03:58 - Should the UK have adopted the E.M.2 instead of SA80? 1:05:39 - Constant recoil pistols? Thanks to all my wonderful Patrons for making Forgotten Weapons possible, and thanks to Andrews of Bothwell for my Secret Weapon! http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Perdition to Conspirators! Magnificent 14-Barrel FlintlockE134
Perdition to Conspirators! Magnificent 14-Barrel Flintlockhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Colonel Thomas Thornton was a wealthy and somewhat flamboyant character in England in the late 18th and early 19th century. He commanded a militia unit with which he had some disagreement, and which mutinied against his comment at Roborough Camp in 1795. Some years later, he commissioned this quite unique firearm from Dupe & Company of London. The gun is a single stock with two flintlock actions, two triggers, and two clusters of seven .30 caliber rifled barrels each. Each trigger fires a complete barrel cluster simultaneously. In addition to the firepower of this very remarkable weapon, he also had it finished in a truly magnificent fashion, including the fantastic line "PERDITION TO CONSPIRATORS" on ons of the barrel clusters - clearly he harbored some resentment towards his unruly militia subordinates even years later. In addition, he had a second stock made to fit just one lock plate and barrel cluster, for when 14 barrels might be a bit of overkill. That stock is even more decorated that the first, with beautiful wooden relief carvings and the motto "A Verite Gagner", meaning something to the effect of "Truth From Victory". This gun is part of the Liege arms museum's display of civilian arms, and I'd like to thank them for taking it out of their display so I could show it to you! If you are in Liege, stop in and see the museum: https://www.grandcurtius.be Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Zastava DMR Showdown: M76 vs M91 at the RangeE135
Zastava DMR Showdown: M76 vs M91 at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Edit: I said 100 yards in the video; this was all shot at 200 yards. Sorry! Time to compare the Zastava over-sized AKs! Today I'm out at the range for a comparison shutoff between a Yugoslav M76 and a Serbian M91, both Kalashnikov-based DMRs made by the Zastava factory. The M76 is chambered for 8mm Mauser, with a pistol grip and a centerline scope. The M91 uses 7.62x54R ammunition, with a thumbhole stock and offset scope mount. My conclusions? They both shoot the same. I like the handling of the M76 better, but as an American receiver kit-built, it just isn't a reliable rifle. For something that can actually be counted on to run, the M91 is a much better choice. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Adventures in Surplus: A WW1 & Weimar Police Kar98a CarbineE136
Adventures in Surplus: A WW1 & Weimar Police Kar98a Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I have been wanting one of these rifles for a long time, and with this example I think I have found a fantastic example. This is a Kar98a carbine made in 1918 and used in World War One, and then refurbished by the Weimar government and used by police forces. It probably remained in police use through World War Two, eventually brought to the US as a souvenir of an American soldier. This is a great example of a rifle with many decades of individual history that can be read from its markings and characteristics. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Adventures in Surplus: Chromed Argentine 1891 Parade RifleE137
Adventures in Surplus: Chromed Argentine 1891 Parade Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When I got this Model 1891 Argentine rifle, I assumed it was the unfortunately result of someone's experimenting with chrome plating parts. All the small parts are chromed and then heavily worn, while the barrel and receiver remain blued. Frankly, I think it looks awful, but it was in the lot with the Kar98a that I really wanted - such is the nature of lots. Anyway, when I started doing some reading, I found that a number of other people have Argentine Mausers in a similar condition. While there is no documentary proof, it is widely surmised that these were chromed for use as drill or parade rifles by the Argentine Navy. This would explain their condition and why they were surplussed only in the last couple decades. It's a great example of why you shouldn't make assumptions about something until you are really sure... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - French FR-F1 Sniper Rifle at the RangeE138
French FR-F1 Sniper Rifle at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The FR-F1 was adopted in 1967 as the French Army's marksman or sniper's rifle. It was based roughly on the MAS-36 bolt action system, but with a heavier receiver and 10-round detachable box magazine. It used the same scope as he MAS 49-56; the APX L806, a 3.85x optic largely modeled after the German ZF-4. I'm doing some shooting today with PPU 7.5mm ammunition, which is not particularly good - and the results show that. So, I after filming this video I shipped the rifle to my friends at 9 Hole Reviews for a proper test. Check out their video: https://youtu.be/mCp4NIQRBlE Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Adventures in Surplus: Mid-war "CE44" German Kar 98kE139
Adventures in Surplus: Mid-war "CE44" German Kar 98khttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today's rifle is a German Karabiner 98k, made by JP Sauer in 1944 and marked with the appropriate receiver code, "ce". This is from the final year of JP Sauer production of the K98k, before they transitioned to making the MP44 instead. It gives us a chance to look at how production standards changed over the course of the war, and see a fine example of what German soldiers were being issued as their eventual defeat became inevitable. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Adventures in Surplus: Yugoslav M48 MauserE140
Adventures in Surplus: Yugoslav M48 Mauserhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today is a look at a Yugoslav M48 Mauser. This was the standardized model that Yugoslavia adopted to replace its assortment of repaired and rebuild older Mauser rifles in the aftermath of World War Two. It was a very finely made rifle, with all milled parts, and 238,000 were made between 1950 and 1952. After that, changes were made to introduce stamped components and reduce the cost, resulting in the M48A and M48B patterns. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - FN 1900 for the Russian Imperial Army Fencing & Gymnastics SchoolE141
FN 1900 for the Russian Imperial Army Fencing & Gymnastics Schoolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Courtesy of Legacy Collectibles, we have an FN 1900 to look at today that was purchased by the Russian Imperial Army's primary Gymnastics and Fencing School (Главная гимнастическо-фехтовальная школа). That was an institution established in 1909 to train officers who would become fencing and gymnastics instructors for the Army at large. Russian officers could carry private-purchase handguns from a list of approved designs, which included the FN 1900, 1903, and 1905. A bunch of Army schools and institutions bought batches of FN pistols between 1907 and 1914 for resale to officers. These will often, but not always, be marked with a crossed pair of Mosin Nagant rifles. There was no formal adoption of the FN 1900 by Russia, and so there was no large Army order specifying that crossed-rifle marking. Instead, small contracts were made by institutions, who could make their own choices about how the guns would be marked. One of the interesting and distinctive elements about these Russian purchases is that while some of their guns were blued, a significant number were ordered with a factory nickel-plated finish, which is rare on FN pistols. This example shows very nicely how FN left a few small parts (magazine release, trigger, safety) in a black primed state instead of plating them. It had been found that when those parts were plated, the change in surface thickness could cause fitting problems. Thanks to Max Popenker for the marking assistance, and to Legacy Collectibles for the loan of the pistol! You can check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - M91/41: A Step Back From the M38 and the Last CarcanoE142
M91/41: A Step Back From the M38 and the Last Carcanohttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In my opinion, the M38 Carcano as a very insightfully designed infantry rifle for World War Two, acknowledging the real-world use conditions of such weapons. With the M91/41 (aka M41), Italy took a step back from that. Originally designed as the M40 in 1940 with a new rear sight design adjustable out to a reasonable 500m, it was adopted in 1941 with a copy of the original M91 carbine rear sight, graduated out to 1000m. The barrel was shorter than the M91 rifle, but only by about 3.5 inches. It had a straight bolt handle, and sling attachments on both the side and the bottom. The M41 was produced at the Terni Arsenal until September 1943, when Italy signed an armistice with the Allies. Production also took place at Armaguerra in the north, and that factory was controlled by German forces after the armistice, and would continue producing rifles in 1944. A total of about 917,000 M41 rifles were made between the two factories. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - M44L: The Experimental Midlength Folding-Bayonet Mosin NagantE143
M44L: The Experimental Midlength Folding-Bayonet Mosin Naganthttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Courtesy of The Mosin Crate, we have a Soviet "M44L" today. This was an intermediate length (24 inch barrel) pattern of the Mosin Nagant rifle with an M44-style permanently attached folding spike bayonet. Developed in 1944, it was intended to serve as a universal replacement for the Mosin Nagant rifles and carbines in service, but trials did not begin until after the German surrender in 1945 and the program was dropped. Total production is not known, although the initial order was for 1,000 rifles in this infantry configuration plus 200 more without bayonets for use as snipers' rifles. When development ceased, the existing guns were refurbished, put into storage, and eventually distributed with other Mosins as military aid to allied nations. This example was imported from Bulgaria by Century, and is imported marked by them as an "M44". The term "M44L" has been adopted by the American collector community in lieu of knowing a proper Soviet designation for the pattern. Check out The Mosin Crate for other interesting surplus firearms videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGwjCRIvPpL1LG0tiGsdW-Q/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Restoring Sporterized Military Rifles for Fun and...Probably not ProfitE144
Restoring Sporterized Military Rifles for Fun and...Probably not Profithttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I get a fair number of questions about restoring sporterized rifles, so I figured I should address them in a stand-alone video... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Walther Q5 "Arabesque": Art in the Form of a Match PistolE145
Walther Q5 "Arabesque": Art in the Form of a Match Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Engraved pistols are not just the domain of antiques; they are being made right now, on the most modern platforms. This is the "Arabesque", a project between Walther and Bottega Incisioni Giovanelli. The base gun is a Walther Q5 Match, and engraver Dario Cortini put nearly 140 hours of work into a beautiful hand-made engraving job, complete with tasteful gold accents. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Berthier with a Chauchat Magazine at the RangeE146
Berthier with a Chauchat Magazine at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I am out at the range to put the first shots through a completed replica of the French Chauchat-magazine Berthier conversion. The real versions of these guns were made on Mle 1890 cavalry carbines and Mle 1907-15 long rifles, as survival rifles for pilots and observers early in World War One. This example was built up from parts and based on an M16 Carbine (with the upper handguard). I was hoping to be able to use this in a competitive environment to compare it to a Mauser 98 or Springfield 1903 with an extended trench magazine, but it doesn't look like that will be possible, unfortunately. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Luxembourg Model 1884 Gendarmerie NagantE147
Luxembourg Model 1884 Gendarmerie Naganthttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The military of Luxembourg chose to purchase Nagant revolvers in the 1880s, and they got three different models. The most interesting of these was the Model 1884 for the Gendarmerie, which was chambered for the black powder 9.4x22mm cartridge and fitted with a long barrel so it could mount a tiny little spike bayonet. Curiously, the Army purchases were all chambered for the newer 7.5mm cartridge, the same as the Swedish Model 1887 Nagant revolvers. At any rate, the best number I can find for production of this Gendarmerie pattens is a mere 190 - which makes sense given that the Luxembourg Gendarmerie at the time only numbered about 250 men. Mechanically, this pattern shows an interesting middle ground between the Belgian 1878, 1883, and 1886 models, with the simplified clockwork of the 1886 but some of the fancy features of the 1878 like the cylinder axis pin locking catch. Thanks to Legacy Collectibles for the loan of the pistol! You can check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - High Speed Low Drag in the 30s: Arisaka QD SlingE148
High Speed Low Drag in the 30s: Arisaka QD Slinghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons People tend to think of quick-detach slings as the stuff of nylon and fast-ex buckles, but these things have actually been around for a long time. One example is this Japanese Arisaka sling. Using two wire clips to attach to sling swivels, it is very quick and easy to detach from the rifle. We don't know exactly who these were intended for, but they ended up being used on a wide variety of rifles. In particular, they appear to have been fairly popular on the Type 2 Paratrooper model of the Arisaka - although they were made before that rifle was adopted. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - S&W Chemical Company 37mm Gas GunE149
S&W Chemical Company 37mm Gas Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons (Note: The initial version of this video contained incorrect legal information about 37mm launchers, and it has been updated to fix that) The Smith & Wesson company was purchased by the Bangor Punta conglomerate in 1964, and BP also owned one of the early pioneers in police tear gas products, the Lake Erie Chemical Company. Once it had both companies under single ownership, the decision was made to rebrand the tear gas product line as the Smith & Wesson Chemical Company. S&W was obviously a brand with lots of recognition in law enforcement, so this was a good idea. S&W began production of a new model of 37mm tear gas launcher using the N frame revolver clockwork, coupled with a simple break action barrel. The system was available as either a pistol (7.5 inch barrel) or a stocked carbine (14 inch barrel) - and a nautical line-throwing version was also made. This is probably the finest quality tear gas or flare gun ever made, as the clockwork from the revolvers gives it a great single action and double action trigger pull compared to the typical utilitarian flare gun. A variety of projectiles were made, including short-range, long-range, and barrier penetrating models (see poster below). These were all available loaded with smoke, CS, or CN gas. Production appears to have ceased in 1984, when the Bangor Punta conglomerate was bought out, and Smith & Wesson sold off from it shortly thereafter. Source of the quote about Roush: https://archive.org/details/strikestrategy00steurich/page/8/mode/2up To see the full S&W Chemical Company product chart and other resources, visit my blog post at: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/sw-chemical-company-37mm-gas-gun/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Samopal vz.58: The Czechoslovakian Answer to the AKE151
Samopal vz.58: The Czechoslovakian Answer to the AKhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Among the nations of the Warsaw Pact, only Czechoslovakia designed and produced its own infantry assault rifle - everyone else used the Kalashnikov. The Czech vz.58 is often mistaken for an AK because it has the same basic layout, but is in reality a completely different gun mechanically and has no interchangeable parts with an AK. It is a short stroke gas piston system will a pivoting locking block like a Walther P38 pistol and a unique linear hammer for firing. The vz.58 was produced from 1958 until 1984, and underwent no substantial modifications during its service, although various new bolt-on parts are available today for commercial sale. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - PCC Showdown: H&K SP-5 vs Kalashnikov USA KP-9 vs CMMG BansheeE152
PCC Showdown: H&K SP-5 vs Kalashnikov USA KP-9 vs CMMG Bansheehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Since SHOT Show this year, I have gotten three different 9mm carbines that are all interesting in their own ways. The Kalashnikov USA KP-9 is a virtual copy of the Russian Vityaz submachine gun, much more sophisticated than the other 9mm AKs available today. The CMMG Banshee is a delayed blowback AR with a very clever operating mechanism and the ability to fit a standard AR lower. And the H&K SP-5 is the long-awaited semiauto civilian iteration of the MP5, my favorite submachine gun of all. As I have done videos on each of these, lots of people have asked to see them compared to each other. Today, we are doing that! I have a selection of cool target systems from MOA Targets - an 8-plate duelling tree, a mini-Mozambique, and a Redneck Star. These will serve to test target transitions, precision shots, and moving targets respectively, and we will see which of the carbines comes out on top! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - WW1 Night Sights: Gewehr 98 and SMLEE153
WW1 Night Sights: Gewehr 98 and SMLEhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Germany, Britain, and France all introduced luminous night sights for their service rifles in 1916. Today we are looking at a Gewehr 98 and an SMLE that have detachable WW1 night sights fitted (and the SMLE also has a metal muzzle cover device). Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Wartime Evolution of the No4 Lee Enfield Rear SightE154
Wartime Evolution of the No4 Lee Enfield Rear Sighthttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Most of the significant wartime simplifications we see on rifles from World War Two are from Germany and Japan, but the rear sight of the No4 Lee Enfield is a good example of a similar action taken by Britain. By 1942, the finely-made milled rear sight assembly of the rifle had become a limiting factor for production, and something needed to be done. So in 1942 a very simple two position "L" flip sight was adopted as a temporary solution. While that allowed production to speed up, a better solution was being developed by BSA. Late in 1942, the Mk III rear sight was adopted, effectively a stamped version of the original. This became the new standard, and some rifles with Mk II flip sights were update din the field by unit armorers. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - A Walther copied by Hungary for Egypt: the WALAM 48E155
A Walther copied by Hungary for Egypt: the WALAM 48http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The WALAM 48 was a copy of the Walther Model PP made by Fegyver- és Gépgyártó Részvénytársaság (aka FÉG) in Hungary in the years after World War Two. It was originally produced as the 48M police pistol (in .32 caliber) to replace the aging stocks of Frommer Stop pistols used by Hungarian police. Once that contract was completed, FÉG moved to looking for commercial and export sales. In 1957 a deal was worked out with General Nasser in Egypt to sell a version of the 48M as well as the Tokagypt copy of the TT33 for the Egyptian military. The gun was called the WALAM 48, meaning "WAlther- LÁMpagyár" (the factory name at that time). This model was chambered for 9x17mm (aka 9mm Browning Short, aka .380 ACP) and 10,000 were ordered. The contract was cancelled prior to completion for unclear reasons, resulting in some pistols being made with an Egyptian crest on the slide and some with blank slides. Thanks to The Mosin Crate for selling me these two to bring to you on film! Check out his YouTube channel for other interesting surplus firearms videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGwjCRIvPpL1LG0tiGsdW-Q/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Q&A 42: Books, Machine Guns, Cannons, and Forgotten Weapons by MailE156
Q&A 42: Books, Machine Guns, Cannons, and Forgotten Weapons by Mailhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Q&A time again! This month we have: 00:17 - Favorite military uniform or camo pattern 01:12 - Stockpile of odd ammo? 02:15 - Bolts closing automatically when a new magazine is inserted 04:18 - Filming in French museum and arsenal collections 06:08 - Gas operated revolvers 06:55 - Videos about 1st generation infrared optics 08:08 - How is the FR-F1 treating me? What are its import marks like? Have I seen "15 Minutes of War"? 12:36 - Have rifle improvements made the OICW concept viable today? 14:30 - Book on Ethiopian guns? 15:38 - What country has stayed ahead of the small arms design curve? 16:44 - Three guns I'd like to film that have no surviving examples 17:55 - Should the French Army have adopted the FAMAS G2? 20:12 - Shotguns as a military weapon? 22:22 - Beginner cannons 25:18 - What has been the historical accuracy standard for military rifles? 26:27 - Publicity for Forgotten Weapons or Headstamp outside the gun community? 27:26 - What gun's popularity stumps me? 29:52 - What do militaries so with surplus and obsolete arms? 31:37 - Gotten hair stuck in a gun? 32:03 - Russian silenced handguns 32:55 - Video about books/library? 34:30 - Did I buy the Lewis at Morphys? 36:40 - Breda Modelo 30 vs Chauchat Mle 1915 37:45 - Forgotten Weapons by mail 39:37 - What makes a good pistol for competition? Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Arcelin Mousqueton: An 1850s Breechloader with a Ludicrous BayonetE157
Arcelin Mousqueton: An 1850s Breechloader with a Ludicrous Bayonethttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Arcelin system was a capping breechloader provisionally adopted by the French military in 1854. It was a bolt action system with a folding bolt handle, firing a paper cartridge. It impressed Emperor Louis Napoleon III in initial trials, and he directed it be used to arms his elite Cent Gardes bodyguard. More extensive testing showed that it suffered from insufficient obturation, and would would with extended use, eventually becoming so difficult to close that bolt handles would break. Its adoption was rescinded, and it was replaced by the Treuille de Beaulieu 9mm pinfire carbine in Cent Garden use within just a few years. The most distinctive element of the Arcelin in use was its bayonet - a true full-length sword complete with brass handguard that could be clipped to the muzzle. This was chosen for its impressive length, although it would have been cumbersome if used beyond ceremonial guard duties. Thanks to the Cody Firearms Museum for allowing me access to film this very rare and very cool musketoon and its bayonet! Check them out here: https://centerofthewest.org/explore/firearms/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - 1911 vs M1 Carbine in a Practical MatchE158
1911 vs M1 Carbine in a Practical Matchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The M1 Carbine was developed to be a personal defense weapon to replace the 1911 pistol for groups of soldiers like drivers, artillery crews, and others who did not need a full-size M1 Garand but did need a firearm of some sort. The idea was that a light carbine would be much easier to use effectively with limited training, and effective to a much longer range. Basically, the 1911 was recognized to be an expert's weapon, and the Army needed something easier to use. Now, many folks will take it for granted that the M1 Carbine will meet this requirement easily, but I think it will be interesting to try it out. So, today I am shooting the four stages of a Backup Gun Match with a 1911 and an M1 Carbine. This match has stages at close range and low round count - really much closer range than the M1 Carbine was expected to be capable of. So, I think this setup gives the 1911 the best possible odds. And yet, we see that the Carbine still beat it handily; with he closest stage being a draw between the two. The Carbine is easier to hit with a long range, faster to fire followup shots with, and more forgiving of errors. In short, it is exactly what the Army wanted! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - NKVD Officer's Model Nagant RevolverE159
NKVD Officer's Model Nagant Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the Tula Arsenal restarted production of M1895 Nagant revolvers in 1924 after the Russian civil war, they made both full sized standard guns and also compact "Commanding Officer" models. These had a shorter grip and barrel (85mm), and were intended specifically for people who would carry the guns concealed in civilian clothing, like NKVD agents and customs officers. About 25,000 of the compact models were made total, with production ending in 1932. Thanks to Legacy Collectibles for the loan of the pistol! You can check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - How Does It Work: Push Feed vs Controlled FeedE160
How Does It Work: Push Feed vs Controlled Feedhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In a controlled feed rifle design, a cartridge slips under the extractor as soon as it is released from the magazine. This means than if the bolt is retracted before being locked into battery, it will pull the cartridge back out as it retracts. On a push feed action, the extractor does not capture the cartridge rim until the bolt is locked into battery. Thus if a push feed action is retracted early, it will leave the cartridge mostly in the chamber, potentially setting up a double feed malfunction. On the other hand, push feed actions generally use plunger extractors, which are able to eject an empty case after a shorter travel, where a controlled feed must be opened completely to eject. This makes a controlled feed action more prone to unintentional short-stroking. In practice, neither of these issues is really a significant concern and the hype over the difference is meaningless for the vast majority of applications. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Elmech EM-992: Croatia's First Domestic Sniper RifleE161
Elmech EM-992: Croatia's First Domestic Sniper Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons There was a fair amount of small arms production in Croatia during the breakup of Yugoslavia, but most of it was not particularly high quality. After the government of Croatia had become established, it looked to arm a formal military, and turned to the Elmech company to produce a sniper's rifle. The result was the EMM-992 in .300 Winchester Magnum and a companion rifle in 7.62x51mm NATO, the EM-992. Adopted by the Croatian military and police forces in 1992, production ran until about 1997. It is not clear how many were made in total, although the majority were the .300 WM model. Mechanically, the rifle is a simple push-feed, rotating bolt system. It uses a detachable magazine (unfortunately missing on this example) that could hold either 5 or 7 rounds (I presume 5 in .300WM and 7 in 7.62 NATO). The barrel is free floated, and has integral porting at the muzzle. The trigger is a commercial Timney unit, and the scope chosen was the Leupold 3.5-10 x 24mm. A commercial Harris bipod and composite wood stock round out the elements of the rifle. They apparently served well, but have since been replaced in military service by the Sako TRG-42. Interestingly, a number of Elmech rifles have been documented in use in Syria, by ISIS and other groups. This particular example was imported into the US directly from a Croatian police department. Thanks to The Mosin Crate for the loan of this rifle - check out their YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGwjCRIvPpL1LG0tiGsdW-Q/ Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Optics for Machine Guns: The Spuhr B.A.M.E162
Optics for Machine Guns: The Spuhr B.A.M.I have been thinking about machine gun optics for a while, as I am on the waiting list for a Lage Max 11/15A1 5.56mm upper for my M11A1 (registered and legal) machine pistol. I am fitting the Lage upper with a BlkLbl bipod/handguard, and that leaves the question of what sighting system to put on it. Red dots allow one to maintain a sight picture while firing, but offer no ability to identify targets beyond range of the naked eye. Magnified optics allow much better visibility, but are difficult to use effectively beyond the first shot in a burst. Even a variable at 1x has an eye box and relatively fine reticle. The solution I have found that I think will be the best compromise is the Spuhr BAM (Ballistic Adjustable Mount). This is a mounting platform that holds an Aimpoint CompM4 red dot and an Aimpoint 3x magnifier and has a BDC allowing both dot and magnifier to be adjusted to hit at 250, 400, 500, or 600m. The Aimpoint has no holdovers in its reticle (which is just a plain dot), so this adjustment allows the dot to be used effectively out to the maximum effective range of the 5.56mm cartridge. The magnifier is fitted via a flip-over/twist-off mount, so it can be flipped out of the way when not in use (ie, after a target is identified), or detached completely when not wanted. I am really eager to get this mounted on the Lage Max 11/15A1 and actually try it out on the range! This rig is not exactly cheap, and I am grateful to Spuhr for providing me with the BAM mount, and to Optics Planet for providing the Aimpoint and magnifier. Everything Spuhr makes is of excellent quality, and I highly recommend him for all sorts of scope mounts, if you can afford his work. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - AJ Ordnance "Thomas" - A .45 Locked by Grip AloneE163
AJ Ordnance "Thomas" - A .45 Locked by Grip Alonehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Designed by one Frank Thomas Jr. in the 1970s, this pistol was produced by the AJ Ordnance company of Covina California, and named after its creator. It was designed to be a concealed carry pistol chambered for .45 ACP ammunition without needing a manual safety. Thomas wanted to avoid exposed hammers and manual safeties, which he saw as being potential failure points and potential places for a pistol to snag on the draw. So, he created a single-stack .45 with a long DA-like trigger and an internal striker instead of a hammer. What makes the pistol truly unique is its locking system. It is delayed blowback, using a pair of wedges that the slide must push down before it can open. These wedges engage the slide only when the shooter grips the gun, by way of a grip safety type lever in the backstrap. This results in a gun that is rather unpleasant to shoot, as the action of cycling slaps the grip lever back into the hand with each shot. Only about 600 of the guns were made, although I was unable to determine exactly why production ended so quickly. It's not so much a surprise that it didn't see greater success, but rather a question of which potential problem caused it to fail commercially (or if it was all of them acting together...). NOTE: I mixed up a piece of footage, and put the wrong sight picture clip in at 1:44. Sorry! That sight picture is a WALAM 48, not the Thomas. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - AJ Ordnance "Thomas" at the Backup Gun MatchE164
AJ Ordnance "Thomas" at the Backup Gun Matchhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today, I'm taking the AJ ordnance "Thomas" .45 to the Backup Gun Match to try it out on the clock. The Thomas was designed as a concealed carry pistol, with no external controls and a long revolver-like double action trigger in lieu of a safety. It actually performed better than I expected, especially on the plate rack in the last stage. The fixed barrel makes it a mechanically quite accurate pistol, but the trigger and sharp recoil impulse make it difficult to realize that potential accuracy. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Russian FN 1905 Vest Pocket Officer's PistolE165
Russian FN 1905 Vest Pocket Officer's Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the years before World War One, the Imperial Nicholas Military Academy in Russia purchased several thousand handguns from FN for resale to its officer candidates and graduates. These were mostly FN 1900 and FN 1905 models, although also a small number of FN 1903s. The pistols were marked with a pair of crossed Mosin Nagant rifles and and inventory number, making them easily identifiable as Russian-purchase pistols today. Both blued and nickel-plated examples were purchased, although the majority (like this one) were nickeled. Most of the purchases were about 1908 and 1909, and that is evident in this example, which is the early pattern of FN 1905 without a thumb safety. Thanks to Legacy Collectibles for the loan of the pistol! You can check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Gras in Ethiopia: Carbines of Emperor Menelik II and Empress TaytuE166
The Gras in Ethiopia: Carbines of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytuhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Ethiopia is a fascinating and unique example of an African nation that was able to uphold its sovereignty through force of arms, and resist become a possession of any of the European powers during the age of colonial expansion. The defining event in this history was the Battle of Adwa in 1896, when Emperor Menelik II's army thoroughly defeated an Italian expeditionary force. Menelik and his wife Empress Taytu were a talented and intelligent couple who worked together to play European powers against each other and maintain Ethiopian independence and encourage its development at the same time. During the 1880s and 1890s, Ethiopia was particular supported by arms from Russia and France. The Russians wanted to support a fellow Orthodox nation, and the French wasn't;t to stymie Italian expansion in East Africa. The Russians supplied many Berdan rifles, and the French supplied Gras rifles and carbines. Today we are looking at a pair of Gras carbines, which are marked in Ethiopian Ge'ez script as being property of Menelik (the Gendarmerie carbine) and Tatyu (the cavalry carbine). I think they have a wonderful story to tell... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - An Aladdin's Cave of Ethiopian Arms from InterOrdnanceE167
An Aladdin's Cave of Ethiopian Arms from InterOrdnancehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I have been able to bring you a bunch of videos of guns with Ethiopian connections over the last few months thanks to InterOrdnance, aka Royal Tiger Imports. They have purchased essentially the entire stock of obsolete arms in Ethiopian stockpiles and brought them to the collector market here in the US. Because Ethiopia had military support from such a wide variety of nations over the past 140+ years, and because they kept even very old rifles in stockpiles, this is a real treasure chest of collectible rifles. It is on par with things like Sam Cummings buying up the Spanish stocks in the 1950s and IMA buying out the Nepalese stocks 10 or 20 years ago. The guns coming out of Ethiopia are often very worn, but many of them have a truly unique history and they cover nearly a century of development from single shot systems like the Burden and Gras to bolt action repeaters like the Carcano, Enfield, and Mauser to Cold War self loading rifles like the MAS 49/56, Hakim, and vz.52. For the collector, this really is a tremendous opportunity, which we are unlikely to see again for a long time. For the record: I have no financial interest in InterOrdnance's sales; I don't receive a commission or kickback. I have gotten a number of rifles as they bring in different models, and those are mine to keep. I have done my best to show those rifles in the condition that I get them, so anyone considering buying something themselves can see exactly what they are likely to get. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - WW1 French Contract Colt 1911 for Tank CrewmenE168
WW1 French Contract Colt 1911 for Tank Crewmenhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons France was in an interesting position during World War One of being a primary supplier of rifles and machine guns to its allies, but a major importer of handguns. In addition to a great many Spanish pistols of several types, the French government purchased both revolvers and Government Model 1911 pistols from Colt. Specifically, they purchased 5,000 standard commercial 1911s off the shelf from Colt, with deliveries starting in April of 1915 and ending in January 1916. These appear to have been issued to tank crewmen, but not exclusively. It is unclear how exactly they were distributed, but after the war they were sold as surplus through Belgian dealers. These French purchase 1911s were not given any markings by the French, and appear as standard commercial 1911s. They can only be identified by serial number and by Colt factory letter. We know the whole of the order was fulfilled with pistols between number C17800 and C28000, but only about half of the guns in that range went to France. Colt did not ship the guns as a continuous serial number range, but rather took them basically at random from warehouse stocks. To date, no complete listing of their individual serial numbers has been made. Thanks to Ozark Machine Gun for loaning me this pistol - check out his cool machine gun rental range in Missouri! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - No, It Doesn't Take Glock Mags...and Sometimes That's BetterE169
No, It Doesn't Take Glock Mags...and Sometimes That's Betterhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Sometimes it makes sense to use convenient existing magazines. Sometimes it doesn't. Like all things in firearms design, magazine features are all compromises. Single feed vs double feed, polymer vs steel, and straight vs curved...one size does not fit all. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Calico Light Weapons System: Roller Delay and Helical DrumsE170
Calico Light Weapons System: Roller Delay and Helical Drumshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Calico family of firearms was developed in the late 1980s, and put on the market just in time to be squashed by the 1994 Omnibus Crime Act. The heart of the Calico system was a design for a double-stack helical magazine, which was made in 50- and 100-round versions in both ,22 rimfire and 9mm Parabellum. Both pistols and rifles were made in both calibers, and I am looking at the 9mm type today. Where the ,22s were simple blowback, the 9mm Calicos used the roller delayed blowbacks system developed by H&K. The company was hoping for military or law enforcement, but suffered from a poor reputation for reliability and never got a significant military contract. They also pursued civilian sales, but manufacture of magazines holding more than 10 rounds was prohibited in 1994. Without its large magazine, there was really no reason to choose Calico, and the company basically went into a coma until the ban expired in 2004. It was sold in 2006 and still appears to exist, although I suspect they are simply working from old stocks of guns and parts. (Disclaimer: both of these Calicos were purchased by me on the secondary market; the Calico company has no connection to this video) Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Calico Liberty 100 Carbine on the PCC Evaluation CourseE171
Calico Liberty 100 Carbine on the PCC Evaluation Coursehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Before I even started filming this video, the Calico's muzzle brake fell off...not an auspicious beginning! But we will push on without it, and see if the Calico can even finish the course without malfunctioning...and what sort of of time it gets if it does! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Llama OmniE172
Llama Omnihttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Llama was never the most prestigious of the three major Spanish pistol makers, and in the 1980s they decided to have a try at an upscale new pistol. The design was done by an American, Gary Wilhelm, who worked with the Stoeger company (which was Llama’s US importer). The gun was offered in both .45 ACP and 9mm Parabellum, with the 9mm version offering a semi-double-stack 12 round magazine. The gun has a very complex fire control system, with rollers, ball bearings, and dual trigger bars for single and double action. It was also very expensive, costing some $600 when new (nearly double the price of many comparable pistols, like the S&W Model 39). It was only in production from 1982 until 1986, and was by all definitions a commercial flop. The less-than-elegant lines, cost, complexity, and Llama’s generally poor reputation combined to quickly sink it. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Buying a Machine Gun with a C&R LicenseE173
Buying a Machine Gun with a C&R Licensehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I am often asked how a C&R license (Curio & Relic, also called a Type 03 Federal Firearms License; not to be confused with "Class 3") affects the purchase of a machine gun. So, I put the question to John Keene, NFA specialist for the Morphy Auction Company... The short version is that a C&R license does not allow you to skip the NFA transfer process. You still must submit fingerprints and photographs, and wait 6-9 months for your tax stamp to be processed. Once it is approved, however, a C&R eligible machine gun can be shipped interstate to you, without having to go through an NFA dealer in your state. For the record, the ATF has a document which lists C&R eligible firearms (https://www.atf.gov/file/128116/download). In addition, any firearms 50 years old or older is also considered a Curio & Relic...which now includes every gun registered in the 1968 amnesty. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Kohout & Spol 7.65mm Mars PistolE174
Kohout & Spol 7.65mm Mars Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The “MARS” pistols made in Czechoslovakia began with the “Slavia” line, designed by one Antonin Vilímec in 1920 or 1921. Those were basically simple copies of the vest-pocket Browning pistols, and were made until 1935. At that point the factory (shop?) was acquired by the Kohout & Spol company, which renamed them “Mars” and added a 7.65mm gun to the lineup. The 7.65mm was more a copy of the FN 1910, with its mainspring wrapped around the barrel. It is much like a Ruby in handling; heavy and inelegant, but functional. Production appears to have been about 3,800 between their introduction in 1937 and the end of production in 1947, with a gap from October 1942 until the end of World War Two. The company made pistol for the commercial market through 1942, but was shut down when it refused to produce guns for the German military. Thanks to Ozark Machine Gun for loaning me this pistol - check out his cool machine gun rental range in Missouri! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Steyr Dragoon Scout and African Big Game Cartridges: .376 Steyr, .375 Ruger, .375 H&HE175
Steyr Dragoon Scout and African Big Game Cartridges: .376 Steyr, .375 Ruger, .375 H&Hhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Jeff Cooper envisioned a few variation on the Scout Rifle, most notably a heavier-caliber type suited more for African dangerous (or large) game hunting, for which the .308 Winchester cartridge was not really suitable. Cooper had a rifle he called his "Lion Scout", chambered for the .350 Remington Magnum cartridge. In order to offer a commercial version of that rifle, Steyr and Hornady introduced a new cartridge in 1999 - the .376 Steyr. Many African nations require .375" as a minimum bullet diameter for hunting, and so this new round was designed to meet that requirement and be as long as possible while still fitting in the existing Steyr Scout action and magazine. The result was a round based on the 9.3x64 Brenneke, which was just slightly lower velocity than the gold standard of African hunting, the .375 H&H. In the years since its introduction, the .376 Steyr has failed to become popular however. What has taken off much better is the .375 Ruger, a longer cartridge that fully duplicates (exceeds, actually) the Holland & Holland cartridge ballistics. Today I'm trying out all three cartridges on the range... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - FAMAS Commando PrototypesE176
FAMAS Commando Prototypeshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Unlike most countries that adopted bullpup rifles, the French military never had a short-barreled version of their standard FAMAS. However, GIAT created several prototypes as part of their (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to market the FAMAS internationally. Today, we have two to look at, both with approximately 11.25 inch barrels. They are both based on the G2 pattern rifle, using AR-type magazines (specifically, FN FNC magazines, as GIAT and FN were under the same ownership at the time). The bolt carriers have been lightened to account for the reduced barrel length, and one has a vertical front grip while the other has a horizontal hand stop type grip. They also each have different types of sights, as this was clearly an area of experimentation... Many thanks to the French Ministry of the Interior for providing access to film these prototypes! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Walther PPKs on the Range: Comparing the .32 to the .380E177
Walther PPKs on the Range: Comparing the .32 to the .380http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I'm out at the range with three examples of Walther PPK pistols - one in .22 rimfire, one in .32 ACP, and one in .380 ACP. While the .22 is along for the comparison, I am mostly curious about how the .32 and .380 will compare to each other in practical shooting. The .32 will have less recoil, and holds 7 rounds in the magazine. The .380 fires a larger projectile, but produces more recoil and holds only 6 rounds. I was a bit surprised to find that both are quite nice to shoot, the .380 especially - I had expected it to be a bit uncomfortable because of the small size of the PPK... Thanks to Legacy Collectibles for the loan of these three Walthers! You can check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Pistols for Royalty: the Mannlicher 1900 Standard and Magnificently EngravedE178
Pistols for Royalty: the Mannlicher 1900 Standard and Magnificently Engravedhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The model 1900 was a transitional pattern of Mannlicher pistol, intended to be an improvement over the somewhat clumsy and underpowered Mannlicher 1896. Only about 250 of them were made, with an eye towards military contracts (which they were unable to secure). The 1900 pattern has a large manual thumb safety on the left side, and requires a screwdriver for disassembly. The 1901 pattern would improve these features by replace the disassembly screw with a spring-loaded lever and moving the safety to the rear of the slide. However, Mannlicher had several Model 1900 pistols magnificently engraved and presented to European royalty in his efforts to win military adoption of the design. Today, we have the examples presented to Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire and Wilhelm II of the German Empire, as well as one slightly lesser example given to one of Abdul Hamid's adjutants. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - What is a Duffel Cut?E179
What is a Duffel Cut?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons American service members in World War One and World War Two brought a tremendous number of firearms back to the US as trophies and souvenirs. While some mailed guns home, most brought them back in person by way of naval transport back from Europe or the Pacific. Most captured rifles were too long to fit in a service duffel bag intact, but if the action was removed form the stock and the stock cut in two pieces, they could fit. The cut was typically made under the barrel band, so the rifle could be reassembled at home and not look damaged. This is distinct form sporterizing, as duffel cut rifles were generally kept otherwise fully intact. Today, a duffel cut can be an important piece of evidence showing the history of a particular rifle, especially for World War One vintage rifles, as there was no paperwork for trophy weapons at that time. Bring-back papers were issued in World War Two, but not strictly enforced, and many guns came home without them. Note that lots of guns did come home to the US without being cut as well, so the lack of a duffel cut does not necessarily signify anything. And, of course, cuts are much more common on longer rifle than on carbines. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - New Model Melior: A Remarkably Nice Belgian FN LookalikeE180
New Model Melior: A Remarkably Nice Belgian FN Lookalikehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The New Model Melior was patented just before World War One, but did not go into production until 1920. It was a visual lookalike of the FN Model 1910, where the (retroactively named) Old Model Melior had been a copy of the FN Model 1900. The New Model was actually a remarkably well designed and well-made gun, with a working system quite different from the FN it was externally modeled after. It was in production until the 1950s (with a hiatus during World War Two), which is a remarkable achievement for this sort of pistol. This example is in .380 caliber, which was introduced after 1945, along with a .22 rimfire model. Thanks to Ozark Machine Gun for loaning me this pistol - check out his cool machine gun rental range in Missouri! Reference: Ed Buffaloe has good reference pages on both the Old Model Melior/Jieffeco (https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/R-K/r-k.html) and the New Model Melior (https://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/MelNM/melnm.html). Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Q&A 43 (feat. Jonathan Ferguson): Military Wing of the Campaign for Beautiful RiflesE181
Q&A 43 (feat. Jonathan Ferguson): Military Wing of the Campaign for Beautiful Rifleshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Thanks to Jonathan Ferguson for joining me today to answer our second-to-last question! You can still preorder his upcoming book, Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901-2020 at Headstamp Publishing: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/bullpup-rifle-book 00:20 - My most unfortunate haircut 00:46 - Why do modern rifle cartridges still have a slight taper? 01:38 - What do I say to critics who say I'm wrong or a jerk? 04:04 - Rimfire .22 rifles that are both bolt action and semiauto 06:00 - If WW1 continued into 1919, how would the Pedersen device have been adapted to field conditions? 07:48 - Backlog of Zastava videos? 08:39 - Is the FG-42 more like a rifle or an LMG? 10:45 - Carcano, Ross, or Steyr? 13:37 - Favorite pistol-caliber lever action rifle? 14:41 - Filming my own guns that I have bought or had built 17:57 - Rifle-caliber blowback designs 20:26 - Rechambering historical rifles for which original ammo is unavailable 22:32 - Concealing serial numbers when filming guns 24:50 - European military surplus in the Old West? 27:13 - Post-production audio editing 27:44 - Three-gun choices to place last but have fun Bren: https://youtu.be/hS_bM3Xlw7M Greener Martini: https://youtu.be/mcnmXHA7Cx8 30:17 - The Campaign for Beautiful Rifles has taken mom family hostage... Pedersen rifle: https://youtu.be/PfhKLuPiXFc 32:40 - Most interesting provenance of a gun I have filmed Ferguson rifle: https://youtu.be/IlD5SFR_qq0 33:59 - How do I know when the literature on a subject is wrong? 35:32 - When does a belt fed become more effective than a magazine fed LMG? 36:58 - What are the three threaded holes on the M1919 rear sight bracket for? 38:45 - How was .300 Savage involved in development of 7.62x51mm NATO? 41:15 - British semiauto rifle developm - Knight's XM9 Beretta "Hush Puppy" - For USAF Survival KitsE182
Knight's XM9 Beretta "Hush Puppy" - For USAF Survival Kitshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The original "Hush Puppy" was a Smith & Wesson Model 39 pistol fitted with a suppressor for use by Special Forced in Vietnam. The name came back in the 1980s, when the US Air Force requested a suppressor for use with the M9 Beretta in its pilots' survival kits. Knight's Armament developed a design that used a clever and very quick snap-on attachment method. It was a wipe-based suppressor, with a functional lifespan of about 25 rounds. The pistols were fitted with slide lock levers to further reduce the sound of firing. Approximately 3,800 were supplied to the Air Force, and a few years ago, the company sold about 188 of them on the civilian market. In practice, this combination is indeed extremely quiet. The report of the shot definitely became louder over the course of about 20 rounds fired, though. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Taser X12 XREP: A Taser in a Shotgun ShellE184
Taser X12 XREP: A Taser in a Shotgun Shellhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 2008, Taser release the X12, a Mossberg 500 shotgun modified to use a miniaturized Taser cartridge called the XREP (eXtended Range Electronic Projectile). The idea was to create a Taser system that could be effective in the intermediate range (30-100 feet) where a regular handheld Taser could not reach, but from which thrown projectiles could still be a viable threat against someone. Where a normal Taser fires two barbs tethered to the unit (which holds the battery and completes the electrical circuit), the XREP had to be fully self contained to have the desired range. So the electronics package and battery were scaled down and shock-proofed, and the payload divided into two parts connected by about 12 inches of wire. The front part would hit with 4 barbs, and then the rear part would swing around and impact elsewhere on the person, completing the circuit and initiating a 20 second pulse. One of those wires was left uninsulated, so that if a person tried to grab them to pull the projectile off, that action would itself complete the circuit. The shotgun used was a Mossberg 500, but fitted with a crossbolt safety like an 870. It was also given a special proprietary bolt face which would not function with regular 12ga ammunition. The XREP cartridges were cut to fit this bolt face, and this ensured that one could not accidentally load lethal ammunition into the X12 shotgun. It also used a rifled barrel, with a fast 1:18" twist to properly stabilize the XREP. Ultimately, the project was a commercial failure, primarily because of the cost of the cartridges. At something like $125 each, they were nearly five times the cost of regular Taser ammunition. Thanks to Deviant Ollam for the loan of the gun! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Audley Safety Holster and an OSS Colt 1903E185
Audley Safety Holster and an OSS Colt 1903http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons F.H. Audley was a saddler who ran a business in New York City starting in the 1870s. As his business in horse tackle declined with the spread of automobiles, he found himself looking for other product lines. In 1906 he moved to a location across the street form a New York police station, and found himself fielding a lot of requests for holsters from the local police officers. He would end up patenting a number of holster designs and features, but the most popular and successful was his Safety Holster. This design used a spring loaded metal catch that locked into the trigger guard of a pistol or revolver, which had to be manually depressed to draw the gun. It is a design that would not pass muster by today's safety standards, but did hold the gun quite effectively and with pistol like this Colt 1903, was not actually much of a safety hazard (thanks to the gun's grip safety). Audley died a few years after he patented the design in 1914, but his design would continue to be produced until the 1950s or 60s. Examples can be found made for nearly every popular pistol used in those decades, from all sized of Colts to Savage to Lugers and revolvers as well. This particular holster and Colt 1903 have the remarkable provenance of having belonged to Roger Hall, an OSS Jedburgh agent who wrote "You're Stepping on My Cloak and Dagger" - a rather self-deprecating account of his activities with the agency during World War Two. You can find the book here: https://amzn.to/3fs3h6u Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - British Ballester Molina for Special Operations ExecutiveE186
British Ballester Molina for Special Operations Executivehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons During World War Two, the British government contracted for about 8,000 Ballester Molina pistols from HAFDASA in Argentina. They were produced between 1942 and 1944, and are easily identified by the application of a second serial number on the left side with a "B" prefix. The exact details of the contract are lost, but the British appear to have paid at least in part in steel (in very short supply in Argentina at the time) and also supplied the steel needed to make the pistols, probably via US Lend-Lease. Some of these Ballester Molina pistols were supplied to SOE agents or resistance organizations, while others remained unissued at the end of the war. Those unissued guns were purchased by InterArms in the 1950s, and exported to the US. The guns had not originally been given proof marks, but a British proof law introduced in 1955 required proofing when the surplus ones went to InterArms, and you can see those marks on this example. Thanks to Ozark Machine Gun for loaning me this pistol - check out his cool machine gun rental range in Missouri! Reference: The information for this video came primarily from Alex Gherovici's monograph "Military Pistols of Argentina". Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Saga of the AR15 Forward Assist: A Solution Searching for a ProblemE187
Saga of the AR15 Forward Assist: A Solution Searching for a Problemhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1963, the US Army set out to purchase 85,000 AR-15 rifles as a one-time procurement to hold the infantry through until final adoption of the expected Project SPIW rifle. Where the previous Air Force purchases of the AR-15 had been simple over-the-counter transactions with Colt, the scale of this new contract prompted Robert McNamara to set up a committee to standardize the rifle requirements of all four service branches. One of the disputed items was the addition of a manual bolt closure device. The Air Force, having tested the AR-15 for several years by this point, saw no need for such a device. The Army, however, insisted that it was necessary both as a confidence-building feature for the infantryman and because it might in some situation solve a malfunction. Today, let's discuss the sequence of events that led to the eventual January 1964 adoption of the now-familiar plunger type bolt closure device. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hotchkiss Universal: The Most Folding Gun MadeE188
Hotchkiss Universal: The Most Folding Gun Madehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Hotchkiss Universal was a closed-bolt submachine gun submitted to French military trials in the late 1940s to replace the MAS-38. The French were looking for a compact SMG in 9mm Parabellum, and tested guns form the state arsenals as well as the Hotchkiss and Gevelot companies. The Universal (also designated the Model 010 by Hotchkiss) really doubled down on the compact elements, with a design that incorporated a folding stock, grip, magazine well, and telescoping barrel. It could fold up in to a remarkably compact package, complete with a loaded magazine in a completely safe stowed format. A total of about 7,000 Universals were made, in what appear to be two series. The first were marked CMH (Carabine Miltrailleuse Hotchkiss) and serialized on the trigger assembly and the second marked CMH2 and serialized on small plates riveted to the stock tubes. Several variations on parts can be founds, including simplified front sight blocks and simplified rear sights - I suspect the simplified patterns were the CMH2 as an attempt to reduce the cost of the guns. Small batches were sold to Venezuela and Morocco, as well as an unidentified middle eastern nation and a few even to the French CRS security service. A small number were also tested by the Foreign Legion in Indochina in 1954. Ultimately, of course, the MAT-49 won the military trials. The Universal was rejected for being too expensive and too complicated - both totally valid assessments. It is a gun that put all its chip on compactness, and made way too many tradeoffs in the process to be really viable. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hotchkiss Universal on the PCC Course of FireE189
Hotchkiss Universal on the PCC Course of Firehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I am running a semiauto (SBR) Hotchkiss Universal through my standardized Pistol-Caliber Carbine course of fire. This consists of a selection of cool target systems from MOA Targets - an 8-plate dueling tree, a mini-Mozambique, and a Redneck Star. These will serve to test target transitions, precision shots, and moving targets respectively. The Hotchkiss did better than I expected, but still failed to complete the course. I was unable to clear the mini-Mozambique on the second pass - between the poor sight placement, small aperture, and hard-to-see target, I just ran out of ammunition before I could get the hits on it. Frankly, I was happily surprised to be able to clear that target on the first pass... Final time was 150 seconds with 10 targets left standing. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Longslide 10mm Javelina 1911: Plate Rack Obliterator (When it Works)!E190
Longslide 10mm Javelina 1911: Plate Rack Obliterator (When it Works)!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1977, Arcadia Machine & Tool introduced the Hardballer, the first commercial stainless steel 1911. Stainless steel was a hot commodity, although there were some initial teething issues with slide/frame galling. Eventually, AMT introduced a number of additional 1911 models, including the Javelina - a 10mm Auto model available in standard Government length as well as the 7 inch "Hunter" alongside that we have here today. The Javelina was only made for a couple years in the early 1990s, before AMT had financial problems and the market for the 10mm cartridge lost its initial intensity. As best I can tell, about 2000 Javelinas were made between both barrel lengths. I was rather impressed with how the gun handled when fired; it was more controllable than I had anticipated. And the 10mm projectile made a very persuasive statement on the plates! Unfortunately, it had a failure to feed about every 10-15 rounds. That was not a surprise to me, as AMT's reputation is not all that good. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - First shots: New FG-42 1st Model from SMGE191
First shots: New FG-42 1st Model from SMGPLEASE NOTE: German paratroops originally dropped with only light weapons, and their rifles and machine guns were dropped separately in parachute containers. This was a terrible idea, as it led to the guns being lost, and left paratroops fighting with little more than pistols. The FG-42's purpose was to serve as a rifle and light machine gun that could be carrier directly by the jumping paratrooper instead of using arms containers. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Many years ago, SMG Guns introduced a reproduction FG-42 rifle, a semiauto version of the 2nd model as made by Germany during World War Two. After several more years of development, they have now shipped the first of their 1st model FG0-42 semi autos. There are several significant differences between the two - the 1st model was a milled receiver rifle with a stamped sheet metal stock, a very distinctively steep pistol grip, and a bipod mounted on the gas block. The 2nd model used a stamped receiver, wooden stock, bipod on the front sight block, and a few other differences. Today I am trying out the new 1st model rifle. It is chambered for 8mm Mauser, and uses ZB-26 20-round magazines. I have been waiting a very long time for this rifle, and I'm very excited to finally have my hands on it! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Both Versions of the CETME LV: Enosa and SUSATE192
Both Versions of the CETME LV: Enosa and SUSAThttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Spanish military used the CETME-L rifle as its standard rifle in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to the standard model, they also had two versions of marksman's CETME-Ls. These were designated the LV ("V" for "visor", or scope). The Army used a domestic 4x scope of tradition design made by ENOSA (Empresa Nacional de Óptica S.A.; National Optics Factory). The Marines used the British SUSAT 4x optic. The two versions of the rifle for these optics each had different rear sight blocks for mounting; one a STANG compatible type with backup iron sights and one a simple dovetail rail. Today we are looking at examples of each. Thanks to MarColMar Firearms for loaning me the SUSAT model for this video! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Century-Old Challenge Coin: The American Legion's 1927 Paris ConventionE193
Century-Old Challenge Coin: The American Legion's 1927 Paris Conventionhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The American Legion was founded in 1919 as a veterans service organization for soldiers who served in World War One, and they chose the 10th anniversary of America's entrance into the war to make a mass pilgrimage back to France. Calling themselves the Second American Expeditionary Force, some 20,000 Legionnaires traveled to Paris in September 1927 for the Legion's 8th annual conference. Far more than just formal organization business, it was a chance for veterans to see the battlefields again, meet with their French counterparts, and generally have a really good time. The event was coordinated years in advance, and one small element of it was the minting of commemorative medallions - aka challenge coins. This example was sent to me by a viewer, who got it from the widow of an American WWI veteran who attended the event. The American Legion has two very cool pieces or history relating to the 1927 Convention in their digital archive. One is a compilation of 16mm film taken of the event, including festivities on Coney Island prior to embarkation and footage of the transit over. You can see that here: https://youtu.be/dMhc7Xfu-iQ They have also digitized the original program for the event, which includes a lot of information about the battlefield tourism available and general advice for Americans overseas. You can download it (26MB PDF) here: https://archive.legion.org/handle/20.500.12203/4872 Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Prototype .45 Caliber Roth-Krnka for US and UK TrialsE194
Prototype .45 Caliber Roth-Krnka for US and UK Trialshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In an effort to appeal to American and British military testing commissions, Georg Roth produced a handful of prototype Roth-Krnka pistols in .45 caliber. They used a proprietary cartridge; the 11.5mm Roth (approximately 200 grains at 660 fps, although more powerful versions of the cartridge would be used in other trials pistols later). The gun is a very interesting intermediary design, with the front end of a 1907 Roth-Steyr and the rear end of a Roth-Krnka, complete with exposed hammer. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Competition with a Galil R5 and Armson OEGE195
Competition with a Galil R5 and Armson OEGhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I headed to the monthly 2-Gun match (which is rifle-only for this month) with a semiauto Galil R5 clone outfitted with an Armson OEG (Occluded Eye Gunsight). This particular OEG has a base specifically made to fit the Galil gas tube, and should be a really interesting experience to use on the clock in a practical match. The stages this month consist on a round of Rifle Burpees, a long range stage with targets at 150 and 200 yards, and a V-Tac barricade. This turned out to be a really interesting experience for me. The long range stage was where I expected to really fall apart, but the OEG was able to make the hits, much to my surprise. The dot is about 12 MOA, and covers most of the target at long range, but it was well enough zeroed that I could hit. As the stage progressed, I lost some focus, and it got harder to get a proper superimposed dot/target sight picture. The most unexpected part was the third stage, with the V-Tac barricade. The potential problem of not being able to see the target through a barricade had not occurred to me, but it sure made itself clear when I started shooting. Normally, one need only get a sight picture with one eye - a line of sight from eye to sights to target and you can make a hit. With an OEG, you need to see the red dot with one eye, but you also must be able to see the target with the *other* eye. On the bottom level of shooting ports, I was unable to find a position where I could see the target with my non-shooting eye, and timed out. It did not even occur to me until after getting home that I had not considered allowing the optic to be obstructed by the barricade. With normal optics, obviously, the optic *must* have a clean line of sight to the target. With an OEG, however, the optic's only job is to give an index to where the g - Calico Reliability Testing: Round #2E196
Calico Reliability Testing: Round #2http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When I ran my Calico carbine through the PCC course of fire last month, I was rather surprised to see it run through 150 rounds without any malfunctions. I plan to continue shooting it without any cleaning or lubrication, to see how long it will go before it stops working. Today was the second range trip with it, and it ran another 100-round drum flawlessly. That puts it at 250 rounds in a row now. To be continued... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Prototype Colt-Vektor: A 1911 on the Outside and a Beretta on the InsideE197
Prototype Colt-Vektor: A 1911 on the Outside and a Beretta on the Insidehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In the late 1990s Colt was looking for pistols it could license for sale in the United States, in the wake of the failures of both eh Double Eagle and All-American 2000. They approached CZ, and also Vektor in South Africa. Vektor was just at the end of its production of the SP1 and SP2 pistols, which were derivatives of the Beretta 92, and quite well regarded. In 1998 or 1999, Vektor produced two prototype models of a potential Colt-licensed gun. They were fundamentally SP1s, but with the grips and slides reshaped to by more 1911-like, to fit Colt's brand image. One was a standard 5" barrel, and the other had a 4.25" Commander-length barrel. A group of Colt officials visited and liked the guns, and a further 20 were made under the name "ProTec". These ProTec pistols were made in both lengths and in both 9mm and .40 S&W calibers, and Colt imported them into the US in 1999. However, the project went no further. It is not clear whether Colt or Vektor called off the deal, but at the same approximate time Colt cancelled its sales of the "Z40" licensed form CZ, and Vektor was in the process of shutting down its handgun production altogether. Both the 20 ProTec pistols and the original prototypes were held by Colt for about 15 years, and then a few were sold to employees in the 20-teens. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Q&A 44: My Workout Routine, NATO-Caliber Brownings, & Defend the Alamo!E198
Q&A 44: My Workout Routine, NATO-Caliber Brownings, & Defend the Alamo!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Agua Chiltepin in this video is made by Tio Ceddy, and you can order from them here: https://www.tioceddy.com/online-store/Agua-Chiltepin-c15229988 They have no connection to the channel, and aren't a sponsor or anything. Just a neat local piece of Southwestern culture. This is the full-length version of this Q&A, which I was fighting Youtube flagging on until the last minute. 00:59 - Is there a future in balanced recoil type systems? 02:05 - Does 8mm Kurz have a place today? 03:44 - Was there ever an M1 Carbine in .223? 06:05 - How is Floatplane working out? 08:30 - Is the gunsmithing profession in decline? 12:17 - Reprint of Chassepot to FAMAS 14:10 - Will the M14 make a comeback to defeat body armor? 15:00 - What was so bad about the M14 anyway? 16:43 - How to check out a Carcano TS carbine, and fuddlore gunsmiths 20:06 - Lightweight AR-10 as a scout rifle? 21:48 - (Literal) Silver bullets 23:33 - Elephant guns in the trenches in WW1 25:41 - If I were an armorer in the next John Wick film 27:31 - What is my daily exercise routine? 30:04 - Why was the .22LR designed with a rebated bullet? 32:11 - Firearm factory tours to show new and old machinery 33:35 - Is the move away form military bullpups permanent? 35:29 - Transparent handgun grip panels 38:30 - Constant recoil plus 3-round-burst 39:53 - You have one hour to equip and train the Alamo defenders with any guns. Go! 42:55 - Judging the OGCA display show 43:46 - Why night sights on pistols and not rifles? 45:19 - How much ammo and how many spare barrels did a German MG squad carry in WW2? Folke Myrvang's book is out of print, but available here: https://amzn.to/31zl6Lj 49:41 - Different ways to get rid of guns in your collection 55:08 - Questions about my plans to film a particular gun 56: - Book Review: Textbook of Pistol Technology and DesignE200
Book Review: Textbook of Pistol Technology and Design*** I released this review early to my Patreon audience, who proceeded to buy up all the remaining copies. The printer is running another edition which should be available before the end of August. Sorry for the inconvenience! *** https://amzn.to/3iAGyqk Peter Dallhammer is a mechanical engineer who works for the Walther company, and has written an excellent book on firearms manufacture. If you were going to design a university program around the design and production of small arms, his "Textbook of Pistol Technology and Design: Production, Principles, Progress" could be a foundation of the program. Dallhammer focuses his scope on the 9mm semiautomatic handgun, and takes the reader through the whole scope of design and production. The book is divided into four main sections: - Production Technologies. This describes the applications and pros and cons of all the major methods of making parts. Machining, molding, MIM, stamping, and so on, plus several types of surface treatments. - Pistol Principles. This covers all the different options for mechanical design of a pistol. Function and design options for the major components, how different safeties work, how to choose spring types, and some legally-relevant issues like micro stamping and electronic "smart" gun systems. - US Regulations. The legal elements involved in marketing a pistol in the US. This includes information on importation, as well as both Federal and state level regulations. This is perhaps less useful for an American reader who is probably largely familiar with it, and it is also subject to change if laws change. - Case Studies. Dallhammer assesses 9 different pistols based on all the criteria explained in the previous sections. These include Glock and H&K, as well as Caracal (remember them?), Taurus and KelTec. For the person who wants to know what really is involved in designing, manufacturing, and marketing a handgun (or other firearm), this is an outstanding resource. It is n - The Coolest Gun You Will See All Day: China's Type 64 Silenced PistolE201
The Coolest Gun You Will See All Day: China's Type 64 Silenced Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Type 64 is a dedicated suppressed pistol first introduced in 1965 and used in the Vietnam War. It uses a rimless version of the .32 ACP cartridge (7.65x17mm) in a 9-round Makarov like magazine. Despite outward similarity to the Makarov (especially the grip), the design is wholly unique internally. It uses basically a miniaturized AK bolt to allow the shooter to select between blowback semiauto functioning and single shot manual operation. The bolts rotating locking lugs prevent it from cycling when locked, in a very clever alternative use of the rotating bolt system. The suppressor has two chambers, using a combination of baffles and wire mesh as suppressor elements. In addition to standard ammunition, a plastic-sabot frangible load was also developed for use in situations like airline hijackings, and this loading is why some sources reference a maximum effective range of 15 meters. For all its technical cleverness, the Type 64 is a rather heavy pistol, at 1.8kg / 4 pounds. It was replaced in 1967 by the substantially lighter and simpler Type 67, which weighed only 1.05kg / 2.3 pounds. This particular Type 64 was originally owned by Mitch Werbell III, giving it an even more interesting history… Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Double Barrel Folding Knife PistolE202
Double Barrel Folding Knife Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Historically, there are a variety of combination knife/gun/knuckles combination weapons, typically made in the late 19th century. This one is…rather larger than most of those. This is a combination knife/gun with a pair of percussion-fired 12mm smoothbore barrels, a roughly 5.25 inch folding knife blade, and a pair of slim corkscrew-style folding triggers that drop down when each hammer is cocked. The whole assembly is made to evoke an old fashioned antler-paneled pocket knife, except that it is made with a substantial pistol grip at one end instead of a folding grip of some type. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Neither Fish nor Fowl: the Colt 1903 Pocket HammerE203
Neither Fish nor Fowl: the Colt 1903 Pocket Hammerhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The 1903 Pocket Hammer was an effort by Colt to adapt the Model 1902 pistol for better civilian sales. They cut the barrel down from 6 inches to 4.5, and used the 7-round magazine and rounded grip frame of the 1902 Sporting model. Production began in 1903, and ran until 1929, when the .38 caliber version of the 1911 was introduced to replace both he Model 1902 and the 1903 Pocket Hammer. This was never a particularly popular model, with just under 31,000 made in the course of 26 years of production. It was a neither-fish-nor-fowl sort of gun that competed against both the Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless as a concealable pistol and against the Colt 1911 as a service pistol. On top of that, it was based on the obsolete mechanical system from the Model 1900, which had the possibility of the slide coming off the back of the gun if the slide wedge broke, and offered neither a slide stop nor any safeties (neither manual nor magazine). Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hopkins & Allen XL Navy Rimfire .38 Service RevolverE204
Hopkins & Allen XL Navy Rimfire .38 Service Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons At the top end of Hopkins & Allen’s revolver line were the XL Navy, XL Police, and XL-8 Army. We covered the Army in a separate video, and today we are looking at an XL Navy. This was a .38 caliber rimfire revolver with a 6-shot cylinder and a 6 inch barrel. It was single action only, with a pivoting ejector rod - so in general a rather early or conservative design. The XL Police was the same gun, but with a shorter 4 inch barrel. These were good quality guns and handled well, but were a victim of Hopkins & Allen being pigeonholed as a cheap low quality brand. Less than a thousand of each pattern were made between 1877 and 1885 when produced ceased. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Prototype Tube-Magazine Trapdoor SpringfieldE205
Prototype Tube-Magazine Trapdoor Springfieldhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This experimental repeating conversion of a Trapdoor Springfield was most likely made by Augustine Sheridan Jones, of the Dakota Territory in the 1880s. We know he submitted a different type of magazine-fed Trapdoor to the US military’s 1882 repeating rifle trials, and this rifle also came out of South Dakota. At any rate, what the designer did was to, remarkably, figure out a functional way to add a tube magazine to the Trapdoor system. It even has a magazine cutoff feature, allowing it to be run as a single shot rifle with the magazine held in reserve, or as a repeater… Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Chichester "Pocket Shotgun" RevolverE206
Chichester "Pocket Shotgun" Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Chichester Rifle Company (actually of Jersey City, NJ) was one of many small firms that sold branded guns made by the Hopkins & Allen company. In particular, Chichetser sold a “pocket rifle” which was really an XL No. 5 revolver fitted with a long barrel and detachable shoulder stock. These are in period catalogs that survive, and appear to have been made form about 1880 until 1890. In addition, Chichester appears to have also made a small number of “pocket shotguns” by fitting 28 gauge smoothbore barrels to the .38 rimfire (and centerfire) XL No. 5 frames. Both the rifles and shotguns were fitted with an interest small shield, which was intended to accommodate the fact that the user’s eye would be much closer to the gun than a revolver held at arms length. The shield protected the users from escaping gas or debris, and also functioned as a sort of aperture sight. Special thanks to Cornell Publications and Mike Carrick of Arms Heritage Magazine for help researching this unusual piece! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - First Match with a Prototype WWSD-2020!E207
First Match with a Prototype WWSD-2020!Want to see the full discussion with Karl and Russell Phagan, and more stage runs from other shooters? Check out the video on InRange today: https://youtu.be/wuEqtw4_PXk Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Flintlock Hand MortarE209
Flintlock Hand Mortarhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons During the 1600s and 1700s, flintlock and wheel lock systems were used to make “hand mortars”; firearm-like apparatuses to throw objects. Some of these were military grenade launchers, capable of withstanding significant pressure and generating very substantial recoil upon firing (they were vitally all fired with the butt braced on the ground). Others were used for launching signal flares and fireworks; roles which required much less strength on the part of the launcher. This appears to be one of the latter type (as are most), with a flintlock action and a launching cup some 3 1/3 inches (85mm) in diameter. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Calico Reliability Testing: Round 3!E210
Calico Reliability Testing: Round 3!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When I ran my Calico carbine through the PCC course of fire last month, I was rather surprised to see it run through 150 rounds without any malfunctions. I plan to continue shooting it without any cleaning or lubrication, to see how long it will go before it stops working. In. follow-up range trip, it ran another 100 round drum flawlessly. Today, it went about 50 rounds on the third drum before suffering a failure to fire. I was able to finish the drum, but not without several more malfunctions. That means that it ran in total, about 300 rounds without any problems. I suspect the problem now is that rather filthy state of the action. So next, I will give it a nice thorough cleaning and take it back to see if that brings it back to reliability. To be continued... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Original Volcanic "Rocket Ball" CartridgesE211
Original Volcanic "Rocket Ball" Cartridgeshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Ammunition for the Volcanic Repeaters is extremely rare today, and this opportunity to take a look at a complete original box of it was something I did not want to miss. There were two calibers made; the .31 (Cartridge No.1) and the .41 (Cartridge No.2). Both were sold in tin boxes of 200 rounds, originally costing $10/thousand for the .31 and $12/thousand for the .41. The ammunition was made by Crittenden & Tibbals of South Coventry - a company which would eventually become Union Metallic Cartridge (UMC) and is still in business today. The ballistics of the No.2 we are looking at today were a 6.5 grain charge of black powder propelling a 100 grain projectile at about 260 feet/second. In other works, exceedingly underpowered even for its day. However, it was a waterproof, self-contained cartridge before the metallic cartridge case was refined enough to work reliably, and that was worth a lot. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Coolest Volcanic Ever: A Vintage Scoped Pistol-CarbineE212
The Coolest Volcanic Ever: A Vintage Scoped Pistol-Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The “Pistol-Carbine” was a pattern offered by the Volcanic Arms Company combining a 16 inch rifle-length barrel with a pistol grip and detachable shoulder stock (it could also be had with an 8 inch barrel). This is the rarest major variations the Volcanic, with only about 300 examples made. This particular one was set up with a telescopic sight around the time of its purchase, although we have no information on who did the work or who owned the gun. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Not Always Bubba: A Factory Sporter Winchester-Lee Navy RifleE213
Not Always Bubba: A Factory Sporter Winchester-Lee Navy Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I am happy that the practice of sporterizing military rifles has fallen out of favor, but sometimes one can throw the baby out with the bathwater. Before decrying a nice rifle as Bubba’s sporterization project, it’s worth making sure the gun in question isn’t actually a factory sporting rifle. This Winchester-Lee, for example, is one of about 1,700 such rifles produced commercially by Winchester. These factory spotters could often have a wide variety of options, making them potentially difficult to identify sometimes… Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The First S&W .38: The "Baby Russian"E214
The First S&W .38: The "Baby Russian"http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Taking what they had learned in developing their series of large-frame .44 caliber revolvers, Smith & Wesson introduced the “Baby Russian” in 1876 as their first .38 caliber revolver. They actually developed the cartridge first (146 grains at 740 fps), and then designed the revolver around it. The result was a 5-shot, top-break action initially offered with 3.25 inch and 4 inch barrels. It used the same simultaneous extractor as the No.3 revolvers, though this would change after only about a year with the move to a 2nd variation. The first two variations used a single action spur trigger, but this was replaced by a normal trigger and trigger guard on the 3rd variation. In total, about 161,000 were made by the time production ended in 1911. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Tribuzio Ring-Trigger Squeeze PistolE215
Tribuzio Ring-Trigger Squeeze Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons This palm-squeezer type pistol was designed by Catello Tribuzio (sometimes spelled Trabuzio) of Turin around 1890. It is a very simple design, including a clever dual purpose ejector that also acts as the sear for firing. This example has a 7.65mm bore, although sometimes these are described as 8mm - whether there were two versions or simply a repeated error in documentation (since there is no ammunition available and I doubt one of these has actually been fired in at least 50 years) is not clear. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Toolroom Prototype Smith & Wesson No.3 RevolverE216
Toolroom Prototype Smith & Wesson No.3 Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Good inventors are always trying out new solutions to problems. Those solutions may or may not work (hence Thomas Edison’s 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb), but the attempts can often give us interesting insight into the designer’s intentions. In this case, we have a toolroom S&W No3 revolver with a different method of opening in which the action is fits rotated to the side, and then the barrel tipped forward. It is based on US Patent #136348, granted to Daniel Wesson in February of 1873, and in the patent he describes his intention to solve several theoretical shortcomings of the No3 design, both in handling and manufacture. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Peabody Sidehammer: The Best Martini Action You've Never Heard OfE217
Peabody Sidehammer: The Best Martini Action You've Never Heard Ofhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Henry Peabody was one of the less-recognized American firearms designers. A machinist from the age of 17, he worked at the Watertown Arsenal and eventually took a job as foreman for the Spencer rifle company in 1862. That same year he patented a dropping-block rifle action, and began working on developing it for military use. He partnered with the Providence Tool Company in Rhode Island to manufacture his guns, and while he was not able to get it adopted by the US military they did begin getting a number of foreign military contracts by 1867 or so. His big break was a sale of 15,000 guns to Switzerland in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War. This was followed by a contract for Spain, and then an open-ended sale to the French Government of National Defense in 1871 following the military disaster of the Franco-Prussian War. In total, some 113,000 Peabody sidehammer rifles and carbines were made over just a few years - a remarkable success for the time by a small company and otherwise unknown inventor. Peabody and Providence Tool would follow this with an even more successful period manufacturing the Peabody-Martini rifle, but that is a story for another video. Henry Peabody died a wealthy bachelor in Boston in 1903, and left his fortune ($350,000 at the time; about $9 million by today’s value) to founding a girls’ school in Norwood Massachusetts. For more details on the development of the Peabody rifles and the various contracts manufactured, I highly recommend Edward Hull’s book “Peabody Firearms”: https://amzn.to/307HSKT Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Bowie Knife Bayonet and Bolo Bayonet for the US KragE219
Bowie Knife Bayonet and Bolo Bayonet for the US Kraghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the US adopted the Krag rifle in 1892, a remarkably efficient and simple decision was made regarding its bayonet. The old spike socket bayonet was clearly obsolete; all the modern European armies were adopting knife bayonets; the Swiss knife bayonet was a really good example; so the US would simply copy the Swiss M1889 pattern bayonet for the Krag. They did, and it was a very good bayonet - clearly this decision could not last without a challenge! In 1900, the Good Idea Fairy suggested that perhaps a combination bayonet and entrenching tool could be devised to reduce the amount of of gear issued to troops. Ignoring the failures of this idea in 1873 and 1880, Springfield Armory went ahead and designed a Bowie knife style bayonet and made 2,000 of them for field trial in 1900. It was a dismal failure; inefficient and awkward as a bayonet and nearly useless as a digging tool. In response, a US Captian named Hugh Long in the Philippines crafted his own concept of a useful bayonet for that theater, patterned after the local bolo knifes. This would at least be good for hacking through thick vegetation, which was a major issue for US soldiers on the islands. Captain Long sent his sample back to Springfield, where it 56 more were made for testing (50 in 1902 and 6 in 1903). Development of the Krag bolo style bayonet was cut short by the adoption of the new 1903 Springfield rifle, which abandoned the detachable bayonet altogether in favor of a return to a rod bayonet. However, the bolo would make a brief comeback on the Springfield in 1915…but that’s a story for another video. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hopkins & Allen XL-6 Revolver with a Surprising Swing-Out CylinderE220
Hopkins & Allen XL-6 Revolver with a Surprising Swing-Out Cylinderhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons "XL" was a brand name used by Hopkins & Allen to cover several different styles of revolver, but the first were a series of rimfire, spur-hammer pocket guns made in the 1870s and 1880. These were mostly very simple, chambered for a range of cartridges from .22 rimfire to .41 rimfire. Some examples of the .41 caliber XL-6 have a quite interesting feature, however. When the cylinder axis pin is removed, the cylinder swings out about 45 degrees to the right, propelled by a captive spring. This makes the chambers easily accessible for reloading. This system was originally patented by Samuel Hopkins in 1862 and 1864 while working for the Bacon Firearms Company. Bacon made about 300 revolvers using this system, but they were shut down by a patent infringement lawsuit from Smith & Wesson, as their revolver used bored-through chambers without having a license from Rollin White or S&W. When the Bacon Firearms Company lapsed into bankruptcy its remains formed the start of Hopkins & Allen. Having acquired both the legal patent rights and the employment of the original inventor (both Samuel Hopkins and his brother Charles were partners in the new firm), it should be no surprise that Hopkins & Allen would use the system once the Rollin White patent expired. What is a bit surprising is that they did not use it more extensively… Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Norinco 84S: China Makes a 5.56mm AK Specifically for the USE221
Norinco 84S: China Makes a 5.56mm AK Specifically for the UShttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons With the commercial success of the semiauto Type 56S AK rifles in the US, Norinco looked for other options for export rifles to sell. Given the use of the 5.56x45mm cartridge in the US, an AK chambered for that round was an obvious answer. Norinco did not have the technical data package to make the AK-74, so instead they made their own conversion to adapt the design to the new cartridge (they did the same for the 5.45x39mm round as the Type 88, which was too late to be imported into the US). The result was a rifle with he unique Chinese Type 56 stamped features but chambered for 5.56mm. Six different versions were imported in the few brief years before the assault weapons import ban: 84S: Wood fixed stock and wood handguard 84-1: Underfolding stock and wooden handguard 84-2: Sidefolding stock and wood handguard 84-3: Extra-long polymer fixed stock 84-4: Sidefolding stock and polymer handguard 84-5: Sidefolding stock and black polymer handguard Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Beautiful 16th Century Saxon Wheellock PistolsE222
Beautiful 16th Century Saxon Wheellock Pistolshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today, for your consideration and appreciation, a pair of late 16th century Saxon wheel lock pistols. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hall Model 1819: A Rifle to Change the Industrial WorldE223
Hall Model 1819: A Rifle to Change the Industrial Worldhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons John Hall designed the first breechloading rifle to be used by the United States military, and the first breechloader issued in substantial numbers by any military worldwide. His carbines would later be the first percussion arms adopted by any military force. Hall developed a breechloading flintlock rifle in 1811, had it tested by the military in 1818, and formally adopted as a specialty arm in 1819. Hall’s contribution actually goes well beyond having a novel and advanced rifle design. He would be the first person to devise a system of machine tools capable of producing interchangeable parts without hand fitting, and this advance would be the foundation of the American system of manufacturing that would revolutionize industry worldwide. Hall did this work at the Harpers Ferry Arsenal, where he worked from 1819 until his death in 1841. I plan to expand on the details of a variety of Hall rifle models in future videos, and today is meant to be an introduction to the system. Because it was never a primary arm in time of major war, Hall is much less well recognized than he should be among those interested in small arms history. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Webley-Kaufman: The Improved Government Pattern RevolverE224
Webley-Kaufman: The Improved Government Pattern Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Michael Kaufman was a talented gunsmith who worked for the Webley company from 1878 until 1881. While there, he patented a substantially improved clockwork for the gun, removing 5 parts from the system and improving the trigger press. He was paid a royalty for this system, which was tracked by the stamping of “MK” numbers on each gun so equipped. Between 1882 and 1885 Webley made three iterations of revolver with his lockwork, continuously improving the the latch system that held the frame together while firing. This example is a third pattern, of which fewer than 100 were made. It is the first appearance of the classic stirrup latch locking system, which was patented by Webley himself and would be used in all future patterns. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Merrill Breechloading Conversion of the 1841 Mississippi RifleE225
Merrill Breechloading Conversion of the 1841 Mississippi Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons James Merrill of Baltimore had his hands in several Civil War era firearms - rifles built from scratch, conversions of the Jenks carbines, and also conversions of 1841 Mississippi rifles done by the Harpers Ferry Arsenal. Merrill’s conversion involved a knee-joint type lever which could be opened to allow loading of a rifle from the breech. The system was relatively simple, and it was one of three (the others were the Lindner and Montstorm) made in small numbers for testing by Harpers Ferry. It appears that 300 Merrill conversions were done, 100 each of the 1841 Mississippi Rifle, 1842 musket, and 1847 musketoon. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Napoleonic Sphinxes: A Magnificent Boutet Carved Pistol SetE226
Napoleonic Sphinxes: A Magnificent Boutet Carved Pistol Sethttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Nicolaus-Noël Boutet is one of the most significant gunsmith artists in the world. He was the “directeur-artiste” of the Manufacture d’Armes de Versailles, set up in 1792 and would remain in charge of the factory until it closed in 1818. Originally set up to make a variety of small arms, under Napoleon the factory produced exclusively embellished weapons. Napoleon like to use such things as awards to recognize acts of bravery in his army, and they were also used as presentation pieces for various diplomatic reasons as well as being made for commercial sale. This particular pair of pocket pistols were made around 1803 as flintlocks, and converted to percussion at some later date (perhaps by Boutet, or perhaps not). They feature a selection of imagery form the classical world, in particular four large sphinxes. There was a major revival of interest in Egyptian classical history around this time, stemming from Napoleon’s campaign there in 1798. These classical motifs became a popular style during his years in power, as magnificently illustrated on these two pistols. Both the woodwork and the metal engraving are exquisitely high quality. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Elbonian Prototype Hakim LMGE228
Elbonian Prototype Hakim LMGPre-order your Elbonian shirt or poster here: https://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Pre-orders will be open for two weeks before the shirts are printed and ship. Orders after that are subject to availability. Elbonia had a brief partnership with Egypt in the mid 1950s through which they acquired some early-production Hakim rifles. These were used along with Israeli surplus MG-34 machine gun barrel jackets to build an experimental Hakim LMG for Elbonian service. The gun was fed by adapted German MG-13 25-round box magazines. Surprisingly, it remained semiautomatic only. The design was fatally flawed because the Hakim barrel was retained, which was far too light in profile to meet the requirements of sustained fire that a light machine gun would be used for. In addition, the Elbonians were apparently unable to acquire MG-34 bipods and instead fabricated their own from RPD bipod legs. The result was a really quite awful bipod. http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Calico Reliability Testing: Round 4, the Saga Continues...E229
Calico Reliability Testing: Round 4, the Saga Continues...http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After I started getting malfunctions last time, I gave the Calico a good (and much-needed) cleaning, and also replaced the striker spring. Hopefully this brings it back to a state of reliability... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Lee Metford MkI: Great Britain's First Magazine RifleE230
Lee Metford MkI: Great Britain's First Magazine Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The British went into the 1880s with plans to adopt the Enfield-Martini as its new rifle, a single shot Martini-action rifle with essentially a sidesaddle of ready-access cartridges on the side of the receiver. It would be chambered for a new .402 caliber black powder cartridge. However, the Small Arms Committee begin looking into the possibility of a magazine rifle instead, and trials of 40+ different systems found three worth considering: a Lee rifle with a box magazine, a Lee rifle with a Bethel Burton magazine, and the Owen Jones rifle. As these trials were concluding, the discovery of smokeless powder threw a wrench in the plans. After study of the Swiss 7.5x53.5mm cartridge, the British opted to develop a small bore .30 caliber round themselves, which would be the .303 British. This round, originally loaded with compressed black powder before the use of cordite, rendered the plans for the .402 caliber Enfield Martini obsolete. What would have been a justifiable territorial and reserve rifle alongside a .402 magazine rifle was now an orphan. With the new rifle in .303 caliber, a .402 single shot Martini was just an added logistical overhead. Instead, existing Martini rifles would eventually be converted to .303 British. At any rate, the Lee rifle and magazine were chosen as ideal, and in 1888 a batch was made for field trials across the British Empire. Widely positive reports led to its formal adoption and the beginning of production in 1889 as the Magazine Rifle MkI - later retroactively renamed the Lee Metford MkI and colloquially known as the Long Lee. The example we have today has two very rare original features; an intact manual safety and Lewes pattern sights. Both of these would be quickly removed or replaced in service, and a Mk I* and MkII pattern followed shortl - Ethiopian M90/95 Hybrid Mannlicher CarbineE231
Ethiopian M90/95 Hybrid Mannlicher Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we are looking at a uniquely Ethiopian carbine, a hybrid M90/95 Mannlicher. It began life as an Austrian-issue M90 carbine proofed in 1892. It served through World War One, and was probably given to Italy as war reparations in the early 1920s. Italy then sent it to East Africa, where is served in the AOI during the Italian occupation of Ethiopia. After World War Two, it was retained by Ethiopia, and at some point its stock and associated hardware (and cocking piece) were replaced with M95 pattern parts. It ended up in storage in Ethiopia until just recently imported into the US by InterOrd/Royal Tiger. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Mauser "Zigzag" Revolver Patent Model and its Unique CartridgeE232
Mauser "Zigzag" Revolver Patent Model and its Unique Cartridgehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Mauser brothers' first handgun was the single shot C77, which they quickly followed with the C78 "zig zag" revolver, so named for the cam grooves on the circumference of its cylinder. What we are looking at today is the patent model submitted for the brothers' patent on the hinged-frame version of the revolver. It has a number of variations from the later production model. Most significantly, it is chambered for the original Mauser revolver cartridge, which was a scaled-down version of the 11mm Mauser rifle round - bottleneck and all. After the German military expressed a preference for a straight-wall cartridge Mauser changed the design, and only a very few revolvers were made for that first round. We also have an example of the cartridge itself to show you, which is as rare as the revolver. Thanks to the Liege Arms Museum for access to film this for you! If you are in Belgium, definitely plan to stop into the museum, part of the Grand Curtius. They have a very good selection of interesting and unusual arms on display. https://www.grandcurtius.be http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com Further thanks to the Paul Mauser Archive (http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com/index.htm) for helping to arrange this filming! The Archive 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 85740 - Q&A 45: Repros, Sporterizations, and Guest Appearances by CMMG and CalicoE233
Q&A 45: Repros, Sporterizations, and Guest Appearances by CMMG and CalicoPreorder your Elbonia shirt, poster or patch here! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today's Q&A questions come from channel supporters on both Patreon and Floatplane. Thanks guys! 01:15 - 20th Century weapon for medieval battle 02:44 - Viability of a reproduction repeating flintlock like a Lorenzoni or Kalthoff? Lorenzoni system: https://youtu.be/J_hnC6x036Q 05:21 - Hypothetical new gunpowder twice as powderful as today's 08:00 - Early CMMG delayed systems. Guest answer by CMMG! 13:10 - WWSD 2020 content on Forgotten Weapons? 14:18 - [REDACTED] 15:29 - Good book on the M60? 16:20 - Why are Italian Old West reproductions economically viable? 20:51 - Worst sporterization I have seen Mauser 1902 Long recoil prototype, sporterized: https://youtu.be/w5F22ri_L5g 22:58 - Rimmed cartridge in a Calico magazine? Guest answer by Calico! 25:24 - Why did the US buy new 7.62mm precision rifles instead of using AR-10s or M14s? 27:24 - Guns that turned out much differently than I expected 29:27 - Have governments tried to reclaim vet bring-back trophy guns? Polish wz.38M: https://youtu.be/ckrVFTEv-ic 32:34 - Military applications for the KP-15 / WWSD2020? 33:52 - Would the 1941 Johnson have been a better sniper than the M1 Garand? 35:12 - What is my filming process? 37:28 - Legal status of pistol-carbines in the US 41:12 - What bars did I work in, and my favorite gin cocktail 45:55 - Winchester 1873 vs 1892, why Karl and I have different opinions 47:45 - M1 Carbine vs SKS 49:13 - Examples of US small arms purchased by foreign militaries but not the US military 51:38 - Best and worst bayonets US trowel bayonets: https://youtu.be/qp0FFPyEN1k 53:48 - Favorite citation style? 54:49 - Would I shave my beard and mustache for a gun? Which one? http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, A - The CETME-L and the CETME-LC at the RangeE235
The CETME-L and the CETME-LC at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today I am out at the range to do some side-by-side shooting with the CETME-L and the CETME-LC. These are both MarColMar examples, in the original Spanish military configuration (ie, iron sights only). The LC model has a bit snappier recoil and more muzzle climb, which I suspect is due to the different recoil spring assembly it uses in order to accommodate a collapsing stock. The difference is small enough that it is not noticeable unless shooting both model side by side. Still, the LC is my choice of the two. While is really doesn't weigh significantly less than the full-size L model, I like the compactness and the better handling it gets as a result. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of NFA registration. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Origins of the Lee Enfield Rifle: Lee Metford UpdatesE236
Origins of the Lee Enfield Rifle: Lee Metford Updateshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Lee Metford MkI had scarcely been introduced when it was modified into the MkI* pattern, This was quickly followed by the MkII and MkII*, the Lee Enfield MkI, and Lee Enfield MkI*. In essence, the changes were: Lee Metford MkI*: Change of sights to traditional barleycorn and V-notch, and removal of the manual safety Lee Metford MkII: Update to 10-round, double-feed magazine, move sling rearward, modify cleaning rod to clearing rod. Lee Metford MkII*: Addition of safety lever on cocking piece Lee Enfield MkI: Change from Metford rifling to Enfield Lee Enfield MkI*: Clearing rod removed Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - What Guns Should I Collect?E237
What Guns Should I Collect?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I have had a number of people email me saying that they are interested in starting a gun collection, and what would I say they should collect? I think this is a fundamentally erroneous approach to the question. There used to be a sort of understanding that "Gun Collecting" meant a specific group of community-approved "collectible" guns, most notably Winchester lever actions, Colt and S&W revolvers, Mausers, and Luger pistols. I disagree with these artificial limitation in the strongest way. I think that the whole point of collecting firearms is to find a specific theme that you personally find interesting, and build a collection to gain a better understanding of it. That can mean shooting a thousand rounds a week or never firing the guns at all. It can mean collecting based on a country, a manufacturer, a time period, a mechanical action type, a specific conflict, a specific country in a specific conflict, a caliber, or really any other factor one can imagine. I have a friend who collects sporterized pre-1898 military rifles. I have another who collects guns all with the same serial number. The essential element is that a collection is based on your own personal interest. It is irrelevant whether your interest is shared by a million other collectors or by nobody at all. If you want to begin collecting firearms, you need only consider what piques your curiosity and interest, and follow that thread. My apologies to your wallet in advance! Also, buy books first. A few hundred dollars of books before you buy a single gun will save you a tremendous amount of money in the long run. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Brazilian 1883 Nagant Revolver: The .44 Henry Rides Again!E238
Brazilian 1883 Nagant Revolver: The .44 Henry Rides Again!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1883, the Brazilian government decided to purchase 3,000 new revolvers, and they chose the Mauser Model 1878 "Zigzag" to procure. The officer charged with making the purchase in Europe, however, appears to have done some of his own investigation and unilaterally decided to buy Nagant revolvers instead of Mausers. This naturally caused some scandal back in Brazil, but in hindsight it was clearly the right choice - and Brazil would go back and buy more Nagants in later years. Specifically, Brazil purchased the Model 1878 Nagant, configured to their specifications. The guns were chambered for 11mm Nagant ammunition, which is actually just another name for .44 Henry Centerfire. Brazil had a significant number of 1866 Winchester rifles chambered for the Henry centerfire cartridge (having purchased them as late as 1891!) and wanted these revolvers to use the same ammunition. The first 3,000 were single action only, but later orders through both Nagant in Belgium and the Suhl consortium in Germany were double action. This particular example was issued to the Brazilian Navy. Special thanks Mike Carrick of Arms Heritage magazine for providing the revolver, and to Douglas de Souza Aguiar Jr, Curator of the Museu de Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo (http://museupoliciamilitar.com.br), for his gracious assistance with this video. Collectors and researchers looking for more information on Brazilian firearms should contact the museum through Old Steel for letters of authentication. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Book Review: U.S. Small Arms of World War II by Bruce CanfieldE239
Book Review: U.S. Small Arms of World War II by Bruce CanfieldAvailable direct form the publisher: https://gunandswordcollector.com/product/us-small-arms-ww2/#reviews Or via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kNTmLd Bruce Canfield's newly released book, "U.S. Small Arms of World War II", is a book that attempts to cover a huge amount of material from bayonets to mortars and recoilless rifles. Where most books of this type end up providing only a rather shallow view of a large number of subjects, what Canfield has done here is simply ignore the conventional wisdom about how long a book should be. Want to add more content? Just add more pages! The result is a huge 864-page tome that covers a large numbers of small arms in significant detail. This is not a true collectors guide (note that Canfield's previous book - a true collector's guide - was equally long and covered only the M1 Garand), but it is the most comprehensive and useful overview of this scale that I have found. In addition to all the typical weapons you would expect to find, this work covers a great many uncommon and rare guns, including prototypes never fielded. This includes guns like the Winchester Automatic Rifle, the M2 Submachine Gun, the Johnson M1944 LMG, and so on. Many arms that made it into limited service - like the Boys antitank rifle or 2" Victory Model revolver - are also covered. On top of that, the scope extends to several families of weapons generally not covered at all - field and specialty knives, bazookas, mortars, flamethrowers, and both rifle and hand grenades. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book is the extensive referencing of firsthand field accounts of weapon performance and use. How did troops really feel about their various weapons? No better way to find out than to ask them, and Canfield gives these opinions much more space in this book than most authors. I generally don't looks for wide-coverage books like this one for my own library, but the sheer amount of context and information makes this one an exception that I am happy to - Big-Bore Simplicity: the Serbu BFG-50AE240
Big-Bore Simplicity: the Serbu BFG-50Ahttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Serbu BFG-50A is one of only a couple self-loading .50 caliber rifles manufactured in the US. Work on its design began in 2008, and the first finished examples were produced in 2011. A total of about 500 have been made to date. Mechanically, it is a direct gas impingement action with a 3-lug rotating bolt. Weighing in at 23 pounds, it is significantly lighter than its closest comparison, the Barrett M82A1. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Taurus Curve: My Worst Backup Gun Match Yet!E241
Taurus Curve: My Worst Backup Gun Match Yet!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons A little while back during the summer I went to our monthly Backup Gun Match with, of all things, a Taurus Curve. Why do I even own one of those? Well, I found one new in the box at a local gun show for less than $200. Because it is such an unusual gun in a bunch of ways, I figured it really deserved a place in the Forgotten Weapons Collection. So, I bought it, and just left it in the box. Several months later, debating what to run at the match, I realized I still had that Curve, still unfired in the box. Well, 90%+ of the people who bought one of those would have done nothing but load a magazine and stick it in a pocket, so why not run it just that way? All I did was check to make sure the laser's batteries were still working. ...not that the laser ended up making any difference. This was my worst Backup Gun Match that I can remember. Hopefully all the failure is at least entertaining! Also, thanks to Roger for rescuing me with his G1 Yeet Cannon on the last stage! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Lee Metford and Lee Enfield Carbines for the CavalryE242
Lee Metford and Lee Enfield Carbines for the Cavalryhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the Lee magazine rifle was adopted for British military service, it was initially produced as a long rifle for the infantry. To accommodate the cavalry on horseback, a much more compact carbine version was produced. These were initially Lee Metford pattern, but changed to Lee Enfield pattern rifling when the long rifles made the same shift. The carbines were the origin of the cocking-piece-mounted safety, as the Lee Metford rifles in service at the time had no manual safety at all. The cavalry service wanted one, and the safety they came up with was added to later patterns of infantry rifle. The Lee carbines are designed to be sleek and handy, to easily fit into a cavalry scabbard. The bolt handles are swooped forward slightly and flattened against the receiver. The front sight wings are rounded and the magazine was reduced to 6 rounds, barely extending beyond the receiver. Early examples were fitted with a D-ring on the left side of the receiver socket for use with a single point sling, but this was removed quickly and it is very rare to find carbines with intact sling rings today. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Vintage Match Gear: P.J. O'Hare Sight Covers & ToolE243
Vintage Match Gear: P.J. O'Hare Sight Covers & Toolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Specialized hobbies have always been a market for specialized gear, and competitive target shooting is a perfect example. Today, we have a set of P.J. O'Hare sight covers form the 1920s or 30s, along with a micrometer sight adjustment tool to show you. The sight covers were to protect the sights form physical damage, but also to protect the carbon blackening on the sight faces from being smudged or wiped off. The sight tool allows precise 1/2 minute of angle click adjustment of the sight on a 1903 Springfield, which is other with just free-sliding. Neat! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Custom 1932 Longslide Walther PP For Swiss Target ShootingE244
Custom 1932 Longslide Walther PP For Swiss Target Shootinghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1932, Walther made 10 custom long-barreled PP pistols for the Swiss target shooting community, sold through Glaser in Switzerland. These pistols had 127mm (5 inch) barrels chambered for .32 ACP, a fine satin "Verchromt" finish, extra checkering on the front and back straps, and a gold-plated trigger. Very fancy! Make sure to check out Legacy Collectibles' YouTube channel! They have a bunch of videos on interesting firearms and firearms collecting: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCesjdfSFVwNgqa299Bf3Zlw Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - AZ PCC Championship: 10 Stages of Hotchkiss Universal!E245
AZ PCC Championship: 10 Stages of Hotchkiss Universal!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Every year, the Rio Salado Sportsman's Club host's the Arizona PCC (Pistol-Caliber Carbine) Championships. I signed up initially planning to use my Calico carbine, but my travel schedule kept me form getting the gun in shape to use in time. Instead, I polled my Patrons to choose a replacement, and they picked the Hotchkiss Universal (it won overwhelmingly over all the more modern alternatives I offered). Note that this match does not allow machine guns, but my Hotchkiss is a semiauto model and thus suitable. Of course, if I was going to shoot a historic French carbine, I would need to pair it with French lizard camo, double-buckle ranger boots, and a kepi. The match consisted of 10 stages, with round counts of 30-60 rounds each. They were generally split between a lot of close range (7 yards max) paper and steel and a small number of smaller steel targets at 100-200 yards. Unfortunately, the Hotchkiss sights are not adjustable, and mine does not shoot to point of aim. I needed to aim substantially low and left at range, and I would have substantial trouble hitting the long range targets in the match. The gun itself is quite accurate, but the sights made it difficult for me to exploit that mechanical accuracy. There were 202 competitors in the match, of whom 2 did not shoot all the stages and 7 were disqualified for various reasons. Among the 193 people who completed the match, I placed 191st. Ha! Not quite dead last! In my division (Iron Sight), I was 6th of 7, but the 7th place guy was disqualified. Next year, I hope to compete again, with an equally interesting historical gun - but one that I can properly zero. Thanks to my Patrons for the support and feedback! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - North Vietnamese SKSE246
North Vietnamese SKShttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons North Vietnam set up a small arms factory north of Hanoi (12km north of Yên Bái, to be specific) with the assistance of Chinese factory #296, starting in 1959. The goal was for this to become a substantial arsenal for both repair and production of arms, including barrel-making and forging capabilities. It would never reach this potential, but it was able to assemble about 6,000 SKS rifle between 1962 when it opened and 1965 (when it was shut down by American strategic bombing. Serial numbers on these rifles begin with a two digit code identifying the year of production (62 through 65) and then a 4 digit sequential number. You can see an excellent database of known examples (as well as North Korean and East German examples) here: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=134043.0 Thanks to Ozark Machine Gun for loaning me this very rare rifle - check out his cool machine gun rental range in Missouri! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - MAS 38 at the Range - Finally!E247
MAS 38 at the Range - Finally!http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons My MAS 38 submachine gun is *finally* running properly and with the 7.65mm French Long ammunition now being made by Steinel Ammo, I can finally take this out to the range! What to shoot at? A spinner, naturally. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - 11mm Vickers "Balloon Buster" Machine GunE248
11mm Vickers "Balloon Buster" Machine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The United States adopted the Vickers gun as the Model 1915, but one of its uses was as an aircraft machine gun. Since it fired from a closed bolt, the design was easily fitted with synchronizer or interruptor gear systems to fire through the arc of a propeller. The French developed an incendiary loading of 11mm Gras for use on observation balloons, and the US adopted this variation as well, ordering 1700 of them from Colt in 1918 (in addition to 4300 aircraft Vickers guns in .30-06). The guns were fitted with muzzle protectors, recoil buffers, feed block booster springs, strengthened top cover latches, ventilated barrel jackets, and a new type of fusee spring adjustment system. This example has been fitted with a Birkigt synchronizer, as would have been used on a SPAD XIII in American service. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Book Review: Vickers Guide to the AR-15 Vol 1, SECOND EDITIONE249
Book Review: Vickers Guide to the AR-15 Vol 1, SECOND EDITIONhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When Volume 1 of the Vickers Guide to the AR-15 sold out, Larry Vickers and James Rupley decided not to simply print more copies. Instead, they chose to go back to basics, and massively expand the book. The new Second Edition has *300* pages more photographs and content than the original book, coming in at a total of 648 pages (and featuring more than 100 different rifles). It has more commentary now, from not just Larry but also two new co-authors, Chris Bartocci (of Small Arms Solutions, author of "Black Rifle II" from Collector Grade) and Daniel Watters (of LooseRounds.com). Major additions include a section on AR magazines and an explanation of the M16A2 update program by Lt. Col. (ret) David Lutz, who was at the heart of that program. Also added is a collection of photographs from the estate of Rob Roy, one of the Colt engineers who worked extensively on the AR - his photos show a slew of unusual models, foreign training and demonstrations, and experimental testing. Overall, this is a massive expansion to a book that was already a great resource. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the early development of the AR-15. If you are into building reproductions of rare models, the photography will be of particular value to you. Available only from Vickers Guide: https://www.vickersguide.com/ar15vol12nded Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Turkish Model 1903/30 Short Rifle with Folding BayonetE250
Turkish Model 1903/30 Short Rifle with Folding Bayonethttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Ottoman Empire purchased a staggering number of Mauser rifles over many decades, and Turkey would update many of them to a standardized pattern in the 1930s. This particular example is very rare, with an attached folding bayonet. The base rifle here is (was) a 1903 model Mauser carbine, chambered for the 7.65mm Mauser cartridge. Starting in 1930, these were updated to chamber 8mm Mauser ammunition, given longer barrels, and in this case, that folding bayonet. We can see evidence of the gun’s past in the receiver notch necessary for the longer 8mm cartridge, and the residual Turkish numbers, which predate the transition to Arabic numerals in 1928/29. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - 1926 Tula-Korovin: The First Soviet Semiauto PistolE251
1926 Tula-Korovin: The First Soviet Semiauto Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Sergei Korovin was a Russian designer who was kicked out of the Kharkov Technical Institute in 1905 for his revolutionary political activities. He emigrated to Liege in Belgium, where he worked in the arms industry until returning home to Russia when World War One broke out in 1914. He attempted to get a job at the Tula Arsenal, but was unable to do so until about 1920 (by which time his politics were presumably working in his favor). He went to work on handgun designs, and would produce the Tula-Korovin in 1926, the first Soviet production semiauto pistol. Korovin’s first work was in 1923, on a short-recoil military sidearm in .32ACP, which would be modified to .30 Mauser by 1929, but ultimately lose out to the Tokarev TT-30. However, the Tula Arsenal opted to scale down his pistol in 1926 to a simple blowback .25ACP design, which was produced in large numbers between 1927 and 1935. It was made in three variations with apparently a total production in excess of 500,000. The third variation was beefed up a bit, and apparently chambered for a higher pressure version of the .25 ACP cartridge designated the 6.3mm Tula - although detailed information on this is difficult to find. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Vetterli-Ferracciu for the Italian NavyE252
Vetterli-Ferracciu for the Italian Navyhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Italian military adopted the single-shot Vetterli rifle in 1870, and by 1882 the Italian Navy was looking for something with a bit more firepower. The proceeded to adopt the Vetterli-Bertoldo in 1882, a version of the Vetterli with a 9-round tubular magazine in the stock, under the barrel. In 1887 the Italian Army would adopt the Vetterli-Vitali, with a 4-round box magazine. Finally, in 1890, the Navy converted many of its Bertoldo tube-magazine guns to yet another pattern, the Vetterli-Ferrucciu. These also had a 4-round box magazine, but a different type than the Vitali system used. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Valkyrie Silenced DeLisle Carbine at the RangeE253
Valkyrie Silenced DeLisle Carbine at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The DeLisle carbine was a conversion of the Lee Enfield to .45 ACP made by the British during World War Two for SOE use. They used modified 1911 magazines to feed, and included a very large suppressor to make the carbine as close to actually silent as a firearm can be. Original DeLisles are very rare and basically all in museums, but Valkyrie Arms made a number of reproductions, and today I have one of those at the range to do some shooting. Let's see how it handles! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Last Swiss Battle Rifle: SIG-Manurhin 542 (in .243)E254
The Last Swiss Battle Rifle: SIG-Manurhin 542 (in .243)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons After the failure of the SIG 530 rifle (a gas operated, roller locked design), SIG looked for a much simpler rifle design, in both operation and manufacture. What they came up with was fundamentally AK-like, with a two-lug rotating bolt in a very AK-like carrier and a long stroke gas piston. The upper and lower assemblies of the rifle were both made of sheet steel stampings. The whole design is very easily disassembled, economical to produce, and reliable in the field. The main focus was on a 5.56mm version with hopes for Swiss military adoption (which would indeed come to pass). However, as a way to hedge its bets, SIG also scaled the rifle up slightly for a 7.62mm NATO sized cartridge, and designated this the SG 542. Swiss law prevented SIG from selling rifles to foreign military powers, so instead SIG licensed the design to Manurhin of France. They made both military and civilian copies of the 540 and 542 between 1978 and 1988. The civilian copies were in .222 Remington and .243 Winchester, as French law heavily restricted civilian ownership of military caliber rifles at the time. Only a few were imported into the US, and this example from Larry Vickers’ collection also includes a very scarce original SG542-marked Hensoldt scope and mount. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Bilharz Hall & Co : A Crude Confederate Cavalry Carbine CopyE255
Bilharz Hall & Co : A Crude Confederate Cavalry Carbine Copyhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1863, the Bilharz, Hall, & Co firm of Pittsylvania Court House, Virginia (now Chatham VA) received a contract to make 1,000 examples of a simple percussion cavalry carbine modeled after the US Model 1855 carbine. They would work until the end of 1864, but only make a total of 750-800 of them. These carbines are unnumbered externally, but most (although not this example) have what appears to be a serial number of the rear face of the barrel, hidden inside the stock. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Polytech AKS - The First Wave of Semiauto Chinese AK RiflesE256
Polytech AKS - The First Wave of Semiauto Chinese AK Rifleshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The first semiauto commercial AK rifles to enter the US were Finnish Valmets. These established a US collector interested but while excellent in quality, they did not quite fit the visual pattern of the classic Sino-Soviet military Kalashnikov. The first of those to find its way into the US was the Egyptian Maadi, a Russian rifle made under license in Egypt, and imported by Steyr. The explosion of interest in the Maadi guns was tempered by their high price, and it became clear that a low-cost historical military-pattern AK would be very popular. One of the first companies to react to this opportunity was Poly Technologies (Polytech) of Beijing, China. They arranged manufacture of a semiautomatic only commercial copy of the Chinese military Type 56 AK first by Factory 416 in Shan Dong and later by factory 386 in Fu Jian to bring into the US. First in 5.56mm and quickly followed by 7.62x39mm, these were high quality rifles at half the price or less than the Egyptian Maadis. They were offered in fixed stock and underflowing patterns, with an underflowing spike bayonet unique to Polytech imports. Two different side-folding stock were also offered, although in smaller numbers. Importation would last for only a few year, cut off by the 1989 Assault Weapon Import Ban. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The 1843 Side-Lever Hall Carbine by Simeon NorthE257
The 1843 Side-Lever Hall Carbine by Simeon Northhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The final production version of the Hall was Simeon North’s Model 1843 Carbine, of which 10,500 were made between 1844 and 1853. It used North’s percussion update to the design, and a cleverly simple calming lug connected to a lever on the right side of the action to open the breech. These were smoothbore .54 caliber guns, issued to the Dragoons and used in the Mexican-American War. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - CETME Paratrooper Top-Folding StockE258
CETME Paratrooper Top-Folding Stockhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Spain adopted the CETME Modelo B rifle for service in 1958. These early rifles were chambered for the reduced-pressure 7.62mm CETME cartridge, and had a few other unique features. Some of these were made with a metal handguard with a folding bipod, and some were also made with a top-folding stock, for use by paratroopers and vehicle crews. This stock shortened the overall length of the rifle slightly, although it also creates a very uncomfortable cheek weld. The rifle we are looking at today comes form the collection of Larry Vickers, and is actually a CETME-Mars commercial import - a CETME-C pattern rifle chambered for regular 7.62mm NATO. The folding stock has been added because this is the closest pattern of CETME available in the US to what would have been actually issued with this stock. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Most Popular Percussion Colts: 1848 Baby Dragoon and 1849 PocketE259
The Most Popular Percussion Colts: 1848 Baby Dragoon and 1849 Pockethttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The most-produced Colt percussion revolver was not one of the big sexy Army models, but rather the humble 1849 Pocket. It was first introduced as the Model 1848 Baby Dragoon, in .31 caliber. By 1850, the design had changed to what became known as the Model 1849 Pocket, with a round-backed trigger guard. The 1848 and 1849 were made in a single combined serial number range, and the transition form one pattern to the other is a bit hazy. The first pattern had a square-backed trigger guard, round cylinder stop notches, and an “Indian Fight” cylinder scene. They were made without loading levers, and with 5-shot cylinders. The second model moved to a round-backed trigger guard and “Stagecoach” cylinder scene, added a loading lever, but retained the round cylinder stop notches. This was shortly followed by the third pattern with square cylinder stop notches. That third model would account for the vest majority of production. Overall, about 340,000 Pocket model revolvers were made by Colt, including about 11,000 made at the London armory between 1853 and 1856. Production in the US ended in 1873, when Colt transitioned to self-contained cartridges instead of percussion designs. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Firing an Original Hotchkiss Revolving CannonE260
Firing an Original Hotchkiss Revolving Cannonhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Several years ago, my friend Joe Lozen had an opportunity to fire an original Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon. He kindly sent me this clip - it is the only footage of one of these actually firing live ammunition (note the recoil) that I am aware of. Thanks, Joe! You can also see some video of US military drill and blank firing from the Fields of Thunder Museum here: https://youtu.be/XDPvKfxfvf0?t=455 These cannons have a cluster of 5 barrels that rotate, chambered for 37mm (1.5") shells. For more information on the design and history, see my full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQEs6i4fwLA Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Rollin White's Single Shot .38 Rimfire PistolE261
Rollin White's Single Shot .38 Rimfire Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Rollin White was the inventor who patented the bored-through cylinder in the US, and sold an exclusive right to this patent to Smith & Wesson. They would use it as the basis for their own work with self-contained cartridges (White’s patent was originally intended as a way to load paper cartridges from the rear of the cylinder), but when the Civil War broke out White was in an odd position. Having sold an exclusive license to his idea to S&W, he could not sell guns utilizing that system himself. He was involved in the formation of the Rollin White Arms Company in 1861, and would make .22 rimfire revolvers, but only for purchase by S&W, who acted as the seller/distributor for them. White did produce one other model of pistol in an attempt to chase in on the demand for arms during the war, and this was a single shot pistol that thus did not infringe on his licensing agreement with S&W. The design was very similar to a Smith & Wesson revolver, but with a single shot tip-out breechblock in place of a cylinder. Two versions were made, a small frame in .32 rimfire and a large frame (as we are looking at today) in .38 rimfire. The small type sold reasonably well, with 3,000 made - but only 200-300 of the large type were built. Most likely, it was simply too large for people to justify as a single-shot pistol. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Evolution of the Submachine Gun: Three Distinct GenerationsE262
Evolution of the Submachine Gun: Three Distinct Generationshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Followup: Addressing the P90 and MP-7: https://youtu.be/4RulAbiRc_Q Submachine guns have gone through a distinct evolution over the past one hundred years. Today we will look at these changes, specifically identifying: - 1st Generation guns from World War One and through the 1930s - 2nd Generation guns of World War Two - 2nd Generation guns after World War Two - 2nd Generation guns adapter to modern polymer manufacturing - 3rd Generations guns in the form of rifle actions scaled down to pistol calibers Full videos on the guns shown in this video: 00:52 - MP-18,I: https://youtu.be/7Z7O8SZhdgw 01:08 - M1915 Villar Perosa: https://youtu.be/NAsH0fVAoxc Shooting: https://youtu.be/WLFA8VXVkRQ 01:28 - OVP-1918: https://youtu.be/K2nhwH1I8PU 02:16 - Thompson Model 1921: 04:25 - Steyr-Solothurn MP30/MP34: 05:20 - Erma EMP: https://youtu.be/AxObwYbXUik 06:38 - Bergmann MP35: https://youtu.be/Hk_kO3D-AN4 Shooting: https://youtu.be/8XMvhhSkIIE 07:25 - Beretta Model 38A: https://youtu.be/ERra12KuEvw 09:28 - MP38/MP40: https://youtu.be/cdQhO8FtY7c 10:05 - M3 Grease Gun: https://youtu.be/6ivr4QdhVtU 11:10 - PPD-40: https://youtu.be/8A6bYa3HgCs 11:21 - PPSh-41: https://youtu.be/QqG0Op0898Q Shooting: https://youtu.be/FAIyQ5yqVu8 11:45 - PPS-43: https://youtu.be/zGGguFuFln4 12:10 - Beretta M38/42: https://youtu.be/QDS1OcfAw5Q 12:55 - Suomi kp/31: https://youtu.be/CiTS3dcYicw 13:53 - Madsen M50: https://youtu.be/6b9tjpQLsYw 14:16 - Walther MPK/MPL: https://youtu.be/tQSilZnqdlA 14:38 - Beretta PM12: https://youtu.be/X0649LgdUJo 14:47 - Czech SA vz.26: https://youtu.be/M2OEoGHtc0o 15:00 - Uzi: https://youtu.be/MTL8-cVoP64 15:30 - H&K UMP: https://youtu.be/pM7QVbMx1Eo 16:18 - H&K MP5: https://youtu.be/ZCdmPfHGG9c - Doughboy Bringback MP-18,I on the RangeE263
Doughboy Bringback MP-18,I on the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The MP-18,I was most likely the first true submachine gun to see combat use, issued in the final months of World War One to German Sturmtruppen. These guns were originally fitted with 32-round drum magazines form the Artillery Luger, but they were almost all quickly changed to standard System Schmeisser box magazines shortly after the war ended. This is a rare example of one still in its original configuration, as brought home by a US soldier as a war trophy. The MP-18,I set the standard for basically all future SMGs. It has remarkably gentle to shoot, with a low rate of fire and nice big sights. The drum does throw the balance substantially off to the left side, but it has few other serious problems. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Gardiner/Scott Prototype Grip Safety on an Early 1903 SpringfieldE264
Gardiner/Scott Prototype Grip Safety on an Early 1903 Springfieldhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1904, a man named Orlando Scott from Ontario filed a patent application for a safety device for breechloading rifles and shotguns. His idea was basically a spring loaded grip safety in the fore-end of the stock, which would have to be depressed in order to either cock or fire the weapon. His patent was approved in 1909 as number 911683, and assigned to another Ontario man, Robert Gardiner. As a way of demonstrating the patent, they purchased a 1905-production Springfield rifle from the US military (starting in 1904, the military had a policy of selling Springfield rifles to inventors for experimentation) and integrated their safety mechanism into it. We don’t have any record of military trials of the gun, but it is a neat model of a patent idea on a very scarce pattern of early Springfield. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Erma EMP: Heinrich Vollmer's Interwar Submachine GunE265
Erma EMP: Heinrich Vollmer's Interwar Submachine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Developed by Heinrich Vollmer in the 1920s, this quite distinctive submachine guns was marketed by the Erma company starting in 1932 and sold quite well internationally. This particular example was used by the German police and is chambered for 9x19mm. Many of these guns were also sold to Spain where they were popular with the Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War. At the end of that conflict, some 3,250 EMPs were surrendered to French border guards by Spanish Republican refugees coming over the Pyrenees. Many of these were issued out to French forces during the Battle of France. Anyway, the main focus of today’s video is to show the differences between the original German Erma-produced guns and the Spanish MP41/44 copy made at La Coruña. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Erma EMP at the RangeE266
The Erma EMP at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Having taken a close look at this original Erma EMP submachine gun yesterday, we are out at the range with it today. Like several of the interwar SMGs, the Erma was designed with a magazine well long enough to accommodate 9mm Steyr (9x23mm) ammunition, and it was offered in several different calibers. The 9mm Parabellum magazines have a spacer at the rear to hold the rounds forward for proper feeding. In addition to Erma production, the EMP was copied by the Spanish La Coruña arsenal in the 1940s. Spanish magazines are readily available, and I am curious to see if they will work in a German EMP... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - How to Classify the H&K MP-7 and FN P90E267
How to Classify the H&K MP-7 and FN P90http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons My recent video (https://youtu.be/5Hrfxu_K9HY) proposing a particular set of definitions for three generations of submachine gun design generated a lot of comments about the H&K MP-7 and FN P90. I focused largely on the first and second generation guns in that video - as they were the bulk of what I had available to use as examples - and I neglected what should have been those two obvious modern examples. To quickly recap: Gen 1 - The first SMGs, made with primarily milled components to a high standard of craftsmanship and expense. Gen 2 - The economization of SMGs. Designs using stamped materials at first, and polymer more recently. Gen 3 - Designs emulating rifle handling. Generally closed bolt, but featuring the controls, layout and handling copied from modern rifle platforms. I believe that both the MP-7 and P90 are solid examples of what I define as a 3rd generations SMG. The MP-7 takes most of its cues form the G36 rifle, and the P90 takes its from the F2000 rifle. I don't think that the smaller-than-typical calibers used by these guns qualifies them as a new generation, nor does the clever and unusual magazine system of the P90. Neither is quite as perfect of an example as the MP5 in taking virtually every characteristic form a parent rifle design, but I think both are close enough to qualify as Gen 3 submachine guns. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Heckler & Koch's Modular Machine Gun: the HK21EE268
Heckler & Koch's Modular Machine Gun: the HK21Ehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1961, Heckler & Koch introduced a new light machine gun based on their roller-delayed blowback system as a companion piece to the G3/HK91 rifle. While the German military was quite happy with its MG3 machine guns, H&K expected that other, smaller nations adopting the G3 would be interested in a support weapon that worked the same way. They were not wrong, and the first adopter was Portugal, in 1968. By 1977, some 20,000 had been sold to more than 20 different nations. In the early 1970s, a number of improvements were made (including a clubfoot stock and optics mounting points on the receiver) and the HK 21A model was introduced. Additional major improvements in the early 1980s created the HK 21E “export” model. This had a longer receiver, longer barrel, strengthened receiver, improved recoil buffer, and was fully modular, able to be assembled into a model HK11, 21, or 23 (that is, magazine fed 7.62mm and belt fed in either 5.56mm or 7.62mm). Today, the model has been replaced in HK catalogs by the new MG4 and MG5 machine guns, but licensed production of the HK 21 in Portugal and Mexico ensures that the guns will be around for many years to come. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - WW1 British Contract M1911 in .455 Webley Self-LoadingE269
WW1 British Contract M1911 in .455 Webley Self-Loadinghttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons On the eve of World War One, the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Flying Corps had both adopted the Webley Self-Loading Pistol, chambered for a special .455 caliber semi-rimmed cartridge. With the needs of wartime, Webley deliveries of these pistols were too slow, and alternatives were sought. The obvious choice was the Colt 1911 pistol, already in service elsewhere with British troops. Colt had no trouble adapting the design to the .455 Webley semiauto cartridge, and between 1915 and 1919 some 13,000 of them were sold to Britain (plus more in .45 ACP). The .455 caliber guns are so marked on the slide, and all have W-prefix serial numbers to indicate their chambering. Purchases continued after the Royal Flying Corps was renamed the Royal Air Force in April 1918. While some were surplussed after the war, others would stay in service until World War Two. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Königliche Marine (Prussian Navy) Colt 1851 RigE270
Königliche Marine (Prussian Navy) Colt 1851 Righttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1855, Prussian customs officials in Antwerp discovered a shipment of 3,000 Colt 1851 Navy model revolvers (and their accouterments) hidden in bales of cotton being shipped from New York to Russia. Prussia was a neutral power in the ongoing Crimean War, but had prohibited transit of arms across its borders. Squeezed by a British blockade of its ports in the Baltic, Russia tried to being in these pistols through Prussia anyway, and was caught (much to the embarrassment of Colt, who was trying to sells his revolvers to the British at the same time). After three years of stalling, the Prussian government decided to keep 1,000 of the revolvers for issue to its own navy, and sell the remaining 2,000 at auction. The navy revolvers and their accessories (powder flasks and cappers) were stamped with “KM” (Königliche Marine, or Royal Navy) and sequential inventory numbers. They would be the first repeating pistols issued to the Prussian Navy. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Germany's WW1 "Kurz" Model TankgewehrE271
Germany's WW1 "Kurz" Model Tankgewehrhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons When the German Tankgewehr was introduced in May 1918, the first 300 or so guns were of a different pattern than the standard production that would follow (and of which about 16,000 would be made). The Kurz model had a barrel about 4 inches shorter than the standard, and was about 2 pounds heavier, because that barrel (although shorter) was much larger in diameter than the standard pattern. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Subguns for South America: the Steyr-Solothurn MP-34 in .45ACPE272
Subguns for South America: the Steyr-Solothurn MP-34 in .45ACPhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The MP-34 was made by Steyr-Solothurn in four different calibers - 9x19 for the Germany army, 9x25 for the Austrian army, 9x23 for the Austrian police, and .45 ACP for the export market. This is one of the .45 caliber examples, of which only about 500 were made, all for South American countries (including El Salvador, Chile, Bolivia, and Uruguay). The gun shares most of its parts with the 9mm versions, with the exception of the magazine housing, rear sight mounting, bolt, and barrel. The receiver and magazine housing are the same length as the standard pattern, which much simplified production; it just has a wider housing to fit the double-stack 20-round .45 caliber magazine. In addition, because of the lack of common .45 ACP stripper clips, the clip-loading feature of the MP-34 mag housing was left off the .45 caliber model. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Steyr-Solothurn MP-34 in .45 ACP at the RangeE273
Steyr-Solothurn MP-34 in .45 ACP at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Today we are out at the range with the .45 ACP Steyr-Solothurn MP-34. I was curious to see how this submachine gun, much more commonly found in 9mm, would handle with the big .45 caliber cartridge. The answer? Quite nicely! It has a slightly lower rate of fire than the same gun chambered for 9x23mm Steyr, and is very pleasant to shoot. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Valmet M78: Finland's Hypothetical Squad Automatic WeaponE274
Valmet M78: Finland's Hypothetical Squad Automatic Weaponhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The M78 was Valmet’s RPK-style heavy barreled squad support weapon pattern of the Finnish AK. It was initially developed as the M74 cavalry machine gun for Finnish military service, but never adopted. Instead, that experimental design would serve as the basis for the commercial export M78 (using the open notch sights of the M71, another design not adopted for military service). Had it been adopted by the Finnish military, it would have been chambered for 7.62x39mm (like the KvKK-62 squad automatic weapon that was used). For export, the company offered that caliber as well as 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm. Because these were imported before 1986, it was legal to manufacture them into transferrable machine guns, and this example is one that was so registered. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Vickers Ltd Luger Pistols for the Dutch East IndiesE275
Vickers Ltd Luger Pistols for the Dutch East Indieshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Dutch government adopted the Luger for the KNIL (Dutch East Indies colonial forces) in 1910, and placed an initial order for 4,182 pistols from DWM in Germany. These were standard 9mm New Model Lugers, with grip safeties, no stock lugs, and manual safeties marked “RUST”. When more pistols were needed by the KNIL after World Wa rOne, the Treaty of Versailles prohibited DWM from making them. Instead, the Vickers company tooled up to produce them at its Crayford factory. Back when Maxim-Nordenfelt licensed the Maxim gun to DWM, part of the deal was a reciprocal license for Maxim to produce DWM products. That was inherited by Vickers when they acquired Maxim-Nordenfelt, and it gave them the right to make the 6,000 guns ordered by the Dutch in 1923. One of these has a “GS” marked barrel dated 1930, which indicated that it was rebarreled in the Dutch East Indies in 1930. It also has a 5-pointed star over the chamber, which is an Indonesian national property mark added in the 1950s. The other has a Dutch M11 pattern holster, complete with cleaning rod and loading tool. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Hitler's Zipper: The MG-42 Universal Machine GunE276
Hitler's Zipper: The MG-42 Universal Machine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The MG42 was developed to be a more reliable and easier to manufacture replacement for the MG34, although both would serve side by side until he end of World War Two. Designed by Grossfuss company engineer Werner Gruner with no previous military or small arms design experience, the MG42 used heavy stampings for its main assemblies, thus reducing German need for expensive and difficult to obtain alloyed steels. As a practical matter, the MG42 had a much higher rate of fire than the 34, at 1500-1600 rounds per minute (more than 50% faster than the MG34). This was deemed desirable to improve the effectiveness of suppressing fire and the density of the cone of fire, but naturally resulted in much higher ammunition consumption than other machine gun models. This example is a very early production Gustloff example, with the early horizontal charging handle, unreinforced wooden stock, and adjustable front sight. It was most likely captured in North Africa from Rommel’s forces, as they were a primarily user of the very early MG42s. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Russian Model 1828 Musket from the Battle of InkermanE277
Russian Model 1828 Musket from the Battle of Inkermanhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons For a long time, Russian small arms were patterned closely after French designs - the Russian 1809 family was based on the French 1777 muskets, and the Russian 1828 model - like this one - were taken from the French 1822 model. This is a .69 caliber (7-line) smoothbore musket, manufactured at the Tula arsenal in 1836. Most of these were eventually converted into 1828/44 pattern percussions guns, but this example escaped update because it was taken as a souvenir by a British soldier at the Battle of Inkerman on November 5th, 1854. Inkerman was the last major field battle in the Crimean War before the Siege of Sevastopol that would result in the end of the war. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ruger's M16 Alternative: the Select-Fire AC-556E278
Ruger's M16 Alternative: the Select-Fire AC-556http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Ruger introduced their semiauto Mini-14 rifle in 1973, and followed it in 1979 with the AC-556, a select-fire version intended for military and police sales. Offered with either an 18.5 inch barrel and solid wood stock or a 13 inch barrel and side folder, the AC-556 incorporated a selector switch on the back of the receiver to change between semiauto, 3-round burst, and fully automatic modes. Like some burst mechanisms, the Ruger model did not reset after each firing, and the round counter increments with every shot in any mode. As a result, when switching to burst, the first burst fired is unpredictable, and may be 1, 2, or 3 rounds. A fair number of small sales of the AC-556 were made to police and small security agencies, especially those who wanted a gun more “friendly” looking than a black AR-15. A few international military sales were made, the most significant being a licensing deal with the French security services that led to the Mousqueton AMD, a slightly changed copy of the AC-556 for French police. Although Ruger did not sell them directly to civilians, gun made between 1979 and 1986 were transferrable, and many have been sold out of police inventory onto the commercial market. Ruger discontinued sales in 1999, and ceased factory repair service of them in 2009. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Ruger AC-556 at the Range: How Does it Compare to the M16?E279
Ruger AC-556 at the Range: How Does it Compare to the M16?http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Yesterday we took a look at the internals of Ruger's select-fire AC-556, and today we have it out at the range. The main question for me was, how does it compare to the M16/AR-15? And the answer is, not all that well. The AR is definitely a softer shooting platform in full auto. The AC-556, despite being basically the same weight and using the same cartridge, jumps around a lot more. The reason is clear in the slow-motion footage; the bolt is slamming into the back of the receiver on each shot. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Marlin 7MG aka Model 1917 Aircraft Machine GunE280
Marlin 7MG aka Model 1917 Aircraft Machine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons John Browning’s original Model 1895 gas-lever machine gun was still in production by Colt when World War One broke out. It was not the most modern gun around by then, but it was available - and that was the most important feature for many potential buyers. Colt, however, had a lot of other larger orders to fill, and so in 1914 it arranged to subcontract the 1895 pattern gun to Marlin. Marlin (which reorganized to become Marlin-Rockwell in 1916) had a talented Swedish designer named Carl Gustav Swebelius who substantially modernized the design by redesigning it to use a straight gas piston instead of the original swinging lever. This, and its closed-bolt firing, made it a candidate for synchronized aircraft use. After some further revisions to improve extraction, the gun was designated the 7 MG (model 1917) by the US, and some 38,000 were ordered. At some point the heavy barrel was replaced with a thinner, smooth profile barrel and the cocking handle changed from a loop to a simple “L” handle. In 1918, a new design of hydraulic synchronizer was adopted, resulting in a new designation of 8 MG. At the very end of the war, the Marlin was chosen for use in American light tanks, and 2,646 were converted for that purpose by installing Lewis-type barrel cooling shrouds and flash hiders. None of these reached Europe in time to see service during the war, though. The Marlin 1917 machine gun is one of the least appreciated and understood of American military machine guns, and detailed information on them is quite sparse. This video was done with he best set of facts I was able to find, and I hope it is not wrong in any substantial area! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Russian World War 1 Contract Colt 1911E281
Russian World War 1 Contract Colt 1911http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons During World War One, the Russian Government purchased some 51,000 Colt 1911 pistols. These were standard commercial production guns, chambered for .45 ACP, and were shipped in 1916 and 1917, with JP Morgan acting as purchasing agent. They have serial numbers between about C21,000 and C89,000. The only distinctive markings are on guns above about C50,000, which were marked “Engl. Order” in Cyrillic. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - .38 ACP Webley-Fosbery Automatic RevolverE282
.38 ACP Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolverhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The rarest variation of the Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver is the .38 ACP model. Only 341 of these were made by Webley, in an attempt to compete with the new semiautomatic pistols appearing on the market - most notably the Colt Model 1900 and Model 1902. The Colt was chambered for .38 ACP, a remarkable cartridge for its time - high velocity and semi-rimmed. Webley figured that an 8-shot Fosbery type revolver would offer the same capacity and ballistics as the new Colt, but in a revolver format familiar the the British market. The design could load cartridges individually, but also offered use of an 8-shot moon clip. Unfortunately for Webley, British legislation in 1903 hampered civilian handgun ownership and the military was not interested at all because the bore was too small. Of the 341 originally made, some were finally converted to .455 caliber models after years of sitting unsold in Webley's warehouse. This model makes a notable appearance in Dashiell Hammett's novel "The Maltese Falcon", which quite specifically identifies it as an 8-shot, .38 caliber Webley-Fosbery. In the movie version, Humphrey Bogart mistakenly says it is an 8-shot .45, however... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - WW1 Prideaux Loader for the .455 Webley RevolversE283
WW1 Prideaux Loader for the .455 Webley Revolvershttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Prideaux loader was one of several early such devices patented and manufactured as early as 1893, but neither it nor any competitor saw much demand until the outbreak of World War One. At that point, a substantial number were purchased privately by individual officers for use in the trenches - enough that they came to the attention of the British military administration. In October of 1918 the Prideaux specifically was formally adopted by the British military, although none were procured until after the war ended - all surviving military examples show 1919 dates. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - H&K MP5SD: The Cadillac of Suppressed Submachine GunsE284
H&K MP5SD: The Cadillac of Suppressed Submachine Gunshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Shortly after introducing the MP5 submachine gun, Heckler & Koch added an integrally suppressed model to its line at the request of special operations forces. It was called the MP5SD, for “schalldampfer”, or suppressed. In order to minimize noise, the barrel was drilled with holes immediately in front of the chamber to bleed off combustion gases and reduce the muzzle velocity below the speed of sound. The first model was available in 1968, and used a wire mesh type of suppressor. This proved unacceptable, as it became excessively fouled within just 70 rounds of firing. Between 1970 and 1972 a new pattern was developed, using a round aluminum tube body and an internal set of baffles formed from a single piece of aluminum square section tubing. This was light and easily manufactured, and would prove to work exceedingly well - setting the MP5SD at the top of the heap for suppressed submachine guns. It has really not fallen from this position since, thanks to an excellent combination of noise suppression, accuracy, weight, and balance. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - MP5SD at the Range: Subsonic vs SupersonicE285
MP5SD at the Range: Subsonic vs Supersonichttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons While the MP5SD is made with a barrel ported right at the chamber to reduce bullet velocity, I am curious to see if it will actually work. Can I tell the difference between 115gr supersonic ammunition and 158gr subsonic? Let's find out... Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Apocrypha: My Field to Table Hunting/Learning VacationE286
Apocrypha: My Field to Table Hunting/Learning VacationFor my vacation this year, I spent four days with Outdoor Solutions, taking one of their Field to Table hunting classes. I am interested in developing my skills as a hunter, to be able to provide ethical, high-quality meat for myself and my wife. Most hunters are introduced to the field by fathers, uncles, or other close family, but my own family does not have any hunters, and I was at a bit of a loss for where to start in learning. I've got the shooting part down, but how does one get introduced to things like gutting, skinning, butchering, and preparing wild game? Well, I found Outdoor Solutions on a recommendation and signed up for a class. I had a fantastic time, learned a tremendous amount, and really did come away with the knowledge and confidence to do this on my own now. The company did not sponsor or pay for this at all; I was simply a paying client - but I found everyone involved to be really great people. From my classmates (there were 8 of us in total) to Greg (who runs the outfit) and his son Eddie, Chef Albert, and the guides and lodge staff it was just an excellent time. So I'm happy to recommend them to anyone who is looking for the same sort of education I was! You can see their upcoming events as well as recipes, hunting and shooting tips, and much more at their web site: https://fromfieldtotable.com Apocrypha is normally a video series available only to my supporters on Patreon. I'm posting this video for everyone as a reminder that this sort of thing (although almost never this long) is a Patreon perk, and because I would like to help Outdoor Solutions. So, if you'd like to see more (including my complete video about the haggis I came home with), sign up to help support Forgotten Weapons over on Patreon or Floatplane: http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home - Krupp 50mm Mountain Guns for Siam (Thailand)E287
Krupp 50mm Mountain Guns for Siam (Thailand)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Edit: The three interlocking rings are Krupp's logo, not a Thai property mark - sorry! In 1906, Siam (now Thailand) purchased a batch of 50mm mountain guns from Krupp of Germany. These were simple fixed barrel guns with steel-belted wooden wheels. Designed to be carried by elephant, mule, or even soldiers, the guns disassemble into a number of man-portable pieces. Two different styles of rear sight were used, although it is unclear when one replaced the other. Today, these guns are a great choice for the cannon enthusiast as they have been specifically exempted form the NFA and thus transfer like any simple firearm. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - The Best BAR: Luxembourg .30-06 FN-D at the RangeE288
The Best BAR: Luxembourg .30-06 FN-D at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons I normally want to have something specific to demonstrate what I take a gun to the range, but today I don't. What I have today is and FN-D, the very best iteration of the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) - and I just wanted an excuse to take it out to enjoy. Specifically, the is a Luxembourg contract FN-D chambered for .30-06. So, please pardon my flimsy excuse, and enjoy! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - British L66A1: A Pistol for Northern IrelandE289
British L66A1: A Pistol for Northern Irelandhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1974, the British Royal Army Ordnance Corps purchased about 3,000 .22lr caliber Walther PP pistols to issue as Personal Defense Weapons to service members of the Ulster Defense Regiment. These were to be issued to servicemen (and women) who faced personal threats to their lives. the choice of a .22 caliber pistol is a bit odd, but that's what was done. In about 1980 many of them were refinished with a black lacquer coating called Suncorite and refitted with strengthened firing pins. In 1989 they were officially replaced as Personal Defense Weapons by the Walther P5 Compact and SIG P230, and quite remarkably sold as surplus by the military. They show up today in both European and American collector circles, often not recognized as actual British military-issue pistols. Thanks to Ozark Machine Gun for loaning me this pistol, and make sure to check out his cool machine gun rental range in Missouri! Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Fun With OOBs: An Austen MkII at the RangeE290
Fun With OOBs: An Austen MkII at the Rangehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons A little while back I had a chance to take an Austen MkII out to the range. There were only a couple hundred of these ever made, at the end of World War Two in Australia. The Mk I Austen was essentially a Sten made with some die-cast components, as this was a specialty of the Australian firm contracted to make them. The Mk II pattern increased the number of cast components, but was found unsuitable and also necessary by the end of the war. Anyway, today's range session was brought to a close by an out-of-battery discharge - always a bit disconcerting! However, you can still see my full video on the Mk II Austen at the British Royal Armouries: https://youtu.be/ceFLRGiWlW4 As well as my range video with a Mk I Austen: https://youtu.be/TGNF9mVN0fg Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Model 1881 Trapdoor Forager: Cheap Entertainment for the TroopsE291
Model 1881 Trapdoor Forager: Cheap Entertainment for the Troopshttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons At the suggestion of Colonel J.C. Kelton (Assistant Adjutant-General, Military Division of the Pacific and Department of California), the US Army adopted a 20ga shotgun version of the Trapdoor Springfield in 1881. Built at a truly minimal cost using 1873 actions and condemned .58 caliber barrels bored out to .635 inch (20 gauge), these Model 1881 shotguns had only three new parts (extractor, front sight bead, and screw lug attached to the barrel). A total of 1,376 were made by 1884, and two were issued to each infantry company stationed west of the Mississippi. The purpose was to give soldiers some recreation and also a way to add some fresh game to the rather stagnant rations of barracks life in the post-Civil-War western Army. They were very well liked, and remained in posts until at least 1900. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Remington-Lee Model 1899: A Final Smokeless VersionE292
Remington-Lee Model 1899: A Final Smokeless Versionhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Model 1899 was the last pattern of the Remington Lee Military Rifle, following the models of 1879, 1882, and 1885. In this final guise, it was redesigned to handle new smokeless powder ammunition, with a new detachable bolt head that included two additional locking lugs. Only a few thousand were made, between 2,000 for the Michigan National Guard, 3,000 for the Cuban Rural Guard, and about 1,500 commercial production models (primarily porter and military patterns, with only a tiny number of carbines). The vast majority were chambered for .30 U.S.A. (aka .30-40), although it was also offered in 7mm Mauser, 7.65mm Mauser, .303 British, and 6mm Lee Navy. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Q&A #46: Scotland, .30 Carbine, and Mauser (w/ Mauro Baudino)E293
Q&A #46: Scotland, .30 Carbine, and Mauser (w/ Mauro Baudino)http://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons 0:00:47 - What happened to the "Worst AK I've Ever Seen"? 0:02:23 - My filming logistics 0:06:47 - PDW vs SMG? 0:08:54 - Do I still do gunsmithing and restoration? 0:10:29 - Did France ever make a 9mm FAMAS? 0:12:09 - What would I do to make a modernized M1 Carbine? 0:14:24 - Did the British consider making an 8mm Mauser No4 rifle? 0:17:26 - Could there be a mini-M1 akin to the Mini-14? 0:18:34 - Did Mauser and others have in-house translators? (Guest answer by Mauro Baudino or the Paul Mauser Archive) http://www.paul-mauser-archive.com/ 0:26:42 - Soviet Bloc vs Finnish/Israeli AKs? 0:28:29 - Unicorn manual to put on the Forgotten Weapons Archive? 0:29:28 - Gun with the shortest time of concept to production? 0:30:42 - Grip-safety-like fire control lever? 0:31:58 - Potential hazards of chamber flags at the range 0:33:26 - Details of my Scottish ancestry 0:35:47 - Would it be possible to make an effective .30 cal pistol cartridge using modern bullet technology? 0:38:12 - Worst military-issued optics Martin sights on the SMLE: https://youtu.be/c5f--O2UQNc 0:40:56 - Thoughts on Othais' PCSC? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-f83a17LBY 0:42:14 - Could the .30 Carbine be a good modern PCC cartridge? 0:45:27 - Visiting the SIG factory museum in Switzerland? You can order the Vickers Guide SIG Sauer Volume 1 here: https://www.vickersguide.com/sigvol1 0:48:42 - How would the StG-44 change with a proper development cycle? 0:52:59 - Adventurer's gear, late 1930s 0:59:38 - Most fun gun to modify? 1:00:42 - How do newly-formed countries purchase arms? 1:02:55 - Long sight radius for better accuracy 1:05:35 - Why are there many 6.5mm rifle rounds, but not 6.5mm pistol rounds? 1:09:10 - Pros/cons of ballistic testing media like gel and clay? Contact: Forg - North Korean M49 PPSh Submachine GunE294
North Korean M49 PPSh Submachine Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1949, North Korea began production of a domestic copy of the Soviet PPSh-41 submachine gun. Designated the M49, it used a blend of Russian and Chinese characteristics, but was mechanically identical to the standard model, distinguishable only by its markings and its slightly oval-shaped stock profile. Production began in a factory located in Pyongyang, which was briefly captured by Allied forces in late 1950. Upon retaking the city, the Korean government moved production to a safer location farther north, where the guns continued to be made until 1955. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Teenagers vs the British Empire: Smith Bateman's Hall RifleE295
Teenagers vs the British Empire: Smith Bateman's Hall Riflehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons On May 20, 1826 the United States Congress formally presented Model 1819 Hall rifles with personalized silver plaques to the 20 members of Aikin’s Volunteers, for their “Gallantry at the Siege of Plattsburg”. The Volunteers were a group of 20 boys, aged 14-17, from the Plattsburg Academy who joined up under 21-year-old Martin Aikin to help in the Defense of Platssburg during the British Invasion in 1814. The boys acted as valuable scouts in the days leading up to the battle, and on the main day of fighting they manned positions at a mill on the Saranac River, preventing British troops from crossing under rifle fire. The American General Macomb commended the boys’ contribution to the battle, and promised each a rifle as a token. Of thanks. It would take Congress 14 years to fulfill that promise, but they finally did in 1826, with the only rifles ever presented to civilians by Congress before or since. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Colt's First Double Actions: The 1877 Lightning & ThundererE296
Colt's First Double Actions: The 1877 Lightning & Thundererhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Samuel Colt disliked the idea of a double action revolver, considering the idea to be wasteful of ammunition and likely to be fragile. However, he passed away in 1862, and by 1873 double action Webley (and other British make) pocket revolvers were starting to become popular in the United States. In order to compete with them, the Colt company decided to introduce its own first double action model. Designed by talented Colt engineer William Mason, the Model 1877 was released in three calibers, .32 (the Rainmaker), .38 (the Lightning), and .41 (the Thunderer). Only a few hundred of the .32 models were made, but the Lightning and Thunderer were quite successful, with 166,849 made between 1877 and 1909. Both calibers were offered as 6-shot guns on identical frames. Barrels could be had form 1.5 inches up to 10 inches, with or without ejectors, and with a variety of finish levels including a few very fancy engraved examples like the one we have here today. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Lebeda 4.5mm Pocket Watch GunE297
Lebeda 4.5mm Pocket Watch Gunhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Made by one Francis Lebeda, this is an Elgin classic pocket watch with the internal mechanism removed and replaced with a single-shot pistol mechanism. It fires a 4.5mm BB using just a No.11 percussion cap, which allows it to avoid NFA regulation as an “Any Other Weapon”, as it does not use fixed ammunition. "Firearms Curiosa" by Lewis Winant is available here: https://amzn.to/2IsojGI Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Korriphila HSP-701: A Masterful Bespoke German PistolE298
Korriphila HSP-701: A Masterful Bespoke German Pistolhttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons The Korriphila HSP-701 is a boutique luxury pistols designed by Edgar Budischowsky in the late 1970s, which entered production in 1984. It uses a fixed barrel and roller-delayed blowback action with a single roller below the line of the bore. Available in a variety of calibers per customer order (although most were made in .45 ACP) and both 4” and 5” barrel lengths, the Korriphila is more often compared to the Korth semiauto pistols. Both are extremely high-end guns, made by hand to exacting standards. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Glock Meets 1911: The Alchemy Arms SpectreE299
Glock Meets 1911: The Alchemy Arms Spectrehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons Alchemy Arms was a company formed in 1991 making parts and accessories for both the Glock and 1911 platforms. Its founder, William McMoore, got the idea to combine elements of both pistols to make the perfect hybrid. It was essentially a Glock slide and striker-fired system attached to a 1911 style frame, with both grip and manual safeties. It was announced at the 2000 SHOT Show in .45 ACP, with plans to add 9x19mm and .40 S&W options. However, quality control and tolerancing problems plagued the production, magazines were slow to have made (many pistols were shipped with one magazine instead of the advertised two), and the refinement and development of other calibers became a money pit. The company was dissolved in 2006, with only an estimated 100-200 of the pistols having been made. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740 - Elbonian M52/57/61 Paratrooper CarbineE300
Elbonian M52/57/61 Paratrooper Carbinehttp://www.patreon.com/ForgottenWeapons https://www.floatplane.com/channel/ForgottenWeapons/home Cool Forgotten Weapons merch! http://shop.bbtv.com/collections/forgotten-weapons In 1960, Elbonia set out an RFP for a new carbine for a fledgling paratroop brigade. They wanted a rifle to provide a higher volume of firepower for these troops, rather like the intention of the FG42 in German WW2 service. What they got was actually based on surplus Czech vz52 rifles, adapted to use AK mags and drums, chambered for 7.62x39mm, and fitted with a flashy-looking ventilated barrel shroud. The true story behind this rifle is still a bit of a mystery to me. As I said in the video, I have seen 5 or 6 of these in the US, some in person and some in photos. They do not appear to be a legitimate military or police configuration, and I have been able to find nothing to substantiate the rumor that the were used by Czech police. I suspect they were a fun project by someone her win the US in the wake of the early importation of vz.52 rifles. Since the 7.62x45mm ammunition those rifles used was effectively unavailable, rechambering them for 7.62x39 was a popular idea. I have not found any indication of who actually did these, though. Note that they lack import marks because those were marked under the muzzle of the vz.52s, and that part of the barrel was removed. Contact: Forgotten Weapons 6281 N. Oracle #36270 Tucson, AZ 85740