Triggers: Weapons That Changed the World

Season 1

TV-G

Iconic weapons are tested and their historical significance is examined.

Where to Watch Triggers: Weapons That Changed the World • Season 1

6 Episodes

M1911 Pistol
E1
M1911 PistolThe M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge, which served as the standard-issue sidearm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. It was widely used in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
M1 Garand Rifle
E2
M1 Garand RifleIn combat, your rifle is your closest companion. Host Wil Willis gets into the trenches with an arsenal of historic rifles, to find out how the lowly musket evolved into a weapon that changed the world.
Thompson SMG
E3
Thompson SMGThe Thompson is an American submachine gun, designed by John Taliaferro Thompson in 1919, that acquired great fame during the Prohibition times. The Thompson was prized for its ergonomics, compactness, reliability, high rate of fire in automatic mode and use the .45 ACP ammunition. It was used by the Armed Forces of the United States during World War II.
M777 Howitzer
E4
M777 HowitzerHost Wil Willis heads to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the U.S. Army's training ground for fire brigades to see the 428th Field Artillary Brigade launch 155 mm projectiles from the M77 Howitzer, the most widely used artillery piece by U.S. Forces.
AK-47 Assault Rifle
E5
AK-47 Assault RifleThe AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the USSR by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova. Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year of World War II (1945). The original AK-47 was one of the first assault rifles of 2nd generation, after the German StG 44. Even after six decades the model and its variants remain the most widely used and popular assault rifles in the world because of their durability, low production cost, and ease of use.
RPG's
E6
RPG'sA rocket-propelled grenade (often abbreviated RPG) is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system that fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable, while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of self-contained versions, are loaded from the muzzle.[1] RPGs with HEAT warheads are very effective against armored vehicles such as armored personnel carriers (APCs).