This YouTube video announces the availability of "Small Arms of WWII: Soviet Union," a new book from Headstamp Publishing. It follows their "Small Arms of WWII: USA" volume and offers an in-depth look at Soviet firearms from the Second World War. The book features historical commentary and meticulous photography by Ian McCollum (Forgotten Weapons) and James Rupley (Vickers Guide). It covers handguns, submachine guns, bolt-action rifles, self-loading rifles, sniper rifles, machine guns, and miscellaneous items like anti-tank rifles and grenade launchers. The video also mentions pre-order shipping timelines and the availability of slipcases for the US volume.
This video provides a comparison of four different U.S. military .50 caliber machine gun barrels used over the past 90 years. It showcases and briefly discusses the M3 aircraft barrel, M2 heavy barrel, M2 water-cooled barrel, and the M85 coaxial barrel, all chambered in the .50 BMG caliber. The video is aimed at a military and firearms enthusiast audience, highlighting historical and technical aspects of these significant weapons.
This YouTube Short features the unboxing of a 70-year-old sealed M3 .50 caliber Browning aircraft machine gun barrel. The video focuses on the historical artifact and the process of opening a long-sealed military item, highlighting its age and preservation. The context is military history and surplus firearm components.
This YouTube video features an unboxing of an M3 .50 caliber aircraft machine gun barrel and buffer assembly. The title explicitly mentions the M3 .50 Caliber Machine Gun, military ordnance, and aviation. The unboxing format suggests a focus on the physical components and their presentation.
This video from Forgotten Weapons delves into the history and technical details of the German Parabellum 1914/17 aircraft machine gun. Manufactured by DWM under license from Maxim, it was a modernized variant of the MG08, featuring improvements by Karl Heinemann like an inverted lock and an integrated mainspring. Adopted by the German military for aerial use, it boasted a higher rate of fire than its predecessors. The video highlights its evolution through the 1913, 1914, and 1914/17 models, noting the latter's reduced barrel jacket diameter and telescopic sight. The scarcity of these rare firearms today is also emphasized.
This video focuses on the AN-M2, an aircraft variant of the Browning 1919 machine gun. The description highlights its lightweight design, thinner barrel and receiver walls, and significantly higher rate of fire (1,200-1,500 rounds per minute) compared to the M1919A4. It was used on US aircraft in early WWII before being relegated to training. The video also mentions a Colt derivative, the MG40, and notes that the specific model featured is chambered in 7.62x51mm. The timestamp breakdown suggests a mix of historical context, weapon discussion, and possibly some narrative elements.
This video features Brownells Gun Techs Caleb and Keith at Rock Island Auction Co. showcasing a vintage Lewis Gun manufactured by Savage Arms during World War I. They delve into its design by U.S. Army officer Isaac Newton Lewis, its adoption by the British, and its historical significance as the first aircraft-mounted machine gun. The video explains the operation of its distinctive top-mounted 97-round disc magazine, long-stroke piston, and open-bolt action. Additionally, it touches upon the various calibers it was chambered in and its innovative air-cooled barrel system with heat-sink fins.
This video provides an in-depth look at the British .303 Browning Mk II* aircraft machine gun, a development based on John Browning's M1919. The description details its adoption in 1935 as a replacement for Vickers guns, its initial procurement from Colt, and subsequent domestic production. Key British modifications, such as the open bolt conversion to mitigate cook-off issues with cordite-loaded .303 ammunition and redesigned muzzle devices, are discussed. The gun's significance as primary armament for the RAF during World War Two, notably on aircraft like Spitfires, Hurricanes, and Lancasters, is highlighted.
This video from Forgotten Weapons showcases the Savage M1918 Aircraft Lewis Gun, a specialized variant of the iconic Lewis machine gun. Designed for flexible mounting on World War I aircraft, this particular model is chambered in .30-06. Key features highlighted include a single rear spade grip, the absence of a cooling shroud, a gas piston protection cylinder, a muzzle brake to increase the rate of fire to 800-850 rounds per minute, and 97-round double-height pan magazines. The video also details the Norman wind vane sights, engineered for automatic deflection compensation. By the war's end, Savage had produced 32,231 of these final-pattern aircraft Lewis guns.
This video explores the 1926 Darne machine gun, a French aircraft armament developed by Darne, a company primarily known for shotguns. Originally conceived during WWI, the design was refined and officially adopted by the French Air Force in the 1920s. Approximately 11,000 units were produced, with half going to France and the other half to international clients including Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Yugoslavia, and Spain. The video highlights Darne's ambition to market the mechanism for various roles, such as infantry, fortification, anti-aircraft, and vehicular use, though only the aircraft variant saw significant adoption. The content is presented thanks to the Cody Firearms Museum.
This video delves into the history and technical details of the Marlin 7 MG, also known as the Model 1917 Aircraft Machine Gun. Originating from John Browning's Model 1895 design, the Marlin-Rockwell corporation, under engineer Carl Gustav Swebilius, significantly modernized it with a straight gas piston and closed-bolt firing for aircraft use. The description highlights its designation by the US, subsequent revisions, and its limited adoption in light tanks at the end of WWI. The video acknowledges the scarcity of information on this often-underappreciated machine gun.
This video delves into the 11mm Vickers "Balloon Buster" machine gun, a variant of the Vickers gun adopted by the US as the Model 1915. It highlights its adaptation as an aircraft machine gun, capable of firing through propeller arcs due to its closed-bolt design and synchronizer gear compatibility. The description also mentions the French development of an 11mm Gras incendiary load for anti-balloon use, which the US adopted. The example featured is fitted with a Birkigt synchronizer, commonly found on SPAD XIII aircraft in American service. The gun boasts several modifications for its aerial role, including muzzle protectors, recoil buffers, and a strengthened feed system.
