Videos tagged with Early 20th Century Firearms

This video explores a rare, suppressed Lee-Enfield Mk I* rifle from the Royal Armouries collection, featuring expert Jonathan Ferguson. It delves into the rifle's history, the Parker Hale Maxim silencer's design and physics, early British suppressor trials from 1909-1929, and the reasons for their eventual abandonment by the British Army. The discussion also touches upon bayonets, accuracy myths, and the lineage of suppressed firearms leading to modern designs like the L403A1. The video highlights Britain's early attempts to achieve battlefield silence.

This video explores the rare "Samostril Netsch," a bizarre prototype Czech automatic rifle from the early 1920s. The "samostřil" category was intended to bridge the gap between a rifle and a machine gun, fired from the shoulder or hip. Josef Netsch developed a complex rotating bolt system powered by a gas trap. Despite demonstrating his design, his prototype failed during testing after only 23 rounds, leading to the cancellation of the "samostřil" program in favor of light machine guns. The video highlights the historical context and the technical intricacies of this unique firearm, thanking the Czech Military History Institute for access.

This video delves into the history and specifics of the 6-shot C96 Mauser, often referred to as the 'Broomhandle.' Firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson examines a lesser-known, shorter 'officer's model' variant. The discussion touches upon the evolution of early 20th-century firearms, the C96's initial popularity, and the creation of various iterations, some more successful than others. Ferguson highlights the unique features, markings, and historical context of this particular Mauser model, offering an in-depth look at an often-overlooked firearm. The video also references external resources and encourages audience engagement.

This video analyzes a fascinating firearm from the "Pistols of the Warlords" series: a Shanghai Arsenal copy of the FN 1900. The description details the history of the Shanghai Arsenal, from its founding in 1865 as a joint British-Chinese venture to its production of various firearms, including copies of the Remington Rolling Block and Mannlicher rifles. It highlights the excellent craftsmanship of the FN 1900 copy, produced between 1916 and 1921, with potential production numbers in the tens of thousands. Markings, including the serial number, arsenal name, and a date based on the 1911 Chinese Revolution (example from 1919), are discussed.

This video features firearms and weapon expert Jonathan Ferguson discussing a unique 10-barreled, bolt-action, self-defense pistol designed in the early 20th century. The discussion highlights its unusual mechanical features, including a hammer ignition system and a bolt-action-like locking mechanism, presented by the Royal Armouries, the UK's national collection of arms and armour.

This C&Rsenal WWI Primer documentary delves into the history, function, and live-fire demonstration of the Danish Krag-Jørgensen 1889/10 rifle. Hosted by Othais and Mae, the video is part of a series honoring the centennial anniversary of World War I. It references several historical texts and resources for further reading on the subject of military small arms, particularly the Krag-Jørgensen and its predecessors. The presentation includes historical context and practical demonstration of the firearm.

This documentary from C&Rsenal's WWI Primer series focuses on the Dutch 1895 KNIL, a firearm relevant to the World War I era. The video promises a comprehensive look at the rifle, including its history, functional mechanics, and a live-fire demonstration. It references historical Dutch imagery, resources on Rolling Blocks, and specialized books on Dutch military firearms, indicating a deep dive into the subject matter.

This documentary from C&Rsenal's WWI Primer series focuses on the Dutch 1895 Carbine, a firearm utilized during World War I. Hosted by Othais and Mae, the video offers a comprehensive look at the carbine, including its historical context, operational mechanics, and a live-fire demonstration. It draws on extensive historical research and provides links to further resources on Dutch firearms and related historical periods.

This video features a "ChauChat" discussion and shooting session with the creators of C&Rsenal and Mark Novak from Anvil Gunsmithing. The French Chauchat machine gun, a quirky early 20th-century LMG, is examined. Its defining characteristics include a long recoil action leading to significant felt recoil, uncomfortable offset sights, delicate stamped steel magazines, and the firing of the 8mm Lebel cartridge. Despite its quirks, transferable Chauchat machine guns are highly collectible and rare working examples are a special opportunity to shoot. The video also promotes various affiliate links and social media channels.

This video delves into the Japanese semi-automatic rifle trials of the early 1930s, specifically focusing on a rifle designed by Nippon Special Steel. The design is based on the Pedersen rifle and features a toggle-locked, gas-operated action with a forward-moving gas piston. The description highlights that 13 of these rifles were manufactured for trials, with four undergoing extensive testing, achieving over 100,000 rounds fired without extraction issues. While initially exhibiting accuracy problems that were later addressed, the rifle was eventually deemed equal in quality to another contender. The program was ultimately discontinued due to the escalation of the Sino-Japanese War. The example shown is missing its ten-round detachable box magazine.

This video delves into the history of early 20th-century American semi-automatic sporting rifles, specifically focusing on the less-recognized Standard Arms Model G and its pump-action variant, the Model M. The description highlights that alongside the more famous Winchester Models 5/7/10 and Remington Model 8, the Standard Arms rifles offered unique functionality. While the Model M aimed to address breakage issues of the Model G, it ultimately struggled against the Remington Model 14 pump-action, leading to the company's bankruptcy. The video provides historical context for these early firearm designs.

This video explores the Japanese Pedersen rifle, a fascinating iteration of John Pedersen's toggle-locked rifle design that was experimented with by Japan in the early to mid-1930s. Unlike the US trial versions, this particular rifle, serial number 8, features a scope mounting rail and a rotary magazine instead of the familiar en bloc clip. The description highlights Pedersen's efforts to find international adopters after failing to secure US military adoption. The rifle's functionality is noted as being similar to other Pedersen designs, but with this distinct magazine difference.