This video explores the fascinating Bechowiec (Beha) SMG, a clandestine firearm produced in small numbers in southern Poland by a young resistance fighter named Henryk Strąpoć during World War II. Strąpoć, who had prior experience building illegal pistols, designed the SMG with creative, albeit unfamiliar, submachine gun features. It's essentially a scaled-up Ruby-type action chambered in 9x19mm, featuring a simple blowback slide, hammer-fired closed bolt, and a complex selective-fire trigger system. The video highlights its construction using repurposed WWI Mauser barrels for 9mm and Mosin Nagant barrels for 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Only one example of this historically significant SMG survives today, housed and deactivated at the Polish Army Museum.
This video delves into the fascinating history and design of the Błyskawica, a clandestine submachine gun developed by the Polish Home Army during World War II. Facing extreme production challenges under German occupation, engineers Wacław Zawrotny and Seweryn Wielanier created a unique SMG inspired by the Sten and MP40. Despite producing around 750 units, the Błyskawica saw limited combat use, with most being intended for Operation Tempest, which ultimately failed due to Soviet actions. Only a few dozen were deployed in the Warsaw Uprising, leaving the fate of the remaining examples a mystery. The video highlights the ingenuity and dedication of the Home Army in producing this rare weapon.
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