This video analyzes the VHS-1, a Croatian rifle heavily influenced by the French FAMAS. It details the VHS-1's development timeline from late 1990s prototypes to its adoption by the Croatian military around 2005-2007. The rifle saw export to Kurdistan and the Iraqi Army and was produced in two main variants (D1 and K1) with options for iron sights or an integrated optic, similar to the G36 and Steyr AUG. Approximately 20,000 units were manufactured, including a limited run for the Hungarian civilian market. Lessons learned from the VHS-1 directly informed the development of its successor, the VHS-2, also known as the Springfield Hellion.
This video explores a unique Tavor-based prototype rifle developed by IM Metal/HS Produkt, stemming from Croatia's brief consideration of adopting the Israeli Tavor. When the adoption didn't materialize, HS Produkt integrated Tavor features into their own prototype development. This specific example showcases a rotating multi-lug bolt, iron sights, and an integrated 40mm grenade launcher, alongside a rather impractical bipod design. The video highlights the comparative testing phase and expresses gratitude to HS Produkt for access to these historical prototypes.
This video explores the genesis of the VHS rifle, a project by IM Metal (later HS Produkt) that aimed to develop a new rifle for the Croatian Army. Influenced by French Foreign Legionnaires using the FAMAS during the Croatian Homeland War, IM Metal based their design on the FAMAS. They sought to lighten the rifle by removing the bipod and receiver extension, repositioning the charging handle, and creating a new upper handguard. Crucially, they replaced the lever-delayed action with a short-stroke gas piston system. The featured rifle is the original FAMAS prototype, representing the initial stages of this development, which would eventually lead to the VHS-1. The video highlights the FAMAS layout, ergonomics, and the transition to a gas piston system.
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