Curtis 1866: The First Bullpup - with Jonathan Ferguson
This video features Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries, discussing the Curtis 1866 bullpup rifle. The Curtis 1866 is highlighted as potentially the first bullpup design, patented in the UK in 1866. It featured an innovative slide-action mechanism and drum magazine, with the trigger located at the muzzle and the firing components behind the user's back. The discussion also touches upon how Winchester discovered this patent in the 1890s while defending against patent infringement claims, and how an example of the Curtis gun was built in the Winchester tool shop for legal purposes, linking it to significant arms development history. The video promotes Jonathan Ferguson's new book, "Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms 1901 - 2020," and encourages viewers to support its Kickstarter campaign.













