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It's Q&A time again already... (Patreon)

Published:
2018-07-09 21:02:28
Imported:
2021-03

Content

What would you like to know?

Comments

Anonymous

Why wasn’t the berthier style of sights used on other rifles, or if it was used, what on?

Anonymous

Do you think Sudayev’s AS-44 prototype could have been developed into a serviceable rifle?

Anonymous

Ive been trying to find a book that covers the history of small arms used by the United states. Do you have any suggestions?

james Kachman

What is your take on 4.85 British? How would things have gone if NATO had adopted that instead of SS109?

Anonymous

Have you served in the military? What branch? If not, what branch would you serve in, and why?

Anonymous

What modern or conventional firearm became a forgotten weapon almost the minute it was introduced?

Anonymous

Why do designers continue to attach bipods to barrels, where they alter the point of impact of the rounds, verses having them mounted to a gas block or forend, etc. where they will not effect accuracy?

Anonymous

I am currently working on an alternative history project imagining what a PMC (similar to the infamous Blackwater) unit in the inter-war and/or post-war period period would have looked like. What do you think the weapon(s) of choice for a private close protection agency in the 1920 and 1940s would have been?

Anonymous

What gun do you dislike the most? Not counting the Cobray Terminator, of course.

Anonymous

Before modern technologies, how did people figure out the rate of fire and velocity of firearms/ammunition? Loved the South African videos. Hope you can do Russia next.

Anonymous

Why was rimfire a thing used almost solely for rounds that were low pressure or manually cycled rifles? Such as rounds like .44 Henry. Is it inherently weaker to design a cartridge as a rimfire? Does it effect the reliability of ignition? Or is it just a concept that fell mostly to the wayside for no real reason?

Anonymous

Have you heard about the Winchester 1917 model d, and if so, do you think this version could have become a succes on the military market?

Matthew Jackson

What's the single most underrated development of the 21st century?

Anonymous

I've asked before, but my questions haven't been selected, so I'll try again... :) I have an 1866 Springfield still with the Erskine Allin cartouche - I've heard that many of these rifles were refurbished and the cartouche removed, so I'm curious what happened to the ones that still have them and how many they may be. Also, I have an 1918 Remington-built Mosin Nagant that doesn't appear to have any import stamps. An extension to your video would be interesting to know how ones produced after the Russian revolution were paid for and where it could have gone to not have gotten any import marks. Thanks!

Anonymous

On old rifles like the Lebel with built in sights and fixed ranges, how were the sights and their placement designed so that the ranges would be accurate. I asked this last time but used a 1903 Springfield as an example I’m hoping the French rifle will get your attention.

Anonymous

Why don't we see a striker fired semi-auto rifle design, rather than all "new" designs being hammer fired?

Verdha

Do you have any plans on doing a video or two on the Browning Hi-Power in the near future, considering it’s history and that FN has finally decided to halt production of the pistol?

Anonymous

Why didn't the CAWS (H&K, Pancor, Smith & Wesson) weapons program succeed, and is there any future for these weapons in the military or civilian arenas?

Anonymous

The most beautiful and the ugliest firearms in your opinion?

Christian Hanes

What are some guns you were surprised to find out had a service life longer than you originally thought?

Anonymous

Other than the firing pin erosion on the Dreyse Needle Guns, what were some of the other disadvantages of the projectile also doubling as the cartridge case.

Anonymous

Oh - also, another one not yet answered but asked before - I have a fully functional Type 38 Arisaka that has the name Iwanaka written on the stock and the number 36 - I'm told that this is the number of a school and the name being the student who used the rifle for training. Can you explain how that sort of thing worked? What kind of schools had numeric designations, what kind of training would students get, etc.? Thanks!

Anonymous

You mentioned owning a mechanically interesting shotgun a long time ago in an old video that I can't find. Do you still have this shotgun and do you plan on making a video on it

Anonymous

When are we going to see a review and/or teardown of the FAMAS?

Anonymous
>>13711329

The Thermos. You put something cold in and it stays cold. You put something hot in it and it stays hot.....How does it know?

Anonymous

I left a comment ages ago on your RSC 1918 video, in which I asked if the 3-round Berthier clips would work in lieu of the 5-rounders, and you said you'd try it. The question is: Have you yet? And if so, how did it work?

Anonymous

What are your thoughts on .224 Valkyrie and do think it will withstand the test of time or is it just the flavor of the month?

Anonymous

Given the us marines are using the IAR, do you think the end is night for the belt fed machine gun at squad level if not at platoon or company levels... Keep being awesome is and thank you

Anonymous

Why were semi automatic pistols so far ahead of rifles in terms of widespread military adoption? Is it that much more difficult to design a reliable semi auto rifle, or were there other factors that got in the way?

Jonathan Montgomery

Hi Ian I would like to ask two questions. Firstly, was there a particular reason why, at the advent of smokeless power, most countries standardised on a calibre around 7-8mm? I know the French pioneered the way with 8mm Lebel, was that fact alone what influenced further countries to use similar sizes? Secondly, why were tube magazines and the lever action system so common in earlier rifles? From what I have seen, Bolt Action started with the early needle guns and box magazines only came following the Lebel, so there must have been some reason for this. Once again thank you for all your hard work creating these videos! Cheers, Jonathan

Anonymous

Pistols with Petter-type slides, like the P210 and CZ-75, are known for their accuracy and relatively low muzzle flip. I know especially the CZ and its clones are very popular in competition pistol shooting. Why do you think these aren't more widespread in military and law enforcement? Is it a cost-benefit thing?

Anonymous

I received an e-mail from Gunbroker, stating that pre-orders were being accepted for a semi-automatic version of the AA12 Shotgun. Any insight into this or plans to do a video, etc. Wonder if it is vaporware?

Anonymous
>>13711518

The 75 is a very wide spread police and military gun world wide, just not on the American market

Anonymous

What does an average day in the life of Ian look like? Either traveling or at home?

Anonymous

I fully acknowledge Battlefield 1 has a lot of historical inaccuracy (to put it mildly) but I tend to find DICE does a good job in terms of their weapons research for games; even if the portrayals are not dead on, the firearms featured are obscure yet relevant to the conflict portrayed. Would you say the popularity of the game has helped somewhat raise awareness of weapons that would otherwise be mostly lost to history, or has the implication in the game that unicorn guns such as the Hellriegel were actually mass produced just been an annoyance for you in the comments sections?

Anonymous

I have a 1903A3 that I was told was manufactured in 1943. What markings and features should I look for?

Anonymous

Still have the question on how larger caliber cannons, like 88s and 105s got in the country after WW2. Were these larger machine guns and distructive devices once imported before 1968 or were they all rebuilt from parts kits? Unclear how this larger war surplus was handled once the war machines were parked?

Anonymous

Would you be kind to make an list on your website of the different books that you would recommend for us to take an look after when it comes to firearms. Maybe categorize them into historical book and mechanical content types?😀 Im mostly after books that are of the mechanical side of firearms😁 Keep up the great work you are doing😀

Anonymous

If the world powers during ww2 had their greatest weapons to fight the war with (at the beginning of the war) do you think the allies would of had a harder time defeating the axis powers? Example if the Germans fielded with the stg44 at the beginning of the war etc. Limited to small arms no nukes

Anonymous

Old weapons that have survived to this day and age come in a huge variety of conditions, often depending on their material or their finish or their storage condition, etc. Given modern manufacturing methods and materials, how do you predict modern firearms (e.g., a Glock and a SCAR) will age as future decades and centuries pass?

Anonymous

Why we're guns not used as prolific in the centuries before the 1600's and even in the 1600s during battle? We're they too hard to make, reserved for noblemen, not effective at killing?

Anonymous

Why did the .41 Action Express not succeed? It was just as good as the .40 Smith and Wesson and the conversion from a 9mm pistol was trivial.

Michael Minnott

What is your spouse's attitude towards your interest in firearm collecting and history: 1) Is an avid shooter and supporter of your hobby? 2) Smiles and is supportive, but doesn't participate? 3) Rolls eyes and shrugs with grudging, fatalistic acceptance?

Anonymous

I have two questions that kind of go with each other. With modern manufacturing technology, it is fairly easy to get a rifle round in a highly accurate semi auto rifle. Do you think that in the future we will see the military phasing out bolt action rifles and switching to semi autos for most snipers? Also, with such rifles becoming more and more available, do you think we will see squad or platoon marksmen with AR-10 style rifles chambered in one of the current (relatively) low recoil, high performance rounds?

Sleep

There are a few early examples of magazines in the buttstock, but generally modern firearms have the magazine perpendicular to the barrel and adjacent to the action. Are there any existing designs where the the magazine is behind the action? (and which work!)

Anonymous

Who are the team behind Forgotten Weapons?

Sleep

Would something like the Davis Gun fit into the Forgotten Weapons remit? (If the Carl Gustav m/42 did, perhaps it might....)

Anonymous

Loved the 40mm grenade launcher stuff for the SA80 series. Are there plans for future grenade launcher arms and devices, such as the XM148 and early XM203?

Anonymous

(repeated and shortened from the last Q&A) How were stripper and en-bloc clips distributed in various armies in world wars? Could soldier throw away aclip in firefight and get replacements or was he supposed to preserve them like magazines for a modern rifles?

Anonymous

Reposting a question I've asked the last few Q&A's (Dont feel bad I cant believe how many questions you get!) You touched on it briefly during the InRange Q&A last month, but why dont we see more precision rifles chambered in 5.45x39? There is a plethora of 5.56 precision rifles but the only one in 5.45 i can think of is the SSG-82. Do you think its because of the ammo itself, the ammo manufacture, or something else? I thought that the long bullet (more purchase on the rifling, and the flat trajectory would make it ideal for a precision round? Have you ever handled or shot an SSG-82? How was it?

Anonymous

Your job seems pretty awesome. I'm sure most of us think we would love it. What's the WORST part of it? What hidden challenges or difficulties are we overlooking? (And is it editing all the videos?)

Anonymous

Why does Japan continue to produce firearms domestically at ludicrous expense when they could be purchased much cheaper elsewhere? For example, the Sumitomo Type 62 cost $20,000 in 1985, the Howa type 89 $7000, and the Minebea PM-9 $6000, per unit. At what point does the cost outweigh the benefit of domestic production? Does maintaining such limited facilities really serve national interest meaningfully?

Anonymous
>>13711344

most american produced mosins never left the US ian has a video on the ones bannerman purchased and converted to 30-06 and c&rsenal has long and in depth look at the mosins in which he talks about american produced mosins as well

Anonymous

I read an article recently, where the author, a special forces soldier, talks about the rifle being used more as a PDW than a primary weapons system. Since the Vietnam era that seems to be largely true. Are there any periods of time prior to present day where the weapon issued to soldiers was not really used as the primary weapons system?

Anonymous

Why do most modern rifle designs use a gas system and not a blowback system such as a lever delayed, or a roller lock system?

Anonymous

Is anyone currently building a database of obscure 3D printable gun parts? I know of several others with obscure rimfires (such as Febiger etc) with missing magazines.

ForgottenWeapons
>>13712148

We talked about this on the last InRange Q&A - outside of Russia there is very little match-grade 5.45mm ammo, and no particular reason to make a precision rifle in 5.45 instead of 5.56 or something else.

Garret Rain

Ian, how about the true story behind the S&W 547 9MM K-Frame revolvers. Heard they were made for the French National Police as a special order project due to some uniqueness with French law. Whereby, the police needed to use 9MM, but could not have a semi-auto "military" like handgun so Smith & Wesson took there Model 10 and adapted the extractor to work on the rim of the 9MM case. However, there are some reports they were made for the Palestinian Police under Israeli control. In this report the Israeli's did not want the Palestinian Police to have too much firepower and thought the 6-shot revolvers were mama bear "just right" - something, but not too much to hurt us if they turned. Thank's for considering.

ForgottenWeapons
>>13711447

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmYUoG9S-y4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmYUoG9S-y4</a>

Molly McAllister

Dearest Ian: Of all the guns you've examined, what's the one that had the most, "Oh my golly-gosh gee-whilickers!" design feature that you really wished was on a modern firearm... but isn't... and why?

Anonymous

The 6mm Unified was the result of a Soviet project to replace long lasting 7.62×54R, and it pushed a 77gr 6mm bullet at 3,700 ft/s. The project died with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but it raises the question about why there aren't many, if any, other SCHV in the realm of full power rifle cartidges? The 6mm Unified was able to attian a life of 7,000 rounds in a double chromed CHF Russian barrel which is more than one might expect for such a small caliber at such a high velocity, but do you believe this still shortened barrel life was enough to kill it like the 6mm Lee Navy? In Summation: Why aren't there more full power SCHV rifle rounds ala the 6mm Unified or 6mm Lee Navy?

Fish

Do you have a particular weapon that by all accounts was not that great/successful, but you really enjoy anyway?

Anonymous

In your WWSD project and other research activities, you have proven that the AR is superior to the AK in terms of weight and reliability (maintenance provides). Do you believe tha because of this, in the long term future the AR system and it’s variants will eventual replace the AK in almost all militaries around the globe?

Anonymous

i have 2 questions 1 do you think the franklin armory reformation concept ( i know you dislike bianary triggers so imaginge it with a bumpfire stock instead) would be better suited to a .410 ar15 and a 12 gauge ar10 platform. The straight rifling wouldnt affect shot pattern like helical rifling but, it does help stabalize slugs. secondly which is better and why charger clips(k31, Italian vetterli vitali ) vs mauser clips and why did mauser clips win out in the end

Anonymous

I don't remember where I heard this, but supposedly M91/30's were sighted with bayonets mounted because Soviet doctrine dictated that they were always to be mounted. Is there any truth to this?

Anonymous

When did the concept of the “sniper team” i.e. sniper and spotter, start to emerge? And do you know how it’s determined which is the shooter and which is the spotter? I’d assume both would have similar competency as far as ballistics, and the complex “black magic” that is long range shooting. Would they both be capable of doing each others job? Or is there usually one clear cut shooter and one spotter? I had a guy at a gun show tell me the military started having spotters essentially as a second set of eyes to confirm their target and it morphed into also making wind calls and assisting in making the shot itself. I wondered how much of that was true.

Anonymous

Mesmerized by your Swedish customization of the G3 shown in InRangeTV, I started to think about doing the same (WWVD) with a locally sourced G3. Here in the Nederlands I have seen both H&amp;K 41 / MKE T41 (civilian versions) and Pakistan Ordnance production. In general, is there any producer I should prefer/avoid, and do the civilian versions have any problem re the conversion you carried out, e.g the new stock and handguard configuration?

Anonymous

I am negotiating the purchase of a Swedish Mauser among some potential rifles being considered for sale from a collection. In the case of serialized military bolt actions, the prevailing gunsmith advice I have been given is to first verify if the bolt and the rifle serial numbers match. If so, given a decent bore, the advice is that the rifle should be safe to shoot. The concern seems to be over the head space of the rifle. I partially understand this advice, but given that most of these rifles were made with interchangeable parts in a factory setting this would not seem to matter. What are your thoughts on this need to have a matching bolt?

Anonymous

Are there any other guns like the Ar15 that are extremely easy to assemble from parts kits (dont necessarily need a machine shop to do)

Anonymous

Have there ever been attempts to make handguns with barrels that were perfectly in line with the shooters arm(s) when extended in a shooting position? There are always new designs coming out, like the Hudson H9, that attempt to lower the bore axis to reduce muzzle rize to the shooter. One would think that a design with a perfectly (or close to) in line bore would have theoretically no muzze flip and only linear recoil into the shooter. Are these designs simply impractical?

Gori the all powerful

How would you rank the U.S in terms of it's small arms during the second world war? Often it's stated that the the Americans were mostly behind other countries that fought in the war but is this really the case?

Anonymous

There are many stories of German tanks and small arms freezing or breaking down during the extreme winters on the Eastern Front in WW2, while Soviet equipment continued to operate. Was this due to specific design features in Soviet small arms, more effective lubricants, or a lack of proper supplies and maintenance on the part of the Germans (since they had assumed the war would be finished well before winter)?

George William Herbert

Any thoughts to the CTA cartridges and firearms? Despite legitimate worries over innovation, they seem like a technology whose time has come.

Anonymous

Has any weapon been designed/made with extreme weather in mind (being that tolerances are usually very precise and certain climates can vary from -40*F to +110*F)

Bruce Brodnax
>>13711324

Rimfire brass must be thin enough to be crushed reliably between firing pin &amp; chamber wall to ignite the primer; this limits the brass thickness &amp; hardness &amp; therefore, maximum pressure of the round.

Anonymous

On the subject of US military designations of firmarms, you've previously mentioned that they are sequential (i.e. the M16 being the 16th adopted rifle since the M1). Can you explain the designations for LMG/GPMGs? Surely the M249 is not the 249th adopted machine gun.

Anonymous

In some games, films, and occasionally in real life, you see vertical fore-grips mounted on the sides of weapons, does this adversely effect accuracy, causing the weapon to pull to one side? or is there some merit to doing this?

Anonymous

Why did the British produce the Lee Enfield Mk V Jungle Carbine and how can you tell a real one from a cut down modified Mk IV?

Anonymous

If the .25 ACP has similar velocities of a .22 long rifle, then why don't we see rifles or larger pistols chambered in it? Seeing that it can actually be reloaded, I can't quit figure out why it isn't as popular now than it was half a century ago

Anonymous

Hey Ian, I was wondering about Swiss ammo. Is there any new production of the 7.5 other than PPU? It seems like the GP11 stuff has mostly dried up. Also regarding cycling the bolt as a lefty on the K31, have you tried reaching over the top of the rifle with your left hand and operating it that way? It is maybe a little awkward looking but as a straight pull it seems to work and is a little easier to balance the gun. I just received a k31 Friday (first mil surplus and first bolt action for me). Thanks

Arid

With ever-decreasing imports from Russia under the current sanctions regime, do you think we'll see a new US interest in other eastern European nations' small arms? Has a similar shift happened before with changes in surplus availability on the US market?

Bruce Brodnax
>>13711742

Every component was relatively higher cost/harder to manufacture. They didn't call it "The Age of Enlightenment" for nothing: lots of advances in materials science ["natural philosophy"] alongside the other philosophical leaps...

Bruce Brodnax
>>13711768

Because it was proprietary? The 6.5 Grendel didn't make any headway until it was no longer sole-source either...

Anonymous
>>13711313

Velocity? Two discs spinning at a known rate on a common axis, measure the angle- YouTube ‘Royal Institution bullet speed’.

Anonymous

Howdy Ian The 1911 has stuck around as a design for a long time because it seems to have a lot going for it. Could you talk a little bit about what you consider to be the biggest problems of the 1911 design (from a standpoint of reliability or cost of manufacture or some other feature) and what you would change about it in a modern context?

John P

What firearm features do you think would have become standard in civilian arms if not for the NFA?

Anonymous

Have you ever traded in multiple firearms or other hobby related items to buy a dream firearm? What were they and did you later regret it?

Almeida

Given that combat is known to bewithin 300m, does the advantages of spitzer bullets of roundnose really matter for ww1 and ww2 bolt action rifles? Or is the ballistics, weight, flightpath and terminal effects play a bigger role?

Mike Hubler

Again i ask, why?

Anonymous

With the introduction of the PTR-32, the US market has been introduced to the 7.62x39 cartridge in roller-delayed blowback action. However information on H&amp;K's original design in this cartridge, the HK-32, is sparse. Would you happen to know of any resources on this particular firearm, or would you be interested in doing a video on this firearm in the future?

Anonymous

Why do the Czechs make such good guns? Are they the best gunsmithing nation on a per capita basis?

Anonymous

Some implementations of the roller-delayed action require a camming cocking lever (CETME, G-3) while the predecessors did not. Is it merely the cartridge power that required this, or is it the introduction of the recoil lock (ruckprallsperre)?

Anonymous

I've asked this a few times before but what would be the drawbacks to using a system like a rifled choke on a shotgun in a rifle to mitigate throat erosion and barrel wear?

Anonymous

Hey Ian, love the channel, keep up the great work! I'm curious if you've noticed your views or opinions on various firearms change over time as you gain firsthand experience with them. For example, Q&amp;A #1 you said without hesitation you would take the Spencer over a Henry if you were a Union cavalryman in 1865, but you've more recently had practical experience with a Spencer and seem to have amended your opinion. It would be interesting to hear other insights you have gained or views of yours that have changes as a result of your work.

Anonymous

What barrel lengths did Colt offer on their belt revolvers (ie the 1851/1861 Navy and 1860 Army) from the factory other than the standard 7.5/ 8 inch? I know the 1862 Police was offered in a bunch of barrel lengths, and obviously the Single Action Army had three standard lengths plus specialty stuff, but I've never heard of, say, a factory Army in anything other than an 8 inch barrel. Are the (for example) 5 1/2 inch "sheriff's models" an invention of the Italian reproduction companies or was this actually done historically?

Anonymous

Ian. Love the show and your presentation. Purchased guns after seeing some of your videos.

Anonymous

What is the best source of information on the designs of Rudolf Frommer? Hungarian guns from the interwar years have always interested me, with Frommer's designs in particular. Thanks for remembering all the forgotten weapons.

Anonymous

What do you see in the short term, and long term, for gun owners like me: collectors and target shooters?

Anonymous

What is it about rimmed cartridges that makes them so difficult to design around, beside the obvious answer of the rim?

Anonymous

Do you practice with green ammo (lead free) or regular lead ammo

Anonymous

I really enjoyed "Why not the Spencer". Since the army didn't choose the Henry, I'd like to see a shooting comparison between the Spencer and the trapdoor springfield.

Michael James Blum

It'd be nice to see some more "hands-on" videos of the other variants of the Stoner Weapon System: the commando version, pilot's survival rifle, for example.

Michael James Blum

A video showing how the belt-fed versions of the Madsen gun work would be nice.

Michael James Blum

Maybe all in one video: post-1945 US Army tank machine guns. The M85, the M73, and whatever else ...

Michael James Blum

A video on cartridge/caliber adapters would be nice: the Colt Ace, the various AR &gt; .22 adapter kits, 25mm flare to 12 gauge shotgun, etc.

Michael James Blum

Try and get your hands on one of the Tippmann belt-fed machine guns!

Anonymous

Hi Ian, do you have any recommendations for books to learn more about the development and history of the Soviet SVT-40?

Anonymous

I have noticed that the rate of twist is the same for barrels designed for 8mm Kurz and 8mm JS. As these two cartridges have differing bullet weights it (150 vs. 208 grain, I think) it would seem to me that the twist rate for the barrels would have to be different for proper spin and accuracy. All of the reference material says the twist is the same for both, however. Whats the deal?

Anonymous

Ian, You've spoken before about your ventures into the world of AK building, as a builder myself, I wanted to hear about your experience building AKs. What was the learning curve like for you? Did you have anyone helping you with your first few builds? What kits and recivers did you work with? How would you describe your overall experience? And lastly; have you ever considered a standalone video detailing your own personal "Forgotten Builds"? Sincerely, Dina

Anonymous

Why does it seem metallic cartridges took longer to be adopted in Europe? As the Chassepot still used paper cartridges. Also, do you lift bro?

Anonymous

In your interview with Neophytou, you briefly considered the idea of arming Private Snuffy with grenade launchers. Given the potency that bags of grenades demonstrated in the hands of Sturmtruppen in WWI, what are the main factors holding back current and 20th century armies from adopting grenade launchers as the standard weapon?

Anonymous

One of the dumbest lines I've heard in a movie was back in the '80. A young man taking to a Vietnam vet said something like "Things have come a long way since then. There's a new generation of small arms that do whole lot more than the old things you had back then". 30 years later, I still can't think of anything from the '80 that was much better than the M16, G3, FAL, M60, Mag-58 etc. Am I missing something? Was anything truly significant created between 1973 and 1988?

Anonymous

I enjoy shooting my M1 Garand at 300 to 700 yards. It is a lot of fun but I need a spotter. Do you know of a way that I can spot my own shots? Perhaps by mounting my phone or a camera on my spotting scope and sending the signal to a table or.......? There is no WiFi at the range .

Iain Hutchinson

If for some reason existing component and ammunition inventory was non-existent, allied resupply wasn't an issue, and a nation HAD to adopt one of the ACR submitted rifles. Which one would you recommend to them, and why?

Anonymous

Has the U.S. Military ever issued captured enemy weapons to American soldiers in an official capacity? The closest examples I can think of were the U.S. use of AK-47s in Vietnam for special forces (the U.S. actually made sanitized 7.62 ammunition), the Henry Rifles used to guard Jefferson Davis in the Civil War (not the U.S. Army, but still), and the U.S.-Made Mosin-Nagants which armed U.S. Troops in Russia in 1917-19 (although that's not exactly captured). I'm particularly interested in what happened to captured weapons in the Civil War, Late Native American Wars, and Spanish-American War; both sides used the same rifle in the Civil War, and the Native Americans and Spanish were often armed with better or faster-firing rifles compared to the trapdoor Springfield.

Anonymous

Hey Ian, Do you think there are still a lot of “Milsurp” rifles, pistols, and collectibles outside of the country that could potentially be imported for the US Collectors market? Do you think it has all dried up? Love the show, keep up the awesome work!

Anonymous

Do you believe the AUG is still a relevant rifle today with the advancements in other bullpups and the insane proliferation of the AR platform?

Anonymous

As I understand it, the nfa classifies crank guns (Gatling, Gardner, etcetera) as semi automatic. Is this the case and does it only apply to originals/exact reproductions? I'm curious to know how it would be classified, if someone were to build a crank gun for commercial sale now from a new design not based on a classic.

Anonymous

How common was the gold plating of military rifles? Aside from AK 47's were there many others that were gold plated? The reason I ask is, I have acquired an 1892 St Etiemme Berthier that appears to have been completely gold plated inside and out. It has an 1893 MAS barrel, clearing rod and has not been marked for balle N. Do you have any idea where this might have come from?

Michael Quinn

As far as I know no country other than the US ever produced a successful lever action repeating rifle in the late 19th century. Is that correct? If so why? I'm not counting foreign production of us designed rifles. As a related question, a number of intermedate cartridges were popular with American lever actions but nobody in Europe seems to have used intermediates until the WWII timeframe (with the possible exception of 41 Swiss). Why was this?

Bruce Brodnax
>>13712591

Not a chance. AK is still easier/requires less infrastructure to make...

Ferrous

Hello Ian, love the channel. Have you ever had to justify a firearm purchase for your wife, and if so, what did you use to persuade her (chocolates, foot massages, spa trips, diamonds, etc)?

Bruce Brodnax
>>13712947

Pretty much: think about it, virtually *ALL* of the firearm mass is out in front of your hand, adding to the leverage it has making it more difficult to hold up &amp; control...

Bruce Brodnax
>>13713145

Mostly behind? We had the M1 &amp; they didn't: how did we end up "mostly behind?"

Bruce Brodnax
>>13713722

Given that GP90 replaced it as the standard ammo a generation ago, we're lucky PPU is around! Hurrah for Prvi! Now stop you're complaining &amp; learn to reload those nice Boxer cases PPU is selling you...

Anonymous

I've asked this question before but it wasn't answered. How do you feel about current arms manufacturers trading on the names of beloved guns of the past? I'm not asking about reproductions here, but specifically attempts to cash in on the good name of former guns with new designs which may not be as good (or alternatively, might even be better). It feels dishonest to me. In particular the new Browning A5 shotguns seem to me to be trading on the image and name of the original Browning Auto-5, still held by many today as the pinnacle of self loading shotguns. The A5 was purposely designed to emulate the appearance of the Auto-5 and uses a very similar name. (Many people even use A5 as short-hand for the Auto-5.) Can you think of any similar examples of arms manufacturers doing something similar?

PHAZE

What is the most difficult to find gun of near history (say, 1900 to 1950), relative to its original production numbers? More specifically, what was the highest production gun of which no examples survive?

ForgottenWeapons
>>13716915

Crank-fired guns are all legal to make and sell, although that could change with the potential ban on bump-fire stocks working its way through the system. Depending on its wording, it could impact cranks.

Bruce Brodnax
>>13714054

I'm going to go out on a limb here &amp; forecast he'll go with 3 C's: Caliber, capacity, &amp; complexity [of manufacture, not design.] You fix those and you end up with the CZ75... ;-)

Anonymous

What was your first firearm? Do you still have it?

Bruce Brodnax
>>13714169

WW1 &amp; 2 battle rifles were designed to take the same ammo as the machine guns they were supporting, so yes, the spitzer bullets had value since even tho' most combat occurs within 500yds they still wanted machine guns to have defilade capabilities out to 2000yds...

Bruce Brodnax
>>13714739

IIRC, he qualified that preference *in 1865, CW conflict terms* given the Spencer's more powerful chambering [carbine power 56-52, vs Henry's pistol power 44HF round.] But I do like your question.

Anonymous

First time question, but I can't seem to find much information on the Gast Gun. Who was Gast? Was this an original concept when it was designed (as far as you or academia know)? Would it have been a ground MG or only for aircraft?

Bruce Brodnax
>>13714749

'51 had 7.5" barrel, iirc, while '60 was 8"? Dunno about the '61, but since it was basically just an update of the '51, I'd imagine it was 7.5" too. There weren't a whole lot of options then like there are among the modern repros...

ForgottenWeapons
>>13718027

I plan to do a full video on the Gast, but it won't be for another 6 months at least (unfortunately).

Bruce Brodnax
>>13715659

Lower velocity bobos must be spun faster to have the same stability as bullets flying faster.

Bruce Brodnax
>>13716788

The U.N.'s !@#$@! ITAR nonsense has really cut down on the milsurp trade, along with the fact that most of the countries looking for forex sold off their supplies back in the '90s...

Bruce Brodnax
>>13716864

I think you meant "insane popularity...;" the proliferation of the AR platform is entirely reasonable...

Bruce Brodnax
>>13717200

Not enough Indian predation to defend against among a free population [Europe is NOT the U.S!]

Anonymous

Did Châtellerault produce any MAS 36 rifles? I’ve heard they produced receivers after France was liberated. Any truth to this?

bird

To your knowledge has anything you've produced ever been cited in an academic journal article or book? Have you ever considered submitting articles to academic history journals? Why or why not?

A premium hog

What gun or guns would you like to do a deep dive video series on but are currently unable to due to issues obtaining samples of them? Also how interesting/ unique does a gun need to be for you to justify travelling just to film that gun?

Jay Powers

Why does the VZ58 lack heat shields in the lower handguard?

Anonymous

For all the semi auto clones of actaul militray guns that make it to the market why do we not see semi auto Sten guns for sale?

moosemaimer
>>13717843

The Pederson device springs to mind... 65,000 made, only a handful left.

Frizzen

Have you ever sold a firearm via one of the large auction houses (James D Julia, RIAC, etc)? For someone with rare and/or difficult-to-price firearms, how should one navigate buying and selling firearms this way?

Michael James Blum
>>13713195

The new Canadian C-19 rifle (for their Rangers) was purchased on a plan that called for "Operable in temperatures ranging from -51C to +39C with moderate to high humidity". I dunno how it turned out, but presumably close. Those metric temps are -60 F to 102 F, by the way.

Carl

Where did the unusal design requirements for the CZ-52 come from? I.e. single action with decocker, external slide lock but no release, short recoil roller locks. Were there competing designs that it beat?

Will Sanders

Repeat Questions: One firearms related, the other not In your video on the Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon, you mention the action was not strong enough for a full power .50BMG. Why is that? Is it because the breech block isn't connected to the barrel? Nightwish: Tarja or Floor? (yes I'm skipping Annette) Keep up the great work and the research integrity to post correction videos

Anonymous

If you were tasked with hunting and destroying a Graboid (the sandworms from the movie Tremors) with any man-portable weapon what would you choose?

Anonymous
>>13711239

Alternatively what are your thoughts on the ATI mp40 pistol and would you buy one?

Anonymous

Repeat question: Watching the various Astra videos, it seems like their design is based, at least partially, on the Savage 1907, even though the mechanical function is very different. Do you think this was intentional on the part of the Spanish designers?

Toby Williamson

What are the reasons that weapons place their magazines on the sides or the top of the gun? And why don't we see it done more? I know that side mounted magazines can help shorten the length of the firearm by not needing to worry about the trigger group, but making the weight one sided, as well as top mounted allowing gravity to help load cartridges but interfere with sights, but is there more to it?

Anonymous

Bit of a fanciful question, hope you don’t mind answering: if you were a Navy SEAL in Vietnam, what would you carry: an M16A1 with 20 Round Mag/M203, a Stoner 63A in rifle configuration, or an HK33 with 40 round mag (T223)? Remember, you are a SEAL, so you have the know how to change the side of the HK charging handle if you desire.

Anonymous

Hey Ian, Third time ive posted this one. recently went back and watched your video on the banke-thiemann folding stock for the Luger and in it you mention that it was displayed at a German sporting Expo and it was to derided by attendees because they thought it would be used to poach. This got me thinking have there been any other instances where this happened in history? For example was using smokeless powder to hunt seen as being unsportsmanlike or as something only a poacher would use?

Anonymous

What material would you recommend to one interested in military surplus to help avoid those who would take advantage of a novice? I don't mind doing my homework and would like to start down the right path. Thank you!

Nick Beckwith
>>13711382

This is a great question that I would also like to hear your thoughts on. The CAWS program seemed like it was a major initiative that , like so many other Pentagon Small Arms Programs, got cancelled without much explanation to the general public.

Anonymous

Howdy from Texas, my question is do you believe or is there evidence that there was an effort by the ordinance board and/or Winchester to hinder the adoption of the M16? Such as the tests in the arctic where front sights were messed with. Thank you for giving me the upper hand in gun debates with my friends by the way. Keep up the good work.

Anonymous

What gun/round do you have no interested in firing ever again?

Anonymous

G’day Ian, Greetings from Australia I get a lot of enjoyment, and education, from your videos. The King’s loading gate was a significant improvement on the Winchester lever guns over the Henry style of loading from the top of the tubular magazine. All of the .22 rimfire leverguns I’ve seen, new or older, use the Henry style magazine loading rather than the more convenient King’s gate on the receiver. Why is this so? Is it a matter of the heeled bullet construction of rimfire rounds being physically too fragile to be pushed though the loading gate without potentially deforming, as opposed to centerfires? Thanks.

Anonymous

Howdy Ian, What is your opinion of the actual shoot-ability of the Geha, Remo, and Hard Heart Mauser shotgun conversions made after the 1st world war? There seems to be a lot of fudd-lore about them being unsafe. Do you think this assumption is due to the front locking lugs being smaller than the bolt face and it only utilizing the rear lug? or, the chamber being shorter than the common 2 3/4 shot shell size commonly in use today causing overpressure issues with modern loads?

Anonymous
>>13720579

I asked a Vietnam SEAL that question he said he ran an AK until he was working in a free fire zone and didn't want to be shot at by the good guys, so he switched to the BAR. He served near the end of the war.

Anonymous
>>13718604

This is likely because the STEN is an open bolt fixed firing pin design. My understanding is that the BATFE considers open bolt guns to be too easily convertible to a machine pistol so the bolt would have to be redesigned to run a normal firing pin arrangement which fires from a closed bolt. Since this would add a considerable amount of cost and complexity to a exceptionally cheap design, which is not noted for its accuracy in the first place, most manufacturers probably shy away from the idea.

Gomoragor

If the peterson device was used in combat in an alternate history where ww1 was ongoing beyond 1918, do you think it would have an impact on weapon design?

Sen Kanashimi

If you could have any firearm from history chambered in any caliber from history, what would it be and why? My guess is something french in 5.56mm because ease of finding ammo

Anonymous

Do you think, if advances in materials technology allowed it, that caseless ammunition could be a feasible alternative to metal cased or hybrid cased ammunition?

Anonymous

Hello Ian,

Anonymous

Hello Ian, Let me first start by saying we love you over here in Belgium. Could you pls give a brief overview of the history of Heckler &amp; Koch and how it came to be in financial difficulties? Thks. Best regards, Massimo

Anonymous

Hi Ian. I was wondering what is the oddest cartridge you have come across or know of - fits a really small niche, practically useless, under/overpowered? Thanks, Felix

Anonymous

Hi Ian, and maybe Karl?

Anonymous

Hi Ian and maybe Karl, when asked to recommend an alternative action to semi-auto, you always state lever action. Why not a pump action such as a Remington 7615, surely superior to any lever action ever made if you're not loaded for bear?

Anonymous

You have often stated that with the current technology improvement to handguns right now are limited to fine tuning details in existing designs. But what about the cartridges/propellants? With guns like the FN Five-Seven and the Brno 7.5 mm could the future lie in smaller, faster cartridges, perhaps propelled by more powerful powders than we have today. Is this feasible? If not, why not?

Anonymous

Ian do you speak or are at least familiarised with any other language besides English? Your French pronunciations are typically on point.

Anonymous

Okay Ian, I'm bugged by the almost total absence of enbloc moonclip loading of military revolvers from WW1 onwards. As far as i can tell only a couple of US revolvers in 45ACP actually saw notable action, with no other notable use. Combined with rimless pistol ammo, the clips surely turn a lacklustre reload into something almost as fast as a mag-fed pistol. Moonclips are also less burdensome to produce than pistol mags, so an economic saving too. What am I missing? Is this just clumsy military procurement, or is moonclip reloading not as effective as I'm assuming? Do you have any experience with them under the clock? P.s. love your show, please don't stop. Gus

Anonymous

Hey Ian. I've asked previously: What is the practicality of using a Quick-Detach barrel on an AR-15 platform? Especially if trying to have the barrel free-floated? What Quick-Change mechanism from historical or current machine-guns or modern attempts for the AR-15 such as the Dolos system do you think would work best? I am minded that the M27 IAR appears to be the USMC's newest attempt to reproduce the Automatic Rifle concept originally pioneered by the M1918 BAR. There has been criticism that the HK416, while possibly better (maybe?) than the previous options, is still not as optimal as alternatives that have reached the market since it first came out. A better alternative might be to build an AR-15/M-16 platform with full length (16in+), heavy profile, free-floated barrel able to quick-change for sustained fire, integral or detachable bipod, Semi- and Full-Auto selector, heavy bolt for reduced ROF (~500- RPM). This option would be significantly lighter and more handy than the M249 SAW while having more ability to sustain fire than the M27 IAR. This is sort of a "What Would Stoner/Browning/Johnson Do" if asked to design a better replacement for the M249 in Automatic Rifle form. Also similiar in concept to the M15 SAW and M14E2. Very interested as you and Karl are discussing the M27 on Inrange.

Anonymous

You have presented quite a number of SMG lately, I like that. A low rate of fire seems to be a good feature on these. Why does they have so wide differences in that aspect? What solutions is there to reduce the rate? My experience with SMG are limited to the Swedish M45 that I had in my army days.

Anonymous

If the czech 7.62x45 cartridge had become more prolific throughout the combloc countries, what effect would it have on weapons and tactics?

Anonymous

Hi Ian! What happened to the development of liquid propellants for firearms and was there any development of this idea for small arms? It seems that liquid propellants ending up falling short of it promises like caseless ammo did. Love your show, keep up the good work!

John S Wren

If you had to choose one black powder military rifle from the era just before the Lebel knocked everyone on their behind what would it be?

Anonymous

Again, thoughts on any one of these would be much appreciated: *Why are there so few revolvers that have the barrel in the six o'clock location relative to the cylinder (instead of the more common 12 o'clock), despite the advantages that come with a lower bore axis? And would you know what was the first revolver to have a lowered barrel like that? *As far back as the late 19th century, designer Armand Mieg thought that rifled small arms were a temporary phase before better projectiles could be developed. Could the smoothbore make a comeback? (why?) Is the more exotic self stabilizing projectile in fact the achille's heel of the concept - too expensive or complicated? *Could duplex or triplex ammunition be handloaded for testing? Is multiplex ammo a developmental dead end?

Anonymous

Hi Ian! I highky appreciate your in depth look into firearms evolution. I can see that "chicken and egg" problem for firearm design and tactics is usually solved in bith ways: a new design develops a new tactics but at the same time tactics dictate. reqirements for gun designs. Can you please give some examples of those trends in modern days if I am right or debunk this claim if I'm wrong.

Sean S.

Hi Ian what is your thoughts on the debate between 7mm and 8mm mauser? I have heard good things about both cartridges but not a lot of real info as to the difference other then recoil is less for the 7mm. Keep up the great work both here and on Inrange. I support both.

Anonymous

Bonjour :) what is the smallest and the biggest cartridge you ever shot?

Anonymous

Who began the development of modern steel cased ammo? I know the Germans had steel cased ammo in WW2 and the US also had steel cased 45 ACP and 30 carbine but does it go back further that that? The full story is probably pretty long and complicated but I think it would make a great video topic for Forgotten weapons on In Range TV. Thanks.

Anonymous

Good Morning Ian:

Anonymous

I have a riddle wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a mystery. I have a 8mm Carcano carbine that I can not find a definitive answer as to how this type of weapon came about into being. It is dated 1941 XIX on the chamber, has the crown and RE Terni markings, is stamped 7.9 over the 6.5 in front of the fixed rear sight base, has a large "S" stamped on the chamber and a small "s" on the bolt handle and the stock is marked 2934 RB over 4141 which is crossed thru with a line. Also, the stock has additional reinforcing bolts fore and aft of the action unlike it's 6.5 mm carbine cousin. The rifle shoots fine and is accurate with commercial 8mm ammo. Any information would be greatly appreciated as I I cannot find any definitive answers on the world wide web. Thanks!

Anonymous

What draws you to early automatic pistols, and why do you like them so much?

Anonymous

Hello Ian! What is your opinion on the Colt ACE .22 conversion Kit for Colt 1911s? Is the extra recoil generated by the floating chamber enough of a difference compard to other semi-automatic .22 Pistols to matter? Greetings from Germany and thanks for entertaining/educating me every day!

Anonymous

Just a bump to ask you do more sporting arms, and especially shotguns. I deeply enjoy your narratives, and your knowledge is just amazing.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, ever since finishing the WWSD project, I believe you have said on several occasions that it is the most effective firearm that you own, and your "go to rifle." Which makes sense, it is a great gun. However my question is, what was your "go to firearm" (or firearms) prior to building your WWSD carbine? Could you maybe give us a history of the guns you have specifically acquired for defensive use, as opposed to collectibles?

Anonymous

Ian, why do all modern pistols have so much mass reciprocating for the action? We all know the liabilities that come with that big slide moving back and forth in tight spaces, and I’m specifically thinking about pistols like the Frommer, which only has a little bolt moving back and forth. Is it a reliability issue? Durability? Metallurgy?

Anonymous

Hi Ian. If modern militaries are still using obsolete weapons like crossbows for special purposes, is there also some use of blackpowder guns?

Anonymous

Following your interview with Ken Hackathorn, do you think if the M1 carbine was refined and made in . 223 Remington would America have adopted the M16 as quickly as they did? Or would the carbine evolve in a Mini 14 type rifle

Anonymous

We've heard the M1917 American Enfield vs the M1903 argument quite a bit. My question though is why did the British keep using the SMLE patterns like the No4 rather than keeping the P14 Enfield after the war and leading up to WWII?

Anonymous

Why did the French not devlop their rifles much after ww2? They had the Mas 44 which was updated to the Mas 49 then to the Mas49/56 and then they just stopped until the Famas.

Anonymous

Hi Ian,love both of your channel.My question is what kind of action will be best for the roll M27 will fulfill,I.E. the DMR/IAR/SAW/Standrad rifle?Is the Multi-lug turning Bolt with short stroke piston setup of the HK416 the best form?Or do you think there is other setup better out there?

Max Luo

What do you believe the next big step in small arms technology is? Personally, I feel like anything short of a substantial change in the way we shoot bullets (perhaps like a transition to propellantless projectiles via magnetic acceleration [for example]) will be mostly incremental and that at this time we've more or less perfected the idea of an infantry weapon. In that vein, what would you consider some major turning points in firearms development? Would you be able to define firearm history into "eras" of some sort?

Anonymous

What modern millitary firearm (M4, AK, Famas, AUG, ect.) Do you think could have been readily produced on 1915 era tooling for use in the 1st World War? Would any modern firearm have been able to be made on this kind of tooling in any kind of numbers while maintaining it's reliability?

Anonymous

Throughout history armies have kept obsolete or impractical features in their infantry weapons, like magazine cutoffs in bolt actions, sights that were best for match shooting rather than combat, or continuing to use full power cartridges when intermediate cartridges were more effective. What features on modern military firearms will we look back on in 50 or 100 years as equally ineffective?

Anonymous

If you were put in charge of selecting a magazine rifle for the U.S. in 1892 which design or combination of features available at the time would you have adopted?

Anonymous
>>13726994

Without butting in too much, If you can read/translate Italian the best link is this - <a href="https://il91.it/il91.html," rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://il91.it/il91.html,</a> which is kind of the goto website for Carcanos. Long story short, there were 1950s modifications by FNA Brescia and Franchi for sales to Arab countries in quite substantial numbers. They were marked with an S on the chamber and the bolt handle - check the fotos on the website. Hence your rifle is probably a post war production rifle. It would be nice to find out how it came to the States. A war trophy perhaps from the gulf wars?

Anonymous

Has anyone in history experimented with using various chemical reactions instead of gunpowder for firearms?

Anonymous

If you were to buy a FAL on the commercial market today, that is to say something not requiring a stamp, outside of the G-Series, what would you look for? Thank you for a great channel.

Anonymous

I have learned a lot about firearms watching your channel. Repeat question. Why did the Europeans tend to adopt the Berdan primer developed in the U.S. and the U.S. adopt the Boxer primer developed in Europe ?

Anonymous
>>13712915

ar "kits" are different from most gun kits in that most kits were formerly machine guns and so to be imported and sold the barrels and receivers are destroyed. On the other hand ar kits are just a disassembled ar in a box. ian and karl did one of the simpler gun builds, a cetme the video is on full30 if memory serves the most expensive machine used was a welder.

Michael James Blum
>>13740740

Liquid propellants for small arms and artillery have been experimented with up into the 1990s, but never built into a useful weapon. Lots of dangerous mishaps. Combustible compressed gas has also been investigated -- "potato cannons" use various aerosols or propane to throw a projectile.

Anonymous

Hi Ian. To the best of your knowledge, was the HK VP70 at least an indirect continuation of the Mauser Volkspistole 1945 by ex-Mauser engineers at HK or was the resemblance in terms of features and purpose purely or mostly coincidental? Thanks for all the great work here!

Anonymous

Thoughts on the Mini 14's chances of being adopted by the US Military it was only invented about ten years earlier, around the time M16 was seeing adoption? I'd like to hear your opinion on how much you think the more traditional, M1 Carbine layout of the rifle would have sated the grognards who felt the M16 was too space age? (Having owned both, obviously the M16 is a better rifle, I'm just curious to hear your thoughts)

Anonymous

Ian, in the alternate timeline where NATO adopted the .280 Enfield instead of the 7.62x51, do you think the M-14 would have ended up weighing a little less? Could the M-15 squad automatic version of that rifle have been a viable weapon using the intermediate round, perhaps with a 30 round magazine? I would also like to tell you that my 87 year old father really enjoys watching the videos with me. Thank you.

Anonymous

New Question: Why would any arms manufacturer leave parts "in the white"? For example the 1908 Brazillian Mausers. Is there any benefit to leaving parts in the white rather than bluing them? As always: Whats the history of the adoption of rear aperture sights over open notch sights. Were there any attempts to make a belt fed light machine gun in 7.92 kurtz to complement the STG44?

Anonymous

I'm a new supporter but a real fan of the historical slant in your work. I came to enjoy firearms late in life as my family were not hunters or shooters. Which is why I'm interested in your background. I seem to remember reading gun content from another McCollum, Do you come from a family of firearm enthusiasts? What is your School background. small biography is I guess the question I'm asking. Keep up the great work.

Anonymous

Hello Ian! I would like to know what happened to the flechette rifle. I read that there was a push in the US to develop flechette rifles back in the sixties, but why was it dropped? Were there any promising designs? Could or should the project be picked up again?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I would like to know if you carry a knife for defense or utility? If so, what kind?

Anonymous

Hello Ian! Derringers, palm protectors and other teeny, tiny old timey pistols seem like fun gimmicks today. Were they a gimmick back when they were introduced as well, or were they considered the cutting edge in tacticool PDWs? Was stopping power, magazine capacity or quick reloads as much of an issue back then as it is today?

Anonymous

Ian, if you were a fictional 1920s-30s adventurer or private eye like Indiana Jones, Allen quartermain, or Dick Tracy, what would be your iconic firearm? Pistol, rifle, or other?

Anonymous

I've asked this one before, but I would like to know if the Korriphilia 10mm pistol was a myth or not. Is it real, or is it just an internet rumor?

Anonymous

explain the identifying characteristics advantages vs. disadvantages of a leaf vs. aperture sight, v-notch vs. u-notice, square vs. "barley corn" front sight post, tangent sight and give a general overview of iron sight types and terminology.

Anonymous

Has bulgarian military gone to 6.5×39 or 6.5 Grendel?

Anonymous

Has any modern county gone to the 6.5mm

Daniel Puzino
>>13745666

I vaguely remember him mentioning it before, I believe his father wrote a book or two, might of been about japanese guns.

Anonymous

Could you help explain the unconventional delayed blowback mechanism of the FN Five-seveN handgun?

Michael Quinn

Current long range rifles are limited by the ability to spin stabilize a long projectile. The Franklin Armory Reformation gimick got me thinking. Smooth bore fin stabilized projectiles are extremely effective in large (tank gun) sizes. They are ineffective in tiny (flechette) sizes. What about medium sizes? I'm thinking of something like a .17-.22 caliber of extreme length and sectional density in a .50ish caliber smooth bore. It seems like you could aerodynamically stabilize a longer heavier projectile without the limitations of rifling. Surely I'm not the first to have this idea somebody must have experimented with it at some point, why didn't it take off?

Anonymous

Ian, Next time you are in Europe, you need to visit the Musée de la Légion étrangère française (i.e., <a href="https://musee.legion-etrangere.com)" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://musee.legion-etrangere.com)</a> in Aubagne, France. That said, can you provide an overview of the Legion's weapons used during the early part of the French versus Indochinese communist led by Ho Chi Minh.

Anonymous

Most weapons with adjustable gas blocks are short stroke piston designs, is there something inherent in there design that makes them more aventagous to adding an an adjustable gas system vs a long stroke or AR style system.

Anonymous

What's your favorite style of iron sight and why. Short and long range if you dont mind.

Landric Hakon

Asking again, can you talk about the development of the Jericho 941 and 41AE cartridge? A video on the gun/cartridge would also be great. Thanks!

Chris Hamlin

Hi Ian, is there any particular reason (or reasons) you know of why some countries or manufacturers use a letter prefix in the serial number instead of an additional digit?

Anonymous

Now having handled one, do you think the Steyr ACR's action would be well suited to caseless ammunition? It seems to have all the things needed in its design to avoid the shortcomings of caseless ammo.

Anonymous

On the wwsd rifle, did you consider using open style red dots like a trijicon rmr? It looks like it would be a bit lighter than the holosun.

Matteo Manino

Hello, this is a question by one European an d metric prospect; do you know why both Colt and S&amp;W call .38 cartridges that actually are 9mm/.36 cal? It's just a matter of "bigger is better" advertising or at the time in the USA existed some legal or tecnical rason? Thanks

Anonymous

I can understand why some militaries distrusted gas port designs on guns before they'd fielded one, but wasn't the 1918 B.A.R. gas port operated? Why, after its reliable service, did the US military establishment still distrust gas ports during the M1 Rifle Trials?

TJ

What draw you to the French firearms? You told your father was collecting Arisaka rifles and you´ re living in Arizona, doesn´ t sound very typical background for a French firearms collector. What was so special about the French firearms that you started to collect them? I can guess it´ s not easy to have francophilia and live so faraway from France and the WW1&amp;2 battlegrounds. Anyway, keep up the good work and thanks to you, I know now much more about the French firearms than before.

Anonymous

Having finally had the chance to get back into shooting on a regular basis, I was reminded how safety conscious the whole experience is, especially in regards to hearing protection, where it is completely mandatory to be allowed to use any of the ranges I shoot on. I'm curious to know around what time such precautions became commonplace. Was the danger of hearing loss known to those who were around guns on a regular basis back in the day, say during the Old West or Civil War? If so, what sorts of devices did they use, if any, to help with the issue. What about in a military context for around the same time period. Keep up the excellent work.

Anonymous

Whats the deal with large pin (trigger / pivot) colt AR's ? Thanks.

Anonymous

Ian, hopefully this hasn't been asked, but pls discuss what basic books every gun guy should have ("Small Arms of the World" by Ezell comes to mind) and what a serious gun collector should have ("Ordnance Went Up Front" by Dunlap, "With British Snipers to the Reich" by Shore, etc). Thanks, John

Anonymous

Hi Ian, Repeat question here. I'm curious to know a bit more about the "deer pistol" project that the CIA undertook in the 1960s. From what I've read, the weapon was very similar to the WW2 "Liberator" pistols, only chambered in 9mm and intended for use in Vietnam. What is the history of the project, and why did they choose 9mm instead of 45 ACP as in the Liberator? Thanks in advance.

Anonymous
>>13807318

Ian, I was going through some of your old Q&amp;A videos &amp; you have answered this question at least twice, soooooooooo never mind. Unless, of course, you do have a new recommendation. Thanks, John

Anonymous

Hi Ian, What do you think about the new polymer cased telescoped ammunition from the LSAT(lightweight small arms technologies) program? Is this the future of small arms?

Anonymous

Ian I am currently reading Canfield's "The M1 Garand Rifle". I've read "Sturmgewehr" and it really amazes me how long the process of designing a rifle takes. It's YEARS! What did John Garand do all day? What does a gun designer do all day? Does everything have to "work" on paper first or do gun designers actually start fab'ing parts on the milling machine and then go &amp; draw the design up? Or was it the blind ally of the primer actuated mechanism that took so much time? Melvin Johnson seems to have taken a different, faster (and less successful) approach. The M1 carbine seems to be an exception. Is it because we know so much about semi auto rifles nowadays (who hasn't "made" an AR or AK?) and the olde timers had to figure it all out? Or without a war going on, things were more leisurely? Any insights or discussion would be appreciated. Thanks, John

Anonymous

Do you feel the .40 cal has received an undeserved reputation due to firearms not being purpose built for the cartridge (with a few exceptions like the USP)?

Anonymous

Ian, just a bit of idle curiosity about your FAMAS, specifically the trigger. In your forgotten weapons video you said something to the effect that it has 'a particularly long, heavy trigger pull' but in multiple InRange videos you and Karl have both mentioned that it;s got a fairly decent pull for a bulpup. Was this just an issue of use / cleaning, or was this the result of an upgrade or modification you made?

Anonymous

Since you guys have already started with the M27 IAR videos that pretty much deep sixes THAT question, damn you...I mean thank you for the amazing content!! I guess I'll have to go with my alternate instead (See Ranger Up involving a T-Shirt combining Mad Dog Mattis and a Warhammer 40K Space Marine) SO my question IS, Space Force...thoughts? Issue weapons (current, not Sci-Fi), tactics, etc? Love the work guys!

MattC10/63

Ian, do you feel a rimless cartridge and an extended and bent bolt handle (PU style) would have helped the 91/30 Mosin Nagant be a more competitive rifle? Your does the over complicated bolt and older design keep the unfit designation of garbage rod?

commander31

How did you/do you come by doing videos in Europe (places like the Kessler Auction House)? Do you think you could conceivably get access to museums/collections in other parts of the world (Japan, Russia, etc.) in the future?

Anonymous

Do you know a good book about the Chinese theater of World War 2? It is a criminally underappreciated part of the war despite the appalling casualties and I would like to have a better understanding of it.

Anonymous

What is the history of electronic sights, i.e. lasers, night vision, red dot etc. Even a 20000 ft overview would be great.

Anonymous

Without diving too deep into politics, it has been stated that the US could possibly leave NATO. If acted upon, what impact will that have on small firearms for the US and other NATO countries?

Anonymous

Do original blueprints exist for the Japanese Type 4 rifle that was based off of the Garand or were the blueprints destroyed before the surrender?

Anonymous

Can you name one or more firearms designer that you feel is/was very underappreciated or unrecognized?

Michael Batza

Do you think the street sweeper shotgun could be made to be a usable good gun if manufactured in the US by a quality manufacture? would renaming it and not making it a carbon copy of the original make it not deemed a destructive devise? thanks, love the videos!

Anonymous

The Mosin has a genius interrupter in the magazine to completely stop rim lock. Going forward, how did they stop rim lock when designing the STV-38 &amp; SVT-40?

commander31

The Gast Gun? specifically, how it works.

Anonymous

Most industrialized countries experimented with semi-auto infantry rifles in the 1930's, but in this time only the USA and the Soviet Union adopted semi-auto rifles that would become staples for the infantry in the 1940's. In your opinion, should more countries like Great Britain, Japan, and Italy (France and Germany of course had plans that were not finished during the 1930's) have gone the risky, expensive route of semi-auto rifles in the 1930's or were they right to focus on investing in increased production of bolt-action rifles instead? Would widespread semi-auto rifles have really been worth it to these countries during WWII, knowing what we know today?

Anonymous

It seems like no other country besides the US played around with the concept of the combat shotgun, why is that? I get that in the long run ultimately them SMGs could be considered superior, but in the early days I'd think that would be less obvious. For a country like Post WWI Germany, a shotgun seems like an obvious choice when they were secretly trying to rearm as they could easily just claim "These are for hunting" or something like that.

Anonymous
>>13712729

At least as far back as WW1. In 'Sniping in France', Maj. Hesketh-Pritchard mentions snipers / spotters swapping roles to allow them to 'rest their eyes'.

Anonymous

Why didn't the French remove the witness holes from the Chauchat's magazine when they realised they were an obvious problem? It seems like a no brianer, and if I understand how the magazines were produced properly would have made production a little bit easier, as they would have been deleting rather than adding a step

Anonymous

I just held every part of a Type 1 kit. Matching serial numbers and everything. The history behind it is amazing. Two questions if that's allowed. 1. Do you think Kalashnikov was walking the factory when they were produced

Anonymous

2. How many Type 1 AK part kits with matching numbers do you suspect exist in America?

Ferrous

This might fall under Apocrypha, but what were you doing for a living before you wound up doing stuff for Forgotten Weapons &amp; InRange? I know you've mentioned aeronautical engineering study (Burt Rutan Rules!) but you alluded to going in a different direction. As always, thanks for your work.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, do you know why European (military) rifles tend to have v notch sights instead of some kind of aperture sights for so long? Not a long ago I was in Museum of Military History in Vienna and they have a large collection of (not only) oriental rifles and almost all of them had some sort of aperture sight. We were familiar with the concept but we still continued in using subpar v notch like until to the mid of 20th century.

Anonymous

In the Zip22 videos, you mentioned the idea of a 'Truly Terrible Gun' collection. What would be your top 5 or top 10 "Truly Terrible Guns' if you were to start a collection?

Anonymous

hello, this is in reguards to the whole debate as to what the next "leap" in firearms will be, and I have a sort of twofold question - firstly, I want to know your thoughts on my opinion that the next natural step will be more potent types of propellant, and even possibly solid propellant. the second thing is that I think a manner of making ammo similar to how the Rheinmetall 120mm tank ammuntion is (with a combustable case and metal case bottom) would allow for less of an issue about spent shells being littered around in warzones and would allow for smaller ejection ports, reducing the chances of dirt or sand getting in the gun, and also resulting in potentially better reliability due to the near elimination of case stick. would love to hear your thoughts on this, enjoy the channel and I hope to see this at some point later in the year!

Anonymous

Hi Ian.

Anonymous

considering that the development of the intermediate cartridge started with the Germans cutting 22mm off their 8mm service cartridge, and was followed by the Soviets shortening their 7.62 x54 by 15mm, how does a purpose designed varmint cartridge like 5.56 qualify as an "intermediate "cartridge ?

Anonymous

Second part to my question. With all the research into MILITARY bullet science done after the French introduced smokeless powder why are we even debating whether 5.56 is better ?

Charles Adams

Has anyone ever done any development with liquid propellants in small arms? I understand some artillery guns use liquid propellants, with separate projectiles. I understand this is both a mechanical and a chemical engineering problem, but the metering of liquids is now a pretty precise and successfully implemented technology in other technical and manufacturing fields.

Anonymous

Any particular interest in the mechanical aspects of things other than firearms? I recall you saying that the mechanical elements of firearms was the driving force for your passion in them. Personally I'm quite interested in watches for the same reason.