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Q&A #44 Questions (Patreon)

Published:
2020-07-16 20:52:18
Imported:
2021-03

Content

This will be for publication in August - what would you like to know?

Comments

Anonymous

QA Why is there such a big problem with casting receivers? I was reading up on the National Ordnance 1903s and M1 Carbines and a lot of people consider them unsafe to shoot due to their receivers being cast. Why is this? Also, doesn’t Ruger cast rifle receivers? What did they sacrifice to Hephaestus in order to make theirs reliable?

Gary Kendall

3rd? Time asking If you had to pick a lever action in a pistol calibre for all around use, which make/model and calibre would you go with?

Anonymous

Why is the lower receiver of an AR style rifle (the trigger and fire control system) considered to be the "gun" under firearms regulations?

Anonymous

What made the state of Connecticut such a hot bed of firearms manufacturing?

Anonymous

The devil went down to Arazona, looking for a 3 gun match..... if you had to pick 3 guns for a 3 gun match for your worst enemy, what would you choose? Looking at controls, recoil, ease of use, and reliability etc.

Kamonster

With the advancements made in active protection technologies for tanks and other vehicles. do you think that we could see anti tank rifles be brought back as a concept for infantry portable anti tank weapons, Or at least see an increased research into if their viable. If not, do you think that we could perhaps see a resurgence in recoiless rifles brought back with a sabot round firing functionality to replace or supplement more expensive options such as the Javelin missile system?

Anonymous

What's your favorite gun that's a good design, but adopted too late?

Anonymous

Do you believe that there is any kind of future in “balanced recoil” or other technologies besides muzzle brakes and sheer mass in reducing or otherwise eliminating felt recoil?

Anonymous

Is there a place for 8mm Kurz today? And if not, what is its natural successor?

Anonymous

Historically, how has French weapons procurement compared to its contemporaries?

Anonymous

What do you consider to be some Under-appreciated countries or eras of firearms collecting?

Anonymous

Since this is Q&A #44, what 44 caliber firearm had the greatest impact on the design of modern firearms.

Anonymous

What brand of shampoo / conditioner do you use?

Anonymous

Any idea on why 12 gauge became the standard rather than 16g or 20g

A premium hog

If the Entente had decided to standardise on one cartridge during the 1890s and into the early 1900s, what do you think the best one would be, all things considered?

Anonymous

This is my first Q&A! Ian, Ever since I saw the video of where you were injured due to an out of battery detination I really wanted to know what weapon it was. It happened a while ago but I'm still thankful you're okay! Do you still have the chunk of brass in you? OwO

Anonymous

What are the pros and cons of different bolt locking mechanisms (tilting bolt, flapper locking, rotating bolt with 2, 3 or 7 lugs) etc?

Anonymous

The second version of the Chassepot had different rifling. Why was this done and what effect did it have.

Anonymous

It seems to me that the majority of information about firearms does not exist digitally on the internet, only in old school print media i.e. books, which would be somewhat an anomaly in 2020. Given how easy it is for any information on the internet to be illegally distributed infinitely, would it ever be financially possible for detailed books such as those published by headstamp to ever be written?

Anonymous

I sure would like to get my copy of your book one day. I’m still waiting.

Anonymous

Have there been any full power simple blowback rifles or machineguns? Perhaps with a cam system to make manual operation possible?

PHAZE

How is Floatplane working out for you? Are they good to work with? are you getting subscribers there? (I am currently a dual patreon/floatplane sub, and I would move entirely over there if I could submit Q&A questions from there.)

Anonymous

Repeat: What about a cartridge makes it so deadly? I constantly hear mass and velocity but, how do diameter and bullet composition come into play?

JSluka

Do you have any recommendations for books on Polish arms, ranging from the WZ 98 Mausers to the Blyskawica? It's been easy for me to find literature on the Vis 35 Radom, but details on other rifles or even the selection process undertaken by inter war Poland seem few and far between.

Anonymous

Q&A Could a large push from the industry with helping owners with filing ATF papers make stocked pistols popular? I own a B&T glock stock kit and its a huge improvement.

Nyrom

What guns that failed in the past would benefit the most from modern production capabilities and materials? Could they be successful now if done properly?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I was at DB2020 and watched you run with a FG42. What are some guns/divisions you are thinking about running next year? Possibly classic? Thank you for your amazing work!

Anonymous

Ian, I've always kind of wondered what the rationale for the rear sights on the AK were. Like, why bother having a sliding sight that goes out to 800/1000m for an intermediate caliber rifle, and was there anything beyond inertia that kept warsaw pact countries from changing to something simpler and (arguably) more effective like the rear aperture sight that pretty much all western AK (military) variants seemed to go to.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I was wondering why turn-of-the-century machine guns used brass for a fair number of parts (grips, feed trays, etc). Is there something about brass that makes it ideal for those parts, was it easier to work with than other materials, or something else?

Anonymous

Are there any reproduction optics, such as the ZF-41or No32, or manufacturer that would either recommend or recommend avoiding? Thanks!

Anonymous

How come strike fire is so prolific in modern handguns and bolt rifles while practically unseen in automatic rifles?

Anonymous

What did the Austriens think of the Schwarzlose machinegun i ww1?

Anonymous

Repeat: Do you have any information about the old Daisy .22 caseless ammunition "BB" rifle?

jubs

Is there a good, agreed upon definition for what separates a regular striker, a swinging striker, a linear hammer and a regular hammer. The definition I usually see, is that on a hammer fired gun the spring acts on the hammer, which hits a separate firing pin, and on a striker-fired weapon the spring acts on the component that has the firing pin built in it. But wouldn't that make many old revolvers, where the firing pin was a part of the hammer, technically striker-fired? Also did any open-bolt guns have inertial firing pins? (Not fixed, nor hit by a hammer, just using the inertia from the bolt closing.)

Anonymous

How do you feel about the (for the lack of a better term) cult following that you've accumulated over the years? Are you flattered that people admire your work to such an extent or do you find it creepy?

Toby Williamson

An inventor is able to create a machine that will allow you to grab 3 guns from any time in the past (without affecting anything else). What 3 guns would you pick, and would you grab them new, or after they gained some use and history?

Anonymous

Ian, there are many major events I history worldwide that are well known but the involvement of firearms are at best footnotes (I.E, the sinking of the Titanic). Do you plan on doing small videos on these topics specifically covering the involved firearms and how they were used?

Anonymous

Have you ever received valuable information from a comment anyone left on any of your posts?

Anonymous

Why did the AK platform go from a milled receiver (AK47) to a stamped design (AKM) but something like the VZ58 was never considered to be produced with a stamped receiver? I know the VZ58 even milled is lighter than the AKM but I feel like it could be an even lighter and handier rifle if adapter to use a stamped receiver.

Anonymous

Mockups, airsoft, toys. If one make "receiver" for those does he become a felon under US law? How accurate it might be, and do you need ffl to produce those ?

Anonymous

Any foreseeable issues with drilling and tapping a sporterized 1895 swedish mauser for a receiver mounted scope?

Anonymous

It seems that the Gunsmith trade is in steep decline, as those with skills to repair our old firearms retire or pass on. New-fangled precision CNC’d “lego” guns are great, but the old stuff, well that’s why we are here. Have you experienced any challenges finding someone who can perform quality work? What do you look for when selecting a shop to send an old heirloom off to?

Anonymous

The nation of Elbonia is disapointed in their military rifles and wants to adopt an indigenously designed assault rifle in the early 1950's. How could a secret traitor in the military, using plausible requests and goals, sabotage the design, testing and adoption to make sure the rifle would be as bad and late as possible.

Anonymous

Why are Berthier clips so hard to find? The French were a major power with massive amounts of Berthier rifles and carbines; there had to have been millions of three and five round clips made for them. It's easy to find M95 Steyr clips, it's easy to find Carcano clips, why is it hard to find Berthier clips? I would think that just as many Berthier clips were made as Austria/Hungary and Italy made for their rifles. All three systems (Berthier/Steyr/Carcano) were in service for the same amount of time up to the end of WWII. I understand why it's hard to find say; Dutch/Romanian M95 Mannlicher or Gew 88 clips as not as many of those rifles were produced and they were in service for a much shorter time period.

Anonymous

Any plans for another “Who is...” for a firearms manufacturer? (Like the video you did on Colt a while back)

Alex H

Are there any forgotten weapons that you find particularly interesting that were used by the Dutch military or Trading companies?

Anonymous

At what point have two major "first tier" belligerents had the most difference in terms of small arms effectiveness?

Anonymous

Polymer... Every decade it gets more difficult to purchase or replace guns. With that in mind, how do you feel about polymer as the serialized portion of pistols (or firearms in general) ... (Totally ignoring the high desert UV questions)

Anonymous

Do you have any plans on the near future to give a history lesson on civil war, wwi, wwii etc. You have done videos in the past going over the events of different battles. Obviously travel is hard right now but I loved watching your take on the different battles. Thank you

Anonymous

I am a fan of Polish post war pistols. The p-64 is my favorite, slim and we'll made. Beautiful but very, very snappy.

Anonymous

I believe I've asked this before, but why is it that trigger discipline is such a modern concept in terms of firearms? Were people simply expected to not accidently pull the trigger, or is there different a reason that I'm overlooking?

Anonymous

Cont...It was replaced by the P83, which is all rolled and stamped, and not too beautiful, but shoots very soft. My question is how they could go from the one to the other and be so far apart in appearance and operation.

Anonymous

Do you think the M1 Carbine's cartage is obsolete/obsolescent in its deign by modern standards or could new rifles breath more life in to the round? ( Like a p90 in 30 carbine )

Anonymous

At what point was the rear sight of the M1 carbine updated to an adjustable sight? I've heard it was "towards the end of the war", but I haven't come across anything specific. I recently acquired an Inland marked M1 from the recent Ethiopian batch which is stamped February 1945 on the barrel, and I'm curious as to whether the rear sight was likely a retrofit or not. As an addendum, do you have any insight on the dates on which wartime M1s were brought back to the States for refurbishment? The markings on my M1 indicate that the stocks (at the very least) were replaced by RIA, but there is no indication as to when, or what other changes were made.

Anonymous

With Bushmaster having gone defunct, What becomes of the ACR now?

Anonymous

With the exception of the Steyr 1912, Obregon Automatic Pistol and more recently the Beretta PX4 storm and Glock 46, there have been very few pistols designed with a rotating barrel mechanism. why hasn't this design been more popular as it seems to offer a few advantages over tilt barrel systems? Was the Steyr 1912 the earliest pistol designed with a rotating barrel system?

Anonymous

Do you think there would be a market for a lever gun similiar to a Marlin 1895 or Henry X but in modern pistol cartridges, such as 10mm, 9mm, 45 acp (although I hate to call that modern), etc? I know the lever action design lends itself to a rimmed cartridge, but I hate having to stock "revolver" ammo for my lever guns when even my revolvers mostly shoot 9 and 10mm.

Anonymous

I missed out on the CHASSEPOT TO FAMAS offering. Any chance this will be offered again with another printing?

Anonymous

Any plans to do a video on a Gepard GM6 Lynx? A compact, long-recoil action bullpup in .50BMG with a funky roller system to unlock the bolt seems like it's right up your alley.

Eki T

What do you think causes the stereotypes we see across countries firearms? E.g. German: Complicated but reliable American: Rugged and heavy English: Simple, cheap, not the best

Paul Doran

Hi Ian. Would you have an information on the wider use of optics from the 2000's (?) on wards in military's. Was it cost and availability that made this possible or did it take time for the technology to mature. Also do you think the ACR programs had any influence on this. Thanks for all your great and informative content. Paul .D

Anonymous

Was there ever another military besides Russia's that utilized a universal bullet caliber across their rifle, machine gun, and pistol platforms (i.e, the 7.62x39, 7.62x54R, 7.62x25)?

Anonymous
>>40482462

just so you know, you can edit your comments by clicking the 3 dots underneath it and clicking on the pencil (in case you wanted to consolidate your question)

Anonymous

Let's imagine Jo Jorgensen wins the 2020 election and proceeds to undo the restrictions on machine guns in the United States. How do you think that would effect the firearms industry? Do you think semi auto versions of firearms that were originally intended to be full auto would lose value and full/select fire rifles/subguns would become the norm? Do you think existing full/select fire values would plummet? What would be the first thing you buy?

Anonymous

With the glorious return to battle rifles to beat Chinese body armor; will the M14 be relevant again?

Anonymous

I bought a Carcano TS carbine. My local gunsmith refused to take it in for a safety check. His reaction was really visceral on the phone. Without even seeing it, he claimed they were all prone to blowing up from day one off the production line—let alone a hundred years later. I’d not seen this in my research aside from an example rechambered as a wildcat. Can you elaborate on this claim? Besides checking the headspace, is there something else I should specifically be looking for before I take it to the range?

Redtail

Hi Ian! You strike me as someone with an unusual amount of patience, especially for someone involved in the firearm community to the degree you are. Is there any question, type of question, or group of unrelated questions that you get legitimately tired of answering, such as "When will the military adopt a full powered battle rifle cartridge again", "Why doesn't anyone use (insert obsolete firearm from X anime or video game) anymore", or "Would the NAZIs have won if they'd adopted the STG44 earlier"?

Anonymous

What "Special Sauce" did the M14/M1a lose as opposed to the M1 Garand? Taht is to say, why does the Garand get praise and the M14/M1A get derided, even in modern context?

Anonymous

What would be your preferred C&R pistol for 3 gun matches and why?

Anonymous

As part of your "how stuff works" series, any plans to do one that differentiates between types of muzzle devices? I'd love an in-depth nerd fest on the difference in engineering and purpose of flash hiders, compensators, brakes, gas traps, etc, and a look at more unusual/niche designs.

Anonymous

In terms of significance and popularity, which US handgun in your opinion is comparable to the Winchester 1894 lever gun?

Anonymous

Ian, why did the 7.65x53 fall out of favor? When I look at the .308 I just say why?

Anonymous

Watching your videos on the steyr scout, would you consider an AR-10 chambered in .308 or something similar with an emphasis on keeping the gun light would be worthy of considering it a scout rifle purely from a technical standpoint

Anonymous

What process or company do you use to complete the engraving requirements on Form 1 NFA items?

Anonymous

It seems like there was a lot of iteration in the design of extractors for early bolt action rifles (e.g., Mausers). I'm a bit unclear as to what the motivation for this was. Could you expand a bit on what problems were encountered that led to these design changes and how this area matured as repeating arms became dominant?

Anonymous

Having started collecting Milsurp rifles, I have considered getting a C&R as I am looking at various auction sites, etc and it seems a logical step to reduce wait time and hassle. However, I have a number of acquaintances (including some gun dealers) counsel against this as it is a sure fire way to get on the Feds "radar". They equate this with being a Class 3 collector of full auto and raise fears of being on the "ATF watch list" and "Big Brother" will be watching me and know what I have. Ian, given your extensive collection, have you had any "problems" with either your C&R status or owning Class 3 firearms? I fail to see how receiving an antique Mauser bolt action rifle at my home will upset the government or pose a threat to anyone.

Anonymous

Hello Ian, Is the .45 Detonics the mother of full power compact pistols ? And do you think it’s a good pistol? Massimo

Anonymous

Favorite City you’ve visited

HJA

Hi Ian, I'm a digital artist in the games industry and LOVE your videos for reference to recreate guns in 3D, and to understand how the mechanisms work. Would you ever consider accompanying your videos with a collection of high-quality photos of the weapons you get your hands on? Even as a patreon level; I think many digital artists would have an interest in getting such references. Especially close up detail shots with good lighting (Ideally no glaring specular highlight over parts). As a bonus Q; I recently discovered the LTSU attachment for the AKS74u. Was this something you were aware of? I'd love to see a video on it one day. http://www.ak-info.ru/joomla/index.php/devices/9-optics/252-lcuaabout

Anonymous

Although your interest is in historical firearms. Do you concealed carry on a regular basis. If so what is your EDC.

Anonymous

I feel like rifles like the Kar 88 and Gew. 91 were very ahead of their time. Do you have any idea as to why Germany and other countries didn't take more advantage of these shorter and more handy rifles at the time? Obviously ballistic performance is hurt with more powder burning outside the barrel but were there any other main contributing factors that led to the limited adoption of shorter rifles?

Anonymous

Could you make bullets out of silver, what would they shoot like and has anyone done it?

JaxaXXX

Hi Ian! Are you ever going to visit Poland to make some videos on Polish Home Army's SMGs like the Blyskawica or Bechowiec? Both are in the Polish Army Museum collection.

Anonymous

I have read that during WW 1 large bore hunting rifles (elephant guns) were pressed into service in anti armor roles. Including some aristocratic’s donating their personal hunting firearms to the cause. How effective were these rifles against armor?

Anonymous

Could you explain what it means for a gun to be mechanically accurate and what factors go into it? I don’t understand how accuracy can be affected by the bolt once the round is already in the chamber. This sound like it’s own “How does it work?” video, but anything you can say on it would be appreciated.

John Kettner

What firearms designer who has passed away would you like to be able to bring back for a conversation with.

Anonymous

Bit fancial, but here we go: you’ve been casted to play a role in the upcoming John Wick movie as an armorer he comes across, what guns would you like to see him use (keep in mind that this is still a movie, realism be damned)? Bonus: the High Table has deemed your life to be forfeited and now you must team up with Wick to fend off highly armored assassins; what do you and John use?

Anonymous

Why are striker/linear hammer fired Assault Rifles so rare? I can only think of two off the top of my head: The vz. 58 and the QBZ-95. On a broader note, what goes in to choosing whether a gun will be hammer or striker fired?

Anonymous

What are some weapons that completely failed but they ended up having an idea or component that would go on to see plenty of use in other weapons

Pete

On your various visits to the Upside Down Mexican Hat People, did you get to try a proper Finnish sauna? What did you make of the experience?

Anonymous

Why did Yugoslavia not adopt the AK-47 when the USSR adopted it? Was Tito that full of himself that he thought he could have his people produce a better AK style rifle? (and um, I think they did...)

orianhullinger

What modern weapons do you think will become forgotten weapons?

Adam Schindler

4th ask: Can you address the precision requirements for the various classes of small arms through the years (i.e. SMG, modern carbine, battle rifle, DMR, SAW, LMG, GPMG, HMG, sniper rifle, line infantry rifle, cavalry carbine, light infantry rifle...limits of your imagination). What are the practical optimal values for each today, and how have those technical limits changed and changed the battlefield over time? I'm trying to leave the (intimately linked) discussion of optics for a follow up question.

Anonymous

Hey Ian, have any other smokeless small arms cartridge other than 8x50r (Lebel) been considered a state secret?

Anonymous

Hi Ian if you where to do another project lighting style series. What topic would you like it to be based around. I.E. wwii lmgs, smgs, early generations semiautomatic rifles, snipers rifles.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I have a question that I am asking my self all the time: IMAGINE (in a unlikely scenario for me at least) You are worldwide famous persona, you have a great gun collection.... after many years, your collection is either passed on your relatives or auctioned, and there is The gun that is provenanced to you personaly, and is know as either your favorite, most used, carry gun, tweaked or upgraded by youself.... (like weapons that were carried by Roosevelt, Patton, Goering, ect.) Which gun would it be in your case and if embelished or not, stocked or not, wood or ivory ect. Basically what im trying to say is gun that would be know for generations as THE YOUR GUN

Anonymous

Hi there Ian! I was wondering if you could cover a fairly simple question with an undeniably complex answer. What are the benefits /downsides of the Direct Impingement, Short Stroke gas piston, Delayed Blowback, and Long Stroke gas piston systems. And what are the specific reasons that nations choose each system other than production capacity (I say that because countries like Russia just don't have the capability to adopt anything other than the AK.) Also, after everything considered. In a fictional nation, assuming you had the finances. Pick a SMG, standard service rifle, and a LMG for the military and police. I'd love to hear your opinion on what would be idealic for gas systems for different weapons, and what the benefits and problems with those systems are.

Anonymous

I see some consideration happening in the NGSW program about pushing the cartridge pressure to higher levels to get better penetration and range potential. What is the highest pressure (CUP or PSI) cartridge (that you know of) ever put into military or other common service? How much potential is there to push cartridge operating pressure to higher limits?

Anonymous

What do you think about the Type 81? I think that if it were designed 30 years earlier, it probably would have competed somewhat well against the AK platform - it certainly has more features than a Russian AKM. I suspect it was, after the Type 63 fiasco, a second attempt at a domestic rifle design by the Chinese to test their capability to build their own platform. I love mine and would love to hear your thoughts and knowledge on it.

Anonymous

What is your exercise routine like? Also which of those exercises(that aren't running or jogging) enhanced your shooting ability the most other than?

Anonymous

Are there any weapons that you think were sadly under-developed due to never being used in large-scale combat? How do you think combat would have changed its design?

Frizzen

During the Winter/Continuation/Lapland Wars, how did Finland supply it’s troops with ammunition, and what did they do to streamline the logistics of issuing many calibers? It seems they were armed with such myriad small arms (either through purchase or capture) that logistics to supply the individual units would be a nightmare. As an aside, how do armies typically supply ammunition for captured weapons? Is it generally handled on the line-unit level (scrounging captured ammo) or is it more organized?

Anonymous

Why was the .22 LR cartridge developed with a rebated bullet? Was this done for any others?

Anonymous

Have you considered or attempted to do firearm factory tours, especially old vs new to show more of the changes in manufacturing over time from forging and dedicated machines like shapers to the modern multi-axis cnc and polymer molding of today

Anonymous

Do you believe that the Marine Corps made the right decision in choosing to replace the SAW with the M27IAR, sspecially given that the Army may legitimately replace the M4?

Landric Hakon

Repeat: How did the French settle on the bore size/bullet weight/muzzle velocity on the 8mm Lebel? It seems like they basically set that standard for years to come for cartridge performance if not case design.

Anonymous

Which if your videos are you most proud of, and has the popularity of any video taken you by surprise?

Anonymous

Fact or myth? As a child I remember reading and hearing about the oil in the Nazis' guns freezing when fighting in places like Norway and Russia. There was also mention of various ways that the natives got round the problem like simply not using oil or building their guns with added tolerence. Is there any truth to any of this, or is it just a myth?

David Lewis

How did people in the Victorian Era care for their guns? I' understand that black powder residue is extremely corrosive, yet many of the old Colts and Winchesters dating back to that era seem to be in reasonably good shape. Did Joe Cowboy take the time to clean his pistol or rifle every time he shot it? What kind of supplies were used for firearm maintenance back in those days?

Anonymous

What has been your biggest disappointment in a firearm or accessory?

Anonymous

What do you think about further weight saving in military arms? Should is be still an important goal due to advancing mechanisation in military transport? How will it be achived? 3D-printing, carbon plastic components, plastic cased (or caseless) ammo or all above? Or is it less important since in a few years every squad has it's own robot that caries all the stuff around.?

Anonymous

Expanding on David's question about cleaning, how much practice were people able to do in the past?

Anonymous

Today there are only two major types of rifle iron sights, the peep sight and the post and notch. As your videos make abundantly clear there are many dead-ends in firearms design. What dead-ends are there in iron sight design? For example has anybody ever tried reversing the positions of the post and notch? What other good ideas have been tried and found wanting?

Anonymous

Why is there confusion on if it’s 22 long rifle or 22 long round?

Anonymous

Do you think we are seeing modern armies swing away from bull pups and back to traditional rifles for good? I know the Chinese have announced their new combat rifle and it is not a bulpup and nations like France and New Zealand have abandoned bullpups for AR variants. Does the benefit of the compact nature of bullpups for mechanized warfare just not outweigh their inherent ergonomic issues anymore?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, having shot the Negev, the knight’s assault machine gun and I presume the FN m249, in your opinion, is the 249 outclassed by the other two? Are the weight and recoil improvements of the knights gun enough to put it over the quick change barrel and ability to take mags of the Negev? Thanks for the great content.

Anonymous

Hey Ian, repeat question from a couple of months ago. The inertia driven system of firearm operation seems pretty limited, have there ever been any military trial rifles that use this system and why do you think it's not used more often?

Anonymous

Cylinder rotation seems to have been a source of contention when revolvers with swing out cylinders were first introduced into the US military inventory. Was this just a perception or was there measurable wear encountered in revolvers with cylinders that rotate away form the frame? It doesn't seem as if there would be sufficient torque to generate any abnormal wear even after prolonged use, and timing issues appear much more likely due to wear or damage to the cylinder or the bolt.

Anonymous

I remember reading somewhere that Alvin c. York preferred the 03 Springfield over the 1917 enfield. Do you think his opinion was based on his marksmanship skill versus the average doughboy?

Falling Steel

Are there any US manufacturers who produce firearms for military use in other countries but NOT the US?

Anonymous

What's the most exotic or restrictive country you've traveled to for a video?

Anonymous

I saw your hat collection video, which was awesome. What other things other than antique guns do you collect?

Anonymous

Do you think it's time for case-less ammo to undergo more development given the time since the last major development with the HK G11?

Arthur Hsing

I sent this in a DM a while ago but in case you missed it:

Fruitbat44

Well, Ian, a choice of two: 1) The ASP & the Devel both featured transparent panels to enable the user to keep count of rounds. What's your opinion on this feature and why do you think it never caught on. Or . . . 2) In the movie 'Four Kids & It' based on the children's story by Jacqueline Wilson. (Itself an homage to the classic 'Five Children & It.') In it the antagonist wishes for, amongst other things, a "Purple Lady Army." In the movie these statuesque beauties were armed with children's toy ray guns spray painted silver. Had you been employed as technical advisor on this movie what would you have recommended as the coolest possible gun for these ladies? And what would have recommended as practical weaponry? In so far as a an army of young women wearing skin-tight purple unitards can be considered practical.

Arthur Hsing

Question about constant recoil: So is constant recoil simply the concept of having the reciprocating mass constantly in motion such that it never stops or bottoms out at the rear of the receiver? Is there anything else to it? Can any rifle be "tuned" to become constant recoil? For example, let's consider a full-auto M4 (I know there's little utility to constant recoil in a semiauto-only AR): If we were to tweak the recoil spring length and weight + buffer weight + bolt carrier weight + ammo + gas port size and location such that the buffer did not contact the rear of the buffer tube, and the rifle still cycled reliably, would we have achieved de facto constant recoil, despite that not being the intent of the original design? Would we then see similar beneficial shooting characteristics as in intentional constant recoil designs like the Ultimax and Stoner 63? Finally: If the above were possible, what would be the effect to the shooter if done to a semiauto-only AR? While I know the *net* recoil force would not change, would there still be a discernable improvement in *felt* recoil? Would this be beneficial during rapid semiauto fire? Would you endorse this experiment, or consider attempting it in a future WWSD iteration?

Anonymous

The Year is 1970, You have been contracted by a small island nation to aid in their re-arming. They request you give them the choices based on the following the Cheapest option, the most expensive, and the most advanced option. Weapons should include Medium Machine Gun, Rifle/Carbine, Sidearm, and a Shotgun.

Anonymous

2nd time question. Around 1900 there were several 6mm-7mm rifles in service with a performance roughly equal to or better than the 7.62mm M43 and 7.92mm Kurz intermediate cartridges (muzzle energy 1600-2000ft/lbs), 6mm Lee Navy, 6.5mm Carcano, 6.5mm Japanese, 6.5mm Mannlicher, 6.5mm Swedish, 7mm Mauser. Rifles chambered for these rounds are often described as pleasant to shoot, accurate and (relatively) lightweight. Other than the Lee which had technical issues they seem to have been effective and remained in service for decades only to see a push towards larger 7.5-8mm cartridges coming into WW2. The common statements that they lacked "knockdown power" seems unfounded considering their length of service and the fact most nations today are issuing an infantry rifle with a 5.5mm cartridge with significantly less energy. Why this shift to larger, just politics? Were there any specific events that led to this idea that 6.5mm wasn't enough? The 1905 Russo Japanese War seems to have convinced the Soviets that 6.5mm was adequate with them buying 3/4 million Arisakas during WW1 and then designing the Federov around the 6.5mm Japanese.

Anonymous

What do you think of Arcflash Labs and the work they are doing?

Mustafa's Fleas

Have asked this once or possibly twice before... What breed is your rather unique looking dog???

Anonymous

What would you say are the 5 most significant advancements in small arms since 1800?

Will Sanders

Ian, You have spoken your dislike of 3 round burst on anything but the Super Doot 11 (aka Kraut Space Magic) and your praise of constant recoil in full auto. Would combining a constant recoil system with a 3 round burst render the concept more practical? Keep up the great content!

Christian Hanes

Asked this last Q&A so I’ll try again. What do you say to your critics? I’ve heard people say that you’re nothing like you are in your videos in person or that you have no idea what you’re talking about. I doubt these claims to be valid but I was curious to what you think.

Anonymous

Which standard issue WW1 era rifle cartridge do you feel was the overall best?

William Frank

2nd Time Asking: 2-Gun Dream Combo The armories and vaults of the world are thrown wide, and you have your pick of firearms. And it just so happens, that no matter which guns you pick, it turns out that they would be the perfect gun for the stages at the match. What is your perfect 2-Gun Action Challenge pairing?

William Frank

With modern metallurgy and materials, and with modern manufacturing techniques, do you think it would be possible to make an updated version of the Stoner 63 weapons system, that would be functional and reliable to the level of wide adaption with a military today? Or do you think, even in a world where "Modularity" is the buzz of today's military, that the full capabilities of the weapon system would not be appreciated?

Michael Quinn

I know you aren't into bladed weapons but have you ever considered doing a video on the 1913 saber? It's kind of interesting in that it's the last of it's kind. Offhand, do you know if it was ever used in combat?

J WL

Would the Pedersen Device been viable as a submachine gun instead of just a self-loading pistol caliber rifle? And what changes would you make to it to make it more effective?

Hannahranga

How do military trials of firearms especially endurance ones work?

Anonymous

Pick your favorite standard infantry rifle (or carbine), service pistol, and heavy machine gun of WW1, with the caveat that each has to be something in standard issue use with any of the combatant powers in 1914 (so no 1911 or 1917 Enfield). Now pick a side in WW1 and arm every nation on that side with these weapons. Setting aside the logistical advantages of having everybody using the same cartridges, do you think this would have made a significant difference in the outcome of the war?

Timo Fiebich

Did you ever think about covering the very first firearms in human history?

Anonymous

I can't recall if you've addressed this before - Do you hunt?

Anonymous

I'm new, with that being said, what is the first firearm you ever shot, and what is the first firearm you bought. Thanks

Anonymous

You’ve got one hour to arm the Alamo defenders with any small arms of your choice. But in that hour you have to issue the weapon, ammo, and use the remainder to train so time will be tight. What do you give them?

Anonymous

Ian, you were supposed to be a judge at an OGCA show earlier this year before covid shut everything down. Will you be a guest judge at a show when things open back up? Also, have you considered making a video over the FN Barracuda?

Anonymous

Do you think underbarrel launchers will ever completely replace rifle grenades? It seems like many modern rifles still allow for the latter capability but I wonder if it's still considered practical. -Evan McCallum

Deviant Ollam

Given how much travel you have expressed a desire to do in the future or even in retirement, at what point does the long term storage and maintenance of your collection start to become a serious consideration? Folk who go away for a weekend lock their house. For a few weeks away they have someone come collect mail. Months at a time and you're talking house-sitter friend. Would your collection be stored elsewhere or partially sold off if you were to be abroad for months at a time in retirement?

Anonymous

Jim Bianchi Ian: I've heard you cite a report saying the 1911 was responsible for 0 German fatalities in WW 1. I'm not sure but a similar result would probably apply to the 1911 in WW2, Korea and Viet Nam. Given this, why then is there always such a brou-ha-ha regarding which handgun to issuue our troops? Sure I want our troops to be equipped as well as possible, but heyyy. If the number of times the weapon is successfully used as a weapon is so low, what is wrong with what we have? Seems to me the cost of just replacing or rebuilding existing units would be a bit less than purchasing all new weapons, spares and education of armorers as well as ..ah, filling up, of the supply line. Of course special forces & seal teams, Viet Nam tunnel rats, etc. have their own specialized requirements, but for the rest, why not pick one and stay with it?

Anonymous

If the US military upgrades the M4A1 what improvements do you think they would make?

Anonymous

Have you done the history of Walther?

Anonymous

I'm really curious as to why modern handguns are often equipped with night sights or sights with colored inserts for better visibility in the dark environment, but this trend didn't really occur on rifle sights though few rifles did have night sights.

Anonymous

How many spare barrels and how much 8MM link were considered normal for German Infantry squads in WWII? Did it differ MG34 to MG42? Heer, Whermacht, Falschirmjager, etc? Given the centrality of the GPMG to the German Infantry squad's concept of Fire and Maneuver, it seems it would call for quite a bit. Discussing this point with some Soldiers at a museum in Normandy, one was adamant they carried 2 barrels per team (being one more than the norm in the current US Army), another was adamant they carried 6 spare barrels, which sounds rather much, but I have never seen any literature on this sort of minutae. Do you know the answer?

Anonymous

Ask for InrangeTV's April's Q&A, but not answered: I've always thought that barrel twist rate is calculated in modern times using computer models and mathematical wizardry - did early firearms manufacturers and gunsmiths try to optimize twist rates, and if so, how did they go about it?

Anonymous

You have talked about how in most conflicts the quality of small arms are not that relevant to the outcome, can you think of a conflict where they were decisive or at least highly relevant? The only one that comes to mind for me is the Austro-Prussian war with the Dryese.

Anonymous

I’m a new collector and need to clean up some past mistakes. What’s the best way to sell it s in my collection. Nothing expensive just random forgotten weapons. Lgs? Online? Gun show? forum?

Anonymous

Tripods - you have talked at some length about Lafette tripods before and a certain crew always gets into talking at length about them in the comments. Any chance of a video on other GPMG tripods? The British and Canadians have interesting ones. Also, when did the US military preference for simpler but less capable tripods come about? I know the M122 which I have used is an updated M2, but I don't know what was actually updated? What improvements? What was lost? Weight differences? What came before the M2 in US service? Anything? What about the experimental M91 Tripod? Ever come across those? Thoughts? Was there anything in the M91 that reappeared later in the current M192 Lightweight Ground Mount (Tripod)? Any thoughts on the M192 itself?

Anonymous

Will we ever see a detailed video on the French AA-52? Also, what tripod was used by the French Army with it? Also, how was it integrated into French Infantry use - Squad, Platoon, or Company level MG teams? How many spare barrels and linked ammo were normally carried?

Anonymous

Have you had a chance to get your hands on a Sig MG338 yet? Any thoughts on that? How about on that vs the KAC LAMG? I know Knights is making a 338 LAMG so I guess the comparison is between those two, but it could equally be between the 762 LAMG you shot and a theoretically scaled down Sig MG338. I understand the MG338 is basically a break down to DNA and rebuild of the FN MAG, yes? It seems they have resolved many of the practical handling issues of the MAG in dismounted Infantry use like the bottom ejection interfering with ammo boxes and it's excessive length and weight. It also seems like they may have done this in an even better way than the Barrett M240 LW and M240 LWS - any thoughts there? Have you handled those? How about a video on those as well btw?

Anonymous

Now that Weaponsman.com is sadly gone, and his excellent 5 part piece on "The SAW that never was" only exists on mirror sites, any interest in hosting those articles and continuing that subject? I think it would make a great part of your archive project to include all those manuals and TM's that came out of that and his excellent articles in conjunction with some video content from you expanding on what he started. Any chance of handling/shooting some of those SAW Trials guns? Ford XM234? Maremont XM 233? Rodman XM245? Rodman Ford XM 248? Particulary that crazy XM248 ratchet feed system?

Anonymous

Do you think that some military firearms (like the Beretta M9) got a bad reputation because of restrictions on military ammo (like the Hague Convention limits on hollow points) and not because of some inherent flaw in the firearm?

Iain Hutchinson

If project SPIW were to be revisited today, what could be improved on with modern materials and manufacturing techniques.

Anonymous

How common was it for US servicemen to bring or be sent a private sidearm with them during ww2?

Anonymous
>>40493036

Bought was answered in another Q&A - Colt 1903 pocket hammerless.

Anonymous

It occurred to me as I started typing a "Any plans for a video on xyz rifle?"-type question - do you tend to discard these types of questions? It seems like they could take up time on these Q&A videos that could be used on more nuanced/interesting subjects, and would often end up answered as a "yes, so stay tuned" or just "no,and here's why" not really leading to much discussion. Should we keep asking these types of questions? Do you get good ideas for videos from them that you wouldn't have come up with yourself?

Anonymous

Have you been following the Kalashnikov centenary series on Kalashnikov Media? Utteely fascinating. Perhaps they can do a remote collab. The multibarrel rifles are particularly kewl.

Anonymous
>>40481799

The problem is not ATF. They only color inside the lines.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, my question is what are the pros and cons of both the M1 Carbine and the SKS if they went head to head?

Anonymous
>>40482119

Easy. Save money. Original AK was stamped but not durable so AK47 milled was needed until they could fix the issues with AKM.

Anonymous

You always say shotguns are rarely used in combat situations. What about the russians and the vepr 12? Would it not be usefull in an urban environment? If there is a hostage, switch to your sidearm or let your squad mate shoot him. I just think shotguns are not taken advantage of.

Anonymous

Total weapons newbie, but here's what's on my mind: first, any info on electric weapons? Any kind, really, whether it be handheld "railgun" style weapons, or weapons that incorporate electrical systems in their function, eg to lock out unauthorized use, or even to activate powder or rounds. Second, since this is Forgotten WEAPONS and not just firearms, what about standard issue bows, crossbows, even slingshots? And what about knives and swords? For example, if say nuclear launch sites were issued bladed weapons as a backup, or weapons for use on nuclear subs in the event they were boarded and didn't want to make holes in the ship, that sort of thing.

Anonymous

Why don't pistol manufacturers primarily use metal over polymer magazines in order to reduce grip thickness and increase strength when presumably the weight reduction would have relatively little payoff between the two? Inversely, why don't rifles do the same with polymer magazines where size restriction requirements are relatively minimal compared to the weight saving that are possible with polymer over metal magazines?

Charles Adams

I've read in some doctrinal documents for US Army armor and then again in doctrinal documents for the US Navy in WWII, a common idea that the anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on tanks, other armored vehicles, trucks, etc. were not designed for the weapon to be used to 'shoot down' the attacking airplane, but to cause the pilot of the attacking airplane to miss. As that shooting at the airplane specifically with rounds equipped with tracers would so disrupt the piloting and aiming of the aircraft as to prevent effective hots on the vehicle being attacked. Similarly, it seems that in the US Navy, the rear-firing machine guns of such airplanes as the SBD, the Devestator and Avenger torpedo bombers were not designed to 'shoot down' attacking enemy aircraft, but to disrupt the piloting and aiming of the attacking enemy aircraft. You've spoken to the idea of the various machine guns that were used by militaries' real role were often as 'area denial weapons' were the weapons were designed to for to a 'beaten zone' rather than to specific individual targets. Or this was the idea of most of the weapons from the squad machine guns up. Do you think that there has been a doctrinal change in 'modern' machine guns, say with the US Marines eliminating squad dedicated fully automatic weapons and equipping all the members of the squad with the same rifle?

IPG

Have you heard about the American-made VSS by Slagga Manufacturing?

Anonymous

Have you ever been to a museum or collection, taken a firearm apart, and not be able to reassemble it ?

Anonymous

which firearm collection do you most enjoy visiting and why?

Anonymous

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the history you were holding?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I‘ve noticed that a lot of modern assault rifles and older battle rifles use some sort of hammer to strike a firing pin. But older bolt action rifles mostly seem to use a striker. A lot of modern handguns also use strikers. Is there a reason no modern semi/full auto rifles (that I know of) use strikers? Is there something about semi and full auto rifles that makes a hammer a better option?

Anonymous

Why didn't the U.S. undertake a large scale conversion of M1919A4 and A6 machineguns to 7.62 NATO? I know the U.S. Navy had the Mk 21 Mod 0 and there were some updated versions for tanks, but why not just convert all of them for ammo compatibility with guns like the M60? It seems a bit wasteful.

Anonymous

Do you think you will get a chance to review the Russian Gsh-18? Have you ever seen one?

The Art of the Reel

I'm working on a mechanism that will turn an M1 Garand from semi auto to bolt action. Do you think there is a market for this conversion?

Anonymous

How good was the original All American 2000 (as designed by Gene Stoner and Reed Knight) as opposed to the Colt manufactured AA2000? Do you have access or a chance to shoot the original design pictol?

Anonymous

Did the invention of smokeless powder spur a development rush in Naval guns?

Deviant Ollam

While watching Karl talk about 1860 Colts and their various ammunition, it struck me that he was commenting concerning the ballistics and, specifically, muzzle velocity of the projectiles. Presumably, this is data that was known historically, yes? How in a pre-electronics age were things like this calculated? (I think I've heard of physics calculations... based on the known mass of the bullet striking a heavier reference mass and measuring the resultant deflection?)

Anonymous

Do you think that a Spitzer Bullet for the .30 carbine would improve the range/penetration of the M-1 Carbine, kinda of a 2.0thing?

Anonymous

In one of your Q&A videos (#15, to be precise), you say that “France had less of a firearms culture than England to begin with, but it’s been squashed all the same”. When did that happen and why do you think it’s happened? Maybe it’s just me, but one would expect that after being swiftly defeated by Germany in 1870 and 1940, and with the Soviets at their doorstep after WW 2, developing a marksmanship/general military aptitude programme like the Belgians did prior to WW 1 would seem like a good idea.

Anonymous

In your Q&A video #17 (at Minute 57) you say that you’ll “need to do a full video” about early ways to take “high-speed footage” of guns operating and generally being in motion under recoil, such as tracing a point of light shining through a receiver on a sheet of paper in order to get an idea of how the gun moves. You delve a bit deeper into this during Q&A video #20 (yes, I’ve been watching a lot of them lately, lockdown and all). And again in Q&A #24. Is that video still planned for somewhere down the line? Nudge nudge.

Matteo Manino
>>40481932

casting brass was, at the time, the easyest way to make parts with a complex shape.

Matthew Jackson

What's the coolest accessory you've ever seen built into a firearm? I'm thinking like the coffee grinder sharps, or the Galil's bottle opener, but I'm guessing there's more like that out there.

Anonymous

Do you think that the KAC assault machine gun will be adopted widely, given its wunderwaffen like qualities?

Matteo Manino

Which one is, in your opinion, the best manually operated machinegun? Gatling, Gardner, Nordenfeld or a more obscure one?

Anonymous

Have you ever considered covering throwing grenades or is that better suited for someone else to explain?

Anonymous

1. Would you like to visit Westley Richards? They are near me and on a new visit to UK they would be a great video. Their shop is like a colonial time machine and their double rifles beautiful. I could visit and ask if needed. 2. How did Rhodesians paint their FAL/G3? I have heard land rover paint, any legitimacy that you know of?

Anonymous

If you could change the cartridge of any military rifle to another contemporary cartridge, what would they be?

Andreas Nohl

Again, Why are there not more barrels with a rifling only a short way at the muzzle? I only herd of air rifles (FX Airguns)

Anonymous

Hi! Why did you deleted the comments section under the Rodesian FAL video, with Larry Vickers? And second question assuming it is related to questionable political comments: does that happen often around guns from countries with a complicated history, and how do you manage this?

Anonymous

Hi! In the russian part of the internet Maxim Popenker has a very bad reputation. Do you enjoy collaboration work with him?

Patrick Mathews

Aside from bad timing, were their any particular reasons the FN HP-DA did not see success as a high power replacement?

Anonymous

G'day Ian. What was the single most important thing you learned from publishing your "Chassepot to Famas" book? Thanks.

TJ

You agree with Karl that the US m.1917 Enfield is the best bolt action rifle from the WWI, if not even the WWII. MAS 36 has many similar features like the US m.1917 Enfield. Question is, do you have plans to make a video to see which is faster/easier/better to shoot in a 2gACM? Which gun is better, the MAS or the Enfield?

Anonymous

Why bad triggers on bullpubs? Isnt all triggers just a transfer of movement - what makes the bullpubs so hard to do right? Aka. What happens when you transfer movement over a longer range, that makes the triggers so bad? Many thanks for all the content, all the way from denmark

Michael Pronchick

Pros and Cons of an AR15 vs MP5 in a home based self defense situation. GO!

Anonymous

Other than the M1 Garand and the Pedersen rifles, were there any other top loading top ejecting packet clip firearms? If not, was this a specific requirement by the U.S. Army, or just a design choice of lessons learned from WWI trench muck?

Anonymous

Thanks to technological advances in the last few decades 9mm has pretty much made all larger calibers obsolete for self defence. However here in switzerland expanding projectiles for handguns are banned. So no hollow points and only very few (probably the worst) JSP rounds available. In this context, are .45acp, 10mm or even .40s&w handguns superior or would you stick with 9mm nonetheless?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I was wondering since becoming a published author has that opened any new doors for you or made getting access to collections/museums easier?

Anonymous

What is your favorite/most interesting firearm you’ve seen that works in spite of itself. (The design is absolutely crap, but for whatever reason the gun just keeps on working)

Anonymous

Hi Ian. I am building my own library of firearms publications. I was wondering if you could go over your library, showcase what your favorite books are.

Anonymous

What’s the difference between a rifle chassis and a stock?

Anonymous

Any plans to visit museums/collections outside of Europe and North America?

Anonymous

Thoughts on the US army moving away from the .50BMG in favor of the .338 Norma and replacing the Barrett M107 with their new MRADs?

Anonymous
>>40485948

It is still common procedure not to lubricate at least the machine guns in very cold climates

Anonymous

Has there ever been a shotgun that could feed from both a box and tube magazine?

Sons of Lorgar

Would you be interested in doing a video series on the technical highlights of post Napoleonic artillery development? I percive that most of the accessible "documentaries" are pop cultural sensationalist pieces full of hyperboly, as well as propagating erroneus assumptions, myths and cofirmation bias.

Anonymous

How has the rush on ammo over the last few months in the US changed any of your plans? Has it effected what guns you use in matches or what guns you choose to do "on range" videos for?

Joe Barrett

According to a Rock Island auction listing and a few other scant sources, the OSS delivered around 500 1861 Whitworth Rifles to Burmese Guerrillas during World War Two (sources provided below). Assuming there is any truth to this, would this be the oldest/most obsolete small arm given as aid or reissued by a nation? Keep up the good work. https://core.ac.uk/reader/4277450 page 101 http://www.cbi-history.com/part_vi_101_oss-3.html https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/74/3335/civil-war-whitney-us-navy-contract-model-1861-plymouth-rifle http://www.vgca.net/education/1861_PLYMOUTH_RIFLE_WORLD_WARII.pdf

Anonymous

While I'm familiar with numerous semi-automatic firearm arms with bolts that tip down, are are you aware of any where the bolt tips up to unlock the action? If so, were any of them commercially successful? Thank you.

Anonymous

Just watched your prototype FAMAS episode. How did you get access to the normally reticent Frech

Anonymous

Sorry, fat fingers on a phone. Normally reticent French Ministry of the Interior?

Anonymous

Does semi-automatic pistols still have an advantage over double-action revolvers when you only have six rounds in both of them, like with the bergmann 1910 that Denmark adopted for military use, if so what are they?

Carl

What is the current standard for a safe gun to carry? We've gone from hammer down to saftey to double action to partially cocked striker fired, to now fully cocked striker fired. How do manufacturers determine a gun is safe to sell as a sidearm.

Anonymous

The radius of the cuts on each of side of the front of the slide on the 1911, 1911A1 changed to a larger radius at some point, do you know why or when.?

Anonymous

You have a new video on the FAMAS. I was in Paris in 2017 and saw soldiers carrying them and the FAMAS had several buttons just ahead of the pistol grip, do you know what they are for? I have never seen a picture of this feature.

Anonymous

Were there any firearms which used tension springs rather than compression springs in their design? Most notably, in the recoil system. If not, why not?

Anonymous

Who is your favorite 'Guntuber' and why?

Anonymous

We know the ZIP .22 is the worst modern gun. How do you think it would stack up against muzzle-loading guns? Is the ZIP's fire -> un-jam -> fire cycle faster than reloading, for example, a Springfield Model 1861? How would other aspects, like accuracy, compare?

Ryan G

Inspired by your recent video with the .375 caliber rounds: When you see new cartridges with similar ballistics and sizes to existing cartridges (.376 Steyr vs .375 Ruger) how much do think this is born from legitimately trying to get better performance versus marketing effectively the same thing with a proprietary label?

Ryan G
>>40530852

Engineer here. This is a really cool question. Tension springs must have their ends retained, compression springs generally do not. I imagine the tension spring is less ideal for this application because that retaining piece at end of the spring would present a potential failure point and add length. I'm really curious if Ian has ever seen this and how it was accomplished.

Robert Socal

This is not a question. Just a remark. I have found that questions in Q&A posts are as interesting and thoughtful as answers.

Eki T

Ever played Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades? It's a semi-experimental VR firearm simulation with lots of interesting guns. I think you might like it.

Alfred Gawron
>>40483137

"Besides checking the headspace, is there something else I should specifically be looking for before I take it to the range?" - A better gunsmith? :)

Anonymous

Is there potential forgotten weapons content are we missing out on due to Youtube policies? Ex. prototype french interwar bump stocks

Anonymous

This is slightly outside your typical area, but I was wondering if you had any insight into why Gatling guns didn't re-appear in World War 2. In World War 1 electricity was obviously still not as easily available, byt by WW2 it seems like it should have at least been available on warships in sufficient amounts to power gatling guns, and with the abundance of air attacks in the Pacific I feel like someone should have remembered them.

Anonymous

Any chance of an English Gun laws video?

Anonymous

The MG34 and 42’s high rate of fire was largely for anti aircraft use. Do you think that such a high rate of fire was a hindrance in the ground roll, especially in the light machine gun configuration?

Anonymous

How much did 44-40 ammo cost in 1873? Did it compare favorably against .44 Henry and .56 Spencer? When we look at old west history I believe we often forget how the economics of the day shaped the choices people made.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481437

Castings generally are not as strong as forgings or machined billet. Ruger uses advanced metallurgy and heat-treatment to make close to final-size castings that are finish machined to spec to keep production costs down, but their firearms weigh more than an equivalent forged-receiver version would because the castings require thicker sections, etc. to make up for their random grain structure [ie, lower strength vs. forged part.] It can be difficult to meet prescribed weight limits w/ cast parts [e.g., in your cited case of M1 carbine.]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481454

Define "all-around?" Do you want to shoot cowboy-action style matches as some point? Then .357 magnum may be out of consideration [depending upon match rules, which may require cowboy-era chamberings.] Want to hunt something with teeth & claws? Again, .357 is out, you'll want something a bit stouter, like .45 Colt, one of the rare .454 Casull levers, or .45-70 [my pick, since in the end times you can roll your own BP to keep it running w/ little loss of efficacy! ;-) ] Are you looking for a lever gun to use as an urban carbine in parts of Okkupied Amerikka in order to fly below the radar? Then a .357mag option is ideal. Cheaper to feed than the others, has ~ the same hitting power as the .30 M1 carbine inside 100yds, etc. And of course, .357mag remains top of the heap for handgun efficacy if you can be satisfied w/ carrying a wheelgun.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481455

Because the ATF said so. No other reason. Now that the ATF has said uppers are firearms too, it's a case of "Look Ma, it's two, TWO guns in one!" %-p

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481542

.300 AAC [aka "blackout.] Karl has actually stated this straight out in one of their IRtv vids.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481588

Colt Walker revolver. Yes, it's really a .45, but they called it a .44...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481652

I'm guessing you meant to write "...offered digitally?" not "...written?" And as you said, the failure of copyright to be easily enforceable makes it unlikely until such future when you have a unique public key such that the digital copy would be encrypted & sold to you & you alone would be able to decrypt it, with a blockchain cipher incorporated into the text such that if you were to distribute a decrypted version it could be traced back to you. We're years away from that, and since the CCP, Norks, & other state actors who do not respect intellectual property would continue to undermine all forms of digital distribution as part of their day to day assault on the West, it still wouldn't likely work. Besides, books are better! :-)

Anonymous

Why was the CAWS project cancelled, and did any technological developments from the program in weapons or ammo (especially from H&K, Olin or S&W) show up in modern designs?

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481713

Too heavy. A 36# breech-block on top of the weight of receiver, barrel etc. is just too much to deal with. Locked breech actions are the way to go...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481778

Bigger holes are more lethal, but bigger diameter bullets experience more drag and slow down faster, ceteris paribus. If you have a bullet that is made out of some less dense media [say, soft iron] it is bigger [longer at same diameter] than an equivalent bullet made out of lead; this can affect the required twist rate to stabilize it. And the list goes on. It's always a trade-off...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481851

Hard to say, they were Soviets. Probably afraid of being shot for rocking the boat...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40481937

Seems more like a Karl-type question for InRange's next Q&A to me.. ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482131

If it is not able to be substituted for the firearm it replicates & still fire, it would not be a firearm receiver. [Ie, if you made a plastic AR airsoft gun & could drop an AR upper on it & it still could function, it's a plastic AR receiver, not a toy.] Otherwise, it's not a firearm & not regulated.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482163

Crusty old squids with one white eyebrow & a penchant for cigars? [Shout-out to Mark Novak of C&Rsenal Anvil fame! :-D ]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482206

Probably has something to do w/ the French govt. not selling off old surplus arms, and shipping any old kit off to their colonies where they were ground into dust from constant use, field losses, etc?

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482476

It was obsolescent at inception, since it was based upon an old Winchester black-powder loading [just w/ the rim removed and an extractor groove added, and run at higher pressure.] The only thing the .30 carbine needed was to be run at similar pressure to the .30-'06 and be a bottle-necked .25cal, and it would probably still be going strong...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482506

All this & more is revealed in "War Baby," vols. 1 & 2. [Which is overdue for a reprint, I suspect...]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482508

The Navajo nation vying to buy Remington has stated they'll cease production of assault-type rifles, so maybe they'll sell Bushmaster as a spin-off? If Freedom Group has any sense, they'll spin off BM ahead of the sale themselves, since the NN isn't interested in it...

Anonymous

Inspired by your Glock Mag video, is there any potential development that can be done to magazines? Is there any room for new and creative magazine designs to appear ?

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482584

Just get a Hi-Point carbine & be done with it. If you want a lever gun, you need to be content w/ shooting lever gun cartridge...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482679

Last I looked, they still had a few of the higher-$ versions left unsold at the site?

Bruce Brodnax
>>40482798

Durability, co$t, & advances in battery chemistry are the biggest factors...

Michael James Blum

What was the last "serious" cap-and-ball revolver ever introduced (placed into production)? I know there were "low end" muzzle-loading black-powder shotguns, rifles, and single-shot pistols offered up until at least WW1 ... but what was the last time a company or nation thought, "People want a cap-and-ball revolver?"

Bruce Brodnax
>>40483237

The M14 was oversold as a "do all things for all users" replacement for every small arm in inventory, which anyone with any sense could have told you was impossible. As far as "special sauce gone missing," I'm going to go out on a limb here w/ "pushing JCG out of the program." You'll note the Italians basically did exactly what JCG had proposed w/ the T20E4? with the BM-59 and it came into use faster and outlasted the M-14's (U.S. longevity) in their inventory...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40483309

Colt SAA? Either Colt or S&W issue revolvers in .38spec? I'd say "m1911," but that might not fit your "lever gun" preconceptions...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40483420

Jeff Cooper was adamant about manual operation for not only lightness, but for reliability and compatibility with marginal ammo, a wider variation of loadings, etc. I asked him a similar question to your own many years ago and was given the courtesy of a personal response. [The internet was young; I'm certain he would not have the time for such niceties were he still alive today!]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40483754

You just have to reconcile yourself to keeping your bound book straight and being aware the ATF can pay you a visit @ pretty much any time they want to verify your waterfowl are linear...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40483830

Neat! Looks like they took the He-Ne laser target designator designed for the American 180 ~ 20 years earlier and updated it for combat use. By then the U.S. was used Nd-YAG rod lasers in their field equipment, and of course, we've since moved on to solid-state [transistor] LED lasers... Got to love the advance of technology!

Bruce Brodnax
>>40483973

It's been done. The Lone Ranger and werewolf control concerns aside, the co$t is untenable, as well as the too high of a melting temperature and greater hardness creating wear issues militate against its use. The federal govt's. approach of using sintered silver dust to make their ammo for PUFF termination needs is a far more effective approach to trying to cast your own silver projectiles. [The obvious objection that silver is too hard for effective swaging scarcely needs to be stated.]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40484041

These were specifically used to overcome some of the portable hard points [steel plates] being used by the Boche in their trench lines to allow snipers to remain in one position. It worked for awhile, & then it didn't, as the armor, camouflage and engagement protocols evolved.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40484301

Explosives & a prepared field. Let the armored thugs come to you & be d@mned. Red mist them and waltz out your back door w/o even a sweat...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40484442

Johnson's multi-lug rotating bolt comes to mind. There's one in every AR-15 & -10 variant that's ever been made...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40484479

Josip Broz wasn't on Stalin's list of friends, so Yugoslavia didn't get the free technical data package offered to other Warsaw Pact vassal states...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40484725

"Project Lightening" fwiw, but I gave your Q a <3 so maybe he'll pick it? :-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>40485178

It's either handled on an ad-hoc basis by the frontline troops [e.g., WW2: U.S. troops capture German artillery, and use them on their erstwhile owners until the ammo supply is used up, then spike the guns & continue the advance] or captured supplies are condensed & reissued out of theatre [guard & police duties, etc.] Alternatively, if you're in the Marines in 1951 Korea and your TOE includes Thompson submachine guns and you want 12ga shotguns [lighter & more effective on night patrol], you trade them Thompsons to the Army troops for their shotguns & shells, & use the PePeSha's and any of their ammo you can pull off the Nork & Chinese corpses you ran into on night patrol w/ your 12ga as long as the ammo holds out. [My dad really wanted to bring the PPSh home, but of course, $200 was real money back then & where was he gonna get ammo for it once he was stateside?]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40485340

Early BP cartridge all used rebated bobos; iirc, the 1st handgun cartridge that didn't use a straight-thru bored cylinder was S&W's Model 3 in .44 Russian [.44 American was still rebated; the Russians wisely insisted on an internally lubed bullet.] The 22lr continues to use a rebated bullet because it is derived from the 22short, which goes back to 1857.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40485619

The USMC made the decision that was deemed the correct one for their needs; I don't think Ian's opinion on the matter will matter to them on iota one way or the other... ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>40485968

Depends upon the user. Wild Bill Hickock was known to have fired his guns daily, cleaned, & reloaded them for the coming day. Hot water, soap & oil [of course, in those days, every store had cans of whale oil for lanterns, the preeminent oil for light lubrication. Today's equivalent would be ATF, since that was compounded to replicate whale oil back in the '30s? '40s? when automatic transmissions were coming into use] were & are all that's required to maintain the BP firearm.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40487812

Yes. Covered in C&Rsenal's episode on the 1893? Colt double-action revolver.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40488050

I've heard the exact reverse of that story. Regardless, it probably depends upon his extensive shooting experience prior to his service and whichever rifle was closer in feel to his own rifle back home.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40488141

Ruger used to produce the AC556 for the French post FOPA '86 (Hughes Amendment) banning new machineguns for U.S. civilian purchase...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40488685

You can look up L. James Sullivan's patent on the constant-recoil principle for the formula you'd use to achieve that goal. And yes, it can be done. On a semi-auto AR, you'll get some nominal reduction in felt recoil [not total recoil impulse, just the perceived recoil] and noise [no "clacking" from the buffer hitting the end of the tube.] I would think it should have *some* benefit to semi-auto operation in rapid-fire, but whether it would be enough to merit the effort? That's a "suck it & see" sort of question, I suspect... :-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>40488939

Federov designed the Avtomat around the 6.5 Arisaka round because he couldn't get special ammo made up, so he made do with the closest alternative available to him. As for the rest of your question, the greater range & hitting power of the larger cartridges when fired from a machine-gun was undoubtedly the primary impetus behind shifting to larger rounds since the majority of the world's militaries were using manual repeaters as individual small arms and those were of minimal concern in comparison to the volume of machine gun fire expected to be delivered.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40489091

Dharma is an Australian Cattle dog, iirc. He's answered that question before, but it's been awhile...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40496909

Because criminals are like cockroaches, & usually come out at night. Handguns being primarily defensive weapons, the need to effectively use the at night drove the development of night sights. Meanwhile, the technical advances of NODs obviated the need for same on rifles in military usage.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40505058

Drill out the gas cylinder retaining screw? The Schuster gas screw can be used to do the same thing. Don't think there's any market room left for you. Sorry.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40508923

A spitzer bullet would add legs to the round, but how are you going to fit it in the magazine?

Bruce Brodnax
>>40511067

Depends upon caliber. For the bigger shells, the Gardner & Nordenfeldt guns worked better. In smaller calibers, the Gatling had superior firepower.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40513723

Could you expand on that claim? None of that is heard of in the English speaking world...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40516816

More links in the chain. Traditional triggers typically act directly on the sear. Bullpups have trigger, hinge point, transfer bar, another hinge point, some lever, then sear. Slop adds up...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40518383

The closed bottom and en-bloc clip loading were U.S. Army requirements from WW1 experience. Everything else pretty much just follows from there...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40519056

.40S&W [truncated cone] profile would be superior to 9mm & 45acp roundnose. 10mm is probably too much gun for most purposes [are there any bears left in CH?]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40521918

Rigidity and means of attachment [actions are bolted directly into chassis, whereas stocks are usually held in place by pressure.]

Bruce Brodnax
>>40524972

I'm guessing that the opportunity for a visit from Gun Jesus was just too attractive for a nominally Catholic country to ignore any longer! X-D

Bruce Brodnax
>>40538775

It wasn't until the advent of jet aircraft that the firing window became short enough to require electrically-driven firing solutions.

Anonymous

If the European Union ever evolved to having it's own military, what do you think would they choose for their service rifle, if they had to choose from existing rifles in service with all the member states as of 2020.

Anonymous

1) Did/do the French Foreign Legion receive the newest and best rifles or were they considered "rear echelon", or somewhere in the middle? 2) You and many others have mentioned that the US entered WW2 with a semiauto rifle, without the caveat that by 1941 Europe had already been at war for 2 years. In 1939, most European powers had either developed or adopted a semiauto rifle, but chose to arm their troops with bolt guns instead. If the US had entered the war in 1939 with everyone else, would US troops have been deployed with M1s or Springfields?

Anonymous

Not so much a question as a request. I like Czech firearms and history and happened upon this guy who has started a YouTube series called "Czechoslovak Gun Stories." He has already presented a wealth of information that I hadn't found in English-language sources previously. His channel is pretty small and I think it deserves more attention, I think a mention from you would do a lot for him. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbiw2UiGuuA5Hh0A3g75Djg

DaveJD

Jean Huon just published a fascinating piece on experimental French intermediate rifles in the immediate postwar years in the current issue of Small Arms Review. Do you know whether examples of some of these rifles still survive? Any chance you could get access?

Anonymous

Before the US entered WW1 there was a rapid-fire intermediate power rifle available: the Savage Model 99 in .303 Savage. Field stripping would have been a nightmare, but is there any other reason it wouldn't have been the most effective rifle in the war?

Anonymous

Yo Ian, where/when did you get that cool black cowboy(?) hat?

Anonymous

First of all, best regards from switzerland! As seen with the sr1 competition rifle by kalashnikov concern, do you see a possibility of the popularisation of balanced actions or similars systems of recoil compensation in the future? Is the extra complication worth the price?? (the sr1 is about 4000chf so 4200dollars) how does it compare to a high end ar-15?

Anonymous

Can liquid or gel propellant reduce case volume without loss in energy? Can it start new round in firearms development?

Anonymous

Do the French say, "Famas" or "Fama"?

Anonymous
>>40501311

The M249 SAW isn't what you think it is, or at least isn't used in the way you think it is. I say that not to you (I don't know you), but as a generality to how people seem to perceive it. It's theoretical advantage is providing a belt-fed machine gun down to the fire team level, but in order for that advantage to actually be an advantage you'd really need to have fire teams utilizing SAW's in the creation of base of fire during bounding or some other fire and maneuver element, AND (emphasis on that AND) you'd need them to be doing so in such a way that they were changing barrels or at least firing in such a way that the M249's heat sink capability (without changing bbls) outstrips that of an M27 equipped automatic rifleman to a significant degree. Or using them as part of a gun team. Or using them with tripods or off pintle mounts. In practice: (A) spare barrels are not carried for SAWs. They just aren't. And even if a gunner had one because their dick-headed leadership forced them to carry it for accountability of property reasons, nobody ever changes SAW barrels. It's just not a thing. An MG crew changes GPMG bbls as a matter of course, but automatic riflemen don't change SAW bbls in practice. Same token, nobody ever puts them on tripods or in pintles - yeah, you can, but you just don't. (B) M249's are SIGNIFICANTLY less reliable in a practical sense than closed bolt rifles/AR's, SIGNIFICANTLY harder/more time-consuming to change the feed device and/or clear rudimentary malfunctions, and SIGNIFICANTLY more awkward to bring to bear in close quarters fighting. These factors are so much so that SAW gunners are, as much as is practical, kept to the back of the stack in close quarters tactics. (C) Automatic Rifleman don't go cyclic very often and when they do, M249's, in particular worn or dirty ones require POPS interventions often enough that mag changes would equate to the same rate of fire given how much more reliable M27's are. Non cyclic, M27's and M249's can maintain the same practical rate of fire. (D) The magwell thing on M249's doesn't work. Yeah, you can get rounds off, but nobody plans on using that thing unless the choice is between that and a f****ng bayonet charge (E)M249's are heavy - roughly 9-10 lbs more than an M27 - that's ~300 rounds of 5.56 loaded in mags. Would you prefer a heavy, awkward, pokey, less reliable, slower to reload, harder-to-aim gun with less ammo? Me neither. (F) M249's are awkward to carry. They poke the user in all sorts of unpleasant ways and catch on kit in all sorts of unforseen manners. They are also generally carried "aircraft loaded" with a belt in the feed tray, safety off, and bolt forward on an empty chamber. This is because they are infamous for the bolt slipping off the sear and causing ND's and/or runaway guns - sometimes because of that charging handle catching on something, sometimes just from impact with ground, wall, or your f****g canteen. In practice though, this means they are slower to get in the fight. Patrolling through the woods this isn't really an issue, but in a near ambush or close quarters fight, it matters. (G) M249's require different pouches on the infantryman's kit, meaning that if the SAW gunner goes down, another member of his team/squad can get that extra firepower back in the fight, but has a hard time carrying the ammo for it because they just don't have pouches for it. You can toss a 200 rounder in your dump pouch, but bottom line is that picking up your SAW gunner's SAW doesn't really replace the automatic rifleman. (H) On top of that, the standard plastic 200 round drums are literally loud. The SAW gunner walking, or especially running makes hollow plasticky clunking noises as he does so. Also, in practical terms, on their kit (not in a backpack) SAW gunners rarely carry more than 500-600 rounds (yes, I too have seen the guy with two 200 rounders and another two nutsacks on his chest, plus a 200 rounder on each hip and a 200 rounder in the gun - but, lets be honest, most guys carry two drums on them and either a drum or nutsack in the gun, with everything else in the pack). 20 mags is much bulkier than three drums, but it's doable and the mags AND the gun are now fully interchangeable amongst members of the squad. (I) Lastly, cleaning and maintaining an M249 in a field environment is SIGNIFICANTLY harder than is an M27, especially when you consider that for purposes of static positional security, the current USMC idea of equipping all riflemen with the same gun as the automatic rifleman means that simply handing off an ammo bandolier maintains security posture during weapons maintenance / priorities of work. An M249 is not hard, per se, as belt fed weapons go, to clean in the field, it's just that an M27 is SO easy to field maintain. This is especially so in light of the static security posture priorities of work element given current USMC MTOE. Remember, SAW's are not GPMG's. They are used by automatic riflemen, not gun teams. They don't have tripods or Assistant Gunners. While they CAN be used as a support by fire, and undoubtedly, ad hoc use in this role is where they WOULD beat out an M27 equipped automatic rifleman, this is NOT how they are actually used, so for all the reasons above, they suck, and M27's make more sense. Now, if you want to talk the theoretically about an M27-equipped automatic rifleman vs hypothetical KAC LAMG equipped automatic rifleman.... well... that would be fun to do trials on.

Anonymous

In your opinion what is the best locking system for both rifles and pistols? Also, what is the least underrated?

Anonymous

Is there reason why all the .22 lr full auto guns have insane rate of fire? Same question for machine pistols?

Anonymous

Do you think that CMMG's radial-delayed blowback system has potential applications for intermediate or full-powered rifle cartridges, or is it best suited to pistol calibers?

Anonymous

Have you ever heard of the shooting sports Wingo? It was attempt to make a more urban friendly shooting sports. They only made one facility in Southern California.

Anonymous

Will there be a companion book to Chassepot to Famas on French military sidearms?

Anonymous

Was there any attempt to build an M1 Carbine in .223?

Bruce Brodnax
>>40593817

Sort of. Search ".224 Johnson Spitfire." Anything in that result should reference the Winchester experiments for the ORO that predated Johnson's formalization of that wildcat.

Bruce Brodnax
>>40561143

I though SAR went under a year or so back? Happy to hear I was mistaken!

Bruce Brodnax
>>40565676

.303 wasn't intermediate. I think you meant ".250 Savage..." ;-) And no, I'd actually proposed something to that effect in the comments one of C&Rsenal's videos on lever guns used in WW1... Glad to find someone else who thinks like me! :-) :t

Bruce Brodnax
>>40569410

Hard for us to compare prices in CH vs. what we're used to in the U.S., but a high end AR here is less than that. What kind of tariff does CH put on imported arms?

Bruce Brodnax
>>40572841

It's going to depend on if the following word starts with a vowel... EDIT: Uh, wait a minute: is FAMAS an acronym? If so, then they'd say "FAMAS..." %-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>40591366

Never! Wow, I grew up here in SoCal, & *I've* never heard of it before now! Thanks for that...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40547485

I seem to recall 1871 as a relevant date for that. S&W introduced the Model 3 in .44 American in 1870, and the transition was already underway. The big delay in the U.S. was that S&W's hold [via Rollin White's patent] on through-bored cylinders didn't expire until that time, so everyone else had to wait until 1872? or find some other work around until then...

Bruce Brodnax
>>40556363

The majority of the Army was still issued Springfields in 1939, but gas-trap Garands were being issued [which of course, led to the gas-port M1 we're all familiar with today in fairly short order! ;-) ] The Marines still retained the Springfield up until Guadalcanal, but they were Uncle Sugar's red-headed step child anyway, so were resigned to sucking hind teat regardless of what they may have wanted. But they did voice a preference for the greater accuracy of the Springfield until they saw the M1's volume of fire benefits for themselves, then they switched over ASAP.

Bruce Brodnax

Why are you asking a political history question of a technical historian? Also, Osama bin Laden grew up in a life of privilege in Saudi Arabia: what do you expect Al-Qaeda (his creation) has to do with the result of the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? As for the Taliban, their rise is indubitably linked to the U.S.' bungling of aforesaid aftermath; suggest watching _Charlie Wilson's War_ for the best Hollywood has to offer on that topic...

Anonymous

A long time ago, you mentioned that the Colt 1903 Pocket Hammer was a "concealed carry pistol-- ...sort of." From a modern perspective, it feels like that was the American Glock 19 in the American 9mm nearly a century ago. But I know that in the 20th century, Americans largely turned their backs on semiautomatic pistols and re-embraced revolvers to the point that the S&W Model 10 was the standard police and nightstand gun for generations. Why did uniformed and non-uniformed Americans largely reject semiauto pistols and turn to revolvers for generations before finally accepting compact semiautos again around the 1970s to 1980s, or am I misunderstanding the history?

Andrew Sebastian

Traditionally front sights on guns were attached to the front of the gun barrel but modern guns have been moving away from this. When did gun designers start decoupling the front sight from the barrel and what was the original justification?

Anonymous

Here is an easy one.. where do you stand on the current conflict in America? Demolition ranch or Kentucky ballistics?

Anonymous

What is the most unusual handgun chambering that you have seen?

Anonymous

Thoughts on using old guns for concealed carry? Things like the Astra Constable, Star BM, and Makarov are available, affordable, concealable, and shoot sufficiently potent rounds. Besides weight, are there any disadvantages to them in comparison to modern carry guns? Besides being cool and interesting, do they have any advantages to modern carry guns?

Anonymous

Any interest in some of the modern European hunting rifles that are mechanically unusual (Blaser, Krieghoff, Merkel, Chapuis etc.)

Anonymous

Do you think the rail gun technology could in the future be implemented in small arms?

Anonymous

Since a certain president has opened a space force, how do you think would the usage of firearms in space impact their design? Emphasis on recoil mitigation, cooling, would projectile velocity increase, advanced targeting systems, higher engagement ranges, new projectile designs (no aerodynamics) etc.

Anonymous

What do you think the chances are that the machine gun registry will one day be closed? Or the chances that machine guns will ever be banned altogether? When discussing machine gun ownership, many people on YouTube and gun forums usually discuss the "risk" of the registry one day being open or the NFA repealed, but no one ever seems to discuss the risk of machine guns being banned or the registry being closed or transfers "frozen", which would be equally devastating to their value. I know you own MG's (as do I) - just wondering if you ever worried about this? Thoughts? Thanks Ian, I greatly enjoy the content.

Anonymous

Hello Ian, I think I may have been visited by the good idea fairy. You've said that the Gyrojet series of guns didn't actually have a need for pressure bearing parts. You've also stated that you're doubtful of 3D printed arms (in the near future) because you can't make pressure bearing parts. What do you think about the idea of an almost entirely plastic 3D printed handgun (sans the firing pin and springs)? I feel the implications of such a gun provided ammo availability are interesting as a craft produced arm.

Anonymous

Is your logo the OSS Flying Dragon? If so why did you decide to use that specific “gun”?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, what are your thoughts on using light loaded 308 for shooting Spanish FR7 and FR8 Mausers which were re-chambered to 7.62 CETME? Particularly the FR7 which was based on the 1893 7MM Mauser. Apologies if this has been answered in the past, thanks for all you do!

Anonymous

Hi Ian. I've got two questions for you. The first is about surplus firearms. I've never bought a used firearm before, and I'd appreciate any tips or suggestions you can give on how to get started and not end up with something that is going to cost me too much and/or blow up in my face. What are the best steps to take to start and what sort of things are best to look out for when it comes to barrel/bore quality, stocks, etc. and what would be the best way to clean say a used M-1 Carbine? Also a second question, I think you've talked before about PPK having very heavy DA triggers but you seemed very pleased with the ones you were just shooting. Comments? Thanks!!

Anonymous

Hi Ian, My favourite part of your videos is the history of firearms procurement decision making. People online often claim that such and such procurement decision was 'wrong' for minor technical reasons, but when you dig into in your videos there are usually good reasons for the decision. That being said, could you explain one major firearm procurement decision which you think plainly chose the wrong gun, taking into account all relevant factors? Factors would include performance, cost, realistic availability of the competing firearm, national interest, and anything else you think should be relevant.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, after having some time spent with Nicholas Moran on machines mounted on tanks, I wanted to ask if you had to design a machine gun that was to be exclusively used on a tank and nothing else, what would it include?

Robert Socal
>>40647569

I think the problem of sidearms in space was well addressed in the TV show "Babylon-5". For skirmishes inside a space station the main problem is to keep the outer walls intact. So imaginary small arms of the future shoot plasma blasts that can kill or wound a human but dissipate on any hard surface, so they cannot ricochet or penetrate the station's walls.

Anonymous

Hey Ian. Something I’ve been pondering for a while now; Why were the Germans so late to the game in terms of adopting carbines/short rifles as standard infantry arms? While they issued shorter arms well back into the mid 19th century to second line troops/artillery/transport/etc, it seems that a ton of countries, especially those in South America (many of whom were getting their rifles from the Germans) adopted shorter sub-25in barreled rifles across the board for their entire militaries starting around the turn of the 20th century. It took Germany until the 1930s to do this. Basically, what did Germany see in the length of the standard Gewehr 98 and even earlier rifles that other countries did not? Thanks 🤙🏻

Anonymous

Hi Ian! First time questioning here. Did you or Karl had ergonomics and handling with the HK G36/T36? Also do you think the HK433 has better ergonomics then the G36?

Anonymous

Hi Ian!

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I just recently purchased an M1903 Springfield with a relatively low serial number around the 174000 range. The rifle shows a date of 8/1906 on the barrel and it appears to be in really good shape. I have been reading mixed opinions as to whether that rifle is safe to shoot. Some are of the opinion that you should never shoot the rifle and others are of the opinion that it is safe to shoot. I was curios to know what you think of low serial M1903 Springfield rifles manufactured well before the Great War and whether you personally would fire this sort of rifle. Thank you

Anonymous

Along with the other FR-8 question, I would like to know more "Official" facts on the development of the FR-7/8 rifles. Typically I have heard three ideas of why they were made. One: as a stop gap untill the CETME production could be in full swing. Two, a training rifle for the CETME,. and Three a second line rifle for those soilders that didn't need a CETME. The idea of them being used as a second line rifle makes more sense to me then the stop gap answer where they filled in until the CETME's could be made at a faster rate. The "commonality of parts" that is also regurgitated when it comes to the two bolt guns in relation to the CETME is nonsense as well. There are very few parts that exchange between the FR series and the CETME, they look similar but not the same. So basically your stripping a old Mauser bolt gun down to a bare receiver and replacing everything else, how is that faster or more economical then spending the money and resources on the CETME? Even parts between the FR7 and FR8 are minimal. Furthermore typically as a training rifle you want the manual of arms to be the same or similar to the rifle your'e training for, the FR series is nothing like the CETME in operation, maybe sight picture? What are your thoughts? Thanks

Anonymous

Was the Gabbet-Fairfax Mars a true semiauto? If not, how would you define actions like the Mars, the Franklin Armory Providence trigger/cycled thing, and other guns that rely of some manipulation of the trigger/other control to completely or partially cycle the action?

Anonymous

How would you outfit a WW1 army's small arms, if given the choice between: 1) every front line soldier armed with an M1 Garand, but period MGs/mortars. 2) Most front line and reserve troops with standard WW1 rifles/pistols/MGs/mortars, but would be able to arm a select amount of storm/assault troops with modern AR15/M16 variants and squad MGs like IAR/RPDs, all with modern optics.

Anonymous

If you could transplant one firearms designer to the present day, to develop guns with the benefit of modern designs and manufacturing, whose work would you be most interested in seeing?

Anonymous

If the Ar-15 is so great, then why has there never been an Ar-16???

Anonymous

What is the most ludicrously complicated firearm you have ever seen or heard of? Does not actually have to have been in production can be a prototype.

Han

Would it be possible to get videos of the Japanese Howa Type 64 and Type 89 rifles? I can find almost nothing about them outside of pictures.

Anonymous

Ian, have any of your commentors or followers ever said something so ridiculous it infuriated you? I know sometimes debates erupt in the comments section and keyboard warriors awake to the sound of chaos. I was wondering if any of them have ever gotten to you enough for you to say something. Thanks for providing a healthy hobby in these dividing times.

Anonymous

I was wondering how similar to each other are the Swedish 6.5x55 and the Swiss 7.5x55 ? That is to say the ballistics, PSI of the cartridge, hitting power, etc. for the military issued ammunition.

Anonymous

Thoughts on the "combat shotgun" concept as seen in the AA-12, USAS-12, etc? They are quite impressive to look at, but obviously never got anywhere - why did the designers think there was potential application for a fully automatic shotgun? I have also heard of a full auto Remington 1100 used by SF in Vietnam, have you ever heard of a surviving example?

Anonymous

Hey Ian, Finally got around to joining and supporting your channel on Patreon. Keep up the great work. Can you explain the benefits/disadvantages of both cock-on-open and cock-on-close types of bolt action systems? Thank you!

Anonymous

Please do various belt feed styles, cloth, dissolving link, etc.

Anonymous

Why did Colt move to make their AR platform rifles AWB compliant a few years before the ban took effect? Was it a political/public relations move or realizing that this ban was happening and updating their product lineups ahead of time?

Anonymous

What’s more important to you when restoring a firearm: collectors value, sentimental value, or just pure “I want to shoot this” value?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, recently I have been reading about synchronization gear for aircraft machine guns. Since it has become quite a "forgotten" concept because of introduction of jet engines (and aircraft machine guns becoming kind of obsolete), would you be willing to make a video or two about it?

Anonymous

Hi Ian.

Anonymous

A few years back i went to The husquarna factory museum in Huskvarna. They had among other things a few displays on how barrels were made. It was very interesting. Could you do an episod on The making and development of barrels produktion? Also has there been any giant leap or breakthroug in barrelmaking similar to The bessemer process in steelproduction?

Haris122

Might have been asked before, but being a fan of AK's I started wondering about a particular example in this regard, but the question also applies in a general sense. What is your thinking on having SAW or squad machine gun type weapons like the RPK for example which lack quick change barrel capability, when they replaced machine guns like the RPD that could switch out barrels more quickly and were belt fed? Do militaries consider squad level fire suppression type stuff to be of low enough magnitude to not necessarily require quick change barrel capability, or do they try to account for that by having barrels thicker/more capable of withstanding fire than designs that can change out barrels quickly? And if so, is this the case in terms of RPK vs RPD. Thanks.

Haris122

Damn, actually never mind, RPD's don't have quick change barrels. My mistake.

Matthew Jackson

In preparation for an upcoming Brutality match, you're reviewing the kit classes, and trying to stack the deck against Sinstral/Karl/Yourself by moving something normally allowed in an easier class to armored - what do you disallow?

David Hemsath

You may consider this redundant to your previous statements that Italy’s 6.5 mm Carcano cartridge in the Great War didn’t persuade any of the other belligerent powers to move away from their high power cartridges. I set aside France, which had to replace the 8 mm Lebel cartridge, but still didn’t go with an intermediate cartridge. Hypothetically, if Sweden had been a belligerent in WW I, do you think their excellent 6.5x55 cartridge might have won some hearts and minds amongst influential ordnance folks?

Anonymous

Ian, thank you for all of the wonderful content. I remember from a documentary they mentioned during the development of the 1911 pistol , Browning wanted to move to a hammerless design, but the cavalry didn't like that. Do you know if one of these was every built?

Anonymous

Do you have any experience with long-stroke piston ARs, and, if so, what are your thoughts on their pros and cons relative to short-stroke piston ARs? There are two brands I'm aware of that produce long-stroke piston ARs: Faxon, with the ARAK-21, and Primary Weapons Systems, with everything they make (including a budget option at just under $1000). But all of the videos I've been able to find discussing their pros and cons focus on the pros and cons of long-stroke piston guns *relative to the Stoner system*, and are largely indistinguishable from videos discussing the pros and cons of short-stroke piston ARs. This seems like a great opportunity for a true "all else being equal" comparison of short- and long-stroke piston systems, but I haven't been able to find any examples of guntubers actually doing that.

Anonymous
>>40911715

Also, ugh. I'm not a fan of the AR platform (I think it's highly practical, but still don't *like* it), but *keep* having broader questions I want to explore for which the AR platform's modularity and number of parts manufacturers make it an obvious choice for exploring them. Which wouldn't be a problem, except that I already have far more guns that I want to own and shoot in their own right than I have money to purchase . . .

Andrew Sebastian
>>40659303

It's actually just a random depiction of a gun not corresponding to any specific actual IRL firearm. Ian already answered this many times in various Q&As.

Anonymous

Ian: have you done a video on the Enfield America, Inc. MP45 pistol in .45acp? I haven’t seen one but I might have missed it. These pistols were only produced a couple of years in Georgia and the company was sued by the English Enfield Armory for use of its name. The company changed the name to Encom (I think) and closed shop after about a year or so. The pistol looks similar to a Tec-9 style pistol and used modified M3 grease gun mags. I purchased one a couple of weeks ago and can find no info on the internet about this pistol and it’s production. It would be cool to see a video from Forgotten Weapons about this piece of American firearms history. Thanks. Cheers, Randy

ForgottenWeapons
>>40932558

Funny you should mention it - I have not done anything on them, but one showed up on GunBroker just last week that I almost bid on.

Anonymous

Ian: Besides the Czech vz. 58, can you think of any other self loading rifles that have a similar linear hammer fire control group? Why don't we see a lot of semi automatic rifles with this type of design? Does it have to do with the locking system of the firearm? One would think the linear hammer system would be prevalent because it is simple in design and easy to manufacture.

Sam Brown

In terms of use as a modern, first world HMG/GPMG, does the existence of the Kord-12.7 and it’s ability to be fed ammo from either side inherently render the M2 Browning as a competing platform obsolete?

Sam Brown
>>40985712

As well I’d like to ask: given the waning relevancy of automatic, compact pistol caliber firearms against modern body armor, in what direction do you see smaller caliber ammunition heading towards in the future, and from which direction? Through upscaling/upgrading modern pistol caliber designs? Or through the creation of some Sub-Intermediate Caliber cartridge?

Andrew Sebastian
>>40943135

Chinese Type-95 series. There are two FW videos of the Type-97 export version. Russian AN-94 also uses a linear hammer and there's also a FW video on it. The linear hammer is not preferred because it needs a separate spring for its operation and by extension a tube structure for housing the spring, plus it normally takes up space behind or inside the bolt carrier and/or bolt, requiring either a shorter bolt carrier body (like the Type-97) or a hollow bolt (like the Vz.58), or a housing inside the bolt carrier (like the AN-94). The spring for the linear hammer has to be separate because in a self-loading rifle you don't want to anchor the linear hammer spring to the bolt carrier or the bolt. If the spring is tied to either, its tension after the hammer is caught by the sear would bleed energy from the forward movement of the bolt group, slowing down the group's movement and reducing its authority when trying to lock. If the linear hammer spring is tied to the bolt carrier, there is also the potential problem of two springs fighting each other when the bolt is locked, potentially causing the bolt carrier to retract if the balance of tension is broken by rough movement or impact on the weapon.

Anonymous

Ian Hopefully not late to the party, but do you ever see the US switching away from the AR15/M16/M4 platform for long arms?

Anonymous

This is not really a question, but rather two minor gun related gripes that have been a small bother to me, and may be worthy of some brief discussion. First, know that I read a lot of fiction, and whenever an action sequence including gunfire is narrated, the author almost invariably will include "the smell of cordite" in his or her description. We know this description is absurd, and that there are few, if any folks still alive that can remember the smell of cordite since it's last use was in British rifle ammunition made prior to WWII. I wish that every aspiring writer's symposium would impart this bit of knowledge to all attendees and that would gradually wean all writers away from using this incorrect and antiquated phrasing. My next little pet peeve involves expert discussion of firearms designed with fluted chambers, like the CETME, and many others, The expert will almost invariably refer to these chambers as "fluted to aid extraction", when in fact the chambers are fluted to RETARD extraction in action designs with less than optimally secure lockup. The fired case partially flows into the chambers' fluting, and is held in place fractionally longer than it would be in a smooth chamber, imparting a slightly longer lockup time to an action design that can benefit from the extra help. I recently read that there are some types of fluting that actually speeds extraction, but have never heard anyone mention a real example. Maybe you could clear this small but important point up. Please feel free to ignore or edit my long winded pet peeves as you see fit. And I thank you for your singularly grand contribution to firearm collectors and shooters everywhere. DanM

Anonymous

What is the meaning of life?

Anonymous

Did you consider the release of your book CHASSEPOT TO FAMAS in a numerical format such as epub? While very practical for people like me who don't maintain a library and would have a hard time getting the book all the way into Asia, I understand the inherent copyright concerns. Whichever the answer about that particular book, do you consider it for other current or future books of Headstamp Publishing?

Anonymous

What is the back story of the M91 Dragoon (i think?) on your wall I've seen in previous Q&A videos. Namely Q&A #16. I'm asking because I have a M91 Dragoon that was made by Fox Arms (a subcontractor of New England Westinghouse) that has a Tikka rebarrel with Finnish SA marks. I was wondering if yours had some goofy story to it too.

Anonymous

If I was learning to shoot a handgun in 1920 I would likely be told to shoot from one hand with an extended arm. Today in 2020 I would be told to shoot in an Isosceles stance (or maybe Weaver or Center Axis Relock). These stances seem to be relatively new. Why didn't we see people shooting with two hands grips earlier? And what sparks the development of a new shooting stance? There doesn't seem to be a reason someone in 1920 could not have fired a pistol from a 'modern' stance. (PS I would love to see an Inrange video on how the 4 stances I mentioned behave on a clock)

Anonymous

If you could combine features from revolvers of the day as Tuco in "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" did, which parts would you choose and from which guns. (I'm sorry if this has been asked before) "REVOLVERS..."

Anonymous

Do you think that there are any military surplus firearms available in the U.S. today that are decent values mechanically speaking? That is, if you were to remove all historical importance and collector value, would the price be reasonable for what the firearm is capable of? Obviously the prices and availability of surplus firearms has changed over the years. I am just not confident that there are any good "values" left, compared to what is offered on the commercial market.

Anonymous

Hey Ian, I recently noticed that you don't update your videos description with the hammer price anymore, is there a specific reason or is it just not worth the effort anymore? Love your content greetings from Germany.

Anonymous

Is there any possibility of a second print of your book? I was not able to purchase during the pre order period, but I'm still interested

Anonymous

Its my understanding that a SAWs purpose is to lay down suppressing fire and not necessarily to hit individual targets. Would it be better/practical to have a SAW that shoots a less powerful but smaller and lighter round, that would allow the gunner to carry more ammo? If the goal is suppressing fire, does it really matter how effective the round is?