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Questions for the September Q&A? (Patreon)

Published:
2020-08-24 18:44:48
Imported:
2021-03

Content

What would you like me to answer?

Comments

Anonymous

Which small arm has the longest official military use, from date of adoption to when it was phased out? Thanx

Anonymous

Worst experience traveling. I travel for work as well and wondered what stories you have gained from the misadventures of the past.

Anonymous

Do you ever feel like your collection is "too much"?

Anonymous

Mosin Nagant rifles and they’re variants. Why are they bad, and why are they “sort of” good?

Anonymous

Hi Ian...What gun has made you think...."what were you thinking" either in terms of complexity or just sheer craziness.

Anonymous

Ian, in central and south America is there more 9mm or 45acp ammo in your opinion? Seeing that many nations adopted both through the years.

JSluka

Modern attempts at building 9mm AK variants strikes me as being similar to attempts made by Colt to build 9mm carbines around the AR-15 platform (eg DOE Colt, RO633), in that they KINDA work, but are less effective than purpose built solutions. Are these attempts actually intended to produce working 9mm carbine solutions for military applications, or more geared towards the American shooting sports market?

Ryan D Thorne

Can the Crye Precision Six12 be considered a Forgotten weapon?

Anonymous

Why do you think FN never really tried to get into the revolver market?

james Kachman

Best books on the M60 GPMG? Already read Random Shots and it seemed kind of shallow.

Anonymous

Hello Ian, I love your content. Would you be willing to do a video about aircraft machine gun synchronizers? I think they are a really neat and somewhat forgotten weapons-related concept.

Scott

I bought some Agua Chiltepin that you drank in the last video because after looking it up, it sounded delicious. Besides drinking shots of it in the morning, do you have any suggestions or recipes that make use of it's unique flavor?

Anonymous

What semi-auto operating system is quietest to suppress?

Anonymous

Do you have a favorite gun-related 'oof realization'/bit of gun-related irony? For example, my favorite is how the Whitney Wolverine was arguably sabotaged by being advertised mostly in sales literature (thus you could only go off the picture and not its handling characteristics), but today, there's definitely a group of people who would buy a Whitney Wolverine just for its swoopy looks... 64 years too late for it to do Whitney any good.

Anonymous

You frequently say that the price of producing reproduction firearms would be cost prohibitive. How is it that the Italian manufacturers can produce such inexpensive reproductions of Old west guns, but WW1 and 2 guns are cost prohibitive to reproduce.

Anonymous

What is the rarest firearm you've ever seen that's been bubba'd/completely ruined? Or what is the most disappointing you've ever seen? I.e. a bubba'd colonial berthier

Almeida

Considering current events leading to the gun/ammo panic, what is your "boog" or "luau" gun and set up?

Verdha

Do you still end up hearing cases of myths and Fudd-lore being perpetuated about certain military small arms (ie Japanese, Italian, French small arms) on a regular basis, or is it a trend that’s becoming less and less common or frequent?

Anonymous

How’s your precision rifle coming along?

Anonymous

Is there any way to get a hold of the Sjogren 7mm semi auto in the Royal Armouries collection?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, About pistol bolt locking system: which one is the best and which one the worst for combat environvent? And which one would you choose for a competition that requires good precision?

Anonymous

Did anyone ever try and convert a chauchat to belt feed if not do you think it would be possible

Perseus Barahona-Molina

Have you ever turned down something that you didn't feel comfortable doing a video on? Such as a something with questionable legality.

Anonymous

Second time asking, 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?

Andy Maidment

I recently saw a Ruger Deerfield carbine, which is like an unholy combination of a 10/22 and Mini-14 in 44 magnum. The rotary magazine got me thinking...I was an early adopter of .357SIG and it's always saddened me how hard it is to find a PCC in the caliber. But could the Calico's magazine, which isn't the same rotary but has a similar idea, solve the issues with .357Mag's rim in an autoloader?

Anonymous
>>42766228

C&Rsenal has a pretty good video on the Mosin, and another on variants.

Anonymous

The design and engineering behind the P90 really intrigue me, especially the magazine, which transitions the rounds from storage perpendicular to the barrel to feeding them in line with the barrel. Are there any other magazines like the P90's, or any other examples of really unique/interesting/goofy magazines you've come across?

Anonymous

Is there a reason the armed services have bought purpose built 7.62 semiauto sniper rifles instead of accurizing the m14 or ar10 platforms?

Anonymous

When you run your Enfield revolver, have you used .38/200 or .3802z ammo specifically or always with standard .38S&W? If not I think a comparison of the two fired side by side could be interesting.

Anonymous

Which of your videos are you most proud of? Are you surprised (or disappointed) by the popularity (or lack of) of any videos?

Timothy Conklin

In your video discussing the development of the CMMG Banshee and it's unique radial delayed blowback system you mentioned that the development team had conceived of three ideas for a delayed blowback system. What were the other two ideas that were considered but ultimately rejected?

Anonymous

Based on your current observations, are you under the impression that the Calico's reputation for being unreliable may, in a large part, be due to operator error?

Anonymous

2nd time asking. Which guns have turned out to feel completely different to what you anticipated from looking at their design and mechanism?

Anonymous

What resources did you use to translate the Ge'ez and Amharic inscriptions on the various rifles imported from Ethiopia? Any good recommendations on resources about the history of Ethiopian weapons?

Anonymous

What is the most copied pistol model. I assume it is the 1911, but would be interested to know if not. I am aware that Glocks are the most produced pistol, but that is by one manufacturer

Anonymous

Would the French have retained the advantage longer if they had adopted a 5 Shot Berthier in 1886 instead of the Lebel?

Anonymous

G'day Ian. Was the Volcanic rocket ball type caseless ammunition ever attempted in more powerful form, more equivalent to contemporary rifle loads? Was the concept up to handling such power given period materials and construction? Thanks.

Timo Fiebich

What was the most over-engineered feature on gun that you know of/encountered (over-engineered as in solving a problem with an overly complex method when a simple one is just as fine)?

K. D. Campbell

What are your thoughts on holsters for concealed carry? Appendix, 4 o’clock, claw, IWB, etc?

jubs

Asking for a second time: 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?

Anonymous

I recently bought a USAF marked K-38. Can you recommend a good book about US military Smith and Wessons or (relatively) modern US military revolvers that would shed some light on this firearm?

Eki T

I feel like the G11 gets a lot of unfair flak for its complexity, when it seems like a lot of it comes from the requirement for the salvo mechanism. What do you think a semi-auto G11 mechanism would look like?

Anonymous

Although most military arms show up in collectors' hands through official surplus programs, some were carried off as war booty or (I suspect) just fell off the truck. Has a nation ever attempted to reclaim guns that passed out of its hands unofficially?

Dayhiker42

What is the most interesting interplay between firearm and ammunition creating limitations you've encountered? The one I deal with most often is limited chamber pressure of the 6.5 Grendel due to bolt material thickness in the AR15.

Malik Lucas

Many people talk about how increadible the life span of the 1911 has been, but the Smith and Wesson Model 10 has been around for over a decade longer, why do you think the Model 10 has managed to remain so popular in spite of over 100 years of firearm development?

Jared Rypka-Hauer

Hey Ian, welcome back to the Patreon comments section! I am your host for this particular question, Jared. And I think this is a really interesting one... So I recently watched a video by LunkersTV featuring a contest shot by real snipers, purportedly testing a “Dragunov” vs an authentic M-24 that had seen service in Iraq and Afghanistan for “penetrating power, knockdown power, and accuracy”. But... they couldn’t get a real “Dragunov” so the actually used a PSL 54... there was a lot of controversy in the comments about it being a substandard replacement for a “real Dragunov”... as well as questioning the results of the “contest”. Wondering if you could comment on the differences between the PSL and the Dragunov sniper variants, why pitting any of the PSL-54 variants against the M-24 may or may not be a fair comparison, how the Dragunov would have fared better, etc? I know that’s an open ended question... feel free to rephrase or edit as you see fit. In case you’re interested, the video in question can be seen here: https://youtu.be/F4RImZFVNFA

Sons of Lorgar

As a thought experiment, do you think it would be possible to build a working WH40k style "Boltgun"? And what would be the most feasible way to overcome the problems inherent to a ~12gauge miniaturized rocket/missile ammunition with or without a cased/caseless explosive primary propellant?

Robert

What is your take on the Next Generation Squad Weapon: Possible future rifle of the US Army or just a fun new play list coming to Forgotten Weapons soon?

Anonymous

Though they all claim to have polygonal rifling, When I examine the barrels of a Glock or H&K USP, or even a Desert Eagle, they look quite different to my untrained eye. Could you please discuss the differences or advantages of the various polygonal rifling types in common use?

Upside-down Hat IV

Would you consider putting a rds on a tokarev to be unethical? They will dry up at some point, but for now they are still available.

Anonymous

What's more annoying, when your MAS 38 jams or when youtube runs ads on your videos?

Anonymous

If The USA invented the AK would it still be in use?

Anonymous

In honor of your new book in your opinion what is the most successful domestically designed Chinese pistol produced? Alternatively what is the worst domestically designed Chinese pistol? If none come to mind then what is the best improved copy of a European or american designed pistol that was produced in china?

Anonymous

Your access to famous collections like the Pattern Room and the Gray Room results in excellent firearm videos I watch in my Living Room. Which museums or gun collections in the USA or Europe would you recommend that are accessible to the average guy that is very interested in WW1 and WW2 firearms ?

Anonymous

What would you say the greatest innovation in small arms development has been in the last 20 years?

Anonymous

Do you think the KP15 could be a good lower for the US military if they for some reason felt like cutting cost/trying something different?

Anonymous

You’ve answered a few questions about the StG-44 recently. It got me thinking. How do you feel it would hold up against other current military rifles if it had been given the same chance at development like the AK and AR series of rifles? Provisions for mounting optics and other accessories, re-chambered in a more svelte cartridge (5.5 kurz?) etc?

Anonymous

I am currently building a research list for a hobby project about (western) police special forces (SWAT, GIGN, GSG9 etc.) - thanks to your videos I already know about the MR73 Sniper Revolver the GIGN used, do you know of any other odd gear choices made by such units? Do you have any book recommendations on the topic?

Ryan Butler

Why does the M4 and even M4A1 persist in having a rifle grenade attachment point at the end of the barrel when the US hasn’t used rifle grenades since Vietnam at the latest. I get the original idea when the M16 was fielded where NATO interoperability was necessary in the face of the Red Army. But aside from the French I don’t believe any of our NATO allies used them either. In the history of the M4 I’d wager a pay check no one has fired a rifle grenade from the muzzle in anger. Yet they persist in adding that to the barrel.

Anonymous

What’s the story on the Knight’s 63A Stoners? I know he mfg’d 100 or so transferable examples and some additional receivers but did he run out of parts? Were parts acquired from the US Gov’t?

Frizzen

How do armies typically supply ammunition for captured, leased or repurposed weapons? Is it generally handled on the line-unit level (scrounging captured ammo) or is it more organized? Thinking specifically the Finns during Winter/Continuation/Lapland Wars.

MegaChimp

Would the 1941 johnson rifle have made a better candidate for conversion to a sniper rifle than the garand, considering you would not have to offset the scope like on the garand

commandZee

What's the story behind MultiCam? Why do so many military branches and forces use it?

A premium hog

What is your filming process like? Do you try and do all the wide shots for all the guns you're doing that day and then do close ups on each? Or do you just film each gun in the shot order we see in the finished product?

Anonymous

Designs where the whole bolt tilts to lock - such as the Lee Navy or the FAL - have, for the most part, done a better job of withstanding the test of time than designs where a block attached to the bolt tilts to lock - such as the Mannlicher 1886. The exception to this rule is the BAR and it's descendant, the FN MAG. What has given that lineage greater staying power than other designs with similar locking mechanisms?

Anonymous

1. Out of all bolt action rifles which made it into service, which one would you choose as your individual weapon (supposing there's no problem with ammunition availability) for trench and maneuver warfare? 2. What books on rifles made between 1886 and 1945 can you recommend? 3. What was the potentially most dangerous gun malfunction you've ever had?

Anonymous

Any project on writing a book on the Chauchat? (Even a little book and not 500 pages! ;) )

Anonymous

What in your opinion are the most interesting budget collector firearms? Ones that Don’t bust a grand but still have a great deal of value historically speaking?

Anonymous

repeat q: given the increasing difficulty of obtaining firearms in many areas and the potential longevity issues of polymers, how do you feel about polymer framed firearms from a long term perspective? I have 120 year old steel frame guns I shoot, but I'm not sure any polymer is going to last that long.

Anonymous

What advantage does a piston AR-15 have over a DI one? Is seems to me that they don’t really offer that much of a practical advantage but make the rifle much heavier and more complex. And if there is an advantage with a piston rifle, would an AR-18 pattern rifle be a better package overall

Anonymous

Can you discuss US legal status of pistol-carbines. It seems that 40 years ago, Mausers and Lugers with holster stocks were considered the same as deadly sawed-off rifles and people where grinding off stock lugs. Now I see them on the tables at gun shows. What changed?

Anonymous

How did you first get access to H&Ks grey room?

Zachary Eggebeen

Who were the major manufactures of "budget" firearms in the Unite States, particularly pistols throughout history, particularly smaller pocket revolvers . A lot attention gets paid to the big manufacturers like Colt, Smith & Wesson, Remington, etc. We have heard of of the Iver Johnsons and Hopkins & Allen, but were there other suppliers? How did these change over the years as the switch was made from revolvers to semiautomatic pistols?

Anonymous

Why did the French use solid bronze bullets through WWI? Was this more economical for them than lead, or was there another reason?

Anonymous

do you use cue cards and / or notes off camera when you are giving detail history of a gun or do you just remember it all?

Rob Schneider

What is it about the French guns particularly that sparks your interest, as opposed to the German, Swedish, or other nationalities?

Deviant Ollam

The FN 5.7×28 round seems like it's one of the few instances of a rebated rim which aren't tied to an already-existing firearm which is being adapted to a larger bore projectile. Is it known why FN opted for a rebated rim when they developed this cartridge?

Anonymous

Reguarding the recent legal trouble the NRA is in. If the NRA dissolves, what will happen to the firearms in the NRA museums? Will the NRA attempt to auction them off to pay for legal fees? Do they even own them?

Anonymous

It's often emphasized on here and on InRange that the differences between modern-day wonder nines are pretty much negligible, but also that the AR is currently best platform available while its competitors (like the AK platform) remain merely functional. In the case of first and second world war bolt-action rifles, which paradigm do they fall into? Is the 'gap' between a Mosin, Mauser 98, Arisaka, and Carcano akin to the 'gap' (or lack thereof) between M&Ps, Glocks, and CZs, or is there enough variation/innovation between them to give any a substantial edge?

Anonymous

I loved the videos on the Škorpion vz. 61. Looks like a really cool gun. It fires .32 ACP, which seem totally inappropriate on the battlefield in the age of nearly ubiquitous body armor. But .32 ACP was created for small pocket pistols. The Škorpion vz. 61 would seem to be much more rugged than these and has actual barrel length. Would an upgrade of .32 ACP, specifically for a reboot of the Škorpion vz. 61 platform, allow .32 ACP to come back into a combat role?

Anonymous

I'll keep trying until you get sick enough of me asking this question and give me an answer. Is there any specific reason most automatic rifles are internal hammer fired and most modern handguns and bolt rifles have a striker system or is it just a "it works lets keep doing it" kind of thing

Frizzen

The story of the Triplett & Scott repeaters may satisfy this question. They were produced by Meriden Manufacturing, and the only ‘large’ order made were for a Kentucky militia contract intended for duty guarding trains, purportedly. If I recall correctly, it was the end of the US Civil War, and the Meriden factory or warehouse in Connecticut ended up burning down (along with a substantial number of the guns and machinery) under suspicious circumstances or something of the such. Due to the rapid changes in the technology at the time, and the fact that their production line was ruined, they gave up making the guns. My memory isn’t what it used to be, so bear with any inaccuracies to that retelling. Hopefully someone with much more knowledge than I can add more or correct any mistaken info above.

Deviant Ollam

How much deviation/tolerance is possible on projectiles before problems start to manifest with respect to engaging rifling, gas blowby, or failure to travel down the bore? Have supply chain problems ever resulted in slightly less than ideal projectiles pressed into service under less optimal size matching?

Anonymous

Something I’ve wondered is that sometimes on older guns, they could be chambered for a proprietary cartridge. Why wouldn’t a firearm designer, especially small scale ones, choose an already existing, successful, and accessible round to build a gun around instead of going through the work of designing one from the ground up? I’d imagine it would be preferred to the designer for that reason, and eliminate the cost of finding someone to produce them. It could even be desirable to a consumer, or a military, as they might find an existing cartridge easier to get ahold of or perhaps they already have them

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

With the invention of fast burning / high energy / pistol smokeless powders, do you believe the volcanic / rocket ball concept could ever be worth revisiting as a defensive handgun or rifle caseless ammunition solution?

PHAZE

Someone in the comment section on the Chinese Type 64 video asked an interesting question, which I will paraphrase here: Did you know that none of the three screws involved in disassembly actually came out in advance? If not, how difficult was it to figure out what they actually did?

Anonymous

Do you have any concrete plans to collaborate more with Maxim Popenker?

Anonymous

Second time asking this question. If the M1 Carbine and the SKS where to go head to head, what are the pros and cons of both systems and which would be your go to gun?

Anonymous

Maybe the episode on the select-fire Ross held the answer; were/are there any (other) fan-cooled small arms?

Anonymous

I have two unusual WWII bring-back Japanese bolt-action rifles (a Type I and a "cavalry-length" (non-carbine) Type 38). I am not interested in selling them as they were brought back by my grandfather when he was a USN officer and therefore have sentimental value, but I am interested in having them appraised and keeping them in the best condition possible for future generations. Not sure about trying to get them to shoot. What do you recommend doing first and/or who do you recommend contacting? Someone else in the family suggested using silicone spray on all of the metal parts to protect them from moisture, is this a bad idea?

Rory

The 50/200 zero. In The Spuhr B.A.M video it shares a zero, I understand the bullet crossing the sightline of the scope twice, once once down. What I don't understand is how it can be true enough to have a universal attachment. Surely barrel length, bullet grain, powder load and rifle twist rate will all impact this. Do gun companies set the bore offset at the design stage so that the 50/200 zero is true?

Anonymous

Having handled so many different firearms, have you ever experienced an accidental or negligent discharge? Other than the usual safety recommendations, do you have any additional advice to prevent these things from happening? Thanks in Advance. -Will

Anonymous

You’ve been tasked to design a rifle comprised of what you think are the best components of the G3, FAL, and M14. What does your final rifle design look like?

Kyle Pocock

What are some of your favorite weapon optics both modern and historic?

Jeffrey Allan Beeler

What can you tell us about Allied grenade launchers in WWI? How were they created and used?

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.

HJA

Would you consider taking high-detailed photographs of the weapons you examine (ideally including a metric ruler) and selling the albums on gumroad or gating them behind a patreon tier? CGI artists would love you even more.

Anonymous

It's been said that this is the "Golden Age" for concealed carry weapons, but all the "pocket" pistols today seem to be variations on the same theme. In the time period from 1900-1920, on the other hand, there were lots of different takes on the concept - the classics Colt Pocket Hammerless, but also things like high capacity (Savage) unusual operating systems (Schwarzlose) and all kinds of variations in between such as the H&R pocket pistols, Webley pocket autos, Remington Model 51s and even ugly ducklings like the Warner Infallible, and the S&W .35 auto. I'm interested in your thoughts on the various advantages/disadvantages of the pocket autos generally available at the time, and what you would carry if you were there?

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

When full/semi-automatic firearms were first being developed many of them had the gas operation handled with a rod, or other mechanism, that when under the barrel. Likely unintentionally, this kept the bore/sight offset relatively minuscule. Today the vast majority of full/semi-auto firearms don't have this and most also have a fairly high bore offset. Is there a reason that so many firearms are now developed with the operating mechanism over the barrel rather than under? Is there any future for firearms that have the operating mechanism based under the barrel?

Anonymous

Are the

Anonymous

What is the longest distance shot you have made? Please elaborate caliber/platform/situation details.

Anonymous

Were "war" trophy's brought back by soldiers returning from the Punitive Expedition into Mexico in 1916 and if so, what should someone look for in trying to find an example, be it a Mexican Mauser rifle or other Mexican issued arms.

Arthur Hsing

Repeat from last month: 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

Has there ever been something akin to a selector switch designed in the same way as a grip safety? I feel like system would have been feasible and possibly even practical for LMGs and Battle Rifles of the WW2 through Cold War era.

Anonymous

It appears that a lot of the rifle and SMG mechanisms employed by the Germans in WWII were the inspiration for a lot of post war development, both from Western powers and the Soviets. Were these true German innovations or do they reflect the know-how obtained from invading places like the FN factory.

Anonymous

In the past, you have explained why traditional rotating bolt straight-pull rifles lose any speed advantage over a traditional bolt rifle. It would seem to me that a rifle such as the 1895 Lee Navy or the Heym SR30 would be ideal for hunters who need a fast follow-up shot ex. Hog hunters or dangerous game hunters, as well as snipers in the military. Why haven't we seen something like this?

K. D. Campbell

Why did SOE want Ballester-Molina pistols in the first place? Couldn’t they just have gotten guns from Lend-Lease or was it for deniability purposes?

Anonymous

What 'unsuccessful' small arms (going back to WW1) might deserve a second look now, if they were built using modern materials. World militaries are constantly changing the ammunition caliber they use, as they search for the 'perfect' infantry round; so looking at earlier operating system is very reasonable. Any thoughts?

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

Were there any successful attempts at a "universal" weapon mounting system before picatinney? How far back does that concept go and how did we end up with picatinney?

Anonymous

Why there aren't more rifles with hexagonal rifling like the Whitworth rifle? Too expensive? Too hard to reload?

Anonymous

With your knowledge of firearm mechanics, engineering, chemistry and metallurgy, if you had a time machine and became the head of the Arsenal system in 1805, do you think you could influence the firearms of the day? Ie introduce self contained cartridges, bolt action rifles etc.

Falling Steel

Have any foreign militaries, current or historic, used US-made arms that were not adopted by domestic agencies? (Fictional example: France using a Colt as an issued sidearm that was not used by any US military organizations).

Falling Steel

Is the FAMAS safety also able to convert for left-handed shooters? Why did they make the right-hand shooter default Full Auto, requiring a second hand to switch from Safe to Single Fire?

Anonymous

Short question, why do you think some people have very strong bias toward or against some guns, military planes or tanks, even when strong evidence are presented to them ?

Anonymous

What books would you recommend for someone (me) who's been bitten by the Winchester lever action bug and wants to start collecting?

Anonymous

There were experiments to convert bolt actions to semi auto rifles during WW1; what about converting straight-pull rifles to semi autos? With the action only traveling in one direction, one would think it would be easier to convert. Why was this not the case?

Anonymous

Repeat: Do you ever plan to do a video on the Daisy V/L caseless .22 air pump rifle?

Anonymous

Question 1: How long does it take to do the research for a video, and how portable is that process? Has there ever been a time when you've had to pass up on a gun that you couldn't do justice, but could have done if you'd know about it a couple of days earlier? Question 2: What would you say is the most mechanically unique and interesting firearm being manufactured new today (not a reproduction)?

Anonymous

I really enjoy the backup gun matches that are run. Everyone usually has a backup gun to run that type of match. Ever considered running a two gun home defense match with a backup handgun and a shotgun?

Anonymous

Do you think that smoothbore flechette/FSDS small arms development like SPIW has a place in the world with the increasing commonality of body armor.

Anonymous

What would be a weapon (from your personal collection or not) that you know may not be best design ever, but you would take it and defend it to the last breath anyway, just beacuse no given reason. Either you love it so much, maybye it is a historicaly/mechanicaly interesting piece, family heirlom or is just the coolest one that ever exists for you personaly. For example my pick would be my trusty Samopal VZ. 58 for its overall proven quality and historical connection to my country, or my dug up Lebel R35 carabine made during Great War 1915 (according to data in Chassepot to Famas, thank you btw. had trouble for years dating this rifle), then reworked to carabine and then somehow ended up here in Czechoslovakia in my home town, where my grand dad found it years and years ago when working on building foundations.

Anonymous

What is your full opinion on the 1911A1? I have picked back up shooting (mostly because of you and Carl) and I found that I can shoot very well with the 1911 more then a 9 mm or my old S&W Victory .38 Special.

Anonymous

How could a stationary mount point for a RDS from older handgun designs be adopted for some the most popular modern handguns?

Anonymous
>>42770767

Check out Small Arms Solution the history of the 1913 rail.

Anonymous

Is there a reason Spanish military markings appear to be quite mysterious? Was Franco particularly secretive about this, or is it that English sources for these are lacking? I have a Spanish M44 Air Force rifle and whilst I can identify proof marks from its commercial sale later in life outside of Spain the older, presumably military markings are proving difficult to track down.

Anonymous

Any plans to travel to Russian for some filming in the post covid world? Maybe hang out with Max Popenker tour Kalashnikov Concern.

Anonymous

In light of the recent Volcanic Ball video, do you think with modern chemistry and materials science a neo-volcanic could be made workable that wasn't a glorified varmint gun?

Anonymous

Ian: In my small collection of battle rifles from different countries I have found much disparity in sights of the same style. For example, the sights on my SMLE Mk3* are a small post and a tiny, almost useless notch while on other models of rifles the notch or post is on a scale comparable to the grand canyon. What is the rationale for tiny sights vs, well, huge ones?

Anonymous

Hey Ian, I was curious if you have any good reference material deciphering British stock disk markings? I have a 1917 production No.1 MkIII* with matching numbers - but I've never been able to figure out what unit the rifle may have been issued to.

Paolo Caron

What was the first gun you ever owned? Any purchase/sale regret?

John Kettner

If you had to buy firearms from just one company what company would that be?

Anonymous

What is your preferred method for removing Cosmoline from milsurp guns?

Mark Townsend

Hello Ian. Different automatic weapons have different rates of fire based on various factors. Smaller weapons like machine pistols and SMGs tend to have higher rates of fire for close quarters combat while squad machine guns and heavy machine guns tend to have lower rates of fire. We've seen examples of weapons that moderate their rates of fire through mechanisms, but who determines what is the optimal rate of fire for a weapon? I can imagine that a government procurement contract might specify a desired rate of fire, but we see enough weapons that are created by a company in an attempt to woo government contracts. Are there accepted standards of a useful rate of fire for a weapon? Or is it literally just what the engineer creating the weapon thinks would be a good idea?

Anonymous

Firearms technology in 19th century has moved from flintlock muskets, cap lock rifles, breech loaders, to repeating arms. Having an advantage of hindsight, what will be your pick for conversion systems, that will carry the very same gun through all of these periods for longest?

Anonymous

Peeking behind the 4th wall a bit here... You have shot your Q & A videos from a number of locations that appear to be inside your house over the years. However, I noticed that in more recent years, the locations have been immaculately clean and mostly free from any distractions (sans a doggy here and there). Are you actually shooting from inside your home or do you have a studio setup these days?

Tay

Do you have a PO box and are you interested in some custom pistol grips

Anonymous

It is often asked of you about old firearms,but what about obscure cartridges.What are some of the more weird,odd and not necessarily used rounds and what ever happened to the centerfire varmint rounds like 220 Swift or 219 Bee etc. etc etc.

Anonymous

How would you go about developing a modern PDW with you ever-growing and already vast knowledge of both past and modern firearms? Considering no financial limitations: what cartridge, barrel length, stock type, & recoil mechanism would you choose for your ideal personal defense weapon.

Anonymous

Are you aware of any small arms collaboration between the United States and Canada? You’ve covered some Canadian firearms in your videos (Cooey immediately comes to mind) but I wondered if you were aware of any Canada/America collabs! Thanks!

Sons of Lorgar
>>42771177

The Barret M82 comes to mind as Sweden adopted that as an anti materiel rifle before anyone else even considdered it.

William Frank

Third time asking. The values of the world have been thrown wide for you! Based on the premise that there is no obstacle to obtaining the weapons you choose and it just so happens that the stages of the match turn out to be perfect for whatever you choose, what would be your perfect 2-gun match pairing?

Anonymous

As a fellow bartender I have to ask what kinds of bars you worked in. Did you work in dives, or cocktail joints, college bars, etc? Also, what is your favorite gin cocktail and why is it the French 75?

Anonymous

About the 7.92mm CETME. You have an excellent video on it, but I've read a couple of articles recently which quoted retired senior army officers saying that it had to be dropped because they were told that without a full jacket it was a violation of the Hague convention. That seems to me as a more reasonable explanation than just changing their mind for no apparent reason. What are your thoughts on this?

Anonymous

What bad idea in arms design took the longest to go away?

Adam Schindler

Also posed to Karl: You mentioned that designs like the Ferguson never caught on for infantry weapons due to cost. Why were the early breechloaders not adapted to land/naval artillery?

Anonymous

Considering the wide range of choice available today in the modern era of gun finishes, were there any military service rifles that were issued to troops, that came with a camouflage pattern paint finish? Or was it left up to the individual soldier?

Anonymous

Are there technological advances in small arms that subsequently got implemented in artillery (or vice versa), or did these two fields evolve separately?

Anonymous

Repeat Question: Were there any developments from the CAWS program that affected future firearms/ammunition designs, especially from the HK/Olin or S&W offerings? Or just information about those trials in general? Thank you!

Anonymous

Can you comment on the lineage between the P14/M1917 and the Remington Model 700? The Wikipedia entry for the P14/M1917 indicates that Remington continued producing these rifles after the war as the Model 30, which then became the Model 721, then the Model 700 and I'd like to know the veracity of this. Cheers!

Anonymous

Hello Ian, quite a while back you made a blog post regarding your brief interaction with an M1893 Pieper carbine. As fascinating as it was, it had me wondering why the Russians didn't try the same concept, and it appears that to a degree they did, I found a single website thst referenced Tsarist Russia experimenting with a carbine for mounted border guards, not dissimilar to the Mexican carbine. Do you know of any sources where more information about these could be found? It seems a peculiar evolutionary dead end given the inherent benefits the M1895 provides from a carbine role.

Anonymous

Do you know of any other firearms that have used a magazine like that of the FN P90? Is there a reason it's not more popular? Calico aside (similar idea, very different execution).

Will Sanders

Ian, In one of your more recent Q&A's you mentioned you thought a Winchester 1892 in .357Mag was a great modern lever gat. Karl has pontificated on the 1873 in .357Mag as the best of them. Why do you recommend the 1892 vs. the 1873? Thanks

Anonymous

How do you thinks the civilian arms market will be affected if the military decides to adopt telescoped ammunition? Would we potentially something like the Steyr ACR being revisited, as it is mechanically similar to the Textron submission?

Anonymous

Repeat from last month, what are the pros/cons of cock on open vs cock on close bolt action systems?

Anonymous

2nd time: Do you think under-barrel launchers will ever completely replace rifle grenades? The under-barrel launcher seems easier to use (can be shouldered, smaller shells, can still use the rifle with a grenade ready, ....although it also adds weight to the rifle), so I am curious as to why we still see ye-olde rifle grenades in use. Is there a reason for this? -Evan McCallum (not McCollum)

Anonymous

Retail outlets will give the first few digits in a serial number and no more. Why do they not get specific? Or should I say—why do you feel free to show the number in its entirety? I’m specifically thinking of the auction house videos.

Anonymous

You recently talked about the Ethiopian surplus cache that was imported and also mentioned the Nepalese cache that was imported 20 or so years ago. What countries do you think might still have treasure troves of small arms? Not necessarily that we can import them due to being hostile nations, legal barriers, etc... Some that come to mind for me would be Cuba, North Korea, or maybe countries in Central or South West Asia.

Anonymous

Is HK's French-made barrel steel really something special? Or is it hype that's overblown by the Internet fandom?

Anonymous

Short Stroke Gas Pistons. Although operating on the same principal, there is a wide range of designs for the piston. From the rather simple piston in the Vz58 to the slightly more complicated AR18 piston, are there any benefits to the more complicated multi piece designs or is it just for easier dissasembly in certain platforms?

Anonymous

Out of all the 'different' locking or operating systems you've encountered, which do you believe had (or has) genuine merit for further development? Flapper lock for rifles? Rotating barrel pistols?

Anonymous

In cases such as the Finnish Lahti, where the original ammunition loading it was designed for is notably more mild than current production ammo, is modern subsonic ammo a viable option? For example, would 147gr 9mm at 900fps reduce the risk of damage to a Lahti as compared to standard commercial 9mm, or would the heavier bullet present its own issues?

Anonymous

What are the pros and cons of a polygonal rifled rifle barrel? It seems like there's no real downside to it, yet no manufacturers (at least on the civilian market) make a rifle barrel with polygonal rifling. Why is this?

Anonymous

What are some interesting sporterized surplus firearms? Is there a case where a sporterized surplus firearm is now worth more than the non-sporterized variants of that firearm, excluding embellished one-offs?

Anonymous

In the time before computers and fast database lookups, how did weapon designers keep up with new patent filings to ensure they weren't infringing on anything? How often did accidental infringement occur and how was it resolved?

Michael James Blum
>>42767682

A couple of friends of mine in the U.S. Army in the 1980s were trained to use rifle grenades for signalling, and "saw" (never fired) European ones (possibly the Energa system)? I think it's (a) something that doesn't add much weight or expense, and (b) might be useful someday.

Anonymous

Could a constant recoil system be build small enough to fit into submachinegun, and could this be a useful improvement given the short bursts that subguns tend to be geared towards?

Kamonster

What do you think of a combined weapon infantry anti tank weapons system? I thought about how you could possibly combine an anti material cartridge with a rocket propulsion system for great affect on reactive armored targets, for instance if your pulled the trigger and it fired the round milliseconds before the rocket fires so that the projectile could destroy the reactive plate before the rocket made contact with the vehicle so it could have a much greater effect. What are your thoughts on this concept?

Michael James Blum
>>42768557

I bet some Japanese soldiers in World War 2 were annoyed by 7.7mm Arisaka vs. 7.7x56mmR vs. .303 British ... "Hey, Akira, they sent us a box of the wrong 7.7mm ammunition again."

Anonymous

Ian, I have recently finished watching your Jan 9, 2018 video on the Croatian Šokac SMG. Have you ever examined a Croatian Manda .50 BMG rifle from that same conflict? I managed to pick up one of the hundred or so that Sarco imported after the Yugoslavian civil war, but haven’t been able to find out much about it. It's impressively accurate and I have seen at least one photo of one being used by a sniper in the Syrian civil war, so apparently not all of them of them came here to the United States. Do you know anything more about them? Bill in Virginia

Michael James Blum
>>42770432

I've wondered about this myself over the years. It's not as if the Axis didn't know Britain was in the war. My suspicion is "to hide, even for a while, who equipped this particular spy we just captured or killed ... was he a local Resistance member, or dropped by the Allies?" I suppose it could also be for deniability (as you say) for operations in Turkey, Portugal, Sweden, Vichy territories, etc. ...

Anonymous

Why do militaries adopt firearms with troublesome magazines. I know logistics play a large part but when you have a mag that is a known problem why is it never fixed. M1 Carbine, used for 3 conflicts and same magazines. Dayton R

Anonymous

You have mentioned before that most forgotten designs arent commercially viable now, due to complexity, redundancy, or better options existing now. Are there any designs you want a modern replication of, because the action or design is just cool, but no longer commercially viable? Eg. I love the look of top break revolvers and toggle actions, but short of reproductions, they will never be in a modern firearm again

Anonymous

Would you/Headstamp do a book on the history of H&K? You seem to having a good relationship with them and there's a huge gap in the market for a good quality book in English.

Anonymous

Repeat but improved wording - what are your thoughts on the WW2 Japanese "reduced" rifle cartridge debate? Was the ammo reduced in power for snipers and LMGs, or is it a misinterpretation of Japanese powder fill? All major internet websites support the original "reduced" theory. Thanks, Gus

Anonymous

What, in your opinion, is the best military M16/AR-15 and if you could assemble an ideal M16 using only components officially adopted by a military or select an existing military model, what would it be? In my opinion, an M16A4 with an M16A1 buttstock (shorter length) and M16A2 handguards (round plastic to save weight) and a full auto fire control group. An off the shelf Canadian C7A1 or C7A2 seems like the best existing model to me.

Anonymous

Have you seen the music video for Sabaton's "Fields of Verdun"? It looks like a fairly accurate portrayal of french firearms. There is even a moustached fellow with a Chauchat at around the 1:30 mark. Maybe my question should be, "how involved were you with the video?" Or is this just another crazy internet theory?

Anonymous

Hey Ian, my question is How much rifling is too much? At what point does fine rifling cause too much friction and heat to a gun bore that it becomes a longevity issue? And the obverse, when does course rifling become a detriment to long range stability and accuracy? Thanks man. -Lee from Honolulu

Anonymous

I have read a lot of opinions regarding the disadvantages of a high bore axis on pistols. I guess my question is... doesn’t leverage work BOTH ways?

Anonymous

Another Elbonia question: Let's say Elbonia got invaded and is now occupied with its mean, modern, well supplied neighbor and Elbonia's allies want to supply the Elbonian resistance with arms. Lets also say the geo-political situation is similar to that faced by the WW2 French resistance but they (resistance), their occupiers and foreign allies are all fighting in 2020. What small arms would the Allies covertly supply to the Elbonian resistance?

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 are the chances of you meeting the Shevchenko PSh? Do you know of any prototypes manufactured?

Anonymous

What is the saddest sporterized firearm you've ever seen?;

Anonymous

How did 30 round end up becoming the de facto standard magazine capacity?

Anonymous

I really like the backup gun matches. (And 2 gun with weird stuff). What would it take to convince you to run a Ladies Home Companion at the backup gun match? Please?

Scott

Islay vs. Speyside?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, my question is a two-parter. What special or extra steps do you take when cleaning your firearms and are there any tools or techniques you'd recommend for deep cleans. Thanks for the awesome content!

Anonymous

What is your opinion on true left-handed guns like the Stag Arms left handed AR15s? Is there a precedent beyond one-off guns and do you think there will ever be others?

Anonymous

do you think we may see a change in the standard of handgun action now that one company ( as seen at shotshow in the Laugo Alien) has a gas delayed handgun or will this be a passing high end thing? Could this be a better system for handguns and or lead to a better system then what is seen now?

Anonymous

Ever heard of Sedgeley Fountain pen gas pistols, circa 1925-1932? I have pics

Anonymous

Hi Ian, This will probably be a longish question. I live in a ban state making the purchasing of what I'll call a real AR impossible (they either have to have a fixed magazine or one of the bastardized stocks that don't have a real pistol grip and do have an exposed buffer tube). I have the option of a Mini-14, again limited to 10 rounds, but because it has no pistol grip (and doesn't look scary) it is still legal. I know in the past you have posited that an M-1 Garand would be a viable fall back choice. I've never purchased a used weapon before, but I've always had an interest in older weapons, especially WW2, (I'm sure you've never heard that before). With all of that as preamble what advice/suggestions would you offer in this situation? Is the M-1 a "better" choice or should I go with a mini-14 in 5.56? Also keep in mind that I can't have ammo shipped to me so getting M-1 compatible 30-06 will be more of a challenge. Cost wise for a non-CMP M-1 its roughly the same as a new Mini-14. Would the historicity of an M-1 outweigh the ease of maintenance for a new min-14? Thanks Craig Keep up the great work

Anonymous

In a recent video you critiqued the French firearms featured in 15 Minutes of War. I was curious if you’d also seen Intimate Enemies and what you thought of the French firearms featured in that movie?

Anonymous

What rifle had the most effective flashhider? Is a completely effective flashhider possible?

Anonymous

What is the most surprising or unexpected thing you've learned on your Forgotten Weapons journey?

Anonymous

Is there any gun that you have seen go at auction and when you saw the final price wished you had bid on?

Anonymous

I know bayonets are extremely obsolete, but what would you consider to be the best and worst bayonets of those that were standard-issue?

Anonymous

Why did early pistols have such awful iron sights for such a long time? Surely you would seek to rectiy this after the first trip to the range.

Christian Hanes

Say the ‘89 AWB were lifted tomorrow, what’s the first gun you buy to have imported?

Anonymous

What’s your favorite citation style in research material?

Anonymous

Short stroke gas pistons are my question, do you know of any other successful large caliber or high power non- US pistol design using short stroke gas piston operation. a pistol design more along the lines of the David Marshalls Winchester Model 30 rifle design? I have seen some patent applications, but Designing around that much gas and keeping it away from the operator seems to be unproductive in a pistol. Not looking for any AR derivative pistol thankyou. Thanks in advance Darren S

Doug G

I am happy that my 1st question stumped you & you had to call in another expert in, but i will keep it simpler this time. What other French firearms do you wish to add to your collection? Mat49? A later model FAMAS? One of the light machineguns(if possible in semi-only)

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I have been fascinated by the Vollmer rifles for a long time. As described by Senich, the last version from 1938 had an interesting pneumatic rate of fire reducer. I'd think this would be right up your alley. Can you comment on these rifles? Would they have been the MP43/44/Stg44, just 5 years earlier? And lastly, was it the assumption of a short war the reason why one of them was not adopted in the late '30s, or something else? Keep up the fantastic work; your videos are often the highlight of my day, Jose

Han

What constitutes a distinct firearm? Is my 6.5 grendel, short-stroke-piston, side-charging-upper, type ar-15 rifle really its own thing because it's method of cycling is different from regular ar-15's? why is an ar-10 considered distinct from an ar-15, when a FN-49 is still an FN-49 whether it's in 30-06 or 8mm?

Matteo Manino

"Jingal" rifle, the breachloading ones. Do you have any anecdote of their use in combat against european or Japanese forces and of their effetivness? How is the recoil in comparison with 2 and 4 bore stopping rifles and the .950JDJ?

Anonymous

Repeat question Thanks to technological advances in the last few decades 9mm has pretty much made all larger handgun 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 for home defense or would you stick with 9mm nonetheless?

Anonymous

Repeat question: 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, so why didn't the French government push for that?

Matthew Jackson

The topic of modern small arms development being largely refining and waiting for the next big thing has come up before, but it seems like we've made staggering improvements in accuracy over the last few decades, in both practical carbines (1 moa ARs are common) and purpose built rifles. Is this not a dramatic shift?

Finn McCool

Has there been any advancement in the offensive handgun concept? I haven’t heard of anything specifically designed to those criteria since the 2 in the US trials. I could see things like the HK mp7 and, to some degree the 7.5 FK Brno being used in the same role but has anyone made something to fit the same niche as the original ones? Thanks for all the awesome work.

Anonymous

Have you ever broken a gun during a video shoot?

Anonymous

You have done a video on the Mk23, but never done one on the USP family of pistols, not cool enough yet?

Anonymous

When you're at your shooting matches and take a look at the other participants' guns, when they aren't carrying a 1911, Glock, AR-15 AK-47 or some derivate, what are they usually carrying?

Anonymous

Imagine a world in which the NFA had never been passed into law. How would this have changed the landscape of firearm development, as well as social and political issues in the intervening 86 years?

Anonymous

What are the most important qualities a firearm must have to meet your standards?

Anonymous

Have you ever had a moment where you've genuinely wondered why something became a failure, like it worked well enough, it wasn't prohibitavly expensive, it wasn't some crazy out of left field idea, but it just didn't take off.

Anonymous

Currently evacuating from Southeast Texas in the path of Hurricane Laura. What would be your “bug out” / “SHTF” gun for an evacuation situation? The WWSD 2020? Something more discrete like the Honey Badger or other PDW that could be stowed in a backpack? Or just a handgun?

Anonymous

I've been trying to figure out the best way to create a WWSD build while living in a ban state (CT) and I believe I'm leaning towards a old gen plastic stock Flightlite SCR lower for the build. How well do you believe a build like that would work? Seems light weight, and the lack of a pistol grip would allow me to build a normal WWSD upper to pair with it.

DaveJD

In Armalite's promotional film, the original AR-10's large muzzle device was claimed to reduce recoil by 40%. Do you know whether this has ever been independently confirmed? Any chance of firing a surviving original and doing a comparison with the BRN-10?

Toby Williamson

An inventor has created a machine that allows you to reach back in time, and bring back a copy of a firearm from any time in history, from any location or event in history, be it factory new with all its accessories, or after heavy use with field gear He allows you 3 uses to test out the machine What would you get, and would you get them new, or after they have gotten some history?

Anonymous

If you were given the choice to shave your mustache and beard for any firearm in return what would you chose? Or would you refuse to shave your mustache and beard.

Anonymous

Has anyone designed or produced a rimless rimfire cartridge? One of the big limitations of .22 LR firearms is difficulty feeding from box magazines, and a rimless style cartridge would help with that. There might be logistical issues issues producing that type of cartridge, but would it be feasible?

Anonymous

Two part question here- Constant recoil systems seem like a fairly obvious and simple thing to design and make, with clear benefits for full auto fire. Why do you think they aren't more common? Also, it seems that many early semi auto and full auto designs were very complicated and difficult to manufacture with lots of moving parts, where as later designs like the AK, AR-10/AR-15, are relatively simple designs with few moving parts. It seems counter intuitive that the early designs were the most complex. Why do you think this is?

Anonymous

Have you ever had a unpleasant encounter with some of the more dangerous wildlife in Arizona? For example a rattlesnake in your house?

Anonymous

Some time ago I saw a YT channel firing the Gyrojet gun. I think you should pick up the gauntlet and get some Volcainc ammo and shoot some. I think the community would sponsor that endeavour.

Anonymous

Safety mechanism what hide trigger in the reciever.

J WL

This might be a bit of a departure but I know you've done a bit of it - are you planning on expanding more into weapon attachments/accessories and such, like optics, magazines/feed systems, stocks, special ammo etc. from the cold war era and earlier? I find it really hard to find good info on these things. Most info is second hand in gun books and googling will just give you sales and auction sites nearly zero information. P.S. Any good general book on these things you would recommend?

Anonymous

You are going back in time and will be dropped into the Napoleonic Wars. You can take a recently-built firearm with you BUT you have to able to support it in the field using stuff from that era. That means it cannot use ANY modern consumable parts. No primers/percussion caps, no smokeless powder, no jacketed bullets, and no single-use metallic cartridges. Would you simply choose a flintlock musket, or would you attempt to design a more "modern" flintlock rifle (if so, what would it look like)?

Anonymous

Is there any particular reason as to why there are relatively few locked breech/delayed blowback PCCs/SMGs on the current american market? It seems like there isn't a practical reason to get a straight blowback one nowadays, especially when any 5.56 AR kicks less and is often cheaper.

Anonymous

How do you see your recent spread to the Utreon video platform affecting your current Patreon situation? Should your current patrons cancel their Patreon pledges and instead move their funding over to Utreon? I also because as a long time viewer, I want to help however I can, but I cannot afford to pledge funds to Forgotten Weapons in both platforms.

Anonymous

I've heard that the reason that the Churchill and Cromwell tank lines had stepped armor fronts was that a ball mount for sloped armor, similar to what every other nation fielded, could not be made for the Besa machine gun. The Besa looks like any other machine gun, so I was wondering if you had any insight on the Besa's design that prevented it from using such a mount?

Anonymous

If you are moving between states and have an Ian sized collection (more than what will fit into soft cases in your car's trunk), are there specialized services that rent crates suitable for the task and/or transport?

Anonymous

What's the story behind your Lordship title? Have you ever tried to use it in any official sense?

Anonymous

What is the most beautifully machined, yet ludicrously complex, firearm you have come across?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, would you know any particular information regarding the Hughes Lockless Rifle/AIWS? The only information I've found is a patent filing for the receiver mechanism, and a mention that while it was "well-liked by those who tested it", it never made it far enough in trials to receive a testing designation. Greater focus seems to be on the ammunition for it, which was an early style of (caseless?) telescoped ammo. More generally, would have an opinion concerning the lockless receiver design? I get the impression that it was a reliable and simple system which hasn't really been replicated elsewhere (though admittedly my knowledge on that is pretty limited). Thank you for all of your hard work cataloguing forgotten weapons, I've learned a great deal from watching your videos!

Anonymous

What's the percentage of your guns WW2 and older that you actually take out and shoot compared to ones that are more show pieces or worth to much to risk shooting?

Anonymous

Why do so many US army pistols end up becoming competition pistols?

Anonymous

I'm a big fan of the pistols that were adopted by West Germany in the wake of the Munich Olympics tragedy (P5, P6, P7). But before their adoption, it seems like there weren't that many concealable 9mm handguns available on the market to the extent that those pistols had to be developed specifically for that purpose. Is there some reason why the pistol market hadn't produced a reasonably compact 9mm before then? Was it a case of weaker cartridges being the status quo? Or was there some lack of technology that I'm not aware of?

Anonymous

Why are there few rifles with double action triggers (da/sa specifically)? Due to the generally heavier striking force and springs involved? (referring to primer cup thickness here, about 35% more in large rifle vs. large pistol iirc) If there was enough benefit to implement a double action mechanism in pistols of various designs, why not long arms?

Anonymous

From my dad: You will be transported back to a medieval battle for one day. What 20th century weaponry do you take From me: In your opinion, are bullpups a good idea for a standard issue infantry rifle?

Anonymous

Do you think there would be any demand for a reproduction of a flintlock repeater, such as the Kalthoff, Lorenzoni or Chelembron? Also, I believe in an earlier Q&A you mentioned you had filmed the first half of a Kalthoff Repeater video. Has there been any progress towards being able to examine one in person? Livrustkammaren and Windsor castle seemed willing to give access to their Kalthoff guns when I contacted them a few months ago.

Anonymous

Are there any .32 ACP submachine guns other than the scorpion?

Anonymous

In your opinion, what firearm or firearm design was most influential in other designs, but was not adopted itself on a large scale?

Anonymous

Was spalling as big a problem for tank crews in WW2 as it was in WW1? People denigrate the Sherman, but I can't imagine a 75mm or 76mm shell smacking against the outside of your panzer IV feeling too good, whether it penetrates or not.

Anonymous

What spurs the development of new firing stances like isosceles, center axis relock, or weaver? It seems like once reliably safe semiautomatic pistols there is no more physical hurdles to jump through, and that someone back in 1910 could have been the creator of one of the above stances. But we don't see these popping up till post ww2. And do you think more stances will continue to be created?

Michael Batza

why is metal fatigue not a problem for guns generally?

Andrew Sebastian

Most modern rifles no longer have barrel-mounted front sights. When did gun designers start decoupling sights from barrels and why did they do it?

Andrew Sebastian

From wiki: "Si Pitung (Old spelling: Si Pitoeng; or sometimes written just Pitung) was a 19th-century bandit in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia). His exploits have since become legendary, with numerous accounts of his life, deeds, and death." and "A detail found in folklore, but not present in accounts from the period, is that Hinne shot and killed Pitung with a golden bullet." So, last Q&A you said silver bullets can work, but are golden bullets even possible?

Anonymous

Are there any accuracy disadvantages to having a rotating barrel instead of a rotating bolt?

Anonymous

Do you have a manifest of answered questions?

Anonymous

Would the Gatling Gun have been markedly improved with a cloth belt and feeder/delinker like the Minigun? I often read that the Gatling had a big problem with magazines (like the Calico, this might be overblown?) but would primitive belts + a seperate delinker solve those problems?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, do you think an inertial system like the Neopup would be functional on an ar-15 upper? Purely from a mechanical standpoint. I have seen Karl and you shoot and 5.56 doesn’t seem to have the recoil to make it work . Thanks for all your wonderful work.

Anonymous

if the us had adopted a black powder repeater in 1879, what was the most likely candidate for adoption and how would that affect the decision process in the late 1880's/ early 1890's when the us starts to look into smokeless powder

Anonymous

Elbonia round 3. After successfully tempering with their small arms you're now tasked with equipping the Elbonian Army with the world's most terrible webgear, uniforms and field equipment.

Anonymous

If were able to travel in time with the technical specifications of the Colt 1911 and the the .45 cal ACP, how far back in time would you be able to go and still manufacture a pistol that could be shot? reliability?

Anonymous

The US military has spent millions over decades trying to come up with a way to improve a rifleman’s hit probability through novel firing mechanisms and ammunition. Wouldn’t it have been more effective if they had focused instead on developing high quality, durable, magnified optics?

Anonymous

I'm new to your Patreon so forgive me if this has been discussed before and I haven't run across it yet. Modern arms manufacturers generally use one of three methods to create the lands and groves in their rifle barrels- broach cutters that remove metal to create grooves, pushing a metal button that is harder than the barrel metal to displace metal under high pressure and inserting a mandrel that has the inverse pattern of the rifling in a slightly over-sized bore and forging the barrel around it down to the desired size by hammering or high pressure rollers. Is any one of these methods significantly superior to the others in terms of accuracy or durability of the end product or are the results close enough to one another that the choice is dictated by the speed and cost of manufacturing for each?

Anonymous

What is the Botton on the Endplate of Folding Stock Ak100 rifles for?

Anonymous
>>42863838

I think a longer, heavier trigger pull generally means a less accurate shot.

Anonymous

My Grandfather brought back a Walther Model 1 from Germany after WWII. Are these common rifles? It had an interesting action where it could be fired as a Bolt Action or Semi Auto. However the one my Grandfather brought back is full auto. Did they make both?

Anonymous

Hi Ian! I know you're a fan of scotch; what are your thoughts on rye whiskys? I am planning on sending a few YouTubers some local alcohol of their preference and would love to send you a nice Canadian rye if that's up your alley.

Anonymous

Hi Ian, I recently saw Hickok45 load an SKS with a 10 round clip.Did the British ever try a 10 round Charger? Did any British soldiers carry multiple magazines... e.g. rule breakers like the the Commandoes, or Chindits, or Empire forces. Keep up the good work, I love your channel, Regards, Liam (from Ireland). Why didn't anyone try to compete with winchester lever action rifles using a Bolt-Action magazine fed rifle... Are bolt actions inherently bad for pistol caliber cartridges?

Anonymous

The above questions refers to the SMLE :) forgot to mention that, Sorry.

Anonymous

You have made several videos regarding the process and restrictions in owning SBRs, full autos, etc. Outside of the cost and utility limitations, my biggest concern has always been the perception of yeilding personal property rights to the government in the process (such as the legal search of storage locations without a warrant, etc.). I imagine I and others have some misconceptions about this topic; can you provide more detail on the legal authority the government retains over your property when you purchase a machine gun, SBR, etc.?

Anonymous

Is it true that the side mounted magazine on the Fg-42 will shift the POI as the magazine empties (kinda like on a Kropatschek)?

Anonymous

How do you think will outer space militaries (aka space forces) affect firearms technology, both for small arms and cannons? Will it make higher velocity weapons desirable, change bullet design, demand new cooling technologies, recoil mitigation etc.?

Anonymous

What is your current edc?

Anonymous

Any plans to interview more firearms designers and/or historians in the future?

Anonymous

Were there ever plans for a major European power‘s military (e.g. France, Britain, Russia etc.) to adopt the cartridge of their strategic opponent or is that a thing of smaller countries, like Finnland?

Anonymous

Do you think that the new interest in a pan-European military and more cooperation in European arms development and procurement could revitalize the small arms industries in countries such as France, the UK or Spain?

Anonymous

Is there any kind of fan mail that you particularly like/dislike?

David C

Whenever the Owen gun comes up, you describe it as 'Ugly but effective', what makes a gun aesthetically pleasing? And is there such a thing as an Anti-Owen gun; a gun that is beautiful yet ineffective'?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, Im wondering if you and or Karl have any problems handling with the G36? Also what do you think of the HK433?

Anonymous

Have you ever studied into Japanese matchlocks for a Forgotten Weapons episode?

Anonymous

Would you ever do a forgotten weapons meme review?

Anonymous

Elbonia is looking to replace its aging arsenal of G3s. It has tens of millions of 7.62 NATO in storage already. Its LMGs and vehicle mounted MGs also use that cartridge. As minister of procurement you are in charge of deciding 1: do you take this opportunity to change to 5.56 and take advantage of the plethora of available rifles and magazines. or 2: Do you stick with 7.62 and look for a modern, lightweight, modular design that easily mounts optics and if so what companies do you invite to submit trials rifles.

Anonymous
>>42940662

I recently saw a video that stated that the 75mm standard gun mounted in the Sherman had a greater kill radius using HE rounds and was actually favored over the higher velocity guns. Since a tank crew was muck more likely to encounter an anti-tank gun or 88mm used as an anti-tank gun than they were a Tiger or Panther. The greater shrapnel dispersion meant you only had to hit close to an anti-tank gun to take out the crew.

Anonymous

What is your preferred deer/hunting rifle

Anonymous

You have said before that you believe it would be essentially impossible to make a functional self-loading black powder firearm. If you had to try what combination of locking system and operating mechanism do you think would be the least bad?

Anonymous

Considering modern developments in powders and bullets, would the 8mm Kurz b e a viable intermediate round today?

Knathaniel C

Hey Ian, I notice you've been doing a lot off videos on Hopkins and Allen revolvers. Was their reputation for making cheap "suicide specials" (so junky it was dangerous to user) warranted? If you were a ye old person looking for personal protection on a budget, would a Hopkins and Allen be something that you would be comfortable with using in its context (Black powder, relatively weak 32, 38, or 41 defensive round)? Would one be safe to shoot today with the correct BP or BP substitute today? I appreciate the content on these common but little known guns, I have a soft spot for black powder because it is much easier to collect where I live, thanks for all the great videos!

Anonymous

Do think M91/24 Carcanos will jump up in popularity and price like the Mosin Nagant rifles have recently?

Anonymous

Why are true DI systems so rare? The only example I can think of is the MAS-49.

Anonymous

(Darn, I was a little late. I will ask next month: Could be a really dumb idea, but do you think Roller Delayed Blowback AR15's could be possible? I was thinking about how RDB is such a quintessential German design, and then remembered that H&K makes the HK416 as a Short-Stroke Piston rifle, which comes with a lot of complexity and cost compared to their normal Roller Delayed systems.)

Bruce Brodnax
>>42766273

Recognizing their strengths were in mass production, not hand-fitting?..

Bruce Brodnax
>>42766361

Amongst other things, the different steel & need for proper heat treatment tracking in the more modern weapons, vs. just the mild steel for BP repros will have something to do with that...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42766378

Well, we know it *was* his WWSD 2016 rifle, but now w/ the new WWSD 2020 project, that may be changing as we speak! ;-)

Bruce Brodnax
>>42766473

Anything is possible, given enough money & time. That does *not* however, imply that it is a good idea! [Just for clarification, if the answer was anything besides a resounding "Non!" Ian would be certain to have show us it by now... ;-D ]

Bruce Brodnax
>>42766542

Ruger's sacrifice was weight, in order to provide necessary safety margins; their firearms are generally described as "chunky." They also utilize some of the most advanced alloys & heat treatment available [at the needed price point] which most other foundries cannot. Their designs are also built from the ground up as near-net shap castings, vs. trying to cast something that was originally a forged design.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42766625

That won't do anything to solve the .357 Remington Magnum's excessive length [as it is based upon the .38 S&W Special's case length plus 1/10" to prevent chambering in revolvers not designed for .357Mag.] You can end up with a much shorter cartridge when you build it around modern propellants instead of the volume needed for black powder, then some extra length to keep the uneducated from harming themselves...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42766882

The problem was the rush to adapt the case for the 11mm Gras to something smaller. Witness the time they took to fix that issue after WW1, when they evolved the 7.5x54mm... But yes, they would have been better off if they'd used some variation of a box magazine instead of a tube mag.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42767272

Shouldn't this be directed to Karl over on the InRange Q&A? He's the War Hammererrrr of the two, iirc...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42767413

Or you could just spend a few dollars more on a pistol with actual ergonomics that won't offend purists by bubba-ing an "historical artifact..."

Bruce Brodnax
>>42767697

With the recoil operation, attaching a scope to the barrel would exceed even a modern scope's ability to deal w/ the g-forces, and attachment to the receiver would likely not have the precision required of a true sniper's weapon. DMR? Sure...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42767766

You should go to Brent0331's channel on YT or Uniform History; both are excellent [for different reasons] and both deal with things like camo development, which is somewhat beyond FW's purview...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42767859

I think Ian will wisely defer to Jean Huon's already extant treatise on Chauchat development & use there my friend...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42768754

Back before global wars were a thing, the advantages of multi-sourcing was largely ignored in favor of locking a customer into your own proprietary sphere. Hence things like Colt New Police ammo so your customers don't go buying S&W .38 (standard, before Special was a thing.) Why would Colt want to let those ammo sales go to a competitor, even if the cartridges were nearly identical in all relevant aspects?

Bruce Brodnax
>>42768841

They were 1/2 way there w/ the Gyrojet. It would seem doable; Robt. E. Howard was writing about just such a thing 80 years ago...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42768952

M1 'bine: Pro; detachable box mag, light. Con; wimpy cartridge w/ roundnose bullet. Pro for skS: significantly better cartridge. Con: stripper clip feeding. I think it is a wash until the range gets over 200yds...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42769152

Diffeent cartridges will have different zeros. The 25/250 zero is only for 5.56...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42769314

G3 w/ a last round BHO and a flap over the ejection port like an AR15 and an in-line stock. Better sights using some of the advantages the M14 inherited from the M1 there...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42769874

The reason for the high sight offset is the advantages in recoil control conferred by in-line stocks.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42770184

Yes. Not much f/x in semi- AR15 use, since the recoil is so minimal and the rate of fire is much lower than F/A M16. But the net effect would be to allow the shooter to get back on target incrementally faster.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42771257

Rational thought is not an innate human trait. Most people run on emotion [& live miserable lives as a result...]

Bruce Brodnax
>>42772630

Franco cribbed from Nazi Germany's notes on obfuscation of production, most likely...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42776365

I imagine he doesn't want his followers worldwide to think of him as a slob & straightens up a bit before filming...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42778795

A possible justification, but the whole "We want to be able to use whatever NATO agrees on" is more likely. Ockham's Razor & all that...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42778982

I suspect he's going to answer "magazine cutoffs," but would like to know for certain what Ian says...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42779058

Inadequate machining capabilities for such large pieces had to play a part...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42780420

1892 is made for pistol calibers & has a stronger lock-up & action. Karl likes the 1873 because it is the ultimate evolution of the inverted knee-joint action that started life in the Volcanic repeater. Admittedly it is smooth & slick, but I don't have any experience to refute whether or not it is a significant differnce in a pistol caliber like .357mag.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42780627

No. Underbarrel launchers are frag/shock only. Standard RGs have the ability to launch shaped-charge loads for hard point penetration.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42781160

Ease of disassembly/cleaning and/or ease of replacement of worn critical parts.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42784100

Just look up L. James Sullivan's constat recoil patent for yourself and do the math already... [In brief, "Yes."]

Bruce Brodnax
>>42785950

Carbine mags were supposed to be 1x use items. Ammo was shipped in mags. Basically, the mags are sufficient for a couple of uses & by the time you needed to reload one a 3rd time you'd already had a resupply of preloaded, fresh from the factory replacements delivered. Same issue as Manlicher en-bloc clips, etc. M1 Garand clips seem to be a special case of the clips had to be made so well to function that they survive repeated reuse, but even they were considered disposable...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42787711

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I wish I had wrists like Jerry Miculek, but I haven't spent a lifetime in training to get them, either...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42789643

It's a balance of size, functionality, weight, etc. In the end, it all comes down to convenience, & a certain combination of parameters that ends up hitting "the sweet spot."

Bruce Brodnax
>>42790131

He'd either have to own one [& Ian doesn't strike me as that quirky] or know someone who'd let him shoot theirs [& who knows who that would be?]

Bruce Brodnax
>>42792919

You will never regret buying the M1. Ruger redesigned the Mini-14 in 2010? or thereabouts & got it from 8-10 moa accuracy down to 4 or 5, so acceptable for defensive purposes. The cost of shooting 5.56 is less than half of that shooting .30-'06, so if you're a one gun man, get the Mini, as shooting skills are perishable & require maintenance.

Bruce Brodnax
>>42793708

There are video tests of flash hiders on YT & Full30, and some are pretty close to completely effective [as long as no one is looking at you in infrared: they may prevent/hide visible light, but they can't conceal the dumping of heat into the environment!] To be as effective as possible would require adjusting ammunition so the powder is all consumed before the projectile exits the barrel...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42801563

AR-10 has a larger receiver than an AR-15, whereas FN-49s are basically all of a size...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42803842

If limited to ball ammo, then go with the biggest bore & highest velocity combo you can reliably hit with. 10mm Auto was conceived from the outset to be "all that & a bag of chips" vs. the .45acp by the inventor, who was not a fan of 9mm but wanted something flatter than the .45acp he was used to... .40 S&W was the net result of taking the FBI load for the 10mm [after they had standardized on the 10mm & discovered it was too powerful for many of their agents to handle, & developed a reduced load to improve hit rate while maintaining the minimum penetration requirements that had led to the 10mm's adoption] and packing into a round that would be able to housed in a gun the size of a hi-cap 9mm...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42805222

Because the govt. was already infiltrated by socialists & communists, & you can't have the citizens able to throw off the friendly socialist boot on their metaphoric neck, now can you?

Bruce Brodnax
>>42810792

At least 50% of guns sold would have accessory sales of a silencer to go with it...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42820552

No. How are you supposed to pinch the priming material in the rim to set off the round w/o a rim?

Bruce Brodnax
>>42826270

Go back and watch his video on the Volcanic ammo again & pay attention to the part where he mentions the cost. I don't think Patreon pays well enough to support that episode...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42827716

Flintlock rifle w/ a minie mold shoved into my pocket. Load as fast as any smoothbore musket on the field, outrange them by 2x to 3x. Oh yeah, & have modern peep sights on the thing...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42947149

Because steel. Notice that the critical parts of firearms aren't made from titanium or aluminum, which suffer from metal fatigue...

Bruce Brodnax
>>42987016

More possible than silver, since gold is soft like lead. But of course, the expense!..

Bruce Brodnax
>>43066623

About 25 years prior to the introduction. Semi-autos need smokeless powder...

Bruce Brodnax
>>43071390

And what they did, by buying the best COTS answers they could find... ;-)

Anonymous

I'd like to know what your opinions are of the 3 rifles left in the US armies NGSW test (just by looking at them I know you can't test them) to pick the new rifle and machine gun they will use. I'd also like to know what you think of the changing of the ammunition to 6.8 caliber and what that may lead to in the US civilian firearm culture.

Anonymous (edited)

Comment edits

2021-08-14 02:26:56 With the successful arrival of Headstamp Publishing, do you think there will ever be a chance for an english translation of Vom Ursprung der Selbstladepistole by Mötz & Shuy?
2020-09-13 13:42:57 With the successful arrival of Headstamp Publishing, do you think there will ever be a chance for an english translation of Vom Ursprung der Selbstladepistole by Mötz & Shuy?

With the successful arrival of Headstamp Publishing, do you think there will ever be a chance for an english translation of Vom Ursprung der Selbstladepistole by Mötz & Shuy?

Anonymous

In your opinion what are the best rifles that never made it past the trials stage? In particular when country’s started adopting cartridge firing rifles in the mid-late 19th c and when they started to adopt magazine fed repeating rifles at the turn of the 20th c? Which ones would you choose to arm your troops with?

Anonymous
>>42838003

He’s got one of these from Sealand. https://sealandgov.org/shop/ Its and old gun platform of the coast of Suffolk that the owner claims is a micro nation, you can buy titles but they’re are pretty much meaningless as no one recognised it as a state.