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General Q&A Questions! (Patreon)

Published:
2021-01-06 16:29:59
Imported:
2021-03

Content

In case the silencer-specific Q&A I mentioned in the other post does not air this month, I will also be filming one with just me, answering your questions like normal. What would you like to ask me?

Comments

Falling Steel

Why did stripper clips hang on for so long? Well into the “detachable box magazine era,” production battle rifles and other infantry weapons made provisions for loading the magazine from above, through the action, from stripper clips. My personal experience with stripper clips on WW2 bolt action rifles was pretty miserable. Was it less thumb-shredding to load a C1 FAL? When would it have been a better option than simply swapping for another magazine?

Anonymous

Forget john wick, you've been hired for the next Star Wars series, what guns would you use to get the most alien look without many modifications?

Anonymous

Hello Ian! I have a question regarding .30-06. Why was the .30-06 considerably longer than a vast majority of other full power military rifle cartridges at the time? Given that most other full power rounds around the turn of the century had similar ballistics while having shorter case length, why would the US adopt such a long cartridge when it theoretically could have been shorter?

Anonymous

I'd also like an answer from Ian, but this might be of interest to you: https://youtu.be/c0z93mBtECA

K. D. Campbell

How goes the research for the Chinese Warlord period book? Any chance for more mystery pistols or other weapons from the period appearing in the near future?

Anonymous

What Dungeons and Dragon class would you most like to play as if you got the chance/wanted to?

Anonymous

What country has the best record for designing guns, on a per capita basis? My guess would be the Czechs.

Daniel Puzino

If you could have dibs on a few of the guns you filmed at “fire place guy” which would you pick?

Anonymous

With the proliferation of Body armor worldwide, do you expect more militaries to adopt enhanced penetration cartridges like M855A1 or issue greater quantities of armor piercing ammunition such as M995?

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.

JSluka

Do you plan on doing a video on the Polish Błyskawica and Polski Stens in the future? I've been looking for good information on these guns in both English and Polish, but have had a hard time finding decent primary source material.

Anonymous

Why was 37mm so common of a round diameter choice for so many countries for many years?

Anonymous

You often talk about the power of early pistol cartridges. I was under the impression that caliber made little to no difference in performance of a pistol round. Were things different in the past?

Anonymous

Was any type of Schmidt-Rubin system ever fired in anger?

Anonymous

This is not meant as a political question, but what would be one item of US federal or State law with regards to gun ownership you would like to see abolished. For State laws, I mean in place in most States

Anonymous

How has becoming a meme/mainstay of the firearms community affected you? You went from a small channel based on perserving rare guns to becoming one of the most prevalent firearms experts on the internet, and a lot of that seems to be growth from things like the gun jesus meme (as well as the awesome content).

Anonymous

We all know that you enjoy a good Scotch, but do you have any favorite Irish whiskeys as well?

Anonymous

Though hilariously counterfactual and probably impossible, what if when the US was developing the M1 Carbine they adopted an equivalent cartridge to the 5.7x28mm. would probably need a new platform, but would this be as successful a concept?

Anonymous

Ian, excluding Colt and Browning, which firearms designer of the last 150 years do you think is the most underrated/underappreciated and why? Could be someone big like Mannlicher, or lesser known like Fedorov.

Anonymous

If you where on the procurement board of a military circa 1900 (maybe Pre- Elbonia?), What would be the first semiauto pistol you would seriously look at adopting?

Anonymous

While the KP 15 demonstrates the possibilities of using alternate materials in the AR-15 lower, what limits alternate materials in the upper?

Nuxes

For centuries, small arms projectiles were solid lead. What were the first attempts at including other metals/materials, either as a jacket or core?

Anonymous

Why do you think it comes that the rotary cannon concept never really took off until cold war era? Considering it was invented as early as the late 19th century (including an electric one from Mr. Gatling according to wikipedia).

Anonymous

Can you mix a drink before every q&a and teach us how to mix proper drinks? Tell the patron supporters a week in advance so we can gather the ingredients to make it with you to enjoy while listening to q&a?

Anonymous

If you could sit down with one now deceased gun designer over drinks (or milk if it’s John Browning) who would it be and what would you ask them?

David C

If the Burton LMR had been tested in a ground role would it have done well? Would there have been real assault rifles earlier if it had been successful?

Anonymous

Your recent video on RL Wilson prompted me to do more thinking about books/publications and I came to wonder; how does the Blue Book of Gun Values and similar publications get their prices? Do people like Wilson get called out today? How are things like this regulated? Thanks!

David C

How are bullet sizes, especially earlier ones, determined? .36, .42, 7.65 etc all seem arbitrary to the uninitiated.

Anonymous

Developments in firearms technology seem to require a military application to gain acceptance. Can you think of any improvements that sprang from the civilian world?

Anonymous

If the Glock 17 had not been invented. and if it had been entered could the Steyr GB have won the Austrian military pistol trials. And as a consequence, would it be as successful as the Glock 17 is today.

Jonathon Payne

I am doing some research into magazine design, both the history and technology. Most firearms books that I've found barely cover magazine design even when the magazine was a critical new feature of the gun. If they are mentioned it is usually little more than "they sucked" if the magazines had issues. Do you happen to know of any texts that cover magazine history and design in any greater detail than "they sucked"?

Anonymous

With the 7.62x54r being over a century old and still being used, are the soviets looking for a replacement any time soon? Also, how did they come up with the M43 7.62x39 cartridge. Most things do not appear out of thin air, did they have a case from something else? the Federov Avtomat? and I'm assuming they went with the .30 cal because all of their stuff was already .30cal. Seems like they did a better job then the Germans did with their 8mm Kurtz?

Anonymous

Do you have a favourite gun-related computer game?

Anonymous

How would you define semi-automatic pistols 'generations'? Before Browning, Browning and Browning with polymer?

Anonymous

I have a naïve question: In your G36 video, you mention, as an aside, that a reunified Germany could have replaced the G3 with its massive stockpile of East German AK-74s, but that it was not politically viable to do so. Was that because of the nonstandard cartridge, or simply because of the AK's very visual association with communism? If the German government had asked HK to rechamber their AK-74s in 5.56mm for Bundeswehr use, could HK have done it?

Anonymous

Hello Ian! I’m going to prod you about the British .380 revolver round for the 2nd time! Aside from factually having been a round used in a service pistol, does the .38-200 or its successor the .3802Z actually belong in to the category of “service pistol” round as it’s known today? And does it’s parent the .38S&W also belong in that category? Do you even think it’s different enough to make a distinction?

Anonymous

What is the Oldest and worse firearms you could equip a platoon of troops with, and yet could still manage to be effective with proper training/skill on the modern battle field.

Anonymous

Ian, you've said before that if spooky times were happening and you could only bring one gun, it would be your WWSD carbine. What if instead your house was on fire and you could only save one of the guns based on sentimental, monetary, or historical value, and the WWSD gun could be replaced. Which would you choose in this case?

Chiaki Matsuda

What was Browning's WORST idea?

Anonymous

If you were an Elbonian arms dealer looking to low key defraud an institution/collection of their rare and valuable firearms, what would you go after, and how would you do it?

Anonymous

Do you think there's a stagnation in firearms development?

Nutjob

Have you ever had your hands on a firearm that was just horrible as a weapon, awkward and overcomplicated, but was just too amusing to stop putting more ammunition through it?

Anonymous

How did Ian McCollum get to where he is today?

Eki T

Any thoughts on the Crye Six12 shotgun that's been "coming soon" for five years now? Do you think anything will ever come of it?

Guido Schriewer

revolver rifles/nagant seal. I'm a revolver fan and always liked the idea of a wheelgun carbine format, too. as the cylinder gap isn't great in general and there's always a possible hangfire that could go off (never happened to me or saw such)... wouldn't a nagant cylinder face to forcing cone in a better executed modernized form maybe without the setback special ammo adress such issues (gases and hangfire risks) with a rifle and make revolvers better in general? how comes nobody ever done such a gasseal more often?

Anonymous

What do you think will be the most significant advantage to 3D printing firearms. IE. creating better armor penetrating munitions by incorporating designs and mediums previously unattainable through casting or machining?

Mark Townsend

If someone wanted to have a magazine-fed pistol, and a rifle that shared the same ammunition, and wanted to be able to get the best long-range accuracy out of the rifle which calibre/chambering would you choose? Obviously the pistol still needs to be usable without being actively unpleasant to fire, and "Long Range" for the rifle isn't going to be out to 800 meters. But what would you say the best trade off/compromise would be?

Anonymous

Why are there not formal degree programs for firearms engineering? There seem to be plenty of gunsmith programs but no formal training in firearms/weapons design itself.

Anonymous

How would the modern Elbonian military deal with an enemy infantry threat with modern body armor?

Anonymous

During WWII were the German arms manufacture's paid in Deutsche Marks, gold, IOU's or what?

Anonymous

Are you a fan of Islay Scotch? If so, what is a favorite. Currently Compass Peat Monster tops my list, but it’s hard to pick just one

Anonymous

Since you recently did the “Guns in Star Wars” video, is there any media series (movies, games, books, etc) that you’d like to feature a weapon or weapons from? They could be props based on real firearms, or complete sets of fiction. Would it be because you find them personally interesting, or ones your audience might enjoy more?

Anonymous

Hi Ian! If you where in a Victorian Era 1870s-1880s battlefield, whould you go rather with a Rolling Block or a Martini-Henry as service rifle; and why? Could you argue slightly the pros and cons of each action?. Greetings from Spain!

Anonymous
>>50896668

This is pretending you could actually find a working example of the fictional guns in question to film

Djd

Considering modern sniper practices, which weapons would you give a modern sniper pair if they were transported back to WW2 from 2021? Use contemporary weapons from any country and equip them with sniper rifle, sniper support rifle and back up weapons - including assault rifle for the main sniper if appropriate - to allow the pair operate using modern doctrine.

Bobblehob

Hello Ian! Love the channel and the content. A repeat question for you. What semi-auto rifle or rifles (besides the AR) would you recommend most for someone who is looking to get involved in competitive shooting but in the same way that you approach the backup gun matches. That is to say a rifle with more historical value and fun factor than viability in a match environment. Thanks in advance!

J WL

Do you have any information of the so-called "Winchester zero recoil system" supposedly tested with a prototype 9mm SMG. I read this in "Fighting Shotguns of the World" by Thomas F. Swearengen, which I believe you have a review on that caused me to buy it, thank you! (Second attempt)

Anonymous

Thanks for the Awesome content Ian! For a collector who wants to shoot their firearms, would you recommend the Lebel or the Berthier as a first French rifle? And of those two, is there a specific version you’d recommend?

Anonymous

In the event the US military adopts a new calibre, how likely is it we'll see a repeat of what happened with 556 whereby the rest of the western world follows suit?

Anonymous

Hello Ian, Repeat attempt, is there any specific reason why modern autimatic rifles are virtually all internal hammer fired and only a handful if rifles (vss comes to mind) use a striker system?

Anonymous

Is there anything out there on the life story of Dieudonne Saive?

Anonymous

The Sterling SMG roller guide magazine is superb. Why havent roller guide magazines been widely adapted?

Anonymous

Ian, in your December Q&A, in a question about publishing English translations, you mentioned a few good russian books with good illustrations and presumably good scholarship - can you mention any more details? As an expat who is starting to accumulate firearms-related books, I am curious to check them out

Anonymous

You are sent to Jurassic Park and must defend yourself against rampaging dinosaurs! What weapons do you take? Destructive devices, explosives, and anti-tank weapons are allowed.

Pete
>>50895031

Nice idea, although since Ian's videos come out during my work lunchbreak I might have to join in in spirit only 😉

Anonymous

Second time asking: If you were going to outfit Elbonia in 2020, what modern rifle, pistol and machinegun with ammunition would you pick to sabotage them?

David Teach

I know that during black powder times, people loaded large caliber bullets for increased firepower and later scaled down when modern powders came along. What bullet or loading that was Officially Adopted by any military is considered the weakest? (Alternate version of this question): What is the SMALLEST caliber officially adopted by any world military; why was it chosen and was it considered effective? Leaving out (I guess for both questions) specialty stuff like silenced pistols in .22 or .22 short.

Thunderchild

Based on what you've learned and do with the WWSD project, would there be any take aways or ideas for what you'd do to design a Light Support Weapon/SAW to match a squad of WWSD riflemen?

Ryan D Thorne

What do you think are the most interesting firearms of the last 20 years?

Anonymous

Ian, have you ever looked at the Daisy V/L? It was a caseless ammunition .22 air-pump fired rifle for children that got banned because Daisy wasn't an FFL.

Anonymous

I enjoyed hearing your “wish” of a dedicated range. What metal targets do you prefer? Which ones kick your butt? FYI, I just bought a mini-mo and Mitch at MOA said he had an uptake in sales after your video.

Anonymous

Will you be doing any more WW1 battlefield tour guiding when travel resumes?

Anonymous

What path brought you to where you are today?

Anonymous

Now that the WWSD 2020 KP15 rifle is out, you had said in the 2017 conclusion video that you wanted to get it into the hands of some military/law enforcement friends for their opinions of it. Have you had feedback from them and are there plans to get this new rifle into any trials? Also, did you ever come up with an "approved" bipod?

Anonymous

As someone who watches a lot of gun auctions, what’s the most surprising “ big bucks” sale that you’ve ever seen?

Anonymous

This is a carry on from Ryan D Thorne's question. What do you think will be the significant new firearm developments in the next 20 years?

Anonymous

Hi Ian, asking again....which gun has made you ho "what were they thinking" ,either in terms of complexity or just plain weirdness??

Anonymous

When did safeties begin appearing on firearms? Can you briefly cover the history and kinds of safeties?

Anonymous

In Europe and the Middle East, it's common to see confiscated criminal weapons of historical value. WWI-WWII era, some experimental firearms, and sometimes proper antiques. Have you ever thought of reviewing some of the available footage and extracting the more interesting firearms?

Anonymous

There's been a long history of crossover of technology between US competition shooting and military use, from long range to modern practical competition. What are the most interesting successes and failures of this crossover (from the civilian to military side) in your view?

Anonymous

I've become interested in the Pedersen Rifle, but apart from your videos and articles on it and Hatcher's Book of the Garand, I can't find much else on the subject. Can you recommend a good book on the rifle and/or Pedersen's other works and life, and if not, could you lure an author to the offices of Headstamp Publishing with a trail of waxed .276 cartridges?

Anonymous

Instead of using electronic primer detonation like Remington's EtronX, why aren't electronically controlled sears/hammers more common on small arms? Having a solenoid system controlling the firing of the weapon would allow you to move the trigger away from the rest of the firing group and allow you to retain the best tactile response (see Bull Pub). Is it a cost concern, or is there a firearms law in the way? It is hard to imagine an electronic system would be more costly than a high end, well machined trigger group.

Timothy Conklin

Repeat question: Why do so many printed sources focus on the claim that Smith & Wesson nearly went bankrupt producing No. 3 revolvers for the Russian Empire due to Russian crookedness while reputable contemporary sources (such as Forgotten Weapons and C&Rsenal) don't mention this at all? If false, where did this myth come from?

Anonymous

If they had gone with a shorter 30ish round magazine to make carrying spares easier, do you think the P90 could have seen more success?

Anonymous

Will you add the CZ Scorpion Evo to your PCC Course?

Anonymous

Were there any major metallurgical, chemical, or manufacturing advancements made during the interwar period that allowed for more advanced small arms designs in WWII compared to WWI, or was this the result of experimentation and refinement of pre-WWI manufacturing, chemical, and metallurgical technologies?

Matthew Jackson

Elbonia has lucked into a windfall: they have been effectively given large stockpiles of 9mm Makarov, along with a production line for same, and need to hold SMG trials, are there any contenders?

Anonymous

Are monolithic bullets the future? With lead bans and solid brass bullets happening, will these replace cup and core style bullets?

Anonymous

Repeat from long ago: When were steel-cased cartridges invented, what are the benefits and drawbacks compared to brass, and why would an ammo-producing country stick with one or the other when supplying its military?

Anonymous

Most of your merchandise is made in China and seems kind of cheap. Have you considered having merch made in the US? I would happily pay more for Forgotten Weapons stuff made in the US

Anonymous

Has anyone tried diabolo shaped bullets in firearms (not airguns and such) aside from shotgun slugs? The shape proves to be quite efficient at self-stabilizing even without rifling. It seems that with a proper sabot, it could be done in conventional rifle calibers. I am not saying it would be better than normal bullets (if it were, it would be used a lot more), but I have not seen any attempts of it.

Brock Gouett

Being that you and Karl are pretty good friends, what is your favorite moment with Karl over the past few years?

Anonymous

There are some rather famous photos of Soviet soldiers posing with captured western weapons in Afghanistan during the Soviet Afghan War (mostly G3's and M16A1's). These weapons were presumably captured from Mujahedeen fighters that were military aid from Operation Cyclone. Are there any accounts from Soviet soldiers on their opinions of these captured weapons?

Anonymous

So in the current ammo shortages I've come to realize that my personal standardization around 38/357 is finding me unable to find anything while 9mm and .45 acp is still somewhat available. I like pistol caliber rifles and carbines as a way to shoot larger guns at a more economical price. I've been considering the auto ordnance thompson as a way to own something in .45 (potentially pairing it with a 1911 or S&W 1917). What would you recommend in 9mm or .45 that is reasonably priced and of a historic nature in a semi-auto configuration? I haven't gone through the process for an SBR stamp but I am not opposed to it. This would be mostly for target shooting although I'm interested in getting into competition shooting.

Cleansweep

Is there any specific reason why aluminum extrusions have only become common for rifle upper receivers in the past twenty or so years, versus being part of the AR design from the beginning?

Anonymous

With the current plateau in fire arms advancement, which incremental improvement from the past 50 years do you think has made the most impact on the practical use of firearms in a civilian and military role. Excluding the obvious advancement in sighting systems.

Anonymous

What is your general opinion on clones vs part kits builds? This seems to be a common choice now for HK and some other brands. Both in terms of collection and shooting.

Anonymous

US space force has just been announced a year ago, how would you arm an astronaut for space-combat?

Anonymous

Was private (company) or public (arsenal) R&D the primary driver of weapons development in the 20th century? Going back by century, when/if did this ever flip to the other side?

Anonymous

Would you consider doing some videos about low cost odd pistols that are still around and why they are still around? For instance, some Indian police have revolvers with the ammunition fixed in the cylinder.

Ian Hudson

Second time asking; If you could have any 2 gun designers work on one thing, assuming language is no barrier, who would you have work on what for the most interesting (not functional) outcome? I was thinking Geaeord Luger and Paul Mauser could make a pretty cool assault rifle, with Luger's skill at refinement and Mausers general design skills, it would be pretty cool

Anonymous

A fake Singer M1911A1 was recently pulled from an upcoming RIA auction. Members of 1911forum said the gun has been a known fake for many years, and some were slamming RIA for not being aware of it, or, worse, being aware and taking a caveat emptor approach; what's your experience with the diligence with which auctions confirm authenticity?

Anonymous

Just watched your video on the CLLE; It's just the kind of video that made me signup to Patreon. I have a question on military rifles with windage adjustments. The CLLE had both front and rear windage adjustments. Other than the original and occasional zeroing use, just how often did the typical soldier ever use the windage adjustment? I'd think there wasn't much time in the middle of a firefight or even as pitched battle.

Jon Murphy

Why do we see so many different cartridges from all over the world with similar or exact bullet diameters? For example there is 7.62 NATO, .30-06, 7.62x39, and 7.62x54r for rifles, and 9mm, 380, and .38 special for pistols (to name a few). Is this to make machining easier, for marketing, tradition, ballistics, or something else?

Harry P. Ness

In the Thai Krupp 50mm Gun, video you mention the system being lightweight but iirc you never told us how much it actually weighs. Any idea what the actual total weight of the system is?

Anonymous

Second time asking. The Type 81 was designed as an interim weapon for the PLA's outdated arms at the time. With that said, if it had been designed in the 50's or early 60's, do you think it would have competed with the AK on the export market. It has some objective benefits over the AK - simple adjustable gas, rifle grenades, last shot hold-open, etc. Curious to hear your thoughts.

Anonymous

Could you comment on the new .277 Fury/6.8 mm SIG. SAAMI max pressure for this round is 80k PSI

Anonymous

Receive anything awesome for Christmas?

Anonymous

Is there a considerable difference in the chamber pressure of a delayed blow-back pistol and a locked breach pistol?

Anonymous

I am interested in the Winchester WSL rifle development, fyi I own a 401wsl that might be available for video.

Anonymous

Would you rather be issued an INSAS or L85?

Anonymous

I recently purchased a Brazilian 08/34, a Brno-made rifle that Brazil converted to .30-06 after the Second World War. In researching the rifle, I came across conflicting information regarding whether the arsenal at Itajuba (now known as Imbel) ever made wholly new Mauser rifles. Some sources say that the arsenal simply reworked old Czech and German actions and barrels, while others claim that the arsenal made entirely new guns. Do you have an idea as to whether or not Brazil was ever in the business of domestic Mauser production? Thanks!

Anonymous

Your prior discussion on collections having a focus has certainly guided some of my purchases in the past several months. I am now just a few short of having a complete collection of Cold War 9x18 Makarov sidearms. However, I have been unable to source any of the late/post-Soviet handguns chambered in the cartridge. Did these ever come over to the US as surplus/commercial sale, and is there any hope of seeing any stateside?

Adam Schindler

If a larger, slower round (e.g. 12-15mm at 1500-2000 FPS) could be cheaply proximity fuzed (i.e. automatically fragments 10-50 yards in front of the intended target), would that replace some or all of the roles currently held by the SAW/LMG/GPMG?

Anonymous

Hi, what decides the length of a rifle barrel? You don’t need a very Long barrel to get enough spin on a projectile. What are other parameters for the length?

Anonymous

2nd time asking. I'm interested in how a firearm's quality will change depending on outcomes of the conflict it's used in. The best examples of this are Arisaka's and Kar 98's from WW2 drastically changing in quality over a relatively short period of time. Besides the two I mentioned, are there any other examples of a firearm's quality dropping off sharply because of materials shortages, desperation, etc.

Anonymous

In the Ar-15 platform how critical is the barrel length for the smaller calibers.Is it more or less an issue with the larger calibers?

Anonymous

I was looking at Beretta's shotguns a few weeks ago and noticed their double barrel DT11 Black Pro cost an astounding 14450 USD and one of their semi autos cost about 1400, this got me wondering: at what price point does a gun turn into a status symbol?

Anonymous

What hearing protection do you use while shooting/filming? Is there a certain brand you'd recommend?

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 in the US. 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 defensive purposes or would you stick with 9mm nonetheless?

Anonymous

What are your best interaction/worse interaction stories pertaining to the BATFE that you would be willing to speak too? Curious because of your eclectic and storied experience, not trying to get political.

Anonymous

What are your thoughts on the sliding scale of 'stolen valor'? Obviously not the guys who intentionally seek recognition with ribbons and medals etc, but the ones who are just into milsurp. I have seen video accusations being thrown at people who are just trying to mind their own business wearing recycled clothing for its utilitarian purpose. As someone who enthuses with milsurp of all kinds, how often do you wear things in public with flags or insignia from other countries? Do you ever get asked and have to explain you aren't a veteran and are just in it for the pockets like I do? I've had interesting conversations with camo nerds and people asking if I'm a veteran about equally. My biggest fear is people thinking I served when I never did!

Kevin

Completely unrelated to firearms, But in your video, Colts First Double Actions you have a pretty radical black hat with a large practical brim. What is the model of hat?

Mustafa's Fleas

Have you ever seen Russell Phagen be amused enough to really actually laugh? Is there video of that occurring???

Anonymous

How/why did JMB's tilting barrel design for semi automatic pistols become so dominant over fixed barrel designs?

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

3rd time asking, what books for collecting Winchester lever actions would you recommend?

Anonymous

I've seen some pictures of full auto 1911's in the context of prohibition gangs. I'm wondering what they were like to shoot, as they had a Thompson's forward grip just below the muzzle. Were they useful, or just a status symbol?

Anonymous

2nd time asking, do you know why in the US gun community we have a tradition of not referring to revolvers as pistols (unlike the rest of the English speaking world and the average American layman)? A lot of people have quote the NFA's definition of a handgun as the source for this, but a while back I read through the NFA and if I recall correctly the secondary definition of revolver was in fact as "a type of pistol", so this doesn't seem to have come from US law. From what I've seen I suspect that this may have arisen from US military convention, but I've never heard a definitive answer on the subject.

Anonymous
>>50895731

As a sub set of that question - Ian had previously stated that he would take a Hudson H9. Based on the fact the Hudson is no longer available what would be taken in its place?

PHAZE

2nd time around ... For rare and difficult to find guns, like your FAMAS, do you worry about parts wear when shooting them? If you wore out the barrel on a gun like that, would you ever be able to get a replacement?

Anonymous

What do you believe is the reasoning for some militaries, primarily the US Marine Corps and the British Army, to be apparently abandoning squad light machine guns in favour of slightly modified HK416s in the case of the Marine Corp, and LMT made AR-10 based DMR's in the case of the British Army? Is this a sign of a major change in infantry tactics, or a limited, short-term tactical fad?

Anonymous

What, if any, spare parts for rifles do you try to keep in your personal inventory? Or do you just wait until something breaks to replace it?

Anonymous
>>50922003

I’ve seen concentric circle sights on Olympic-style .22lr rifles; kind of neat aside, but they’re probably slower to use though more precise

Anonymous

Do you have any recommendations for Mauser reference books? Specifically for 1893-1898 models

Anonymous

Will there be a companion book to Chasspot to FAMAS on French Military sidearms?

Anonymous

Have you ever shot a rifle with a balanced recoil system, such as the Kalashnikov SR-1 rifle used in IPSC competitions? Are there any other ( non Russian) rifles made with this feature ?

Anonymous

Dear Ian, I am a recent but very big fan of your work. I had a question about the G3 rifle, specifically about its adoption and service in the Turkish military. As the biggest European army in NATO, Turkey has been the biggest user of the G3 as a standard infantry rifle. It has also probably seen the most combat usage in the Turkish Army, since small arms have been employed extensively in fighting guerillas. My question to you is, do you know how and why the G3 was adopted by Turkey (and Greece) over the FAL, for example? Are there any interesting modifications that have been made to the rifle there? I hope this is the proper way to send a question for Q&A. Thanks a lot.

Anonymous

Red dots on pistols have been around in the competition circuit (mounted to the frame) why was mounting it to the slide such a game changing achievement? (No sarcasm I genuinely want to know)

Anonymous

Hi Ian, i heard you many times talking about developing program of the USArmy from the '60 (and newer). I belive theyr name are DART and SPEW? SPIW? My question is what was doing France at the time? Was they developing something similar or were the French going "theyr own way" not being NATO depending?

Anonymous

Who finished the design of the 1911 to what it is today?

Anonymous

Fun Stupid Question Time: the year is 1985, and you are trying to start a PMC for hire to contract all over the globe. given the undetermined nature of PMC work until you get contracts, how would you go about equipping your mercenaries with gear up to the year of the scenario? things like: Small Arms (Infantry Rifle, Pistol, Sub Machinegun, Light Machinegun, Marksman Rifle/Sniper Rifle) Big Arms (Mounted Machine Guns for Technicals, Autocannons) Light Armored Vehicles (the M113 would be cheap, as well as stuff like the BTR and so on) you can pick stuff from either side of the Cold War, as a PMC you are in a legal gray area. given your newness to the market, budget is a concern.

Anonymous

Ian, I have recently seen an influx in Chinese pistols popping up in our markets. Do you know where they're coming from? I was under the impression the importation of Chinese produced firearms was a no go. Great show thanks providing a solid outlet throughout the years.

Anonymous

What do you think the future of mrds (miniature red dot sights, i.e. pistol optics) is and which company do you think is pushing in that direction the hardest?

Andrey Gardner

Is there another firearm that has stayed from its 'special sauce' roots like the AR had, that would be suitable for a What Would Original Designer Do 20XX build if enough aftermarket parts could be wished into existence or AR part magically converted to an analogues component for said weapon?

Anonymous

Repeat question: What happened to the forgotten warrior t-shirt line? Will there be any new designs in the future?

Anonymous

For a left handed shooter, what are the best and worst C&R guns?? Collectability be damned, it's about trigger time.

Anonymous

Ian, you said in an old Q&A that you had worked as a bartender before launching Forgotten Weapons. Any other experience in the restaurant/service industry and any memorable stories from that time? Just curious as someone who works at a restaurant himself.

Anonymous

Would you say Browning-style pistols count as delayed blowback, short recoil, or both? I can see an argument either way and would be curious to get your take.

Anonymous

Are you aware of any integration of magnets (especially electromagnets) into a locking or delaying system for firearms. It seems like this would be a possible (if expensive and perhaps impractical) concept. Additionally, could magnetic rifling be feasible? I.e applying projectile spin through magnetic means (though not the motive force). I can see no practical uses for this in small arms, but I can see some utility in larger artillery pieces (such as tanks that wish to retain the possibility of using gun launched missiles).

Anonymous

During the early 1960s, you are put in charge of arms acquisition for a small rural police department. Your budget is limited, but you can choose any firearms currently in production. Handguns, patrol weapons, and the departments fledgling SWAT team need to be equipped. What do you choose and why?

Anonymous

Why hasn't anyone made a MP7 style (mag through pistol grip) sub-gun in 5.7 for civilian sale? Seems like it would be a popular choice, especially with the braces available, and have potential for LEO sales as well. Can you call B&T and have them rechamber the MP9 so we can have this.

Josh Ross

Thoughts on a 6.5 Grendel for a wwsd DMR? 3 time asking. Love the channel keep up the great work.

Anonymous

What are the advantages and disadvantages of plunger vs fixed ejectors?

Nate
>>50895537

It's worth pointing out a history of political tension between East and West German governments and negative views of the East German government in particular rather than more general negative views of communism that were also in play.

Nate

How did Elbonia end up with such a competent flag design?

Anonymous

How come the sale prices of many guns from auction houses is no longer displayed in the description? Did YouTube have a problem with that?

Anonymous

Was left side charging handle on FN FAL considered un-orthodox at the time? As far as I can tell it was not a widespread feature expect for the BAR. Even FN49 has right side charging handle

Anonymous

Did you figure out whats wrong with the calico?

Anonymous
>>50944240

What chinese pistols are you talking about like tokarevs or a domestic degin and are they on the used market or being sold by distributors?

Molly McAllister

When bolt-actions were the dominant repeating military rifle the firing mechanism was primarily striker-fired, with the transition to semi-auto/select-fire almost all military rifles are hammer-fired. Why the change?

Anonymous

Your recent Mannlicher 88/95 video got me thinking, has any country/designer try a spring-loaded straight-pull rifle? So the shooter only had to extract the fired round and the spring would chamber the next. I know of a California compliant charging handle/bolt that does this; I'm curious if that is the first use of this concept

Anonymous

Is there a “sweet spot” for the amount of rifling in a given gun barrel length? At what point does too fine rifling cause excessive heat and friction making the barrel wear out prematurely. Or too corse rifling causing loss of distance and accuracy?

Anonymous

Is there a purpose-designed firearm you think that you admire for fulfilling a niche role particularly well?

Anonymous

How did you wind up meeting and working with Larry Vickers?

Anonymous

Why do we see so many weapons from almost all of the European Warsaw Pact nations but not the Ukraine?

Anonymous

After watching your video and listening to Othais and Danny's podcasts in RL Wilson are there any other firearms out there like the dragoon revolvers. That for what ever reason there is doubt to there authenticity and have any that you know of changed opinion on their position. And as always keep up the great content

Andy Maidment

Two questions: 1. Does your wife ever get to go with you as you jet-set across the planet? 2. When you're in a place where you can, what's your daily carry gun?

Will Sanders

Third time asking. Ian, do you have to clean the guns you shoot at the auction houses?

Anonymous

I’d like to learn more about the HK velocity switch for the HK SMG 2, and specifically why it was never used, it seemed like such a good idea but was dropped so quickly.

Anonymous

Any info on K98k rifles in 7.92X33mm (Kurz Patrone)? Only reference I can find is in Richard Laws book. Lothar Walther appear to make barrels but who used the rifles?

Anonymous

How far back in time do you think you could travel and still be able to impact the development of firearms?

Anonymous

Since moving have you reassembled/installed your Matrix Armory display wall? If yes are you still happy with it? I am considering getting one.

Anonymous

Hello Ian, I have recently purchased an original Boyt M1907 sling for my M1903. Not having a lot of experience in leather care, I was curious if there are any particular products or brands that you would recommend, especially for older leather slings? Best regards, Jon

Anonymous

What is your opinion on bridge style optics mounts for pistols in situations where the extra bulk is not an issue? I'm considering one for my home defense gun as I don't want to have it milled, and have heard dovetail mounts are easy to knock out if zero.

Anonymous

On a service rifle of the smokeless era- 1886-1914 (arbitrary) what wears out? Do small arms committees track wear and tear? Or is it simulated to their satisfaction? And did their observations lead them to wanting a semi-auto?

Anonymous

You’ve mentioned before that you work with the restrictions that the firearms owners request when filming a video (wearing gloves when asked, not disassembling certain firearms, not showing serial numbers when asked). Have the restrictions given by the owners ever been so severe as to make you choose not to use that firearm?

Clifton Ballad

How often are various non destructive testing methods used on firearms? Have you ever seen Morphys or Rock Island or whoever bust out a dye penetrant kit or an ultrasonic test on an older gun?

Anonymous

The year is 1972 and Cold War tensions about. Your predecessor's exploits are well known. A portrait hangs on the wall outside your office depicting the trial and his life sentence. Two decades and many advances in firearms later, Elbonia finally has the budget to replace its firearms, and you are the head of procurement for this project. As a neutral nation, NATO and the Warsaw Pact are both offering weapons, as well as all other nations with the companies that have the capability to supply to an entire army. However, your dog and wife have both been kidnapped by agents of your predecessor's employer, and you must finish what he started. How would you sabotage Elbonia's small arms using only what is currently in production, with no connected lineage to what had been purchased before? Any weapons directly derived from what is currently in inventory will be suspect and that is more important than carrying over ammunition stores, of which Elbonia doesn't have a lot of anyway. The government knows full well they will need an intermediate cartridge for their rifles, though perhaps it is not very clear to them what defines such. Other than those constraints you are free to choose anything currently in production in sufficient quantity in 1972. (Feel free to change the year to make it more interesting)

Anonymous

Thoughts on collecting semi-auto rebuilds of machine guns as stand ins for full auto peices? I purchased a semi-auto Madsen LMG this past summer, and I can see lots of pros & cons in several areas with these - ammo consumption, belts vs. mags, coverall cost, regulation, historical preservation vs. modifications, historical perspective gained in having vs. lost in converting, converting calibers for ease of use, closed vs. open bolt modifications, etc...

Anonymous

In the old west many people out on the frontier carried their Winchester rifle and their sidearm in the same cartridge so they could use the same ammo for both guns since they would be away from civilization for long periods of time. If you had to take this same approach today (say you were going off grid for a few months in Montana or Wyoming) and carry a pistol and a pistol caliber carbine with you as your only guns, and they had to be in the same caliber, what would you choose? Would you go for something more modern and favors capacity over stopping power like a glock and semi-auto pcc in 9mm or something with more punch but less capacity and rate of fire like a revolver and lever gun in .357 or .44 magnum?

USAUSA

Why are all if not most semiautomatic shotguns pump action and most semiautomatic/repeating rifles lever/bolt/etc action? Also any pump/lever action pistols?

Anonymous

With the Type 96 vid it seems like it performs on par with it contemporaries (i.e. ZB 26, 30, Bren, FM 25/29 ect.) Since you have experience with basically all of these which would have Elbonia adopt before WW2?

d from birmingham
>>51115643

pump action and semi automatic shotguns are two different systems. there are bolt action shotguns and they are fairly cheap often 100 dollars or less.

Fruitbat44

The TV show 'Motherland: Fort Salem' is a military/fantasy show set in alternate-history version of present day USA and you've been brought into the advise on the sort of guns the "conventional" US military would be using. I say "conventional" since in the show magic is real and weaponised. So firearms development has slowed to a crawl since 1692 when the witches of Salem ended their persecution by becoming soldiers. Given all this, what would you suggest the "conventional" US Army would be using?

Anonymous

There are many US based museums that possess items that would normally be NFA items; (cannons, naval rifles, etc.) that haven't been deactivated but are still very much fully mechanically operable. Where do those items fit into the legal spectrum? I know it'd be a normal NFA DD tax stamp for a normal person to purchase/transfer a French 75mm, but how does that work for museums?

Anonymous

Have you ever broken a gun you are showing in the process of disassembly?

Anonymous

So what is happening with testing the Calico helical magazine? The problems you are having seem more to do with the gun, rather than the magazine. It seems odd that the company, when trying to push a radical new magazine design, would risk its acceptance by having it paired with a bad gun design. The failure of the gun would spill over onto the public's perception of the magazine. I wonder if the company was so enamored with the magazine design that the did not realize that the gun design would also have to be robust. Would there be a way to modify a more solid gun design to accept the magazine?

Anonymous

I've seen the claim that open-bolt automatic weapons have much less recoil than those which fire from a closed bolt. (Example: https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MAX+ATCHISSON+AND+HIS+FIREARMS+INNOVATIONS.-a0522210318) Is that true, and if so, why?

Anonymous

I'm interested to know if you have any insight into the length of the stock of the 1873 carbine. It doesn't impact on my ability to shoot it, but it feels like it's cut for a child at the back end. Mine is drilled for a tang sight, but I have the impression that it would be in my cheek in use if I had one mounted. To the best of my knowledge the current production Winchester rifles are based on the dimensions of the main production original versions. Was there a strategic consideration, have tastes changed, or am I missing something?

Bruce Brodnax
>>50894292

Stripper clips are far less costly in terms of production demands, shipping, materials, etc. than a magazine.

Bruce Brodnax
>>50894348

The larger volume of the .30-'03 (& later .30-'06) may have been necessary to keep the overall pressure with the original 220gr bullet within reason. Also, don't forget that the U.S. was working with DuPont smokeless powder, which may have been bulkier than powders used by other powers? And lastly, the .30-'03 isn't significantly longer than the .45-70 or .30 Krag, which is what we were already used to...

Bruce Brodnax
>>50894567

Ian actually covered this in one of his past vids. It comes down to a particular treaty regarding explosive rounds, and research that had been done by someone that basically established 1.5" caliber [aka 37mm] as the minimum size for a useful explosive charge. That was in the 1880's? And it all went on from there...

Bruce Brodnax
>>50894622

Caliber absolutely has a difference on the efficacy of pistol rounds: bigger holes bleed better. Modern projectile technology has mitigated this somewhat, so you no longer need a .45acp to get decent lethality with a round nose ball round, because a 9mm HP can do more now than it could 20 years ago.

Bruce Brodnax
>>50895292

Because Germany did a lot of their weapons development in the USSR prior to the start of the war, the Soviets had access to German research into assault rifle rounds up to ~ 1940. The reasons the Soviets did better w/ the m43 was they were already at .30 cal, which has better BC than a stubby 8mm projectile. The guys in Germany developing the 8mm Kurz knew that 8mm was too big, but Germany wasn't about to change bore size mid-war, and they needed to be able to use existing tooling, etc. so 8mm it was!

Anonymous

Have you thought about doing charity work like autions or a charity stream for museums?

Anonymous

Would it be correct to say that for a shorter barreled weapon a larger bore is preferable to increase surface area against which gas can apply pressure?

Anonymous

Gday Ian, Would one of the light machine guns ( Châtellerault, FN BAR, ZB 26 etc) scaled down to a cartridge like .250 Savage been a useful shoulder-fired weapon for WW2?

Anonymous

Often on older guns you present they have sights that are adjustable to wildly optimistic/improbable ranges. Can you speak as to what changed in terms of tactics that old guns had sights that could be adjusted to distances that a shooter could not reasonably see a target let alone hit it with the weapon.

Anonymous

What is your favorite iron sight configuration? I would be interested to watch a video comparing the various sights and maybe even competing against one another.

Anonymous

What do you think about installing barrel inserts into antique rifles? I have a Remington-Keene that seems to be in good shape other than the bore. I would like the gun to be more than a wall hanger. There is something ya gotta love about a 45-70 bolt action.

Anonymous

Maybe this is too late, but for us folks that have happened across your channel in the past year or so, what does the timeline of Forgotten Weapons actually look like, and then when did the intersection with InRangeTV happen and how? What's that thing that got you to decide that being a YouTube content creator was a thing you could make happen? Thanks.

Landric Hakon

Second time asking: What was the procedure for inventors/gun designers/manufacturers prototyping and making new machineguns between 1934 (NFA) and 1968 (Establishment of the FFL)? How did one legally make a machine gun prototype or develop a gun before one had to have a manufacturers FFL but after machineguns were controlled by the NFA?

CardboardAK47

Has there been any development into make a more energy dense propellant to make cases smaller and shorter? Like making a rifle round with the same amount of power but close to the size of a pistol round.

Anonymous

Do you see any application for structually amorphous metals/metallic glasses and coatings in the firearms industry as low-friction, high-hardness, corrosion resistant materials?

Anonymous

What would you say is the most prolific forgotten weapon? I.e. one that garnered relatively significant sales/adoption but has disappeared from the public consciousness.

Anonymous

What is the history of left-handed bolt action rifles?

Anonymous

The question I originally wanted to ask turned out to be answered in one of your previous Q&A's so I'll ask this instead. Did the Russians or British ever attempt to take the rim off of their 54R and .303 cartridges to better facilitate magazines and autoloading? I know the rims are there for headspacing, so would the removal of the rim require and modification to the guns themselves?

Anonymous

One of the assumed advantages of the M14 was that existing M1 tooling could be leveraged for production. The similarities between the two are outwardly obvious, but this clearly was not the case. What happened?

Anonymous

Personal: Do you follow any sports and if the case, which kind?