Eralen00 it’s a good habit to have. I have proper trigger discipline when using an electric drill lmfao. A good firearm owner and user’s good habits subconsciously follow them into every part of their life.
I know, you can't be too safe when it comes to guns, it just gave me a chuckle. I know there were some guns from the civil war found loaded, and some of them accidentally/negligently discharged for that matter.
To add insult to injury, it actually ejected spent cartridges backwards, straight to the shooters' face, so he would get more than just a broken wrist. Sir Hugh was clearly inspired by field artillery when he designed this piece, too bad he didn't think of adding a hydraulic recoil buffer of some sort.
Thanks to you I was able to succesfully use a MARS pistol in a French gunshop (it had a lot of surface rust but nothing to severe). The mechanism is really stiff but I managed to try to see the disconnector in action with the "keep the trigger pulled" thing. Even the seller wasn't aware of that feature. You earned my Patreon sub . I wanted to do it since I'm following your wonderful channel for now a year or two but I was always pushing it to tomorrow.
@@kvproductions2581 The shop owner actually told me that if I was able to find ammo for it that we could go test the gun. Unfortunately I never found any kind of affordable ammo for it.
Heh. its not like you are needing to worry about actually SHOOTING it. Proprietary cartridges for a weapon with 80 examples in 4 different calibers? Yeah, those will never be fired again.
What an amazing piece, and so far ahead of it's time. The rotating bolt. The detachable box magazine. The push button mag release (rather than heel release). Whether it was a commercial success or not, this was far ahead of it's time.
megadeth22885 I still keep my 686. Sold the 624 as I found myself too often pulling cartridges out of it to put in my DE. I think it's a matter of all the trigger snobs out there. I got training on a standard issue M16 and mine was after the previous grunt over-cleaned the coatings away so the trigger was grinding. Still, no big deal...
The pistol operates strangely like a cannon (howitzer) with a feed mechanism. The grabbers invoke images of the Kriss. I wonder if this pistol served as any inspiration.
Who said BF games ever had to stick to common weapons? They have rare or even unused weapons like the AN-94 or AEK-971 available for use in BF4, and they even had a weapon that was completely fake. Rare guns is what BF is about.
I would like to say that this the first time I saw Gun Jesus. I was a freshman, interested in engineering, only slightly educated in guns. So, when I saw an article about an early auto-loader, I was interested, to say the least. The engineering and complexity astounded me. I was hooked instantly, and this channel has taught me so much. Even as a novice shooter (with more talent than skill) I understand how guns work better than those trying to teach me. I guess this is a thank you to Ian. Thank you, kindly
Forgotten Weapons Kinda want someone to handmake reproductions of this handgun. I did ask Copper Custom in Valparaiso, Indiana if they have apprenticeships available, and they might have it as a summer opportunity.
My dad has one (had one he's been gone since 1988) and he had lots of ammo for it, he emphasized the fact that the right ammo was most important to working correctly although we did shoot American ammo through the gun and I only remember it functioning perfectly. Loud, very powerful and would hurt my hand afterwards! Loved shooting it.
I think it's really interesting how the bullet feed delay mechanism is used in the Battlefield 1 version of the gun. The gun in the game is powerful, but it's balanced by it's slower rate of fire. Very cool gun!
rewtuser exactly what I was thinking since models of the Luger P08 and Mauser C96 had carbine variants as well and they were designed/manufactured in the same era
The Boberg pistol has a "reverse" feeding system which looks amazingly similar to the Mars action. Can't help but think that the Mars design managed to have an influence on firearms design over a century later. In size and power the Mars seems to be the spiritual antecedent of the Wildey and Desert Eagle pistols and the late lamented Auto Mag .
I’ve always had a fondness for the Mars, even though I never knew all that much about it. This video just endears the Mars to me even more. Lots of larger-caliber handguns are referred to as “hand cannons”, but the Mars is the only one I know of that recoils like an actual artillery piece. Much like the cartridge LeMat revolver or the 37mm Hotchkiss rotary cannon you showed recently, I would consider the Mars to be a “Rule of Cool” weapon; the kind of weapon where it’s just so inherently weird/unique that any questions of obsolescence or impracticality are rendered moot. Excellent video, thanks very much for shedding some light on such a cool and little-known weapon!
Similar looks, mechanics, yet better caliber margins, reportedly the Mars had either a 10 or 8[or 9] round capacity depending on the calibers, .45 Mars Long and .45 Mars Short with the 8[or 9] round mags, and the 8.5mm Mars and 9mm Mars with the 10 round mags.
"Aha! I follow your line of thinking. "Did he fire eight shots or only seven?" I must confess, that during all this excitement, I have somewhat lost track myself. But as this is a Gabbet-Fairfax Webley-Mars, quite the most potent pistol in the world and would blast your cranium clean from your shoulders, it behooves you to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do you Sir, you utter cad?"
I really, really wish we could record one of these firing... The recoil and muzzle flash are said to be so great, it's sad to think we won't be able to record and preserve that for everyone in the future to see
I love the engineering of all the mechanisms that are working together. Granted, they are a bit overcomplicated, but you can definitely see how it helped pave the way for modern automatic pistols.
Really interesting video, I like the fact that it has a rotating bolt and the only other handgun which I can think of with a locking-lug rotating bolt is the Desert Eagle, which also fires comically overpowered rounds.
hi, Ian. Those are amazing pistols. I wonder if they could have been steam powered? Or if using a few more brass fittings would have increased reliability? It is a pity that using a red dot sighting system seems to be out of the question. A ballistic computer would probably not be of any use either. The only customer for these pistols I can think of would be Robo-Cop. That pairing would definitely be one made in heaven. Anyway, thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!
I think it's a pretty cool concept. It adds more fear in the gameplay.. Especially when you realize that these where once real weapons. I think it adds a lot to the fear of the unknown that many soldiers at the time had
Anyone else wounded if dice just watched all of Ian's video to find any cool looking guns that existed around the time of ww1 to put into battlefield 1
I would not be shocked if they did the guy that runs the great war channel about ww1 was consulted for person and day to day stuff of the people of the time so the game would be more accurate
Little touches like the hammer doubling as a lever for the lifter are why I like gun design videos. Don’t want one - but it’s so mechanically interesting 😂
The M1911 wasn't based on this pistol though. there's actually another gun that holds that title that came before the Mars Automatic made by browning, and had a much more striking resemblance to the M1911.
I love to share your show to my history/Chernobyl group on Facebook, it really helps me with teaching my group about gun history in a non-biased format. Thank you for producing these videos Ian, your work is truly fascinating and I'm grateful because it has helped me get people hooked on learning. Also, thanks heaps for not "Copyrighting" me on Facebook, you're a good man and I'm *very* grateful. 🙏✌🇺🇦
The best resource I am aware of is the article Dr. Sturgess wrote about them for the HBSA (Historical Breechloading Smallarms Assn). It's a copyrighted work so I can't repost it myself, but the Julia auction house has a copy of it posted to go along with this sale. I would strongly advise downloading a copy: jamesdjulia.com/wp-content/uploads/images/auctions/369/prov/52412.PDF
While it was a commercial failure, it is truly a genius design. Theyre so complex, especially for their era. And that they worked pretty well overall is incredible.
Ian: *checks to make sure a more than 100 year old gun with custom ammo has an empty chamber* Also Ian: *sticking his finger around inside the open bolt on a gun with a monster recoil spring, when the only thing preventing that bolt from snapping closed is HOLDING DOWN THE TRIGGER with his other hand*
If you turned pieces would maybe made out of some kind of metal. Just imagine this rare gun to become damaged during a demo with a too stiff metal dummy round that causes an malfunction. If anyone should make a dummyround for these, it should be made out of softer material than the gun's components.
He is a brilliant designer..... He actually looks like he was fixated on "the artillery" style of gun - but in a pistol size....... So he has made a pig of a pistol that smashes anything it hits..... But fuck it is a nice piece of work..... It's one of those horrors, that is so good, you could never throw it out, but it's more or less completely unuseable.... So thankyou to the collectors who keep and preserve these works of art.
I conceal carry a Phalanx CIWS 20mm in my minivan because its the closest thing to enough dakka that you can find in the 21st century that will fit in a turret platform.
OMG you were NOT kidding when you said these were complicated. But are you not allowed to try these guns with snapcaps? I'm sorry if that's a stupid question.
KrisHimself Well.. If you were listening...They all fire proprietary calibers which never entered mass production.. Bottom line - even if you could find original ammo for them.. they would be really rare and expensive
Georgi Karakolev So, not even handloading, you'd have to manually machine out the brass as well. Assuming detailed description of the ammunition still exists.
Whoa, those are crazy complex.. Fascinating to look at, but they must have been a nightmare to actually use. What was the rationale behind such complex weapons? Certainly everybody with a mind that could design such pistols, must also realize that there's no way they could compete with the revolvers of the time?
Added two more of these to my collection since I purchased number 39. I now have number 12 (possibly a Webley manufactured pistol) 39 is a Gabbett-Fairfax Fairfax and my latest one is number 44 made by Mars Syndicate (maybe?)- amazing pistols and all different! There is in fact one known that was retailed - Charles Lancaster of 15 New Bond St London retailed number 37T - 9mm Mars caliber (360) so they - or at least one of the Mars pistols was retailed to the public.
Nice Peter who's receiving them and your collection in your will? I'm sure you have an amazing collection and you should make a TH-cam video showing it off
I was kinda curious about that, and I don't know much about British culture but I'm guessing the fact that he was a Sir indicated that he didn't really need the gun to sell well and he was content to just show off his 1900's era Desert Eagle at the military trials, even if he knew it wasn't what they were looking for. He knew it would be appreciated eventually, like when it sold for $75K.
No wonder it was a failure. Watching you try and pull back the "slide", or whatever this gun has, was hilarious, but it seriously looked near impossible. I haven't a clue why the creator would refuse to change such an obviously flawed handgun. I say it deserves its fate. Let this be a "forgetten weapon". Regardless, I'd like to own one; for display purposes only, of course.
If I'm understanding you correctly... he was just dry cycling it to show how over-designed it was. You wouldn't be manually operating the action for every round, it's a recoil-operated pistol.
Kusagari Blues To play devil's advocate, this was something nice to have 100 years ago. Obviously there are better pistols today that are more reliable, prettier and better preforming, but I'd take this over a six gun revolver.aEs
Donald L. The M1911 is one-hundred and five years old since it's adoption, and is still used worldwide to this day. Civilians, special forces agencies, professional target shooters, many still chose the 1911 platform, or a variant of it, despite the availablity of other contemporary handguns made with the pinnacle of modern technology. So, the Mars gets no sympathy from me. A very powerful handgun had already been invented, and it was unequivocally better than the Mars in every way possible. Only four years after the commercial failure of the Mars, the 1911 would be mass-produced, silencing any real argument for owning a Gabbett-Fairfax design. Also, really? You'd take this piece of shit over a revolver? Are you crazy? For all of a six-shooter's draw-backs (capacity, reload speed, etc.), reliability typically isn't one of them. Even if I was around back then, I would never, under any circumstance, trust my life to a Mars Automatic Pistol. Like I said, you've got M1911s, M1900s, M1903 Pocket-Hamerless', Lugers, the C96 "Broomhandle", and a plethora of revolvers that had already been time-tested and proven their mettle (Dragoons anyone?). Hell, I'd take a C-93 Borchardt over one of these sad excuses for a handgun. Please, enlighten me on what you find desirable about these pistols, because I cannot think of anything for the life of me, with the exception of stopping power. Even then, the power of the .45 Mars Long cartridge doesn't mean squat dick if the gun won't be reliably chambered the round. "Your move, creep."
I know it is a forlorn hope, but I would so love to see one of these actually being fired!! Btw, I wonder how Sir Hugh got his knighthood - it clearly wasn't for his services to the British firearms industry!!!
I am having a hard time finding footage of this weapon being fired. i mean i get they had issues, but does anyone have any footage of this being fired?
Forgotten Weapons Oh Wow. great video, man. but see i was making a story in which the main character uses a pair of mars automatics and I was researching how they worked. of course i suppose since it's fiction i could just watch how similar 19th century auto-pistols were fired
I'm working on an animated series based in a fantasy WW1 setting, the protagonist was handed over two of these, one regular the other long barrel, and over time, it starts breaking down the protagonists psyche because of how much devastation he deals with the guns, he is superbly strong enough to handle both, but over time it starts to be too much, any man no matter how good they are at fighting, has their weaknesses. If anything, I'd just wait until BF1 drops because that's when the gun will be featured in all its glory, so when that time comes I'm sure I'll be able to study deep and recreate this weapon as much as I can
I wouldn't use a DICE game as a basis for something if you're trying to be faithful to the original. They let you top up the magazine on the Gewehr 95 when it uses an en-bloc clip, they have the Mauser Selbtslader somehow working in a damn desert, they have a 'magnified leaf sight' and an MP-18 with a three round burst for 'variety'. I like the idea of your series, but I do hope you know that pistols aren't terribly good for fighting a war. In something like a trench raid they could be pretty good but in anything besides extreme close quarters fighting - granted, there was a good deal of that in WW1 - they were pretty much useless at hitting anything. Most men can't hit anything at a range of 25 meters, never mind beyond that. Furthermore, I think it's just going to be a reskinned Desert Eagle in BF1. I wouldn't be surprised if they used the same sound files.
+Forgotten Weapons "make them smaller and less powerful " And here we see the US mindfulness...weakening and cheapening everything to make a buck. Gfyselves
Desert Eagle's great-great-grandfather. "You can now have the action of a naval gun fit in your hand (sort of)!" Now THAT's a hand cannon if I ever saw one.
Jayton Hawkins the gun is quite literally the best definition of a gun I can ever think of. You want something that goes bang? This does more than a bang could ever do, it'll get your shoulder sore and you wouldn't even be using a stock Such a pretty gun imo
Oh! Bugger! you Yanks have a part of UK firearms history that we in the UK can't (except in museums). The one thing I am sure of, as I've heard it from more than one source, is that during Navy trials, no-one who fired the .45 version once wanted to fire it again due to recoil!
Actually, I believe the Mars pistols fall under the Antique Category, that is, a pistol manufactured over a hundred years ago in an obsolete cartridge. And you can't get more obsolete than a proprietry cartridge made for less than 100 pistols that were never sold or adopted anywhere. That said, good luck finding one for sale.
BadlanderOutsider You are quite correct, but I'm the kind of person who would want to work up a load for them and shoot them thus making the FAC (FireArms Certificate) necessary (at least as it was before the bans). The brass should not be a problem as I believe there is at least one company in the US that can manufacture cases for obsolete rounds.
Redhawk44cal - like your name. I happen to own and shoot on a regular basis a 44 magnum Ruger Redhawk 7 1/2 barrel. - If this part of Brit history hurts to watch sorry about that mate. We will keep the tradition alive as long as we can. Have you seen Ians video on the BSA 45 pistol? amazing gun.
Toozman The name comes from the fact that I owned a Redhawk when the were legal over here, the same barrel length as yours. I was in the jewellery trade at time so I put an 18ct gold insert in the front site, indoors it appeared like a standard front site but outdoors I had a very visible yellow front site. I still miss it a lot. As for our history and despite laws governing antique firearms, any guns that were handed in after the bans were destroyed regardless of their historical value. Yes I saw the BSA video, were you aware they also made bicycles and motorbikes?
Redhawk44cal The rumour goes that the government put a D-notice on how much the buy back cost in 1997. I'd rather have the pistols and be able to shoot and enjoy 'em personally.
I like how he still does a safety check with a gun using a proprietary cartridge made over a century ago
Eralen00 it’s a good habit to have. I have proper trigger discipline when using an electric drill lmfao. A good firearm owner and user’s good habits subconsciously follow them into every part of their life.
@@ILikeToLaughAtYou good safety practice for firearms should be conscious and automatic.
Every gun is always loaded.
I was actually incredibly offended by that
I know, you can't be too safe when it comes to guns, it just gave me a chuckle. I know there were some guns from the civil war found loaded, and some of them accidentally/negligently discharged for that matter.
To add insult to injury, it actually ejected spent cartridges backwards, straight to the shooters' face, so he would get more than just a broken wrist. Sir Hugh was clearly inspired by field artillery when he designed this piece, too bad he didn't think of adding a hydraulic recoil buffer of some sort.
And maybe a cappuccino machine.
Dangit, shoulda thought of that
Wear a mask
Theres a very short list of things I wouldnt do for a hydraulic bullpup pistol from 1900
Mmmm, hot brass.
It looks like someone saw a gun on a navy ship and said, "I bet I can make a hand-held version."
Thanks to you I was able to succesfully use a MARS pistol in a French gunshop (it had a lot of surface rust but nothing to severe). The mechanism is really stiff but I managed to try to see the disconnector in action with the "keep the trigger pulled" thing. Even the seller wasn't aware of that feature. You earned my Patreon sub . I wanted to do it since I'm following your wonderful channel for now a year or two but I was always pushing it to tomorrow.
You actually fired it? :0
@@kvproductions2581 The shop owner actually told me that if I was able to find ammo for it that we could go test the gun. Unfortunately I never found any kind of affordable ammo for it.
@@Yorihime That is SUCH a shame. I hope during my lifetime someone shoots one of these and records it for humanity to enjoy
Looks like artillery pieces with handles.
Lol true.
trefod Mars Portable Field Guns
trefod absolutely gorgeous
trefod mini canon
With that crazy magazine system, they're basically tiny naval rifles.
Jesus Christ, this gun is a disaster with all those moving parts.
I want one.
Mr. Ford lol
Mr. Ford I NEEEED IT
This actually made me laugh. Well done sir. *tips hat*
The Bond Arms BullPup9 (Boberg XR9-S) is a little pocket pistol, but it has a similar feed system to get the longest possible barrel in a tiny gun.
Heh. its not like you are needing to worry about actually SHOOTING it. Proprietary cartridges for a weapon with 80 examples in 4 different calibers? Yeah, those will never be fired again.
Amazing, a Victorian-era Desert Eagle.
@@engineerskalinera Assassins Creed Syndicate says no to you.
He meant the cartridge it fires... and the recoil... it’s definitely a Desert Eagle... guaranteed...
@Treblaine
Gotta kill your opponent with _style_
“The lad was straight tripping and wielded his cutlass so I drew my blicky and blasted the bloke where he stood.”
That's no sidearm.
That's an 1883 Navy breech loading cannon with a pistol grip and a 57mm Bofors feeder.
"Looks about as British as his name sounds"
*looks nearly identical to Ian*
The name ian is also very very British
The idea of the cartridge being pulled out the back and then pushed into the chamber makes me think Boberg took some inspiration in his pistols
The military wanted him to make his giant boom sticks smaller, he refused, I can kinda respect that.
i respect a man who has a big boomstick
With such mechanism he could have made the first assault rifle or self loading carbine, just lack a little of imagination I guess 🤔
@@oliverhohman2208 fried brain
@@aquarius5264 He might be drunk...I've seen that before.
@@SPNKR76 Caliber or length?
What an amazing piece, and so far ahead of it's time. The rotating bolt. The detachable box magazine. The push button mag release (rather than heel release). Whether it was a commercial success or not, this was far ahead of it's time.
too heavy, too much recoil, too unreliable, poor ergonimics... its a 100 year old desert eagle
Moss Foster
no, they dont.. not unless the only ones you have experience with are in video games
+megadeth22885 I am ex-army and I own a Desert Eagle in .44Mag. It is a pleasure to shoot and I don't see how any revolver could ever match it.
Todor Kolev
then you need to get a revolver
megadeth22885 I still keep my 686. Sold the 624 as I found myself too often pulling cartridges out of it to put in my DE.
I think it's a matter of all the trigger snobs out there.
I got training on a standard issue M16 and mine was after the previous grunt over-cleaned the coatings away so the trigger was grinding.
Still, no big deal...
Wyatt Tyson
american/israeli team up?.. you mean like dual citizenship holder diane feinstein?
looks like the guy who designed these was the jeremy clarkson of gun design
+sans more power!
Salty *POWER!*
That's... actually a surprisingly accurate assessment!!!
geoff?
POWAH!!!!!!
This gun belongs to "filthy herald" the British version of "dirty Harry"
This is the funniest comment I've read in weeks, why does this only have 4 likes
@@connorross123 I was thinking the same thing.
or a .577 Tranter ;-)
Oi bloke you feelin lucky
In the same caliber as Dirty Harry's Smith and Wesson model 29 no doubt.
"It's kind of like shooting a cinderblock." That made me laugh so hard
The pistol operates strangely like a cannon (howitzer) with a feed mechanism. The grabbers invoke images of the Kriss. I wonder if this pistol served as any inspiration.
In the original both breech and block cycle.
"Only 80 were made" Battlefield 1 be like "Oh, you mean they were super common and should be available in our game?"
hahaha true story. its not like they have a shitload of guns to put in the game though.
Who said BF games ever had to stick to common weapons? They have rare or even unused weapons like the AN-94 or AEK-971 available for use in BF4, and they even had a weapon that was completely fake. Rare guns is what BF is about.
Red Star Films Some of us hoped BF would go back to their old ways along with their "era" decision.
There are maximum 64 people in a BF1 game. 64
Mike Baker Flawless logic right there. I would love to hear more about the "All Mars" battalion of WWI
I would like to say that this the first time I saw Gun Jesus. I was a freshman, interested in engineering, only slightly educated in guns. So, when I saw an article about an early auto-loader, I was interested, to say the least. The engineering and complexity astounded me. I was hooked instantly, and this channel has taught me so much. Even as a novice shooter (with more talent than skill) I understand how guns work better than those trying to teach me.
I guess this is a thank you to Ian. Thank you, kindly
+Brandon Moucheron I like nothing better than educating the enthusiastic. :)
Forgotten Weapons Kinda want someone to handmake reproductions of this handgun. I did ask Copper Custom in Valparaiso, Indiana if they have apprenticeships available, and they might have it as a summer opportunity.
My dad has one (had one he's been gone since 1988) and he had lots of ammo for it, he emphasized the fact that the right ammo was most important to working correctly although we did shoot American ammo through the gun and I only remember it functioning perfectly. Loud, very powerful and would hurt my hand afterwards! Loved shooting it.
is this the dessert eagle of 1900s
Mmm...dessert....
Ahaha, gold
it shoots ice cream bullets. boot to the head flavor
aactually.. i would say its more the boberg of the early 1900s.
Forgotten Weapons thank you for that
Is it just me or does the overall look and function, look like he scaled down a battleship gun and put it on a pistol frame?
Yep I saw battle ship gun barrel in a profile kind of way. I would love to have seen this gun fire on one of those high speed cameras.
it looked more like a handheld Howitzer
***** lol - exactly my first thought when I saw the mechanism.
Not a Naval gun, more like a field artillery piece. More specifically,a pack howitzer. With that under barrel recoil spring arrangement.
And about as powerful at scale....
With the early semi-automatic pistols being so complicated I have an even greater appreciation for John Browning.
You should check out C&Rsenal's videos on the development of the 1911, the earlier designs were a lot more complicated and prone to failures.
@@acester86 but at least it isn't as crazy as this
@Alif R agreed. If I was gonna pick an early auto pistol I'd probably go with a Luger.
It's as if someone pondered "can we miniaturize a naval artillery cannon?"
Sir Hugh Gabbett-Fairfax - "hold my warm beer..."
I think it's really interesting how the bullet feed delay mechanism is used in the Battlefield 1 version of the gun. The gun in the game is powerful, but it's balanced by it's slower rate of fire. Very cool gun!
I wonder if these would have been more effective as an early short barrel pistol carbine with some kind of stock assembly on it.
rewtuser exactly what I was thinking since models of the Luger P08 and Mauser C96 had carbine variants as well and they were designed/manufactured in the same era
I would not put my face on a stock behind that crazy long recoil action.
@@Arthurzeiro long eye relief sight my man that's the answer to that problem
The Boberg pistol has a "reverse" feeding system which looks amazingly similar to the Mars action. Can't help but think that the Mars design managed to have an influence on firearms design over a century later.
In size and power the Mars seems to be the spiritual antecedent of the Wildey and Desert Eagle pistols and the late lamented Auto Mag .
Boberg brought me here
I’ve always had a fondness for the Mars, even though I never knew all that much about it. This video just endears the Mars to me even more. Lots of larger-caliber handguns are referred to as “hand cannons”, but the Mars is the only one I know of that recoils like an actual artillery piece.
Much like the cartridge LeMat revolver or the 37mm Hotchkiss rotary cannon you showed recently, I would consider the Mars to be a “Rule of Cool” weapon; the kind of weapon where it’s just so inherently weird/unique that any questions of obsolescence or impracticality are rendered moot.
Excellent video, thanks very much for shedding some light on such a cool and little-known weapon!
Jesus this gun is ridiculous! I love the complexity of old firearms.
Remember not all old guns are complex :) check out the H&K G11 if you haven't yet! It has rotating gears & shit LOL
If you look at them, they are the precursor to the desert eagle - they have almost the same profile and mechanics.
Similar looks, mechanics, yet better caliber margins, reportedly the Mars had either a 10 or 8[or 9] round capacity depending on the calibers, .45 Mars Long and .45 Mars Short with the 8[or 9] round mags, and the 8.5mm Mars and 9mm Mars with the 10 round mags.
God I miss the intro music. It brings me so much nostalgia when I re-watch these old videos and I hear that intro music.
If Sherlock Holmes had an Automag...
8digitPDX yes
"Aha! I follow your line of thinking. "Did he fire eight shots or only seven?" I must confess, that during all this excitement, I have somewhat lost track myself. But as this is a Gabbet-Fairfax Webley-Mars, quite the most potent pistol in the world and would blast your cranium clean from your shoulders, it behooves you to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do you Sir, you utter cad?"
Guy Ritchie pls
8digitPDX ian looks nothing like Buffalo Custardbath
"Go forth, poltroon, enrich my day."
I really, really wish we could record one of these firing... The recoil and muzzle flash are said to be so great, it's sad to think we won't be able to record and preserve that for everyone in the future to see
Oooh you know you found an old forgotten weapons video when it has the intro! Still watching a decade later Ian!
send this on the mars mission, for the security forces
For when we declare war on Mars. This is Mars's only weakness.
ill stick to the phased plasma rifle in a 40 watt range
Just what you see, pal.
allways28 shooting a plasma rifle powerful enough to harm someone would cause a black whole and kill everyone near you
would that be a plasma rifle or a _phased_ plasma rifel ? (40w range)
I love the engineering of all the mechanisms that are working together. Granted, they are a bit overcomplicated, but you can definitely see how it helped pave the way for modern automatic pistols.
The definition for, "Contraption" needs a picture of a Mars Automatic Pistol.
Thanks for another video peak into firearm history.
I'm currently rewatching Warehouse 13, and this would be a prime candidate for an artifact.
Had this gun been in the opening act of Pulp Fiction, it would become functionally immortal.
It is a true 'hand cannon'.
You could say it's the precursor of the Boberg, with that feeding system, very ingenious!
Also a bit of Frommer, with the long recoil and rotating bolt.
I would pay to see this firearm run in super slo-mo.
Really interesting video, I like the fact that it has a rotating bolt and the only other handgun which I can think of with a locking-lug rotating bolt is the Desert Eagle, which also fires comically overpowered rounds.
hi, Ian. Those are amazing pistols. I wonder if they could have been steam powered? Or if using a few more brass fittings would have increased reliability? It is a pity that using a red dot sighting system seems to be out of the question. A ballistic computer would probably not be of any use either. The only customer for these pistols I can think of would be Robo-Cop. That pairing would definitely be one made in heaven. Anyway, thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!
😂
They are adding this to Battlefield 1
I'm scared
Ayy, you saw the leaked weapon list as well.
Where can I find that?
why would they?
Bo Huggabee Because most of BF1's weapons are prototypes, they have the Cei-Rigotti, the Pedersen Device and the Kolibri
I think it's a pretty cool concept. It adds more fear in the gameplay.. Especially when you realize that these where once real weapons. I think it adds a lot to the fear of the unknown that many soldiers at the time had
Anyone else wounded if dice just watched all of Ian's video to find any cool looking guns that existed around the time of ww1 to put into battlefield 1
luise cobian he's in the credits in bf1
elijah Gasataya ™ how would you know that could you please tell me where does his name appear in
luise cobian i think towards the end of the credits. You have to look VERY closely.
I would not be shocked if they did the guy that runs the great war channel about ww1 was consulted for person and day to day stuff of the people of the time so the game would be more accurate
luise cobian special thanks
Is it just me or dose the Mars give off a Desert Eagle feel.
Just you, as the desert eagle is more like the mars
@@_Anthony___ nah it 100% gives off a desert eagle feel, don’t be a smartass
Little touches like the hammer doubling as a lever for the lifter are why I like gun design videos. Don’t want one - but it’s so mechanically interesting 😂
"The ergonomics are... not terrible, but it's kinda like shooting a cinder block."
LMFAO
designed a disconnector, didn't adjust the grip position. but now its a lot easier to see where the 1911 came from.
The M1911 wasn't based on this pistol though. there's actually another gun that holds that title that came before the Mars Automatic made by browning, and had a much more striking resemblance to the M1911.
i suppose, it just has this variance about it that could spark a few ideas of simplicity that browning may have come out of it with. thats all i meant
Just when I thought long recoil guns couldn't get more complicated than the Browning Auto-5.
I'd love to see some footage of it being fired... outside of Battlefield 1 haha
Pickle312 As rare as those are and with only 82 made it's not happening.
I love to share your show to my history/Chernobyl group on Facebook, it really helps me with teaching my group about gun history in a non-biased format.
Thank you for producing these videos Ian, your work is truly fascinating and I'm grateful because it has helped me get people hooked on learning.
Also, thanks heaps for not "Copyrighting" me on Facebook, you're a good man and I'm *very* grateful.
🙏✌🇺🇦
Congratulations! You fired a whole magazine and your wrist bones have been ground into flour!
I looked for ages for more info on these a few months back, there is very little info on them, and most is just repeated. Great video
The best resource I am aware of is the article Dr. Sturgess wrote about them for the HBSA (Historical Breechloading Smallarms Assn). It's a copyrighted work so I can't repost it myself, but the Julia auction house has a copy of it posted to go along with this sale. I would strongly advise downloading a copy:
jamesdjulia.com/wp-content/uploads/images/auctions/369/prov/52412.PDF
Ok ill give that a read thanks
Battlefield weapon description: "... this weapon looks like their exploding in your hands while shooting." 😂
But the g43 wasn't made or used during ww1
Not irl it doesn't.
Too Cool. I've read about the Mars pistols and seen a few pictures, but to actually see one in color and a video is a treat.
While it was a commercial failure, it is truly a genius design. Theyre so complex, especially for their era. And that they worked pretty well overall is incredible.
Ian: "There were only 80 made"
Battlefield 1: "Historical inaccuracy go brrr"
this is tecnichally a bullpup pistol
Ian: *checks to make sure a more than 100 year old gun with custom ammo has an empty chamber*
Also Ian: *sticking his finger around inside the open bolt on a gun with a monster recoil spring, when the only thing preventing that bolt from snapping closed is HOLDING DOWN THE TRIGGER with his other hand*
love how everything goes whacky above the trigger
Anyone here from BF1. This pistol is a beast on the game.
Oh yes it is it's very fun too shoot in game.
nate ozz yep
Nazwabezcyfr Off yourself.
I hate it
Welcome to FW, +nate ozz! Hope you've stayed for more cool WWI weapons, and maybe some more obscure firearms covered by Gun Jesus.
Ever thought about 3d printing dummy rounds to use for these demos?
3d printing? Turning on a lathe would be easier and better.
Not really though, 3D printing is much easier and less expensive
If you turned pieces would maybe made out of some kind of metal.
Just imagine this rare gun to become damaged during a demo with a too stiff metal dummy round that causes an malfunction.
If anyone should make a dummyround for these, it should be made out of softer material than the gun's components.
He is a brilliant designer..... He actually looks like he was fixated on "the artillery" style of gun - but in a pistol size....... So he has made a pig of a pistol that smashes anything it hits.....
But fuck it is a nice piece of work..... It's one of those horrors, that is so good, you could never throw it out, but it's more or less completely unuseable.... So thankyou to the collectors who keep and preserve these works of art.
I like the barrel shape. Gives a sense of power... :)
kinda looks like a tiny howitzer.....wait....
FOUND THE INSPIRATION!!!
Yay! I found my new carry gun!!! 😄
TheXtraMan LMAO !
-T-X-M-
Looks like a nice pocket pistol.
I conceal carry a Phalanx CIWS 20mm in my minivan because its the closest thing to enough dakka that you can find in the 21st century that will fit in a turret platform.
OMG you were NOT kidding when you said these were complicated.
But are you not allowed to try these guns with snapcaps? I'm sorry if that's a stupid question.
I mean.. not even fire, maybe just to see if it loads and whether it ejects.
KrisHimself Well.. If you were listening...They all fire proprietary calibers which never entered mass production.. Bottom line - even if you could find original ammo for them.. they would be really rare and expensive
Georgi Karakolev So, not even handloading, you'd have to manually machine out the brass as well. Assuming detailed description of the ammunition still exists.
Good luck finding Mars-caliber snap caps! :)
Forgotten Weapons You haven't had any snap caps though! >:c
Most of these videos would be massively improved with snap caps.
I was really hoping this was explicitly made for space missions
2:30 is a perfect example of the true meaning of "The customer is always right."
"Because its huge, and fantastic"
I wish I heard that in my personal life and not only on a gun TH-cam video. 😔
This might be the coolest and most unique historical pistol I have ever seen...
Bloody hell, the Mars Pistol.
Good one Chap!
Whoa, those are crazy complex.. Fascinating to look at, but they must have been a nightmare to actually use. What was the rationale behind such complex weapons? Certainly everybody with a mind that could design such pistols, must also realize that there's no way they could compete with the revolvers of the time?
Well it was 1900 semiauto pistols had only existed for 7yrs and no one knew what would or wouldn't work.
just the sort of simplicity needed in the trenches etc ,lol , just imagine some mud added to this action....
It’s so crazy watching Ian’s old videos… he hasn’t aged a day in 8 years
Added two more of these to my collection since I purchased number 39. I now have number 12 (possibly a Webley manufactured pistol) 39 is a Gabbett-Fairfax Fairfax and my latest one is number 44 made by Mars Syndicate (maybe?)- amazing pistols and all different! There is in fact one known that was retailed - Charles Lancaster of 15 New Bond St London retailed number 37T - 9mm Mars caliber (360) so they - or at least one of the Mars pistols was retailed to the public.
Nice Peter who's receiving them and your collection in your will? I'm sure you have an amazing collection and you should make a TH-cam video showing it off
If robocop existed in the 19th century
I actually have one of these...
Equipped to my scout in BF1
Just imagine getting slammed in the face with that thing's recoil
I think it's time we bring back the old banger of an intro. That little diddy gets me goin every time I watch older videos.
Wow seeing you pull that bolt back the first time was magical. What an amazing mechanism.
Never underestimate British stubbornness. We never listen haha
BoomBoomBrucey yes we do
I was kinda curious about that, and I don't know much about British culture but I'm guessing the fact that he was a Sir indicated that he didn't really need the gun to sell well and he was content to just show off his 1900's era Desert Eagle at the military trials, even if he knew it wasn't what they were looking for. He knew it would be appreciated eventually, like when it sold for $75K.
@@louisebarleycorn4805 Writing from end of 2019, no, no you never listen.
So cross a Deagle with a Boberg and you pretty much have it.
9:31 That shape...it is a miniature howitzer!
It's like every Mars Pistol was made by memory of seeing the last Mars pistol that they made.
No wonder it was a failure. Watching you try and pull back the "slide", or whatever this gun has, was hilarious, but it seriously looked near impossible. I haven't a clue why the creator would refuse to change such an obviously flawed handgun. I say it deserves its fate. Let this be a "forgetten weapon". Regardless, I'd like to own one; for display purposes only, of course.
If I'm understanding you correctly... he was just dry cycling it to show how over-designed it was. You wouldn't be manually operating the action for every round, it's a recoil-operated pistol.
James Lee I understand that. My point was that the handgun is obviously shit, and it doesn't take a gunsmith to see that.
Kusagari Blues To play devil's advocate, this was something nice to have 100 years ago. Obviously there are better pistols today that are more reliable, prettier and better preforming, but I'd take this over a six gun revolver.aEs
Donald L. The M1911 is one-hundred and five years old since it's adoption, and is still used worldwide to this day. Civilians, special forces agencies, professional target shooters, many still chose the 1911 platform, or a variant of it, despite the availablity of other contemporary handguns made with the pinnacle of modern technology. So, the Mars gets no sympathy from me. A very powerful handgun had already been invented, and it was unequivocally better than the Mars in every way possible. Only four years after the commercial failure of the Mars, the 1911 would be mass-produced, silencing any real argument for owning a Gabbett-Fairfax design. Also, really? You'd take this piece of shit over a revolver? Are you crazy? For all of a six-shooter's draw-backs (capacity, reload speed, etc.), reliability typically isn't one of them. Even if I was around back then, I would never, under any circumstance, trust my life to a Mars Automatic Pistol. Like I said, you've got M1911s, M1900s, M1903 Pocket-Hamerless', Lugers, the C96 "Broomhandle", and a plethora of revolvers that had already been time-tested and proven their mettle (Dragoons anyone?). Hell, I'd take a C-93 Borchardt over one of these sad excuses for a handgun. Please, enlighten me on what you find desirable about these pistols, because I cannot think of anything for the life of me, with the exception of stopping power. Even then, the power of the .45 Mars Long cartridge doesn't mean squat dick if the gun won't be reliably chambered the round.
"Your move, creep."
Kusagari Blues I really think you're taking this way to personal, as I was just playing devil's advocate.
I know it is a forlorn hope, but I would so love to see one of these actually being fired!! Btw, I wonder how Sir Hugh got his knighthood - it clearly wasn't for his services to the British firearms industry!!!
I've found only one reference to him being 'Sir Hugh.' Could be an error somewhere along the line.
Hmm, this would be an amazing weapon to come across in Red Dead Redemption 2. Would probably be an end-game pistol I would think.
Well in RDR1 we had the FN Mle 1903 as the end game pistol because the fire rate and power trumped everything else except maybe chainguns
my goodness that's a heavy recoil spring - I could hear your joints popping when you pulled the bolt open
This is a mini artillery hand canon in semi auto. Awesome gun smithing build.
I am having a hard time finding footage of this weapon being fired. i mean i get they had issues, but does anyone have any footage of this being fired?
I'm not aware of any.
Forgotten Weapons Oh Wow. great video, man. but see i was making a story in which the main character uses a pair of mars automatics and I was researching how they worked. of course i suppose since it's fiction i could just watch how similar 19th century auto-pistols were fired
Hope whoever's in your story is pretty damn strong.. those things are huge.
I'm working on an animated series based in a fantasy WW1 setting, the protagonist was handed over two of these, one regular the other long barrel, and over time, it starts breaking down the protagonists psyche because of how much devastation he deals with the guns, he is superbly strong enough to handle both, but over time it starts to be too much, any man no matter how good they are at fighting, has their weaknesses. If anything, I'd just wait until BF1 drops because that's when the gun will be featured in all its glory, so when that time comes I'm sure I'll be able to study deep and recreate this weapon as much as I can
I wouldn't use a DICE game as a basis for something if you're trying to be faithful to the original. They let you top up the magazine on the Gewehr 95 when it uses an en-bloc clip, they have the Mauser Selbtslader somehow working in a damn desert, they have a 'magnified leaf sight' and an MP-18 with a three round burst for 'variety'. I like the idea of your series, but I do hope you know that pistols aren't terribly good for fighting a war. In something like a trench raid they could be pretty good but in anything besides extreme close quarters fighting - granted, there was a good deal of that in WW1 - they were pretty much useless at hitting anything. Most men can't hit anything at a range of 25 meters, never mind beyond that.
Furthermore, I think it's just going to be a reskinned Desert Eagle in BF1. I wouldn't be surprised if they used the same sound files.
Have you seen the Boberg XR9S? Looks like the Mars inspired Mr. Boberg.
+kodiakcopilot th-cam.com/video/4OfFZsSDWPU/w-d-xo.html
+Forgotten Weapons Ah, so you have.
+Forgotten Weapons "make them smaller and less powerful " And here we see the US mindfulness...weakening and cheapening everything to make a buck. Gfyselves
+Forgotten Weapons By the end we have the US mindfulness, "complexity makes me feel like a baby.WAAAAAH" bullshit.
+Faust1169 Classic US crybaby mentality.
Wow the time period and machine quality is top notch
Desert Eagle's great-great-grandfather. "You can now have the action of a naval gun fit in your hand (sort of)!"
Now THAT's a hand cannon if I ever saw one.
Very cool, but soooo ugly...
not you Ian, the gun. You're very handsome
Jayton Hawkins I quite like the look of the gun but to each their own
Lion Since unlocking it in Battlefield it has kinda grown on me...
Jayton Hawkins the gun is quite literally the best definition of a gun I can ever think of. You want something that goes bang? This does more than a bang could ever do, it'll get your shoulder sore and you wouldn't even be using a stock
Such a pretty gun imo
boi what are you talking about this gun is beautiful.
Jayton Hawkins I thought they were ugly at first, they have grown on my. Like a tumor....
113 years old gun and it´s spring is still a challange to pull manually. Thats what i call a good craftsmanship.
It would be amazing to see this pistol actually firing especially in slow-motion
And i thought only british cars were overly complicated and unreliable
After this gun was cleaned and lubricated, did it leak oil?
Oh! Bugger! you Yanks have a part of UK firearms history that we in the UK can't (except in museums). The one thing I am sure of, as I've heard it from more than one source, is that during Navy trials, no-one who fired the .45 version once wanted to fire it again due to recoil!
Actually, I believe the Mars pistols fall under the Antique Category, that is, a pistol manufactured over a hundred years ago in an obsolete cartridge. And you can't get more obsolete than a proprietry cartridge made for less than 100 pistols that were never sold or adopted anywhere.
That said, good luck finding one for sale.
BadlanderOutsider
You are quite correct, but I'm the kind of person who would want to work up a load for them and shoot them thus making the FAC (FireArms Certificate) necessary (at least as it was before the bans).
The brass should not be a problem as I believe there is at least one company in the US that can manufacture cases for obsolete rounds.
Redhawk44cal - like your name. I happen to own and shoot on a regular basis a 44 magnum Ruger Redhawk 7 1/2 barrel. - If this part of Brit history hurts to watch sorry about that mate. We will keep the tradition alive as long as we can. Have you seen Ians video on the BSA 45 pistol? amazing gun.
Toozman
The name comes from the fact that I owned a Redhawk when the were legal over here, the same barrel length as yours. I was in the jewellery trade at time so I put an 18ct gold insert in the front site, indoors it appeared like a standard front site but outdoors I had a very visible yellow front site. I still miss it a lot.
As for our history and despite laws governing antique firearms, any guns that were handed in after the bans were destroyed regardless of their historical value.
Yes I saw the BSA video, were you aware they also made bicycles and motorbikes?
Redhawk44cal
The rumour goes that the government put a D-notice on how much the buy back cost in 1997.
I'd rather have the pistols and be able to shoot and enjoy 'em personally.
That spur at the bottom rear of the hammer looks like it would dig into your hand every time the gun recoiled, especially in the .45 long version.