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From experience, I can tell you my 1917 production date Swedish made mauser is still a tack driver at around 200 yards with iron sights. A gun is a gun. And in terms of an modern firearm we've had everything we've needed for about 100 years to fight wars. The self contained cartridge is what really jumped us ahead.
I was a reporter in the Balkan wars of the early 90s and often ate with the British Army. Once I asked the chief in the kitchen what was his oldest piece of equipment. He led me to a stove that was roaring away and said "This stove was issued to our unit when we left for the Boer War. Not one like it, but this actual stove." I was impressed!
I’ve had a lot of self appointed “experts” telling me the Maxim is completely obsolete. A reliable machine gun that fires continuously as long as you have ammo and water and you have so many that you can abandon them if your position is overran. That’s far from obsolete. Old, but still does the job it was intended to.
It's not obsolete if it still serves the intended purpose. Have shot most common WWII sniper rifles at 200 & 500yds and was impressed by their accuracy, especially given using military ammunition, Lee Enfield on Vickers Gun ammunition at 500yds was incredibly consistent. The surprise was the Mosin Nagant sniping rifle had low expectations but the optic was actually better than anticipated and using modern ammunition it shot well enough to ensure accurate hits. Basically still well fit for purpose.
I inherited (from my granfather) a “war of 1812” era muzzleloader, it was converted to a “trapdoor” breach loader during the civil war. Still fires well today
@@MilitaryFusion I will try to do that someday. I can’t remember the caliber…we have only a certain amount of brass casings for it, because of the odd size and limited existence of such rifles. Fortunately, my grandfather was a professional bullet/cartridge reloader. So we have the tools and dies needed to reload our own cartridges.
Could it be possible that your muzzlelader was converted to a trapdoor breach loader after the Civil War? After the Civil War, the US Army knew the rifled musket was obsolite but didn't want to spend the money buying the new magazine fed lever action carbines, that Union officers and men bought out of their own funds during the war, now that it was peace time. The US Army took the middle road, and converted thousands of stored muskets into breach loaders which say service during the Indian Wars.
Of all of these, the M1911 really stands out, as it has grown from being "just" a service weapon no longer in production to being one of the most popular pistol designs ever, manufactured by many companies even today. I think Colt has been making it continuously since 1910 or so, and they face stiff competition from many other manufacturers. John Browning knew what he was doing!
@@bjs301 exactly. Even within its own day it wasn't the best, it was just the best at shooting .45, which the army wanted. By today almost anything else will be as accurate if not more so, and offer just as much stopping power.
During the 1980's changeover of the US military from the .45 auto to the Beretta 9mm I met and had a conversation with a US Marine armorer. He told me some South Korean officers were visiting his shop and were inspecting the new 9mm when one asked "What are you going to do with the .45's?" When the Marine said he didn't know the Korean officer said "We'll take them!"
Civilian Marksmanship Program was supposed to get those back and sell them off sometime during the last couple of Obama years, but Obama killed that plan at the 11th hour - I'm still not sure what happened to all of them. They may have been destroyed.
I forgot to add that Marine armorer told me he wasn't too impressed with the Beretta. He considered it too over-engineered for a military handgun with too many delicate parts, in addtion to which he said it was too big for a 9mm pistol. As he put it: "If they want a 9mm why don't they just go with the Browning Hi-Power like the Brits and a lot of other NATO countries use? Then we'd have parts commonality in addition to ammo commonality!" He had a good point as far as I'm concerned.
The Lee-Enfield is a magnificent piece of workmanship. When I was a kid, they could be purchased at the local hardware store, out of a rain barrel, for about $20.
That's awesome! 👍 Here in Canada, they now go for about $1,100 Canadian, and I even saw one missing it's bolt that had an asking price of $700! 🤣 When my dad was a kid in the 1950s, anyone could buy a long barreled gun with just a driver's license, and that was only to prove that you were the legal minimum of 16 years of age. Then again, anyone could buy dynamite and blasting caps at hardware stores too, for removing tree stumps. I think that the same age rule might have applied, but nothing else! 😁
I was in army cadets at my school in Australia in the 1970's and we had 300 SMLE rifles. Many of them were dated 1914-18 and more up to 1945. None dated later than that. One of our school's former students had fought in World War One and was awarded the Victoria Cross for taking a machine gun nest single handed and saving a company of 'Diggers' who had been pinned down. The gun was brought back to Australia as a trophy and it was stored in our school armory. It was a Madsen LMG. I couldn't help wondering if it was one of the ones shown in the photo of the German soldiers with Madsens during this video! The machine gun was finally donated to the Australian War Memorial a few years ago(Where the Ex-student's medals, including his VC, are on display) His name was Thomas James Bede Kenny VC. (Known as Bede Kenny) Great video; thanks for posting!
Yes, but it didn't take part in WWI, only really got famous because of WWII. And yes. I wholly expect the M2 to feature in a fight between Earth and the Martian colonies lol
I remember seeing an Air Force video of the weapons that they had confiscated in Afghanistan. The oldest being a Breach Loading Pistol. We removed a great many obsolete weapons and have left them very well armed with some of the latest in weapons and weapons systems. Also I remember a quote that you fight your current war with whatever you have left over from the last war.
@@perjonsson5517 Those were left to the former IRA government, and the IEA took them over when the US pulled out. Even when the IEA fought the Panjshir rebels, you didn't see them using AR rifles because they're not as effective in Afghanistan's long-distance and mountainous combat terrain like an AK chambered in 7.62x39 is. That's partly why the US has been testing the .277 Fury (6.8x51) as a replacement for the .223 (5.56x45). The IEA mainly carries the ARs for policing within cities, and sticks to AKs for military use.
Love the 1911, growing up in central Mexico the 11’s were one of the few guns the army couldn’t easily find when they came raiding . You could go to every small town and everyone would have at least one hidden.
@@flyinggoose1456 You’re right, there are smaller firearms compared to the 1911 but could you point out where in Mexico there’s a gun store that you could freely choose from without getting a lengthy prison sentence or a nice ass whopping from the army?
It seems to me that at 9:08 we can hear "Zhyve Bielarus'!/Жыве Беларусь!", which is a Belarusian patriotic motto, translated as "Long Live Belarus!", used particularly by the opponents of Lukashenko's dictatorship and the Russian dominance of Belarus. Therefore, the soldier firing a Maxim in this clip is probably one of the Belarusian volunteers fighting on the Ukrainian side.
I still use my grandfathers red army mosin nagant for hunting, it's been refurbished a bit but still uses most of it's original parts, such a good rifle, some designs just last the test of time. He was stationed at the Finnish Russian border after the winter war so neither he or the rifle ever saw any combat, he left the soviet union after the war to work at a bofors factory in Sweden and the rifle was kind of forgotten in the attic of his summer house, we found it by chance after selling the house two decades ago and i decided to use it for hunting.
How did he manage to just get out of Stalin's USSR post WWII with a Red Army rifle that is impossible to conceal to work in Sweden? What's rhe real story here? Did he desert to Finland? There was a second war between the USSR and the Finns after Operation Barbarossa began, so there was fighting there. The Germans reinforced the Finns to limited degree. The Finns stopped their counteroffensive after regaining most of their pre-Winter War frontiers. They never seriously sought to cut off the important stream of mostly American supplies coming over the dangerous sea route to Murmansk on the White Sea, then down the supply route parallel to the okd Russo-Finnish border and so to the communication lines to the main USSR. They never supported the German troops in the area who sought to do this. After it became clear to wiser heads that Germany was losing in 1943, post Battle of Kursk, they were eventually able to negotiate a separate peace with the USSR, which needed to concentrate everything first on the Germans and then on their mostly successful efforts to conquer mainland Northeast Asia after the end of the war in Europe. So there was fighting on that frontier and active troops needed to be stationed there. I can easily imagine being stationed on that relatively inactive front in 1942 and fearing transfer south to the various hells of fighting against the Germans. A clever and lucky man might take advantage of an opportunity to desert across the border and get to neutral Sweden somehow. Even taking his rifle to protect himself. If he was an ethnic Karelian from the area and understood the non-Russian languages, then even better. He would probably have been written of as a casualty of Finnish raiders, which was fairly common, so his living relatives in the USSR wouldn't have been murdered or imprisoned or exiled to really horrible places for being related to a deserter. Once he got to the Finns, especially if he could give them valuable intelligence information about Soviet positions, strengths and/or intentions, he would have been fairly safe. Perhaps he killed his officers or commisar during the escape and brought proof of that to establish his bona fides. If he could get some kind of Finnish documentation then emigrating to Sweden, especially if he had industrial skills and could learn Swedish, would have been possible without Soviet agents noticing. Then he just could stow his old rifle and keep his head down until long afterwards. I don't imagine he would discuss the topic much, even with family, if he was a clever man.
@@brianmccarthy5557 Once his military service was done he kinda just packed his stuff and walked into Finland, after working so long near the border he had gotten good at sneaking across. He worked as a fisher for a while in a small fishing village near the Finnish coast, he met my grandmother there and she had relatives in Sweden, he figured it would be safer to be a defector there than in Finland, so they packed their stuff and took a ship over to Gotland, a large island off the east coast of Sweden, lived there for a couple of years and got the house that became our summer house. After a few years he moved to mainland Sweden and got work in a weapons factory, he had changed his name and pretended to be from Finland, the Swedish authorities probably didn't fall for it but he was far from the first Soviet defector to escape to Sweden so the Swedish authorities kinda just let him stay, but it took over a decade for him to get his citizenship. At some point the Soviets figured out that he had escaped to Sweden but at that point they didn't care that much, he had finished his military service just before he left so technically he wasn't a deserter and more of a defector, he got an angry letter demanding that he should go to the Soviet consulate in Stockholm for questioning, he just ignored it, changed his name again and moved, and that was it that was the last he ever heard from the Soviet authorities, he probably got a bit lucky, some defectors were arrested and sent back but i guess he wasn't important enough to bother with. Technically he smuggled the rifle to Sweden but since gun laws were pretty relaxed back then it worked out, at some point he just registered the rifle when he applied for a gun permit. When the rifle was going to get refurbished i thought it was going to be difficult for the gunsmith to get parts but it turns out that a fair amount of nagant's reached Sweden after the war. My uncle was horrified when he heard that i was going to use the rifle for hunting, to him in was some kind of priceless heirloom that belonged in a museum, as it was said in the video there is a huge amount of nagant's in circulation, it's a good rifle and it deserves to be used for something other than killing humans or gathering dust. :)
@@FarbrorBaku That's a fascinating story about your grandfather ... so much more intriguing than just applying for a visa and boarding an aeroplane. Thanks very much for posting!
As a CCF cadet in the 1960s we used the Lee Enfield 303. They had date stamps on them and some were dated 1914 but these were were not allowed to use on the range.
I was an Air Training Corps cadet in Western Australia in the late 1950's and we were issued with Lee Enfield rifles modified to accept .22 ammunition for our small Perth City rifle range. But on our annual camp at Pearce Aerodrome we were issued with the .303 standard rifle. Later in the 1960's while in the regular Australian Army I was issued with the 7.62 mm SLR which was a real eye opener in comparison.
I was a Marine Cadet in the early 2000s, The Lee Enfields were still used for .22 shooting and competitions and modified ones for Drill practice and competition with use of bayonet. Amazing rifle. I'm sure it still be used today amongst cadets.
8:13 I was my high school's JROTC logistics officer and we had "demilitarized" Springfield rifles used exclusively for ceremonial drills. The barrels and bolts were welded in such a way that they could never be used as firearms and even then, they were secured behind several locks. One thing that always stood out to me about the program was that at my school, the man responsible for it being implemented was a WWII P51 pilot, over a decade later, I'll always remember the the true deference a bunch of angsty teens showed him.
I love my 1911. It's my go to carry gun. Absolutely amazing that a design from 110 years remains as relevant as it ever has been. I honestly think the 1911 will live on for a minimum 200 years.
The problem is that the 1911 was designed for manufacturing methods that no longer exist and it's not so reliable on the cheap production methods used today. That means some hand crafting for a new reliable one and with that the price tag is sometimes over $1500 and occasionally over $2000. A decent serviceable but nothing special sidearm EG a Glock can be had for $600. So for $1500 you can get the Glock a few hundred rounds and some specialist training.
If only it wasn’t so expensive today, I’d own one for my collection. They’re still used in surplus into the Iraq war as side arms for our military in the US, though it was phased out by the Barrette.
@@someirishguy1662 that is true, but spring and cycling problems can make your revolver a club very easily. Just buy any Taurus and find out for yourself.
I am intimately familiar with the 1903 Springfield. I am a stone carver, and twice in my career so far, I have had to carve life sized copies of this rifle in Indiana limestone to replace parts of WW1 doughboy memorial statues that were damaged by weather and time.
The irony is that the Enfield 1917 was actually more widely issued than the 1903 Springfield during World War I. It's not as well-known as the 1903, but would make more sense for a statue.
Interesting and valid. However, as a carver doing a restoration, my job is to duplicate what was there. There is a database of all the Indiana Limestone WWI "doughboy" statues, and these carved in Indiana Limestone are categorized in three ways. Their stance: Parade Rest, Guard Position, and Advancing in Charge. It would be very interesting to study each in detail to see what other variations there are. I would also be interested to know if the variation was by carver, date, etc. Nearly all of the ones in Indiana material were produced by one company that specialized in the tree trunk "rustic" style of monuments and the civil war statues. I would also be interested to compare the ones produced by the Western White Bronze Co foundries (Zinc), and those carved in Vermont of Barre Granite and of Vermont white marble, and even those imported from the Carrara Italy shops. I do know that a lot of the time the finished product was due to the interpretation of the carver of what was specified - often that is simply what the carver was feeling that day or if the material misbehaved on him and he just did what he could to "convey the idea." One would not just abandon a work if a minor mistake was made. You wouldn't believe how many times stuff was shipped under the hopes that no one would notice! It usually is not noticed. If it was noticed, it was usually accepted in consideration of a discount. Been there, done that. @@joshklaver47
Still another terrific program. I thought you might be interested in the fact that, during my 25 years of service as a naval officer for the United States, I spent several tours in Italy, both with the sixth fleet and on various liaison assignments. Although I am a native born United States citizen, I also hold Italian citizenship along with that of the EU, having inherited the family property, mostly in the south. When I introduced myself, I was surprised to know that the authorities were aware that my great grandfather was a partisan with Garibaldi and my grandfather, a Bersaglieri, fighting first in the Italo Turkish war in North Africa in 1910 and 11; and, returning to his regiment for the climactic battles in 1917. He returned to Italy with his eldest son who joined the Caribbean Carabinieri. It was this organization that gave me access to many of the weapons reviewed in your video. I found them to be very well-maintained and very well-made and very accurate.
Nice anecdote! I'm from Argentina but from a southern italian family and hold italian citizenship too. My great grandfather fought in WWI, spent three months at the front until malaria nearly killed him, after that he was sent to second line. I really wish to get a Carcano and a helmet from that period, but those things are extremely hard, and expensive to obtain here.
Thanks for another awesome video Dr Felton. I used a 1903 Springfield in my college ROTC drill team. The first gun I ever bought was a 1903, the second a 1911. Very retro!
Sir, You forgot the Italian 1891 rifle improperly known as Carcano. It Is still widely used in libyan civil war and is used sometimes as cerimonial rifle by Italian Army. The Navy has still quite a lot of British N°.I Mk III. You also forgot the Chilean Army which still uses their Chilean M1912 Mausers made by Steyr in 1911/12.
It's not in the video because everyone hates the carcano. It's the only world war 1 era rifle I can think of the was just generally crappy in design and performance. Not to mention those ugly wanna-be 30-30 rounds it shoots.
@@mountainbriarfarm5030 Sorry, but i cannot agree. 1) the video was about WW1 rifles still in use around the world 2) With all respect for your opinion i can demonstrate you the Fucile 1891 is absolutely not crap. i think to know quite well what i'm telling you because i shoot those guns since at least 30 years and i talk only about guns i own and shoot with reloaded ammos. The Fucile 1891 was a quite cheap weapon of a relatively poor country but it was a durable and accurate weapon made with good materials. In some respect it was a modern gun for those times, its cartridge, for example, was not too powerful nor too weak ( its power is between the 7,62 x 51 and the 5,56 x 45 NATO ammos) and the italian soldier war able to bring with himself far more ammos than a german or a french. It was inferior to the mighty Mauser 98 but it was cheaper to produce, it has a Mauser type bolt, cheaper and far superior in robustness and durability than the two pieces bolt of the N° 1 mk. III ( with all the problems of head spacing it brings with itself ) and its ergonomy is far better than the russian M1891. Please, let alone the french guns. It war a waepon built for war, not for parades. And it is a good gun to shoot with. I brought many times my Fucile 1891 produced in Terni in 1897 ( original barrel ) on a shooting range in the alps and it was easy to me to hit torso sized gongs up to 600 meters. I own four of them in 6,5 x 52, 7,35 x 51 and 7,92 x 57 IS and they were all good rifles on the shooting range. The main defects were the Mannlicher loading system with the magazine open on the bottom ( as the austrian rifles ) and a different method of aiming then all the other rifles. In my experience i had far more problems with my 3 Enfields or my beloved Gewehr 1898 built in 1913 to have good groupings. If to talk about a poor cartridge you probably had heard the reports of somebody who shot with a 1891 with standard .264 bullets. This guy was using the wrong bullet. Our balls were .268/.2685 in diameter. With the right bullet the 6,5 x 52 was a good and accurate round. With the .264 bullet you were using too much undersized balls to engage the grooves of the gaining twist barrel. i did a test and, in this case you were right, but you were not if the right bullets were used ( it strange to me to know this bullets are being produced in U.S.A. ). Cheers.
Whether you want to laugh or mock the Maxim - it is a great machine-gun for stationary defense which what most of Donbas looks like - most of Ukrainian defenses are 8 years old with well-fortified and dug-in positions and this gun is still invaluable and doing its job.
I recently bought a USMC interwar with a 1918 receiver and a '27 barrel (iirc). It's in fantastic shape though I don't have a tool to measure throat erosion. I may not ever have a "collectable" Garand but I believe this rifle will suffice.
@@Rhythmicons If it still shoots accurately I wouldn't worry about it, but you can always take it to a gunsmith and have him check it. The only precautions I'd take is use only M2 Ball ammunition (the last US military version of the 30-06) or any brand of commercial hunting ammo. Stay away from surplus armor piercing, tracer, or other "exotic" stuff and you'll be fine with that '03.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Thanks. I haven't acquired any ammo for it yet. It's in amazing cosmetic condition so I'm pretty sure that it will be fine. I'm more interested in getting my Garand to the range though, but that '03 is an amazing piece of history.
Just in case anyone who's handled one of these WW1 era rifles has been wondering why they're as powerful as they are and have the VERY long range sights that they do remember the context of the era in which they were made. Field radios didn't exist and field telephones were few in number. The idea was if infantrymen saw a massed formation of cavalry or infantry at a distance they could bring fire to bear on them by use of the long range sights and by volley or rapid fire. World War One and subsequent wars plus changes in technology changed all that.
Exactly. When the French formulated the first smokeless powder it made everything else obsolete. Now that you could send a bullet down range 2,000m it was expected that war would be fought between 300 and 2,000 yards. Pretty much every country was planning for this and designed their new smokeless powder rifles accordingly. You can however do things like put a much longer front sight post on your M91/30 etc. and bring the battle sight zero down to a more reasonable 100 yards or so.
@@5peciesunkn0wn AFAIK, the artillery style sights on machine guns were used, but not for trenches, it was for area denial - roads, esp crossroads, and counter battery the long range machine gun fire would supplement artillery.
@@tommy-er6hh You've got it. I read a very interesting post-WW1 book about American machine gun units during that war and they used the machine guns in exactly the way you describe, especially for prep fires in areas occupied by the Germans the Doughboys were preparing to attack, in the manner that artillery would be used today.
The Madsen LMG was called "the coffee mill" due to the handle on the side. It was the standard LMG for Danish forces until 1955 or so as the converted German MG 42 came into service and replaced the Madsen. The MG 42 was converted from the German 7,92X57 to 7,62X51 NATO.
I think they also change the designation from the MG42 to the MG3, chambering in a different round but functionally and mechanically the same. I love it.
Ian from Forgotten Weapons recently did a review of the Madsen. Surprisingly, it's still in use by some Police Departments in a couple of South American countries.
The Lee Enfield is a beautiful rifle. I was lucky enough to go to the range with my dad and shoot his rifle. The bolt is great to manipulate and when you get the hang of it you operate it open handed, with the heel of your hand, as this makes it even faster to reload.
i watched an australian shoot one on a video once. he was able to put lead down range nearly as fast as someone armed with a garand. of course he was very well trained and had much practice.
During the First World War the Germans thought that us Brits had more machine guns than we had as a well trained squad could put down fire in a 'ripple salvo' by firing up to 12 rounds per minute, each! The SMLE was a fine weapon in the right hands!
I had a friend recently tell me that he hunted Elk using one for years, and only replaced it couple years ago with a modern rifle because he could not find a part that had worn out.
@@davidrenton Because it's a bolt action in the modern day, not because it's a bad rifle. It's like British soldiers being given an Enfield even though it has been out of service since the 50s in its infantry variant
The one that impressed me was the Maxim machine gun. Most of the others were sidearms or ceremonial weapons. But the Maxim is being used as a front line weapon. It shows what a devastating weapon it was 100 years ago and still today.
Still in use here in Ukraine, especially as most of the large engagements involve slow-moving or static trench warfare, which the maxim excelled at, and still excels at,
If they’ve lasted this long, I don’t expect them to ever really go away. These weapons are truly immortal. Although it is truly amazing to see maxims and mosin nagants in combat today.
It's pretty impressive alright... but I'd prefer we give up on combat altogether and use these weapons on targets and hunting only. That would be impressive af!
@@dannyzero692 When you assume you make an ass of yourself. Isn't it just possible that I referring to hunting with, say, a Lee Enfield? Stay in your lane, Peacekeeper.
Was issued the 1911 back in 1985 when I was in the Marine Corps. I was trained on the M2 Browning .50 caliber as a Heavy Machine Gunner (0331), and that was initially developed in 1918, just after WWI. Good weapons that stood the test of time.
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography what was going on with the ejection of the spent casings in the clip shown? Seemed like they were going in random directions with a couple hitting the firer in the face? (I know nothing about guns, so curious if its something you just have to put up with?)
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography I beg to differ there is essentially no difference between Springfields or Series 70 Colts and the pistol I was issued in the 1980's
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography I guarantee you there is probably some midwestern or southern police units who still use .38spl revolvers, anything is possible.
Great video! Also worth noting about the Madsen is that is was the LMG used by the Norwegian army prior to and during the invasion of Norway in 1940. The version most used in the Norwegian army back then was the M/22.
Hey Mark! I was wondering yesterday if any Ww1 or before era weaponry are used in modern times and then today, you release this! Thanks for the upload! As a history major, your videos have given me deeper insight on certain pieces of class material.
I have a Mosin-Nagant, hex receiver built in 1933. It shoots great! I also have several crates of ammo for it (bought about 10 years ago when it was still cheap) made in the USSR in 1975 lol.
Especially those turn of the 20th Century cartridges, they were designed for lethality out to a 2,000 yard distance. Excessive now, but it made sense back then.
a lot of folks don't understand how powerful the standard rifle cartridges of all nations were compared to the lighter lower powered modern assault rifle rounds
The 1911 and the Maxim still hold up. While impractically for most modern, mobile warfare situations, the Maxim's water cooled system actually allows it to keep sustained fire going longer than even most modern MGs. So for holding a position, it still does an excellent job. The 1911 meanwhile is still an excellent handgun, and in my opinion has the smoothest trigger pull of all time. .45 calibre also still holds up just fine. Bolt actions like the Mosin and the Enfield meanwhile are still excellent long range rifles, and make good sniper rifles if equipped with a scope.
Bringing that sort of water jacket back could be interesting for vehicle mounted MGs, like tank coaxial. Especially where the vehicle could have a bigger reservoir and a pump to keep circulating cold water through it. Then again, maybe simpler is better. Wonder if anyone tried it.
The 1911 got a second lease on life when it was adapted to 10mm Auto. The 10mm hits way harder and shoots flatter than .45 ACP, and you get an extra round for the same size magazine. It's a win-win.
Terrific video, Mark! Thank you so much! I was really surprised to see that the Springfield rifle is still in service. It's amazing that a weapon that had become obsolete in 1941 is still being used today. That says a lot about the quality of the weapon. I was surprised that the Browning M1918 BAR rifle isn't being used today in some fashion. I know it's big and heavy and fires an unorthodox round for an automatic weapon. But it just seemed to be such a simple and tough weapon which soldiers could be trained on quickly and survive in tough climates.
The 1911A1 has got to be the best pistol ever designed and manufactured. I live in the UK and back in the day of citizen-owned FAC's (up to 1995) I owned a mil-spec (green parkerized) Springfield Armory 1911A1, that .45ACP was a sledgehammer of a round boasting full-on knock-down efficiency, although I only ever shot paper tigers! The .45ACP 1911A1 will remain with a military force somewhere in the world forever.
I was also a UK Fac holder of a 1911 which was highly modified (+ many other hand guns and semi auto long mag Barreta shotgun.) It was my race gun for practical pistol competition. I loved it and it broke my heart when it all ended.
@@Anmeteor9663 You share my deepest darkest commiserations in losing your firearms. I had a first edition S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum 6½in barrel, dated from 1976. It had the pin helping to secure the top of the barrel before the frame...1st edition as I say! Very rare, even in America today they'd be hard to find, it would be worth a mint today as I bought it brand new old stock MIB. It makes me weep mate let me tell you. Did you ever go to the Sandwell Shooting Centre by any chance?
hey lads. American here. i would like to ask you a question. it breaks my heart as a firearms enthusiast hearing guys like you talk about the bans and prohibitions that came down. my question is: why did the majority go along with it? i know our cultures are different, and the idea of self defense is more prevalent in america, but i truly believe that if a sweeping gun ban happened in America today, it would mean civil war if it was enforced. do you regret going along with it? i ask these questions in the best of faith. i look forward to learning from your answers
@@annasajerk We had no choice but to go along with it! I had a letter from the West Midlands P0lice telling me to bring all my firearms down to the cop shop on such and such date and that was that. We got compensated for them all, every penny, but that was it, there was no choice. We didn't want to go along with it nobody did, but we were ordered to surrender them...so what was I going to do? Have a stand-off with armed p0lice tactical response teams?
I carry a new M1911 as my regular defense pistol on me and in my car. Great gun, never jams, power punch, and very accurate. The design is amazing and it's used as the basis for just about all modern semi-automatic pistols. It's still really unbelievable to me that the design is over 100 years old and it's still a very useful gun in modern society.
My grandfather had operated Madsen MGs back in the day. He loved them. I was instructed in both the 1911 and the Beretta in Brazilian Army. Great guns. We also have Springfield (1935) and Mauser (1908) rifles, but those are used only to FTX and drill.
I am from Ishapore, West Bengal, India. Was wondering while I started watching that the Ishapore 201 rifle will be mentioned as its a variant of the Lee Enfield, my grandfather and many relatives used to work in Rifle Factory Ishapore. Thanks Mark Felton Sir for featuring it
Excellent work in your firearms related content. Neutral, unhysterical and overwhelmingly accurately described. I usually cringe a neck sprain when firearms topics are addressed on non-fireams related channels but you nail it. Thanks! Very glad to see that sponsorship continues.
@@sassythesasquatch1571 Of course you had to check that the 'water' was water, not urine, first! The Maxim/Vickers had a tendency to boil over quite rapidly so Tommys used to was into the water jacket when it got too hot!
9:51 the m1911 is still in use with the US military today. Primary in their special force unit. However, they don't use the standard 1911, they use a modified version called the M45. They took a 1911, changed the parts with aftermarket and third party parts and make the 1911 even better.
I was on the range with a No4 mk1* last weekend. Beautiful to shoot. No need to take it out of the shoulder to operate the bolt, so the sights remain on target. Grouping was great.
It truly is a Gentleman Rifle you can out class people in marksman ship while drinking Tea ☕️👍😂😂. The European surplus ammo with stick powder. Makes shooting prone for distance competition enjoyable very little Recoil .
@@robertmills4101 oddly enough the chap next to me was shooting a Garand. Nowhere near the grouping of the lee Enfield, and frankly only very slightly quicker than me with the bolt action.
@@gunner678 The MK 4 set up for distance scope and all . Is so much Fun angering today youth in competition marksmanship . A so called Relic sometimes out classing 4000$ Rifles. With a ww1 Relic it’s amazing 👍😂
@@gunner678 I’ve never got to do the Mad minute because my MK 4 is set up for distance Marksmanship .it’s basically brand new EnField. If I have chance I’ll pick another with with just iron sights give the Mad minute a go .
Well I'm quite certain that by the time of "the futuristic year of 2022 A.D." there couldn't possibly be such obsolete Great War weaponry still around. After all Mark, this is MFP, not "Austrians & Aliens!" {end cheeky bit} Anyways Mark, your content is always informative, soothing, novel & entertaining...Thank you for your high-caliber content Sir, Cheers!!
Hey, that's not fair! The "oldest" gun our army here in austria uses is a modified WW2 machine gun, so one war later! I can't speak for the aliens though...haven't heard back from them in a while. 🤡😁
I am simultaneously slightly peeved that you have ads and also exceptionally happy that you have ads because you deserve revenue for the wonderful content you put out. Keep doing what you do Mr Felton we love you!
I remember the Lee Enfield .303 rifle, as when I did my 18 months training when I joined the RAF back in 1961, and firing it on the range. There was a fair old kick, so I used to shove my beret inside my battledress jacket to cushion my left shoulder a bit, until the NCO on the range caught me, and stopped me from using it.. Also it was pretty heavy as I found out when messing up on the parade ground, so the D.I. had me running a few times around the parade ground with it in my hands and arms straight up over my head, so I wasn't keen to get that punishment again...:) We also got to fire the Bren Gun, but only in single shots or a 5 round burst, but I wanted to fire off the whole mag, but wasn't allowed to.. I think the Bren took a 30 round mag, but we only loaded 28 rounds to save wear and tear on the spring. Good fun when is was 16 years old.....:)
Very well researched and narrated as usual Dr. Felton. Might I add a nod to the Martini Henry .577/450 rifle that was used by the Mujahideen in the Soviet-Afghan war for its long range and accuracy, as well as more recent terror groups such as the Taliban and Isis in the Middle East where it still turns up today. Although I wouldn’t count this as being in active service as such, it’s still a testament to the rifles durability and craftsmanship
@@BananaMan730 oh they have plenty of ex-Soviet weapons and plenty more from western armies. It’s just the Martini Henry ammunition can be made relatively easy especially because it’s black powder cartridges and also partly because of the accuracy, durability and the range of the MH. In fact, there are a few stories of the soviets being attacked by Mujahideen from elevated positions on hilltops, and the Soviet weapons didn’t have the range to hit them back using the Kalashnikov rifles at the time. For example, the AK-47 used in the Soviet-Afghan war had an effective firing range of 350m compared to the MH of 370m. However the maximum firing range of the MH is an astounding 1700m (one of the reasons why the British garrison at Rorke’s Drift managed to hold out against such overwhelming odds)
@@johnjohnon8767 I actually own one, there is a website called IMA that acquired a whole cache of obsolete weapons from Nepal some years ago. They’re mostly all former British army weapons. I have took mine apart and found 2 lines of proof marks on the barrel which suggest it was a pattern A or Mk1 rifle which was then later converted (mine in 1887) to a Mk 4. Also I can trace where it has been from markings on the stock and it ended it’s service with the British empire at the Madras arsenal, India, before being sold out of service to the Nepalese around 1906 which was when the SMLE Enfield .303 was standard issue
@@jamesh8552 Don't think that I'm just another asshole in youtube comments, I'm just trying to educate some people in the most respectful way that I can but I don't think you fully understand modern combat or the capabilities of black powder weapons. And while you are correct about an AK having an effective range of around 350 meters, that doesn't mean that an old rifle that has longer range settings is going to "outrange it". Also I am willing to bet that an AK-47 (or more appropriately an AK-74 for the Soviet-Afghan war) is probably more effective at range than any rifle from the 19th century.
just a suggestion for next time, when you especially mention something like the sound ( 7:10 ) it would be awesome you include a clip of it. Other than that as always a great video, thanks for the effort put into it!
Here in Canada, we do still use the Lee Enfield when conducting training or ops in the far north, same with remi 870s, they are extremely reliable in artic conditions
An older good rifle will always be a good rifle. Technology continues to advance but the mechanics of a good gun will not change that much. About 6 years ago I bought a used 1960’s Remington wingmaster shotgun for sket shooting and it still is one of the best shotguns I’ve ever used. Thank you for your videos Dr. Felton, I always learn something new with each video 👍
There is a way to hold the Lee-Enfield bolt that when it'd being close another finger lands on the trigger. That method results in a very high rate of fire and can be done without losing the sight picture. I wish I'd kept my Lee-Enfield collection. I had the No.1 Mk.III with artillery sights on the left side, a No.4 Mk.1, a No. 4 sniper version compete with wood transport case, a No. 5 Jungle Carbine, a No. 8 dedicated target rifle in .22 rimfire and a regular type Lee-Enfield also in .22 rimfire.
My Grandfather was issued a Ross rifle when he went over to France 🇫🇷 with the CEF in early 1915. He died before I was born by my Dad told me that he "got rid of it" and "acquired" a SMLE. The Lee Enfield is truly a lovely weapon! I think my grandfather simply threw his Ross away and stole a SMLE... I understand that it was fairly common. Apparently the Ross was an excellent weapon if always clean but that was difficult to achieve in the trenches - though they were used by snipers... at least that is what I have heard. My grandad was issued a Ross, my dad a Lee Enfield and my issue weapon was an FN FAL... also a lovely weapon but rather heavy by modern standards. The 7.62 ammo sure doesn't help lighten the load out. Greetings to all from the senior Dominion 🇨🇦
I was given an M1911A1 stainless Mark IV for my high school graduation in 1984. I carried with me during my seven years active duty Marine Corps including Desert Storm. I still have this fantastic weapon.
My family has a M1911, that sidearm has been through WW1 with my great grandfather, WW2 and korea with my grandfather, Vietnam with my father, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan with me, Afghanistan and now Poland with my son. It's literally seen just over 100 years of my familys American story with no end in sight.
The shooter's an untrained amateur, most likely shooting a rented piece. Don't understimate these things in the hands of those who know how to use them!
Here in the USA we love our Mosin-Nagant rifles, but we (affectionately) refer to them as "Garbage rods". Due to their cheap cost and somewhat crude fit and finish.
I bought a Remington made WW1 Mosin for $250 a couple years ago. Only issue is it has been modernized with a shoddy stock and front sight. I'd love to restore it someday for the interesting history those rifles have. Many made for Russia but never left.
Watching a revolver from 1895 shoot a round that’s 38mm long and having absolutely no recoil with just one hand shooting is just mind boggling to me. The people who created that were really ahead of their time.
The M1895 Nagant may be the only regular-production revolver capable of being "silenced" (suppressed) by virtue of its gas-sealed operation. Most revolvers, contrary to movies, cannot be suppressed due to the open nature of their cylinders.
Well, it's not suppressed at all. No noise reduction. The cylinder in moving forward merely seals the gap between the cylinder and barrel. The noise isn't reduced.
Thanks Mark. ln the late 70's early 80's l was part of a CCF unit. We had amongst other things the Le Enfield .303. lt wasn't until many years later, l questioned their provenance & wondered if they'd seen action (ie: been used to kill). Not a happy thought although nothing to do with conflict / war is. However recording & reporting the events is vital. Thanks again for a great channel.
3:30 seeing that gentleman shoot the Lee Enfield, I was reminded of reports that in WW1, German troops reporting facing machine gun fire when in fact they had faced groups of well-drilled Tommies firing Lee Enfields very rapidly.
amazing to hear about the Moisin-Nagant. I knew it was a great weapon in its time but that it's still used today (albeit it in a mostly reserve capacity) is incredible to hear.
I once had a Lee-Enfield No5MkI that was a fantastic rifle, and have hunted deer for years with my unmodified 1903A3 Springfield...I've never missed a deer with it.
It's not a 'short magazine' Lee-Enfield; the 'short' refers to the length of the rifle, not of the magazine. A very interesting video... apart from that common mistake...many thanks.
Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield. Kind of crazy when we think that the rifle was the "short" part! It's also fascinating that all those things were deemed necessary in the name of the rifle....almost as if the name itself were a history lesson about how the rifle was developed!
I actually used to own a Philippine-built ATI 1911 exactly like the one you pictured. I won it for free in a raffle in 2019, shortly after my 21st birthday, and it was probably one of my favorite pistols I've owned. It's definitely one of the guns I regret selling the most. And no, the irony of a Philippine-made 1911 was not lost on me.
Get yourself a nice 10mm 1911 from Dan Wesson or similar. That will give you an idea of how good mass-produced 1911s can be. A big step up from the ATI.
Years ago I watched a documentary of The Springfield Armory Museum. There were racks containing 10,000 Springfield Trap Door rifles in a hallway. When asked why they kept them. The guy said Because the US Government pays us.
@@nitromartini1422 Single shot rifles that bullets have not been made for in over 100 years. Yep sounds like something useful to send. That 40 billion is being used to purchase weapons from US and NATO stockpiles that have been in storage for 20 years. US and NATO countries will in turn buy newer stocks to replace the ones they sell. In other words 40 extra billion dollars for the MIC.
@@shawnr771 : My father is a gunsmith. He has rifles built in the late 1800's which work just as well now as they did 130 years ago. In fact, he has six WW2 M1 30.06 rifles, and several other rifles that Dr. Felton has featured here. We used to melt down old automotive wheel weights to cast our own bullets. We still have cartridge resizing equipment, powder scales, and primers which are still widely available for these old rifles. It is real stupid for us to be expected to subsidize somebody else's war. Ukraine can borrow all that money from China themselves. They should be glad that we would consider loaning or giving them old military equipment.
@@nitromartini1422 It has nothing to do with Ukraine, morals or good and evil. It is about power and money. Boeing. Raytheon, Lockheed etc see a way to get more money out of the American taxpayer.
The 1911 is very common among civilians in America and would no doubt see use if the militias are ever formed up in defense of the nation. It is amazing how so many weapons are just as useful today as 100 years ago. Thanks for a great video.
Still used in the army too. MPs, Special Forces, Guardsmen, and security teams all use it. Some infantry battalions also allowed troops to augment their gear with their own purchased weaponry, and the 1911 was on the list of approved gear.
Finger and thumb! I am so glad the person shooting the SMLE was doing it right. So many people don't, shoot how you want but don't film yourself and put on the internet if you do it wrong. Great choice of footage
Correction - we have now phased out the smle rifles from our police units like 6 yrs ago and now they are only given to low priority area and forest guards , the indian police units are now being issued with the insas self loading rifles .
I have a model 1898 Carconno. It was made in Trieste in 1918. It shoots 13 inches high at 300 yards. It is not accurate, but the modern 6.5 x 52 bullets are not exactly the correct size. It was the first non black powder rifle Italy used. It was carried over into WW2 with 2 different cartridge sizes. It is still used here and there in North Africa. Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated Kennedy with one. I have no idea how. Grandfather carried a Carcanno in the Alps fighting the Austrians in WW1.He was once given 3 rounds and told to go over the top on an assault- so accuracy was less important when you had no ammo. I went to Virginia Tech in the late 70sThe story was that the rifles were demilitarized after some ugly protests and scuffles between hippies and cadets in the late 60s : some cadets were caught with live rounds in their pockets. Love your channel Frank
Another excellent journey of weapons history! Up to about 7 years ago a nation-wide sporting goods chain here in the USA was offering large numbers of the Mosin Nagant, frequently on sale for under $ 1oo. In my arrogance and ignorance I passed on it, how good could it be? Looks like I passed up a on chance to get a great rifle.
I am german and read german language weapons and military history magazines for decades. I doubt that austrian police forces used M12 Pistole up to 2000s. But i know that austrian military and civilian armed personal had a large number of older weapons , often a mix of different types up to 1970s. So possbly you remembered the year not correct, or perhaps the last stored pistols of weapons chamber had been sold in 2000s.
@@brittakriep2938 maybe the translation was erroneous, the word "used" probably stands for "kept in inventory". Though it is still not too far off considering P38 was in active service in many nations, it still is today.
@@TreacherousFennec : I am german and don' t know the ,finese' of english language. But this is what i think. Also german Bundeswehr has still lots of P1 ( after war version of P38 ) stored. May be fifteen years ago i asked at a gunshow a policeofficer, what happened with .32 ACP Pistols of german police, when they had been replaced with 9mm pistols? The man said, most had been sold to serious dealers, lots have been scrapped, and few very good pieces are still in stock, they are sometimes used by female detectives, when they are so dressed, that they can' t carry a 9mm pistol ( the time when subcompact pistols had not been common).
A gun is probably one of the only remaining products that don't have designed obsolescence. If it can put a hole through whoever you point it at, it's still useful.
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Mark I hope you got paid over £5k for each instance of advertising for them. Research the going rate
They lost me at "13,000 gold". More pay-to-win nonsense, then. I’ll pass.
This really makes my day because I am at war with 3 countries currently
From experience, I can tell you my 1917 production date Swedish made mauser is still a tack driver at around 200 yards with iron sights.
A gun is a gun. And in terms of an modern firearm we've had everything we've needed for about 100 years to fight wars. The self contained cartridge is what really jumped us ahead.
I was a reporter in the Balkan wars of the early 90s and often ate with the British Army. Once I asked the chief in the kitchen what was his oldest piece of equipment. He led me to a stove that was roaring away and said "This stove was issued to our unit when we left for the Boer War. Not one like it, but this actual stove." I was impressed!
That is, in the turn from the XIX to the XX century. Just imagine how many meals...
@@duartesimoes508
So, so many meals, they were probably joking though
That's a lot of beans.
I remember cleaning up the kit after a forest school camp, we had 6 gallon tins stamped 1942 in the 2000s.
That's... freaking amazing
I’ve had a lot of self appointed “experts” telling me the Maxim is completely obsolete. A reliable machine gun that fires continuously as long as you have ammo and water and you have so many that you can abandon them if your position is overran. That’s far from obsolete. Old, but still does the job it was intended to.
I've heard from "experts" that the AK-47 And it's variants are obsolete on a modern battlefield ? I guess they're video game fire arms"experts
@@j.robertsergertson4513 They are not obsolete in video games either. They are just dumb.
Obsolete means its no longer produced or used not that its useless. That are two different claims.
It's not obsolete if it still serves the intended purpose. Have shot most common WWII sniper rifles at 200 & 500yds and was impressed by their accuracy, especially given using military ammunition, Lee Enfield on Vickers Gun ammunition at 500yds was incredibly consistent. The surprise was the Mosin Nagant sniping rifle had low expectations but the optic was actually better than anticipated and using modern ammunition it shot well enough to ensure accurate hits.
Basically still well fit for purpose.
It's kills just fine
...
I inherited (from my granfather) a “war of 1812” era muzzleloader, it was converted to a “trapdoor” breach loader during the civil war. Still fires well today
I would love to see a video of you shooting it. I'm sure it fires like a dream!
@@MilitaryFusion I will try to do that someday. I can’t remember the caliber…we have only a certain amount of brass casings for it, because of the odd size and limited existence of such rifles. Fortunately, my grandfather was a professional bullet/cartridge reloader. So we have the tools and dies needed to reload our own cartridges.
@@WaterFaucet24 that is really awesome! Well I hope you guys enjoy in the family for generations!
Convert the trapdoor to full auto.
Could it be possible that your muzzlelader was converted to a trapdoor breach loader after the Civil War? After the Civil War, the US Army knew the rifled musket was obsolite but didn't want to spend the money buying the new magazine fed lever action carbines, that Union officers and men bought out of their own funds during the war, now that it was peace time.
The US Army took the middle road, and converted thousands of stored muskets into breach loaders which say service during the Indian Wars.
Of all of these, the M1911 really stands out, as it has grown from being "just" a service weapon no longer in production to being one of the most popular pistol designs ever, manufactured by many companies even today. I think Colt has been making it continuously since 1910 or so, and they face stiff competition from many other manufacturers. John Browning knew what he was doing!
I own a number of modern pistols, and none are as accurate as a good 1911.
Look at my Profile pic. That’s my Great Grandfather with his Colt. Must have seemed futuristic in 1918.
True, my Springfield Armory Range Officer is a tack driver.
If John was alive today we would have laser weapons by now I'm sure
@@bjs301 exactly. Even within its own day it wasn't the best, it was just the best at shooting .45, which the army wanted. By today almost anything else will be as accurate if not more so, and offer just as much stopping power.
During the 1980's changeover of the US military from the .45 auto to the Beretta 9mm I met and had a conversation with a US Marine armorer. He told me some South Korean officers were visiting his shop and were inspecting the new 9mm when one asked "What are you going to do with the .45's?" When the Marine said he didn't know the Korean officer said "We'll take them!"
Wise South Koreans
@@MarkFeltonProductions Thanks Dr. Felton! I feel like I just turned in a term paper to you and got an "A" on it! 😃
Civilian Marksmanship Program was supposed to get those back and sell them off sometime during the last couple of Obama years, but Obama killed that plan at the 11th hour - I'm still not sure what happened to all of them. They may have been destroyed.
@@Vorpal_Wit He probably had them sold to finance his mansion...
I forgot to add that Marine armorer told me he wasn't too impressed with the Beretta. He considered it too over-engineered for a military handgun with too many delicate parts, in addtion to which he said it was too big for a 9mm pistol. As he put it:
"If they want a 9mm why don't they just go with the Browning Hi-Power like the Brits and a lot of other NATO countries use? Then we'd have parts commonality in addition to ammo commonality!" He had a good point as far as I'm concerned.
The Lee-Enfield is a magnificent piece of workmanship.
When I was a kid, they could be purchased at the local hardware store, out of a rain barrel, for about $20.
That's awesome! 👍
Here in Canada, they now go for about $1,100 Canadian, and I even saw one missing it's bolt that had an asking price of $700! 🤣
When my dad was a kid in the 1950s, anyone could buy a long barreled gun with just a driver's license, and that was only to prove that you were the legal minimum of 16 years of age.
Then again, anyone could buy dynamite and blasting caps at hardware stores too, for removing tree stumps. I think that the same age rule might have applied, but nothing else! 😁
In the 1950s you could buy an arisaka for $5 which was fairly high. But arisakas kept that sub 150 price tag all the way into the 2010s.
Was it hard to grow up in Afghanistan?
@@jason200912 yes, I remember that. Wish I had the money but was too young to buy any anyway
What country?
Canada? US?
This just proves how well built these guns are. Another well made video Dr. Felton
Doubt for mosin nagant
The engineering and manufacturing processes and designs were so much more robust back then. Everything is about light weight and flexibility anymore.
Since when is Felton a Doctor?
@@LordVader1094 He has a PhD from the University of Essex so he you can call him Dr. Felton
Well built and heavily manufactured, two different things. Some are well built, most just heavily manufactured
I was in army cadets at my school in Australia in the 1970's and we had 300 SMLE rifles. Many of them were dated 1914-18 and more up to 1945. None dated later than that. One of our school's former students had fought in World War One and was awarded the Victoria Cross for taking a machine gun nest single handed and saving a company of 'Diggers' who had been pinned down. The gun was brought back to Australia as a trophy and it was stored in our school armory. It was a Madsen LMG. I couldn't help wondering if it was one of the ones shown in the photo of the German soldiers with Madsens during this video! The machine gun was finally donated to the Australian War Memorial a few years ago(Where the Ex-student's medals, including his VC, are on display) His name was Thomas James Bede Kenny VC. (Known as Bede Kenny) Great video; thanks for posting!
The Browning M2 .50 cal machine gun was developed at the end WW1 and is still widespread front line military use with no replacment in sight.
Yes, but it didn't take part in WWI, only really got famous because of WWII. And yes. I wholly expect the M2 to feature in a fight between Earth and the Martian colonies lol
Good ol ma
That's because every attempt to replace it failed miserably... 😄
it's really hard to improve something that is already perfect
As the old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!!" The MA Deuce doesn't need replacing!!
I remember seeing an Air Force video of the weapons that they had confiscated in Afghanistan. The oldest being a Breach Loading Pistol. We removed a great many obsolete weapons and have left them very well armed with some of the latest in weapons and weapons systems.
Also I remember a quote that you fight your current war with whatever you have left over from the last war.
Yeah one see VERY many Talibans with M 16 variants and other stuff.
@@perjonsson5517 Those were left to the former IRA government, and the IEA took them over when the US pulled out. Even when the IEA fought the Panjshir rebels, you didn't see them using AR rifles because they're not as effective in Afghanistan's long-distance and mountainous combat terrain like an AK chambered in 7.62x39 is. That's partly why the US has been testing the .277 Fury (6.8x51) as a replacement for the .223 (5.56x45). The IEA mainly carries the ARs for policing within cities, and sticks to AKs for military use.
@@realtalk6195 lol the m4 has a better effective range than the ak.
Love the 1911, growing up in central Mexico the 11’s were one of the few guns the army couldn’t easily find when they came raiding . You could go to every small town and everyone would have at least one hidden.
"Keep it secret. Keep it safe!"~Gandalf the Grey.
Why couldn't they find them so easily?
@@flyinggoose1456 You’re right, there are smaller firearms compared to the 1911 but could you point out where in Mexico there’s a gun store that you could freely choose from without getting a lengthy prison sentence or a nice ass whopping from the army?
@@flyinggoose1456 bruh...He lives(ed) in Mexico, so his only real option for handguns are family heirlooms kept hidden from the before-time.
@@ArgosySpecOps or illegally acquired handguns. The cartels aren't the only people who don't care about Mexico's gun laws.
It seems to me that at 9:08 we can hear "Zhyve Bielarus'!/Жыве Беларусь!", which is a Belarusian patriotic motto, translated as "Long Live Belarus!", used particularly by the opponents of Lukashenko's dictatorship and the Russian dominance of Belarus. Therefore, the soldier firing a Maxim in this clip is probably one of the Belarusian volunteers fighting on the Ukrainian side.
🇷🇺
My Dad was a Madsen machine gunner in the Danish army. He often talks about it.
Ahh nice pic my follow dane. Nostalgisk. 😁
The Madsen is a very respectable design. Amazingly ahead of it's time....
@@johnathandavis3693 Never seen it in real life.
Noice
@@Gert-DK come to Brazil then
More specifically, Rio de Janeiro city
I still use my grandfathers red army mosin nagant for hunting, it's been refurbished a bit but still uses most of it's original parts, such a good rifle, some designs just last the test of time.
He was stationed at the Finnish Russian border after the winter war so neither he or the rifle ever saw any combat, he left the soviet union after the war to work at a bofors factory in Sweden and the rifle was kind of forgotten in the attic of his summer house, we found it by chance after selling the house two decades ago and i decided to use it for hunting.
Nice!!!
So cool!
How did he manage to just get out of Stalin's USSR post WWII with a Red Army rifle that is impossible to conceal to work in Sweden? What's rhe real story here? Did he desert to Finland?
There was a second war between the USSR and the Finns after Operation Barbarossa began, so there was fighting there. The Germans reinforced the Finns to limited degree. The Finns stopped their counteroffensive after regaining most of their pre-Winter War frontiers. They never seriously sought to cut off the important stream of mostly American supplies coming over the dangerous sea route to Murmansk on the White Sea, then down the supply route parallel to the okd Russo-Finnish border and so to the communication lines to the main USSR. They never supported the German troops in the area who sought to do this. After it became clear to wiser heads that Germany was losing in 1943, post Battle of Kursk, they were eventually able to negotiate a separate peace with the USSR, which needed to concentrate everything first on the Germans and then on their mostly successful efforts to conquer mainland Northeast Asia after the end of the war in Europe. So there was fighting on that frontier and active troops needed to be stationed there.
I can easily imagine being stationed on that relatively inactive front in 1942 and fearing transfer south to the various hells of fighting against the Germans. A clever and lucky man might take advantage of an opportunity to desert across the border and get to neutral Sweden somehow. Even taking his rifle to protect himself. If he was an ethnic Karelian from the area and understood the non-Russian languages, then even better. He would probably have been written of as a casualty of Finnish raiders, which was fairly common, so his living relatives in the USSR wouldn't have been murdered or imprisoned or exiled to really horrible places for being related to a deserter. Once he got to the Finns, especially if he could give them valuable intelligence information about Soviet positions, strengths and/or intentions, he would have been fairly safe. Perhaps he killed his officers or commisar during the escape and brought proof of that to establish his bona fides. If he could get some kind of Finnish documentation then emigrating to Sweden, especially if he had industrial skills and could learn Swedish, would have been possible without Soviet agents noticing. Then he just could stow his old rifle and keep his head down until long afterwards. I don't imagine he would discuss the topic much, even with family, if he was a clever man.
@@brianmccarthy5557 Once his military service was done he kinda just packed his stuff and walked into Finland, after working so long near the border he had gotten good at sneaking across.
He worked as a fisher for a while in a small fishing village near the Finnish coast, he met my grandmother there and she had relatives in Sweden, he figured it would be safer to be a defector there than in Finland, so they packed their stuff and took a ship over to Gotland, a large island off the east coast of Sweden, lived there for a couple of years and got the house that became our summer house.
After a few years he moved to mainland Sweden and got work in a weapons factory, he had changed his name and pretended to be from Finland, the Swedish authorities probably didn't fall for it but he was far from the first Soviet defector to escape to Sweden so the Swedish authorities kinda just let him stay, but it took over a decade for him to get his citizenship.
At some point the Soviets figured out that he had escaped to Sweden but at that point they didn't care that much, he had finished his military service just before he left so technically he wasn't a deserter and more of a defector, he got an angry letter demanding that he should go to the Soviet consulate in Stockholm for questioning, he just ignored it, changed his name again and moved, and that was it that was the last he ever heard from the Soviet authorities, he probably got a bit lucky, some defectors were arrested and sent back but i guess he wasn't important enough to bother with.
Technically he smuggled the rifle to Sweden but since gun laws were pretty relaxed back then it worked out, at some point he just registered the rifle when he applied for a gun permit.
When the rifle was going to get refurbished i thought it was going to be difficult for the gunsmith to get parts but it turns out that a fair amount of nagant's reached Sweden after the war.
My uncle was horrified when he heard that i was going to use the rifle for hunting, to him in was some kind of priceless heirloom that belonged in a museum, as it was said in the video there is a huge amount of nagant's in circulation, it's a good rifle and it deserves to be used for something other than killing humans or gathering dust. :)
@@FarbrorBaku That's a fascinating story about your grandfather ... so much more intriguing than just applying for a visa and boarding an aeroplane. Thanks very much for posting!
As a CCF cadet in the 1960s we used the Lee Enfield 303. They had date stamps on them and some were dated 1914 but these were were not allowed to use on the range.
I was an Air Training Corps cadet in Western Australia in the late 1950's and we were issued with Lee Enfield rifles modified to accept .22 ammunition for our small Perth City rifle range. But on our annual camp at Pearce Aerodrome we were issued with the .303 standard rifle. Later in the 1960's while in the regular Australian Army I was issued with the 7.62 mm SLR which was a real eye opener in comparison.
It was in service into the '80s as the MK5.
When I hear British rifles I think. Third rank come up firing. First rank. Fire. Second rank. Fire. Third rank. fire.
I was a Marine Cadet in the early 2000s, The Lee Enfields were still used for .22 shooting and competitions and modified ones for Drill practice and competition with use of bayonet. Amazing rifle. I'm sure it still be used today amongst cadets.
We used the SA80 version in our CCF but I would have loved to have had the simplicity of the Lee!
8:13
I was my high school's JROTC logistics officer and we had "demilitarized" Springfield rifles used exclusively for ceremonial drills. The barrels and bolts were welded in such a way that they could never be used as firearms and even then, they were secured behind several locks.
One thing that always stood out to me about the program was that at my school, the man responsible for it being implemented was a WWII P51 pilot, over a decade later, I'll always remember the the true deference a bunch of angsty teens showed him.
I love my 1911. It's my go to carry gun. Absolutely amazing that a design from 110 years remains as relevant as it ever has been. I honestly think the 1911 will live on for a minimum 200 years.
The problem is that the 1911 was designed for manufacturing methods that no longer exist and it's not so reliable on the cheap production methods used today. That means some hand crafting for a new reliable one and with that the price tag is sometimes over $1500 and occasionally over $2000. A decent serviceable but nothing special sidearm EG a Glock can be had for $600. So for $1500 you can get the Glock a few hundred rounds and some specialist training.
Revolvers are cool, a revolver never jams...
If only it wasn’t so expensive today, I’d own one for my collection. They’re still used in surplus into the Iraq war as side arms for our military in the US, though it was phased out by the Barrette.
@@thEannoyingE thanks for clearing that up,as a usn vet they were still used after 1986 phased out.
@@someirishguy1662 that is true, but spring and cycling problems can make your revolver a club very easily. Just buy any Taurus and find out for yourself.
I am intimately familiar with the 1903 Springfield. I am a stone carver, and twice in my career so far, I have had to carve life sized copies of this rifle in Indiana limestone to replace parts of WW1 doughboy memorial statues that were damaged by weather and time.
The irony is that the Enfield 1917 was actually more widely issued than the 1903 Springfield during World War I. It's not as well-known as the 1903, but would make more sense for a statue.
Interesting and valid. However, as a carver doing a restoration, my job is to duplicate what was there. There is a database of all the Indiana Limestone WWI "doughboy" statues, and these carved in Indiana Limestone are categorized in three ways. Their stance: Parade Rest, Guard Position, and Advancing in Charge. It would be very interesting to study each in detail to see what other variations there are. I would also be interested to know if the variation was by carver, date, etc. Nearly all of the ones in Indiana material were produced by one company that specialized in the tree trunk "rustic" style of monuments and the civil war statues. I would also be interested to compare the ones produced by the Western White Bronze Co foundries (Zinc), and those carved in Vermont of Barre Granite and of Vermont white marble, and even those imported from the Carrara Italy shops. I do know that a lot of the time the finished product was due to the interpretation of the carver of what was specified - often that is simply what the carver was feeling that day or if the material misbehaved on him and he just did what he could to "convey the idea." One would not just abandon a work if a minor mistake was made. You wouldn't believe how many times stuff was shipped under the hopes that no one would notice! It usually is not noticed. If it was noticed, it was usually accepted in consideration of a discount. Been there, done that.
@@joshklaver47
Still another terrific program. I thought you might be interested in the fact that, during my 25 years of service as a naval officer for the United States, I spent several tours in Italy, both with the sixth fleet and on various liaison assignments.
Although I am a native born United States citizen, I also hold Italian citizenship along with that of the EU, having inherited the family property, mostly in the south.
When I introduced myself, I was surprised to know that the authorities were aware that my great grandfather was a partisan with Garibaldi and my grandfather, a Bersaglieri, fighting first in the Italo Turkish war in North Africa in 1910 and 11; and, returning to his regiment for the climactic battles in 1917. He returned to Italy with his eldest son who joined the Caribbean Carabinieri. It was this organization that gave me access to many of the weapons reviewed in your video.
I found them to be very well-maintained and very well-made and very accurate.
Nice anecdote! I'm from Argentina but from a southern italian family and hold italian citizenship too. My great grandfather fought in WWI, spent three months at the front until malaria nearly killed him, after that he was sent to second line. I really wish to get a Carcano and a helmet from that period, but those things are extremely hard, and expensive to obtain here.
Thank you for your service.
Nonno was from Sicily and fought with the Piedmontese Brigade- 4 th Regiment. Greetings from Virginia!
Auguri
Frank
Thanks for another awesome video Dr Felton. I used a 1903 Springfield in my college ROTC drill team. The first gun I ever bought was a 1903, the second a 1911. Very retro!
Sir, You forgot the Italian 1891 rifle improperly known as Carcano. It Is still widely used in libyan civil war and is used sometimes as cerimonial rifle by Italian Army. The Navy has still quite a lot of British N°.I Mk III.
You also forgot the Chilean Army which still uses their Chilean M1912 Mausers made by Steyr in 1911/12.
The Brazilian army still uses 1908 Brazilian Mausers on parade duty (!)
Gun Jesus did a video on the Carcano, one of his (if not the ) highest rated rifles of ww2
@@riograndedosulball248 I live in Norway and have a German made 1908 "Brazilian" with the Brazilian crest of arms. I use it for hunting.
It's not in the video because everyone hates the carcano. It's the only world war 1 era rifle I can think of the was just generally crappy in design and performance. Not to mention those ugly wanna-be 30-30 rounds it shoots.
@@mountainbriarfarm5030
Sorry, but i cannot agree.
1) the video was about WW1 rifles still in use around the world
2) With all respect for your opinion i can demonstrate you the Fucile 1891 is absolutely not crap.
i think to know quite well what i'm telling you because i shoot those guns since at least 30 years and i talk only about guns i own and shoot with reloaded ammos.
The Fucile 1891 was a quite cheap weapon of a relatively poor country but it was a durable and accurate weapon made with good materials.
In some respect it was a modern gun for those times, its cartridge, for example, was not too powerful nor too weak ( its power is between the 7,62 x 51 and the 5,56 x 45 NATO ammos) and the italian soldier war able to bring with himself far more ammos than a german or a french.
It was inferior to the mighty Mauser 98 but it was cheaper to produce, it has a Mauser type bolt, cheaper and far superior in robustness and durability than the two pieces bolt of the N° 1 mk. III ( with all the problems of head spacing it brings with itself ) and its ergonomy is far better than the russian M1891. Please, let alone the french guns. It war a waepon built for war, not for parades.
And it is a good gun to shoot with. I brought many times my Fucile 1891 produced in Terni in 1897 ( original barrel ) on a shooting range in the alps and it was easy to me to hit torso sized gongs up to 600 meters.
I own four of them in 6,5 x 52, 7,35 x 51 and 7,92 x 57 IS and they were all good rifles on the shooting range.
The main defects were the Mannlicher loading system with the magazine open on the bottom ( as the austrian rifles ) and a different method of aiming then all the other rifles.
In my experience i had far more problems with my 3 Enfields or my beloved Gewehr 1898 built in 1913 to have good groupings.
If to talk about a poor cartridge you probably had heard the reports of somebody who shot with a 1891 with standard .264 bullets. This guy was using the wrong bullet. Our balls were .268/.2685 in diameter. With the right bullet the 6,5 x 52 was a good and accurate round. With the .264 bullet you were using too much undersized balls to engage the grooves of the gaining twist barrel.
i did a test and, in this case you were right, but you were not if the right bullets were used ( it strange to me to know this bullets are being produced in U.S.A. ).
Cheers.
Whether you want to laugh or mock the Maxim - it is a great machine-gun for stationary defense which what most of Donbas looks like - most of Ukrainian defenses are 8 years old with well-fortified and dug-in positions and this gun is still invaluable and doing its job.
Only Mark Felton can make it sound and feel like Mechs where apart of the normal history arsenal. I love it.
I'm amazed at just how well those Maxim machine guns still function after over 100 years. It truly is a testament to how well those guns were built.
Till I saw them in person I had really underestimated both how large, and how thick the receiver was.
Ah, another new addition on my new favourite series on Mark's channel
Just inherited a 1903 Springfield from my grandpa. Terrifyingly powerful gun.
I recently bought a USMC interwar with a 1918 receiver and a '27 barrel (iirc). It's in fantastic shape though I don't have a tool to measure throat erosion. I may not ever have a "collectable" Garand but I believe this rifle will suffice.
@@Rhythmicons I would love to get a garand someday
@@Yabuddy53 I have two that I'm trying to get rid of because I need to raise about 2400 for a number of handmade Hibbens.
@@Rhythmicons If it still shoots accurately I wouldn't worry about it, but you can always take it to a gunsmith and have him check it. The only precautions I'd take is use only M2 Ball ammunition (the last US military version of the 30-06) or any brand of commercial hunting ammo. Stay away from surplus armor piercing, tracer, or other "exotic" stuff and you'll be fine with that '03.
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Thanks. I haven't acquired any ammo for it yet. It's in amazing cosmetic condition so I'm pretty sure that it will be fine. I'm more interested in getting my Garand to the range though, but that '03 is an amazing piece of history.
Just in case anyone who's handled one of these WW1 era rifles has been wondering why they're as powerful as they are and have the VERY long range sights that they do remember the context of the era in which they were made. Field radios didn't exist and field telephones were few in number. The idea was if infantrymen saw a massed formation of cavalry or infantry at a distance they could bring fire to bear on them by use of the long range sights and by volley or rapid fire.
World War One and subsequent wars plus changes in technology changed all that.
They even put artillery style sights on machineguns for dropping rounds into trenches.
Exactly. When the French formulated the first smokeless powder it made everything else obsolete. Now that you could send a bullet down range 2,000m it was expected that war would be fought between 300 and 2,000 yards. Pretty much every country was planning for this and designed their new smokeless powder rifles accordingly. You can however do things like put a much longer front sight post on your M91/30 etc. and bring the battle sight zero down to a more reasonable 100 yards or so.
@@5peciesunkn0wn AFAIK, the artillery style sights on machine guns were used, but not for trenches, it was for area denial - roads, esp crossroads, and counter battery the long range machine gun fire would supplement artillery.
@@tommy-er6hh Oooh. That makes more sense lol.
@@tommy-er6hh You've got it. I read a very interesting post-WW1 book about American machine gun units during that war and they used the machine guns in exactly the way you describe, especially for prep fires in areas occupied by the Germans the Doughboys were preparing to attack, in the manner that artillery would be used today.
The Madsen LMG was called "the coffee mill" due to the handle on the side.
It was the standard LMG for Danish forces until 1955 or so as the converted German MG 42 came into service and replaced the Madsen. The MG 42 was converted from the German 7,92X57 to 7,62X51 NATO.
I think they also change the designation from the MG42 to the MG3, chambering in a different round but functionally and mechanically the same. I love it.
@@dannyzero692 Yes, indeed. The German Bundeswehr call it MG3.
Ian from Forgotten Weapons recently did a review of the Madsen. Surprisingly, it's still in use by some Police Departments in a couple of South American countries.
Mark Felton is probably the best historian.
Best historian on youtube
Not probably, is!
Absolutely!
The best historian in history?
He recently got recognised for it. Fully deserved!
The Lee Enfield is a beautiful rifle. I was lucky enough to go to the range with my dad and shoot his rifle. The bolt is great to manipulate and when you get the hang of it you operate it open handed, with the heel of your hand, as this makes it even faster to reload.
i watched an australian shoot one on a video once. he was able to put lead down range nearly as fast as someone armed with a garand.
of course he was very well trained and had much practice.
The Nagant M1895 is a revolver, not a pistol Mr. Felton. It has a drum.
During the First World War the Germans thought that us Brits had more machine guns than we had as a well trained squad could put down fire in a 'ripple salvo' by firing up to 12 rounds per minute, each! The SMLE was a fine weapon in the right hands!
@@mikehipperson There is a YT vid of a Sri Lankan firearms instructor firing 31 rounds in a minute - with 30 rounds on target, from an SMLE.
I was lucky enough to shoot a Lee Enfield at the range at Bisley
Thanks!
The Mosin Nagant is a prime example of “it it ain’t broke, Don’t fix it”
Certainly, and the sniper version is deadly accurate, which is the main reason it's still in service.
I had a friend recently tell me that he hunted Elk using one for years, and only replaced it couple years ago with a modern rifle because he could not find a part that had worn out.
saying that a lot of intercepted calls from Russian forces are not that happy it what they have been given
To be honest id rather have the Lee Enfield or kar98k
@@davidrenton Because it's a bolt action in the modern day, not because it's a bad rifle. It's like British soldiers being given an Enfield even though it has been out of service since the 50s in its infantry variant
The one that impressed me was the Maxim machine gun. Most of the others were sidearms or ceremonial weapons. But the Maxim is being used as a front line weapon. It shows what a devastating weapon it was 100 years ago and still today.
Still in use here in Ukraine, especially as most of the large engagements involve slow-moving or static trench warfare, which the maxim excelled at, and still excels at,
If they’ve lasted this long, I don’t expect them to ever really go away. These weapons are truly immortal.
Although it is truly amazing to see maxims and mosin nagants in combat today.
That's like saying stone tools will never go away.
Everything gets replaced eventually.
It's pretty impressive alright... but I'd prefer we give up on combat altogether and use these weapons on targets and hunting only.
That would be impressive af!
@@haggis525 Indeed, it's paradoxical that the peak of human ingenuity goes into destroying other humans.
@@haggis525
"Sir what kind of animal are you hunting that requires a 110 years old machine gun?"
"uh."
@@dannyzero692 When you assume you make an ass of yourself. Isn't it just possible that I referring to hunting with, say, a Lee Enfield?
Stay in your lane, Peacekeeper.
Was issued the 1911 back in 1985 when I was in the Marine Corps. I was trained on the M2 Browning .50 caliber as a Heavy Machine Gunner (0331), and that was initially developed in 1918, just after WWI. Good weapons that stood the test of time.
The 1911 is also used by some American police officers and sheriffs departments who allow their officers to purchase their own weapons.
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography what was going on with the ejection of the spent casings in the clip shown? Seemed like they were going in random directions with a couple hitting the firer in the face?
(I know nothing about guns, so curious if its something you just have to put up with?)
The department I work for had several people carrying 1911 until recently. Many SWAT teams also issue these.
@@mattteee2973 I'd like to know that too. Didn't seem to useful to hit him in the face. Is that normal?
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography I beg to differ there is essentially no difference between Springfields or Series 70 Colts and the pistol I was issued in the 1980's
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography I guarantee you there is probably some midwestern or southern police units who still use .38spl revolvers, anything is possible.
Thank you again, Mark!
Great video! Also worth noting about the Madsen is that is was the LMG used by the Norwegian army prior to and during the invasion of Norway in 1940. The version most used in the Norwegian army back then was the M/22.
Hey Mark! I was wondering yesterday if any Ww1 or before era weaponry are used in modern times and then today, you release this! Thanks for the upload! As a history major, your videos have given me deeper insight on certain pieces of class material.
I have a Mosin-Nagant, hex receiver built in 1933. It shoots great! I also have several crates of ammo for it (bought about 10 years ago when it was still cheap) made in the USSR in 1975 lol.
8:24 oh this brings me back memories Mark, that rifle we used A dummy version of that in my JROTC class in high school
It only takes one bullets to stop someone, makes a lot of sense these are still in service. If it ain't broke, don't fix it
Tell my ex boss that!!
Unless an upgrade is more able to kill, the goal of war
It only takes one bullet to kill (singular)
Yes. True. How many times have we seen dead kids in school because of Republicans!
Especially those turn of the 20th Century cartridges, they were designed for lethality out to a 2,000 yard distance. Excessive now, but it made sense back then.
a lot of folks don't understand how powerful the standard rifle cartridges of all nations were compared to the lighter lower powered modern assault rifle rounds
Its going the other way now, back to higher power in order to defeat body armour.
@@andyf10 good point
The 1911 and the Maxim still hold up. While impractically for most modern, mobile warfare situations, the Maxim's water cooled system actually allows it to keep sustained fire going longer than even most modern MGs. So for holding a position, it still does an excellent job.
The 1911 meanwhile is still an excellent handgun, and in my opinion has the smoothest trigger pull of all time. .45 calibre also still holds up just fine.
Bolt actions like the Mosin and the Enfield meanwhile are still excellent long range rifles, and make good sniper rifles if equipped with a scope.
Bringing that sort of water jacket back could be interesting for vehicle mounted MGs, like tank coaxial. Especially where the vehicle could have a bigger reservoir and a pump to keep circulating cold water through it. Then again, maybe simpler is better. Wonder if anyone tried it.
The 1911 got a second lease on life when it was adapted to 10mm Auto. The 10mm hits way harder and shoots flatter than .45 ACP, and you get an extra round for the same size magazine. It's a win-win.
Terrific video, Mark! Thank you so much! I was really surprised to see that the Springfield rifle is still in service. It's amazing that a weapon that had become obsolete in 1941 is still being used today. That says a lot about the quality of the weapon. I was surprised that the Browning M1918 BAR rifle isn't being used today in some fashion. I know it's big and heavy and fires an unorthodox round for an automatic weapon. But it just seemed to be such a simple and tough weapon which soldiers could be trained on quickly and survive in tough climates.
The 1911A1 has got to be the best pistol ever designed and manufactured. I live in the UK and back in the day of citizen-owned FAC's (up to 1995) I owned a mil-spec (green parkerized) Springfield Armory 1911A1, that .45ACP was a sledgehammer of a round boasting full-on knock-down efficiency, although I only ever shot paper tigers! The .45ACP 1911A1 will remain with a military force somewhere in the world forever.
I was also a UK Fac holder of a 1911 which was highly modified (+ many other hand guns and semi auto long mag Barreta shotgun.) It was my race gun for practical pistol competition. I loved it and it broke my heart when it all ended.
Loved my Kimber built .45, sold when I moved back to the UK. A fine weapon, accurate as hell!
@@Anmeteor9663 You share my deepest darkest commiserations in losing your firearms. I had a first edition S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum 6½in barrel, dated from 1976. It had the pin helping to secure the top of the barrel before the frame...1st edition as I say! Very rare, even in America today they'd be hard to find, it would be worth a mint today as I bought it brand new old stock MIB. It makes me weep mate let me tell you. Did you ever go to the Sandwell Shooting Centre by any chance?
hey lads. American here. i would like to ask you a question. it breaks my heart as a firearms enthusiast hearing guys like you talk about the bans and prohibitions that came down.
my question is: why did the majority go along with it? i know our cultures are different, and the idea of self defense is more prevalent in america, but i truly believe that if a sweeping gun ban happened in America today, it would mean civil war if it was enforced.
do you regret going along with it?
i ask these questions in the best of faith. i look forward to learning from your answers
@@annasajerk We had no choice but to go along with it! I had a letter from the West Midlands P0lice telling me to bring all my firearms down to the cop shop on such and such date and that was that. We got compensated for them all, every penny, but that was it, there was no choice. We didn't want to go along with it nobody did, but we were ordered to surrender them...so what was I going to do? Have a stand-off with armed p0lice tactical response teams?
I carry a new M1911 as my regular defense pistol on me and in my car. Great gun, never jams, power punch, and very accurate. The design is amazing and it's used as the basis for just about all modern semi-automatic pistols. It's still really unbelievable to me that the design is over 100 years old and it's still a very useful gun in modern society.
My grandfather had operated Madsen MGs back in the day. He loved them.
I was instructed in both the 1911 and the Beretta in Brazilian Army. Great guns. We also have Springfield (1935) and Mauser (1908) rifles, but those are used only to FTX and drill.
Hello again from Canada, Mark...!! Thanks for all the great content... always makes my day to take a trip somewhere with you...!!
I am from Ishapore, West Bengal, India. Was wondering while I started watching that the Ishapore 201 rifle will be mentioned as its a variant of the Lee Enfield, my grandfather and many relatives used to work in Rifle Factory Ishapore. Thanks Mark Felton Sir for featuring it
Excellent work in your firearms related content. Neutral, unhysterical and overwhelmingly accurately described. I usually cringe a neck sprain when firearms topics are addressed on non-fireams related channels but you nail it. Thanks! Very glad to see that sponsorship continues.
I'd definitely use a Maxim. They're still unmatched for sustained fire.
You think British soldiers in the trenches ever made tea from the water that boiled in the cooling jacket? They had to, right?
The only thing a Maxim gives up to a modern machine gun is portability, in its reliability and rate of fire it's just as good, if not better.
@@Matt-xc6sp yes , we did :)
@@sassythesasquatch1571 Of course you had to check that the 'water' was water, not urine, first! The Maxim/Vickers had a tendency to boil over quite rapidly so Tommys used to was into the water jacket when it got too hot!
Isn’t there a story of a Maxim or Vickers that fired over 5 million rounds without ever failing (besides barrel replacements)?
9:51 the m1911 is still in use with the US military today. Primary in their special force unit. However, they don't use the standard 1911, they use a modified version called the M45. They took a 1911, changed the parts with aftermarket and third party parts and make the 1911 even better.
Nah they retired them
i really admire your history very much dr felton
Nothing beats the classic Mark Felton intro music! Never change it man!
I was on the range with a No4 mk1* last weekend. Beautiful to shoot. No need to take it out of the shoulder to operate the bolt, so the sights remain on target. Grouping was great.
It truly is a Gentleman Rifle you can out class people in marksman ship while drinking Tea ☕️👍😂😂. The European surplus ammo with stick powder. Makes shooting prone for distance competition enjoyable very little Recoil .
@@robertmills4101 oddly enough the chap next to me was shooting a Garand. Nowhere near the grouping of the lee Enfield, and frankly only very slightly quicker than me with the bolt action.
@@gunner678 The MK 4 set up for distance scope and all . Is so much Fun angering today youth in competition marksmanship . A so called Relic sometimes out classing 4000$ Rifles. With a ww1 Relic it’s amazing 👍😂
@@gunner678 I’ve never got to do the Mad minute because my MK 4 is set up for distance Marksmanship .it’s basically brand new EnField. If I have chance I’ll pick another with with just iron sights give the Mad minute a go .
@@robertmills4101 aren't we all😁👍
Fantastic video. I wish I had a teacher like Mark Felton when I was in high school. Makes education enjoyable. Keep up the good work sir.
Well I'm quite certain that by the time of "the futuristic year of 2022 A.D." there couldn't possibly be such obsolete Great War weaponry still around. After all Mark, this is MFP, not "Austrians & Aliens!"
{end cheeky bit}
Anyways Mark, your content is always informative, soothing, novel & entertaining...Thank you for your high-caliber content Sir, Cheers!!
Of course there couldn't possibly be such obsolete Great War weaponry still around. After all they're not obsolete
Hey, that's not fair! The "oldest" gun our army here in austria uses is a modified WW2 machine gun, so one war later! I can't speak for the aliens though...haven't heard back from them in a while. 🤡😁
@@nirfz Indeed, only having a lark here...
I am simultaneously slightly peeved that you have ads and also exceptionally happy that you have ads because you deserve revenue for the wonderful content you put out. Keep doing what you do Mr Felton we love you!
I remember the Lee Enfield .303 rifle, as when I did my 18 months training when I joined the RAF back in 1961, and firing it on the range. There was a fair old kick, so I used to shove my beret inside my battledress jacket to cushion my left shoulder a bit, until the NCO on the range caught me, and stopped me from using it.. Also it was pretty heavy as I found out when messing up on the parade ground, so the D.I. had me running a few times around the parade ground with it in my hands and arms straight up over my head, so I wasn't keen to get that punishment again...:)
We also got to fire the Bren Gun, but only in single shots or a 5 round burst, but I wanted to fire off the whole mag, but wasn't allowed to.. I think the Bren took a 30 round mag, but we only loaded 28 rounds to save wear and tear on the spring.
Good fun when is was 16 years old.....:)
Of the Colt M1911, Frank Castle ,the Punisher, said it best.
"Seven shots, seven kills".
Very well researched and narrated as usual Dr. Felton. Might I add a nod to the Martini Henry .577/450 rifle that was used by the Mujahideen in the Soviet-Afghan war for its long range and accuracy, as well as more recent terror groups such as the Taliban and Isis in the Middle East where it still turns up today. Although I wouldn’t count this as being in active service as such, it’s still a testament to the rifles durability and craftsmanship
I was given the privilege of shooting one decades ago at the range. A dream come true. Unrelated, a repeat this time a .56 Spencer carbine, nice
Pretty sure they used those rifles because that is what they had and not for "long range accuracy"
@@BananaMan730 oh they have plenty of ex-Soviet weapons and plenty more from western armies. It’s just the Martini Henry ammunition can be made relatively easy especially because it’s black powder cartridges and also partly because of the accuracy, durability and the range of the MH. In fact, there are a few stories of the soviets being attacked by Mujahideen from elevated positions on hilltops, and the Soviet weapons didn’t have the range to hit them back using the Kalashnikov rifles at the time. For example, the AK-47 used in the Soviet-Afghan war had an effective firing range of 350m compared to the MH of 370m. However the maximum firing range of the MH is an astounding 1700m (one of the reasons why the British garrison at Rorke’s Drift managed to hold out against such overwhelming odds)
@@johnjohnon8767 I actually own one, there is a website called IMA that acquired a whole cache of obsolete weapons from Nepal some years ago. They’re mostly all former British army weapons. I have took mine apart and found 2 lines of proof marks on the barrel which suggest it was a pattern A or Mk1 rifle which was then later converted (mine in 1887) to a Mk 4. Also I can trace where it has been from markings on the stock and it ended it’s service with the British empire at the Madras arsenal, India, before being sold out of service to the Nepalese around 1906 which was when the SMLE Enfield .303 was standard issue
@@jamesh8552 Don't think that I'm just another asshole in youtube comments, I'm just trying to educate some people in the most respectful way that I can but I don't think you fully understand modern combat or the capabilities of black powder weapons. And while you are correct about an AK having an effective range of around 350 meters, that doesn't mean that an old rifle that has longer range settings is going to "outrange it". Also I am willing to bet that an AK-47 (or more appropriately an AK-74 for the Soviet-Afghan war) is probably more effective at range than any rifle from the 19th century.
Thank you Dr. Felton, for your educational and entertaining videos.
I imagine an over 100 year old revolver is still better to have than no revolver at all when shit hits the fan.
True.
just a suggestion for next time, when you especially mention something like the sound ( 7:10 ) it would be awesome you include a clip of it.
Other than that as always a great video, thanks for the effort put into it!
Here in Canada, we do still use the Lee Enfield when conducting training or ops in the far north, same with remi 870s, they are extremely reliable in artic conditions
An older good rifle will always be a good rifle. Technology continues to advance but the mechanics of a good gun will not change that much. About 6 years ago I bought a used 1960’s Remington wingmaster shotgun for sket shooting and it still is one of the best shotguns I’ve ever used. Thank you for your videos Dr. Felton, I always learn something new with each video 👍
I collect used Wingmasters, and they have slicker actions than any new pump shotgun, aside from maybe the Browning BPS. Awesome shotguns.
There is a way to hold the Lee-Enfield bolt that when it'd being close another finger lands on the trigger. That method results in a very high rate of fire and can be done without losing the sight picture.
I wish I'd kept my Lee-Enfield collection. I had the No.1 Mk.III with artillery sights on the left side, a No.4 Mk.1, a No. 4 sniper version compete with wood transport case, a No. 5 Jungle Carbine, a No. 8 dedicated target rifle in .22 rimfire and a regular type Lee-Enfield also in .22 rimfire.
My Grandfather was issued a Ross rifle when he went over to France 🇫🇷 with the CEF in early 1915. He died before I was born by my Dad told me that he "got rid of it" and "acquired" a SMLE. The Lee Enfield is truly a lovely weapon!
I think my grandfather simply threw his Ross away and stole a SMLE... I understand that it was fairly common.
Apparently the Ross was an excellent weapon if always clean but that was difficult to achieve in the trenches - though they were used by snipers... at least that is what I have heard.
My grandad was issued a Ross, my dad a Lee Enfield and my issue weapon was an FN FAL... also a lovely weapon but rather heavy by modern standards. The 7.62 ammo sure doesn't help lighten the load out.
Greetings to all from the senior Dominion 🇨🇦
I was given an M1911A1 stainless Mark IV for my high school graduation in 1984. I carried with me during my seven years active duty Marine Corps including Desert Storm. I still have this fantastic weapon.
My family has a M1911, that sidearm has been through WW1 with my great grandfather, WW2 and korea with my grandfather, Vietnam with my father, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan with me, Afghanistan and now Poland with my son. It's literally seen just over 100 years of my familys American story with no end in sight.
“Probably one of the best bolt action rifles ever made” proceeds to show man stumble and is unable to properly shoot the gun.
The shooter's an untrained amateur, most likely shooting a rented piece. Don't understimate these things in the hands of those who know how to use them!
that's why you need Gun Jesus to show it :) i think most know who I'm referring to
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 I was making a joke
@@argusflugmotor7895 Oh, OK!
@Shinshocks facts, he probably meant of the time period but even then I don’t agree.
Another great, well researched video. So glad you have these sponsors
Here in the USA we love our Mosin-Nagant rifles, but we (affectionately) refer to them as "Garbage rods". Due to their cheap cost and somewhat crude fit and finish.
Find one built by Remington.
I bought a Remington made WW1 Mosin for $250 a couple years ago. Only issue is it has been modernized with a shoddy stock and front sight. I'd love to restore it someday for the interesting history those rifles have. Many made for Russia but never left.
Love the moist nuggets!
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography they do retain the quality of being almost indestructible.
@@shawnr771 nah. My 1937 tula boom stick is good enough for me.
Hi Mark. Still in Chile army, three ceremonial rifles still being use, Mauser 1895, 1898 and Steyr 1912. Great to hear your posts!!
Watching a revolver from 1895 shoot a round that’s 38mm long and having absolutely no recoil with just one hand shooting is just mind boggling to me. The people who created that were really ahead of their time.
Notice barrel is contact with drum.
Most revolver’s do not close that cap when fired
Used to watch the history channel all the time but now I don’t need the history channel anymore I have Mark Felton.
The M1895 Nagant may be the only regular-production revolver capable of being "silenced" (suppressed) by virtue of its gas-sealed operation. Most revolvers, contrary to movies, cannot be suppressed due to the open nature of their cylinders.
Well, it's not suppressed at all. No noise reduction. The cylinder in moving forward merely seals the gap between the cylinder and barrel. The noise isn't reduced.
@@geraldmahle9833 "Capable" is the key word in my comment. One CAN add a suppressor to it with actual effect.
@@TommygunNG Yes, put that way, it CAN be suppressed.
@@geraldmahle9833 No, not "put that way." Rather, the way I put it at the beginning. You simply misread my initial comment. Key word was "capable."
Thanks Mark.
ln the late 70's early 80's l was part of a CCF unit.
We had amongst other things the Le Enfield .303. lt wasn't until many years later, l questioned their provenance & wondered if they'd seen action (ie: been used to kill). Not a happy thought although nothing to do with conflict / war is. However recording & reporting the events is vital. Thanks again for a great channel.
3:30 seeing that gentleman shoot the Lee Enfield, I was reminded of reports that in WW1, German troops reporting facing machine gun fire when in fact they had faced groups of well-drilled Tommies firing Lee Enfields very rapidly.
Tommies were taught to fire the Lee Enfield using their second finger, first &thumb reserved for working the bolt. This gave a rapid rate of fire.
amazing to hear about the Moisin-Nagant. I knew it was a great weapon in its time but that it's still used today (albeit it in a mostly reserve capacity) is incredible to hear.
Damn, the shell eject on the Colt seems pretty dangerous just in of itself.
Yeah I thought that too.
Thanks Dr. Felton
Always Enjoy Your Videos
Love The Channel !!
I once had a Lee-Enfield No5MkI that was a fantastic rifle, and have hunted deer for years with my unmodified 1903A3 Springfield...I've never missed a deer with it.
Love these kind of videos.
It's not a 'short magazine' Lee-Enfield; the 'short' refers to the length of the rifle, not of the magazine. A very interesting video... apart from that common mistake...many thanks.
Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield.
Kind of crazy when we think that the rifle was the "short" part!
It's also fascinating that all those things were deemed necessary in the name of the rifle....almost as if the name itself were a history lesson about how the rifle was developed!
I actually used to own a Philippine-built ATI 1911 exactly like the one you pictured. I won it for free in a raffle in 2019, shortly after my 21st birthday, and it was probably one of my favorite pistols I've owned. It's definitely one of the guns I regret selling the most. And no, the irony of a Philippine-made 1911 was not lost on me.
Get yourself a nice 10mm 1911 from Dan Wesson or similar. That will give you an idea of how good mass-produced 1911s can be. A big step up from the ATI.
Always amazing how much stuff is stored away in government wearhouses waiting to be pulled out of storage in the event of an emergency.
Years ago I watched a documentary of The Springfield Armory Museum.
There were racks containing 10,000 Springfield Trap Door rifles in a hallway.
When asked why they kept them.
The guy said Because the US Government pays us.
@@shawnr771 : Our government should be sending them to Ukraine instead of that 40 billion dollars.
@@nitromartini1422 Single shot rifles that bullets have not been made for in over 100 years.
Yep sounds like something useful to send.
That 40 billion is being used to purchase weapons from US and NATO stockpiles that have been in storage for 20 years.
US and NATO countries will in turn buy newer stocks to replace the ones they sell.
In other words 40 extra billion dollars for the MIC.
@@shawnr771 : My father is a gunsmith. He has rifles built in the late 1800's which work just as well now as they did 130 years ago.
In fact, he has six WW2 M1 30.06 rifles, and several other rifles that Dr. Felton has featured here.
We used to melt down old automotive wheel weights to cast our own bullets. We still have cartridge resizing equipment, powder scales, and primers which are still widely available for these old rifles.
It is real stupid for us to be expected to subsidize somebody else's war. Ukraine can borrow all that money from China themselves. They should be glad that we would consider loaning or giving them old military equipment.
@@nitromartini1422 It has nothing to do with Ukraine, morals or good and evil.
It is about power and money.
Boeing. Raytheon, Lockheed etc see a way to get more money out of the American taxpayer.
Thank you for sharing this video keeping history going.
The 1911 is very common among civilians in America and would no doubt see use if the militias are ever formed up in defense of the nation. It is amazing how so many weapons are just as useful today as 100 years ago. Thanks for a great video.
Still used in the army too. MPs, Special Forces, Guardsmen, and security teams all use it. Some infantry battalions also allowed troops to augment their gear with their own purchased weaponry, and the 1911 was on the list of approved gear.
Finger and thumb! I am so glad the person shooting the SMLE was doing it right. So many people don't, shoot how you want but don't film yourself and put on the internet if you do it wrong. Great choice of footage
Correction - we have now phased out the smle rifles from our police units like 6 yrs ago and now they are only given to low priority area and forest guards , the indian police units are now being issued with the insas self loading rifles .
I have a model 1898 Carconno. It was made in Trieste in 1918. It shoots 13 inches high at 300 yards. It is not accurate, but the modern 6.5 x 52 bullets are not exactly the correct size. It was the first non black powder rifle Italy used. It was carried over into WW2 with 2 different cartridge sizes.
It is still used here and there in North Africa. Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated Kennedy with one. I have no idea how.
Grandfather carried a Carcanno in the Alps fighting the Austrians in WW1.He was once given 3 rounds and told to go over the top on an assault- so accuracy was less important when you had no ammo.
I went to Virginia Tech in the late 70sThe story was that the rifles were demilitarized after some ugly protests and scuffles between hippies and cadets in the late 60s : some cadets were caught with live rounds in their pockets.
Love your channel
Frank
Another excellent journey of weapons history!
Up to about 7 years ago a nation-wide sporting goods chain here in the USA was offering large numbers of the Mosin Nagant, frequently on sale for under $ 1oo. In my arrogance and ignorance I passed on it, how good could it be?
Looks like I passed up a on chance to get a great rifle.
If you look around carefully you can still find a good one for about $350.
Amazing video, Your attention to detail is truly outstanding.. Thank you so much for the more modern content and the old :)
I've read in a history magazine once that the M1912 Steyr-Hahn was still used by Austrian Gendarmerie up until early 2000s
I am german and read german language weapons and military history magazines for decades. I doubt that austrian police forces used M12 Pistole up to 2000s. But i know that austrian military and civilian armed personal had a large number of older weapons , often a mix of different types up to 1970s. So possbly you remembered the year not correct, or perhaps the last stored pistols of weapons chamber had been sold in 2000s.
@@brittakriep2938 maybe the translation was erroneous, the word "used" probably stands for "kept in inventory". Though it is still not too far off considering P38 was in active service in many nations, it still is today.
@@TreacherousFennec : I am german and don' t know the ,finese' of english language. But this is what i think. Also german Bundeswehr has still lots of P1 ( after war version of P38 ) stored. May be fifteen years ago i asked at a gunshow a policeofficer, what happened with .32 ACP Pistols of german police, when they had been replaced with 9mm pistols? The man said, most had been sold to serious dealers, lots have been scrapped, and few very good pieces are still in stock, they are sometimes used by female detectives, when they are so dressed, that they can' t carry a 9mm pistol ( the time when subcompact pistols had not been common).
Mark. Thanks for providing my Friday Night entertainment!
A gun is probably one of the only remaining products that don't have designed obsolescence. If it can put a hole through whoever you point it at, it's still useful.
The Bangladesh Police was also using the SMLE, at least they still were in 2016 when I was last there.