The reason Kalashnikov didn't earn any money was because he was in a communist nation. He lost the rights to his own invention the second he thought of it.
That is an incorrect generalization. In Soviet Union, inventor has no control over his invention - it's up to State to decide whether and how to use it; however, if he registers it (for free) and it does get used, he would receive royalties! At least that's how it was down the road, 60ies and later - not sure whether this applied back in the 40ies - all i have my hands on now is a very vague quote, which could just as well be interpreted as if he didn't care enough rather than had no possibility. As an engineer in a capitalist country, you don't get to get rich off your super popular inventions! Because to engineer, you need means of work, which are provided by a guy with money, a capitalist. He risks his money, he gets rich, or he loses money, perhaps goes broke. You do work for hire. None of the intellectual property you produce belongs to you - it belongs to the capitalist, because that's what the contract says, what it has to say in order for capitalist to offset his investment risk. Now, i don't care enough, i'm fine living on a salary, but hey, gotta be honest about it - the bias is just sickening.
Siana Gearz The difference is in one the government is dead set to get involved and the other is a willing act of two different parties. Don't want to do work and someone else gets the credit? Then use your own money
He never lost the rights he did it as a patriot with no intent of personnel gain. The American engineer that perfected the radio after Marconi sort of got it to work gave up all his patents to the US government never receiving a penny for his ground breaking work
TheTabellarius the same applies to the man who desinged the m1 garand, he was paid 1200 dollars for his invention, and died poor ( he asked for less pay, even when john browning was asking for money for his designs ( not to say he was greedy, he gave away many desings in the past))
He worked in the Ishmash factory recently even I bought a Saiga 12 and he was still there when it was produced. They changed the name of the factory to Kalishnikof now.
I liked how he weaved in the English age old phrases such as "going off half cock'd" and "a flash in the pan". I'd never stopped to ponder and realise how they originated. Also,i wasnt aware of who invented the micrometre,a thing that we just take for granted now but to think that without it there could have been no Industrial Revolution is pretty mind blowing!
We also use a lot of naval phrases, like "Cut and run", which meant not bothering to haul up the anchor, just cut the line and sail away and leave the Anchor behind, or show your true colours, which came from a boat flying under a "false Flag" (yet another one) hauling up their True colours.
@@CaptainCuttle-mi5rt Yes,great stuff with the naval phrases."I'll show you the ropes" being another one firmly entrenched in the English language - refering to showing a landsman how to work the rigging.
Guns were advancements of cannons, which were advancements of ballista's, which were advancements of crossbows, which were advancements of long bows, which were advancements of spears, which were advancements of throwing rocks. So, if you think about it, a gun is just a really expensive, high tech rock thrower.
It's great how he also pointed out the gun brought up so many "unvoluntary" advances in technology. The gun is an inevitable step in a world with an intelligent bunch of individuals.
No matter how much or how little you have..... There's always been someone out there willing to take it away from you.... And until the advent of the repeating firearm that was available to the average person's use.... It was always the biggest and strongest person who won the battle, kept there land or took the other guys home, or food, or livestock or woman.... Or made the difference on who was the SLAVE and who would be the MASTER❓🤔❓ Or who lived and who died‼️ But after the entrance of the Revolver, and all throughout the years of improvements since.... The 98 pound weakling could meet the 200 pound Bully, robber, or tyrant on an equal playing field (or battle field) in a ONE on ONE fight with any hope of victory.... That is until governments got involved with their BULLSHIT anti self-defense laws.... Fortunately, America is coming back to our constitutional 2nd Amendment that our Founders, in their wisdom, laid down to limit our Government's power to infringe on our God given rights that the Government hasn't the authority to mess with‼️🇺🇲‼️
The problem are not the guns, the knives or the fire... but instead those using it for harming others, and that my friend is not the smartest thing to do🙃. But people has also killed people for hundried of years with rocs, Axes, ropes the goes around necks and even using their bare hands so again it is not about the invention but the user😌
The problem with Joseph Whitworth's rifle was that the barrel fouled much more than the Enfield, because of its tighter fit standard, and it costs almost 4 times as much per rifle. It was very expensive for its time.
Would love to have seen the auditions for Whitworth and how happy the actor was who played him! Casting: “Yes we thought you were baboonish enough for the part.” Actor 💭grrrrrr “oh thank you, it’s the part I was born to play.”
Theodor Bergman had his sub macnine gun - The MP18 in service before Thompson. Thompson's design was supposed to be a counter to it. The MP 18 was copied by Britain as the Lanchester, and was subsequently follwed by the STEN and Sterling range, blowback , side emounted magazine. The STEN and STERLING being designed to be cheaper and easier to manufacture.
Very interesting! I used to own a STEN . I was impressed with the engineering. It was fun to shoot, but it cost way too much to feed, and I sold it and bought a car with the proceeds. Mulrimillionares may be able to afford to shoot machineguns for fun, but a session can cost $1000 to $10,000 per session. And masking and scrubbing, throwaway clothing are essential. Lead vapors.
@@markedwards3647 Bro, 9mm is like 0.27 a round. If you were dropping 4k-40k rounds per a session and complain about it being expensive that’s stupidity. It’s not like it was an exotic expensive caliber.
@@Mrjohnnymoo1might be that price in America but certainly isn't in my country sub machine guns are fun to shot but that fun can certainly be expensive especially when you can blast off twenty five rounds in a few seconds
Why is that awkward? Did you expect the knowledge was top secret? Anyone can learn this in a library ... just don't try it at home or you might make a very big mistake
To all the people complaining that they didn't mention their favorite company/designer/gun. They only had an hour to cover the entire history of the gun.
@@kmit9191 This documentary has some problems, i don't think it was made by experts rather someone researching from books and forums. Also the fact that Clarkson isn't exactly the most knowledge when it comes to history.
@@kmit9191 I suspect Clarkson saw more than a few opportunities to take "artistic license". For example, when he was firing the AK47 I wouldn't be surprised if the gun was loaded with blanks. If I see Clarkson present something, I'm expecting entertainment more than real information because he likes to put a little bit of misinformation in there every so often.
Wait a minute! Here's my disclaimer. America has more gas stations than gun stores. It's ridiculous to claim otherwise. Next disclaimer is that most gun violence is between street and drug gangs and not between "disgruntled" neighbors or girlfriends. That is pure hype on the part of Mr. Clarkson to peddle his video.
+John Smith Nah, Toyota Hilux is a much more accurate comparison. The Willys* Jeep was influential, sure but not nearly as widespread and commonly used all over the world as the Hilux, especially in 3rd world countries. If we're comparing guns to cars, then the Willys Jeep fits better with a Thompson, imo.
I'm that guy that would watch a documentary about spoons. I'm assuming it was the last part of the cutlery to be invented, or maybe the first. I dunno, I need a documentary to let me know.
Interesting Story, like that a lot. But, he forgot mentioning one very important new technology in the improvement of the guns: The switch from loading a gun/rifle from the front to loading from behind and, in connection with that, the invention of the cartridge, where powder and the bullet and the igniting device is all in one cartridge, what makes the modern machine gun possible. The developer was a German company, the Dreyse company back in the 19 the century.
The biggest thing that was completely missed was the invention of smokeless powder, semi/full auto weapons were not very practical with black powder since it burns very inefficiently and causes a massive amount of fouling that usually makes self loading weapons start to malfunction after very few rounds.
The body 'armour' was ECBA or Enhanced Combat Body Armour. It's designed to stop minor shrapnel wounds, but generally it'll keep your guts inside you until you're casevaced and seen to at the trauma unit.
Actually the submachine gun was invented and used by the Imperial German Army in 1918 during the *Kaiserschlact' for the 1st time. It was very effective in breaking the trench stalemate as was the UK and French Tanks of the same period.
"By calling attention to a well-regulated militia for the security of the Nation, and the right of each citizen to keep and bear arms, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy.... the Amendment remains an important declaration of our basic military-civilian relationship, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.” President John F. Kennedy
The electronic gun is a scary thought, imagine a world where the only people who have guns are the government, thats great if the government isn't corrupt, but I mean common how many governments have lasted more then a decade without doing something abominable.
"This may well be an instrument of satan, but it is unbelievably sexy." on the surface that quote sounds rather ridiculous, but it's actually quite profound.
Colt isnt technically known for the first resolving cylinder gun, that had been around for a while. He linked the cocking of the hammer to the revolving of the cylinder in one action.
@@Makrel94Exactly. Drugs neither make the decision to enter your bloodstream, nor can they put any deliberate effort into getting there. It's the same with drugs, as it is with firearms, as it is with cars, as it is with anything else. You wouldn't blame a rock for caving somebody's head in, would you?
@@ShootAUT That’s a fallacy.. There are conditions wich makes certain things more likely too happen. Cars are a means of transport, rocks are mother earth and guns.. They are designed by man with one function in mind, and that is killing. The vast majority of people are morons. And they should not have access to high power weaponry.. The states are the murder capitol of the developed world for a reason, and one reason only. GUNS…
you can make them so easy this was my teen days man, of shit...., fucking 12 midnight shoot up in the air wait till we hear something go THUD OR glass smashing hahahahha
Too bad Jeremy Clarkson went along with lib BS... guns are merely a tool... like the earlier arrow... and the even earlier spear... and the earliest club... or rock... it's ADDICTIONS such as evil religion addiction and evil drug addiction that actually fuel all the hating, hurting, killing and wars... but the hidden powers profiting from addictions never allow that truth to come out...
There were many multi shot guns going back to 1700s. The colt wasn't the first reliable multi shot gun. It was the most available and most affordable. Also, the puckle gun was well known in America long before Colt visited England.
Первые револьверы вообще-то появились ещё в конце 16 века. Их легко можно найти по музеям Европы от Лондона до Москвы. Можно ещё упомянуть магазинные пистолеты и ружья Микеле Лоренцони, это самое начало 18 века. Вот то, что в конструкции Кольта сошлись вместе патроны, несколько зарядов, простота и надёжность конструкции и дешевизна производства - это и привело к появлению оружейной легенды. Хотя по нынешним меркам его револьверы были откровенно плохими. С шансом попасть на 30 шагах в корову, зато 6 раз подряд) The first revolvers actually appeared at the end of the 16th century. They can be easily found in museums in Europe from London to Moscow. You can also mention Michele Lorenzoni's magazine pistols and rifles, this is the very beginning of the 18th century. Here is the fact that cartridges, several charges, simplicity and reliability of the design and cheapness of production came together in the Colt's design - this led to the appearance of a weapons legend. Although by today's standards, his revolvers were frankly bad. With a chance to hit a cow at 30 steps, but 6 times in a row)
@@aleksnight5406 Alright, I gotta weigh in here... First, everybody seems to be forgetting the the Girandoni air rifle -- arguably a prime factor in the success of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. It was, for its time, a "military class" rifle holding 22 rounds and capable of sending those down range at a rate of fire it would take ten men with contemporary muzzle loaders to equal... Second, where do you get "with a chance to hit a cow at 30 steps..."? At "30 steps" (< 40 feet), a good pistolero with a Colt SAA or a Smith and Wesson .44 Russian (which, from the language of your original post, should be something you can track down in your own country :-) ) could reliably shoot two-inch or smaller groups; an "average" fellow could place shots you could cover with your hand. I shoot black-powder revolvers -- replicas of the generation before the SAA and the S&W Russian, and even I can do that well. Family Story: My wife's Grandfather was buying a drink in a Montana Saloon right around 1920, when an Eastern Drummer came in wearing a store-bought suit and a bowler hat. As he came through the door, he took off his hat and said, "I heard you boys can shoot. I'll give a dollar to anybody who can put a hole in my hat before it hits the floor." So saying, sailed his hat across the bar room. There were five cowboys present and the Drummer lost six bucks that evening -- my Wife's Grandpa hit the hat twice. (Yeah, I know, the Drummer promised a buck per person, not a dollar per hole; but, seriously, would you argue with the fellow who just ventilated your hat twice while he still has three rounds left?)
@@flyinglpranch3886 Спасибо за хорошую историю. Я не забыл про ружья Жирардони, но они были духовыми и их производство зависело ровно от одного человека - изобретателя. С его смертью производство угасло. Мы же говорим про пороховое оружие. Второе - я говорил про револьверы середины 19 века. В концу 19 века точность и качество оружейного производства возросли очень серьёзно. Причём настолько, что редко попадающиеся мало использовавшиеся винтовки, произведённые до Первой Мировой войны, показывают точность, сравнимую с современными снайперскими винтовками. Настолько, что хорошо сохранившиеся образцы винтовок Маузера, Мосина и Манлихера иногда получают современное ложе и новейшие прицелы. У вас, в Америке, такое любят) Так что, револьвер, сделанный перед войной Севера и Юга, револьвер который был в кобуре деда твоей жены и современная реплика револьвера - три совершено разных револьвера. Разные подходы к производству, разные параметр точности, разные материалы. Thanks for the good story. I have not forgotten about Girardoni guns, but they were air guns and their production depended on exactly one person - the inventor. With his death, production faded. We're talking about gunpowder weapons. Secondly, I was talking about revolvers of the mid-19th century. At the end of the 19th century, the accuracy and quality of weapons production increased very seriously. Moreover, so much so that rarely seen little-used rifles produced before the First World War show accuracy comparable to modern sniper rifles. So much so that well-preserved samples of Mauser, Mosin and Mannlicher rifles sometimes receive a modern bed and the latest sights. In your America, they love this) So, a revolver made before the war of the North and South, a revolver that was in the holster of your wife's grandfather and a modern replica of a revolver - three completely different revolvers. Different approaches to production, different accuracy parameters, different materials.
@@aleksnight5406 Before I start in on the technical aspects of my response, I should like to compliment you on a couple of things. First, it seems obvious to me that you are an intelligent person and generally apply that intelligence to your conversations. We may or may not agree on all points when we are done with this interaction, but I can definitely respect someone who raises valid points and proceeds logically from them. I may not agree with the conclusions reached, but would attribute such differences in opinion to differences in experience and available information, rather than an inability to reason or the mindless advocacy of a personal agenda. Frankly, it is refreshing to find someone who applies some mental effort to these conversations. It is also refreshing to find someone who maintains a civilized demeanor. Lots of times, when there are differences of opinion even over trifling matters, I see people disparage those who disagree with them. I appreciate the civility with which you have approached our conversation. Even more rare than the "intelligent" commentator, or the "kind" commentator, is the person who embodies both qualities. Often, those who show the highest degree of intelligence in their reasoning -- no matter how flawed their conclusions -- "look down on" those who do not reach the same conclusions that they reached. (Bad Input + Good Reasoning = Worse Output than you get from Good Input feeding Bad Reasoning.) By contrast, those who are the most kind in their interactions often do not "think very well." Of course, there are those who couple bad reasoning with bad attitude. While this combination of attributes is the hallmarks of a "Troll," many are simply "uncouth people." You, sir, seem to belong to the fourth category: Those who proffer reasoned opinions with equanimity. That these attributes make it all the way through the process of a language translation is nothing short of miraculous! Agree or not at the end of our discussion, I fully expect to enjoy it! ===== And to that end, I owe you an apology and an explanation. First comes the apology. My comments about the Girardoni air rifle were not directed at you; nor, were they in response to or triggered by anything you said. Rather, they were part of an observation about the whole tone of the original video and most of the commentary; but, even as such, that observation required context I did not provide. In this case, I simply got lazy and pasted part of a separate discussion into my response to your post -- simply because I already had that response started. That addition was out of place and confusing; I apologize for introducing a half-formed thought into what would, otherwise, have been a more erudite discussion. ------- Speaking of erudition and clarity, I should say that the phrase which made me respond to your post in the first place was your comments about "With a chance to hit a cow at 30 steps, but 6 times in a row." I took this to be the expression of an opinion that Colt's Revolvers were not only inaccurate, but wildly inaccurate. Upon sober reflection, I realize there may be the translation of an "idiomatic expression" involved in my interpretation. For example, in America, when we want to disparage someone's marksmanship, we might say, "He can't hit the broad side of a barn!" If we want to say the person's accuracy is REALLY BAD, we might say, "He can't hit the broad side of a barn -- from inside the barn!" Unfortunately, I speak no Russian. Even if I did, I probably would have poor understanding of the cultural idioms associated therewith. Is "hitting a cow at 30 steps" the equivalent of "hitting the side of a barn from inside of the barn"? I do not know -- so I am stuck with responding to that comment as though it were a literally "true" statement of opinion instead of hyperbole. With that in mind, here's how I would respond to the "cow comment" on a literal basis. For starters, I was born and raised on a working Cattle Ranch in the Western United States. I am -- much to my dispair when I was younger -- quite familiar with the "size" of a cow. You can figure the "average" cowhide is about 50 square feet. Since you only see one (1) side of a cow at a time, that would make about 25 square feet per side. Figuring a bit of "loss" for the curvature under the bell and over the top of the cow, I would say that about 20 square feet is the area of an average "cow side." Another term that may be mistranslated is "30 steps". Despite FitBit and other "personal training devices," in our part of the world, "pace" will be the more common metric. One "tempo" is now equal to two (2) steps. (If you start walking with your left foot forward, you count "one step" every time your left foot touches the ground.) I think something may have been lost in translation. Indeed, when I translated the phrase “A step is equal to two steps” into Russian using Google Translate, and then copied the resulting text and ran it in reverse order (from Russian to English), I got “One step is equal to two steps”. This leads me to believe that "step" and "step" may be the same term in Russian; although they are not in English! And, since our conversation may be limited by the accuracy of the translation, I cannot explain the discrepancy in size, because from your side of the translation, two different words come out the same. So, in trying to explain it in a way that the interpreter doesn't change the meaning, I'll say that you will need to say "60 steps" on your side of the conversation to get the translation "30 steps". steps" on my part. We have two different words, and I think you have one. (Or we have a translator who doesn't know the difference between pitch and tempo.) Regardless, my initial calculation of your distance to the cow was 22.2 meters (73 feet). It is possible, the specified distance was more like 45 meters (146 feet). Either way, I believe the statement on inaccuracy to be inaccurate; but, obviously, the latter interpretation of "Cow Shooting" is less so.
@aleksnight5406 The other part of your statement with which I took issue was "Although by today's standards, his revolvers were frankly bad." When I initially read this, I coupled it with the "Cow Shooting Reference" to indicate a focus specifically upon the accuracy of these firearms. While I strongly disagree with your conclusions regarding the accuracy of these firearms, we may well have other areas of this discussion in which we DO agree. Let us start again with your initial statement... > Although by today's standards, > his revolvers were frankly bad." If you are talking about the metallurgy of these firearms, I agree -- there's no contest with what they can do with modern materials... If you are talking about their longevity, I agree -- the older firearms were more susceptible to rust and corrosion than the modern versions... If you are talking about certain mechanical failures (burst cylinders, broken springs, et cetera), I agree -- not only did metallurgy (see above) play into that, there were significant design changes as well (for example, the substitution of coil springs for leaf springs). If you are talking about the function of a 10 year old revolver, I agree. Modern cleaning solvents and modern lubricants and modern ammunition mean that a revolver carried for 10 years in this century, under the same circumstances as a similar design of revolver carried for 10 years in the 19th Century, will function better (including be more accurate than) its 19th Century Counterpart. Even if you are talking about the accuracy of say, the 24th shot after the last cleaning, I would agree -- with the sentiment that the 19th Century guns were inferior to their 21 Century counter parts in terms of accuracy; though, I would disagree that the difference would be all that much. Much of the "inferiority" of the 19th Century Revolvers can be attributed to inferior ammunition. The blackpowder was less consistent and more corrosive. The primers were more corrosive. The cleaners and lubricants did less to protect against corrosion (some were corrosive themselves); and the guns were less resistant to corrosion than their modern counterparts. However, if you are talking about the "fit and finish" of the firearms, I must disagree. ("Finish" here refers to the final touches on the mechanical finishing, not to "coatings" that may have been applied.) In this, I refer to "production revolvers" as they left the factory headed for the customer. Why do I say this? Well, despite the fact that our modern machining is better, it's not that much better. Most all of the guns were "hand fit" at the factory. Did they have a higher failure rate? Maybe, but they also had rigorous testing before they departed the factory. Even if they had ten times as many manufacturing rejects as the modern processes do, the rejects did not get sold. Further the functional specs of the first generation guns were the same as the "replicas" I presently shoot -- right down to the point where the "modern replicas" suffer from the same failure modes as the original versions did. And, if you are saying that the first (1st) shot from a "factory fresh" 19th Century Colt was less accurate than that the first (1st) shot from a 21st Century Replica, then I must Strongly disagree. But, to explain why I disagree, I'll need to delve into some common misconceptions about the older firearms. Accuracy tends to come down to the suitability of the barrel, the suitability of the sights, and the suitability of the ammunition -- and that's before you factor in the skill of the shooter or the influence of environmental conditions. For the purposes of discussion, I am going to define "accuracy" as the ability of a particular combination of firearm and ammo to put bullets in exactly the same place when it is loaded with exactly the same ammunition and pointed in exactly the same direction. First, let us talk about what level of accuracy could be obtained from firearms in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Keep in mind, these reports subsume both environmental influences and shooter skill. I shall start with the "American Dueling Code of 1838" which suggested a dueling distance of 10 to twenty paces. Again, we will encounter the English to Russian Translation difficulty; so I shall convert the distance to meters: 14.8 to 29.6 meters. You will note this is roughly two thirds of the range to the "Cow" in your initial comment. While a "30 step Cow" is farther away than a "20 step Human," they are also Larger. Remember, the cow presents a 20 square foot (1.86 square meters) target while the Human is an 8.5 square foot (0.79 square meters). This gives you a target less than half the relative size at more than twice the distance. Most of these duals were fought using single shot, muzzle loading, percussion cap pistols. Enough folks were wounded or died in such events that, I think the accuracy exceeded the "30 Step Cow" threshold. But, we can look back even farther. In the American Revolutionary War, American Sharpshooters were able to "hit a sheet of notepaper at a distance of 80 rods" about 60% of the time. That would be a target of about 8 inches wide by 10 inches high -- at a distance of 440 yards (1/4 mile); or in modern terms, an accuracy of better than two minutes of angle (2 MOA). That was achieved with hand-forged barrels with "cut" rifling, using hand-cast lead balls hand loaded into the rifle with inconsistent powder and aligned on target with "open" sights. At Harpers Ferry in 1775, American Marksmen shooting from the "American Side" of the river, using flintlock rifles, killed three British Soldiers on a Ship docked on the British Side. I mention this because, shooting over a known body of water, the range (approximately 900 yards) cannot be misrepresented. According to the detailed story, the first casualty was a British Officer. The second and third casualties were the "aides" who rushed to his assistance. That is important because it demonstrates these were not simply "lucky shots." All this shows that significant accuracy could be obtained using hand-forged and hand-rifled barrels. I have other reports of even greater accuracy, but I am skipping those in order to use only the reports for which I can provide ready literary citation. Nevertheless, when Colonel Colt started his revolver production with improved manufacturing processes, accuracy became better, not worse. I now turn to addressing the specific points you raised. To make it easier to match my response to your point, I am repeating individual lines from the English Translation of your post so that you can match my response to your individual point. > Secondly, I was talking about > revolvers of the mid-19th century. Perfect! Let us talk about those... > At the end of the 19th century, > the accuracy and quality of weapons > production increased very seriously. Agreed -- at least with the "quality" assertion... > Moreover, so much so that rarely > seen little-used rifles produced > before the First World War show > accuracy comparable to modern > sniper rifles. > > So much so that well-preserved > samples of Mauser, Mosin and Mannlicher > rifles sometimes receive a modern bed > and the latest sights. > In your America, they love this... That is all correct... While we are mentioning this, particularly with reference to "sniper" rifles, let us not forget the "Legendary Sharps Rifle"! In particular, I refer you to the "Second Battle of Adobe Walls" which occurred in 1874. In that battle, Billy Dixon used a borrowed .50-90 Sharps (called a "50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch" at that time) Buffalo Rifle to kill an Indian Leader at a range of 1,538 yards (1406 Meters). While that does not seem "all that far" compared to some of the shots we hear about today, remember it was made under "combat conditions," not on a "target range" -- though the target was close to a "pile of rocks" that had been a frequent ad hoc target during previous visits to the location. Further, November of this past year, that distance put Billy's shot in 14th place for overall long-distance sniper kills (he is now in 15th place). Even more important to our discussion, he was in "first place" until 1967 -- a record that stood for 92 years. So, yeah, they made some excellent firearms in the 19th Century. Billy Dixon made his shot with a Rifle manufactured some time after 1872.
Guns are not meant to kill but to throw heavy projectiles to poke holes in any physical object or impact with immense force. People have changed the world. Some guns were designed to maim while others carry momentum to knock down, each tool with their own intended purpose.
just stumbled upon this... watched it before. Low quality video, but then I watched all of it without realising. Just points out how good of a documentary and great presenter Jeremy is.
Loved this - what a great way to get kids interested in history, & engineering. Seems picky, then, to suggest that an influence on the battlefield, equal to the accuracy & range of the rifled barrel, was breech loading. This meant, obviously, that apart from increasing the rate of fire, the infantier could now fire from cover, or lying down. The result was the 'deserted battlefield' with which we are all familiar.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more certain I become that breech loading was more significant than rifling the barrel.During the Napoleonic wars, the rifle was well known, but with a rate of fire around 1/3 that of the musket, it needed all the range it could get! Allowing the round to be loaded from the breech increased the speed of fire enormously, and the invention of the minie ball - increasing the muzzle velocity even more. Also,of course, m/c guns could never have been made without breech loading. Sorry, Jeremy, I think you missed a trick there!
The hungry man in the wilderness. The grandmother alone in her house. The young woman alone in her apartment or car. The man in a dangerous area. The colonists who wish to overthow their oppressors. The countrymen who repel their attackers. The citizens who retain their rights. Guns are the great equalizer for the powerless. Never let them take yours away.
"Oh, I'll watch this, it'll be cool and informative about guns!" *twenty minutes later, cue cradling my M91/30 and softly signing Polyushka Polye to myself* "It'll be okay,....it'll all be okay.....calm down.....I need to calm down....I need to calm down.....Make the stupid man go away....make the stupid man go away....."
S SC To put it delicately, or as delicately as I care to, this video is extremely biased in it's basic assumptions, cringeworthy in it's grasp of the development of firearms, and overall the exact opposite of what I really expected to get when I looked for an interesting documentary on guns.
+James Kachman I know the feeling. It is the same feeling I get whenever I watch a documentary about the middle ages, or in general most historical documentaries...
Whatever you think if Clarkeson's history, he's a great presenter with entertainment value. Plus an effective popular writer. Millions still follow him. I Iove these programs, they remain great decades later. He's very hard to beat.
The concept of the Revolver has been around as long as firearm. Just none were safe or practical. The Puckle gun was not really a Revolver, except to the extent it had something that revolved. It was really just a multi Chambered light cannon. The cylinder was held down by a course screw... the user would unscrew the chamber, pull it back, rotate it, push it back in, and screw the chamber lock back in. They meant to refer to the Collier revolver... which, while a pistol, had to be revolved by hand, and would blow up. Colts Revolver was safe, and cocking the pistol also rotated the cylinder. Also, the assembly line and mass production was developed by Eli Whitney... in the 1830’s.
@@mcmax571that wasn’t the point. The point was that multi barreled and revolving barreled firearms were not a new concept by the time of Sam Colt’s Revolver.
Simply fascinating video! Gun argument aside the information about other inventions that were brought about because of guns was amazing! I watched this vid because I am pro-gun but really got interested when I learned of the other inventions and the reason they came about either because or in spite of guns. A must watch no matter what side of the gun debate you are on.
Gatling gun is about the only black powder machine gun that was practical due to the insane amount of fouling black powder caused, although yes it is technically not full auto since it's hand cranked. There was a naval version with an electric motor though, although I believe they had switched to the smokeless powder .30-40 cartridge at that point.
The comments on the early flint lock pistol are slightly inaccurate. Many of them had barrels made out of twirled metal wire, which meant they could expand slightly. This not only made it possible to fire a snug fitting ball, but also any metal shrapnel you could find if you ran out of ammunition.
I do believe the rationale behind bishop's urine being the best was that they were often drinking sacramental wine, and thus the nitrates found in the grapes.
Wow, sure misses the reality of history when it comes to Rorke's Drift. The Martini -Henry .75 caliber, breech loader kept those men alive against 4000 + Zulus.
James That piece of junk is the more reliable rifle ever made and enough accyrate if you are not Jeremy Clarkson an could not hit the van :)Jeremy had no clue about guns.That is like my grandpa drive F1 and make conclusion that f1 is undriveable piece of shit.With AK47 on full auto i will put whole 30 rounds magazine in 10/10 inch plate at distance of that van,ON FULL AUTO,on semi auto my group with AK at 50 yards is 1,5 inch and i can do that whole day :=) Jeremy make bulshit..I had shoot thowsands rounds from AK and manny others assault rifles and AK is the best.Mutch better than crapy M16 and specialy MUTCH better than SA 80 British army junk in the film witch is one of the worst assault rifles ever made.AK as not inacyrate,that is just western propaganda because that rifle is so mutch better than 4 times more cost western models that the west have to find something bad on AK.But it is not inaccyrate.With M16 rifle and standard 5,56 nato bullet you can get about 7 moa,with AK 10 moa accyracy.You cant notice that diference with assault rifles.That is not sniper rifle.
toniiii9 One of my old Army buddies shot an AK 47 in Afghanistan. Conclusion, while the AK 47 handles dirt better, the M16 is way more accurate. For accuracy the AK47 is useless from his experience.
James In Afganistan all AKs are with 1kg rust in barrel probably.Military ammo for AK is corrosive, while nato ammo for M16 is not corrosive and that is the reason.I got Bulgarian AK with fine bore and original Russian ammo and i will hit with that AK all that i can hit with M16.You can see Brandon xxx ,i forgot his name, here on you tube with cheap but brand new Romanian WASAR 10, he hits litle metal plates at 300 yards from hands without any problem :)
I am surprised they didn't mention that early rifling was intended to make a channel to give lead fowling a place to go. They twisted it to make a longer channel. Spinning the projectile & increased accuracy was an unexpected side effect. The original idea of cutting a channel to give lead fowling a place to go never worked as intended. Like so many things, rifling was discovered by accident while trying to invent something else. That's well known gun HX, I am surprised they left that out.
Forgive the 'necroposting' but I think it's worth pointing out that since time immemorial, archers have favoured fletching on their arrows that has a twist 'built~in' to impart rotation when in flight, so while I don't say you're wrong in contending that rifling was a counter~measure for fouling, I would be surprised if the spin so imparted to bullets was entirely unexpected, or even unintended, by experimenting gunsmiths.
This is a very good account. This is a British twist on the history of guns. All inventions seem to have a British connection. The machine gun started out as the Gatling gun which Clarkson ignored. The Gatling gun was inspired by the revolver. Early revolvers were rotated manually. Fired and rotated again. Non of these were British in anyway. Colt just made the revolver automatic.
The gun CANNOT be separated from the hand of the man who holds it. The gun itself has no agency. It can stop crime, it can feed a family, and it can cause mass casualties - but only with someone pulling the trigger, just as with a knife, a speeding car, a bomb, an axe, a bat, a fist. It is, arguably, more efficient at its job than a knife, yet less efficient than a bomb - neither of which are efficient at all without a human to employ them. Like a rock. Rocks changed the course of human history to a far greater degree. They ground grain; they pounded stakes into the ground to make shelter; they were broken and made into arrowheads, and knives, and spearheads; David slew Goliath with one. They became palaces and fortresses and aqueducts and cathedrals. They paved roads; they were melted down into their constituents and provided man with copper, and tin, and lead, and iron - and gold.
The gun pales in importance with rocks. But absent man, rocks are just rocks. Absent man, guns are just rocks. It is man that changed the world.
How does this compare with driving silly cars around a track? You present very well, as you know. It has always been good to have a certain smattering of your peculiar humour. This situation obviously cuts down on the correct opportunities. Nonetheless the whole video was interesting and informative. Well done, thank you.
In fact, the AK 47 was designed to directly counter the MP - 44/Stg - 44 assault rifles (developed in 1944) of the Wehrmacht in the second world war. The AK came too late, but it laid the basis for a whole host of assault rifles, starting from the AKM, AK 74, all the way to the AK 203.
@@gerhardgotzmann8880 he wasn't, thats a myth. He was held at a totally separate facility and there is no evidence he had anything to do with the AK design.
I dont agree with Jeremy with the 'Colt stole the Puckle concept' being that he left out that the patent for Puckle was filed for 1718, that it was flintlock anyway and that the design was completely different being that the gun never even had a hammer or the interlocking mechanism (or anything like it) anywhere on the gun at all. Even if Colt did go to London and had seen the exact details of the patent... while it is true it was 'cylindrical' (but that's about it) he would still have to come up with the interlocking mechanism itself anyway for individual firing of the bullets...
at 25:25, It is the Winchester repeater, which is not a revolver, but a repeating rifle that is refered to as 'The gun that won the west.' A revolver is not going to be reliably accurate at anything over 100 yards.
no, sub machine guns can be very accurate. And so can machine guns. He wasn't using a machine then, but a sub machine gun. He was using full auto, and not aiming.
Well, I expect you meant to say auto rifle, but as to machine guns, typically they are used for suppressive fire, but don’t think for a minutes a crew served can’t hit a target, it can, plus everything else in the “beaten zone,” from first graze to first catch.
I love Top Gear and really respect Jeremy Clarkson, but with the green military face paint on, he looks like a British ninja turtle. haha, love ya Jeremy.
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles." COL. Jeff cooper
Colt's 1861 navy (in the cartridge conversion) has the honor of being wielded by "Blondie" in the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, since it was a recognizable American revolver that wasn't anachronistic (considering the film is set during the later stages of the Civil War.)
I remember when I was a teenager, I'm 68 now, I made a recoilless rifle. I took a metal tube about a yard long, stuck a banger (firecracker) down one end and a marble down the other and lit the banger. Fortunately I was pointing the dangerous end towards open land because the resulting explosion propelled the marble out at injurious speed. I also realised that the metal tube could have exploded in my hand. I did not repeat the experiment.
“When all the world is overcharged with inhabitants, then the last remedy of all is war, which provideth for every man, by victory or death.” ― Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes was wrong about 'over population.' When I was a child back in the 1970s, we were being told that the world's population would double in 32 years (instead it grew from about 4 billion to about 6 billion, not 8 billion in 32 years). We were told as children that we needed to be the last generation to reproduce and terrified with images of the entire planet being a complete desert wasteland because there would be 'too many people' and 'no more food.' All bullshit. The problem is not 'too many people.' The problem is where the people are and where the resources are - and that we have not found a way to balance the right to private property with the necessity of making sure our neighbors don't starve (unless you count the golden rule: do unto others what you would have them do to you - but then, very few people elect to live their lives by the principles of Jesus of Nazareth, so that's unlikely to become the solution it could be). There is simply NO evidence that even if the world's current population doubles, the planet will turn into an absolute desert as they were claiming in the 1970s. Quite the opposite: as we see, we are not living in a desert wasteland despite great population growth and massive advancements in medical care and length of life in many places in the world. We just get cleverer about feeding ourselves and exporting jobs to places that need more work, etc. To have an economy, you need ONE thing: people. The more people you have, the more the economy grows, the more people invent and produce to fill the needs of more people. Humans are inventive and can solve the problems that come with a poor people-to-resources ratio in this or that part of the world. We've been doing it for thousands of years.
You're probably American, So your ancestors basically murdered native people with guns and took their freedom as did the British in my country. Idk wtf are you on about. A lot of developed countries have gun laws and they are also free.
^I mean.. Even without guns, Europe had better metal working. Indians didn't have horses b4 Europe introduced them, so they'd have that too. Also you do realize Indians used a lot of guns too right?
Be aware that this is really the very abridged history of guns. Colt's revolver wasn't the first multi-shot gun, there had been experiments with matchlocks with revolving chambers hundreds of years before. However, it wasn't until the invention of the percussion cap that revolving guns became RELIABLE. Having so many chambers filled with black powder meant that sometimes all the chambers would alight and all of them would explode. A hand gun called the pepper box, which was basically a gun with six different independent chambers. However, the barrels on pepper boxes were really, really short, and it had an effective range of across the table. Colt's designs were adoptive in mass mostly because it was more reliable and could be used at a distance where you don't have to worry about your attack just taking a single step and punching you. Maxim didn't invent the first machine gun. Before that was the volley guns like the Mitrailleuse, which had a bunch of barrels each loaded with one bullet from a plate, or the gatling gun which had rotating barrels that through the use of a handcrank had one barrel being on loaded, another barrel firing, and another barrel extracting the spent round. Even in terms of single barreled machine guns, Maxim was beaten by the Agar Gun, which loaded it's rounds in the top like a coffee grinder, and saw some VERY limited used in the US Civil War. Maxim's designs once again was just more reliable.
+notbobby125 Thank you for mentioning all this. I KNEW there was the Gatling gun before Maxim's machine gun. You're right, this is a rather abridged show.
"...the most popular gun...on Earth." That actually made me a little sad lol was expecting "...in the world." Oh well, even Jeremy gets it wrong sometimes.
He totally skipped over the Girandoni air rifle. Made in 1779 and was the battle rifle of the Austrian army. Lewis and Clark used it on their famous expedition. It could fire 22 shots in 30 seconds and could be reloaded in about 2 seconds from a tube. Was able to accurately shot throw a wood plank at 150 yards using a .46 caliber bullet.
Colt didn't rip off the British. The Puckle gun's cylinder had to be moved from the barrel, manual rotated, and pushed back into the barrel. Even if colt saw it, he did not rip it off. He made a rotating cylinder that was turned with nothing but a hammer pull
The gun is not just to kill. It is to defend against being killed. A gun is just a bow and the arrow is the bullet. Like the tip of arrow. Rather than being propeled by tension and muscle power, it is instead propeled by a chemical reaction. With much more power.
Defending against being killed with a gun also would usually involve killing...... but I do disagree with the statement since many guns are specifically designed for punching holes in paper or shooting clays, although still capable of killing it's not the intended purpose for a high end trap gun for example.
"To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young how to use them." Richard Henry, American statesman
@@silver4831 Also written in a time they were afraid the central government would become too powerful and disregard the peoples wants and needs. Sort-of like what it has actually become.
@@silver4831ye, and these days America’s Enemies carry automatic weapons, rocket launchers, tanks and aircraft. And not all of them are Foreign either… Seems the Ability for the American People to be as readily armed with the best equipment available is as important as ever before.
This video is pretty informative but there are a few inaccuracies. The Colt made it in time for the American Civil War but a handgun didn't make much of a difference at the ranges involved. (Also, there were ~23,000 CASUALTIES at Antietam, not 26,000 deaths as Jeremy claims.) Also, the Thompson wasn't the first SMG; the Germans made one just in time for the end of WWI. Edit for fellow history nerds: Some "repeating" rifles existed during the Civil War as well, but they were much more expensive than conventional muzzleloaders and most officers didn't want them. This was obviously shortsighted, but from their perspective it was hard enough to supply armies in the field with ammunition for single-shot rifles and muskets, so development focused on single-shot breechloaders. Repeaters were used in numbers by cavalry units, though (since it was hard to reload muzzleloaders on horseback), and to a lesser extent by infantrymen late in the war. It's worth noting that there was little standardization at the time, especially in the Confederate army.
Also apparently at Rourke's drift the English did not lose they used a Martini henry rifle breach loaded a high rate of fire but after five rounds the barrel would overheat hence the tactic of giving pause to the firing line to reload and not overheat the rifle this enabling three ranks to maintain constant fire . That clarksob misquoted shows that he doesn't know shit and is just an annoying mouthpiece I see some people like this git but he is so full of himself I fail to see his appeal
@@julianwaugh8221 He also made the assumption that Colt got his idea from the Puckle gun, which is manually rotated and locked into the barrel using a hand cranked screw before firing and repeating. this is vastly different from the firing process of a revolver
What about the Minnie Ball that was less likely to foul than Whitworths hexagonal rifling but the micrometer and standarsisation of screw threads were brilliant
Given what the BBC has done to Jeremy Clarkson in recent weeks videos like this have in my mind become infinitely more valuable. Top Gear as a whole has essentially just died. Also does anybody know if they make reproductions of the Whitworth rifle?
Apparently Puckle's gun came in two varieties (or perhaps it had interchangeable barrels, I can't remember). The one that fired more - or - less regular bullets (intended for use against Christian adversaries), and the one firing _square_ bullets (for 'The Turk'!!)
I will never tire of Jeremy Clarkson being an absolute toolbar with professionals in their own fields. LOL
Especially when he's setting those fields on fire........
'toolbar???'
@@gregtaylor6146 toolbag
@@gregtaylor6146idiot
@@gregtaylor6146toolbar 🤣
The reason Kalashnikov didn't earn any money was because he was in a communist nation. He lost the rights to his own invention the second he thought of it.
That is an incorrect generalization. In Soviet Union, inventor has no control over his invention - it's up to State to decide whether and how to use it; however, if he registers it (for free) and it does get used, he would receive royalties! At least that's how it was down the road, 60ies and later - not sure whether this applied back in the 40ies - all i have my hands on now is a very vague quote, which could just as well be interpreted as if he didn't care enough rather than had no possibility.
As an engineer in a capitalist country, you don't get to get rich off your super popular inventions! Because to engineer, you need means of work, which are provided by a guy with money, a capitalist. He risks his money, he gets rich, or he loses money, perhaps goes broke. You do work for hire. None of the intellectual property you produce belongs to you - it belongs to the capitalist, because that's what the contract says, what it has to say in order for capitalist to offset his investment risk. Now, i don't care enough, i'm fine living on a salary, but hey, gotta be honest about it - the bias is just sickening.
Siana Gearz The difference is in one the government is dead set to get involved and the other is a willing act of two different parties. Don't want to do work and someone else gets the credit? Then use your own money
He never lost the rights he did it as a patriot with no intent of personnel gain. The American engineer that perfected the radio after Marconi sort of got it to work gave up all his patents to the US government never receiving a penny for his ground breaking work
TheTabellarius the same applies to the man who desinged the m1 garand, he was paid 1200 dollars for his invention, and died poor ( he asked for less pay, even when john browning was asking for money for his designs ( not to say he was greedy, he gave away many desings in the past))
He worked in the Ishmash factory recently even I bought a Saiga 12 and he was still there when it was produced. They changed the name of the factory to Kalishnikof now.
I liked how he weaved in the English age old phrases such as "going off half cock'd" and "a flash in the pan".
I'd never stopped to ponder and realise how they originated.
Also,i wasnt aware of who invented the micrometre,a thing that we just take for granted now but to think that without it there could have been no Industrial Revolution is pretty mind blowing!
"Lock, stock and barrel" is another one which originated with guns.
We also use a lot of naval phrases, like "Cut and run", which meant not bothering to haul up the anchor, just cut the line and sail away and leave the Anchor behind, or show your true colours, which came from a boat flying under a "false Flag" (yet another one) hauling up their True colours.
@@CaptainCuttle-mi5rt Yes,great stuff with the naval phrases."I'll show you the ropes" being another one firmly entrenched in the English language - refering to showing a landsman how to work the rigging.
The navy is a rum do especially now you don't get a drink.
@@20chocsaday I like the cut of your jib.
Clarkson is never boring in what he makes...
That is true. Even though he sais a *lot* af wrong stuff, he still is amusing to watch ^^
This is very well made. He has great observations.
Music at 14:56?
@@warthunder9155 Sandstorm, by DaRudé
Jeremy is sheer CLASS !!!
Guns were advancements of cannons, which were advancements of ballista's, which were advancements of crossbows, which were advancements of long bows, which were advancements of spears, which were advancements of throwing rocks. So, if you think about it, a gun is just a really expensive, high tech rock thrower.
I like telling people we never stopped throwing rocks at each other, We just do it way faster now, and the rocks are very refined.
... ballistas* (plural, no apostrophe, just like all the other plurals you mentioned)
@@einundsiebenziger5488 ballisti
@@kaptein1247 right, but let's not get "too Latin".
@@einundsiebenziger5488 or too ballistic
Clarkson makes the best programmes ever! Always interesting and never boring!
First gun was used and invented by AMAZON Jungle people: Blow pipe gun. Thus gun is their invention powder was simply added to their invention.
It's great how he also pointed out the gun brought up so many "unvoluntary" advances in technology. The gun is an inevitable step in a world with an intelligent bunch of individuals.
Says the anonymous infantile clward!
without the gun the black teens in LA and CHICAGO would have a very boring existence!
No matter how much or how little you have.....
There's always been someone out there willing to take it away from you....
And until the advent of the repeating firearm that was available to the average person's use....
It was always the biggest and strongest person who won the battle, kept there land or took the other guys home, or food, or livestock or woman....
Or made the difference on who was the SLAVE and who would be the MASTER❓🤔❓
Or who lived and who died‼️
But after the entrance of the Revolver, and all throughout the years of improvements since....
The 98 pound weakling could meet the 200 pound Bully, robber, or tyrant on an equal playing field (or battle field) in a ONE on ONE fight with any hope of victory....
That is until governments got involved with their BULLSHIT anti self-defense laws....
Fortunately, America is coming back to our constitutional 2nd Amendment that our Founders, in their wisdom, laid down to limit our Government's power to infringe on our God given rights that the Government hasn't the authority to mess with‼️🇺🇲‼️
Unfortunately most guns are in the hands of very much less intelligent individuals
The problem are not the guns, the knives or the fire... but instead those using it for harming others, and that my friend is not the smartest thing to do🙃. But people has also killed people for hundried of years with rocs, Axes, ropes the goes around necks and even using their bare hands so again it is not about the invention but the user😌
The problem with Joseph Whitworth's rifle was that the barrel fouled much more than the Enfield, because of its tighter fit standard, and it costs almost 4 times as much per rifle. It was very expensive for its time.
I completely agree with you
@@TristanGimson you know the comment you agreed with is 6 years old yes?
Foes it matter?
@@Dave5843-d9m it does matter because the 6yr old commenter may be dead or not using youtube.
@@dannythomson5239 Well I'm reading the comment, with an addition. These comments are for everybody on utube to discuss, they're not private.
Would love to have seen the auditions for Whitworth and how happy the actor was who played him!
Casting: “Yes we thought you were baboonish enough for the part.”
Actor 💭grrrrrr “oh thank you, it’s the part I was born to play.”
hosted by a man called "The Orangatang."
"When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny." Thomas Jefferson, third US President
And all that jingo on freedom and you elected trump.
And 11,000 deaths a year is worth that?
@@ponymalone3636 when will america understand indiscriminate gun ownersjp equals a lot of gun crime
@@ponymalone3636 Yes, why should the living have to pay for what has happened to the dead?
I'm a proud British gun owner. 8 of them, all legal
"Wouldn't be the last time drugs money paid for firearms"
Jeremy Clarkson, savage as always
Oliver North would agree completely
G= GOD'S
U= UNHOLY
N= NEMESIS
@@nerinavshrestha3338
You forgot....
BS=BULLSHIT
Theodor Bergman had his sub macnine gun - The MP18 in service before Thompson. Thompson's design was supposed to be a counter to it. The MP 18 was copied by Britain as the Lanchester, and was subsequently follwed by the STEN and Sterling range, blowback , side emounted magazine. The STEN and STERLING being designed to be cheaper and easier to manufacture.
Very interesting! I used to own a STEN . I was impressed with the engineering. It was fun to shoot, but it cost way too much to feed, and I sold it and bought a car with the proceeds. Mulrimillionares may be able to afford to shoot machineguns for fun, but a session can cost $1000 to $10,000 per session. And masking and scrubbing, throwaway clothing are essential. Lead vapors.
@@markedwards3647 Bro, 9mm is like 0.27 a round. If you were dropping 4k-40k rounds per a session and complain about it being expensive that’s stupidity. It’s not like it was an exotic expensive caliber.
@Mrjohnnymoo1 also not seeing the lead fumes thing. You're not melting the lead. Don't lick it and you'll be fine.
@@enveng4279 I did not see that, but yes, pretty much.
@@Mrjohnnymoo1might be that price in America but certainly isn't in my country sub machine guns are fun to shot but that fun can certainly be expensive especially when you can blast off twenty five rounds in a few seconds
And to think you could buy a Thompson fully automatic from a hardware store back in the 1920s and early 30s.
GODDAMN IT PROHIBITIONISTS
I hope you can again in these 20s and 30s
I mean they were unbelieveably high priced, like absurdly pricey
Ya, they were around $300 at the time while many others were going for $50
Why go to the hardware store when you could mail order it from a catalog and have it sent straight to your house
That awkward moment when the BBC teaches us how to manufacture gunpowder and firearms
I know I know, replying to a 2 year old comment here, but honestly that's like high school chemistry and physics.
I wouldn't call pvc pipe launching potatoes a "gun"
@@lkristoff5142 Well by definition, it is.
@@gunnerzz1008 you go ahead and carry that. I'll stick with 9mm
Why is that awkward? Did you expect the knowledge was top secret?
Anyone can learn this in a library ... just don't try it at home or you might make a very big mistake
Maan... I remember watching this like 18-19 years ago. How time flies! They don't make documentaries (or TV in general) like this anymore.
fuck I am old
To all the people complaining that they didn't mention their favorite company/designer/gun. They only had an hour to cover the entire history of the gun.
Sure enough but there were also quite some factual errors/wrongful depictions, like stating that smgs cqme too late for ww1
@@kmit9191 This documentary has some problems, i don't think it was made by experts rather someone researching from books and forums. Also the fact that Clarkson isn't exactly the most knowledge when it comes to history.
@@Stroke999 clarkson is just a presenter so that's not his fault. But there were some problems yeah
@@kmit9191 I suspect Clarkson saw more than a few opportunities to take "artistic license". For example, when he was firing the AK47 I wouldn't be surprised if the gun was loaded with blanks. If I see Clarkson present something, I'm expecting entertainment more than real information because he likes to put a little bit of misinformation in there every so often.
let me guess, browning and stoner
fun fact of the day Hiram Maxim made the maxim machine gun one of the loudest firearms his son came back to design the 1st suppressor XD
Wait a minute! Here's my disclaimer. America has more gas stations than gun stores. It's ridiculous to claim otherwise. Next disclaimer is that most gun violence is between street and drug gangs and not between "disgruntled" neighbors or girlfriends. That is pure hype on the part of Mr. Clarkson to peddle his video.
The AK47 is the Toyota Hilux of guns.
+DemonicSquid I'd say the Wileys Jeep of guns.
+John Smith Nah, Toyota Hilux is a much more accurate comparison.
The Willys* Jeep was influential, sure but not nearly as widespread and commonly used all over the world as the Hilux, especially in 3rd world countries.
If we're comparing guns to cars, then the Willys Jeep fits better with a Thompson, imo.
either way it's not a submachine gun like he said, it's an assault rifle by definition. fires rifle ammo and has a select fire
top gear reference lol
+chas wiley There is an AKSU version, shorter barrel with folding stock designed as a smg version of the AK.
Gotta love 240p
I love how Jeremy is so happy that all guns were built from an idea that was thought of by a British person
This guy could speak for an hour about the story of how the spoon was invented it would still be interesting
I'm that guy that would watch a documentary about spoons. I'm assuming it was the last part of the cutlery to be invented, or maybe the first. I dunno, I need a documentary to let me know.
I'm in. When does that come out🤣😂
"hoards of red indians"
. . . can only say that in Europe
Nope NOT ANYMORE! IN INDIA, CHINA, RUSSIA, MIDDLE EAST ...in every majority non-white country calling the kettle black is normal.
Hoards. Lol. Where are they kept?
ah the 90's
Calling a spade a spade
Interesting Story, like that a lot. But, he forgot mentioning one very important new technology in the improvement of the guns: The switch from loading a gun/rifle from the front to loading from behind and, in connection with that, the invention of the cartridge, where powder and the bullet and the igniting device is all in one cartridge, what makes the modern machine gun possible. The developer was a German company, the Dreyse company back in the 19 the century.
nonsense. there were breech loading cannons centuries before the dreyse needle gun. read a book!
The biggest thing that was completely missed was the invention of smokeless powder, semi/full auto weapons were not very practical with black powder since it burns very inefficiently and causes a massive amount of fouling that usually makes self loading weapons start to malfunction after very few rounds.
@KarldorisLambley I love my handheld 18th century eight inch breech loaded cannon
The body 'armour' was ECBA or Enhanced Combat Body Armour. It's designed to stop minor shrapnel wounds, but generally it'll keep your guts inside you until you're casevaced and seen to at the trauma unit.
Actually the submachine gun was invented and used by the Imperial German Army in 1918 during the *Kaiserschlact' for the 1st time. It was very effective in breaking the trench stalemate as was the UK and French Tanks of the same period.
First gun documentary i've ever seen without the name of John Moses Browning being mentioned.
"By calling attention to a well-regulated militia for the security of the Nation, and the right of each citizen to keep and bear arms, our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy.... the Amendment remains an important declaration of our basic military-civilian relationship, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.” President John F. Kennedy
The electronic gun is a scary thought, imagine a world where the only people who have guns are the government, thats great if the government isn't corrupt, but I mean common how many governments have lasted more then a decade without doing something abominable.
They were just getting warmed up...
Yeah but electronic guns won't stop people making ak47s and cheap mechanical guns
"This may well be an instrument of satan, but it is unbelievably sexy." on the surface that quote sounds rather ridiculous, but it's actually quite profound.
I could listen to Clarkson read the phone book.
Bill..... Jones 🤣🤣
It would be the “best phone book…… in the world”
And I‘d listen and hope for snarky remarks every now and then…
@@davideyres955 I know hat you did there, and I couldn’t help but reading it…. In Jeremy’s voice ….. in my head.
Colt isnt technically known for the first resolving cylinder gun, that had been around for a while. He linked the cocking of the hammer to the revolving of the cylinder in one action.
Colts main contribution was interchangeable parts allowing the production line, which he taught Ford.
Firearms with revolving cylinders have Been around since the 1500s .
Not one single gun has ever decided to kill anything - ever.
By that logic not a single drug has ever killed anyone.
@@Makrel94Exactly. Drugs neither make the decision to enter your bloodstream, nor can they put any deliberate effort into getting there.
It's the same with drugs, as it is with firearms, as it is with cars, as it is with anything else.
You wouldn't blame a rock for caving somebody's head in, would you?
@@ShootAUT That’s a fallacy.. There are conditions wich makes certain things more likely too happen.
Cars are a means of transport, rocks are mother earth and guns.. They are designed by man with one function in mind, and that is killing.
The vast majority of people are morons. And they should not have access to high power weaponry..
The states are the murder capitol of the developed world for a reason, and one reason only. GUNS…
I want that spud gun.
DIY noob
cmon dude even the orang-utan from top gear knew how to make that
you can make them so easy this was my teen days man, of shit...., fucking 12 midnight shoot up in the air wait till we hear something go THUD OR glass smashing hahahahha
no production staff hired a guy to make it, a simple research could have told you that, lost cause.
Too bad Jeremy Clarkson went along with lib BS... guns are merely a tool... like the earlier arrow... and the even earlier spear... and the earliest club... or rock... it's ADDICTIONS such as evil religion addiction and evil drug addiction that actually fuel all the hating, hurting, killing and wars... but the hidden powers profiting from addictions never allow that truth to come out...
“The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.” Patrick Henry
Still keeps us free.
And eleminates the need for bigger schools
@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 Only an idiot blames the tool for the person who misuses it.
@@georgesakellaropoulos8162 misuse?
It keeps the population down. Good deed of the day.
@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 Oh look! It's an ignorant foreigner repeating whatever her heard in the news.
There were many multi shot guns going back to 1700s. The colt wasn't the first reliable multi shot gun. It was the most available and most affordable.
Also, the puckle gun was well known in America long before Colt visited England.
Первые револьверы вообще-то появились ещё в конце 16 века. Их легко можно найти по музеям Европы от Лондона до Москвы. Можно ещё упомянуть магазинные пистолеты и ружья Микеле Лоренцони, это самое начало 18 века.
Вот то, что в конструкции Кольта сошлись вместе патроны, несколько зарядов, простота и надёжность конструкции и дешевизна производства - это и привело к появлению оружейной легенды. Хотя по нынешним меркам его револьверы были откровенно плохими. С шансом попасть на 30 шагах в корову, зато 6 раз подряд)
The first revolvers actually appeared at the end of the 16th century. They can be easily found in museums in Europe from London to Moscow. You can also mention Michele Lorenzoni's magazine pistols and rifles, this is the very beginning of the 18th century.
Here is the fact that cartridges, several charges, simplicity and reliability of the design and cheapness of production came together in the Colt's design - this led to the appearance of a weapons legend. Although by today's standards, his revolvers were frankly bad. With a chance to hit a cow at 30 steps, but 6 times in a row)
@@aleksnight5406 Alright, I gotta weigh in here...
First, everybody seems to be forgetting the the Girandoni air rifle -- arguably a prime factor in the success of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. It was, for its time, a "military class" rifle holding 22 rounds and capable of sending those down range at a rate of fire it would take ten men with contemporary muzzle loaders to equal...
Second, where do you get "with a chance to hit a cow at 30 steps..."? At "30 steps" (< 40 feet), a good pistolero with a Colt SAA or a Smith and Wesson .44 Russian (which, from the language of your original post, should be something you can track down in your own country :-) ) could reliably shoot two-inch or smaller groups; an "average" fellow could place shots you could cover with your hand. I shoot black-powder revolvers -- replicas of the generation before the SAA and the S&W Russian, and even I can do that well.
Family Story: My wife's Grandfather was buying a drink in a Montana Saloon right around 1920, when an Eastern Drummer came in wearing a store-bought suit and a bowler hat. As he came through the door, he took off his hat and said, "I heard you boys can shoot. I'll give a dollar to anybody who can put a hole in my hat before it hits the floor." So saying, sailed his hat across the bar room. There were five cowboys present and the Drummer lost six bucks that evening -- my Wife's Grandpa hit the hat twice.
(Yeah, I know, the Drummer promised a buck per person, not a dollar per hole; but, seriously, would you argue with the fellow who just ventilated your hat twice while he still has three rounds left?)
@@flyinglpranch3886 Спасибо за хорошую историю.
Я не забыл про ружья Жирардони, но они были духовыми и их производство зависело ровно от одного человека - изобретателя. С его смертью производство угасло. Мы же говорим про пороховое оружие.
Второе - я говорил про револьверы середины 19 века. В концу 19 века точность и качество оружейного производства возросли очень серьёзно. Причём настолько, что редко попадающиеся мало использовавшиеся винтовки, произведённые до Первой Мировой войны, показывают точность, сравнимую с современными снайперскими винтовками. Настолько, что хорошо сохранившиеся образцы винтовок Маузера, Мосина и Манлихера иногда получают современное ложе и новейшие прицелы. У вас, в Америке, такое любят)
Так что, револьвер, сделанный перед войной Севера и Юга, револьвер который был в кобуре деда твоей жены и современная реплика револьвера - три совершено разных револьвера. Разные подходы к производству, разные параметр точности, разные материалы.
Thanks for the good story.
I have not forgotten about Girardoni guns, but they were air guns and their production depended on exactly one person - the inventor. With his death, production faded. We're talking about gunpowder weapons.
Secondly, I was talking about revolvers of the mid-19th century. At the end of the 19th century, the accuracy and quality of weapons production increased very seriously. Moreover, so much so that rarely seen little-used rifles produced before the First World War show accuracy comparable to modern sniper rifles. So much so that well-preserved samples of Mauser, Mosin and Mannlicher rifles sometimes receive a modern bed and the latest sights. In your America, they love this)
So, a revolver made before the war of the North and South, a revolver that was in the holster of your wife's grandfather and a modern replica of a revolver - three completely different revolvers. Different approaches to production, different accuracy parameters, different materials.
@@aleksnight5406
Before I start in on the technical aspects of my response, I should like to compliment you on a couple of things. First, it seems obvious to me that you are an intelligent person and generally apply that intelligence to your conversations. We may or may not agree on all points when we are done with this interaction, but I can definitely respect someone who raises valid points and proceeds logically from them. I may not agree with the conclusions reached, but would attribute such differences in opinion to differences in experience and available information, rather than an inability to reason or the mindless advocacy of a personal agenda. Frankly, it is refreshing to find someone who applies some mental effort to these conversations.
It is also refreshing to find someone who maintains a civilized demeanor. Lots of times, when there are differences of opinion even over trifling matters, I see people disparage those who disagree with them. I appreciate the civility with which you have approached our conversation.
Even more rare than the "intelligent" commentator, or the "kind" commentator, is the person who embodies both qualities. Often, those who show the highest degree of intelligence in their reasoning -- no matter how flawed their conclusions -- "look down on" those who do not reach the same conclusions that they reached. (Bad Input + Good Reasoning = Worse Output than you get from Good Input feeding Bad Reasoning.) By contrast, those who are the most kind in their interactions often do not "think very well." Of course, there are those who couple bad reasoning with bad attitude. While this combination of attributes is the hallmarks of a "Troll," many are simply "uncouth people." You, sir, seem to belong to the fourth category: Those who proffer reasoned opinions with equanimity. That these attributes make it all the way through the process of a language translation is nothing short of miraculous! Agree or not at the end of our discussion, I fully expect to enjoy it!
=====
And to that end, I owe you an apology and an explanation. First comes the apology.
My comments about the Girardoni air rifle were not directed at you; nor, were they in response to or triggered by anything you said. Rather, they were part of an observation about the whole tone of the original video and most of the commentary; but, even as such, that observation required context I did not provide. In this case, I simply got lazy and pasted part of a separate discussion into my response to your post -- simply because I already had that response started. That addition was out of place and confusing; I apologize for introducing a half-formed thought into what would, otherwise, have been a more erudite discussion.
-------
Speaking of erudition and clarity, I should say that the phrase which made me respond to your post in the first place was your comments about "With a chance to hit a cow at 30 steps, but 6 times in a row." I took this to be the expression of an opinion that Colt's Revolvers were not only inaccurate, but wildly inaccurate.
Upon sober reflection, I realize there may be the translation of an "idiomatic expression" involved in my interpretation. For example, in America, when we want to disparage someone's marksmanship, we might say, "He can't hit the broad side of a barn!" If we want to say the person's accuracy is REALLY BAD, we might say, "He can't hit the broad side of a barn -- from inside the barn!"
Unfortunately, I speak no Russian. Even if I did, I probably would have poor understanding of the cultural idioms associated therewith. Is "hitting a cow at 30 steps" the equivalent of "hitting the side of a barn from inside of the barn"? I do not know -- so I am stuck with responding to that comment as though it were a literally "true" statement of opinion instead of hyperbole. With that in mind, here's how I would respond to the "cow comment" on a literal basis.
For starters, I was born and raised on a working Cattle Ranch in the Western United States. I am -- much to my dispair when I was younger -- quite familiar with the "size" of a cow. You can figure the "average" cowhide is about 50 square feet. Since you only see one (1) side of a cow at a time, that would make about 25 square feet per side. Figuring a bit of "loss" for the curvature under the bell and over the top of the cow, I would say that about 20 square feet is the area of an average "cow side."
Another term that may be mistranslated is "30 steps". Despite FitBit and other "personal training devices," in our part of the world, "pace" will be the more common metric. One "tempo" is now equal to two (2) steps. (If you start walking with your left foot forward, you count "one step" every time your left foot touches the ground.) I think something may have been lost in translation. Indeed, when I translated the phrase “A step is equal to two steps” into Russian using Google Translate, and then copied the resulting text and ran it in reverse order (from Russian to English), I got “One step is equal to two steps”. This leads me to believe that "step" and "step" may be the same term in Russian; although they are not in English! And, since our conversation may be limited by the accuracy of the translation, I cannot explain the discrepancy in size, because from your side of the translation, two different words come out the same. So, in trying to explain it in a way that the interpreter doesn't change the meaning, I'll say that you will need to say "60 steps" on your side of the conversation to get the translation "30 steps". steps" on my part. We have two different words, and I think you have one. (Or we have a translator who doesn't know the difference between pitch and tempo.)
Regardless, my initial calculation of your distance to the cow was 22.2 meters (73 feet). It is possible, the specified distance was more like 45 meters (146 feet). Either way, I believe the statement on inaccuracy to be inaccurate; but, obviously, the latter interpretation of "Cow Shooting" is less so.
@aleksnight5406
The other part of your statement with which I took issue was "Although by today's standards, his revolvers were frankly bad." When I initially read this, I coupled it with the "Cow Shooting Reference" to indicate a focus specifically upon the accuracy of these firearms. While I strongly disagree with your conclusions regarding the accuracy of these firearms, we may well have other areas of this discussion in which we DO agree.
Let us start again with your initial statement...
> Although by today's standards,
> his revolvers were frankly bad."
If you are talking about the metallurgy of these firearms, I agree -- there's no contest with what they can do with modern materials...
If you are talking about their longevity, I agree -- the older firearms were more susceptible to rust and corrosion than the modern versions...
If you are talking about certain mechanical failures (burst cylinders, broken springs, et cetera), I agree -- not only did metallurgy (see above) play into that, there were significant design changes as well (for example, the substitution of coil springs for leaf springs).
If you are talking about the function of a 10 year old revolver, I agree. Modern cleaning solvents and modern lubricants and modern ammunition mean that a revolver carried for 10 years in this century, under the same circumstances as a similar design of revolver carried for 10 years in the 19th Century, will function better (including be more accurate than) its 19th Century Counterpart.
Even if you are talking about the accuracy of say, the 24th shot after the last cleaning, I would agree -- with the sentiment that the 19th Century guns were inferior to their 21 Century counter parts in terms of accuracy; though, I would disagree that the difference would be all that much. Much of the "inferiority" of the 19th Century Revolvers can be attributed to inferior ammunition. The blackpowder was less consistent and more corrosive. The primers were more corrosive. The cleaners and lubricants did less to protect against corrosion (some were corrosive themselves); and the guns were less resistant to corrosion than their modern counterparts.
However, if you are talking about the "fit and finish" of the firearms, I must disagree. ("Finish" here refers to the final touches on the mechanical finishing, not to "coatings" that may have been applied.) In this, I refer to "production revolvers" as they left the factory headed for the customer. Why do I say this?
Well, despite the fact that our modern machining is better, it's not that much better. Most all of the guns were "hand fit" at the factory. Did they have a higher failure rate? Maybe, but they also had rigorous testing before they departed the factory. Even if they had ten times as many manufacturing rejects as the modern processes do, the rejects did not get sold. Further the functional specs of the first generation guns were the same as the "replicas" I presently shoot -- right down to the point where the "modern replicas" suffer from the same failure modes as the original versions did.
And, if you are saying that the first (1st) shot from a "factory fresh" 19th Century Colt was less accurate than that the first (1st) shot from a 21st Century Replica, then I must Strongly disagree.
But, to explain why I disagree, I'll need to delve into some common misconceptions about the older firearms.
Accuracy tends to come down to the suitability of the barrel, the suitability of the sights, and the suitability of the ammunition -- and that's before you factor in the skill of the shooter or the influence of environmental conditions. For the purposes of discussion, I am going to define "accuracy" as the ability of a particular combination of firearm and ammo to put bullets in exactly the same place when it is loaded with exactly the same ammunition and pointed in exactly the same direction.
First, let us talk about what level of accuracy could be obtained from firearms in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Keep in mind, these reports subsume both environmental influences and shooter skill.
I shall start with the "American Dueling Code of 1838" which suggested a dueling distance of 10 to twenty paces. Again, we will encounter the English to Russian Translation difficulty; so I shall convert the distance to meters: 14.8 to 29.6 meters. You will note this is roughly two thirds of the range to the "Cow" in your initial comment. While a "30 step Cow" is farther away than a "20 step Human," they are also Larger. Remember, the cow presents a 20 square foot (1.86 square meters) target while the Human is an 8.5 square foot (0.79 square meters). This gives you a target less than half the relative size at more than twice the distance. Most of these duals were fought using single shot, muzzle loading, percussion cap pistols. Enough folks were wounded or died in such events that, I think the accuracy exceeded the "30 Step Cow" threshold.
But, we can look back even farther. In the American Revolutionary War, American Sharpshooters were able to "hit a sheet of notepaper at a distance of 80 rods" about 60% of the time. That would be a target of about 8 inches wide by 10 inches high -- at a distance of 440 yards (1/4 mile); or in modern terms, an accuracy of better than two minutes of angle (2 MOA). That was achieved with hand-forged barrels with "cut" rifling, using hand-cast lead balls hand loaded into the rifle with inconsistent powder and aligned on target with "open" sights.
At Harpers Ferry in 1775, American Marksmen shooting from the "American Side" of the river, using flintlock rifles, killed three British Soldiers on a Ship docked on the British Side. I mention this because, shooting over a known body of water, the range (approximately 900 yards) cannot be misrepresented. According to the detailed story, the first casualty was a British Officer. The second and third casualties were the "aides" who rushed to his assistance. That is important because it demonstrates these were not simply "lucky shots."
All this shows that significant accuracy could be obtained using hand-forged and hand-rifled barrels. I have other reports of even greater accuracy, but I am skipping those in order to use only the reports for which I can provide ready literary citation. Nevertheless, when Colonel Colt started his revolver production with improved manufacturing processes, accuracy became better, not worse.
I now turn to addressing the specific points you raised. To make it easier to match my response to your point, I am repeating individual lines from the English Translation of your post so that you can match my response to your individual point.
> Secondly, I was talking about
> revolvers of the mid-19th century.
Perfect!
Let us talk about those...
> At the end of the 19th century,
> the accuracy and quality of weapons
> production increased very seriously.
Agreed -- at least with the "quality" assertion...
> Moreover, so much so that rarely
> seen little-used rifles produced
> before the First World War show
> accuracy comparable to modern
> sniper rifles.
>
> So much so that well-preserved
> samples of Mauser, Mosin and Mannlicher
> rifles sometimes receive a modern bed
> and the latest sights.
> In your America, they love this...
That is all correct...
While we are mentioning this, particularly with reference to "sniper" rifles, let us not forget the "Legendary Sharps Rifle"! In particular, I refer you to the "Second Battle of Adobe Walls" which occurred in 1874. In that battle, Billy Dixon used a borrowed .50-90 Sharps (called a "50 Sharps 2-1/2 Inch" at that time) Buffalo Rifle to kill an Indian Leader at a range of 1,538 yards (1406 Meters). While that does not seem "all that far" compared to some of the shots we hear about today, remember it was made under "combat conditions," not on a "target range" -- though the target was close to a "pile of rocks" that had been a frequent ad hoc target during previous visits to the location. Further, November of this past year, that distance put Billy's shot in 14th place for overall long-distance sniper kills (he is now in 15th place). Even more important to our discussion, he was in "first place" until 1967 -- a record that stood for 92 years.
So, yeah, they made some excellent firearms in the 19th Century. Billy Dixon made his shot with a Rifle manufactured some time after 1872.
Guns are not meant to kill but to throw heavy projectiles to poke holes in any physical object or impact with immense force. People have changed the world. Some guns were designed to maim while others carry momentum to knock down, each tool with their own intended purpose.
No,guns are made for cowards to feel tough.Their for pussies
Thank you Jeremy for teaching me how to make a potato cannon
just stumbled upon this... watched it before. Low quality video, but then I watched all of it without realising. Just points out how good of a documentary and great presenter Jeremy is.
Loved this - what a great way to get kids interested in history, & engineering. Seems picky, then, to suggest that an influence on the battlefield, equal to the accuracy & range of the rifled barrel, was breech loading. This meant, obviously, that apart from increasing the rate of fire, the infantier could now fire from cover, or lying down. The result was the 'deserted battlefield' with which we are all familiar.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more certain I become that breech loading was more significant than rifling the barrel.During the Napoleonic wars, the rifle was well known, but with a rate of fire around 1/3 that of the musket, it needed all the range it could get! Allowing the round to be loaded from the breech increased the speed of fire enormously, and the invention of the minie ball - increasing the muzzle velocity even more. Also,of course, m/c guns could never have been made without breech loading. Sorry, Jeremy, I think you missed a trick there!
In a documentary lasting less than an hour, things were always going to be missed.
There were manuals for how to load a musket lying down written by the British from around the time of the american war of independence
1:18 is that Daniel Craig in WW1 ?
+Antonio Ferrer Daniel Craig is immortal confirmed
he'll pick a new identity after we're all gone hahaha
007 couldn't get enough action undercover so he joined up to fight Germans.
How has no one else noticed the james bond theme song shortly after that part?
It's actually his grandfather who was later killed at Arras. If you look up one of bios, you'll find a still from the clip of him.
The hungry man in the wilderness. The grandmother alone in her house. The young woman alone in her apartment or car. The man in a dangerous area. The colonists who wish to overthow their oppressors. The countrymen who repel their attackers. The citizens who retain their rights.
Guns are the great equalizer for the powerless. Never let them take yours away.
"Oh, I'll watch this, it'll be cool and informative about guns!"
*twenty minutes later, cue cradling my M91/30 and softly signing Polyushka Polye to myself*
"It'll be okay,....it'll all be okay.....calm down.....I need to calm down....I need to calm down.....Make the stupid man go away....make the stupid man go away....."
What?
S SC To put it delicately, or as delicately as I care to, this video is extremely biased in it's basic assumptions, cringeworthy in it's grasp of the development of firearms, and overall the exact opposite of what I really expected to get when I looked for an interesting documentary on guns.
+James Kachman I know the feeling. It is the same feeling I get whenever I watch a documentary about the middle ages, or in general most historical documentaries...
As always, the BBC must be politically correct. I happen to think that political correctness does more damage than any gun.
Whatever you think if Clarkeson's history, he's a great presenter with entertainment value. Plus an effective popular writer. Millions still follow him. I Iove these programs, they remain great decades later. He's very hard to beat.
The concept of the Revolver has been around as long as firearm. Just none were safe or practical. The Puckle gun was not really a
Revolver, except to the extent it had something that revolved. It was really just a multi Chambered light cannon. The cylinder was held down by a course screw... the user would unscrew the chamber, pull it back, rotate it, push it back in, and screw the chamber lock back in. They meant to refer to the Collier revolver... which, while a pistol, had to be revolved by hand, and would blow up.
Colts Revolver was safe, and cocking the pistol also rotated the cylinder.
Also, the assembly line and mass production was developed by Eli Whitney... in the 1830’s.
There is no evidence that Colt ever knew about the Puckle gun. And it was the Winchester rifle that won the West.
@@mcmax571that wasn’t the point. The point was that multi barreled and revolving barreled firearms were not a new concept by the time of Sam Colt’s Revolver.
To be fair, clarkson said Colt stole it from Springfield, not that Springfield was first.
Jeremy clarkson try not to give the English credit for everything challenge
Simply fascinating video! Gun argument aside the information about other inventions
that were brought about because of guns was amazing! I watched this vid because
I am pro-gun but really got interested when I learned of the other inventions and the
reason they came about either because or in spite of guns. A must watch no matter
what side of the gun debate you are on.
It is the classic example of once invented, a thing cannot be un-invented.
Why didn't they mention Gatling? His revolving cannon was the first "full auto" weapon deployed on any battlefield.
British
It is not actually a fully automatic weapon as the barrels have to be revolved mechanically.
Wasn't that great of an advance, just an incremental advance.
@@SnoopReddogg plus it was a dead design for more than a hundred years and is still no he today
Gatling gun is about the only black powder machine gun that was practical due to the insane amount of fouling black powder caused, although yes it is technically not full auto since it's hand cranked. There was a naval version with an electric motor though, although I believe they had switched to the smokeless powder .30-40 cartridge at that point.
The comments on the early flint lock pistol are slightly inaccurate. Many of them had barrels made out of twirled metal wire, which meant they could expand slightly. This not only made it possible to fire a snug fitting ball, but also any metal shrapnel you could find if you ran out of ammunition.
I do believe the rationale behind bishop's urine being the best was that they were often drinking sacramental wine, and thus the nitrates found in the grapes.
I could watch Jeremy Clarkson do a documentary about the yellow pages.
All I know is, I want to make make documentaries like Jeremy Clarkson, what an awesome bit of history
Wow, sure misses the reality of history when it comes to Rorke's Drift. The Martini -Henry .75 caliber, breech loader kept those men alive against 4000 + Zulus.
James Taylor yeah, I kind of wondered how they missed that. And no real mention of the Minie ball at all
Well, most Martini Henry Rifles were chambered for the .455/577 Cartridge.
Never heard of the .75 Martini Henry, they were 577-450 MH , but I get your point.
"I could hit a man 500 yards away [with an AK-47]. No problem.". Jeremy: Put your money where your mouth is.
I have an old Army buddy who got to shoot an AK in Afghanistan, couldn't hit anything wit it. Piece of junk.
Yeah, if you are a decent rifleman. And you have a nice optic. Even then, past 400 yards 7.62x39 is shit.
James That piece of junk is the more reliable rifle ever made and enough accyrate if you are not Jeremy Clarkson an could not hit the van :)Jeremy had no clue about guns.That is like my grandpa drive F1 and make conclusion that f1 is undriveable piece of shit.With AK47 on full auto i will put whole 30 rounds magazine in 10/10 inch plate at distance of that van,ON FULL AUTO,on semi auto my group with AK at 50 yards is 1,5 inch and i can do that whole day :=) Jeremy make bulshit..I had shoot thowsands rounds from AK and manny others assault rifles and AK is the best.Mutch better than crapy M16 and specialy MUTCH better than SA 80 British army junk in the film witch is one of the worst assault rifles ever made.AK as not inacyrate,that is just western propaganda because that rifle is so mutch better than 4 times more cost western models that the west have to find something bad on AK.But it is not inaccyrate.With M16 rifle and standard 5,56 nato bullet you can get about 7 moa,with AK 10 moa accyracy.You cant notice that diference with assault rifles.That is not sniper rifle.
toniiii9 One of my old Army buddies shot an AK 47 in Afghanistan. Conclusion, while the AK 47 handles dirt better, the M16 is way more accurate. For accuracy the AK47 is useless from his experience.
James In Afganistan all AKs are with 1kg rust in barrel probably.Military ammo for AK is corrosive, while nato ammo for M16 is not corrosive and that is the reason.I got Bulgarian AK with fine bore and original Russian ammo and i will hit with that AK all that i can hit with M16.You can see Brandon xxx ,i forgot his name, here on you tube with cheap but brand new Romanian WASAR 10, he hits litle metal plates at 300 yards from hands without any problem :)
Jeremy Clarkson is the greatest presenter ever in history. I want him to present my funeral.
Clarkson messing about with guns? Why do I feel uncomfortable? 🤣
9:39 Batman theme starts playing. Great timing too.
bro the history of gunpowder part unironically goes so hard
I am surprised they didn't mention that early rifling was intended to make a channel to give lead fowling a place to go. They twisted it to make a longer channel. Spinning the projectile & increased accuracy was an unexpected side effect. The original idea of cutting a channel to give lead fowling a place to go never worked as intended. Like so many things, rifling was discovered by accident while trying to invent something else.
That's well known gun HX, I am surprised they left that out.
Forgive the 'necroposting' but I think it's worth pointing out that since time immemorial, archers have favoured fletching on their arrows that has a twist 'built~in' to impart rotation when in flight, so while I don't say you're wrong in contending that rifling was a counter~measure for fouling, I would be surprised if the spin so imparted to bullets was entirely unexpected, or even unintended, by experimenting gunsmiths.
This is a very good account. This is a British twist on the history of guns. All inventions seem to have a British connection. The machine gun started out as the Gatling gun which Clarkson ignored. The Gatling gun was inspired by the revolver. Early revolvers were rotated manually. Fired and rotated again. Non of these were British in anyway. Colt just made the revolver automatic.
The gun CANNOT be separated from the hand of the man who holds it. The gun itself has no agency. It can stop crime, it can feed a family, and it can cause mass casualties - but only with someone pulling the trigger, just as with a knife, a speeding car, a bomb, an axe, a bat, a fist.
It is, arguably, more efficient at its job than a knife, yet less efficient than a bomb - neither of which are efficient at all without a human to employ them. Like a rock.
Rocks changed the course of human history to a far greater degree. They ground grain; they pounded stakes into the ground to make shelter; they were broken and made into arrowheads, and knives, and spearheads; David slew Goliath with one. They became palaces and fortresses and aqueducts and cathedrals. They paved roads; they were melted down into their constituents and provided man with copper, and tin, and lead, and iron - and gold.
The gun pales in importance with rocks. But absent man, rocks are just rocks. Absent man, guns are just rocks. It is man that changed the world.
Yes there is even a word for it in the description of Archeology.
How does this compare with driving silly cars around a track?
You present very well, as you know. It has always been good to have a certain smattering of your peculiar humour. This situation obviously cuts down on the correct opportunities. Nonetheless the whole video was interesting and informative.
Well done, thank you.
In fact, the AK 47 was designed to directly counter the MP - 44/Stg - 44 assault rifles (developed in 1944) of the Wehrmacht in the second world war. The AK came too late, but it laid the basis for a whole host of assault rifles, starting from the AKM, AK 74, all the way to the AK 203.
Hugo Schmeisser was taken prisoner by the Soviets and placed in camp in the same town as the Kalashnikov factory. He was forced to ‘help out’ ….
@@gerhardgotzmann8880 he wasn't, thats a myth. He was held at a totally separate facility and there is no evidence he had anything to do with the AK design.
Alec Baldwin moment 0:30
I dont agree with Jeremy with the 'Colt stole the Puckle concept' being that he left out that the patent for Puckle was filed for 1718, that it was flintlock anyway and that the design was completely different being that the gun never even had a hammer or the interlocking mechanism (or anything like it) anywhere on the gun at all.
Even if Colt did go to London and had seen the exact details of the patent... while it is true it was 'cylindrical' (but that's about it) he would still have to come up with the interlocking mechanism itself anyway for individual firing of the bullets...
Monk, Scholar, and Explosive expert? That man is a badass. Peace and explosions.
As I recall, the inventor of Mercury Fulminate, the basis of modern priming systems, was also a monk.
As always, JC is a Respectful Chap and for his genuine expression.
I have tremendous respect for my fellow countryman.
at 25:25, It is the Winchester repeater, which is not a revolver, but a repeating rifle that is refered to as 'The gun that won the west.' A revolver is not going to be reliably accurate at anything over 100 yards.
_Today I didn't have to use my AK, I guess it was a good day..._
This was another one of his fantastic documentary’s.
Superb
Shame he didn't remember how useless machine guns are at hitting targets when he did the Winter Olympic biathlon.
no, sub machine guns can be very accurate. And so can machine guns. He wasn't using a machine then, but a sub machine gun. He was using full auto, and not aiming.
tell you what dont bother to mention what type of gun or whether it was on a tripod
ihathtelekinesis It killed a pine tree actually.
Well, I expect you meant to say auto rifle, but as to machine guns, typically they are used for suppressive fire, but don’t think for a minutes a crew served can’t hit a target, it can, plus everything else in the “beaten zone,” from first graze to first catch.
Norway - Champions of Ski Shooting
I love Top Gear and really respect Jeremy Clarkson, but with the green military face paint on, he looks like a British ninja turtle. haha, love ya Jeremy.
Far as I can tell people were killing each other with sticks and rocks before the invention of the firearm
"The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."
COL. Jeff cooper
It is true, with Clarkson’s shooting. You are perfectly fine as long you stay right in the front of the target
Whitworth's rifles were rejected because of cost, not bore size. They were fantastically expensive. They were rare in confederate service as well.
Colt's 1861 navy (in the cartridge conversion) has the honor of being wielded by "Blondie" in the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, since it was a recognizable American revolver that wasn't anachronistic (considering the film is set during the later stages of the Civil War.)
1851*
Yeah no it was definitely the 1851 used in that movie, the 1861 is far less iconic but was pretty popular though.
@@redtra236 apologies to both. but you get my point. the colt navy.
"Has one purpose... to kill." Um, wut. I use my for recreation... tighten up, Mr. Clarkson.
I remember when I was a teenager, I'm 68 now, I made a recoilless rifle. I took a metal tube about a yard long, stuck a banger (firecracker) down one end and a marble down the other and lit the banger. Fortunately I was pointing the dangerous end towards open land because the resulting explosion propelled the marble out at injurious speed. I also realised that the metal tube could have exploded in my hand. I did not repeat the experiment.
“When all the world is overcharged with inhabitants, then the last remedy of all is war, which provideth for every man, by victory or death.” ― Thomas Hobbes
Good quote, just wrong problem, we are getting smaller, not larger.
@@tedmoss Some nations are getting smaller some are not that is the problem
Hobbes was wrong about 'over population.' When I was a child back in the 1970s, we were being told that the world's population would double in 32 years (instead it grew from about 4 billion to about 6 billion, not 8 billion in 32 years). We were told as children that we needed to be the last generation to reproduce and terrified with images of the entire planet being a complete desert wasteland because there would be 'too many people' and 'no more food.' All bullshit. The problem is not 'too many people.' The problem is where the people are and where the resources are - and that we have not found a way to balance the right to private property with the necessity of making sure our neighbors don't starve (unless you count the golden rule: do unto others what you would have them do to you - but then, very few people elect to live their lives by the principles of Jesus of Nazareth, so that's unlikely to become the solution it could be). There is simply NO evidence that even if the world's current population doubles, the planet will turn into an absolute desert as they were claiming in the 1970s. Quite the opposite: as we see, we are not living in a desert wasteland despite great population growth and massive advancements in medical care and length of life in many places in the world. We just get cleverer about feeding ourselves and exporting jobs to places that need more work, etc. To have an economy, you need ONE thing: people. The more people you have, the more the economy grows, the more people invent and produce to fill the needs of more people. Humans are inventive and can solve the problems that come with a poor people-to-resources ratio in this or that part of the world. We've been doing it for thousands of years.
The invention that preserves the free world.
Also the Freeless world... You do realize dictators use them too right?
You're probably American, So your ancestors basically murdered native people with guns and took their freedom as did the British in my country. Idk wtf are you on about. A lot of developed countries have gun laws and they are also free.
^I mean.. Even without guns, Europe had better metal working. Indians didn't have horses b4 Europe introduced them, so they'd have that too. Also you do realize Indians used a lot of guns too right?
El Psy yeah cause they traded them for furs and precious metals. Useless for the Indians anyways, they would've run out of ammo and black powder
the awkward moment you have to accept. mr clarkson hasn't a clue when it comes to rorkes drift
“Maxims gun used a simple but clever concept”
Shows Browning 1917.
Same concept, different gun
Be aware that this is really the very abridged history of guns. Colt's revolver wasn't the first multi-shot gun, there had been experiments with matchlocks with revolving chambers hundreds of years before. However, it wasn't until the invention of the percussion cap that revolving guns became RELIABLE. Having so many chambers filled with black powder meant that sometimes all the chambers would alight and all of them would explode. A hand gun called the pepper box, which was basically a gun with six different independent chambers. However, the barrels on pepper boxes were really, really short, and it had an effective range of across the table. Colt's designs were adoptive in mass mostly because it was more reliable and could be used at a distance where you don't have to worry about your attack just taking a single step and punching you.
Maxim didn't invent the first machine gun. Before that was the volley guns like the Mitrailleuse, which had a bunch of barrels each loaded with one bullet from a plate, or the gatling gun which had rotating barrels that through the use of a handcrank had one barrel being on loaded, another barrel firing, and another barrel extracting the spent round. Even in terms of single barreled machine guns, Maxim was beaten by the Agar Gun, which loaded it's rounds in the top like a coffee grinder, and saw some VERY limited used in the US Civil War. Maxim's designs once again was just more reliable.
+notbobby125
Thank you for mentioning all this. I KNEW there was the Gatling gun before Maxim's machine gun. You're right, this is a rather abridged show.
Cool, I love guns almost as much as I love when I find new clarkson tidbits, (which dosent happen often, thanks O.P.!)
"...the most popular gun...on Earth."
That actually made me a little sad lol was expecting "...in the world." Oh well, even Jeremy gets it wrong sometimes.
He totally skipped over the Girandoni air rifle. Made in 1779 and was the battle rifle of the Austrian army. Lewis and Clark used it on their famous expedition. It could fire 22 shots in 30 seconds and could be reloaded in about 2 seconds from a tube. Was able to accurately shot throw a wood plank at 150 yards using a .46 caliber bullet.
That voiceover at the very end is unintentionally hilarious.
Colt didn't rip off the British. The Puckle gun's cylinder had to be moved from the barrel, manual rotated, and pushed back into the barrel. Even if colt saw it, he did not rip it off. He made a rotating cylinder that was turned with nothing but a hammer pull
Not to mentioned the puckle gun was very rare and was designed and made over 100 years before Colt made it to England
Can't have a gun documentary without ending with a 10 minute segment of anti-gun propaganda on the BBC lmao
To be expected.
In what sense was it propaganda?
@@zoidberg1201 are you serious?
@@Pottan23 I was just looking for clarification, kindly provide or don't. There's no need to be incredulous.
The gun is not just to kill. It is to defend against being killed. A gun is just a bow and the arrow is the bullet. Like the tip of arrow. Rather than being propeled by tension and muscle power, it is instead propeled by a chemical reaction. With much more power.
Defending against being killed with a gun also would usually involve killing...... but I do disagree with the statement since many guns are specifically designed for punching holes in paper or shooting clays, although still capable of killing it's not the intended purpose for a high end trap gun for example.
I would give my right arm to see this documentary series in a resolution higher than a pocket calculator.
Raid the BBC archives, with some of your mates.
"To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young how to use them." Richard Henry, American statesman
Was written in a time they literally thought the UK would invade again...
@@silver4831 Also written in a time they were afraid the central government would become too powerful and disregard the peoples wants and needs. Sort-of like what it has actually become.
@@silver4831ye, and these days America’s Enemies carry automatic weapons, rocket launchers, tanks and aircraft.
And not all of them are Foreign either…
Seems the Ability for the American People to be as readily armed with the best equipment available is as important as ever before.
@@Beuwen_The_Dragon 🤦🏼♀️ Yes because machine guns win modern nuclear wars.
I love the use of the 28 days later theme here; it gives a foreboding sense of evil
This video is pretty informative but there are a few inaccuracies. The Colt made it in time for the American Civil War but a handgun didn't make much of a difference at the ranges involved. (Also, there were ~23,000 CASUALTIES at Antietam, not 26,000 deaths as Jeremy claims.) Also, the Thompson wasn't the first SMG; the Germans made one just in time for the end of WWI.
Edit for fellow history nerds: Some "repeating" rifles existed during the Civil War as well, but they were much more expensive than conventional muzzleloaders and most officers didn't want them. This was obviously shortsighted, but from their perspective it was hard enough to supply armies in the field with ammunition for single-shot rifles and muskets, so development focused on single-shot breechloaders. Repeaters were used in numbers by cavalry units, though (since it was hard to reload muzzleloaders on horseback), and to a lesser extent by infantrymen late in the war. It's worth noting that there was little standardization at the time, especially in the Confederate army.
Also apparently at Rourke's drift the English did not lose they used a Martini henry rifle breach loaded a high rate of fire but after five rounds the barrel would overheat hence the tactic of giving pause to the firing line to reload and not overheat the rifle this enabling three ranks to maintain constant fire .
That clarksob misquoted shows that he doesn't know shit and is just an annoying mouthpiece I see some people like this git but he is so full of himself I fail to see his appeal
@@julianwaugh8221 He also made the assumption that Colt got his idea from the Puckle gun, which is manually rotated and locked into the barrel using a hand cranked screw before firing and repeating. this is vastly different from the firing process of a revolver
@@julianwaugh8221 the reference was to Isandlwana - not the brief affair at Rorke's Drift
@@peterholman9034 Which the Whitworth would have been worthless in because Isandlwana saw a British force unknowingly march right into a Zulu camp.
It was said of repeating rifles in the US Civil War that a soldier could "load on a Sunday and keep firing all week" (an exaggeration of course).
See guns don't kill people I left my gun unattended all week when I went on holiday and it didn't kill anyone
Guns are so pussies can kill people. A real man defends himself with his brain and then hands
HighStreet Killers r/iamverybadass
What about the Minnie Ball that was less likely to foul than Whitworths hexagonal rifling but the micrometer and standarsisation of screw threads were brilliant
Given what the BBC has done to Jeremy Clarkson in recent weeks videos like this have in my mind become infinitely more valuable. Top Gear as a whole has essentially just died. Also does anybody know if they make reproductions of the Whitworth rifle?
ultrajd I think they do.
Liam Patchett I want one. I collect black powder weapons.
This legend replied to himself 2 years later.
😎
Apparently Puckle's gun came in two varieties (or perhaps it had interchangeable barrels, I can't remember). The one that fired more - or - less regular bullets (intended for use against Christian adversaries), and the one firing _square_ bullets (for 'The Turk'!!)