I had to laugh at the idea of Ian sitting alone in an auction house full of guns with the lights off, just basking in the aura of that much blued steel.
Ian, that bit about mass surveillance is so relevant. I absolutely love the way you understand and explain the importance of a topic, that effects most people daily yet they know nothing about. You've out done yourself, thank you.
I live in Czech Republic and I'm making gun license right now. I think that we have really good gun laws here, we have some gun license classes, but you can virtually have all of them, you only need to apply at near police station, pass written test and shooting test and let doctor to examine you and that's it - your have gun license (which renews every 10 years). Then you can basically own whatever you want, even full auto gun, but you need exception for that, which is little harder to get, but you can do that. You can also CCW without any issue. You can read more on wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_Czech_Republic Also stuff which EU proposes doesn't make any sense, they want to restrict everything...
I'm Canadian and I've just returned from the UK and I agree with your sentiment about there more apparent "professional" appreciation of firearms there I visited a small gunshop in Glasgow and the cultural parallels were interesting but the differences between here and there were quite significant I purchased a decent set of .223 dies though
Props to you Ian for your comments about surveillance and digital rights. Few have grasped the implications of this and still have an almost romantic idea of defending themselves from tyrannical government in some sort of glorious firefight when the reality is so much more insidious and subtle.
On the drone thing... we actually have a UGV that we're finishing up testing with that can accept Keymod/1913 equipped weapon systems called the Red Shirt T1. If you ever find yourself in Raleigh/Durham/RTP, we'd love to show you what it can do. In practice it bridges the gap between infantry and cavalry, it's much smaller and lighter than something like a Humvee and it's unmanned so you don't risk a human life using it in combat. In comparison to other drones on the market, which generally cost around 1-2 mil, we have one that can be purchased for around 100k fully loaded, and it's durable, able to take rounds up to multiple .338 Lapua and survive. I wouldn't underestimate the field of robotics, that's where a lot of the experimental military money is going right now, and the stuff that GE/GD/Boeing/Lockheed/Northrop-Grumman/BD/Ect have will astound you.
There are very few generalisations one can make about firearm regulations in Europe, the culture and practical considerations vary a lot. But the one big difference between European gun culture as a whole compared to that of the United States is that we haven't seen owning a weapon as a civil right in a very long time. Firearms are viewed practically, as tools for hunting or sport shooting. There's definitely a correlation between sparse population, large forest area and high frequency of privately owned firearms. Sweden, Norway and Finland are all in the top ten in the world for numbers of privately owned firearmes per capita.
It was great seeing the collab with John Bain, Ian! I like your solo videos, but when you co-host a video with someone else, your nice personality gets to shine more, so that format really works.
You make great videos! I truly find them very interesting not to mention very educational. Thank you very much for all your hard work. Inrange and this are my favorite firearms/history channel on TH-cam!
Ian did it again - answering (sometimes difficult) questions deeply and in a way easy to understand. He says outside there are 50 degrees Fahrenheit - they're equivalent to 10 degrees Celsius. Even in the desert it is cold in the winter ... The german armed forces have a very similar sweater, available in OD and dark blue. We call them Pullover. Have a look at them here: www.raeer.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?catid=1021
Regarding the Thompson $200 in 1930 is around $3000 today, by comparison 1930 retail price on a 1911 pistol was about $20 ($42 for a National Match model). That also brings the NFA into perspective. It was intended that that tax be dramatically more than the price of the gun or supressor you bought (original Maxim silencers were $10 retail when they were new).
When we switched to the M27 these were the reasons we were giving for the switch: 1) Mobility, fire teams are more nimble. Loss in volume of fire is mitigated by the structure of Marine units (3 teams per squad versus the army's 2 teams per squad.) 2) Accuracy, The M27 is far more accurate and can serve dual roles as an automatic/DMR rifle (Also mitigates the loss of fire power) 3) Less of a target, the M27 blends in better with the standard m16a4 than the SAW and won't immediately catch the eye of a sniper. 4.Reliability, the M27 is supposedly reliable AF They M249 SAW isn't completely going away, it's just been relegated to the company's weapons platoon. (unless that's changed since I got out)
Came here from Totalbiscuit as well. Great video collaboration. Does anyone know what the giant gun(?) is that is right at the end of the video. I can't find it here and it looks really cool. thx.
Hi Ian, another great video. The professional approach you describe really shows through in your work, I am proud to say I have just become your 2100th patreon subscriber! Keep up the good work.
With the Owen gun the top mounted magazine was to use gravity to help feed and therefore needing less spring tension. The creator said it made reloading the magazine's much faster and didn't need reloading tools like other submachine guns due to excess spring tension in the magazine..
For anyone interested in modern production of firearms in Japan I have more information. Currently there are 3 major firearms manufacturing concerns in Japan (used to be 4 until SKB was sadly bought after 100+ years in the business). Howa makes firearms for the commercial market as well as the main infantry rifle for the SDF. Miroku makes fairly high quality shotguns and also produces some Winchester style lever rifles (including the 1895 pattern). And Minebea makes licensed copies of the Mini Uzi as well as the FN Minimi for the SDF; no commercial firearms as far as I'm aware.
I just realized that if you shaved the bottom half of your goatee you would make a great Luigi with that green hat. I always enjoy your videos and am impressed by your knowledge!
You talk about the desert being good for Firearms, but I observed a phenomenon while living in El Paso. In deserts, a lot of people use swamp coolers as opposed to air conditioners, and i saw many guns come into the shop covered in rust because of the water being blasted into the air.
17:15 I was in the Marine Corps while they were transitioning from the m249 to the IAR. I remember the biggest complaint about the thing was the lack of fire power. Another complaint about the IAR was people having to use them in place of an m16/m4 during rifle qualification lol.
Australia's laws work like this... A&B licence = lever action, double barrel, bolt action, pump action [rifle only] = anyone non-violent, non-mental illness who has a reason they deem to be ok, aka not self defence. C = pump/semi auto shotgun farmers with larger lands, .22 semi's. = few people D = semi-automatic rifles = government workers or very large land holders with feral animal problem. Aka a very tiny number of people. H= handguns = anyone who wants to wait 6 months, who doesn't have a violent record and is willing to pay the price of a glock every year for club membership and get finger printed and have to shoot 10-12 times a year to prove they own them for sport Everything else = no chance. One way to think of it is most people can have WW1 technology, forget anything else. If you're in the US, don't give them 1", they'll take a mile.
slight correction in regards to the C license is that also applies to sport shooters. Also D can also apply to you if you are a sport shooter by trade.
THis is so interesting to me because when I lived in Australia back in the early 2000's, I was living way out in the Bush in QLD and I had rifles with me everywhere, in my truck, on me or my horse at all times (worked on a large Cattle Station that did Eco Tourism and fought wild-fires in Rocky for a year or two as well) and I never even thought about how bad the stupid laws are down there. We must have classified as a D lisc. holder I'd guess. I litteraly never thought about it but we had lever-guns, M1 Carbines and a couple other Aus. Surplus Military rifles. Even had a few handguns (old revolvers and a single 1911 style semi-auto in .45acp) that were apparently "off the books" and quite old with some interesting backstories... I LOVE AUstralia but I'm not sure I could ever move back there and willingly live under those laws... no matter how much I want my 70-series Cruisers back LOL.
+Dee-Bee Kooper Cool story! Stuff is a bit different the further you get from the city and does vary state by state and the further south you go the worse it seems to be!Living in the burbs makes it a lot harder,driving on public roads with loaded weapons is forbidden! .We had much less restrictive laws prior to the whole port arthur thing. Oh well, may not have access to a vast selection of firearms, but at least have my VDJ76!
spraynpray yeah, you enjoy that prison time, mate. Most people really aren't that desperate to have a lot of guns down here. One or two bolt-actions or pump-actions is generally enough for most people. You can have plenty of fun with a .303.
You are spot on re European gun culture. Here, it's nerds and enthusiasts, and also competitors to a lesser extent. In countries like the UK, people keep it low profile. There are shooting clubs all over the country.
English were already on it, way before Chinese. While reading "One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander" I learned that UK destroyers were equipped with lasers with the goal of blinding enemy pilots flying into drop bomb. This was in 1982 which was the time when a lot of the fighter bombers still had to fly straight in WW2 style to drop bomb and strafe to attack a ship and apparently Royal Navy thought temporarily blinding enemy pilots was a great idea for defense. Also, within last few years N Koreans have been known to use laser to try to blind South Korean and USFK chopper pilots so I believe all flying crew there supposedly have to wear special goggle to prevent vision loss from laser.
The only actual use of laser in infranty firearms would be probably Russian laser space guns from cold war. They didn't use batteries per se just chemicals enclosed in case that produce extreme flash that then was used by rubin(or similar) laser system
Maybe i saw it in a movie, or maybe i made it up, but i think one of the benefits of a top mounted mag is that the assistant gunner can reload it without the gunner needing to shift position or take their eyes off the target
Cheers, these Q&A videos are always your best ones! I'm a lot more interested in things like development, history and doctrine than in the mechanical workings of weapons, if that makes sense
Ian, I tremendously appreciate your ability to avoid political soap boxing and staying strictly informational in your videos. Even while discussing 'gun culture' and the importance of home defense, you manage to stay balanced. Please keep up the good work.
Another advantage that a top feed magazine had over bottom feed ones is that historically these weapons were accompanied by assistant gunners or ammo bearers, and it is a lot easier for somebody else to insert a magazine into the top of a weapon than for them to put it in the bottom. I'd also argue that it is actually easier to load the gun yourself if it is top mounted, in particular if it is on a bipod but even if not as you can actually see the magazine well without fumbling around to find it.
I live in the England and own shotguns and have owned rifles in the past. The UK is an incredibly hard place to own firearms. Pistols and automatic weapons are outright banned(apart from very, very few special exceptions). Even owning a bolt action rifle is a terrible trouble, you need to have a "valid" reason to own each different rifle and calibre(e.g .22LR for rabbit, .223 for fox), you also need an approved place to shoot(you most likely will not be granted a .223 on a 2 acre piece of ground for example). You must renew you licence every 5 years(which requires your house being inspected, interview, recommendation by "persons of good character" (whom you've know for more than 2 years), as well as still having a "valid" reason to own each firearm. You can also only process your allotted amount of ammunition as stated on your licence.(All ammo bought is recorded on your licence). This is a very sad state of affairs in my opinion and I have had to give up my firearms this year due to losing my permission. The basic message in the UK from people, schools, television and media is that guns are evil and that there is someone "wrong" with a person who owns or wants to own and shoot guns. I am not the greatest fan of the USA and what they do in the world, but I think its views on the public owning weapons are as it should be and should be protected. As for the UK its only getting worse and I can see in my lifetime all weapons being banned to the general public.
Stalin Whilst I agree with most of it, I do need to point out that pistols are not banned in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, with a correct barrel and overall length a pistol ceases to be one because it falls outside of the legal definition. Coat hanger rods and barrel extensions make them look goofy, but they're still legal. As for semiautomatics, bolt release levers on UK-legal AR-15 allow one to fire them nearly as quickly as a proper semiautomatic rifle. Home Office even ended up approving them, if memory serves. Oh, and you think that this is bad, then check Russian gun legislation.
I must admit I do not know much about NI firearms laws. That is interesting about the bolt release on semi-auto rifles. Saying that THE issue I came across when trying to get firearms is that "valid" reason for owning said calibre. I do not own land and just could not produce a reason to own anything about a .22LR / .17HMR. I could not find a full bore rifle/shooting club near me in Somerset to help me get a .303 or 7.62x54 rimmed ect ect
>Oh, and you think that this is bad, then check Russian gun legislation. It is easier in Russia than in UK. You need go through a pretty simple legal procedure to buy your first smooth-bore. You can also club-own pistols (you can't carry these outside of club or store those at home). After 5 years of gun-use, you can become a happy owner of your first semi-auto rifle. Some of my friends have 12 gauge shotguns since their student years no problem. Most of the people just don't bother.
The Netherlands is nearly as restrictive. Italy probably strikes a better balance. They have three classes: self defence, sport, hunting. Different number of guns are allowed under each class for any individual. So that a Beretta 92FS 9x21 is classed as sport gun. You can take out of home only to go to the gun club / shooting range. Long range target shooting also fall under the same heading. CCW are not easy to obtain: you must prove a need, so tends to be released to bank employees, jewelers, lawyers, people that has proven threats made against them. For home defence the licence is much easier: basically a medical certificate and lack of prior convictions. But the local cops can still deny you the licence. Plus you cannot carry the gun around. (see before).
Sir; As a officer in the US Army ,while in the R,V.N. ,I picked up a HSC Mauser and other items after a night fire fight . I carried this HSC for two tours in the R,V,N.. I had friends in Special Forces, who could supply 32.ACP.
One thing not to forget about the RPK versus the RPD, is that due to being a magazine fed light machine gun version of the standard rifle, training troops on it's use is minimal compared to a belt fed completely different weapon. And that is a benefit for any army, let alone for a conscripted army like the Soviet Union.
Goddamn I love this channel. I'm kind of new here, but so far I've enjoyed every video I've watched. High-quality, constant content on the history of weapons (mostly guns). Thanks for being one of the gems of TH-cam!
Regarding the French-ordered Mausers, they were made straight out of the original tooling (much like French-ordered Walter guns) so they still had IIIrd-Reich markings. The eagle on swastika was know as "chicken on a bicycle" in the French Army and the French Police.
As a fellow Southern Arizonan, I will say that travelling is terrible. Flying out of TUS is markedly more expensive than many airports my friends travel out of for events.
TRIVIA: Museums will ask you to NOT use the white gloves, IF you're handling something where you could damage it by having a desensitised sense of touch from the gloves. Examples: Very old Books, and garments They will ask you to wash your hands and forearms to remove all oils and then use your bare hands.. they may or may not ask you to powder your hands with a powder bag. I have been asked to do both.
General Patton was notorious for carrying colt peace makers. I thought that was all he carried based on various reports about him but I've since seen pictures of him with a variety of different side arms some of which were small and some might say under powered. I've come to think the big colts may have been more of a for display item than a for use item and may not have been as edc as I was led to believe. Patton understood the importance of theatrics. He understood that his troops perceptions of reality often trumped reality. He would regularly have himself driven to the front in a jeep and fly back to his command center in a small plane. Seeing the general move up to the front inspired confidence in his men and seeing him "retreat" did not.
I'm stuck in the UK with little chance of ever owning so much as a Mosin Nagant and you're sitting there with a browning hipower and an rpk. To say I'm jealous is a very big understatement
In re the Thompson gun, I love the vintage ads showing, e.g., a cowboy-lookin' guy spraying a burst of automatic fire from his front porch at Unspecified Intruders menacing his property, as part of the company's pitch that it was the ideal home defense weapon. It's hard to imagine that that was ever really considered a good idea by... well, anybody.
@@warshipsatin8764 I, uh... tend to doubt that, but then I'm squeamish about the idea of fully automatic gunfire inside the house in general. You do you. :)
I thought Patton carried his Colt revolvers and I guess he did but I've seen photos of him with several different handguns. Must of been a collector and he changed his gun when he changed his pants.
Current set up with the M-27 IAR is that it's not a M-249 replacement but a supplement. It's a replacement for 1 M-4's in a four man squad giving better suppression fire but still being a rifle. Marines want it to replace that designated marksman rifle and do close range supplement fire suppression.
I would love to see an episode on a "period sporterized" rifle, something that was heavily modified during the time it was new, maybe give a sight into historical secondary market.
A .50 Bren is mentioned in Roy Dunlap's "Ordnance Went Up Front". It reads: "A .50 caliber Bren type gun was experimented with, but the Browning heavy machine gun was available and a proven success, so the Bren never got very far"
A comment on the subject of officers issuing their own guns, in the Finnish Defence Forces even the regular reservists may supply their own guns, provided they use cartridges issued by the FDF. I was explicitly told this when I when I asked about it during one of my military refreshers. I was told that one of the advantages of reservists using their own guns during wartime is that even though they are semiauto only, quite a lot of them have optics on them (red dots and whatnot) and especially among the older (30+ years) reservists, their eyesight might not be that good anymore and optical sights may allow them to actually see where they are shooting without using eyeglasses. The iron sights of RK's are really good, but using eyeglasses on the battlefield isn't exactly ideal. I guess that's why there's a lot more 7.62x39 reservist rifles in Finland than 5.56, since if I recall correctly, the only troops that actually use 5.56 are the Border Guard special forces, who use an H&K G36C. I was thinking about getting a Valmet M92S back in the day, but those rifles are expensive as hell and I really didn't go to the range that often, so I decided against it. But I do own a Glock 17, which also happens to be the new standard issue FDF sidearm, so I'll be bringing my own if the shit really hits the fan.
I missed one advantage the top-mounted magazine has to a bottom-mounted one (not neccessarily to a side-mounted one): It is easier for an assistant gunner to reload the top-mounted magazine than it would be a bottom-mounted magazine. Ian said that the bottom-mounted magazine is easier to reload, but I think that applies only when standing up. When prone and even when done by just the shooter, reloading a top-mounted magazine will be at least just as easy.
On the subject of clip fed pistols, I remember the Grendel P10. While not Mannlicher style, I remember my pause at the idea of a 1990's pistol that didn't use a detachable box magazine. Of course, I then remembered that the AWB was a thing (ew), and I now wonder about the viability of larger capacity or, at the least, more expediently loaded en-bloc or Mannlicher style defense pistols for states or countries that restrict detachable box magazines with prejudice. In any event, I love your Q&As, Ian, you're doing God's work. Live long and prosper.
You missed pointing out that it's easy for a two man team to keep a Bren gun in action because of the magazine location. The No2 can swap the magazine without disturbing the gun's position making sustained fire much easier than the BAR or the M27 you mentioned earlier.
I really liked the question and answer on firearms culture outside of the United States, props to the bloke who asked it. It's always very strange for those of us outside the States when we see the strong emotional responses talk of greater regulation in the States ellicits in the US. Regulation doesn't mean the boys in blue will rock up and take all your collection off you! Plenty of people are enthusiastic about firearms outside the US, have collections of all sorts and sizes and love to shoot. There's also a lot of difference in how countries outside the US legislate and regulate firearms - even those that are close to each other, both physically and culturally. It can be a touchy topic, but it's a really important and interesting conversation where we can all learn something.
I had some thoughts on a few things in this video, but the one that I feel is the most relevant is about the manufacture of guns in Japan after WWII. After WWII, Japan was more or less used as a base in the Pacific and I believe that Howa Heavy Industries was called upon to provide spare parts and repairs to the numerous M1 carbines in use by both US forces in the area and the Japanese Self-Defense Force. Eventually this culminated in the manufacture of M1 carbines in Japan by Howa. They were pretty much interchangeable with US made M1 carbines, but had a unique style of round-eared rear sight. I believe that they even sold some commercially in the US in both military trim and more 'sporty' versions. I don't think that they were all that common, but they are known to collectors of commercial production M1 carbines. Also Winchester/Browning have ties with Miroku of Japan for the manufacture of pretty much all of their lever-action rifles currently in production. Some people take offense to this, but I can attest to the high standards of workmanship on the Japanese made guns (if only they didn't feel the need to alter the safety from the half-cock notch to a tang safety, but I want to say that is probably an import requirement these days.).
@@ForgottenWeapons >>> FWIW: I am almost 60 yeats old, but still have most of my hair, which I also wear long. It is still more brown than gray, although the gray is advancing...😊 I like to explain this in ONE word: _"GOOD GENETICS."_ 😉 Unlike my current profile picture, my beard is at least 50% gray...🙄
I have one of those AR-180's produced by Howa. Very nice rifles. Apparently the weird Japanese laws involving selling guns to countries involved in a war (we were in Vietnam at the time) prohibited export to the US after mid 1971. Much better than the later Sterling versions made in the UK, I wish I'd bought a couple more when they were still available and affordable.
Modern pistol carbines kits offer a much better option to shoulder stocks. Providing much better ergonomics and stability. Roni seems a good and popular brand and many brands offer Glock comparable kits. Another common advantage are rails to fit sights and accessories. Kits can greatly increase accuracy.
One question I've always wondered is, what's the most boring successful gun. A gun where there's literally nothing exciting or unique or special or even particularly compelling, yet it has hung on in the market or military for a long time.
So pretty much a gun that was about as special as a pipe wrapped in wood that went bang. i kinda wanna know about such a thing as well. Because i'm sure there are a few but, off the top of my head i got nothing.
Ian can you comment on Serbia, it's military, and arms producer Zastava revealing their next AK will be designed around a their new proprietary 6.5x39mm round which I believe they did after seeing the statistics of all the people testing ARs in 6.5 Cremador. Seems fascinating except the lack of any more information as of now
The IAR is quickly turning out to be expected to be a Swiss army knife of rifles. To both take over as a designated marksman roll, (I'm paraphrasing a General) as well as supressive fire. Will be interesting to see how it turns out.
+John J It looks like the standard NATO pilot jumper (crew neck) Haven't seen that color before, but the design looks fairly similar. Only difference I can see is he has a flap on the left arm pouch, while the official nato only has a spot for pens there.
Descorath it's still a pen pocket the flap has always been there in British uniform (funnily enough when I was in cadets we were never allowed to keep our pens in there and the flap had to be ironed flat)
Looking back, a gun that isn't an AR15 (even if not quite as good) has value in that it is a more secure investment given the sentiment surrounding guns of that appearance. That is in addition to the fact that different has a value in itself (so long as there isn't a substantial negative sentiment as well), as same becomes boring even if it is the best. That is my professional opinion as someone with a business background, rather than a firearms background. But as always, there are a lot of other factors that come into play when you want to evaluate if something could be successful.
Wow. The "get yourself conversant with your digital rights and privacy rights" comment is both deep and relevant. I've audited video from Iraq and Afghanistan, where US Helos use InfraRed to target folks in cover, in buildings, and elsewhere and am quite worried about the effect new technologies of surveillance and tracking will have on our individual rights . . .and chances of survival, when and if push comes to shove. I personally believe that having the power does not give you the right, but, it seems of late, I am living in another century.
Just going to mention one name for people having there own weapons in WW2. Mad Jack Churchill. Lord Lovet used a Big game rifle if I remember correctly.
Besides doctrine changes and current theater needs differing from the Cold War era implementation of the M249, don't forget how old and abused the SAW inventory is now.
Both Band of Brothers and The Pacific feature enlisted men receiving sidearms from home. As both of these are based on historical accounts, they probably serve as good examples.
at 40:31 Japan does make guns. Howa still makes hunting and precision rifles for foreign markets and military rifles for their own use. (I have two Howa 1500's for hunting and they're quite nice to shoot.) Also Howa makes some of the cheaper end rifles for Weatherby (Vanguard series) and (I think) Browning. Also Japan's constitution does not allow for the export of military hardware and there is are very strict firearms regulations choking the domestic market. Losing WWII has made some Japanese still very leery on anything military related.
In TN which can be humid I've seen finger prints in steel on very fine firearms. That being the case oil can be seriously useful and some people won't let people handle their firearms. A few people also seem to have a body chemistry that makes this worse.
I had to laugh at the idea of Ian sitting alone in an auction house full of guns with the lights off, just basking in the aura of that much blued steel.
MrMISTER He was definitely lying about that, he walks around in the dark talking to them all... “ Hi guns, I’m Ian from Forgotten Weapons....”.
Ian, that bit about mass surveillance is so relevant. I absolutely love the way you understand and explain the importance of a topic, that effects most people daily yet they know nothing about. You've out done yourself, thank you.
I live in Czech Republic and I'm making gun license right now. I think that we have really good gun laws here, we have some gun license classes, but you can virtually have all of them, you only need to apply at near police station, pass written test and shooting test and let doctor to examine you and that's it - your have gun license (which renews every 10 years). Then you can basically own whatever you want, even full auto gun, but you need exception for that, which is little harder to get, but you can do that. You can also CCW without any issue. You can read more on wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_Czech_Republic Also stuff which EU proposes doesn't make any sense, they want to restrict everything...
Good selling hook I had a stroke understanding your English
@@tylerkirkpatrick1212 it really wasn’t difficult at all to read
I'm Canadian and I've just returned from the UK and I agree with your sentiment about there more apparent "professional" appreciation of firearms there
I visited a small gunshop in Glasgow and the cultural parallels were interesting but the differences between here and there were quite significant
I purchased a decent set of .223 dies though
From the perspective of someone who is a gun nut in England, I completely agree with what Ian has to say on the subject.
Props to you Ian for your comments about surveillance and digital rights. Few have grasped the implications of this and still have an almost romantic idea of defending themselves from tyrannical government in some sort of glorious firefight when the reality is so much more insidious and subtle.
On the drone thing... we actually have a UGV that we're finishing up testing with that can accept Keymod/1913 equipped weapon systems called the Red Shirt T1. If you ever find yourself in Raleigh/Durham/RTP, we'd love to show you what it can do. In practice it bridges the gap between infantry and cavalry, it's much smaller and lighter than something like a Humvee and it's unmanned so you don't risk a human life using it in combat. In comparison to other drones on the market, which generally cost around 1-2 mil, we have one that can be purchased for around 100k fully loaded, and it's durable, able to take rounds up to multiple .338 Lapua and survive. I wouldn't underestimate the field of robotics, that's where a lot of the experimental military money is going right now, and the stuff that GE/GD/Boeing/Lockheed/Northrop-Grumman/BD/Ect have will astound you.
Ian, I really enjoyed the video. These Q&A's are always so interesting and informative; thank you.
Re: European gun culture, take a look at the Bloke on the Range channel.
Bloke and Chap are English ex-pats living in Switzerland.
There are very few generalisations one can make about firearm regulations in Europe, the culture and practical considerations vary a lot. But the one big difference between European gun culture as a whole compared to that of the United States is that we haven't seen owning a weapon as a civil right in a very long time. Firearms are viewed practically, as tools for hunting or sport shooting. There's definitely a correlation between sparse population, large forest area and high frequency of privately owned firearms. Sweden, Norway and Finland are all in the top ten in the world for numbers of privately owned firearmes per capita.
As late as Vietnam some US soldiers would take personal side arms in their luggage on their tours.
It was great seeing the collab with John Bain, Ian! I like your solo videos, but when you co-host a video with someone else, your nice personality gets to shine more, so that format really works.
College is done for X-mas and one of my 1st priorities was catching up on Forgotten Weapons!!! Much love!
Some day people will watch this video and the follow it up with a review by your great grandson of the forgotten laser pistol.
So much Forgotten Weapons this morning. A great way to start the day. I hope you can do more collaborations like you did with Total Biscuit.
You make great videos! I truly find them very interesting not to mention very educational. Thank you very much for all your hard work. Inrange and this are my favorite firearms/history channel on TH-cam!
Ian did it again - answering (sometimes difficult) questions deeply and in a way easy to understand.
He says outside there are 50 degrees Fahrenheit - they're equivalent to 10 degrees Celsius. Even in the desert it is cold in the winter ...
The german armed forces have a very similar sweater, available in OD and dark blue. We call them Pullover. Have a look at them here:
www.raeer.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?catid=1021
Regarding the Thompson $200 in 1930 is around $3000 today, by comparison 1930 retail price on a 1911 pistol was about $20 ($42 for a National Match model). That also brings the NFA into perspective. It was intended that that tax be dramatically more than the price of the gun or supressor you bought (original Maxim silencers were $10 retail when they were new).
When we switched to the M27 these were the reasons we were giving for the switch:
1) Mobility, fire teams are more nimble. Loss in volume of fire is mitigated by the structure of Marine units (3 teams per squad versus the army's 2 teams per squad.)
2) Accuracy, The M27 is far more accurate and can serve dual roles as an automatic/DMR rifle (Also mitigates the loss of fire power)
3) Less of a target, the M27 blends in better with the standard m16a4 than the SAW and won't immediately catch the eye of a sniper.
4.Reliability, the M27 is supposedly reliable AF
They M249 SAW isn't completely going away, it's just been relegated to the company's weapons platoon. (unless that's changed since I got out)
I didn't watch the video at all, but i wanted to say that i really liked your colab with Totalbiscuit talking about BF1 weapons
Yup, me too, awesome when two channels that you've been following come together like that.
(Although I am still going to watch the Q&A) ;)
Came here from Totalbiscuit as well. Great video collaboration. Does anyone know what the giant gun(?) is that is right at the end of the video. I can't find it here and it looks really cool. thx.
visualdragon I think it was the maxim pom pom 37mm. There is a video about it in this channel
Hey, can anyone send the link? I can't seem to find it..
+Zigzag010 Thanks! That's the one.
Hi Ian, another great video. The professional approach you describe really shows through in your work, I am proud to say I have just become your 2100th patreon subscriber! Keep up the good work.
With the Owen gun the top mounted magazine was to use gravity to help feed and therefore needing less spring tension.
The creator said it made reloading the magazine's much faster and didn't need reloading tools like other submachine guns due to excess spring tension in the magazine..
For anyone interested in modern production of firearms in Japan I have more information. Currently there are 3 major firearms manufacturing concerns in Japan (used to be 4 until SKB was sadly bought after 100+ years in the business). Howa makes firearms for the commercial market as well as the main infantry rifle for the SDF. Miroku makes fairly high quality shotguns and also produces some Winchester style lever rifles (including the 1895 pattern). And Minebea makes licensed copies of the Mini Uzi as well as the FN Minimi for the SDF; no commercial firearms as far as I'm aware.
I feel like you need to be sipping a cocktail in these videos.
I just realized that if you shaved the bottom half of your goatee you would make a great Luigi with that green hat.
I always enjoy your videos and am impressed by your knowledge!
You talk about the desert being good for Firearms, but I observed a phenomenon while living in El Paso. In deserts, a lot of people use swamp coolers as opposed to air conditioners, and i saw many guns come into the shop covered in rust because of the water being blasted into the air.
17:15 I was in the Marine Corps while they were transitioning from the m249 to the IAR. I remember the biggest complaint about the thing was the lack of fire power. Another complaint about the IAR was people having to use them in place of an m16/m4 during rifle qualification lol.
Australia's laws work like this...
A&B licence = lever action, double barrel, bolt action, pump action [rifle only] = anyone non-violent, non-mental illness who has a reason they deem to be ok, aka not self defence.
C = pump/semi auto shotgun farmers with larger lands, .22 semi's. = few people
D = semi-automatic rifles = government workers or very large land holders with feral animal problem. Aka a very tiny number of people.
H= handguns = anyone who wants to wait 6 months, who doesn't have a violent record and is willing to pay the price of a glock every year for club membership and get finger printed and have to shoot 10-12 times a year to prove they own them for sport
Everything else = no chance.
One way to think of it is most people can have WW1 technology, forget anything else. If you're in the US, don't give them 1", they'll take a mile.
slight correction in regards to the C license is that also applies to sport shooters. Also D can also apply to you if you are a sport shooter by trade.
THis is so interesting to me because when I lived in Australia back in the early 2000's, I was living way out in the Bush in QLD and I had rifles with me everywhere, in my truck, on me or my horse at all times (worked on a large Cattle Station that did Eco Tourism and fought wild-fires in Rocky for a year or two as well) and I never even thought about how bad the stupid laws are down there. We must have classified as a D lisc. holder I'd guess. I litteraly never thought about it but we had lever-guns, M1 Carbines and a couple other Aus. Surplus Military rifles. Even had a few handguns (old revolvers and a single 1911 style semi-auto in .45acp) that were apparently "off the books" and quite old with some interesting backstories... I LOVE AUstralia but I'm not sure I could ever move back there and willingly live under those laws... no matter how much I want my 70-series Cruisers back LOL.
That's worse then over here in the uk, we get pump/semi auto shotgun on a Shotgun Certificate.
+Dee-Bee Kooper
Cool story! Stuff is a bit different the further you get from the city and does vary state by state and the further south you go the worse it seems to be!Living in the burbs makes it a lot harder,driving on public roads with loaded weapons is forbidden! .We had much less restrictive laws prior to the whole port arthur thing.
Oh well, may not have access to a vast selection of firearms, but at least have my VDJ76!
spraynpray yeah, you enjoy that prison time, mate.
Most people really aren't that desperate to have a lot of guns down here. One or two bolt-actions or pump-actions is generally enough for most people. You can have plenty of fun with a .303.
You are spot on re European gun culture. Here, it's nerds and enthusiasts, and also competitors to a lesser extent. In countries like the UK, people keep it low profile. There are shooting clubs all over the country.
I just got a triple lock and did a video on it. I love it.
If there is doubt to caseless ammunition being adopted, there is even greater doubt in infantry lasers being adopted.
KageRyuuUji China already has a laser rifle for burning out cameras on drones.
English were already on it, way before Chinese.
While reading "One Hundred Days: The Memoirs of the Falklands Battle Group Commander" I learned that UK destroyers were equipped with lasers with the goal of blinding enemy pilots flying into drop bomb. This was in 1982 which was the time when a lot of the fighter bombers still had to fly straight in WW2 style to drop bomb and strafe to attack a ship and apparently Royal Navy thought temporarily blinding enemy pilots was a great idea for defense.
Also, within last few years N Koreans have been known to use laser to try to blind South Korean and USFK chopper pilots so I believe all flying crew there supposedly have to wear special goggle to prevent vision loss from laser.
Power density is still the major hurdle in LASER technology. Dealing with the heat is another one.
The only actual use of laser in infranty firearms would be probably Russian laser space guns from cold war. They didn't use batteries per se just chemicals enclosed in case that produce extreme flash that then was used by rubin(or similar) laser system
Maybe i saw it in a movie, or maybe i made it up, but i think one of the benefits of a top mounted mag is that the assistant gunner can reload it without the gunner needing to shift position or take their eyes off the target
Cheers, these Q&A videos are always your best ones! I'm a lot more interested in things like development, history and doctrine than in the mechanical workings of weapons, if that makes sense
Thank you Ian for answering my question. Great video.
Ian, I tremendously appreciate your ability to avoid political soap boxing and staying strictly informational in your videos. Even while discussing 'gun culture' and the importance of home defense, you manage to stay balanced. Please keep up the good work.
Ian getting tongue tied in the first question... gonna be a funny one.
this has been a most enjoyable video, thanks Ian!
Will you ever run out of interesting guns to talk about ?
Not for a long time.
There’s so many one offs and insane designs still out there, trust me we will have our beloved FW for quite a while I feel
Ian, i really enjoy your channel being interesting also a firearms an mechanic. Good job and keep going!
seeing that rpk makes me need an rpk...
Yes my friend you do, I have a 1964 make
Another advantage that a top feed magazine had over bottom feed ones is that historically these weapons were accompanied by assistant gunners or ammo bearers, and it is a lot easier for somebody else to insert a magazine into the top of a weapon than for them to put it in the bottom. I'd also argue that it is actually easier to load the gun yourself if it is top mounted, in particular if it is on a bipod but even if not as you can actually see the magazine well without fumbling around to find it.
I live in the England and own shotguns and have owned rifles in the past. The UK is an incredibly hard place to own firearms. Pistols and automatic weapons are outright banned(apart from very, very few special exceptions). Even owning a bolt action rifle is a terrible trouble, you need to have a "valid" reason to own each different rifle and calibre(e.g .22LR for rabbit, .223 for fox), you also need an approved place to shoot(you most likely will not be granted a .223 on a 2 acre piece of ground for example). You must renew you licence every 5 years(which requires your house being inspected, interview, recommendation by "persons of good character" (whom you've know for more than 2 years), as well as still having a "valid" reason to own each firearm. You can also only process your allotted amount of ammunition as stated on your licence.(All ammo bought is recorded on your licence).
This is a very sad state of affairs in my opinion and I have had to give up my firearms this year due to losing my permission.
The basic message in the UK from people, schools, television and media is that guns are evil and that there is someone "wrong" with a person who owns or wants to own and shoot guns.
I am not the greatest fan of the USA and what they do in the world, but I think its views on the public owning weapons are as it should be and should be protected. As for the UK its only getting worse and I can see in my lifetime all weapons being banned to the general public.
Stalin Whilst I agree with most of it, I do need to point out that pistols are not banned in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, with a correct barrel and overall length a pistol ceases to be one because it falls outside of the legal definition. Coat hanger rods and barrel extensions make them look goofy, but they're still legal. As for semiautomatics, bolt release levers on UK-legal AR-15 allow one to fire them nearly as quickly as a proper semiautomatic rifle. Home Office even ended up approving them, if memory serves.
Oh, and you think that this is bad, then check Russian gun legislation.
I must admit I do not know much about NI firearms laws.
That is interesting about the bolt release on semi-auto rifles. Saying that THE issue I came across when trying to get firearms is that "valid" reason for owning said calibre. I do not own land and just could not produce a reason to own anything about a .22LR / .17HMR. I could not find a full bore rifle/shooting club near me in Somerset to help me get a .303 or 7.62x54 rimmed ect ect
>Oh, and you think that this is bad, then check Russian gun legislation.
It is easier in Russia than in UK. You need go through a pretty simple legal procedure to buy your first smooth-bore. You can also club-own pistols (you can't carry these outside of club or store those at home). After 5 years of gun-use, you can become a happy owner of your first semi-auto rifle.
Some of my friends have 12 gauge shotguns since their student years no problem. Most of the people just don't bother.
The Netherlands is nearly as restrictive. Italy probably strikes a better balance. They have three classes: self defence, sport, hunting. Different number of guns are allowed under each class for any individual. So that a Beretta 92FS 9x21 is classed as sport gun. You can take out of home only to go to the gun club / shooting range. Long range target shooting also fall under the same heading. CCW are not easy to obtain: you must prove a need, so tends to be released to bank employees, jewelers, lawyers, people that has proven threats made against them. For home defence the licence is much easier: basically a medical certificate and lack of prior convictions. But the local cops can still deny you the licence. Plus you cannot carry the gun around. (see before).
Italy does sound like a very good system.
As I said gun rights are one of those things that only go one way, once you loose them they never come back.
Sir; As a officer in the US Army ,while in the R,V.N. ,I picked up a HSC Mauser and other items after a night fire fight . I carried this HSC for two tours in the R,V,N.. I had friends in Special Forces, who could supply 32.ACP.
I'd say France has a relatively large gun culture quite a lot of hunting goes on particularly wild boar and stuff. from what just have heard anyway
One thing not to forget about the RPK versus the RPD, is that due to being a magazine fed light machine gun version of the standard rifle, training troops on it's use is minimal compared to a belt fed completely different weapon. And that is a benefit for any army, let alone for a conscripted army like the Soviet Union.
Goddamn I love this channel. I'm kind of new here, but so far I've enjoyed every video I've watched. High-quality, constant content on the history of weapons (mostly guns). Thanks for being one of the gems of TH-cam!
Regarding the French-ordered Mausers, they were made straight out of the original tooling (much like French-ordered Walter guns) so they still had IIIrd-Reich markings.
The eagle on swastika was know as "chicken on a bicycle" in the French Army and the French Police.
As a fellow Southern Arizonan, I will say that travelling is terrible. Flying out of TUS is markedly more expensive than many airports my friends travel out of for events.
TRIVIA: Museums will ask you to NOT use the white gloves, IF you're handling something where you could damage it by having a desensitised sense of touch from the gloves.
Examples: Very old Books, and garments
They will ask you to wash your hands and forearms to remove all oils and then use your bare hands.. they may or may not ask you to powder your hands with a powder bag.
I have been asked to do both.
loved your video with TB. it was really unexpected!
You really need to do a piece on your library.
I really want that PK-AS on your bookshelf. Love those things.
I thought i was the only gun nerd 50 yrs ago thx Prof Ian😂
General Patton was notorious for carrying colt peace makers. I thought that was all he carried based on various reports about him but I've since seen pictures of him with a variety of different side arms some of which were small and some might say under powered. I've come to think the big colts may have been more of a for display item than a for use item and may not have been as edc as I was led to believe. Patton understood the importance of theatrics. He understood that his troops perceptions of reality often trumped reality. He would regularly have himself driven to the front in a jeep and fly back to his command center in a small plane. Seeing the general move up to the front inspired confidence in his men and seeing him "retreat" did not.
On the shelf behind your left arm is a very interesting auto with a stock attached, please tell me/us more about it.
Thank you.
That is an Inglis-made Browning Hi-Power.
FN P90 is a top-fed gun, and it does not stick up .... ;-)
I wish I lived in a place that lets me casually keep an RPK next to my book shelf.
You can live in Russia )
Вячеслав Скопюк макеты не считаются :р
James Gregg
при чем тут макеты? Есть "охотничьи" варианты, которые только одиночными стреляют
I'm stuck in the UK with little chance of ever owning so much as a Mosin Nagant and you're sitting there with a browning hipower and an rpk. To say I'm jealous is a very big understatement
South Africa's police force were issued similar "sweaters" back in the day. Quite warm.
Pimp Daddy Mc Swag Nee, ek het lanklaas op ñ plaas gewerk.
In re the Thompson gun, I love the vintage ads showing, e.g., a cowboy-lookin' guy spraying a burst of automatic fire from his front porch at Unspecified Intruders menacing his property, as part of the company's pitch that it was the ideal home defense weapon. It's hard to imagine that that was ever really considered a good idea by... well, anybody.
a thompson would unironically be a good home defense gun
@@warshipsatin8764 I, uh... tend to doubt that, but then I'm squeamish about the idea of fully automatic gunfire inside the house in general. You do you. :)
I thought Patton carried his Colt revolvers and I guess he did but I've seen photos of him with several different handguns. Must of been a collector and he changed his gun when he changed his pants.
Current set up with the M-27 IAR is that it's not a M-249 replacement but a supplement. It's a replacement for 1 M-4's in a four man squad giving better suppression fire but still being a rifle. Marines want it to replace that designated marksman rifle and do close range supplement fire suppression.
I would love to see an episode on a "period sporterized" rifle, something that was heavily modified during the time it was new, maybe give a sight into historical secondary market.
A .50 Bren is mentioned in Roy Dunlap's "Ordnance Went Up Front". It reads: "A .50 caliber Bren type gun was experimented with, but the Browning heavy machine gun was available and a proven success, so the Bren never got very far"
Thanks Ian
A comment on the subject of officers issuing their own guns, in the Finnish Defence Forces even the regular reservists may supply their own guns, provided they use cartridges issued by the FDF. I was explicitly told this when I when I asked about it during one of my military refreshers. I was told that one of the advantages of reservists using their own guns during wartime is that even though they are semiauto only, quite a lot of them have optics on them (red dots and whatnot) and especially among the older (30+ years) reservists, their eyesight might not be that good anymore and optical sights may allow them to actually see where they are shooting without using eyeglasses. The iron sights of RK's are really good, but using eyeglasses on the battlefield isn't exactly ideal.
I guess that's why there's a lot more 7.62x39 reservist rifles in Finland than 5.56, since if I recall correctly, the only troops that actually use 5.56 are the Border Guard special forces, who use an H&K G36C. I was thinking about getting a Valmet M92S back in the day, but those rifles are expensive as hell and I really didn't go to the range that often, so I decided against it. But I do own a Glock 17, which also happens to be the new standard issue FDF sidearm, so I'll be bringing my own if the shit really hits the fan.
I missed one advantage the top-mounted magazine has to a bottom-mounted one (not neccessarily to a side-mounted one):
It is easier for an assistant gunner to reload the top-mounted magazine than it would be a bottom-mounted magazine.
Ian said that the bottom-mounted magazine is easier to reload, but I think that applies only when standing up. When prone and even when done by just the shooter, reloading a top-mounted magazine will be at least just as easy.
"Have Screwdriver. Will travel." :)
i enjoyed your thoughts on gun culture and on personal defense :)
On the subject of clip fed pistols, I remember the Grendel P10. While not Mannlicher style, I remember my pause at the idea of a 1990's pistol that didn't use a detachable box magazine. Of course, I then remembered that the AWB was a thing (ew), and I now wonder about the viability of larger capacity or, at the least, more expediently loaded en-bloc or Mannlicher style defense pistols for states or countries that restrict detachable box magazines with prejudice.
In any event, I love your Q&As, Ian, you're doing God's work. Live long and prosper.
The Tomiska Little Tom is somewhat of a mannlicher style clip gun, tho the thing is more like a magazine, but the feeding is similar.
Always interesting. Do these Q&As require much research, or do you do most of this off the top of your head?
Some I can do off the cuff; most require at least a bit of research.
Forgotten Weapons It is good to know you are human.
We have matching Rpk’s 😮😊
You missed pointing out that it's easy for a two man team to keep a Bren gun in action because of the magazine location. The No2 can swap the magazine without disturbing the gun's position making sustained fire much easier than the BAR or the M27 you mentioned earlier.
I really liked the question and answer on firearms culture outside of the United States, props to the bloke who asked it. It's always very strange for those of us outside the States when we see the strong emotional responses talk of greater regulation in the States ellicits in the US. Regulation doesn't mean the boys in blue will rock up and take all your collection off you! Plenty of people are enthusiastic about firearms outside the US, have collections of all sorts and sizes and love to shoot. There's also a lot of difference in how countries outside the US legislate and regulate firearms - even those that are close to each other, both physically and culturally.
It can be a touchy topic, but it's a really important and interesting conversation where we can all learn something.
Except some politicians have literally said they want to take away guns, and will have them confiscated if you don't cooperate
I had some thoughts on a few things in this video, but the one that I feel is the most relevant is about the manufacture of guns in Japan after WWII. After WWII, Japan was more or less used as a base in the Pacific and I believe that Howa Heavy Industries was called upon to provide spare parts and repairs to the numerous M1 carbines in use by both US forces in the area and the Japanese Self-Defense Force. Eventually this culminated in the manufacture of M1 carbines in Japan by Howa. They were pretty much interchangeable with US made M1 carbines, but had a unique style of round-eared rear sight. I believe that they even sold some commercially in the US in both military trim and more 'sporty' versions. I don't think that they were all that common, but they are known to collectors of commercial production M1 carbines. Also Winchester/Browning have ties with Miroku of Japan for the manufacture of pretty much all of their lever-action rifles currently in production. Some people take offense to this, but I can attest to the high standards of workmanship on the Japanese made guns (if only they didn't feel the need to alter the safety from the half-cock notch to a tang safety, but I want to say that is probably an import requirement these days.).
Ian, I just have one question, how do you get such a luscious and cool looking goatee?
Genetics.
Gentics have cheated me in that regard, keep up the good work sir!
@@ForgottenWeapons >>> FWIW: I am almost 60 yeats old, but still have most of my hair, which I also wear long. It is still more brown than gray, although the gray is advancing...😊
I like to explain this in ONE word:
_"GOOD GENETICS."_ 😉
Unlike my current profile picture, my beard is at least 50% gray...🙄
I have one of those AR-180's produced by Howa. Very nice rifles. Apparently the weird Japanese laws involving selling guns to countries involved in a war (we were in Vietnam at the time) prohibited export to the US after mid 1971. Much better than the later Sterling versions made in the UK, I wish I'd bought a couple more when they were still available and affordable.
Modern pistol carbines kits offer a much better option to shoulder stocks. Providing much better ergonomics and stability. Roni seems a good and popular brand and many brands offer Glock comparable kits. Another common advantage are rails to fit sights and accessories. Kits can greatly increase accuracy.
The rpd/rpk this went kind of like this, "Is kalashnikov, but it shoot more boollet."
Will you ever cover military vehicles? I know all too well that your channel is called Forgotten Weapons, but i can't help to ask.
He technically can, since depending on how the vehicles is It can be considered a weapon. Thus would still fit with the name.
I would love to, but I don't really know much about them (as a general rule).
Forgotten Weapons Well, keep on doing what you're doing! :D
One question I've always wondered is, what's the most boring successful gun. A gun where there's literally nothing exciting or unique or special or even particularly compelling, yet it has hung on in the market or military for a long time.
So pretty much a gun that was about as special as a pipe wrapped in wood that went bang. i kinda wanna know about such a thing as well. Because i'm sure there are a few but, off the top of my head i got nothing.
Daniel G Glock 17 and family. There's a reason why we all call them the Honda Civic of handguns.
Daniel G The Mauser action is pretty much the standard action for most hunting rifles.
single shot external hammer shotgun. so plain
.38 double-action revolver. Utterly generic. But easy to use and effective. It's like the old station wagon of guns.
Ian can you comment on Serbia, it's military, and arms producer Zastava revealing their next AK will be designed around a their new proprietary 6.5x39mm round which I believe they did after seeing the statistics of all the people testing ARs in 6.5 Cremador. Seems fascinating except the lack of any more information as of now
Nice RPK.
The IAR is quickly turning out to be expected to be a Swiss army knife of rifles. To both take over as a designated marksman roll, (I'm paraphrasing a General) as well as supressive fire. Will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Japanese firearm makers, Howa and Miroku have been around for a long time to the best of my knowledge.
Ian i wana say i like your sweater, who makes it or what is the type. Because i kinda want to get myself one.
British RAF.
Forgotten Weapons
Thank you
UK military style sweater - Ian's is in RAF blue but navy blue and khaki versions are usually available through surplus stores.
+John J
It looks like the standard NATO pilot jumper (crew neck)
Haven't seen that color before, but the design looks fairly similar. Only difference I can see is he has a flap on the left arm pouch, while the official nato only has a spot for pens there.
Descorath it's still a pen pocket the flap has always been there in British uniform (funnily enough when I was in cadets we were never allowed to keep our pens in there and the flap had to be ironed flat)
Looking back, a gun that isn't an AR15 (even if not quite as good) has value in that it is a more secure investment given the sentiment surrounding guns of that appearance.
That is in addition to the fact that different has a value in itself (so long as there isn't a substantial negative sentiment as well), as same becomes boring even if it is the best.
That is my professional opinion as someone with a business background, rather than a firearms background. But as always, there are a lot of other factors that come into play when you want to evaluate if something could be successful.
Wow.
The "get yourself conversant with your digital rights and privacy rights" comment is both deep and relevant.
I've audited video from Iraq and Afghanistan, where US Helos use InfraRed to target folks in cover, in buildings, and elsewhere and am quite worried about the effect new technologies of surveillance and tracking will have on our individual rights . . .and chances of survival, when and if push comes to shove.
I personally believe that having the power does not give you the right, but, it seems of late, I am living in another century.
re top mounted magazines...why weren't/aren't saddle magazines more popular?
Ian .. cheers
Please do a clip about Dan Wesson Supermag revolvers,these ruled the metallic siluette ranges in the 80's and are collectors items!
Here's your UToob comment to make you algorithm freindly. Always good content.
Just going to mention one name for people having there own weapons in WW2. Mad Jack Churchill. Lord Lovet used a Big game rifle if I remember correctly.
my question to you is (if you decide to answer it) how did you decide to become so knowledgeable about firearms and where did you start?
Besides doctrine changes and current theater needs differing from the Cold War era implementation of the M249, don't forget how old and abused the SAW inventory is now.
Both Band of Brothers and The Pacific feature enlisted men receiving sidearms from home. As both of these are based on historical accounts, they probably serve as good examples.
Ah, but the P90 knew how to do a top mounted magazine, and make it gorgeous.
at 40:31 Japan does make guns. Howa still makes hunting and precision rifles for foreign markets and military rifles for their own use. (I have two Howa 1500's for hunting and they're quite nice to shoot.) Also Howa makes some of the cheaper end rifles for Weatherby (Vanguard series) and (I think) Browning. Also Japan's constitution does not allow for the export of military hardware and there is are very strict firearms regulations choking the domestic market. Losing WWII has made some Japanese still very leery on anything military related.
In TN which can be humid I've seen finger prints in steel on very fine firearms. That being the case oil can be seriously useful and some people won't let people handle their firearms. A few people also seem to have a body chemistry that makes this worse.