@@blackmantis3130 & people need education on what is going on, since apparently wars might sadly be a thing some of us might need to again participate in. I hope not, but I hope for the best & prepare for the worst ^^
I'm always fascinated by the Mosin's longevity. It was practically outdated when it first entered service, but here were are in 2022 and it's still being used lol.
I love my Mosin. I use it for hunting, and I have used it for dangerous animals calls, so professionally, too. There are stronger and slicker actions than the Mosin action. There are bigger and better magazines than the 5 round integral. There are far sexier and cooler cartridges out there like 6.5 Creedmore, 338 Lapua, 300 WinMag, 375 H&H, but I stick with it because it suits my needs, and most critically, 7.62x54R is very affordable, so I can hold a higher level of skill by getting more practice.
It's not like it was a bad rifle, just the soviet factories made things with a various range of quality, you could get a great Mosin and a very shitty Mosin. That's how it works in communist countries
The Mosin-Nagant was used by the most successful sniper of all "The White Death" Finnish sniper Simo Hayha. He also used the Finnish submachine gun Suomi KP/31 which the Soviets adapted as their PPSH-41.
Can we all just appreciate how Dr. Felton has been nonstop with these up to date quality videos in regards to modern conflicts and past conflicts intertwined. As a College student majoring in History and as a History content creator myself, that takes a lot of work.
The Maxim MG was designed by American Hiram Maxim in the 1880s . That's closer in years to the US War of Independence than to the year 2022 . Astounding .
I seen old WW2 weapons when I was in Iraq , one Iraqi police officer had a old Thompson sub machine gun. I even seen a couple of M40s in 07 while I was there. Any weapon with ammo and can fire is used … you don’t need a Roman scribe to figure that out
Yep they all fire bullets powerful enough to kill. Essentially the improvements made over the last 80 years to weapons has only made small improvements and many still shoot the same ammo as they did back then. Weapons made of lighter plastics don't really make the weapons any more lethal, it just makes it more convenient for soldiers when they have to carry them over longer distance.
@@rubiconnn Don't underestimate the logistical dificulties of these older weapons. That M1910 Maxim looks like a lot of work to move around. But yeah, if it shoots its usefull.
I own an original Mosin sniper rifle manufactured in 1942 with the original PU scope matching numbers with the scope mount being force matched. It is still a very accurate rifle and is a Vietnam bring back.
As Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has pointed out more than once, only incremental improvements can be made until significant improvements are made in ammunition. Hunters in the US use replicas of flintlock and caplock rifles for hunting large game. The 7.62x54r cartridge is still being used in combat. Obsolescent does not mean obsolete.
I think about the battle of Crete, where civilians resorted to flintlock and even wheel lock rifles to fight the Germans. Sadly they weren't super useful in said engagements. This time around, I can think of very, very few widespread ww2 designs that couldn't be used to devistate an enemy in a conflict like this.
@@InvestmentJoy The only weapons that wouldn't be useful are those without ammo. I can't imagine Thew Ukrainians have a vast stockpile of STG-44's with 8mm kurtz lying around. Luckily the Soviets used only a half dozen types of ammo for most of their weapons.(7.62x54rmm, 7.62x25mm, 7.62x39mm, 9x18mm, etc)
And just because something is obsolete doesn't mean you are immune to it, if somebody stabbed you in the neck with a gladius you are still just as dead today as your ancestors were 2,000 years ago.
There's already significant improvements being made. Look at the ngsw competitors. Idk how I feel about the textron rounds but the other two are very promising.
Fun fact: recently i saw a video of ukrainian soldiers setting up a browning M2. The video description claimed the M2 originated from ww2 when it was delivered by America to the USSR as part of the land lease program. It had been taken out from an old storage facility and is now used against the russians.
The Ma Deuce is used all over the U.S. military to this day, including, gunwale-mounted variants on destroyers. It's the gun that probably will never die because, frankly, there's nothing that can be made better or worse of it lol.
the Aniston arsenal reported servicing and upgrading an M2 made in 1923 (according to the stamp on it) and sending it back to a issue depot for reissuing a couple years back!! they're built like battleships with plenty of spare parts so they're going to keep going!!
This proves that some weapons are timeless in design and usefulness. One shining example of this is Germany's continued use of the MG-42 machine gun. All they've really done is modify it from using the 7.92x57 round to using the 7.62x51 NATO round, and redesignating it as the MG-3.
When I was in the Canadian Forces I used a variant of the MG-42. Nice machine gun. Unfortunately, Canada slowed the rate of fire down from the original.
That's pretty cool, I wonder how many of these Soviet WWII weapons were actually used on the eastern front and now being used today? No doubt some of these guns have a story to tell, they out live their users. I was waiting to see if the German MG 42 would pop up, another timeless weapon still in use today.
there were MG42s, MP40s, MG34s, PTRD41 and PTRS41 in use since 2014. The Soviet Antitankrifles on both sides and the german weapons mostly by ukrainian fashist groups.
Happy to see this video. Some reports I've seen stated that the Ukraine had about one million surpluses ww2 era firearms they likely pulled out of stockpiles for this conflict. With General mobilization, you need every gun you can get. I don't think a person would notice whether they were shot by a ak47, rpd, svt-40 or a k98. All still can play a 2nd line role in a modern conflict, it surely also helps so many use ammunition that is still made today.
@@DutchGuyMike that war tourist's video hasnt been confirmed. He was complaining about no body armour but they were told to bring their own. And also they were at a rear staging area it makes sense they wouldent be issued combat ammo loads till they got to the front lines. Buddy volunteered for a war thinking it was gunna be a walk in the park, not fighting farmers they are fighting a "near peer" (lol) enemy ffs of course its not gunna be a walk in the park. And yes deserters are shot in many major conflicts all over the world.
5:57 The "R" in 7.62x54mmR stands for rimmed, as the cartridge has a rim that protrudes rather than a notch inside the circumference, as is standard on most other rifle cartridges.
Rimmed cartridges were the norm in the 19th century. It provides a positive stop for chambering and robust extraction. They are problematic in vertical feed magazines, so the move to rimless cartridges. Rimless requires precise chamber machining to set headspace.
@@redtra236 he said 19th century 7.62x57 r british .303 french lebel 8x whatever were all designed in the late 1800s i think mauser started using rimless cartridges in their rifles first in the late 1800s.
Not just then and there. I used a 1911 when I was in the Marines in the 80s, my mortar was a WW2 design built during the Korean War. When I got out and went into the Guard, we had M3 (grease gun) submachine guns for the tankers.
RR: I last re-qualed in the navy with the 1911 (1945 mfg stamps) in late 1995, one week before they were officially retired. At that shoot i did have one disassemble in my hand, fortunately I wasn't injured. :)
Yes, the thing is that in some fields (like machine guns and auto cannons) things have made little progress since wwii. Not because technology has stalled, but rather because some of the designs that came out back then has prooven to be really really good.
And frankly, the M3 and M1911 are still excellent weapon designs. The M3, remains the simplest and most reliable submachine gun design ever. It just lacks the cool appeal of other submachine guns. I and my son, both commercial M1911s. That weapon is also an outstanding weapon that still compares well with any modern pistol, and, it still has incredible stopping power.
Still a great sidearm I carry a GI model Ria 1911 in 45auto it's close to the A1 but has flat mainspring housing and slightly longer trigger and the hammer spur isn't as wide as the actual 1911A1. I been thinking about replacing those parts to make it a 1911A1 spec gun.
Impressive that a nation as wealthy and advanced technologically as the US is still using reliable, well-engineered weapons such as the M2. If it ain't broke...
@@peterwillians1273 it's a beautiful weapon, simple, durable and reliable. Even more beautiful when she's fed Raufuss or Slap-T rounds. Still a beauty even though she'll be pushing 100 soon.
Haha very true the 54R does hit very hard...you also notice the muzzle flash on the vid from the carbine, its also very common, shoot it at night you can see everything like its daylight then your blind as a bat lol,.. still I love my mosin carbine...If you ever get the chance to shoot the SVT 40 take it,..It shoots way different (not the heavy kick after every shot do to the gas operated system) just be aware that its much more susceptible to jams do to the gas system being kind of weak (doesn't fully eject the round and there is a wedge the round will get stuck on and catch the cartridge case) Mostly annoying because if it does that you cannot reload the case ever (for those who do reloading the case is split at the opening for the bullet and goes back usually about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch...yeah the wedge is fairly sharp and no way to dull it down...the main spring is pretty strong and the ejection of cartridges is pretty weak)
Sounds like yours needs the gas port adjusted. When I had mine, it ran well with no jams, and amazingly light recoil for a full power battle cartridge. They had a problem with a wandering zero so instead of sniper use, it was relegated to squad leader use. If the Russians had time to work on the wandering zero problem, I'm satisfied it could have been fixed. Wish I'd kept mine.
@@828enigma6 lol wow I never had the wandering zero issue mine was dead on and never wandered...On my gasport I pretty much opened it up as far as it would go and got it fairly reliable... Never got the chance to take it to a gunsmith and see if anything could be done do to it being stolen and not being able to find as nice an example (fit and finish were very nice on it) all the ones i saw after were damn near scratch and dent yard sale ones...like oof bad looking, gouges, deep gashes, bad bluing, bent parts even :( ended up replacing it with 2 other rifles later on
I have an SVT-40. I took it to the range about 10 years ago. An older man watched me shoot it. I asked if he had ever shot one and he said "No but have been shot by one. In my first tour in Viet Nam, the VC had them. By my second tour they had AKs".
@@norths21 i would laugh. He's probably dead by now. This was years ago, he was like in his 50s and very overweight. I was very bad at socializing so i asked that dumb question.
I seen Ukrainian video's with some of their manpower using Russian SKS rifles, I know this because my dad has a 1953 vintage SKS he purchased back in 1995. I shot that SKS a number of times, it is every bit as good and sturdy as the AK47, just no full auto and only carries 10 rounds, two 5 round stripper clips. The DP27 is just as good as the Bren gun. The DSHK is a good machine gun for fortified positions. As for the Browning 50 cal, that gun just proves a point, if it not broke, no need to fix it, that weapon will be around for decades to come.
@@CFarnwide The Maxim works great for emplacements and on the defensive which Ukraine mostly is. Good at sustained fire because its water cooled and the shield can give some protection to the gunner in case of small arms fire.
They may be old but still very effective. I know my fellow gun owners are drooling and would love to get their hands on every one of them. Of course the heavy machine guns would be grabbed up immediately by the very serious collector who would pay whatever it takes to possess them legally. Granted, in a war zone I would prefer to have the modern weapons just the same.
It's amazing to see how in WW1 we (humans) used to drop darts out of airplanes and used simple artillery while nowadays we have the ability to send GPS guided inter continental missiles able to blow up entire cities on the other side of the planet, but we still use the Maxim machine gun from 1886(!)
I bought my M44 Mosin carbine in 2008 for $75. That thing kicks like a mule but is a great rifle. It still has the original factory markings, built in Tula Arsenal.
When I first shot my M44 from a shooting shed at a gun range I thought someone was throwing rocks at the metal roof! Turns out it was the reverberations of this "flame thrower" making the roof dance.
Yep. And the .50 (12.7mm) M2. Many of them were actually manufactured during the war. Recently the military ordered new stock of the exact same weapon.
the same thing happened in Syria, government supply dumps got opened up by rebels and WWII vintage firearms bought from the USSR in the 1950s and forgotten in the desert suddenly started getting used. A lot of it was captured Nazi equipment, so suddenly these guys were using in combat priceless antique StG 44s!
WW2 weapons has shown up in other conflicts as well, while they may look out of place and the common perception might be that they are obsolete; the truth is that in the right hands they can be just as deadly as any modern equivalent weapon…..keep in mind; a competent soldier can be far more deadly with a WW2 rifle than a newbie with the latest and greatest weapons. Also the Mosin Nagant PU model pictured here; all look to be equipped with the 3x optic used in WW2 as well, while this scope was okay for WW2 standards, it might show its limitations today
@@louisecollard2320 they were apart of the former ussr. So they have experience using and maintaining soviet weapons not to mention spare parts etc. The nato stuff they are getting that are not former soviet stuff tend to be one time use or simple weapons that don't require much maintenance or training to use. They just don't have the time right now.
No not at all. If you use any bolt action or any small magazine semi auto weapon from ww2 you would immediately be outclassed at any range and any situation by a modern rifle. There is absolutely no comparison between the two. Its the same jump between musket and bolt action.
6:00, The Mosin-Nagant fires a 7.62 x 54R round. The "R" is for "rimmed", as the very bottom of the case has a small rim sticking out, all the way around it. Thanks for (yet another) interesting video!
When l was in Iraq we repeatedly took fire from a certain apartment complex A few days later l heard through channels that a sweep of the building yielded many weapons including a Lewis Gun that had three full ammo wheels ,( drums) , and was fully operational. I hope that weapon made it into a museum.
Firearm is like the internal combustion engine. The principal stayed the same. When a bullet, that has not evolved at all is still the same when fired out of any weapon. Still lethal! Even a couple of T34 can be dangerous today.
The old M2 or Ma Duec. Still a wonderful weapon. US Army tried to replace it some time ago, but no one had anything better. Its said, "If you can see it, you can hit it" with a M2
It's the Goldilocks Gun: it has the right combination of accuracy, lethality, portability, reliability and versatility. In fact aside from adding a quick change barrel and adding chromium inserts, there have been very few modifications added to the M2 since 1945. And the Browning tipping bolt design at the heart of the BAR/MAG series also continues soldiering.
I remember training on the Ma Deuce in School of Infantry at Camp Pendelton in the 1994 prior to us being broken up into further specialization. A wonderful weapon. We had one guy get a meritorious Lance Corporal [E3] promotion because he humped [force marched] carrying the 50lbs receiver the entire 20 miles for 8hrs. Incredible but heavy lady, still wowing the boys today
I am amazed when I see it tear apart a tank/heavily armoured vehicles I don't even want to see the damage a burst does to Squishies (humans) straight break a human apart like throwing a Lego creation at the ground, just break into pieces with those rounds bigger than Andre the giant fingers
Fascinating watching the firing of the Mosin rifle. Brings back memories of firing the Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifle. And I love WWI era medium machine guns. Water-cooled is heavy, but the gun can do sustained fire forever without the need for a barrel change. As a Canadian Army officer, my own Second World War weapon experience was using the 9 mm Inglis pistol. This was manufactured just down the street two blocks away from Fort York Armoury where I served with The Royal Regiment of Canada.
Maybe I'm just hearing things, but when he was firing the pistol at the range. Right at the end, is that and M1 Garand clip hitting the ground? 2:44 Edit: watching the rest of the video, it could have been a mosin stripper clip hitting the ground.
I find the longevity and usefulness of military hardware perversely comforting. Along with the ageless .50 cal machine gun there's the .303 Lee Enfield rifle which had an almost century-long service life (and is still useful as a sniper weapon), the B-52 bomber first used in the 1950s and not planned to be retired for another 20 or more years, the Russian Mil Mi-8, helicopter still in wide use sixty years after its first flight. There's a ton more...
The fact that Ukraine is using weapons from World War 2 is yet ANOTHER reason why NATO needs to step up their military support of that country. If our supposed allies are using weapons from WW2, that is an embarrassment! Time to step it up.
In Vietnam I had a .45 grease gun and a .30 M1 carbine. Good backups for the unreliable early M-16s. From the other side we shot at by old Russian weapons. Some of us wanted to use AK-47s. But were warned against this because the distinctive sound would attract "friendly" fire. Some nights we had to spend time figuring out who was firing overhead. Sometimes you could judge by what the tracer round colors were. Memories from the Vietnam slaughter.
I would not feel unarmed with an M1 Carbine in the jungle. I have a Rockola that’s a bit beat up, but shoots very accurately. My great uncle used one in the mountains of Italy during ww2.
They never told anyone this to keep it secret, but part of their adamance to keep troops from using captured enemy weapons was because of Project Eldest Son. They were actively feeding sabotaged ammo that would explode and hurt the user or destroy their weapon when it fired to the NVA supply lines in an attempt to turn the NVA and VC against their Chinese backers.
@@retrogaminggenesis6102 thanks for invading a third world country and causing misery to millions. Yeah thanks a bunch. At least you got your asses kicked.
the number of Maxim's in store really shocked me. if they have the belts, loaders and spare parts i could see them being rather useful... remembering that maxim family watercooled machine guns were tactically at thier best in the trenches of WW1 and there are a lot of fixed trench lines in the Donbas.
They are very useful. I don't understand why people are shitting on these old weapons, if it shoots bullets accurately and reliably then what is the problem? A Mosin is just as deadly now as it was 130 years ago.
@@ATruckCampbell and it wasn't very deadly then. The mosins were mostly absolutely dogshit rifles, but simple ones so easy to mass produce. Only before ww2 was there a good run of decently made rifles, which were promptly downgraded again during the war.
The maxim mg design is to my knowledge still the most reliable and sustainable mg design to date. the British had one firing for a week straight during a test and only stopped due to running out of ammo.
TH-cam veiwers are lucky to have a historian with the knowledge of Mr Felton that enjoys producing great and accurate video content. Take Care, John PS, For veiwers who don't know, the Soviet/Russian .50 caliber cartridge and the American/Nato .50 are not the same. They are ballisticaly nearly identical but are not interchangeable. Just wanted everyone to understand that 'feeding' the DSHK and the US M2 does require different ammunition. This war is like comparing the Logistics to WW2...
Correct on the 2 ammo types. The 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) case measures 12.7 x 99mm, while the Soviet round is 12.7 x 108mm. I was hoping to see the WW2 era Soviet Anti-Tank rifles mentioned also. Both the bolt-action PTRD and the semi-auto PTRS fire the 14.5 x 114mm round. I have seen photo proof of their use currently, but I suspect so.
This old bolt action rifles like the moisin or Kar98 and so on is still a very potent and accurate weapon in longrange engagements. I have a Kar98k, is very accurate, powerful and reliable in all enviroments.
@@letoubib21 well, when it comes to cars it is even more true, cars today have potato armour, the old ones, like the famous ones from the 30s,40s,50s, and 60s were more resistant, in my country, a lot of people still drive the Volkswagen beetle, due to it's popularity in the past.
Yikes 😬^ Of course he didnt mean it that way. I imagine he meant that 80 years later and there's still endless content, lessons to be learned, and equipment being used. It of course wasn't a gift to the people who lived then or still suffer the consequences of what happened to their ancestors who were alive then. But it is to people like us who can't get enough content. Obviously if I had a magic wand and had to choose btwn the content or undoing the suffering, I'd choose the latter. But since I can't, I enjoy the content
@@alphanomad511 I'm in the US, I would totally have a sawed off musket in my car for carjacking if I were allowed to keep and bear that, unless I could get something better of course. Sadly we have no right to keep and bear arms in the US, so you unfortunately can't even keep a musket ready in your car or legally use for self defense where I'm at. Not that criminals follow laws, so you're just dead when they want your car, self defense not allowed. Musket at close range is better than nothing, sadly we are allowed nothing.
This video reminds me of my grandma. She was born in Germany in 1938 and grew up during WWII. She later immigrated to the US and settled down in San Diego. I really enjoyed hearing her stories from the war and over the last year we had many hours long discussions about her experiences, both of us learning many things. She passed away just a few weeks ago and it has surprised me that WWII stuff is what makes me miss her most.
@@wstevenson4913 she grew up in Germany during the war and had many stories from the different towns she lived in, like watching allied bombers going down and being shot at by an allied fighter on her way to school.
It already is, most people just have no clue. Russia and Ukraine are one of the worlds largest suppliers of wheat and fertilizer. Ukraine is a large portion of that. Guess he isn't farming at the moment?
The old Soviet Union never threw anything away when it came to serviceable weapons. I remember when not long after it's demise the military collectable firearms market was awash with wwii and older era rifles and handguns as Russia dumped them onto the US market to raise much needed hard currency. It surprises me Ukraine hadn't done the same thing but kept their weapons in storage for a rainy day. Fortuitous I reckon cause it is surely pouring down now.
One of the admirable qualities of the Russians, is they don't throw stuff away, they figure they might need it one day, kind of like a pack rat nation. This war is a tragic mistake.
@@RuiLuz you see the video where they had a bunch of Russians trapped in their BMP, and an Azov trooper knocks on the hatch with a hand grenade and shouts "Jutenmorgen Russian schwine soldaten!"? Can't imagine that turned out well for the Russians.
During my tour in Vietnam in 1969 we Marines fired a 105mm howitzer that was dated 1943 Rock Island Armoury. It looked new and shot very accurately out to 7 miles.
A friend of mine was infantry for a hitch then 2 in MPs in Vietnam. He said they had a mix of WWII weapons (M3 grease gun, Thompsons, M1 Carbines, maybe an M2 Carbine or two) and they'd use them when under attack and the M-16s started to get messy and drop out to clean, the MG gunner would pickup the rate, but many others just reached for the backup weapon. And then some muckety-muck saw them doing that and they confiscated all the WW2 weapon systems... THOU SHALT USE THE M-16! He ended up having his folks ship him a Remington pump 12 ga. and they shipped him boxes of shells. When Tet went down, it was street to street and MPs had very flexible tables of equipment (whatever they could get their hands on) and he had an M-79. He used it take out a VC group on a nearby rooftop. Of course, the top of the building wasn't empty of other stuff... and the M-79 round knocked out the VC on that roof as well as some key commo links.... it was always written up as a VC action... *chuckle*. Miss ya, Dawgie. You were a good man.
There is nothing obsolete about the 7.62 x 25 Tokarev round. It has excellent penetration, is accurate and energy wise falls between the 9mm Parabellum and the .357 Magnum and is cheaper to produce than either of those cartridges. Maybe someone can explain why the Soviets did not continue on with this powerful pistol carriage..
That ammo was withdrawn from police service in Serbia together with the venerable M57(Yugoslav version of the Tokarev) as it did not have enough stopping power. When a policeman shoots a criminal, the round just goes through him, and puting to risk everybody behind the target.
@@ognjenkarajic6343 Why were they using military ammo in a police weapon? 7.62 x 25 ammo is made with expanding bullets. I have serval boxes of it and it is made in Serbia by Prvi Partizan.
@@ognjenkarajic6343 Why were they using military ammo in a police weapon? 7.62 x 25 is made with expanding bullets, I have several boxes of it made by Prvi Partizan. It has plenty of stopping power, more than 9mm Parabellum. Maybe it was more like "I want a shiny new. latest and greatest pistol" and those are not made in 7.62 x 25 Tokerev?
True , it is not about gun , every shot can be deadly no matter if it is from newest AK or almost 100 years old mosin if its well maitained. I personally would even prefer mosin in some situations like long distance (200+ meteres) shooting.
A crap gun is still a crap gun. Militaries don’t however tend to issue crap guns. Anything issued after 1888, that has ammunition available, will give you a bad day if you are within a half mile down range from someone who knows how to use it. The oldest Mosin’s will be 130 years old this year…
@@tmartin34 Corruption happens… That’s why the Russians only have iron sights on the current issue AK-104’s (in spite of the optics rail’s being standard…).
@@allangibson2408 true , but optics are very expensive and russian economy isnt great neiter and with large scale corruption they can be glad even for guns ...
Great video. We will be doing a video soon with most of these WW2 weapons and a few others we have seen on other videos that we own. We are very lucky to have an SG-43, MG42, PPS-43, DPM, Sten, Bren (still working on this one) But thank you very much for the video.
You people say that like its a good thing Yes, its always good to bring back the good old weapons tainted with blood of millions in the most destructive war in history just so we can kill a few more peope with them isnt it?
What people sometimes tend to forget is that efficient use of the weapons of a infantry men means single fire. You can not shoot with full auto on a target 200 meters away unless youre sole aim is to supress but for that purpose you have machine guns. So the SVT-40 can be just as deadly as the AK when talking about range combat. It actually makes a lot of sense to hand these weapons out to reserve units which most likely don't find themselves in close combat. An Aussault Rifle has an advantage in close and urban combat but I don't see much of an advantage when 200m and above distance. Its been a while since I serves as a conscript with an SIG 550. Maybe I am wrong and this has changed since then with more modern weapons but I don't think this is wrong in context of ukraine since they mostly have Ak's from cold war era and their counterpart as well unless some kind of special unit.
Also, less trained people may be more useful taking single potshots at multiple targets as it would conserve ammunition compared to having them accidentally emptying a full magazine with an automatic
@@RJ-wx3fh problem with that is that single potshots dont even supress the enemy so the only thing it would do is make the enemy aware where the soldiers are while doing nothing.
Those weapons might be "old and antiquated" however I wouldn't want to be shot by one. I've always had a respect for Soviet era small arms and have even harvested two deer with my Tokarev SVT-40 that I bought a long time ago in my early 20's. The Czech CZ-52 is a wonderful weapon that gets the most out of the 7.62x25 Tokarev cartridge. The TT-33 is another one that I don't want to be downrange of. For that matter, even a Mosin Nagant in skilled hands.
@@Rutherford_Inchworm_III If a 7.62x54R connects with your center mass you will be going down hard no matter if it was a lucky shot or someone who knows what they are doing.
Another outstanding article by Mr. Felton. You might want to know that I live out here in Montana, USA, after many years in Washington DC, horrible. Many people out here in Montana are well armed with old Garands, Enfields, Mausers, Springfields, M-1 Carbines, and SKS's. We love them.
Yep, there is no way I will part with my M1 Carbine. Easy handling, reliable, and effective at shorter distances with the right ammo. If you look at WW2 combat films, there are a large number of Carbines used in front line service. They fire so fast, you don't need full auto like the M2 had later.
@@scavulous6336 I don't think there are others with the same designation. The Fins used 7.62x53, which was essentially the same cartridge, but John Citizen was right about the R standing for Rimmed. I think Dr. Felton may have been trying to tell the people that don't know where the cartridge originated.
My grandfather's unit had German Mausers and PPSH. Back then one could still find German Mausers along with Yugo ones. But Mauser k98k wasn't the only German weapon copied by SFRY. MG42 was also copied and was in use with the JNA even during the wars in Yugoslavia. And another interesting thing is that the JNA uniforms and helmets were always a sort of mishmash of influences (from ww2 German, pre war Yugoslavian royal army, Soviet WW2 to American early cold war). Also the TO units had a lot of old vintage ww2 and ww1 stuff weapons (because they were a sort of a stay behind army, meant to emulate ww2 partisans, while JNA was a regular armed force)
From what I've gathered from firearm enthusiasts and retired armed forces personnel from various videos and websites over the years, an older, "outdated" weapon in the hands of a capable shooter can be just as devastating to the enemy as any modern firearm, if not more so. A well trained shooter using an old bolt action who is familiar with his weapon system can be a more effective combatant than an inexperienced shooter with the most pimped out AR or AK imaginable.
The second part of what you said is something that is hotly debated, but in every military and practical test of this question show that modern combat rifles are far more effective even when compared to the most effective users of bolt-action rifles. No one would prefer to use a Lee Enfield over some AK pattern rifle in a large-scale firefight. The point is that they're lethal weapons still, and WWII bolt-action rifles are generally firing rounds that will be effective against light-skinned vehicles like trucks. Some Ukrainian college student might shoot out the radiator of a Russian truck as it turns down a street. That sort of thing is why all firearms must be respected for the lethal weapons they are. That said, give me an AK or AR any day. I am not speaking for Ian McCollum, AKA Gun Jesus, but he has talked extensively about this topic. Extensively. It's interesting to hear why that notion we have is wrong. In video games, a skilled player with a bolt-action rifle can easily compete with guys that are squeezing off 5-10x the volume of fire as you. But in real life, you really would not want to be the Bolt-action enthusiasts platoon taking rounds from soldiers firing from a 30 round detachable magazine. The advantages are numerous and decisive. Watching modern firefights, even ones that are relatively low intensity, substitute any modern military rifle with a bolt-action. Assuming even that the rifleman is average with an AR platform but world-class with a Springfield, you'd take the modern rifleman, all other things equal.
But in general, down with tyrants like Putin. Glory to Ukraine's heroes, even if some paramilitary units are armed with less effective firearms. They will still get the job done. Especially old WW2 automatic weapons. Weight issues are negated by the fact that they're being used at fortified defensive positions. Awful to haul around, but very little downside if you're firing from an emplacement.
Mark, your work is vital to ensure that we remember our history, as well as ensuring that we understand what is happening today. Thank you, I've donated a little cash in order to support you. The quality of your work is absolutely stunning, keep it it up!
Fun fact: The 7.62x25mm Tokarev has exactly the same case dimensions as the older, less powerful 7.63x25 Mauser from the Great War and the Russian Civil War. This was done so that Soviet troops could train and fight using old stockpiles of ammo from previous conflicts. So in other words, the Tokarev is still working as intended.
the number of Maxim's in store really shocked me. if they have the belts, loaders and spare parts i could see them being rather useful... remembering that maxim family watercooled machine guns were tactically at thier best in the trenches of WW1 and there are a lot of fixed trench lines in the Donbas.
The belts used in Russian Maxim machine guns have been used in every belt fed 7.62x54r machine gun in service. The Maxim, Goryunov SG-43, PK, PKM and PKP. The standard steel belt has remained the same since the 1940s. This means that a 1940s belt loader can load a factory new belt.
@@rcgunner7086 i highly doubt that They didnt use them as much as youd think in syria and getting the very special ammo in Ukraine is gonne be a nightmare
@@rcgunner7086 The Syrian volunteers are overstated, and from folk that report on that conflict, largely just a propaganda effort. Its unlikely the Syrian regime will actually send any fighters. Oh the Syrian StG-44s. Those went out of service fairly quickly after ammunition dried up. Years later they were either going quite cheap on the black market due to limited ammunition (certainly compared to PPSh, which you could get ammunition for), or you'd occasionally get someone asking way too much for one - based on the rifle's historical significance, in order to try and sell it to someone as either a souvenir or a prestige item.
The maxim is a great defensive weapon. Since it got a shield and is water cooled for a longer sustained fire. Not so great if you are on the offensive since it is extremely heavy for its caliber and not ergonomic.
From what I've seen of the fire discipline of some Ukrainian units, they could use those old self loading rifles to force them to slow their fire rate and take aim. They'd be more effective and not waste so much ammo.
I do recall seeing a "gate guard" IS3 being fired up back in Crimea 2014. Cant imagine parts and ammunition are easy to come by. Given the armoured losses taken. you never know, we may see T-55's or T62's. Maybe NATO should rustle up some M48's or M60's.
Operator Starsky spoke about the AK on one of his Q&A uploads....he stated that nearly all Kalashnikovs in use in Ukraine by both sides are AK-74u in 5.45mm
Could you do a video on the history of the manufacture of these guns? as a carpenter I find it mind blowing that they managed to carve so many mozens out of wood in such a short period. I've never found any info or videos about wooden gun making.
Older weapons can still get the job done. I have a couple firearms, though made in the 21st century, their design is over 100 years old. My 1911, and my Winchester 94.
What would also be interesting to see (and would LOVE to own) is the Winchester 95 in 7.62x54r. The Russians bought a ton of them, sent some to Spain in the 30s and even used in the great patriotic war. A US lever action vs the ak12.
I own both of those guns too, they're both excellent weapons. There's a reason the US armed forces stuck with the 1911 for as long as it did, it hits like a truck and is almost indestructible. The same goes for the model 1894 Winchester; accurate, very well made rifle that will stand up to a great deal of punishment and continue to function. My 94 came out of the factory in 1941 and it still functions perfectly.
I bought a surplus SKS around 2001, I got it at a military surplus store for $100. Looking up the maker's marks I discovered that it was manufactured in 1946. It used to jam on me once in a while, until I stopped using the Russian-made ammo, something about the propellant fouled the weapon rapidly. I began using the costlier US made ammunition and it hasn't jammed since. It's fantastically consistent. It's a little harder to control than my dad's Garand, because it's lighter, but that's just me. If I had to go to war and that was the only weapon available, I would at least have more peace of mind because it's so reliable despite its age.
@@unabrett69 I heard that only happens if the firing pin was installed wrong (Upside down) that caused a slam fire. Either way, I got rid of mine and went to the AR platform.
@@Doesitmatter113 firing pins tend to stick in Sks with incompletly cleaned out cosmoline. Clean out the bolt well and most are good to go. There are some kits to spring load the firing pin so it will never hang.
There was a huge cache of old Soviet weapons dumped in Ukraine as the forces withdrew from Eastern Europe in the 1990s which is what started this thing off. Was detailed in CJ Chivers writing for the New York Times including people collecting bullet casings from the battlefield in various conflicts.
@@dogtownoon9791 Plenty of high quality awesome Russian/Soviet firearms, but the Mosin is not one of them. Heavy, kicks hard for its caliber, rough action, awkward bolt handle position, loading from stripper clips isn't as smooth. Most other military bolt actions rifles of the day were just plain superior other than they were more expensive and couldn't be produced as fast. And that's exactly what the mosin was made to do: cheaply arm tens of millions of peasants in a short period of time
@@DelGTAGrndrs The only ones using Mosins are rear guard troops that will never see combat anyway. Sentries in the DPR and LPR are pretty much the only ones using them
No matter what weapon you use in conflicts. It's the man OR woman behind it who makes it deadly. Having several WW2 weapons in my collection, one stood up. Mosin Nagant as a sniper rifle is highly accurate in right hands between 700-1000 yards. Urban warfare it's a damn good distance. Thank you, Dr.Felton, again for a great story.
Mosin is cheap gap filler. You gotta understand they made millions of them. They are bound to resurface in conflicts. an ar10 would have same range as mosin but higher rate of fire. Much better weapon.
It's not always the weapon that counts, but how well one knows how to utilize it effectively. Plus those things are rugged and durable, given they were used in a war that broke out some 80 years ago and STILL function. They really don't build stuff to last anymore. And that's sad. Still; when something works, it works. The Mosin-Nagant was also used by the (in)famous Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä during the Winter War with well over 500 confirmed sniper kills, without a scope. Granted it was a Finnish retrofit version, affectionately called the Spitz.
If its in good condition, well maintained and in the hands of a capable infantryman, I would NOT want to be on the receiving end of any of these. Heck, I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of a 7 round Spencer made in 1865
The thought of a guy getting a lock on his Javelin or NLAW while his buddy covers him with a Mosin Nagant pretty much sums up this conflict. As for being issued a PPSH41 id say that's pretty cool but I'd definitely rather something more modern if available. Optics are definitely all they're cracked up to be. Edit: I've seen pictures of a technical (truck outfitted with machine guns) with multiple maxims strapped to it.
Those Maxims were usualy groupped in 4's on a mount on truck and used for anti-aircraft purposes until replaced by more modern AA guns. It have devastating effect against infantry though as there's 4 of them firing simultanously, literally: hail of bullets.
Arugably the TT33 is still a pretty modern weapon. The replacement Makarov was much smaller and lighter, and it's new 9mm Mak round was comparable in power to a .380 (9x17mm). The TT33 is actually quite compearable to a 1911, including the relatively powerful 7.62x25 round which is a fair match for the .45 acp; and the 1911 continues to remain popular both in civilian and military enviroments; though the 1911 shows much greater workmanship and a much better trigger than the Tokarev. I would prefer almost anything issued by NATO, but the TT33 is plenty advanced enough to serve it's purpose without being embarrassing to carry. I might even say the newer makarov is a downgrade in all regards but weight, a gun for people who were never expected to have to actually fire it.
LOVE the Tokarev pistol! I've got the Yugoslavian M57. It's almost a .357 magnum in a 1911 like package, a very hot cartridge, goes through helmets, vests, you name it. Unfortunately, here in the U.S, surplus firearms as a hobby is no longer viable, as everything has been bought up by millions of new, first time gun owners in the wake of widespread riots, violent crime waves and police reduction. Prices have doubled since 2019 if you can find anything, and buying ammo is like looking for a flint arrowhead lol ...
Yes, just after the invasion began, I had been wondering just how Ukraine was planning on arming the MILLIONS of males, who were ordered to stay and fight! I'd assumed they weren't really serious about sending them out into combat with those wooden AK47 cutouts that we had seen civilians training with, just prior to the start of hostilities! Although, Russia may as well have! LOL 🧐🥸🥴
I can never fault Mark Felton, but I know my guns. A common misconception with the 7.62x54r is that the r denotes "russian". It's actually "rimmed" as its a rimmed case like the .303 British. That's where people started calling it Russian, because the .303 had the British attached to it internationally.
Love these old weapons. Ive owned a few mosins in my time. Customized one with carbon stock and a bushnell scope. 7.62X54r is the longest active service round with over a 100 years in use. And the R stand for rimmed not russian. 😉 Love you videos Mr. felton
I saw a video of an MG-42 being manned at a Ukrainian strong point outside of Kiev. Someone claimed it was an MG-3, but the sights did not look right for either. It was probably not a literal WWII MG-42, but it sure looked weird seeing such an old design in active service... especially pointed at Russians.
@@clevlandblock Do you know if the German's still use that as their general purpose machine gun/squad weapon? I know it was a serviceable design but not one that should make it to the 21st century!
@@Psychol-Snooper Yes. Quite a few other nations, including Italy, also use the MG-3. There is nothing wrong about using it for modern war; the Browning M2 is much older after all.
@@sirboomsalot4902 The M2 is a huge .50 cal, and in a class by itself, like the M134. I'd much rather work with an M240 at the squad level. The US chose it for a reason. The Belgians make great weapons. You could probably get two MG 3s for the price of one M240 though, and two MG 3s would be more effective than one M240. Those Ukrainian's look like they could dual wield them too! XD
One handy characteristic of the water cooled mgs is that they were capable of long sustained fire. This was essential in the indirect fire mode which sadly went out of fashion after Korea. Now when you want to saturate an enemy position one + km away with fire, you have to call in a gunship which I suspect is far more expensive than a machinegun det with four or more guns and a truckload of ammo.
The Canadian Army also has this thing we call "artillery" which is capable of performing the same task. Up to 6 km the 81 mm mortar also works just fine, and is a lot cheaper.
yes a mortar can do the job but if you have spare Maxims... plus the good counter battery gear can detect where a mortar is fired from. i imagine 7.62x54r projectiles would be harder to pick up on radar.
@@whatnowstinky There are two major reason why indirect MG fire is no longer used in modern warfare. By "no longer used" I mean that the Canadian Forces publication for the C6 GPMG does not have the necessary firing tables. So that even if I wanted to fire indirectly, it cannot be done. Here are the two reasons why indirect MG fire is no longer a thing, and as a practical matter has been replaced by the 81 mm mortar: 1. Cannot adjust fire. Tracer rounds burn out after less than 1 km of flight. That is plenty for direct fire, but by the time an indirect 7.62 tracer round lands, the trace element is long gone. This means that it is very difficult to impossible for a forward observer to adjust fire, particularly at night, because he cannot see the round land. A mortar bomb, no problem. A big explosion with a bright flash is easy to see. This problem is made much worse by the fact that a 7.62 mm round is much lighter than a mortar bomb, and is therefore far greatly affected by wind over the long flight path of indirect fire. 2. Limited effective range. Indirect MG fire has a minimum range that is not much less than its maximum range. The C6 GPMG is a high-velocity flat-trajectory weapon. Yes, if I fire it at greater than a 45 degree angle, the bullets are going to fall somewhere. But that "somewhere" tends to be far away. If I want to fire a mortar at a target on the other side of the hill that I am right next to, no problem. I just strip off all the propellent charges except for the last one, and fire the bomb at minimum velocity over the hill. An 81 mm mortar has a minimum range of 80 metres and a maximum range of 5,700 metres. But to have a 7.62 mm round fall on the other side of that hill, I have to fire it almost straight up into the air at a 90 degree angle. Needless to say, going all the way up and then all the way down through the air will allow even the slightest wind to carry the bullet far off target. I have no idea what the minimum range is for indirect MG fire (remember, no tables in the MG manual). But I will take a guess at 1 km based upon my historical reading. On the other hand, the maximum range of a 7.62 mm round is 2,340 metres. Comparing this with an 81 mm mortar gives us: Indirect 7.62 C6 GPMP: Minimum range 1,000 metres, maximum range 2,340 metres. 81 mm mortar: Minimum range 80 metres, maximum range 5,700 metres. And that is why the 81 mm mortar has replaced indirect machine gun fire.
Hello mark, can i ask, What did the Germans do with the Catacombs of Paris, I am so curious, cant find anything online. They certainly did something didnt they?
You've been a workaholic recently without any drop in quality, very welcomed and very impressive dr. Felton!
A shame Mark hasn't been a workaholic in exposing the TRUTH behind this latest GLOBAL conflict & the REAL agenda behind it.
The war is a perfect opportunity to get more views and subscribers.
@@blackmantis3130 & people need education on what is going on, since apparently wars might sadly be a thing some of us might need to again participate in.
I hope not, but I hope for the best & prepare for the worst ^^
The 762. X 54R the R does not stand for Russian , it stands for rimmed cartridge
I mean the fact that every vid has an ad now is a massive overall drop in quality but sure..
I'm always fascinated by the Mosin's longevity. It was practically outdated when it first entered service, but here were are in 2022 and it's still being used lol.
I love my Mosin. I use it for hunting, and I have used it for dangerous animals calls, so professionally, too. There are stronger and slicker actions than the Mosin action. There are bigger and better magazines than the 5 round integral. There are far sexier and cooler cartridges out there like 6.5 Creedmore, 338 Lapua, 300 WinMag, 375 H&H, but I stick with it because it suits my needs, and most critically, 7.62x54R is very affordable, so I can hold a higher level of skill by getting more practice.
@@Mortablunt "Beware the man that only owns one gun." He will know how to use it expertly.
It wasn't outdated, what do you mean?
It's not like it was a bad rifle, just the soviet factories made things with a various range of quality, you could get a great Mosin and a very shitty Mosin. That's how it works in communist countries
The Mosin-Nagant was used by the most successful sniper of all "The White Death" Finnish sniper Simo Hayha. He also used the Finnish submachine gun Suomi KP/31 which the Soviets adapted as their PPSH-41.
Can we all just appreciate how Dr. Felton has been nonstop with these up to date quality videos in regards to modern conflicts and past conflicts intertwined. As a College student majoring in History and as a History content creator myself, that takes a lot of work.
You should expect the same from your pro- fessors. Show him/her this channel.
Oh heck yeah 👍
Affirmative
Dr. Felton is the way.
Er, yes we all appreciate him. That’s why we are here.
As the saying goes "No weapon is ever obsolete, as long as it can kill".
100% agreed
Give me a ww2 british bren gun any day deadly
@@bradleywilson5641 yep just don't drop it
ahh yes I love my flintlock pistol
Give me a pointy stick! WAAAARGH!
You have no idea how much guys like us look up to Mark Felton, absolute king!
@MiniMania yeah but Felts is the boss!
But then why is Greg' angry? ..is it just an Avro and A-bombs? (Not on SoMe = What do I know)
@@dallesamllhals9161 you had a pipe?
@@Doddster1983 I'm danish! Røvhul! Look it up?
@@dallesamllhals9161 what does being Danish have to do with you smoking a pipe?
The Maxim MG was designed by American Hiram Maxim in the 1880s . That's closer in years to the US War of Independence than to the year 2022 . Astounding .
British/American
He was an American who got sent to Britian for his job.
If it can handle modern ammunition, it’s modern enough for an emplacement weapon.
During WWI, it was used by both sides. No other comparable heavy machine-gun existed. That is iconic.
nice observation. Astounding indeed
I seen old WW2 weapons when I was in Iraq , one Iraqi police officer had a old Thompson sub machine gun. I even seen a couple of M40s in 07 while I was there. Any weapon with ammo and can fire is used … you don’t need a Roman scribe to figure that out
We had some old Sten guns lying around in ‘03.
Yep they all fire bullets powerful enough to kill. Essentially the improvements made over the last 80 years to weapons has only made small improvements and many still shoot the same ammo as they did back then. Weapons made of lighter plastics don't really make the weapons any more lethal, it just makes it more convenient for soldiers when they have to carry them over longer distance.
My brother said the same thing
@@rubiconnn Don't underestimate the logistical dificulties of these older weapons. That M1910 Maxim looks like a lot of work to move around.
But yeah, if it shoots its usefull.
@@arthurbouwhuis1647 Thats why its on wheels.
I own an original Mosin sniper rifle manufactured in 1942 with the original PU scope matching numbers with the scope mount being force matched. It is still a very accurate rifle and is a Vietnam bring back.
@Colin Mor No I sold my lee Enfield No.4 Mk.1 sniper rifle during a divorce and could never get it back. I plan not to sell any others.
I have a 44 carbine that I bought 20 years ago when milsurp rifles were cheap.
@@ronrobertson59 this is what wisdom actually looks like
I have a 1943. It was gone over by a master gunsmith before I bought it. I’m convinced it never saw combat.
@@99somerville My 91/30 with gold bands from aimsurplus was $80. Bought it around 2007. I feel ya.
As Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has pointed out more than once, only incremental improvements can be made until significant improvements are made in ammunition. Hunters in the US use replicas of flintlock and caplock rifles for hunting large game. The 7.62x54r cartridge is still being used in combat. Obsolescent does not mean obsolete.
The democratic Ukraine is short of weapons??? Didn't the Azov division hand out AK47's to grannies and hobo's at intersections????
I think about the battle of Crete, where civilians resorted to flintlock and even wheel lock rifles to fight the Germans. Sadly they weren't super useful in said engagements.
This time around, I can think of very, very few widespread ww2 designs that couldn't be used to devistate an enemy in a conflict like this.
@@InvestmentJoy The only weapons that wouldn't be useful are those without ammo. I can't imagine Thew Ukrainians have a vast stockpile of STG-44's with 8mm kurtz lying around.
Luckily the Soviets used only a half dozen types of ammo for most of their weapons.(7.62x54rmm, 7.62x25mm, 7.62x39mm, 9x18mm, etc)
And just because something is obsolete doesn't mean you are immune to it, if somebody stabbed you in the neck with a gladius you are still just as dead today as your ancestors were 2,000 years ago.
There's already significant improvements being made. Look at the ngsw competitors. Idk how I feel about the textron rounds but the other two are very promising.
Fun fact: recently i saw a video of ukrainian soldiers setting up a browning M2. The video description claimed the M2 originated from ww2 when it was delivered by America to the USSR as part of the land lease program. It had been taken out from an old storage facility and is now used against the russians.
there are still multiple ww2 era M2 receivers in use last I heard in the US.
Gotta keep Ma happy!
The Ma Deuce is used all over the U.S. military to this day, including, gunwale-mounted variants on destroyers. It's the gun that probably will never die because, frankly, there's nothing that can be made better or worse of it lol.
@@VisibilityFoggy Started a lot of fires with it.
the Aniston arsenal reported servicing and upgrading an M2 made in 1923 (according to the stamp on it) and sending it back to a issue depot for reissuing a couple years back!! they're built like battleships with plenty of spare parts so they're going to keep going!!
This proves that some weapons are timeless in design and usefulness. One shining example of this is Germany's continued use of the MG-42 machine gun. All they've really done is modify it from using the 7.92x57 round to using the 7.62x51 NATO round, and redesignating it as the MG-3.
Germany delivered hundrets of MG3 to Ukraine in the last weeks!
@@meeow1900 Es wird nicht alles gemeldet, was geliefert wird.....
When I was in the Canadian Forces I used a variant of the MG-42. Nice machine gun. Unfortunately, Canada slowed the rate of fire down from the original.
@Alex OP Für ein paar tote Iwans mehr, werden die schon gut sein!
The most timeless weapon EVER is found everywhere and it's FREE! A solid ROCK!
That's pretty cool, I wonder how many of these Soviet WWII weapons were actually used on the eastern front and now being used today? No doubt some of these guns have a story to tell, they out live their users. I was waiting to see if the German MG 42 would pop up, another timeless weapon still in use today.
Germany has sent in some MG3s - a reverse engineered and slightly modified version of the MG42. Some of them even have parts from original MG42s.
It's mostly not, it has too high rate of fire, it's simply very hard to supply ammo for it
@@enki9013 It's recommended to fire short bursts with it. Secondly, that sound alone is terrifying.
there were MG42s, MP40s, MG34s, PTRD41 and PTRS41 in use since 2014. The Soviet Antitankrifles on both sides and the german weapons mostly by ukrainian fashist groups.
Former East German MP44 are showing up in Syria being used daily! Now that's a fun weapon. As long as you have ammo.
Happy to see this video. Some reports I've seen stated that the Ukraine had about one million surpluses ww2 era firearms they likely pulled out of stockpiles for this conflict.
With General mobilization, you need every gun you can get. I don't think a person would notice whether they were shot by a ak47, rpd, svt-40 or a k98. All still can play a 2nd line role in a modern conflict, it surely also helps so many use ammunition that is still made today.
In my opinion the difference could be told byt the size of the hole that's put through you ! 😉
@@DutchGuyMike so foreign volunteers got shafted?
Dont fight a war that isnt yours I always say
@@sequence-gaming4841 damn
@@DutchGuyMike that war tourist's video hasnt been confirmed. He was complaining about no body armour but they were told to bring their own. And also they were at a rear staging area it makes sense they wouldent be issued combat ammo loads till they got to the front lines. Buddy volunteered for a war thinking it was gunna be a walk in the park, not fighting farmers they are fighting a "near peer" (lol) enemy ffs of course its not gunna be a walk in the park. And yes deserters are shot in many major conflicts all over the world.
5:57 The "R" in 7.62x54mmR stands for rimmed, as the cartridge has a rim that protrudes rather than a notch inside the circumference, as is standard on most other rifle cartridges.
Exactly correct. A small error in detail of what was a truly excellent post by Mark.
Rimmed cartridges were the norm in the 19th century. It provides a positive stop for chambering and robust extraction. They are problematic in vertical feed magazines, so the move to rimless cartridges. Rimless requires precise chamber machining to set headspace.
Not really the norm since around the year 1900
Thanks for clarifying that detail, I wasn't sure what the "R" stood for.
@@redtra236 he said 19th century 7.62x57 r british .303 french lebel 8x whatever were all designed in the late 1800s i think mauser started using rimless cartridges in their rifles first in the late 1800s.
Not just then and there. I used a 1911 when I was in the Marines in the 80s, my mortar was a WW2 design built during the Korean War. When I got out and went into the Guard, we had M3 (grease gun) submachine guns for the tankers.
RR: I last re-qualed in the navy with the 1911 (1945 mfg stamps) in late 1995, one week before they were officially retired. At that shoot i did have one disassemble in my hand, fortunately I wasn't injured. :)
In 1980 I got from the WAARNG an M1911 built in *1942* as my sidearm *. . .*
Yes, the thing is that in some fields (like machine guns and auto cannons) things have made little progress since wwii. Not because technology has stalled, but rather because some of the designs that came out back then has prooven to be really really good.
And frankly, the M3 and M1911 are still excellent weapon designs. The M3, remains the simplest and most reliable submachine gun design ever. It just lacks the cool appeal of other submachine guns. I and my son, both commercial M1911s. That weapon is also an outstanding weapon that still compares well with any modern pistol, and, it still has incredible stopping power.
Still a great sidearm I carry a GI model Ria 1911 in 45auto it's close to the A1 but has flat mainspring housing and slightly longer trigger and the hammer spur isn't as wide as the actual 1911A1. I been thinking about replacing those parts to make it a 1911A1 spec gun.
Impressive that a nation as wealthy and advanced technologically as the US is still using reliable, well-engineered weapons such as the M2. If it ain't broke...
The best BMGs (M2) were made by sewing machine manufacturers. Much better than those made by car manufacturers.
Hell, I saw video of a Ukrainian unit with a ma duce. Made me smile!!
@@ottopartz1 It's a lovely weapon for it's purpose, but only with enough ammunition. The RAN still uses them.
@@peterwillians1273 it's a beautiful weapon, simple, durable and reliable. Even more beautiful when she's fed Raufuss or Slap-T rounds. Still a beauty even though she'll be pushing 100 soon.
john browing was a gun expert. god bless him and samuel colt.
Recently went on a little hunting trip with my mosin and I can safely say you do NOT want to get hit anywhere by those rounds.
Haha very true the 54R does hit very hard...you also notice the muzzle flash on the vid from the carbine, its also very common, shoot it at night you can see everything like its daylight then your blind as a bat lol,.. still I love my mosin carbine...If you ever get the chance to shoot the SVT 40 take it,..It shoots way different (not the heavy kick after every shot do to the gas operated system) just be aware that its much more susceptible to jams do to the gas system being kind of weak (doesn't fully eject the round and there is a wedge the round will get stuck on and catch the cartridge case) Mostly annoying because if it does that you cannot reload the case ever (for those who do reloading the case is split at the opening for the bullet and goes back usually about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch...yeah the wedge is fairly sharp and no way to dull it down...the main spring is pretty strong and the ejection of cartridges is pretty weak)
I can safely say you wouldn’t want to get hit with any bullet of any caliber.
Yeah, I can see sparks fly on the video on the Mosin.
Sounds like yours needs the gas port adjusted. When I had mine, it ran well with no jams, and amazingly light recoil for a full power battle cartridge. They had a problem with a wandering zero so instead of sniper use, it was relegated to squad leader use. If the Russians had time to work on the wandering zero problem, I'm satisfied it could have been fixed. Wish I'd kept mine.
@@828enigma6 lol wow I never had the wandering zero issue mine was dead on and never wandered...On my gasport I pretty much opened it up as far as it would go and got it fairly reliable... Never got the chance to take it to a gunsmith and see if anything could be done do to it being stolen and not being able to find as nice an example (fit and finish were very nice on it) all the ones i saw after were damn near scratch and dent yard sale ones...like oof bad looking, gouges, deep gashes, bad bluing, bent parts even :( ended up replacing it with 2 other rifles later on
I have an SVT-40. I took it to the range about 10 years ago. An older man watched me shoot it. I asked if he had ever shot one and he said "No but have been shot by one. In my first tour in Viet Nam,
the VC had them. By my second tour they had AKs".
Did ya ask to see the scar?
@@88997799 You know that silly thing called respect?
@@norths21 an old man showed me his bullet scars, i asked him if they were real, he got mad.
@@karlhans6678 Most of the people would get mad
@@norths21 i would laugh. He's probably dead by now. This was years ago, he was like in his 50s and very overweight. I was very bad at socializing so i asked that dumb question.
I seen Ukrainian video's with some of their manpower using Russian SKS rifles, I know this because my dad has a 1953 vintage SKS he purchased back in 1995. I shot that SKS a number of times, it is every bit as good and sturdy as the AK47, just no full auto and only carries 10 rounds, two 5 round stripper clips. The DP27 is just as good as the Bren gun. The DSHK is a good machine gun for fortified positions. As for the Browning 50 cal, that gun just proves a point, if it not broke, no need to fix it, that weapon will be around for decades to come.
The 50 cal has an issue with head spacing. It is adjustable and that is both good and risky in the hands of an unexperienced person.
I'm sure lots of sks's being used.
Great rifle
SKS has dedicated 10 round clips, don't need to feed it twice with 5 rounders
@@user-njyzcip Dad only had 5 round stripper clips
Interesting. I also saw - from what I believe - a Mauser 98k.
yes there are the odd one in use as sniper rifles
It's actually amazing just how many WW2 guns are being used in Ukraine, I was fairly surprised when I saw a guy with a Mosin Nagant and Maxim
The missile from these ancient weapons is just as deadly as from modern weapons. Old does not necessarily have to be worse.
The Mosins didn’t shock me in the least. The Maxim however 😵! I half wonder if a museum was raided.
What do you mean WW2 guns? The Maxim and Mosin we're from the 1880s, way before WW2.
@@CFarnwide The Maxim works great for emplacements and on the defensive which Ukraine mostly is. Good at sustained fire because its water cooled and the shield can give some protection to the gunner in case of small arms fire.
If its not broken don't fix it
They may be old but still very effective. I know my fellow gun owners are drooling and would love to get their hands on every one of them. Of course the heavy machine guns would be grabbed up immediately by the very serious collector who would pay whatever it takes to possess them legally. Granted, in a war zone I would prefer to have the modern weapons just the same.
As long as it shoot bullet I would be fine with whatever honestly
As long as the weapon makes the angry pointy bullet hit the target effectively, a gun is a gun.
@@avian68tb and also has armor piercing rounds in huge quantities
Mark failed to mention that the AK 47 has been in service since 1947 and both sides are using them as their primary assault rifle.
Btw, the guy firing the mosin-nagant seems like he's doing a mad minute that was done by soldiers using the lee-enfield
It's amazing to see how in WW1 we (humans) used to drop darts out of airplanes and used simple artillery while nowadays we have the ability to send GPS guided inter continental missiles able to blow up entire cities on the other side of the planet, but we still use the Maxim machine gun from 1886(!)
If it jambs, club your opponent to death with a rock. 😂😂😂😂
But they put a red dot on it atleast 😁
Look at a railway gun and tell me it's simple
@@cmdrgarbage1895 It is, relatively speaking. Big tube on a big frame with an oil recoil buffer system
I bought my M44 Mosin carbine in 2008 for $75. That thing kicks like a mule but is a great rifle. It still has the original factory markings, built in Tula Arsenal.
Jelly
When I first shot my M44 from a shooting shed at a gun range I thought someone was throwing rocks at the metal roof! Turns out it was the reverberations of this "flame thrower" making the roof dance.
As a Norwegian we still use the mg3 in the army. Still one of the best lmg out there Even tho its from 1942
Yep. And the .50 (12.7mm) M2. Many of them were actually manufactured during the war. Recently the military ordered new stock of the exact same weapon.
Mg3 is from 1959. It’s an upgraded version of the mg42.
@@kelikatikarl1718 same damn thing just in .308
@@kelikatikarl1718 biggest difference is it ses 7.62x51 nato
@@thomasrothiii524 its not the same damn thing ....it appears however no parts are interchangable
the same thing happened in Syria, government supply dumps got opened up by rebels and WWII vintage firearms bought from the USSR in the 1950s and forgotten in the desert suddenly started getting used. A lot of it was captured Nazi equipment, so suddenly these guys were using in combat priceless antique StG 44s!
Now that all the 8mm kurtz ammo has been used up you can buy one for around 50 bucks in Syria .
Stg44’s are basically less reliable german AK-47’s
WW2 weapons has shown up in other conflicts as well, while they may look out of place and the common perception might be that they are obsolete; the truth is that in the right hands they can be just as deadly as any modern equivalent weapon…..keep in mind; a competent soldier can be far more deadly with a WW2 rifle than a newbie with the latest and greatest weapons.
Also the Mosin Nagant PU model pictured here; all look to be equipped with the 3x optic used in WW2 as well, while this scope was okay for WW2 standards, it might show its limitations today
Read an article earlier today. A lot of the equipment the Ukraine's are getting from other countries are made in Russia. Interesting.
Same concept with a bow and arrows. Completely obsolete, but an arrow will still kill you the same way it did 1000 years ago.
@@louisecollard2320 they were apart of the former ussr. So they have experience using and maintaining soviet weapons not to mention spare parts etc. The nato stuff they are getting that are not former soviet stuff tend to be one time use or simple weapons that don't require much maintenance or training to use. They just don't have the time right now.
@@luigi55125 And I saw some video footage of a Ukie unit with crossbows last week. Open season thereabouts.
No not at all. If you use any bolt action or any small magazine semi auto weapon from ww2 you would immediately be outclassed at any range and any situation by a modern rifle. There is absolutely no comparison between the two. Its the same jump between musket and bolt action.
6:00,
The Mosin-Nagant fires a 7.62 x 54R round. The "R" is for "rimmed", as the very bottom of the case has a small rim sticking out, all the way around it.
Thanks for (yet another) interesting video!
That footage is WELL known to have been staged. Even during WW2. (5:45)
Glad someone caught this… “Rimmed” not “Russian”
And kicks like a horse!
I'm stunned to see the SVT -40 still in action!
Thank you Dr. Felton you made my day by this presentation.
Heard they can be bought in Canada but not here. They won’t import them. There is some out there of course
I'm enjoying this series of videos on current events, Mark. Keep'em coming.
The democratic Ukraine is the most weaponised state on the planet apart from our Democracy....Grannies have assault rifles there...
@@daviddoran3673 The United States ain't a democracy, it's a constitutional republic.
When l was in Iraq we repeatedly took fire from a certain apartment complex
A few days later l heard through channels that a sweep of the building yielded many weapons including a Lewis Gun that had three full ammo wheels ,( drums) , and was fully operational. I hope that weapon made it into a museum.
@Neo Cortex America's whole powertrip in the 90's and 2000's was ridiculous
@Neo Cortex alway wonder what the yellow powder they wave in un really are ?
War criminal
@@maskedguy2101 📮
yeah thx for the iraq kids
Firearm is like the internal combustion engine. The principal stayed the same. When a bullet, that has not evolved at all is still the same when fired out of any weapon. Still lethal!
Even a couple of T34 can be dangerous today.
Yep, all they have to do is run over the retreating Russians!
The old M2 or Ma Duec. Still a wonderful weapon. US Army tried to replace it some time ago, but no one had anything better. Its said, "If you can see it, you can hit it" with a M2
It's the Goldilocks Gun: it has the right combination of accuracy, lethality, portability, reliability and versatility. In fact aside from adding a quick change barrel and adding chromium inserts, there have been very few modifications added to the M2 since 1945. And the Browning tipping bolt design at the heart of the BAR/MAG series also continues soldiering.
I remember training on the Ma Deuce in School of Infantry at Camp Pendelton in the 1994 prior to us being broken up into further specialization. A wonderful weapon. We had one guy get a meritorious Lance Corporal [E3] promotion because he humped [force marched] carrying the 50lbs receiver the entire 20 miles for 8hrs. Incredible but heavy lady, still wowing the boys today
The Marines might literally mount a revolution if you tried to take the Ma Deuce away lol.
@@VisibilityFoggy i seriously could see that as one of the few causes for an insurrection, Ma Deuce is one of our favorite mothers
I am amazed when I see it tear apart a tank/heavily armoured vehicles I don't even want to see the damage a burst does to Squishies (humans) straight break a human apart like throwing a Lego creation at the ground, just break into pieces with those rounds bigger than Andre the giant fingers
Fascinating watching the firing of the Mosin rifle. Brings back memories of firing the Lee-Enfield No. 4 rifle. And I love WWI era medium machine guns. Water-cooled is heavy, but the gun can do sustained fire forever without the need for a barrel change.
As a Canadian Army officer, my own Second World War weapon experience was using the 9 mm Inglis pistol. This was manufactured just down the street two blocks away from Fort York Armoury where I served with The Royal Regiment of Canada.
Does the thought of those antique weapons tearing apart flesh and bone in Ukraine right now get you hard?
How often do u apologise
@@APersonOnTH-camX Z
Firing them yourself is wild. I don’t know why but the percussion is more intense than any other rifle in it’s class.
Maybe I'm just hearing things, but when he was firing the pistol at the range. Right at the end, is that and M1 Garand clip hitting the ground? 2:44
Edit: watching the rest of the video, it could have been a mosin stripper clip hitting the ground.
I find the longevity and usefulness of military hardware perversely comforting. Along with the ageless .50 cal machine gun there's the .303 Lee Enfield rifle which had an almost century-long service life (and is still useful as a sniper weapon), the B-52 bomber first used in the 1950s and not planned to be retired for another 20 or more years, the Russian Mil Mi-8, helicopter still in wide use sixty years after its first flight. There's a ton more...
A sturdy stick is still a pretty damn good way to end your opponent rightly if you think about it.
Don't forget the tupolev Tu 95 bomber , still one of the best and the fastest turboprops out there even tho it entered service in 1952
@@carlost856 For that a man of culture would use a pommel, not a stick.
@@Dont_Tread_on_Me448 Yup. Those too! If it ain't broke...
It's a shame all of our other technology has fallen to planned obsolescence. Even the household furniture for god's sake.
Mosin might be ancient but it’s incredibly lethal and from personal hunting experience with it, its an amazing Sniper Rifle
The fact that Ukraine is using weapons from World War 2 is yet ANOTHER reason why NATO needs to step up their military support of that country. If our supposed allies are using weapons from WW2, that is an embarrassment! Time to step it up.
@@williamyoung9401 Russian soldiers, then
I actually own one Tokarev tt-33, there were many in circulation in Sweden in the 90s, more than there was ammunition for them: D
Appreciate your work, Dr. Felton.
Edit: I imagine that Czech hedgehog would have an updated plaque to reflect its most recent service.
In Vietnam I had a .45 grease gun and a .30 M1 carbine. Good backups for the unreliable early M-16s. From the other side we shot at by old Russian weapons. Some of us wanted to use AK-47s. But were warned against this because the distinctive sound would attract "friendly" fire. Some nights we had to spend time figuring out who was firing overhead. Sometimes you could judge by what the tracer round colors were. Memories from the Vietnam slaughter.
Thanks for your service man that's a cool story
I would not feel unarmed with an M1 Carbine in the jungle. I have a Rockola that’s a bit beat up, but shoots very accurately. My great uncle used one in the mountains of Italy during ww2.
They never told anyone this to keep it secret, but part of their adamance to keep troops from using captured enemy weapons was because of Project Eldest Son. They were actively feeding sabotaged ammo that would explode and hurt the user or destroy their weapon when it fired to the NVA supply lines in an attempt to turn the NVA and VC against their Chinese backers.
Funny my dad, a Vietnam get, told me the same story about the Ak. He didn’t trust his M16 and said he carried a Thompson for most of his tour.
@@retrogaminggenesis6102 thanks for invading a third world country and causing misery to millions. Yeah thanks a bunch. At least you got your asses kicked.
the number of Maxim's in store really shocked me.
if they have the belts, loaders and spare parts i could see them being rather useful... remembering that maxim family watercooled machine guns were tactically at thier best in the trenches of WW1 and there are a lot of fixed trench lines in the Donbas.
They are very useful. I don't understand why people are shitting on these old weapons, if it shoots bullets accurately and reliably then what is the problem? A Mosin is just as deadly now as it was 130 years ago.
@@ATruckCampbell and it wasn't very deadly then. The mosins were mostly absolutely dogshit rifles, but simple ones so easy to mass produce. Only before ww2 was there a good run of decently made rifles, which were promptly downgraded again during the war.
The maxim mg design is to my knowledge still the most reliable and sustainable mg design to date. the British had one firing for a week straight during a test and only stopped due to running out of ammo.
@@thelordofcringe : Yes. Only the highest quality Mosins (of pre-WW2 manufacture) were selected for conversion to sniper rifles.
water cooled Maxims will fire forever as long as the water is availablel...
TH-cam veiwers are lucky to have a historian with the knowledge of Mr Felton that enjoys producing great and accurate video content.
Take Care, John
PS, For veiwers who don't know, the Soviet/Russian .50 caliber cartridge and the American/Nato .50 are not the same. They are ballisticaly nearly identical but are not interchangeable. Just wanted everyone to understand that 'feeding' the DSHK and the US M2 does require different ammunition. This war is like comparing the Logistics to WW2...
Thats true, Mr Felton was part of history itself... :D for us the viewers.
Basic simple weapons, one shot per kill.
Correct on the 2 ammo types. The 50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) case measures 12.7 x 99mm, while the Soviet round is 12.7 x 108mm.
I was hoping to see the WW2 era Soviet Anti-Tank rifles mentioned also. Both the bolt-action PTRD and the semi-auto PTRS fire the 14.5 x 114mm round. I have seen photo proof of their use currently, but I suspect so.
He has a PhD, should be Dr mark Felton
@@straightshootingtalk6715
Metalurgy has evolved in leaps and bounds, not the 7 deadly sins.
This old bolt action rifles like the moisin or Kar98 and so on is still a very potent and accurate weapon in longrange engagements. I have a Kar98k, is very accurate, powerful and reliable in all enviroments.
the famous:" old but gold", some older things work better than newer ones.
I have a Spanish version of it, short barrel. A damn fine brush gun.
@@maximilianolimamoreira5002
_My pretty aged (53), English, used car from Coventry says "Thank you"_ *. . . ;-)*
@@letoubib21 well, when it comes to cars it is even more true, cars today have potato armour, the old ones, like the famous ones from the 30s,40s,50s, and 60s were more resistant, in my country, a lot of people still drive the Volkswagen beetle, due to it's popularity in the past.
WWII: The gift that keeps on giving
My great-Grandfather died in a concentration camp, so wasn’t much of a gift.
@@ArmyJames The gift was you, live well
It was hardly a gift
Well, more like "gift that keeps on killing" :P
Yikes 😬^
Of course he didnt mean it that way. I imagine he meant that 80 years later and there's still endless content, lessons to be learned, and equipment being used. It of course wasn't a gift to the people who lived then or still suffer the consequences of what happened to their ancestors who were alive then. But it is to people like us who can't get enough content. Obviously if I had a magic wand and had to choose btwn the content or undoing the suffering, I'd choose the latter. But since I can't, I enjoy the content
Imagine shooting a weapon that potentially your great grandfather would've shot. The Maxim still being in service is just nuts to see.
Note: The SKS was fielded in small numbers during final months of ww2, was popular with soviet units that tried it out.
I have a 1954 Russian SKS and i love it! I bought it in 1996 and I could hit 3" targets at 200 Yrds, with no scope! Ugly but Accurate!
@@daniellejones5981 Cool. Does your SKS have the blade bayonet?
@@ragingjaguarknight86 Most likely, only the very early (pre-1949) Russians, all Albanians, and the later Chinese had spike bayonets
@@sirboomsalot4902 good to know. 😎👍 I only have a type 56 carbine, and it has a spike bayonet.
Ugly? I love the look of sks
When you realize the 1910/30 is just a variant of the Maxim gun 1883, you realize a gun does not need to be modern to put some undesired holes in you.
Remember one thing - there is no such thing as "old" weapon, if it shoot and kill its dangerous enough.
how about muskets in today's battlefields 🤣
@@alphanomad511 okay, that's actually old haha.
However, I think we can all agree that it's still dangerous though
@@alphanomad511 hell, a replica Japanese "peppo" musket can be dangerous if it was loaded with a metal ball...
@@alphanomad511 I'm in the US, I would totally have a sawed off musket in my car for carjacking if I were allowed to keep and bear that, unless I could get something better of course. Sadly we have no right to keep and bear arms in the US, so you unfortunately can't even keep a musket ready in your car or legally use for self defense where I'm at. Not that criminals follow laws, so you're just dead when they want your car, self defense not allowed.
Musket at close range is better than nothing, sadly we are allowed nothing.
@@jakegarrett8109 what state do you live in 🤨
This video reminds me of my grandma. She was born in Germany in 1938 and grew up during WWII. She later immigrated to the US and settled down in San Diego. I really enjoyed hearing her stories from the war and over the last year we had many hours long discussions about her experiences, both of us learning many things. She passed away just a few weeks ago and it has surprised me that WWII stuff is what makes me miss her most.
My grandpa a ww2 and korea vet is still alive at 95
@@BeautifulGreen252 will do thanks I always do. He opened up a bit to me after Afghanistan. Stories for days shun
@@BeautifulGreen252yeah bro
War stories from someone born in 1938 ?
@@wstevenson4913 she grew up in Germany during the war and had many stories from the different towns she lived in, like watching allied bombers going down and being shot at by an allied fighter on her way to school.
Mark never fails to make these titles so damn interesting for those who are obsessed with ww2
i fear this war is just the beginning of something much bigger, china moving on taiwan is a question of when not if
It already is, most people just have no clue. Russia and Ukraine are one of the worlds largest suppliers of wheat and fertilizer. Ukraine is a large portion of that.
Guess he isn't farming at the moment?
The old Soviet Union never threw anything away when it came to serviceable weapons. I remember when not long after it's demise the military collectable firearms market was awash with wwii and older era rifles and handguns as Russia dumped them onto the US market to raise much needed hard currency. It surprises me Ukraine hadn't done the same thing but kept their weapons in storage for a rainy day. Fortuitous I reckon cause it is surely pouring down now.
Saw some Azov guy carrying an RPG-7 and an MP-40... he absolutely looked like somebody you dont want to have a gunfight with.
Plenty of modern weapons from the UK/US Military Industrial Complex in Ukraine. UK/US taxpayers has blood on their hands - business as usual.
One of the admirable qualities of the Russians, is they don't throw stuff away, they figure they might need it one day, kind of like a pack rat nation. This war is a tragic mistake.
@@ianmedford4855 Of course the Azov guys would use use MP-40s and MP-44s (I have seen those too).
@@RuiLuz you see the video where they had a bunch of Russians trapped in their BMP, and an Azov trooper knocks on the hatch with a hand grenade and shouts "Jutenmorgen Russian schwine soldaten!"?
Can't imagine that turned out well for the Russians.
During my tour in Vietnam in 1969 we Marines fired a 105mm howitzer that was dated 1943 Rock Island Armoury. It looked new and shot very accurately out to 7 miles.
Thank you for your service!👏
A friend of mine was infantry for a hitch then 2 in MPs in Vietnam. He said they had a mix of WWII weapons (M3 grease gun, Thompsons, M1 Carbines, maybe an M2 Carbine or two) and they'd use them when under attack and the M-16s started to get messy and drop out to clean, the MG gunner would pickup the rate, but many others just reached for the backup weapon. And then some muckety-muck saw them doing that and they confiscated all the WW2 weapon systems... THOU SHALT USE THE M-16! He ended up having his folks ship him a Remington pump 12 ga. and they shipped him boxes of shells. When Tet went down, it was street to street and MPs had very flexible tables of equipment (whatever they could get their hands on) and he had an M-79. He used it take out a VC group on a nearby rooftop. Of course, the top of the building wasn't empty of other stuff... and the M-79 round knocked out the VC on that roof as well as some key commo links.... it was always written up as a VC action... *chuckle*.
Miss ya, Dawgie. You were a good man.
13 bang bang hoah....edit: Ooorah for yo crayon eaters
@@ghandimauler Awesome story, Sir! Thank you for your service!
@@ghandimauler
In service
M60a3 in 1989s
The loader n driver
Our service weapon was a m3 grease gun
There is nothing obsolete about the 7.62 x 25 Tokarev round. It has excellent penetration, is accurate and energy wise falls between the 9mm Parabellum and the .357 Magnum and is cheaper to produce than either of those cartridges. Maybe someone can explain why the Soviets did not continue on with this powerful pistol carriage..
That ammo was withdrawn from police service in Serbia together with the venerable M57(Yugoslav version of the Tokarev) as it did not have enough stopping power. When a policeman shoots a criminal, the round just goes through him, and puting to risk everybody behind the target.
@@ognjenkarajic6343 Why were they using military ammo in a police weapon? 7.62 x 25 ammo is made with expanding bullets. I have serval boxes of it and it is made in Serbia by Prvi Partizan.
@@ognjenkarajic6343 Why were they using military ammo in a police weapon? 7.62 x 25 is made with expanding bullets, I have several boxes of it made by Prvi Partizan. It has plenty of stopping power, more than 9mm Parabellum. Maybe it was more like "I want a shiny new. latest and greatest pistol" and those are not made in 7.62 x 25 Tokerev?
The Tokarev is a perfectly serviceable sidearm even now, and the 7.62x25 is a screamer of a round, with 1700 feet per second not unheard of.
yeah I figured it was moving FAST considering the round is 7.62 x29. What's the grain load?
I mean, seeing how much it kicked when he was firing.
@@angusmatheson8906 the grain load is i believe 3
The TT33 is a horrendously designed pistol, way too narrow and the grip angle is just predestined to cause your wrist to hurt.
@@angusmatheson8906 85 grains is the most common loading.
Never judge a weapon by its age, but by the skill of the soldier weilding it.
True , it is not about gun , every shot can be deadly no matter if it is from newest AK or almost 100 years old mosin if its well maitained. I personally would even prefer mosin in some situations like long distance (200+ meteres) shooting.
A crap gun is still a crap gun. Militaries don’t however tend to issue crap guns.
Anything issued after 1888, that has ammunition available, will give you a bad day if you are within a half mile down range from someone who knows how to use it.
The oldest Mosin’s will be 130 years old this year…
@@allangibson2408 yea , why would you use crap gun for military ? You dont want to have unreliable or danger gun if you life depends on it
@@tmartin34 Corruption happens…
That’s why the Russians only have iron sights on the current issue AK-104’s (in spite of the optics rail’s being standard…).
@@allangibson2408 true , but optics are very expensive and russian economy isnt great neiter and with large scale corruption they can be glad even for guns ...
Great video. We will be doing a video soon with most of these WW2 weapons and a few others we have seen on other videos that we own. We are very lucky to have an SG-43, MG42, PPS-43, DPM, Sten, Bren (still working on this one) But thank you very much for the video.
What, no M3 "Grease gun"?
Every single WW2 rifle and pistol were and still are fully capable!
Just because you have stuff that's newer and higher capacity doesn't mean it won't still kill you just as dead as it would in 1945
You people say that like its a good thing
Yes, its always good to bring back the good old weapons tainted with blood of millions in the most destructive war in history just so we can kill a few more peope with them isnt it?
I just love the fact that Maxim guns are still in use. I’d love to add one to my collection.
I saw one from WWI in a museum in Serbia. Iconic weapon from history and old war stories :D
Is insane that Ukraine still has 35k units in storage. It makes sense to put these lethal weapons in service.
@@j.h-j5j YES 35k INSANE ahhahaha It just shows how war is war and weapon is weapon if it shoots.
I saw a deactivated Vickers for 2 grand at an Antique shop; if I had the money then I uhhh just have gotten it lol
@@sirboomsalot4902 I bought mine in 1990 when it was 350 quid...currently sitting nicely in the living room
What people sometimes tend to forget is that efficient use of the weapons of a infantry men means single fire. You can not shoot with full auto on a target 200 meters away unless youre sole aim is to supress but for that purpose you have machine guns. So the SVT-40 can be just as deadly as the AK when talking about range combat. It actually makes a lot of sense to hand these weapons out to reserve units which most likely don't find themselves in close combat. An Aussault Rifle has an advantage in close and urban combat but I don't see much of an advantage when 200m and above distance. Its been a while since I serves as a conscript with an SIG 550. Maybe I am wrong and this has changed since then with more modern weapons but I don't think this is wrong in context of ukraine since they mostly have Ak's from cold war era and their counterpart as well unless some kind of special unit.
Also, less trained people may be more useful taking single potshots at multiple targets as it would conserve ammunition compared to having them accidentally emptying a full magazine with an automatic
Guntard moment
The biggest advantage of modern vs cold war era weapons (as long as they are self loading/semi auto) is the ability to use modern optics.
Maybe but i doubt the average conscripts can hit much of anything above 200m let alone with an old rifle that has ironsights
@@RJ-wx3fh problem with that is that single potshots dont even supress the enemy so the only thing it would do is make the enemy aware where the soldiers are while doing nothing.
I'm scared that the PPSh-41, just like the MG-42, both made 80 years ago, still are gold standards in both SMG and Machine Gun designs.
M-240 is better...
PPS-43 is truly the best SMG of the era. Stamped > milled for armies
Those weapons might be "old and antiquated" however I wouldn't want to be shot by one. I've always had a respect for Soviet era small arms and have even harvested two deer with my Tokarev SVT-40 that I bought a long time ago in my early 20's. The Czech CZ-52 is a wonderful weapon that gets the most out of the 7.62x25 Tokarev cartridge. The TT-33 is another one that I don't want to be downrange of. For that matter, even a Mosin Nagant in skilled hands.
"a Mosin Nagant in skilled hands" LOL
0:07 - Yeah, that's clearly Comrade Zaitsev's great-grandson. He uses his middle-aged paunch as a shooting rest.
@@Rutherford_Inchworm_III If a 7.62x54R connects with your center mass you will be going down hard no matter if it was a lucky shot or someone who knows what they are doing.
Another outstanding article by Mr. Felton. You might want to know that I live out here in Montana, USA, after many years in Washington DC, horrible. Many people out here in Montana are well armed with old Garands, Enfields, Mausers, Springfields, M-1 Carbines, and SKS's. We love them.
Montana is one of the states in America where freedom truly exist
yes we are. with many flavors of Mausers in 8mm, 7mm, and 6.5 swede. SKS are like gold here
Yep, there is no way I will part with my M1 Carbine. Easy handling, reliable, and effective at shorter distances with the right ammo. If you look at WW2 combat films, there are a large number of Carbines used in front line service. They fire so fast, you don't need full auto like the M2 had later.
7.62x54R - the R stands for Rimmed. It's the stepped rim at the base of the cartridge which the extractor grabs onto to eject the round.
There are other 7.62x54mm cartridges, maybe that's what he meant by adding russian who knows
@@scavulous6336 I don't think there are others with the same designation. The Fins used 7.62x53, which was essentially the same cartridge, but John Citizen was right about the R standing for Rimmed. I think Dr. Felton may have been trying to tell the people that don't know where the cartridge originated.
It actually stands for "rimjob"
My grandfather's unit had German Mausers and PPSH. Back then one could still find German Mausers along with Yugo ones. But Mauser k98k wasn't the only German weapon copied by SFRY. MG42 was also copied and was in use with the JNA even during the wars in Yugoslavia. And another interesting thing is that the JNA uniforms and helmets were always a sort of mishmash of influences (from ww2 German, pre war Yugoslavian royal army, Soviet WW2 to American early cold war). Also the TO units had a lot of old vintage ww2 and ww1 stuff weapons (because they were a sort of a stay behind army, meant to emulate ww2 partisans, while JNA was a regular armed force)
From what I've gathered from firearm enthusiasts and retired armed forces personnel from various videos and websites over the years, an older, "outdated" weapon in the hands of a capable shooter can be just as devastating to the enemy as any modern firearm, if not more so. A well trained shooter using an old bolt action who is familiar with his weapon system can be a more effective combatant than an inexperienced shooter with the most pimped out AR or AK imaginable.
The second part of what you said is something that is hotly debated, but in every military and practical test of this question show that modern combat rifles are far more effective even when compared to the most effective users of bolt-action rifles. No one would prefer to use a Lee Enfield over some AK pattern rifle in a large-scale firefight.
The point is that they're lethal weapons still, and WWII bolt-action rifles are generally firing rounds that will be effective against light-skinned vehicles like trucks. Some Ukrainian college student might shoot out the radiator of a Russian truck as it turns down a street. That sort of thing is why all firearms must be respected for the lethal weapons they are. That said, give me an AK or AR any day.
I am not speaking for Ian McCollum, AKA Gun Jesus, but he has talked extensively about this topic. Extensively. It's interesting to hear why that notion we have is wrong. In video games, a skilled player with a bolt-action rifle can easily compete with guys that are squeezing off 5-10x the volume of fire as you. But in real life, you really would not want to be the Bolt-action enthusiasts platoon taking rounds from soldiers firing from a 30 round detachable magazine. The advantages are numerous and decisive. Watching modern firefights, even ones that are relatively low intensity, substitute any modern military rifle with a bolt-action. Assuming even that the rifleman is average with an AR platform but world-class with a Springfield, you'd take the modern rifleman, all other things equal.
But in general, down with tyrants like Putin. Glory to Ukraine's heroes, even if some paramilitary units are armed with less effective firearms. They will still get the job done. Especially old WW2 automatic weapons. Weight issues are negated by the fact that they're being used at fortified defensive positions. Awful to haul around, but very little downside if you're firing from an emplacement.
@@Chironex_Fleckeri ukraine are not hero's.. they use civilian infrastructure to hide military forces and then complain when the russians bomb them.
To see what a Well trained Shooter can do with WW1 & 2 Weapons I highly Recommend Bloke on the Range Channel, Especially his Mad Minute series!!
Very true. I own a 1938 Mauser 98k and under no circumstance want to stand on the receiving side of the barrel.
Mark, your work is vital to ensure that we remember our history, as well as ensuring that we understand what is happening today. Thank you, I've donated a little cash in order to support you. The quality of your work is absolutely stunning, keep it it up!
Fun fact: The 7.62x25mm Tokarev has exactly the same case dimensions as the older, less powerful 7.63x25 Mauser from the Great War and the Russian Civil War. This was done so that Soviet troops could train and fight using old stockpiles of ammo from previous conflicts. So in other words, the Tokarev is still working as intended.
@@olliefoxx7165 He is talking about the C96 broomhandle pistol.
Broom handles were made in a variety of different calibers, even .45acp in China. The 7.63 Mauser is the original caliber.
the number of Maxim's in store really shocked me.
if they have the belts, loaders and spare parts i could see them being rather useful... remembering that maxim family watercooled machine guns were tactically at thier best in the trenches of WW1 and there are a lot of fixed trench lines in the Donbas.
Even if some are not in usable condition or being cannibalized for parts that's still a shitload of machine guns.
The water cooled weapons are the best option in a prepared position in heavy action
The belts used in Russian Maxim machine guns have been used in every belt fed 7.62x54r machine gun in service. The Maxim, Goryunov SG-43, PK, PKM and PKP. The standard steel belt has remained the same since the 1940s. This means that a 1940s belt loader can load a factory new belt.
I was wondering just how heavy that RP-46 was when I saw the "Fork Lift Here" in the video then noticed that was painted on the equipment behind it.
I remember having seen a PTRD or PTRS anti-tank rifle in the fight for Donezk airport
Yup, I remember being floored by that. I wonder if any of the Syrians who are coming to fight will have StG 44s?
@@rcgunner7086 i highly doubt that
They didnt use them as much as youd think in syria and getting the very special ammo in Ukraine is gonne be a nightmare
@@rcgunner7086 The Syrian volunteers are overstated, and from folk that report on that conflict, largely just a propaganda effort. Its unlikely the Syrian regime will actually send any fighters.
Oh the Syrian StG-44s. Those went out of service fairly quickly after ammunition dried up. Years later they were either going quite cheap on the black market due to limited ammunition (certainly compared to PPSh, which you could get ammunition for), or you'd occasionally get someone asking way too much for one - based on the rifle's historical significance, in order to try and sell it to someone as either a souvenir or a prestige item.
The maxim is a great defensive weapon. Since it got a shield and is water cooled for a longer sustained fire. Not so great if you are on the offensive since it is extremely heavy for its caliber and not ergonomic.
There were photos of them mounted on vehicles.
Works great in a fortified position
I saw a photo of a twin-mount Maxim with a nice broad armor shield around them mounted to a vehicle. I wouldn't want to be in their way.
Water cooling that in an emergency used to be a nightmare if none of the gun crew "had to go".
@@moconnell663 twin vickers MG were deployed to arnhem mounted on the british reccy squadron's jeeps
The TT-33 is best used pointing downward at point blank range, sometimes after giving the order "please face wall" or "please face hole"....
Also the Makarov
"Any gun is better than no gun" Exactly, no need to a be snob while in danger.
From what I've seen of the fire discipline of some Ukrainian units, they could use those old self loading rifles to force them to slow their fire rate and take aim. They'd be more effective and not waste so much ammo.
Taking it a step further & imagine an ISU-152 turning up & taking out a T-72 :)
I do recall seeing a "gate guard" IS3 being fired up back in Crimea 2014. Cant imagine parts and ammunition are easy to come by.
Given the armoured losses taken. you never know, we may see T-55's or T62's. Maybe NATO should rustle up some M48's or M60's.
@@SRParsonage nope, those got bombed in the first day, they were all stored in Kharkov.
Operator Starsky spoke about the AK on one of his Q&A uploads....he stated that nearly all Kalashnikovs in use in Ukraine by both sides are AK-74u in 5.45mm
Could you do a video on the history of the manufacture of these guns? as a carpenter I find it mind blowing that they managed to carve so many mozens out of wood in such a short period. I've never found any info or videos about wooden gun making.
Mostly they'd rough out the stocks with cammed lathes, then mostly just finish by hand. You can do more of that by machine than you might think.
Older weapons can still get the job done. I have a couple firearms, though made in the 21st century, their design is over 100 years old. My 1911, and my Winchester 94.
What would also be interesting to see (and would LOVE to own) is the Winchester 95 in 7.62x54r. The Russians bought a ton of them, sent some to Spain in the 30s and even used in the great patriotic war. A US lever action vs the ak12.
ok.
I own both of those guns too, they're both excellent weapons. There's a reason the US armed forces stuck with the 1911 for as long as it did, it hits like a truck and is almost indestructible.
The same goes for the model 1894 Winchester; accurate, very well made rifle that will stand up to a great deal of punishment and continue to function. My 94 came out of the factory in 1941 and it still functions perfectly.
I wonder if any of those Winchester 95’s are being used?
The modern bolt action rifle is still uses pretty much the same action as the Mauser Model 1871.
I bought a surplus SKS around 2001, I got it at a military surplus store for $100. Looking up the maker's marks I discovered that it was manufactured in 1946. It used to jam on me once in a while, until I stopped using the Russian-made ammo, something about the propellant fouled the weapon rapidly. I began using the costlier US made ammunition and it hasn't jammed since. It's fantastically consistent. It's a little harder to control than my dad's Garand, because it's lighter, but that's just me. If I had to go to war and that was the only weapon available, I would at least have more peace of mind because it's so reliable despite its age.
I owned a Chinese SKS and after four or five rounds the accuracy sucked. The quality really relied on what country made the weapon.
watch out for that floating firing pin. it will go full auto on ya
@@unabrett69 I heard that only happens if the firing pin was installed wrong (Upside down) that caused a slam fire. Either way, I got rid of mine and went to the AR platform.
First desire for any soldier is reliability, followed by weight :-)
@@Doesitmatter113 firing pins tend to stick in Sks with incompletly cleaned out cosmoline. Clean out the bolt well and most are good to go. There are some kits to spring load the firing pin so it will never hang.
There was a huge cache of old Soviet weapons dumped in Ukraine as the forces withdrew from Eastern Europe in the 1990s which is what started this thing off. Was detailed in CJ Chivers writing for the New York Times including people collecting bullet casings from the battlefield in various conflicts.
The Mosin Nagant is such a beautiful gun. I bought one about a decade ago, an all matching Tula factory example from 1943.
Its a garbage rod lol
I’m always drawn to the Russian rifles and arms , very nice
@@zackhawn5944 obviously not if they are still using them. It’s a venerable weapon.
@@dogtownoon9791 Plenty of high quality awesome Russian/Soviet firearms, but the Mosin is not one of them. Heavy, kicks hard for its caliber, rough action, awkward bolt handle position, loading from stripper clips isn't as smooth. Most other military bolt actions rifles of the day were just plain superior other than they were more expensive and couldn't be produced as fast. And that's exactly what the mosin was made to do: cheaply arm tens of millions of peasants in a short period of time
@@DelGTAGrndrs The only ones using Mosins are rear guard troops that will never see combat anyway. Sentries in the DPR and LPR are pretty much the only ones using them
Mark Felton never misses a beat. He targets his audience with historical accuracy so on point, Putins War generals wish they had employed him.
No matter what weapon you use in conflicts. It's the man OR woman behind it who makes it deadly. Having several WW2 weapons in my collection, one stood up. Mosin Nagant as a sniper rifle is highly accurate in right hands between 700-1000 yards. Urban warfare it's a damn good distance. Thank you, Dr.Felton, again for a great story.
Mosin is cheap gap filler. You gotta understand they made millions of them. They are bound to resurface in conflicts. an ar10 would have same range as mosin but higher rate of fire. Much better weapon.
It's not always the weapon that counts, but how well one knows how to utilize it effectively. Plus those things are rugged and durable, given they were used in a war that broke out some 80 years ago and STILL function. They really don't build stuff to last anymore. And that's sad. Still; when something works, it works.
The Mosin-Nagant was also used by the (in)famous Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä during the Winter War with well over 500 confirmed sniper kills, without a scope. Granted it was a Finnish retrofit version, affectionately called the Spitz.
If its in good condition, well maintained and in the hands of a capable infantryman, I would NOT want to be on the receiving end of any of these. Heck, I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of a 7 round Spencer made in 1865
The thought of a guy getting a lock on his Javelin or NLAW while his buddy covers him with a Mosin Nagant pretty much sums up this conflict.
As for being issued a PPSH41 id say that's pretty cool but I'd definitely rather something more modern if available. Optics are definitely all they're cracked up to be.
Edit: I've seen pictures of a technical (truck outfitted with machine guns) with multiple maxims strapped to it.
There were pictures floating around in the early days of the 2003 Iraq war of a US soldier using a PPSH-41 with an EO tech on it for room clearing.
Those Maxims were usualy groupped in 4's on a mount on truck and used for anti-aircraft purposes until replaced by more modern AA guns. It have devastating effect against infantry though as there's 4 of them firing simultanously, literally: hail of bullets.
@@owllymannstein7113 Its nice gun for close range shooting and building clearing.
Arugably the TT33 is still a pretty modern weapon. The replacement Makarov was much smaller and lighter, and it's new 9mm Mak round was comparable in power to a .380 (9x17mm). The TT33 is actually quite compearable to a 1911, including the relatively powerful 7.62x25 round which is a fair match for the .45 acp; and the 1911 continues to remain popular both in civilian and military enviroments; though the 1911 shows much greater workmanship and a much better trigger than the Tokarev.
I would prefer almost anything issued by NATO, but the TT33 is plenty advanced enough to serve it's purpose without being embarrassing to carry. I might even say the newer makarov is a downgrade in all regards but weight, a gun for people who were never expected to have to actually fire it.
The MG42 and MP40 also seem to be being used in Ukraine right now.
LOVE the Tokarev pistol! I've got the Yugoslavian M57. It's almost a .357 magnum in a 1911 like package, a very hot cartridge, goes through helmets, vests, you name it. Unfortunately, here in the U.S, surplus firearms as a hobby is no longer viable, as everything has been bought up by millions of new, first time gun owners in the wake of widespread riots, violent crime waves and police reduction. Prices have doubled since 2019 if you can find anything, and buying ammo is like looking for a flint arrowhead lol ...
Yes, just after the invasion began, I had been wondering just how Ukraine was planning on arming the MILLIONS of males, who were ordered to stay and fight! I'd assumed they weren't really serious about sending them out into combat with those wooden AK47 cutouts that we had seen civilians training with, just prior to the start of hostilities! Although, Russia may as well have! LOL 🧐🥸🥴
They are capturing quite a lot of equipment from the Russians. I can assure you that not a single rifle they find goes to waste.
@@zxb995511 do you really think they "captured" more than 10000 guns?
@@zxb995511 and how would you know to assure
I can never fault Mark Felton, but I know my guns. A common misconception with the 7.62x54r is that the r denotes "russian". It's actually "rimmed" as its a rimmed case like the .303 British. That's where people started calling it Russian, because the .303 had the British attached to it internationally.
Small arms development has peaked. WW2 era weapons will kill just fine.
The “r” in the 7.62x54r cartridge designation does not stand for “Russian”. It stands for rimmed
I hope he reads this.
I think it's as in a few places they're referred to as 7.62 Russian to differentiate them from 7.62 NATO and 7.62 British (303)
Doubtful, since “rimmed” (as in a rimmed cartridge) in the Russian language is “в оправе”, which doesn’t start with an “R”.
@@ArmyJames well that’s also probably because there is no “R” in the Russian language
@@moskovkin There is a "R" in Russian and it's "P", same like in greek as their alphabet originates from Greek one.
Love these old weapons. Ive owned a few mosins in my time. Customized one with carbon stock and a bushnell scope. 7.62X54r is the longest active service round with over a 100 years in use. And the R stand for rimmed not russian. 😉 Love you videos Mr. felton
Nothing beats cracking open a Soviet era spam can of 54r ammo and getting that hiss of communist air.
@@Nattleby wish i could still buy them. Havent seen one in a few years
I saw a video of an MG-42 being manned at a Ukrainian strong point outside of Kiev. Someone claimed it was an MG-3, but the sights did not look right for either. It was probably not a literal WWII MG-42, but it sure looked weird seeing such an old design in active service... especially pointed at Russians.
Germany just shipped 100 MG3s to Ukraine. The video is on TH-cam.
@@clevlandblock Do you know if the German's still use that as their general purpose machine gun/squad weapon?
I know it was a serviceable design but not one that should make it to the 21st century!
@@Psychol-Snooper Yes. Quite a few other nations, including Italy, also use the MG-3. There is nothing wrong about using it for modern war; the Browning M2 is much older after all.
@@sirboomsalot4902 The M2 is a huge .50 cal, and in a class by itself, like the M134. I'd much rather work with an M240 at the squad level. The US chose it for a reason. The Belgians make great weapons. You could probably get two MG 3s for the price of one M240 though, and two MG 3s would be more effective than one M240. Those Ukrainian's look like they could dual wield them too! XD
@Smash Communism I think you nailed it. That's exactly what the rear sight looked like.
The video inserts of the guns firing really demonstrates their power. Thank you again Dr. Felton.
A video on vintage armour seeing use in this conflict would be interesting!
One handy characteristic of the water cooled mgs is that they were capable of long sustained fire. This was essential in the indirect fire mode which sadly went out of fashion after Korea. Now when you want to saturate an enemy position one + km away with fire, you have to call in a gunship which I suspect is far more expensive than a machinegun det with four or more guns and a truckload of ammo.
The Canadian Army also has this thing we call "artillery" which is capable of performing the same task. Up to 6 km the 81 mm mortar also works just fine, and is a lot cheaper.
@@kevinlove4356 Yuk yuk yuk.
yes a mortar can do the job but if you have spare Maxims...
plus the good counter battery gear can detect where a mortar is fired from. i imagine 7.62x54r projectiles would be harder to pick up on radar.
@@whatnowstinky There are two major reason why indirect MG fire is no longer used in modern warfare. By "no longer used" I mean that the Canadian Forces publication for the C6 GPMG does not have the necessary firing tables. So that even if I wanted to fire indirectly, it cannot be done. Here are the two reasons why indirect MG fire is no longer a thing, and as a practical matter has been replaced by the 81 mm mortar:
1. Cannot adjust fire. Tracer rounds burn out after less than 1 km of flight. That is plenty for direct fire, but by the time an indirect 7.62 tracer round lands, the trace element is long gone. This means that it is very difficult to impossible for a forward observer to adjust fire, particularly at night, because he cannot see the round land. A mortar bomb, no problem. A big explosion with a bright flash is easy to see.
This problem is made much worse by the fact that a 7.62 mm round is much lighter than a mortar bomb, and is therefore far greatly affected by wind over the long flight path of indirect fire.
2. Limited effective range. Indirect MG fire has a minimum range that is not much less than its maximum range. The C6 GPMG is a high-velocity flat-trajectory weapon. Yes, if I fire it at greater than a 45 degree angle, the bullets are going to fall somewhere. But that "somewhere" tends to be far away.
If I want to fire a mortar at a target on the other side of the hill that I am right next to, no problem. I just strip off all the propellent charges except for the last one, and fire the bomb at minimum velocity over the hill. An 81 mm mortar has a minimum range of 80 metres and a maximum range of 5,700 metres.
But to have a 7.62 mm round fall on the other side of that hill, I have to fire it almost straight up into the air at a 90 degree angle. Needless to say, going all the way up and then all the way down through the air will allow even the slightest wind to carry the bullet far off target. I have no idea what the minimum range is for indirect MG fire (remember, no tables in the MG manual). But I will take a guess at 1 km based upon my historical reading. On the other hand, the maximum range of a 7.62 mm round is 2,340 metres. Comparing this with an 81 mm mortar gives us:
Indirect 7.62 C6 GPMP: Minimum range 1,000 metres, maximum range 2,340 metres.
81 mm mortar: Minimum range 80 metres, maximum range 5,700 metres.
And that is why the 81 mm mortar has replaced indirect machine gun fire.
Hello mark, can i ask, What did the Germans do with the Catacombs of Paris, I am so curious, cant find anything online. They certainly did something didnt they?
visit them
Very interesting - maybe you could do a video on the History of the Azov Battalion, would be very interesting to learn more about them.
That my friend might not fit the narrative but it would be refreshing to see.
Ultra right neo-nazis are very common in former fascist nations.