Forgotten Weapons
Estonian Defense League Browning High Power
updated
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Czech Combat is a 2-day, 12-stage practical matching using rifle and pistol, sponsored by CZ and Sellier & Bellot. It is not a Brutality match, although it shares a lot of elements with Brutality. There is not as much physical challenge to the stages, instead having a mixture of tactically-oriented stages and IPSC-like stages. It was an extremely fun experience, with great competitors and really good range staff officiating the event!
https://czechcombat.cz
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After World War Two, the Red Army moved from a full power infantry rifle cartridge to an intermediate one, and the 7.62x39mm RPD became the new squad machine gun. At the same time, the heavy Maxims were replaced by the new SG-43 Goryunov. This left a gap in capability, with nothing available with full-power punch and reasonable mobility. To solve the problem, a team of three engineers (A.I. Shilin, P.P. Polyakov, and A.A. Dubinin) developed a clever adaptation to allow the DP/DPM machine gun to use belted ammunition (using standard Maxim/Goryunov/PK belts). They created a belt feed module that attached to the gun just like a magazine; simple and cheap to convert existing guns. This was adopted in 1946, and would serve until replaced by the PK in 1961. In addition to Soviet production, the design was also produced in China and North Korea.
In addition to the belt feed, the RP-46 featured a few other changes to better handle sustained belt-fed fire. The gas tube and front magazine catch were strengthened. A folding shoulder support was added to the buttstock. The bipod legs were modified to hold a 4-part segmented cleaning rod. A heavy barrel was fitted, and a much heavier gas block with three adjustable positions. The barrel release button was enlarged and fitted with a lockout lever to prevent accidental barrel release.
Information on how many RP-46s were made and how/where they were used is very difficult to find. The RP-46 is seen in very few period photos, and surplus stockpiles of them never have seemed to turn up. It’s really quite odd how little information and experience seems to exist on these guns, which does make one wonder if perhaps they were not actually made in large quantity, or if they were destroyed for some reason instead of being stockpiled like most obsolete Soviet arms.
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The Krása project (which translates as "beauty", but is also a shortening of "short assault rifle" - "KRÁtký SAmopal") is a fascinating piece of Czech small arms development. In 1976, the Czechoslovakian military requested development of a compact personal weapon for special troops (paratroops, armored vehicle crews, etc) and unit commanders. It was to be chambered for the standard 7.62x39mm cartridge, but it should be no more than 1.6kg (3.5lb) empty and just 270mm (10.6") long when folded.
The project was tackled by Jiri Čermák, who was the designed of the vz58 rifle. He began by simply shortening a vz58 as much as possible, but that was not sufficient to meet the goals. So he went on create a new rifle with a radically different feeding system. Instead of pushing rounds forward out of the magazine, it would pull them rearward, like a Mars or Boberg pistol (or like the North Korean Type 73 machine gun). This required a very different type of magazine, but allowed Čermák to create a functional weapon that was close to the requested size - 315mm (12.4") long and 2.1kg (4.6lb).
The first prototype was designed in late 1980, and two examples were made in 1981, designated the sa81. After only a small amount of function testing, the project shifted to use the new 5.45x39mm cartridge. One example in that caliber was made, the sa83, in 1983. However, the project was cancelled at the end of 1983 in favor of the new Lada program, which planned to create a complete new family of small arms. Lada was in turn cancelled by the fall of communism, and eventually replaced by the short-lived CZ2000 family in 5.56x45mm.
The Krása project made a brief comeback around the same time as the CZ2000, called project HROM. It uses the exact same mechanism, but with distinctive elements from the Lada/2000 guns like the sights and furniture. That project also was cancelled after just a couple prototypes.
In my opinion, the reverse-feeding concept remains a fascinating potential solution for an ultra-compact PDW. Seeing someone finish its development using a cartridge like .300 Blackout today would be awesome...
Thanks to the Czech Military History Institute (VHU) for graciously giving me access to this one-of-a-kind prototype to film for you! If you have the opportunity, don't miss seeing their museums in Prague:
https://www.vhu.cz/en/english-summary/
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When Estonia regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, it was initially armed with a wide variety of miscellaneous small arms. They clearly needed a primary standardized rifle for the new armed forces. The one definitive criteria for making a selection was than the new rifle must be chambered for the 5.56mm NATO cartridge, as Estonia knew from the beginning that its long-term survival as an autonomous state depended on joining the NATO alliance.
In 1994, Estonia put out an official tender for rifles, and it only received viable offers from two places: Vektor in South Africa, and IMI in Israel. Estonia had neither much money nor much credit history (so to speak), and the larger European manufacturers were wary of contracting with them. Between the two offers (both for Galil rifles), the Israeli was deemed better, and Estonia proceeded to purchase about 12,000 Galils from IMI. The significant majority were full length AR type, but there was also a small subset of compact SAR carbines in the purchase. These rifles served as the service rifles for the full-time professional element of the Estonian military, with annual conscript levies using a variety of other weapons (largely H&K G3 variations). In addition, during Estonian NATO missions to Iraq and Afghanistan, the deployed units were all issued Galils if they did not already have them.
In 2008, Estonia had a rifle modernization program that was the modification of most of the Galils with a package of upgrades. They were fitted with quad-rail hand guards (B&T), Aimpoint red dot optics, Aimpoint 3x magnifiers on B&T quick-detach mounts (affixed to the original Galil top covers), B&T vertical front grips, and domestic Estonian-made charging handle extensions. With these updates, the Galils continued to serve as Estonia's primary infantry rifle until the adoption of the new LMT R20 rifles starting in 2019.
Thanks to the Supply Battalion of the Estonian Defense Forces for giving me access to these rifles and their history to film for you!
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At the end of Estonia's war of independence in 1920, the new nation's government began working on military infrastructure. One thing it would need was a repair depot to maintain military equipment, everything from barracks furniture to arms and vehicles. A large building was obtained in Tallinn (the capital city) and a number of small shop moved to the new premises to work together. Over the 1920s, this central repair depot grew in size and capability, and in 1924 is was officially named Arsenal Tallinn. It is probably best known for the design and construction of a series of Estonian armored cars, but in 1926 it took up a project to design and build a submachine gun. Building on experience making replacement parts for other weapons, Johannes Teiman (head of the Arsenal technical department) put together a design based largely on the German MP18.I.
The Tallinn SMG - which never had any more specific designation that I have been able to find - was simple blowback, used a progressive trigger fir semi and full auto firing, and was chambered for the 9x20mm Browning semi-rimmed cartridge. It fed from 50-round magazines that mounted at a slight backward angle to prevent rimlock. the design underwent a successful endurance test in November 1926, and slow mass production began. In total, about 630 appear to have been made (but that number is uncertain due to the 1940 destruction of Arsenal records). Most (437) went to the Estonian Defense League, with the remainder split between the Army and police.
The 9x20SR chambering was chosen because at that time, the official service sidearm of the Estonian Defense Forces was the FN 1903 pistol, chambered for the same 9x20SR. In the 1930s these were replaced by FN High Powers in 9mm, and Arsenal developed a modification to convert the SMGs to 9x19. This modification was ready in 1938, but never put into production. Instead, the existing SMGs were sold (a few to Latvia but most to Spain) and the money used to purchase brand new Suomi KP31 submachine guns from Finland. It appears that 485 Suomi's made it to Estonia before the Winter War. The Tallinn guns sent to Spain had a very low survival rate, and complete examples are extremely rare today.
Many thanks to the Estonian War Museum for allowing me to take this one out of their display to film for you. If you find yourself in Tallinn, definitely take time to stop by and check them out! Hours and rotating exhibits are available on their web site: https://esm.ee
Estonian Mosin Conversion: youtu.be/XK82Tw3lwgo
Estonian High Power: youtu.be/foWZnq42DA0
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The full version of this video, including range footage and no giveaway segments, and in 4K resolution, is available at the History of Weapons & War app:
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The Degtyarev DP (aka DP-27) was the subject of a bunch of experimentation during the 1930s, but none of the trialed modifications were actually adopted. It was only in 1944, after several years of combat experience, that the design was updated to correct a number of shortcomings. Specifically:
- The recoil spring was moved away from the gas piston and up behind the bolt to prevent its overheating.
- The traditional stock and grip safety were replaced by a pistol grip and manual safety.
- The detachable bipod was replaced by a more permanently attached model.
The DPM was a much better-handling gun than the original DP, and it maintained the simple disassembly and economical manufacturing of the original. The pan magazines remained a complaint because of their awkward handling, but no easy change was available for that during the war.
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We are really close to hitting the stretch goal to add a section on the Guns of GoldenEye N64 to Licensed Troubleshooter!
For a lot of people, James Bond was introduced not by Sean Connery, but by a 64-bit rendition of the world's most famous spy in GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64. It was a hugely popular game when it was released in 1997. Looking back at it today the graphics are pretty miserable, but it is still a touchstone for a whole generation. I am joined today by Caleb Daniels, author of "Licensed Troubleshooter: The Guns of James Bond" and we are going to play some GoldenEye and then discuss the guns that are featured in the game.
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In 1958, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista ordered some 35,000 FAL rifles from FN, including both regular infantry rifles have heavy-barreled FALO light machine guns. Before any of them could arrive, however, Batista fled the country and his guns were delivered to Fidel Castro beginning in July 1959.
At this time, the FAL was still a fairly new rifle, having been first adopted by Venezuela in 1954 and Belgium in 1954/55. A few changes had been made by the time of the Cuban contract (like the slightly taller sights requested by the Germans), but these were still Type 1 receivers with early features.
The first consignment of rifles arrived from Belgium sun Havana July 9, 1959 and this consisted of 8,000 rifles and ten LMGs. A second shipment of 2,000 rifles arrived October 15th, and a third of 2,500 rifles and 500 LMGs on December 1st. The final ship bringing FALs to Cuba (the French freighter La Courbe) docked in Havana March 4th 1960, and suffered a pair of explosions while bring unloaded. Several hundred people were killed or injured, and Castro blamed the CIA for the event. In total, the Cubans received 12,500 FAL rifles and 510 FALO light machine guns.
The FALs were used, but many ended up being exported to other parties, as Cuba generally moved to Soviet bloc small arms starting in 1960 (when they began receiving weapons from the USSR and Czechoslovakia). These were often scrubbed of their Cuban markings before shipment, and can be found with a round hole milled in the magazine well where the Cuban crest originally was, similar to how some South African FALs were scrubbed before being sent to Rhodesia.
Thanks to Sellier & Bellot for giving me access to this pair of very scarce Cuban FALs to film for you!
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Today Caleb Daniels - author of Licensed Troubleshooter - is back with me, to discuss the wide variety of shoulder holsters that James Bond uses throughout the myriad of Bond books and films. We will touch on the really good ones - like the Galco Executive as used by Brosnan - to the really terrible soft gun sock "holster" that Fleming originally wrote into the character.
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After producing the Ero, a nearly exact copy of the Israeli Uzi, the Croatia firm Arma started making some design changes. With the Mini-Ero, they picked a size in between that of the Mini-Uzi and Micro-Uzi, and also used a stock taken from the vz.61 Skorpion (Model 84 in Croatian service).
A big thanks to the Croatian Police Museum (Muzej Policije) in Zagreb for giving me access to film this rare piece for you! Check them out at: https://muzej-policije.gov.hr
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Romania had more than a million rifles in its inventory after World War One, but they were mused between Mannlicher 88/90, Mannlicher 95, Mosin Nagant, and Berthier patterns - and they were almost all rifles and not carbines. In order to make practical use of all these arms, it was decided to allocate them geographically rather than try to standardize on one single type. The region of Moldavia got the guns in 7.62x54R, including Mosin Nagants. This consisted mostly of M91 rifles, and very few M1907 carbines - but carbines were needed in fairly significant numbers to arm specialist troops (artillerymen, machine gunners, etc).
In the mid to late 1930s, about 10,000 carbine conversions were ordered, and these were about 2/3 completed by 1938 (the one date where we have an archival accounting of the project status). Presumably they were all finished before World War Two began. After the war, they remained in service as Romania continued to use 7.62x54R ammunition as part of the Soviet bloc.
The conversion process on these Mosins was more complex than on the other types of rifles that were shortened in Romania. The bolt handles were bend down, new rear sight leaves made (mimicking the M1907 pattern) and the original M91 rear sight blocks cut down to fit them. The M91 muzzle was removed, the barrel shortened, and the muzzle re-sleeved over the new end of the barrel to fit the original bayonet. And, of course, a sheet metal bayonet housing was added to the furniture to hold the bayonet when stowed.
These carbines are sometimes mistakenly identified as St Petersburg Cavalry School carbines (as in my own previous video on that subject).
Video on the Romanian Berthier carbine conversion from this same period:
youtu.be/b3ZIj5LMsl0
Thanks to the King Ferdinand I Military Museum for giving me access to this example and to A.N.C.A. for coordinating the visit! If you are in Bucharest, make sure to stop in and visit the museum:
https://www.muzeulmilitar.ro/en/
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When Czechoslovakia began looking for new small arms in the early 1920s, one of the things they were interested in was a "samostřil" - something akin to the automatic rifle in English. A select-fire weapon intended to be fired from the shoulder or hip - heavier than a basic rifle but lighter than a machine gun. This was a category of small arm briefly popular, and a few were adopted by different countries, with the most obvious being the US BAR (also the French Chauchat and the Russian Federov).
A Slovakian gunsmith by the name of Josef Netsch developed a self-loading system that he demonstrated to the Czechoslovakian military in December 1921 as a plain rifle, and was asked to submit in automatic rifle form. He received an order for 25 of these samostřil, and the competed in early 1923 for military contract against Hotchkiss and Krnka designs. His design was quite complex. It used a rotating bolt operated by a forward-moving gas trap system. Netsch lost out quickly, as his sample in the tests broke after just 23 rounds.
Ultimately, the "samostřil" type of weapon was scrapped by the military in favor of a light machine gun along the lines of what because typical. Neither of the other leading designs in that 1923 trial were adopted either, as continued development eventually led to the ZB26 by Vaclev Holek.
Thanks to the Czech Military History Institute (VHU) for graciously giving me access to this very cool piece to film for you! If you have the opportunity, don't miss seeing their museums in Prague:
https://www.vhu.cz/en/english-summary/
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Licensed Troubleshooter: The Guns of James Bond is live on Kickstarter now - check it out for lots of super cool exclusive options!
Today Caleb Daniels, author of "Licensed Troubleshooter", is joining me to talk about one of the best guns used to arm the literary James Bond: the ASP. Designed by one Paris Theodore, the ASP was a heavily modified Smith & Wesson Model 39 intended to incorporate all the best elements of a custom fighting pistol. It had all melted corners, transparent grips, an improved trigger press, reshaped trigger guard, and many other changes. Only a few hundred ASPs were made, and it was the perfect gun for continuation author John Gardner to put in James Bond's hands in the 1980s.
You can see my full video on the ASP here:
youtu.be/4trmOFxuJw0
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Today I decided to do a Gothic Serpent memorial 2-gun match, using my Shughart M14 clone and a surplussed Delta 1911. This was a 5-stage match at the Rio Salado Sportsman's Club, and it was a complete dumpster fire for me. I don't know what changed, but the reliable-in-testing M1A became a complete malfunction machine on the clock. I had trouble with the 1911 as well, also for the first time. Together, this landed me in dead last place...but at least I looked good doing it, I suppose?
Video on putting the rifle together:
youtu.be/owL7tVFzbHQ
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Today Caleb Daniels joins me again to discuss one of the mysteries of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. Bond is described as carrying a long-barrel .45 Army Special under the dashboard of his Bentley - but what is this gun? Fleming was not a "gun guy", but he liked to write lots of specific details into his descriptions of things, including guns. The way he describes this .45 car gun leaves it open to some speculation to what the gun actually is...so let's do some speculating!
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The S2-200 was developed by Louis Stange at the Rheinmetall company in Germany in the late 1920s. Because Germany was not allowed to be doing this sort of arms development at the time, Rheinmetall bought a controlling stake in the Swiss firm Solothurn AG, to make the product deniably Swiss. The gun itself is recoil operated, with a rotating locking collar connecting the bolt and barrel, rather like the Hotchkiss Portative. It was a design that had some early influence on the German MG34, although the German military declined to adopt it. Instead, it was taken into service in 8x56mm by both Austria (as the MG30) and Hungary (as the 31M). A third purchaser was El Salvadore, which purchased 47 examples in 7x57mm caliber.
After the anschluss in 1938, the Austrian guns were integrated into the Wehrmacht, where they were primarily used by mountain troops. Hungary did later make a version in 7.92x57mm, designated the 43M.
Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble these two very rare LMGs! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers:
royalarmouries.org/research/national-firearms-centre
You can browse the various Armouries collections online here:
royalarmouries.org/collection
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Last week Tom and I did a BUG match with 4 different iconic James Bond pistols - but the Walther P99 was conspicuously absent. Personally delivered to Pierce Brosnan on the set of "Tomorrow Never Dies" by the president of Walther, the P99 was put to good use in that film. So today, I'm taking a first-generation P99 like Bond's out to the BackUp Gun match!
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Today I'm at B&T in Thun, Switzerland taking a look at the whole history of the company's suppressors. They began back in the 90s when founder Karl Brügger was working as a machinist and had spare time available - so he started making silencers for himself and his friends. That grew into a small business, then a larger business getting contracts for Swiss police departments and making commercial sales, and eventually into the major industry player it is today. B&T is not the best-known name in the United States, but they have a long history of making OEM suppressors for major European arms companies like H&K.
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I figured it might be worthwhile to document the process of putting together my clone of Randy Shughart's M14 from 1993 Mogadishu...so here we go.
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The Ruger P85 - like so many of Ruger's products - is not particularly attractive or exciting. It introduced no particular mechanical innovation besides the casting-based manufacturing that would actually probably be seen as a detriment if it were advertised. And yet, the gun (and those developed from it including the P89, P90, P91, and P94) were massively successful, with more than 700,000 produced. What Ruger did was to continue their standard operating procedure of making a gun that was practical affordable, and reliable without trying to make it flashy - and sold it by the boatload.
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