Videos tagged with 1880s Firearms

This YouTube video, part of the "Enjoying Black Powder" series, focuses on the 1871 Beaumont rifle. The description highlights the appeal of black powder military rifles from the 1860s-1880s, noting their reasonable price and ease of reloading. The video promises to demonstrate how to handload ammunition for these firearms, making them accessible for enthusiasts. It features the host and a friend at the range, comparing how different models handle and providing practical reloading instructions. The series aims to make black powder rifle ownership and operation enjoyable.

This review of the Berdan II, Russia's first mass-produced metallic cartridge black powder rifle, highlights its robust but ergonomically challenging bolt-action design. Despite its historical significance, the rifle features a heavy trigger pull and a short bolt throw, compounded by challenges in finding correct ammunition, often requiring custom reloading. While functional, it's noted as one of the least user-friendly black powder bolt actions tested.

This review delves into the unique Marius Berger manually-operated pistol from the 1880s. It highlights the innovative 'quintuple action' mechanism where a single trigger pull performs five distinct functions. The video also examines its Henry Rifle-style tube magazine system and distinctive ring trigger.

The Schulhof Model 1887 is a rare, manually operated pistol from a transitional period in firearm design. It features a unique six-round rotary magazine and a ring trigger mechanism for cycling the action. Despite its innovative design, including what may be the first rimless pistol cartridge, it failed commercially due to complexity and cost.

This review details the Smith & Wesson No. 3 New Model revolvers procured by the South Australian Police in the 1880s. The article highlights their unique nickel finish, detachable shoulder stocks for carbine-like accuracy, and specialized saddle holsters. It also covers the .44 Russian caliber, top-break action, and the historical context of their service until 1953.

This video explores a rare prototype Trapdoor Springfield rifle modified with an under-barrel tubular magazine, likely for the 1882 US Army repeating rifle trials. The design, possibly by Augustine Sheridan Jones, features a Kropatschek-style lifter and a manual magazine cutoff. Ultimately, the modification proved impractical due to an extra manual step required for chambering rounds, making it less efficient than contemporary bolt-action repeaters.

The Fagnus Revolver, designed by Alexandre Fagnus in Liege, Belgium, dates from the late 1870s to early 1890s. It features a unique 'Gun Yoga' mechanism where a trigger guard lever unlocks the action and pivots the frame for reloading. The six-shot revolver is double/single action, chambered in .450 caliber, and exhibits military-style features like a lanyard ring, suggesting private purchase by officers.

The Marius Berger repeating pistol from the 1880s represents a unique transitional design before semi-automatic pistols. It features a novel double-action mechanism where a single trigger pull cycles the action, extracting, ejecting, and chambering new rounds from its 5-round tubular magazine. Chambered in a proprietary 7.5mm cartridge, this manually operated handgun showcases intricate mechanical engineering from a bygone era.

This video examines the rare Liegeoise 1888 Trials Rifle, a competitor in Belgian military trials that ultimately lost to the 1889 Mauser. Key features include a unique top-mounted bolt handle, a Mannlicher-style en-bloc clip system, and unusual 'shark fin' locking lugs. The rifle showcases early smokeless powder military rifle design concepts.

The Schulhof 1887 Repeating Pistol, designed by Austrian gunsmith Josef Schulhof, is a unique manually repeating handgun from the 1880s. It features an 8-round tubular magazine in the grip and a complex internal mechanism operated by a lever, cocking the striker and cycling cartridges. The pistol utilizes a sheath trigger for firing and is chambered in .320 British Revolver.

This video is a recording of a workshop presented at the 2014 AFTE conference focusing on proof marks and other identifying marks found on firearms manufactured between 1880 and 1945. The presenter offers to provide classes on this and related historical firearms topics to law enforcement and collector groups. Contact information for booking classes is provided.