Videos tagged with Pre-WWI

This video explores a rare Ross .30-06 self-loading prototype developed for British trials in 1913. It features a unique upside-down bolt action, a 25-round magazine, and innovative sheet metal construction for rapid prototyping. The rifle's design shows influences from the Lewis Gun and SMLE, highlighting early attempts at automatic fire for shoulder-fired weapons.

This video from Rock Island Auction Co. showcases a highly rare Mauser 1912/14 prototype pistol. The gunsmiths, Keith and Steve, detail its features, highlighting how it scaled up the Model 1910 and 1914 platform to fire the 9mm Parabellum cartridge. Key design elements discussed include the unique slide lock mechanism requiring a button depress and the heel-mounted magazine release. The pistol is described as a pre-WWI firearm with excellent craftsmanship. Its limited production and competition from other service pistols are cited as reasons for its lack of widespread adoption. Only 8 or 9 are believed to have been imported into the US.

This video showcases a rare Pre-WWI custom combination gun by Georg Knaak, featuring a Mauser 98 action paired with a unique side-pivoting shotgun barrel. The intricate design includes a dual trigger system, a textured barrel to reduce glare, and a hidden patch box. Markings indicate it's an 8mm rifle and likely a 16 gauge shotgun, proofed before 1913.

This video explains the unique backdrop for an upcoming Rock Island Auction Company (RIA) video series. The backdrop features the "Imperial Twins," a set of deer antler mounts from a joint hunt involving Kaiser Wilhelm I and Emperor Franz Joseph in 1873. The original bronze heads were damaged and replaced with wood carvings based on the originals. The video also highlights that RIA is selling a collection of similar trophy mounts from German aristocracy prior to WWI, accessible under the "Royal Hunt" category in their catalog.

The Adler is an exceptionally rare early German semi-automatic pistol, produced in limited numbers between 1906-1907. Chambered in a proprietary 7.25mm Adler cartridge, it operates via a straight blowback mechanism and features a detachable 8-round magazine. Despite its unique design and comfortable grip angle, it failed commercially due to market competition and lack of modern marketing.