Videos tagged with US War Department

The Bommarito Rifle was a rare toggle-action, semi-automatic rifle prototype developed in the early 20th century, aiming to replace bolt-action rifles. It featured a 20-round detachable box magazine and a short recoil operation, locking open on an empty magazine. Despite innovative features, extraction issues and jamming led to its eventual abandonment.

The Colt Model 1839 Paterson Revolving Rifle was Samuel Colt's second attempt at a revolving rifle, improving upon the 'ring trigger' model with a more powerful .525 caliber and a simpler exposed hammer mechanism. Despite its advancements, including a 6-shot capacity and a 24-inch barrel, it suffered from high cost and issues like chain fires, leading to Colt's company bankruptcy in 1842. This rifle saw limited military adoption, with contracts for the U.S. War Department and the Republic of Texas.

This video showcases the rare Lindner Breech-Loading Carbine, a Civil War-era firearm. Brownells Gun Tech Caleb Savant examines the carbine's unique breechloading mechanism, which utilized a paper cartridge. Despite being an improvement over muzzleloaders, the Lindner was quickly made obsolete by the advent of metallic cartridges and repeater rifles like the Henry and Spencer. Approximately 900 were delivered to the U.S. War Department, but a dispute led to the contract being largely voided, with remaining units sold in Europe. The video details the loading process and the historical context of its limited production and adoption.