Belgian .75 Caliber Percussion Wall Gun

This video examines two confiscated homemade firearms used by poachers in Zimbabwe. One is a crude percussion gun with a hammered barrel and hand-crafted lock components. The other is a slam-fire device designed to fire shotgun shells, featuring a basic safety cover with a rubber seal to mitigate gas exposure.

The Tanegashima, a Japanese matchlock, was introduced by Portuguese traders in 1543 and became the standard firearm for three centuries due to Japan's isolation. Its unique cheek-firing stance accommodated samurai armor, and designs ranged from handguns to large wall guns. These artisanally crafted weapons featured intricate decorations and were produced by specialized craftsmen.

This video provides a detailed demonstration of loading and firing the Pedersoli Brown Bess musket. It covers essential muzzleloading steps, including powder charging, projectile loading with a patch, and priming the flintlock. The demonstration highlights the historical accuracy and firing characteristics of this .75 caliber black powder firearm.

This video demonstrates the loading and firing of a massive wall gun, highlighting its historical use and the significant physical effort required. It showcases the impressive visual effects of black powder ignition, including smoke and recoil, and explores a two-person firing technique for heavy historical firearms.

This video showcases the Davide Pedersoli Brown Bess flintlock musket, demonstrating its loading and firing procedures with historical context. It highlights the visual and auditory characteristics of black powder firearms, including the ignition delay and smoke. The content is geared towards historical firearms enthusiasts.

This video details the unique 'French Finger Trap' issue with the MAS-36 rifle's bayonet, where two rifles can become unintentionally locked together. A 1951 French arsenal memorandum identified this problem, proposing a simple modification to the bayonet handle. Drilling a small hole allows a tool, like a firing pin, to depress the internal spring, enabling the separation of locked rifles.

The M134 Minigun is a scaled-down 7.62 NATO rotary cannon, requiring 24V DC power and consuming 1.5 kW. Its high rate of fire (3,000+ RPM) is essential for aircraft engagement windows. The complex delinker mechanism is critical for feeding ammunition, and practical hand-held use is impossible due to weight and recoil. Live fire demonstrates rapid ammunition consumption and the need for indirect aiming.

The H&K G11 is a revolutionary prototype assault rifle designed in the late 20th century, notable for its caseless ammunition and unique rotating drum bolt mechanism. Despite advanced features like a 2000 RPM burst fire rate and integrated optics, its development was ultimately halted by geopolitical shifts and cost concerns.

This video demonstrates the assembly and live-fire of the German 1936 pattern light mortar (L.Gr.W.36). It highlights the mortar's leveling mechanism for accuracy and the difficulty in visually tracking its 50mm projectiles after firing. The content showcases historical military hardware and its operational use.