CatalogIt Firearms Inventory Software for Museums and Collectors

This video features a discussion between Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons and firearm museum curators Danny Michael and Ashley Hlebinsky. They delve into the challenges and realities of managing firearms collections in museums, building upon a previous video by Ian. The conversation highlights specific institutions and individuals like the UK National Firearms Centre, Mathieu Willemsen at the Nationaal Militair Museum, and the Center of the West. The video offers insights into the operational aspects of firearm preservation and public display.

This video discusses the contrasting fates of firearms housed in museums versus those in private collections. It poses a question about the best way to preserve and interact with historical and functional firearms, highlighting the 'purgatory behind glass' in museums and the potential for damage or use in private collections.

This video features different voices reading Wilfred Owen's poem 'Dulce Et Decorum Est' accompanied by a montage of World War One photographs. The project was a collaboration between the Royal Armouries education team in Leeds and the Northern Film School at Leeds Metropolitan University. It's part of a series of nine short films exploring themes central to the museum's collections.

This short film, "Slow Dusk," produced by the Northern Film School in collaboration with the Royal Armouries, explores the grim realities of World War I trenches and the devastating impact of a gas attack. The film draws upon the historical collections of the Royal Armouries to depict these historical events. It aims to educate viewers on the conditions faced by soldiers during the Great War, with a particular focus on the harrowing experience of chemical warfare.

This is a short animation from the Northern Film School, produced in collaboration with the Royal Armouries education team. The animation uses plasticine to depict historical events related to the English Civil Wars, focusing on themes relevant to the Royal Armouries' collections. The video aims to educate viewers about the period through a unique visual medium.

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.