Firepower Back to the 1500s: Pre-Collier Repeaters

The Belton flintlock repeater, developed by Joseph Belton in the 18th century, was a groundbreaking multi-shot firearm. It featured a superimposed load design and a unique portfire mechanism on the 1786 pattern, allowing for rapid firing akin to semi-automatic action. Despite its advanced technology, including safety blowout plugs, the repeater was largely rejected due to high costs, though some were procured by the East India Company.

This video, featuring Professor Ben Nicholson, author of "Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier and Artemas Wheeler," delves into the world of fake and reproduction Elisha Collier revolvers. The discussion covers the motivations behind counterfeiting, differentiating between fraudulent profit-driven fakes and homages, the market value of such reproductions, the evolution of faking techniques before and after the internet, and the critical importance of provenance in authenticating historical firearms. The book itself is also promoted, available for preorder on Kickstarter.

This video delves into the historical research behind the book "Clockwork Basilisk: The Early Revolvers of Elisha Collier and Artemas Wheeler." Professor Ben Nicholson discusses the unexpected discoveries and the extensive international research team involved in bringing the project to fruition. The focus is on the stories and historical context surrounding early revolvers, rather than a direct firearm review or demonstration.

The Puckle Gun, patented in 1718 by James Puckle, was an early attempt at a repeating firearm designed for naval defense against pirate vessels. It featured a unique nine-chamber cylinder and a tripod mount, capable of firing approximately 9 rounds per minute. Despite its innovative design for the era, the British Navy rejected it due to the unreliability of its flintlock mechanism.

This video features firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson examining a rare 1597 8-shot carbine revolver, a precursor to modern self-rotating revolvers. It predates the popularization of designs by Elisha Collier, Artemis Wheeler, and Samuel Colt by nearly a century. The video offers a close-up look at the decorated sporting gun's functionality and history, while also promoting two books with contributions from Ferguson and Nicholson, and encouraging support for the Royal Armouries.

The Puckle Gun, developed in 1718 by James Puckle, was an early repeating firearm, not a true machine gun. It utilized a nine-round cylinder and a flintlock mechanism, requiring manual cycling for each shot. While innovative for its time, its practical application and effectiveness are debated, though it was intended as a naval weapon against pirates.

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.