Sir Charles Ross was a Jerk: The Martello Tower

This video explores a unique "Ross" Semiauto Prototype Rifle from approximately 1915, featuring a custom action based on the experimental Blish-Lock system. While utilizing furniture and a magazine from a Ross rifle, the core mechanism is a novel design that was also tested in early Thompson submachine guns. The Blish-Lock's principle of using friction between dissimilar metals under pressure proved problematic in high-pressure rifle cartridges, leading to its eventual abandonment for simpler blowback designs.

This video explores five unique and odd military rifle actions, highlighting their historical context and mechanical peculiarities. It covers the Canadian Ross Rifle's accuracy and safety flaw, the Swedish Ljungman AG-42's direct gas impingement system, the Swiss Schmidt-Rubin's smooth straight-pull action, the Austro-Hungarian Steyr M95's en-bloc clip, and the US Springfield Trapdoor's unique breech mechanism. The discussion emphasizes the innovative yet sometimes flawed engineering of historical firearms.

This video offers an in-depth historical exploration of the Canadian-made Ross Rifle, a significant firearm in Canadian military history. The content focuses on the origins and development of this particular rifle, providing viewers with detailed insights into its background and significance.

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.