White Experimental .38 Caliber Automatic Pistols

This video explores the unique Ross A2 experimental pistol prototype, a toggle-linked, short-recoil design from the early 1900s. It highlights the pistol's significant size, early double-stack magazine, and proprietary .45 Ross caliber. The prototype's incomplete state and its failure to meet the 1907 US pistol trials are discussed, offering a glimpse into firearm development history.

This video provides an expert-level overview of the rare W+F Bern P47 experimental pistol from 1947. Instructor Ian McCollum details its development as a potential Luger replacement, its unique gas-delay blowback system inspired by Ole Krag's patent, and its complex internal trigger mechanism. Despite its high manufacturing quality and promising performance, it lost the Swiss military contract to the SIG P210.

This review examines the White-Merrill Experimental Model 1911, a unique delayed blowback prototype that was never officially submitted for testing. Unlike the adopted Colt-Browning 1911, this design features a rotary hammer and a novel friction-based locking system. The pistol shares some aesthetic similarities with the earlier 1907 model but differs significantly in its internal mechanics and single-stack magazine configuration.

This video details the rare Knoble .45 ACP pistol, a participant in the 1907 US Army pistol trials. Despite its innovative short recoil toggle lock design, it was disqualified due to crude manufacturing, preventing any firing during trials. The pistol is notably larger than the Colt M1911 and features a difficult-to-load 8-round magazine.

This video explores BSA's experimental .34 caliber pistols, developed after World War One to utilize a new belted cartridge. Designed to be similar to the FN 1910, these pistols were part of BSA's strategy to leverage their increased production capacity. The innovative belted ammunition, however, proved unnecessary for blowback handguns, leading to the project's failure. The pistols never moved beyond the prototype stage, with only three known to exist.

This review delves into the unique Marius Berger manually-operated pistol from the 1880s. It highlights the innovative 'quintuple action' mechanism where a single trigger pull performs five distinct functions. The video also examines its Henry Rifle-style tube magazine system and distinctive ring trigger.

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.