6mm Navy Straight Pull: The 1895 Lee Navy Rifle

This review details the rare M1895 Lee Navy rifle, a Winchester-made bolt-action firearm adopted by the US Navy. It highlights the rifle's unique 6mm Lee Navy cartridge, straight-pull action, and its historical significance, particularly its connection to the USS Maine. The video showcases its mechanical operation, cartridge performance, and service history, contrasting it with the Army's Krag-Jorgensen.

This video from C&Rsenal details a critical safety flaw in the M1895 Lee Navy rifle, where a partially engaged safety could lead to an accidental discharge upon releasing the safety lever. The expert guide explains how to identify this dangerous state and highlights the mechanical solution implemented in later models and sporting variants, which uses a notched lug and roller wheel for positive engagement. The presentation demonstrates a high level of technical expertise regarding historical firearms.

This guide details the unique bolt operation of the Lee Navy rifle, highlighting that the breech typically only opens after the firing pin falls. It demonstrates the use of a manual override lever on the left side of the receiver, which allows the bolt to be opened independently of the firing pin. This technique is crucial for safe handling and clearing, especially for those unfamiliar with the mechanism.

This video demonstrates the proper technique for loading and cycling the M1895 Lee Navy straight-pull rifle using a stripper clip. The demonstration, led by C&Rsenal, showcases the rifle's action and the use of 6mm Lee Navy ammunition. Viewers are also reminded of the upcoming Q&A session deadline.

The Remington-Lee Model 1899 represents the final smokeless powder evolution of the Remington-Lee rifle, serving as a precursor to the British Lee-Enfield. This bolt-action rifle featured a novel detachable box magazine and a unique cutoff mechanism. Despite its innovative design, including a four-lug bolt system for smokeless powder, the Model 1899 was complex and prone to certain weaknesses, leading to limited production and rarity today.

This Q&A episode from Forgotten Weapons covers a wide array of firearms-related topics and tangents. Key discussions include modern squad weapons, favorite historical sites, daily schedules, the advantages of toggle locking systems, and the potential comeback of Gyrojet ammunition. The video also touches on aerial guns, video backlog, the feasibility of the 6mm Lee Navy with modern materials, helical magazines, rifle importation, specific historical firearms like Berthier rifles and Broomhandle Mausers, and the possibility of modernizing the H&K P7. Other subjects include single-feed pistol magazines, the 8mm Kurz cartridge, big-bore pistols, the rationale behind judging service rifles, and collaborations with other YouTubers. Further topics delve into the FN MAG, the reasons behind the lack of top-feed LMGs, new modular platforms in 6.5/6.8mm cartridges, the failure of the Walther MPK/MPL, gunsmithing support for rare guns, WW2 German use of captured small arms, the Steyr-Hahn machine pistol, variable pitch recoil springs, bump stocks, post-FW plans, constant recoil guns, puzzling military adoptions, WW1 small arms, and a comparison of HK and AR15 irons.

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.