Better than a Sten gun? The Giandoso TZ45 with curator, weapon and firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson

This video compares a rare Italian Franchi SMG with a practical Colt 9mm SMG. The Franchi operates on an open-bolt, blowback system and uses Beretta magazines. The Colt 9mm SMG, a variant of the AR platform, is also blowback-operated but uses a closed-bolt system and converted Uzi magazines. Both firearms are chambered in 9mm.

This video provides a detailed review of the Sten Mark II submachine gun, examining its historical context, technical specifications, and practical performance. The presenter, with hands-on experience, assesses its reliability, accuracy, and ergonomics, concluding it was a cost-effective and crucial weapon for Britain during WWII despite its crude design.

This video features a comparison between the Franchi LF-57 and the Colt SMG, hosted by Ian McCollum and John Keene. They discuss the pros and cons of each submachine gun, considering factors like ergonomics, reliability, parts availability, and collectibility. While the Colt SMG is technically superior in many shooting aspects, the Franchi LF-57 is favored for its rarity and unique appeal as a collectible item.

This video provides an in-depth look at the Sten MK.II(S), the world's first suppressed submachine gun. It covers its historical context, design features, operational nuances, and performance through sound testing and practical application scenarios. The review highlights its crude but effective design, the challenges with its magazines, and its surprising effectiveness even by modern standards, particularly its suppressed capabilities.

This video segment from "American Rifleman Television" focuses on the M1 and M1A1 Thompson submachine guns, highlighting their development as a cost-effective wartime expedient compared to the earlier, more expensive M1928A1 model. It details design simplifications, such as the elimination of the Blish locking system for a blowback operation, removal of barrel cooling fins, Cutts compensator, and complex sights, along with the switch to stick magazines. The evolution leading to the M1A1, featuring a further simplified fire-control mechanism, is also discussed. The video emphasizes the widespread use of the M1 Thompson by various branches of the U.S. military and its allies during World War II, particularly in the Pacific theater.

This video provides an in-depth look at the .45 ACP cartridge, tracing its history from its origins in the Philippines to its modern applications. It debunks myths about its recoil, highlights its effectiveness as a 'fight stopper,' and explores its versatility in various platforms like the 1911, revolvers, submachine guns, and pistol-caliber carbines. The content emphasizes the cartridge's balance of power and control, its ease of reloading, and its continued relevance in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Ian McCollum and Jonathan Ferguson of the Royal Armouries present a challenge to find three unique firearms based on appearance, mechanical oddity, and historical impact. They showcase experimental and rare pieces like the Charlton Automatic Rifle, Sterling 7.62mm prototype, Schwarzlose Model 1898, Gabbett-Fairfax Mars pistol, an SA80 prototype, and a BSA Machine Carbine, highlighting their unusual mechanisms and limited adoption.

This entry details the Knight's Armament KS-1 (L403A1), the British Army's new Alternative Individual Weapon, adopted under Project Hunter. Expert Jonathan Ferguson from the Royal Armouries provides an in-depth look at its features, intended use for specialized units, and its role in supplementing existing platforms like the SA80.

This guide details the process of arming an 11th-century Norman knight, as explained by an institutional expert from the Royal Armouries. It covers the sequence of donning essential protective gear, including padded undergarments, a mail hauberk, a nasal helmet, and a kite shield, emphasizing weight distribution and historical construction techniques.

This guide details the installation and operation of the Harston's Patent Mark IV magazine, a rare modification designed to convert the single-shot Martini-Henry rifle into a repeater. Expert Jonathan Ferguson explains the mechanism, its inventor Captain Charles Gravelle Harston, and the historical context of its development. The guide covers fitting the magazine, the cycling process for feeding rounds, and the use of the cutoff device for single-shot operation, while also noting potential reliability issues and the high conversion cost.