Confederate Revolvers: Leech, Rigdon, & Ansley

This review delves into the extremely rare Tucker Navy Number 1, a Confederate copy of the Colt 1851 Navy revolver made in Texas. It highlights unique features like a barrel-mounted rear sight, distinct identification marks, and the scarcity of surviving examples. The discussion also touches on manufacturing challenges during the Civil War and the revolver's mythical collector status.

This review details the Griswold & Gunnison revolver, a remarkably successful Confederate arms maker during the Civil War. It highlights their .36 caliber, 6-shot copies of the Colt Dragoon, noting distinctive features like brass frames and twisted iron cylinders due to material shortages. The production was notably standardized and high-quality for the era, with variations in barrel shank design. The factory was destroyed in late 1864.

This review details the LeMat revolver as seen in HBO's WestWorld, distinguishing between the show's fictionalized cartridge conversion and original percussion models. It highlights the LeMat's unique 9-shot capacity with an 18-gauge shotgun barrel and discusses the mechanics of modern cartridge conversions, noting Kirst Conversions does not currently offer a LeMat kit. The analysis also points out cinematic liberties taken with the prop's disassembly.

This review details the extremely rare Tucker & Sherrard low hammer revolver, a Confederate-era firearm. It explores the historical context of its contract with the Texas Military Board, production challenges, and eventual termination. The video highlights unique design features like the low hammer for improved ergonomics and distinctive manufacturing details such as Roman numeral screw markings and the absence of a loading cutout.

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.