CZ247: Experimental Swivel-Action SMG

The CZ247 is a rare, late 1940s Czech experimental submachine gun chambered in 9mm Parabellum. It features a unique swivel action for its receiver tube and a progressive trigger allowing for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. The design incorporates a simple blowback, open-bolt mechanism with a novel charging handle system.

Gearhead Guns is producing a Type 100 Nambu PCC recreation, with the first batch shipping around March. It's available in 9mm Parabellum with 9-inch or 16-inch barrel configurations for SBR compliance. Customization options include various metal and wood finishes, with optional bayonet lugs.

This review of the Madsen Model 1945 submachine gun, presented by Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons from the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, highlights its unique design and historical context. The firearm is noted for its quality construction, pistol-like reciprocating slide, and use of Suomi magazines. Despite its advanced features for the time, its complexity and cost led to commercial failure, making it an extremely rare collector's item.

This review of the WWII PPSh-41 submachine gun covers the practical aspects of loading its distinctive 71-round drum magazine. The video demonstrates the winding mechanism and spiral loading technique, followed by a live-fire sequence showcasing the weapon's operation, muzzle flash, and recoil. It provides a hands-on look at a classic firearm's functionality.

The Type 85 SMG from China utilizes the 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge and a 30-round magazine. It features a simple blowback, open bolt system with a fixed firing pin and a three-position fire selector (safe, semi, full-auto). The suppressed variant incorporates an integral suppressor with a baffle stack and a perforated barrel designed to vent gas into an expansion chamber.

This review compares the iconic WWII submachine guns, the German MP-40 and Soviet PPSh-41. While the MP-40 offers better ergonomics and a slower, more controllable rate of fire favored by beginners, the PPSh-41 excels in raw firepower with higher velocity and capacity. Both have distinct design philosophies, with the MP-40 prioritizing portability for troops and the PPSh-41 focusing on mass production and effectiveness.

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.