Enjoying Black Powder Episode 9: 1869 Swiss Vetterli

This episode delves into the Mauser Gewehr 1871, a pivotal single-shot bolt-action rifle adopted by Prussia after the Franco-Prussian War. It highlights the rifle's unique features like the flag safety and bolt retention screw, and discusses its use of the 11mm black powder cartridge. The review includes practical shooting tests, noting its smooth operation and pleasant recoil despite minor fouling issues and a broken barrel band spring.

This video is the twelfth episode in a series focusing on black powder military rifles. It highlights the 1885 Remington-Lee rifle, discussing its appeal for collectors and handloaders due to its affordability and ease of reloading. The content aims to demonstrate how to enjoy these historical firearms at the range and provides a segment on making ammunition for them, encouraging viewers to engage with this aspect of historical firearm ownership. The series features the host and a handloader friend exploring different models each month.

The Baker Rifle, designed by Ezekiel Baker in 1800, was one of the first mass-issued military rifles for British light infantry. Despite a slower reload time than smoothbore muskets like the Brown Bess, its superior accuracy allowed riflemen to engage targets effectively at much greater distances, offering a significant tactical advantage. Its high cost and complexity meant it was reserved for elite units.

This episode of 'Enjoying Black Powder' features the Mauser Model 71/84, the first magazine-fed rifle on the series. Ian McCollum demonstrates its 8-round tubular magazine and bolt-action operation, highlighting historical military doctrine where soldiers often used such rifles as single-shots to conserve ammunition. The video showcases the rifle's rapid-fire capability and the significant smoke produced by black powder cartridges.

This video, "Enjoying Black Powder Episode 4: The Mauser Gewehr 1871," focuses on the historical Mauser Gewehr 1871 rifle. The description highlights the availability of a full version with hand-loading information on a separate platform, indicating a deeper dive into the technical aspects of the firearm and its ammunition. The video likely explores the rifle's operation, history, and potentially its performance, aligning with the "forgotten weapons" theme.

This episode of Forgotten Weapons reviews the Snider-Enfield rifle during a black powder shooting session. Ian McCollum demonstrates the loading and extraction process, noting the rifle's 'gross' handling and less-than-ideal ergonomics compared to other black powder firearms. The review highlights the breech-loading hinged block action and the .577 Snider caliber.

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.