Experimental .30-40 Trapdoor Springfield

This review of the 1873 Trapdoor Springfield Carbine highlights its historical significance and practical use. Hickok45 details its military adoption, the transition to .45-70 caliber, and its role on the frontier. The video also provides practical advice on identifying original carbines and emphasizes using appropriate ammunition for preservation.

This episode introduces a new series on enjoying black powder military rifles, starting with the Trapdoor Springfield. It covers the rifle's history, the practicalities of loading and firing .45-70 black powder rounds, and its operation mechanics. The discussion highlights the manageable recoil, the speed test results, and the impact of black powder fouling on the action.

The 1898 Krag rifle features a unique rotary magazine loaded through a side gate, allowing for loose rounds without specific orientation. It also incorporates a magazine cut-off lever, enabling single-shot operation while preserving magazine capacity for later use. This design facilitated rapid cycling once the cut-off was disengaged, showcasing the smooth action of the .30-40 Krag.

This review details the First Pattern 1865 Allin Conversion, the initial Trapdoor Springfield variant. It highlights the post-Civil War need for breech-loading conversions of surplus .58 caliber muzzleloaders. The design by Erskine Allin involved cutting the barrel to insert a breech block, initially using a .58 rimfire cartridge before later models adopted .50 and .45 caliber rounds.

This review explores the M1E10, an experimental Garand variant incorporating a Ljungman-inspired gas system. The design aimed to simplify the M1's operating rod by using a gas cup system. However, significant overheating issues due to gas venting into the wooden stock rendered the prototype impractical, despite potential manufacturing benefits.

This review details the evolution of the Springfield Trapdoor rifle, from the 1861 muzzleloader to the 1870 .50-70 model and the later .45-70 variant. It highlights the Allin conversion's significance in modernizing surplus firearms and discusses the historical context of these rifles, including their use by Geronimo and their presence in frontier conflicts. The video also provides a close examination of Geronimo's personal 1870 Springfield rifle at the Arizona Historical Society.

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.