Final Prices: RIA September 2017 Premier Auction (and what I bought!)

The M1918 American Chauchat in .30-06 was a rapid WWI solution to a US machine gun shortage. Redesigned from the French M1915, it featured a straight 16-round box magazine and improved grip but suffered critical extraction failures when hot. Despite its reliability issues, it offered increased firepower over bolt-action rifles and remains a unique piece of military history.

The LMG-25, Switzerland's first modern light machine gun, features a unique toggle-locking system developed by Adolf Furrer. Chambered in 7.5x55mm Swiss, it offers select-fire capability and a 30-round magazine compatible with the Stgw 57. A notable feature is the Advanced Primer Ignition (API) system, which reduces felt recoil and rate of fire by igniting the primer while parts are still moving forward.

TFB TV's James Reeves and Kaya highlight the top 5 long guns from IWA & EnforceTac 2026. The list features innovative designs like the Schmeisser DRS-9 PCC, the compact Serengeti S-Mini shotgun, the robust Zastava M20 machine gun, Sako's versatile AR platform rifles, and the aesthetically striking Walther RS3 straight-pull bullpup rifle, showcasing a range of modern firearm advancements.

The Breda Modello 30 is an Italian WW2 light machine gun with a unique magazine mechanism. It fires from a closed bolt and utilizes four distinct levers on its magazine assembly for loading, locking, removal, and feed lip control. Unlike many other designs, its feed lips are integrated into the receiver, not the magazine itself.

The Bren MkI is highlighted as a feature-rich light machine gun from World War Two, notable for its stabilization handle and innovative 30-round magazine design that prevents rim lock. Its operating mechanism fires from an open bolt, utilizing a gas piston system for cycling. The fire selector offers automatic, semi-automatic ('Repetition'), and safe modes, with a dust cover protecting the magazine well.

The T44, a 1946 prototype, represents the initial developmental stage of the M60 machine gun. It uniquely combines the receiver and barrel of a German FG42 with the top cover and feed system of an MG42. Key modifications include a roller lug on the bolt for the MG42 feed mechanism and a custom stock, with the receiver altered to accommodate the bolt's travel.

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.