Huot Automatic Rifle: The Ross Goes Full Auto

The Huot Automatic Rifle, a Canadian WWI prototype, converted the Ross straight-pull rifle into a machine gun. It featured a unique 25-round ratchet-driven drum magazine and a gas-operated system. A barrel shroud used muzzle blast to create a cooling airflow, allowing for a lighter barrel. Despite its innovative design, it was not adopted, with the British military favoring the Lewis gun.

This "I Have This Old Gun" segment from American Rifleman Television explores the history and evolution of the Canadian Ross Rifle, specifically the Mk III model. The video details Canada's desire for its own distinct military equipment in the early 20th century, leading to the development of the Ross straight-pull bolt-action rifle. It highlights inventor Sir Charles Ross's character, early design flaws, and improvements made by the Mk III. The segment also discusses the rifle's challenges during trench warfare in World War I due to mud, ultimately leading to its replacement by the Lee-Enfield SMLE. The video concludes by noting the rifle's eventual retirement from Canadian service.

This video focuses on the rare Ross 1912 Cadet rifle, a .22 rimfire training firearm introduced in 1912. It discusses its history as a smaller variant of the military Ross rifles, its single-shot straight-pull action with an unusual locking bolt, and its limited production run ending in 1917. The description highlights its rarity today and provides links to reference books, Patreon, Floatplane, and merchandise.

This documentary-style video from C&Rsenal delves into the history, function, and battlefield performance of the Canadian Ross Rifle Mark III during World War I. The series, "WWI Primer," explores firearms of the conflict. The Ross Rifle MkIII, chambered in .303, is presented as a "disastrous straight pull rifle" that had significant negative impacts on soldiers and politics. The video questions whether the rifle was truly unfixable or if Canadian forces abandoned it prematurely. It includes historical context, technical details, and a live-fire demonstration, with references to external resources for further reading and support.

This video explores a rare Ross .30-06 self-loading prototype developed for British trials in 1913. It features a unique upside-down bolt action, a 25-round magazine, and innovative sheet metal construction for rapid prototyping. The rifle's design shows influences from the Lewis Gun and SMLE, highlighting early attempts at automatic fire for shoulder-fired weapons.

This review details the rare Canadian Ross MkIII sniper rifle, noting its high accuracy despite early WWI reliability issues. It highlights the American Warner & Swasey Model 1913 5x prismatic scope, its limitations like fogging, and its calibration for .303 British up to 2400 yards. The excellent condition of many surviving rifles is attributed to their use in Canadian training through 1942, and scope cases can offer significant historical provenance.

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.