Nickl Prototype M1916/22 Pistol

This video details a rare locked-breech 9x19mm Mauser HSc prototype, designed by Alex Seidel based on Josef Nickl's rotating barrel patent. Unlike the standard blowback HSc, this prototype featured a more robust locking system for military applications. Despite its advanced design, it failed to secure military contracts due to German military preference for exposed barrels, leading Mauser to develop the HSv and ultimately losing to the Walther P38.

This review details the rare Tomiska Army Pistol prototype, a post-WWI design by Alois Tomiska. It highlights the innovative, though complex, auto-ejecting empty magazine feature and a magazine safety. The pistol's DA/SA action and unique disassembly are compared to contemporary designs like the Browning 1910, offering insights into early semi-automatic military firearm development.

The Mauser 1912/14 is a rare automatic pistol featuring a unique flapper-delayed blowback system, mechanically similar to later roller-delayed designs. Developed as part of a unified pistol family, it required a 'cheater lever' for manual slide operation due to its strong delay mechanism. Production was limited to under 200 units, ceasing in 1914 due to WWI and the death of Paul Mauser.

The Mauser 1914, a .32 ACP pocket pistol designed by Josef Nickl, evolved from earlier Mauser designs and was scaled up from the successful Model 1910. Despite initial design challenges with larger calibers, the 1914 featured a unique two-part safety and a striker-fired blowback mechanism. It saw significant adoption by German forces during WWI and later police inventories, praised for its reliability, accuracy, and ergonomic design, especially for smaller hands.

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.