Q&A: British Small Arms of World War Two

The Australian Owen SMG, despite its unconventional appearance, is highlighted as an exceptionally reliable submachine gun, particularly effective in harsh conditions. Its unique design features include a bottom ejection port, a top-mounted magazine with an integrated ejector, and a 'hygienic' internal mechanism protected by a firewall. The Owen SMG offers safe, semi-automatic, and full-automatic firing modes, making it a significant piece of World War II military history.

This Q&A segment from Forgotten Weapons debunks the idea of a .455 Auto Sten Gun, highlighting the cartridge's unsuitability for reliable submachine gun feeding. Ian McCollum explains that by WWII, British pistols used .38-200, also ill-suited for SMGs, and that experimental .455 SMGs like the Owen Gun were unsuccessful, favoring 9mm Parabellum.

The Owen Machine Carbine is identified as the best Allied SMG of WWII due to its superior reliability, sealed action, and ease of maintenance, especially in adverse conditions. While the Thompson SMG is lauded for its craftsmanship and iconic status, making it ideal for collectors, the M3 Grease Gun is noted for its cost-effective mass production design. The comparison highlights differences in operation, reloading, and ergonomics.

The Gerat Potsdam, a Mauser-produced German copy of the British Sten Mark II, was developed in late 1944. It featured a folded metal construction for its magazine well and barrel shroud, differing from the seamless British design. While functionally identical, these manufacturing differences were intended to speed up production for units like Skorzeny's commandos and the Volkssturm.

The Gerät Potsdam was a German copy of the British Sten Mark II submachine gun, produced by Mauser to meet the demand for a cheap, fast-to-manufacture firearm. Exactly 9,972 units were accepted by the Wehrmacht. Key visual differences include spot-welded barrel shrouds and magazine wells, and a lack of typical manufacturer markings.

This review details a Chinese-converted Sten gun chambered in 7.62x25mm Tokarev. Originally 9mm Sten guns provided by Canada to Nationalist China were modified post-WWII, often using PPS-43 magazine wells and barrels around 10.5 inches long. These conversions, marked with dates like '54-7.62', utilized the original bolt face due to similar case head dimensions, and some domestic Chinese M38 variants simplified the design to full-auto only.

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.