RIA May 2019 Wrapup

This video chronicles an attempt to purchase the '666th 1911 ever made' at a Rock Island Auction. The content creator travels to the auction house to bid on this seemingly 'cursed' Colt 1911, encountering fellow enthusiasts like @1776_duck, @defconcreative, and @alchemy1911. The narrative follows the journey, the auction process, and the eventual outcome, including unexpected elements like a harpoon gun entering the mix. Several sponsors and their discount codes are highlighted throughout, and the creators also promote their merchandise and Patreon page.

Brownells is ceasing production of the BRN-10 retro AR-10 reproduction due to manufacturing costs and niche market demand. The project involved significant challenges in sourcing parts and balancing historical accuracy with affordability, leading to compromises like using DPMS pattern components. While complete rifles are ending, individual parts will remain available for builders.

This video examines a rare toolroom prototype of the Smith & Wesson No.3 revolver, based on an 1873 patent. Unlike standard top-break models, this prototype features a unique side-pivoting barrel mechanism and a gear-driven extractor. While intended to simplify manufacturing and cost, its complex operation ultimately prevented it from reaching production.

The Semmerling LM4 is the smallest repeating .45 ACP pistol ever made, patented in 1979 and produced through the 1980s. It features a unique manual cycling mechanism, S7 tool steel construction, and a 'holster lock' for secure carry. Despite its high cost and innovative design, modern subcompact 9mm pistols have largely surpassed it for practical self-defense.

This review examines a rare, well-executed sporterized M1 Carbine from a Rock Island Auction event. It highlights the custom stock, vintage Redfield scope, and a functional cartridge deflector, noting the high quality of craftsmanship. While modern sporterization is often discouraged, this example is presented as a desirable collectible.

This video identifies a 1931 Spanish revolver, likely chambered in 8mm, featuring a unique 7-shot swing-out cylinder and gate-like latch. Despite its identifiable proof marks and date code, the specific model remains a mystery, with the auction catalog suggesting it's a Nagant copy. The revolver's mechanical features, including its double-action capability and extractor star, are highlighted as unusual for its era and origin.

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.