Sten Mk5: The Cadillac of the Sten Family

This review explores a modernized semi-automatic Sten Mark V build, highlighting its historical context as a low-cost WWII emergency weapon. Despite improvements like Picatinny rails and a moderator, the 'Future Sten' faces reliability issues, particularly extraction failures, attributed to the inherent challenges of semi-automatic tube gun conversions. The video also critiques the Sten's original magazine design and compares its size to other historical SMGs.

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 of the Sten Mark II highlights its simple, cost-effective design born from WWII necessity. It details the direct blowback, open-bolt operation, rudimentary safety, and basic sights. The video also covers field stripping and a unique flat-storage feature, emphasizing its historical significance and manufacturing simplicity.

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 Hotchkiss Universal SMG is evaluated for its compact design and full-auto performance. While its folding mechanism is impressive for portability, its ergonomics, particularly the low sights and uncomfortable grip, hinder usability. Full-auto fire exhibits significant muzzle climb, making accuracy poor compared to contemporaries like the MAT-49.

This video details a range test of the Austen MkII submachine gun, highlighting significant reliability issues including a dangerous out-of-battery (OOB) discharge. The firearm experienced malfunctions in semi-auto and full-auto modes, necessitating an early end to the session. The content emphasizes the mechanics of OOB events and shooter safety precautions.

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.