Swedish Hamilton Trials Pistol

The Johnson Model R prototype, developed by Melvin Johnson, showcases an early iteration of his semi-automatic rifle design, featuring a unique rotary magazine to address reliability issues encountered in trials. Despite its innovative short-recoil action and attempts to meet military bayonet requirements with a reciprocating handguard, the Model R ultimately failed to secure a military contract, paving the way for the later M1941 Johnson rifle.

This review from TFB TV explores Sako's new AR-15 platform rifles, designated ARG 40 and ARG 50. These rifles are being adopted by the Finnish and Swedish militaries as service and sniper rifles, respectively. The review highlights their direct impingement and piston operating systems, ambidextrous features, and accuracy standards, offering insights into Sako's advanced firearm manufacturing.

This expert-level review by Hickok45 provides a detailed comparison between the Glock 19X and Glock 45. Key differences highlighted include the 19X's military trial origins, its specific grip lip affecting magazine compatibility with certain Gen5 magazines, and sight configurations. The video emphasizes their shared 'Glock Crossover' design of a full-size grip with a compact slide, offering practical insights for potential buyers.

Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons provides an expert-level overview of the Danish Madsen-Saetter GPMG, chambered in .30-06 Springfield. The review details its loading procedure, impressive range performance characterized by manageable recoil and a pleasant rate of fire, and its historical context against competitors like the FN MAG and MG3. McCollum highlights the weapon's rarity and concludes with a full-auto belt dump, underscoring its reliability.

This video details the 1938 Swedish Trials Luger, a variant of the iconic pistol evaluated for Swedish military adoption. Despite superior accuracy, the Luger was rejected due to cost and reliability concerns in cold weather, leading Sweden to adopt the Browning 1903 and later the Lahti M40. The trial Lugers, produced by Mauser, featured distinct rust-blued frames and salt-blued barrels, with specific serial number ranges for 9mm Luger and .30 Luger variants.

The Marga Trials Rifle was a competitor in late 1880s Belgian Army trials, ultimately losing to the Mauser Model 1889. Its design featured rear locking lugs, a V-spring firing pin, and a tension-based ladder sight, elements that were becoming obsolete with the advent of smokeless powder. While it incorporated a useful magazine cutoff for single-shot firing, its technical shortcomings led to its failure in trials, though its designer later found success in ammunition.

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.