Stoner 63, 63A, & Mk23: History and Mechanics

The Stoner 63 system, designed by Eugene Stoner, was a highly modular firearm capable of multiple configurations including rifle, carbine, and various machine guns. Initially developed as the Stoner 62 in 7.62 NATO, it was scaled down to 5.56mm as the Stoner 63. Despite its innovative design and light weight, particularly favored by the US Navy SEALs as the Mk23, it suffered from reliability issues and high maintenance requirements in demanding environments like Vietnam.

Project Lantan was a rare 1970s Polish initiative to create a modular small arms system inspired by the Stoner 63, utilizing a universal receiver and a proprietary 7x41mm cartridge. Despite heavy AK mechanics, it featured a quick-change barrel and separable receivers. The project was cancelled due to Warsaw Pact standardization on the 5.45x39mm AK-74.

This review explores the Stoner 63 system, highlighting its versatility across Mk23 LMG, Bren, and Carbine configurations. The Mk23 variant demonstrates exceptional controllability in full-auto fire, maintaining a clear sight picture. The Carbine, while functioning like a standard 5.56 rifle, showcases the system's adaptability. The true strength of the Stoner system is realized in its heavy-barrel, bipod-mounted machine gun configurations.

The Bushmaster Assault Rifle, designed by Mack Gwinn, was a 1970s attempt to create a cost-effective military-style rifle, influenced by the Stoner 63A's long-stroke gas piston system. While featuring AR-15 controls and magazine compatibility, its execution was crude, utilizing sheet metal receivers and a welded bolt carrier. Range testing revealed significant reliability issues, including failures to fire and light primer strikes, ultimately limiting its practical success.

This video provides an expert-level overview of the Stoner 63A, a revolutionary modular weapon system designed by Eugene Stoner. It details the weapon's history, its development from the Stoner 62, its unique modularity allowing conversion between rifle, carbine, and machine gun configurations, and its operational use, particularly by Navy SEALs. The presenter, Ian McCollum, demonstrates the disassembly process, highlighting the simple pin-based system for quick component changes.

The Knight's Armament Light Assault Machine Gun (LAMG) offers a lightweight, controllable belt-fed solution, serving as a spiritual successor to the Stoner 63. Its innovative constant recoil system significantly reduces felt recoil and allows for a more manageable rate of fire, even in the heavier 7.62mm variant. The modular design, including an optional buttstock and quick-change barrel with integral suppression, enhances its versatility for various operational roles.

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.