You and Ian From Inrange TV are an absolute gem. Not only are you showing how awesome weapons are, you are showing those who are new to firearms, that they are not what they seem. Especially the gamer community.
I spend 5 years studying gunsmithing in Uherský broad at CZ school, part of the CZ factory. I don't do it for life but I know at least something. And it is such a nice change to hear someone who knows about guns talk in such simple and understandable way opposed to some dude reading a script he knows nothing about. Hats off mister
Thanks Jonathan and team, that was informative and entertaining. In the 1990's I was a rifle club treasurer at Harwell and my club had three 7.62 mm converted P14's as full bore target rifles for the shorter ranges.
Hi Johnathan, I've always wondered if there are any documented uses of the volley fire sights in combat? It doesn't seem that practical in a real world setting.
I've only ever come across one set of data on this, posted by the late Tony Edwards on an internet forum; "In 1899 the War Office wished to ascertain the performance of magazine rifles in India and Egypt and sent a questionnaire to selected units and published the results as “Abstract of Reports on Magazine Rifles used in Operations in India and Egypt, 1897-98”. Question 10 asked “Was long-range firing resorted to, and if so, with what results?” A selection of answers were: 1st Bn. Royal West Surrey Yes, with good results, in so far that the fire of the enemy from inaccessible points, 1,800 or 2,000 yards distant was kept down by occasional shots from picked marksmen, and of larger parties by section volleys. 1st Bn. The Buffs Nearly all fire was “long-range”. Volleys were kept up and as far as could be seen, with the eye and with glasses, with very good results. Enemy would not face the Lee-Metford. Maj. Gen. Bindon Blood says “Long-range volleys …had a most demoralizing effect.” 2nd. Bn. Royal Irish Rgt. Yes; on the Semana. Results mostly satisfactory, physically and morally. Absence of smoke and extreme effective range materially affected formation and movements of enemy. 2nd, Bn. Yorkshire Long-range fire frequently resorted to. ..Enemy in one case frequently dispersed by volleys at 1,600 yards, and the day after party completely dispersed at 1,400 yards. 1st Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers Long-range volleys resorted to on several occasions. Volleys well timed and accurate. 2nd. Bn. Royal Sussex Nearly all long-range volleys even, up to 2,600 yards, which scattered enemy; it is evident that some of the bullets fell among them. 1st Bn. Dorsetshire Yes, on several occasions. The wonderful accuracy of the long-range fire of the Lee-Metford was clearly shown by the shooting of the Afridis. 1st.Bn. Grenadier Guards Yes. First volley at Omdurman was fired at 2,700 yards and fire maintained until Dervishes stopped at about 750 yards. Effects appeared excellent, but it is difficult to apportion them among guns, Maxims, and rifles. There were some dissenting replies though. 2nd.Bn. Lancashire A few section volleys at 1,900 yards. Results apparently nil. 1st.Bn. Northants Very poor results. Enemy always presented a moving target, and not a large one. Overall however the replies were very favourable, most stating that the minimum effect was to disperse the enemy and break up their concentrations. Also that the morale effect on the enemy was great in the face of volley fire.’"
@@jonathanferguson1211 That last report is interesting to me, it's the only report (at least from what I can read) that mentions that the enemy presented a smaller moving targets, instead of a large force moving at the same time. I wonder if the "enemy" is that case decided to take a different tactic, when compared to the other reports, or if in all cases the enemy didn't present a large force.
Jon talking about hitscan guns in games makes me want a purely virtual version of the Royal Armouries that has a catalogue of guns in games. Imagine someone going and ripping gun models from the various guns through gaming history then putting them in VR format for visitors of the museum to go and fire them on a range. Not factoring the development costs of this project (let's assume it's a donation to the historical society) it would be a good way to generate some funds for the museum. It would be EVEN COOLER if you could get notes from the devs on each gun, or concept art and such. Imagine being able to go to the Halo exhibit or something and seeing the evolution of the pistol.
In a few of the Gamespot videos Jon's been in he's stated a few times that he supports the idea of game developers visiting places like the Royal Armouries to do more research and note every detail of each firearm to make games more realistic and immersive.
It brings me immeasurable joy to see content about these rifles. I've been collecting 14s and 17s for the better part of a decade now, one of these days I'll track down a 13 for the collection. I know there are a handful stateside in private hands.
Great presentation. I’ve owned both the P17 and the M1903A3 back when they were cheap. Both kick like a mule with that steel buttplate and powerful 30-06 round. I really like the Enfield No 4 Mark 1 the best of all early to mid-century military bolt guns. I still have that one of those.
What a nice chequering on that 1912 prototype! Also, nearly 849 m/s doesn't sound that great until you consider the bullet weight of 10.69 g, resulting in a 3852.14 J of muzzle energy. This figure is in the ballpark of modern hunting loads of .30-06, not the M1906, which developed its 823 m/s (although from a somewhat shorter barrel) with a 9.72 g bullet, thus having about 3291.82 J of muzzle energy. I'm not really sure how one can just 'skip' several decades of gunpowder development in several years to get .276 to viability in military service.
Kinda interesting how many and I mean many prototype military trials rifles have nice chequering on the rifles and in basically 100% of the cases that's gone by the time it gets adopted haha.
Great improvement on the setting for your video. It meets the security parameters that you were previously concerned with, and gives the viewer a much more enjoyable viewing experience. It projects a professional and authoritative image to support your knowledge base, and subject matter.
In the late 1950s my father "sportified" a .303 pattern 14, and a .30'06 Pattern 17, both made by Winchester. I preferred the pattern 14 and used it for many years. It accounted for many feeds of venison.
A friend has a 1917. Only things that have been replaced on it are things like the magazine base plate and barrel bands. Barreled receiver is dated May 1918. Magnificent firearm.
I didn't realize that it was actually based on the Springfield. That's just funny. Pity we decided to standardize in the 1903 after the war. Though the U.S. did eventually go with the Garand by WW2 so ehh. 🤷♂️
The 1903 wasn’t standardised until just before WW1. The 1903 variants are wildly different from the later ones (and potentially dangerous to shoot to boot due to significant manufacturing errors).
@@LUR1FAX Yes, but given that there already significantly more of the M1917 than the M1903 as of 1920, it would've made more sense to standardize on the M1917 at the time. Unfortunately, at the time target shooting was considered a higher priority than practicality on the battlefield. And target shooters preferred the M1903's windage-adjustable rear sight, even though the rear-mounted peep sight is obviously the better choice for the average fresh out of boot camp soldier who's not an Olympic-level marksman.
@Mr. Shlock Had the .276 Garand been adopted, NATO most likely would've standardized on the British 7x43mm round (or a near-identical American round), since that would simply be a shorter version of what America was already using, just like how 7.62x51mm is a shorter .30-06 with nearly the same ballistics. And as for the Garand itself, it would've been about 1 pound lighter (very nice for soldiers in the field) and had a 10-round instead of 8-round clip. Something akin to the M14 probably still would've been adapted from its basic design in the 1950s, but with the lighter, lower-recoiling bullet it would've been a proper assault rifle. The smaller round might also have resulted in a higher-capacity magazine, like 25 or even 30 rounds. Or they might have kept it to 20 rounds anyway, on the premise that keeping the mag shorter would be good for firing in the prone position. After all, even the M16 started out with a 20-round mag until they decided it needed to match the AK-47's 30 rounds.
C&Rsenal has episodes on both the P14 and the P17, I would recommend everyone that's interested in military history to check them out. Plus the show is presented by a Wookiee.
As always, it´s great to get some background and history behind the items you display in these short videos. I must say that you do a really great job :)
My uncle Arthur was the hunter in the family. After he got back from Occupation duty in Germany (His company commander promised him sergeant stripes if he'd volunteer to extend his tour), he bought a M1917 from the Civilian Marksmanship Program with the intent of converting it to a hunting rifle. Well, one thing followed another and 27 years later, as a graduation and commissioning gift, I got the rifle - with bayonet, still slathered is cosmoline, still in its packing crate. It took me about a year to clean all the gunk off and I then had it checked by a gunsmith to make sure it was in a condition to be fired. It is marked "Eddystone" which was a plant built by Remington outside of Philadelphia specifically to build P14's. They hired a retired US Army Colonel to manage it - guy by the name of John Taliaferro (pronounced "Tolliver") Thompson - yes, he of the gun. "World War I began in Europe in 1914, and Thompson was sympathetic to the Allied cause. Since the U.S. did not immediately enter the war, and because he recognized a significant need for small arms in Europe (as well as an opportunity to make a substantial profit), Thompson retired from the Army in November of that year and took a job as Chief Engineer of the Remington Arms Company. While with the company he supervised the construction of the Eddystone Arsenal in Chester, Pennsylvania, at that time the largest small arms plant in the world. It manufactured Pattern 1914 Enfield rifles for British forces, and Mosin-Nagant rifles for Russia. "When the United States finally entered the war in 1917, Thompson returned to the Army and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He served as Director of Arsenals throughout the remainder of the war, in which capacity he supervised all small-arms production for the Army. For this service he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal." Anyway, I took my new-old rifle with me when I reported on active duty and, although I was permitted to keep it in my quarters, I preferred to keep in the company arms room. So several days after reporting in, I went to see the armorer. He had no problem making me a weapons card and putting it in the storage racks, but did a double take when he saw the bayonet. "Sir, where did you get this?" ""It came with the rifle. See" I fixed and unfixed the bayonet. "Hold on, sir" He unlocked a footlocker and pulled out the twin to my bayonet. It turns out that when the US Army adopted "Trench Guns" to teach Kaiser Bill a lesson, they specified they accept a bayonet and chose the M1917 as the pattern to adopt for that purpose. So every US martial shotgun adopted since then could mount an M1917 bayonet. Our company had a dozen trench guns to be issued at the commander's discretion. "Look at the manufacturing date, sir" 1967. My, God, WHAT WAS THIS!. Turns out during the Vietnam War there had been a huge demand for Trench Guns, but there weren't enough M1917 bayonets left in inventory, so the production line was restarted. They were identical. down to the two grooves going across the hilt. (www.ima-usa.com/products/u-s-wwi-m1917-enfield-bayonet-with-scabbard?variant=26168932997) Except I think mine was better quality.
I have a question regarding firearms maintenance in a museum - If something comes in with repairable and unintentional mechanical defects (so not intentionally demilitarised), as a museum would you fix or improve it's functionality? If so, is there a certain criteria beyond which you wouldn't intervene to restore it to full function? Very much appreciate Jonathan's input even though I have never interacted with firerarms (my country is funny that way), I have always been fascinated by the engineering and mechanical side. Thank you for taking time to make content on such interesting firearm stories.
Jonathan could we have some close up of the different rifles and some disassembly please, so we can see how the various iterations have the small differences betweens them
Great video! I love my P14, its almost perfect in condition and still has the volley sights. I suspect it must have left England before the Weedon Repair Standard but I have been unable to figure out where it might have gone. I suspect the Spanish Civil War!
My first Pattern 14 was an Eddystone with volley sights. The bore was shot out, and I had a company called PAC-Nor make me a new barrel, and I had a very nice man in Georgia (Evans Obsolete Screws) rebarrel the action for me. He was also able to come up with some replacement parts. After learning a great deal about the Pattern 14 from this experience I resolved to get a Remington and Winchester model as well. Pattern 14 receivers started popping up all over the place right after that. When I learned that Criterion Barrels was making new barrels for the Pattern 14 (in the white) I jumped at the chance to get them and complete 2 more rifles from the ground up. I managed to get all 3 completed by the latter half of 2014. Then I had a 100th anniversary range shoot with my friends. It was a real kick to shoot 3 rifles that had not existed for 80 + years….essentially newly refurbished Pattern 14’s. That was a good day. I left the Criterion Barrel guys great feedback on their barrel….
I enjoyed this program. I had an opportunity to shoot an M1917 back in the seventies, and loved it. I regret to this day that I didn't take my friend up on the opportunity to buy it from him. At the time we were both university students and needed any money above and beyond what part time jobs and the US Veteran's Admin were paying us. He raised it by selling the rifle, I saved money by not buying it. The feature that I liked the most of that rifle was the sights. Very Good sights. Easier to operate than the sights on the 03-A3 and far easier and less complex than the 03-A1. The thing that I liked least was the long barrel. I'm sure it gave more velocity, and better reach with a bayonet, but I'd rather have one a couple of inches shorter.
oooh i'de love one of those , love mauser actions.. my springer a3 was a kick as gun, got it out to the bull at 900 yds at Stickledown by aiming over(sigh only does 800yds)
Excellent video as always! Was wondering if its possible to make the audio louder though, sometimes watching those in public with a headset on mobile and its kind a hard to hear Jonathan's soothing voice even on max volume.
It’s interesting that the British went back toward a longer heavier rifle with the P14. I believe the ballistics won out over ergonomics. The Americans on the other hand went shorter and handier with the Springfield 1903. The irony is most Americans ultimately were issued long heavy M17’s and the British ended up with handier SMLE’s. In my entirely irrelevant opinion, I would have liked to carry a shorter, lighter M17.
@@King.Leonidas According to who? AR-10 based platforms are both lighter and more accurate. Main reason the US are still using the M14, is because no one wanted to buy M14s from America.
And yet having fought a war they decided to stick with the Lee-Enfield with it's "good enough" cartridge, extra five rounds and without locking surfaces that need a special brush to clean. For all the supposed superior features of the Mauser system from a marksman's point of view I think it's telling that when the French came to design a new bolt-action service rifle they chose rear locking.
The Lee Enfield and SMLE had a noteworthy list of complaints against it, the P13 was the culmination of addressing most of the concerns in that list. Ww1 was the only reason it and its new cartridge didn't replace the SMLE and .303. After the war, large stocks of rifles and ammunition and no budget prevented any new attempt at a replacement, even the Mk.V and No.1 Mk.VI didn't go through due to cost.
I have a 1941 K98K and a Lithgow 1942 No.1 Mk III* and I have shot both of them a fair amount. Both are still in military pattern. I agree with Jonathan that the Enfield is just a little bit faster to work than the Mauser especially after the Mauser heats up. Except for the length the M1917 was one of the best rifles in W W I. Edit: LOL I wrote this and then Jonathan said it. The USA encountered the the Mauser in Spanish 7mm in 1898 and were very impressed by it. I have read that the USA paid Mauser #200,000 for the 1903 action. If you put a 06 and a 98 side by side the actions are exactly a like. I have done that. Nice background Jonathan.
My Grandfather, who was decorated in the Boer War, used to say the Boer could light a match at 500 yards. He was decorated for leading a retreat, the way he told it, he stood up, after 1/3rd of his troop had been shot, shouted “Fuck this for a lark ,I’m off” then ran to cover in a rock outcrop and put the Boers under fire. Within 15 minutes the rest of his troop followed.
I have a M1917 Eddystone made. It shoots better than my springfield and my M-1. The heavy barrel is the real reason it shoots so well. Shooting steel gongs at 300 yards is an eye opener for my grandson with a rifle more than a centery ord.
its because the 10 rounds wasn't a huge advantage after your first reload with stripper clips. The swiss ruben rifle held 12 rounds in 6 round stripper clips and they came to the conclusion it wasn't really a advantage. The U.S. developed this experimental bolt action that held 25 rounds in 5 round strippers and chucked it fairly quickly after testing.
I have a few of them and even built my custom hunting rifle in 7mm/06 and it's accurate and deadly and probably the best action to build on if you find one already sportered
Metallurgy in the UK was trying to formulate a better steel for heat and wear resistance before WW1 and tried using chromium in the many experiments. Stainless steel was invented during these experiments and gave a big boost to many manufacturing cities , including Sheffield.
What I like about my 03-A3 is after loading 5 rounds in the magazine. I put a sixth round in the chamber and pulling the trigger while gently closing the bolt. The bolt itself decocks
Do the same with cock on closing, the bolt never cocks, thus absolutely precluding the (admittedly quite rare) "stupidity/clumsiness" accidental discharge. Decocking a cock on closing model is accomplished merely by opening the action normally. In my opinion, cock on closing makes a slightly more idiot proof battle rifle, while cock on opening actions are more easily refined for target shooting as they allow gentle highly tactile manipulation on the feed/lock cycle
I could listen to this sort of stuff for ages. I was a bit distracted by the racks behind as I was looking for a rifle I donated to the armouries years ago. (BSA1215). A bit needle in a haystack, I know.
Hard to argue. While I love my 1903 Springfield, my 1917 is still more accurate and much more ergonomic making it great at the range. It’s heavier for sure, but not terribly so and the sights are a huge improvement over the 1903. Nothing beats my Jungle Carbine for pure fun though 😅
You could say that, Ian's channel sent me over here? You guys all seem to cross each other's paths, alot. Anyways, personally, I would consider the P-14/M1917 to be better than the 1903 Springfield or the SMLE? Basically the reason is better rear sights. Course, that's just my opinion. Great channel, you have.
Well Jonathan Ferguson in the Call Of Duty Vanguard video you did with the players custom weapons there is the wire stock that you had for the sten in the game
Honestly, the 1903 is so smooth on cocking that it eliminates any advantage cock-on-close has over cock-on-open. I think cock-on-close has an advantage over an actual German K98 which is a substantially rougher action, but the US refinement of the action turns that on its head. I own two 1903A3 actions as well as two Mauser 98's, one German the other Turkish. And, while not an Enfield, I do own a Japanese Type 99 so I have experience with a cock-on-close Mauser. There is no slowdown caused by the smooth camming of the 1903, but the Mausers cause a definite slowdown and there is a noticeable slowdown caused while closing the Type 99. I thus must conclude that the 1903's improved camming is superior to both.
If your cycling an empty weapon, sure I would agree. However add the reality of sticky primary extraction after firing that can occur with a dirty chamber in a battlefield environment and cocking on opening becomes a bit more difficult.
@@T30-z5w It's not an issue because of the camming feature on any Mauser type action, that's exactly why it exists, I had an M1917 that the bore and chamber were so rough that one day a cartridge was stuck in the chamber so badly that it broke the extractor when I lifted the bolt handle. The camming feature of a Mauser type action is there for that exact scenario, it's toggle, straight pull and other type of actions that have a problem with extraction of casings from dirty chambers.
It’s not just a matter of cock on close or open but also of the weight of the striker spring you have to cock. On a Lee-Enfield that spring is much lighter than on a Mauser.
I have an original M1917 and it's big and heavy but it is certainly pleasant to shoot. Mine apparently didn't get heavily used and has a very good bore which is very accurate.
The background is awesome. Some kind of royal looking lapel pin or a necklace like from the armorer guy in John Wick would be a nice touch, I think. Background music would be nice too. Something stately maybe a light British Grenadiers tone. Drums and flutes. Hope my input helps.
I love the M1917; it feels solid and robust. I don’t mind the extra weight as I’m not a GI lugging it around in combat. The sights are phenomenally easier to see than the M1903’s; the latter can be difficult to align even in daylight.
I love my p14. By far the best sights you could have on a standard issued rifle at the time. With the right loads you Just print 10 After 10 on the target.
The crooked bolt handle isn't there to put the bolt handle close to the firing hand, it's simply a bonus feature of it's intended design. The reason it exists has to do with the noticeable absence of the third "safety" lug of a Mauser type action on that rifle, the bolt handle of the P14/US 1917 rifle doubles as the third lug known as the "safety lug" on Mauser type actions. Things like the firing hand being closer to the bolt handle and not having to modify the bolt handle for a scope are several bonuses of that feature that people have incorrectly attributed as to why the bolt handle was designed that way when in fact it was to act as the safety lug of a Mauser type action. The third lug of a Mauser type action which is found on the bolt just forward of the back of the receiver opening (when the bolt is closed) is there as a last resort to stop the bolt from embedding itself in the shooter's face in the event of the two main lugs failing, since the third lug has nothing to do with head spacing and therefore don't require an exact fitment there's always a generous space between the back edge of it and the opening in the receiver it's supposed to engage in the event of the two locking lugs failing, if you look at the crooked bolt handle of the P14/US 1917 rifle you'll see that when it's closed the bolt handle is recessed into an area of the receiver duplicating the effect of the third lug of a Mauser type action without the extra work of having to machine the third lug on the bolt, everything else like the firing hand being closer to the bolt handle and scopes being able to be mounted without modification to the bolt handle are just added bonuses.
Thank you for that. Always wondered why (regarding the two grooves). Looking for a nice 1917 to round off my collection. Subscribed. (Ex. Pat Brit in NY).
I dont know if you guys already have a video on it, or if it has been showcased in a GameSpot video or something like that, but would you guys have a De Lisle Carbine in the collection? I'd love to come and visit you guys, but alas, im on the wrong side of the Pond.
@@jonathanferguson1211 i like the AR18 platform, and i consider that the T2 made some improvements i liked a lot, like some simplifications and the captive bolt carrier, would you happen to do a video on the SAR87 someday?
Do you have an example of an M21 sniper rifle (not XM21, specifically a post-1975 M21)? I've been looking of a photo of the receiver markings for ages to no avail.
I'm very curious about those black rifles off to your left shoulder. They look like something AR-18 related that was trialed by the Aussies before they selected the AUG. But they don't look exactly like what I think they are.
Out of curiosity, had Enfield introduced pyrometers during production of barrels by this point? If they hadn't, and were still using the eye ball to gauge the steel it might explain the metallurgy problems which IIRC Springfield had adopted [the use of pyrometers] prior to the 03 entering full production
I completely agree, that the M1917 was the best rifle of the First World War. I love the controlled round feed of Mausers, but also love cock-on-close (I agree with Johnathan, they are faster), and the M1917 combined both of those features, with a thoroughly modern (for the time) cartridge.
Just a thought. The .276 Enfield appears to have been roughly comparable to the .270 Winchester that came out in the mid-'20's. It would be interesting to rebarrel a Model 1917 to .270 and see what it could do as an analog for the P13.
I'm guessing the size and shape and geometry of those base plates at the five round magazines suggests that extended to ten wouldn't have been such a challenge..?
If I ever manage to secure myself a visa to visit UK I swear I'll spend a whole day at the Royal Armouries and take so many photos I'll need a spare memory card. Maybe two.
This new backdrop has given Jonathan even greater powers of charisma and authority, really liking it.
Litterally every example for every possible version of a question 🤣
The sound is very variable, though.
A very polite way of saying "Back at ya, Ian"
It's a bit
"we need guns, lots of guns"
Gun powder makes all men stand tall
I’d pay good money for an audiobook of this man just talking about old rifles for an hour.
Jonathan makes it so interesting
Guaranteed to put you to sleep. He does go on and on a bit.
7 and a half minutes was all I could take. Did he ever get to the point?
@@samiam619 so ignorant. holy shit....
Jacob Levy you misspelled hours 😄
Thank you for the lecture, British Forgotten Weapons guy
You and Ian From Inrange TV are an absolute gem. Not only are you showing how awesome weapons are, you are showing those who are new to firearms, that they are not what they seem. Especially the gamer community.
Ian is from Forgotten Weapons, he has his own channel you know. InRange is by his buddy Karl and he appears on it.
I spend 5 years studying gunsmithing in Uherský broad at CZ school, part of the CZ factory. I don't do it for life but I know at least something. And it is such a nice change to hear someone who knows about guns talk in such simple and understandable way opposed to some dude reading a script he knows nothing about. Hats off mister
Hello Honza. This is truly nice series.:-)
Lucky bastard.
I purchased a P14 within the last year, so I’m really glad you made a video about its development and history. Thanks Jonathan and merry Christmas!
Thanks Jonathan and team, that was informative and entertaining. In the 1990's I was a rifle club treasurer at Harwell and my club had three 7.62 mm converted P14's as full bore target rifles for the shorter ranges.
i love the woodwork on these. especially on the model 1913, so gorgeous.
Q: When is a Springfield a Mauser?
A: Always
This series really is so good, history and mechanical engineering explained in an easily understood way by someone both expert and enthusiastic.
To be honest, most of the time I have no idea what Johnathan is talking about but I just love listening to him talk.
Excellent, and didn't spare the important but brutal details. THANKS!
Hi Johnathan, I've always wondered if there are any documented uses of the volley fire sights in combat? It doesn't seem that practical in a real world setting.
I've only ever come across one set of data on this, posted by the late Tony Edwards on an internet forum; "In 1899 the War Office wished to ascertain the performance of magazine rifles in India and Egypt and sent a questionnaire to selected units and published the results as “Abstract of Reports on Magazine Rifles used in Operations in India and Egypt, 1897-98”.
Question 10 asked “Was long-range firing resorted to, and if so, with what results?” A selection of answers were:
1st Bn. Royal West Surrey
Yes, with good results, in so far that the fire of the enemy from inaccessible points, 1,800 or 2,000 yards distant was kept down by occasional shots from picked marksmen, and of larger parties by section volleys.
1st Bn. The Buffs
Nearly all fire was “long-range”. Volleys were kept up and as far as could be seen, with the eye and with glasses, with very good results. Enemy would not face the Lee-Metford. Maj. Gen. Bindon Blood says “Long-range volleys …had a most demoralizing effect.”
2nd. Bn. Royal Irish Rgt.
Yes; on the Semana. Results mostly satisfactory, physically and morally. Absence of smoke and extreme effective range materially affected formation and movements of enemy.
2nd, Bn. Yorkshire
Long-range fire frequently resorted to. ..Enemy in one case frequently dispersed by volleys at 1,600 yards, and the day after party completely dispersed at 1,400 yards.
1st Bn. Royal Scots Fusiliers
Long-range volleys resorted to on several occasions. Volleys well timed and accurate.
2nd. Bn. Royal Sussex
Nearly all long-range volleys even, up to 2,600 yards, which scattered enemy; it is evident that some of the bullets fell among them.
1st Bn. Dorsetshire
Yes, on several occasions. The wonderful accuracy of the long-range fire of the Lee-Metford was clearly shown by the shooting of the Afridis.
1st.Bn. Grenadier Guards
Yes. First volley at Omdurman was fired at 2,700 yards and fire maintained until Dervishes stopped at about 750 yards. Effects appeared excellent, but it is difficult to apportion them among guns, Maxims, and rifles.
There were some dissenting replies though.
2nd.Bn. Lancashire
A few section volleys at 1,900 yards. Results apparently nil.
1st.Bn. Northants
Very poor results. Enemy always presented a moving target, and not a large one.
Overall however the replies were very favourable, most stating that the minimum effect was to disperse the enemy and break up their concentrations. Also that the morale effect on the enemy was great in the face of volley fire.’"
@@jonathanferguson1211 Wow very detailed reply, thank you very much! It seems breaking up enemy formations was the best use then.
@@jonathanferguson1211 That last report is interesting to me, it's the only report (at least from what I can read) that mentions that the enemy presented a smaller moving targets, instead of a large force moving at the same time. I wonder if the "enemy" is that case decided to take a different tactic, when compared to the other reports, or if in all cases the enemy didn't present a large force.
@@jonathanferguson1211 Appreciate all you do!
@@samholdsworth420 Thanks Sam!
Jon talking about hitscan guns in games makes me want a purely virtual version of the Royal Armouries that has a catalogue of guns in games.
Imagine someone going and ripping gun models from the various guns through gaming history then putting them in VR format for visitors of the museum to go and fire them on a range. Not factoring the development costs of this project (let's assume it's a donation to the historical society) it would be a good way to generate some funds for the museum.
It would be EVEN COOLER if you could get notes from the devs on each gun, or concept art and such. Imagine being able to go to the Halo exhibit or something and seeing the evolution of the pistol.
In a few of the Gamespot videos Jon's been in he's stated a few times that he supports the idea of game developers visiting places like the Royal Armouries to do more research and note every detail of each firearm to make games more realistic and immersive.
the royal armoury approved line of updates for H3
Always a pleasure.
For me the most beautifull bolt action riffle ever designed. Slick lines. Simply a work of art
My favorite series on UA-cam right now thank you Jonathan and the Royal armories
That room your in is a gun lovers dream come true. Thanks for the info
Always interesting to hear about the development and half-step design changes accumulate to see how the (eventually) iconic designs are arrived at.
Finally got Jonathan a good table and a better camera!!
It brings me immeasurable joy to see content about these rifles. I've been collecting 14s and 17s for the better part of a decade now, one of these days I'll track down a 13 for the collection. I know there are a handful stateside in private hands.
Great presentation. I’ve owned both the P17 and the M1903A3 back when they were cheap. Both kick like a mule with that steel buttplate and powerful 30-06 round. I really like the Enfield No 4 Mark 1 the best of all early to mid-century military bolt guns. I still have that one of those.
What a nice chequering on that 1912 prototype!
Also, nearly 849 m/s doesn't sound that great until you consider the bullet weight of 10.69 g, resulting in a 3852.14 J of muzzle energy. This figure is in the ballpark of modern hunting loads of .30-06, not the M1906, which developed its 823 m/s (although from a somewhat shorter barrel) with a 9.72 g bullet, thus having about 3291.82 J of muzzle energy. I'm not really sure how one can just 'skip' several decades of gunpowder development in several years to get .276 to viability in military service.
Kinda interesting how many and I mean many prototype military trials rifles have nice chequering on the rifles and in basically 100% of the cases that's gone by the time it gets adopted haha.
Great improvement on the setting for your video. It meets the security parameters that you were previously concerned with, and gives the viewer a much more enjoyable viewing experience. It projects a professional and authoritative image to support your knowledge base, and subject matter.
In the late 1950s my father "sportified" a .303 pattern 14, and a .30'06 Pattern 17, both made by Winchester.
I preferred the pattern 14 and used it for many years. It accounted for many feeds of venison.
funny, really; as I did something similar and preferred my modified 303 Mk 4 such that I still prefer it over my 30/06 but don't ask for a rationale
A friend has a 1917.
Only things that have been replaced on it are things like the magazine base plate and barrel bands.
Barreled receiver is dated May 1918.
Magnificent firearm.
I didn't realize that it was actually based on the Springfield. That's just funny. Pity we decided to standardize in the 1903 after the war. Though the U.S. did eventually go with the Garand by WW2 so ehh. 🤷♂️
The M1903 Springfield was pretty much almost as good as the M1917 Enfield once they switched the 1903 to use rear aperture sights.
The 1903 wasn’t standardised until just before WW1. The 1903 variants are wildly different from the later ones (and potentially dangerous to shoot to boot due to significant manufacturing errors).
@@LUR1FAX Yes, but given that there already significantly more of the M1917 than the M1903 as of 1920, it would've made more sense to standardize on the M1917 at the time.
Unfortunately, at the time target shooting was considered a higher priority than practicality on the battlefield. And target shooters preferred the M1903's windage-adjustable rear sight, even though the rear-mounted peep sight is obviously the better choice for the average fresh out of boot camp soldier who's not an Olympic-level marksman.
Well they say that so they aren't copying the potential enemy.
@Mr. Shlock Had the .276 Garand been adopted, NATO most likely would've standardized on the British 7x43mm round (or a near-identical American round), since that would simply be a shorter version of what America was already using, just like how 7.62x51mm is a shorter .30-06 with nearly the same ballistics.
And as for the Garand itself, it would've been about 1 pound lighter (very nice for soldiers in the field) and had a 10-round instead of 8-round clip. Something akin to the M14 probably still would've been adapted from its basic design in the 1950s, but with the lighter, lower-recoiling bullet it would've been a proper assault rifle. The smaller round might also have resulted in a higher-capacity magazine, like 25 or even 30 rounds. Or they might have kept it to 20 rounds anyway, on the premise that keeping the mag shorter would be good for firing in the prone position. After all, even the M16 started out with a 20-round mag until they decided it needed to match the AK-47's 30 rounds.
C&Rsenal has episodes on both the P14 and the P17, I would recommend everyone that's interested in military history to check them out.
Plus the show is presented by a Wookiee.
Yes! I should have given them a shoutout. They are top folk.
"Then war were declared, " seemed to get in the way of many projects.
That's no moon... ehm ... that's no Wookie.
It's a Sasquatch.
ua-cam.com/video/694kaGxkyy4/v-deo.html
As always, it´s great to get some background and history behind the items you display in these short videos. I must say that you do a really great job :)
My uncle Arthur was the hunter in the family. After he got back from Occupation duty in Germany (His company commander promised him sergeant stripes if he'd volunteer to extend his tour), he bought a M1917 from the Civilian Marksmanship Program with the intent of converting it to a hunting rifle. Well, one thing followed another and 27 years later, as a graduation and commissioning gift, I got the rifle - with bayonet, still slathered is cosmoline, still in its packing crate. It took me about a year to clean all the gunk off and I then had it checked by a gunsmith to make sure it was in a condition to be fired. It is marked "Eddystone" which was a plant built by Remington outside of Philadelphia specifically to build P14's. They hired a retired US Army Colonel to manage it - guy by the name of John Taliaferro (pronounced "Tolliver") Thompson - yes, he of the gun. "World War I began in Europe in 1914, and Thompson was sympathetic to the Allied cause. Since the U.S. did not immediately enter the war, and because he recognized a significant need for small arms in Europe (as well as an opportunity to make a substantial profit), Thompson retired from the Army in November of that year and took a job as Chief Engineer of the Remington Arms Company. While with the company he supervised the construction of the Eddystone Arsenal in Chester, Pennsylvania, at that time the largest small arms plant in the world. It manufactured Pattern 1914 Enfield rifles for British forces, and Mosin-Nagant rifles for Russia. "When the United States finally entered the war in 1917, Thompson returned to the Army and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He served as Director of Arsenals throughout the remainder of the war, in which capacity he supervised all small-arms production for the Army. For this service he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal." Anyway, I took my new-old rifle with me when I reported on active duty and, although I was permitted to keep it in my quarters, I preferred to keep in the company arms room. So several days after reporting in, I went to see the armorer. He had no problem making me a weapons card and putting it in the storage racks, but did a double take when he saw the bayonet. "Sir, where did you get this?" ""It came with the rifle. See" I fixed and unfixed the bayonet. "Hold on, sir" He unlocked a footlocker and pulled out the twin to my bayonet. It turns out that when the US Army adopted "Trench Guns" to teach Kaiser Bill a lesson, they specified they accept a bayonet and chose the M1917 as the pattern to adopt for that purpose. So every US martial shotgun adopted since then could mount an M1917 bayonet. Our company had a dozen trench guns to be issued at the commander's discretion. "Look at the manufacturing date, sir" 1967. My, God, WHAT WAS THIS!. Turns out during the Vietnam War there had been a huge demand for Trench Guns, but there weren't enough M1917 bayonets left in inventory, so the production line was restarted. They were identical. down to the two grooves going across the hilt. (www.ima-usa.com/products/u-s-wwi-m1917-enfield-bayonet-with-scabbard?variant=26168932997) Except I think mine was better quality.
prior to watching your video I watched a video on the production of the M1917 which was filmed in 1918 very interesting along with yours.
I have a question regarding firearms maintenance in a museum - If something comes in with repairable and unintentional mechanical defects (so not intentionally demilitarised), as a museum would you fix or improve it's functionality? If so, is there a certain criteria beyond which you wouldn't intervene to restore it to full function?
Very much appreciate Jonathan's input even though I have never interacted with firerarms (my country is funny that way), I have always been fascinated by the engineering and mechanical side. Thank you for taking time to make content on such interesting firearm stories.
I recently got my hands on the US Enfield book by Ian Skennerton. It is so nice to see the rifles on video, thank you very much!
Jonathan could we have some close up of the different rifles and some disassembly please, so we can see how the various iterations have the small differences betweens them
Love those Berettas in the back too!
Great video! Thanks very much.
Great video! I love my P14, its almost perfect in condition and still has the volley sights. I suspect it must have left England before the Weedon Repair Standard but I have been unable to figure out where it might have gone. I suspect the Spanish Civil War!
I have a remington P14 with it's volley sights as well- I would love to know how it retained them!
My first Pattern 14 was an Eddystone with volley sights. The bore was shot out, and I had a company called PAC-Nor make me a new barrel, and I had a very nice man in Georgia (Evans Obsolete Screws) rebarrel the action for me. He was also able to come up with some replacement parts. After learning a great deal about the Pattern 14 from this experience I resolved to get a Remington and Winchester model as well. Pattern 14 receivers started popping up all over the place right after that. When I learned that Criterion Barrels was making new barrels for the Pattern 14 (in the white) I jumped at the chance to get them and complete 2 more rifles from the ground up. I managed to get all 3 completed by the latter half of 2014. Then I had a 100th anniversary range shoot with my friends. It was a real kick to shoot 3 rifles that had not existed for 80 + years….essentially newly refurbished Pattern 14’s. That was a good day. I left the Criterion Barrel guys great feedback on their barrel….
I enjoyed this program. I had an opportunity to shoot an M1917 back in the seventies, and loved it. I regret to this day that I didn't take my friend up on the opportunity to buy it from him. At the time we were both university students and needed any money above and beyond what part time jobs and the US Veteran's Admin were paying us. He raised it by selling the rifle, I saved money by not buying it. The feature that I liked the most of that rifle was the sights. Very Good sights. Easier to operate than the sights on the 03-A3 and far easier and less complex than the 03-A1. The thing that I liked least was the long barrel. I'm sure it gave more velocity, and better reach with a bayonet, but I'd rather have one a couple of inches shorter.
oooh i'de love one of those , love mauser actions.. my springer a3 was a kick as gun, got it out to the bull at 900 yds at Stickledown by aiming over(sigh only does 800yds)
Excellent video as always! Was wondering if its possible to make the audio louder though, sometimes watching those in public with a headset on mobile and its kind a hard to hear Jonathan's soothing voice even on max volume.
I can only imagine the glorious smell (in a none perv way ) of your filming location. Great vid there.
It’s interesting that the British went back toward a longer heavier rifle with the P14. I believe the ballistics won out over ergonomics. The Americans on the other hand went shorter and handier with the Springfield 1903. The irony is most Americans ultimately were issued long heavy M17’s and the British ended up with handier SMLE’s. In my entirely irrelevant opinion, I would have liked to carry a shorter, lighter M17.
m14 was known as the best sniper rifle
@@King.Leonidas According to who? AR-10 based platforms are both lighter and more accurate. Main reason the US are still using the M14, is because no one wanted to buy M14s from America.
And yet having fought a war they decided to stick with the Lee-Enfield with it's "good enough" cartridge, extra five rounds and without locking surfaces that need a special brush to clean.
For all the supposed superior features of the Mauser system from a marksman's point of view I think it's telling that when the French came to design a new bolt-action service rifle they chose rear locking.
@@LUR1FAX He's referring to the Model 1914 rifle as used earlier in the century, not the Garand with big boy pants.
The Lee Enfield and SMLE had a noteworthy list of complaints against it, the P13 was the culmination of addressing most of the concerns in that list. Ww1 was the only reason it and its new cartridge didn't replace the SMLE and .303. After the war, large stocks of rifles and ammunition and no budget prevented any new attempt at a replacement, even the Mk.V and No.1 Mk.VI didn't go through due to cost.
I have a 1941 K98K and a Lithgow 1942 No.1 Mk III* and I have shot both of them a fair amount. Both are still in military pattern. I agree with Jonathan that the Enfield is just a little bit faster to work than the Mauser especially after the Mauser heats up. Except for the length the M1917 was one of the best rifles in W W I. Edit: LOL I wrote this and then Jonathan said it.
The USA encountered the the Mauser in Spanish 7mm in 1898 and were very impressed by it. I have read that the USA paid Mauser #200,000 for the 1903 action. If you put a 06 and a 98 side by side the actions are exactly a like. I have done that. Nice background Jonathan.
Love the work! Keep it coming!
My Grandfather, who was decorated in the Boer War, used to say the Boer could light a match at 500 yards. He was decorated for leading a retreat, the way he told it, he stood up, after 1/3rd of his troop had been shot, shouted “Fuck this for a lark ,I’m off” then ran to cover in a rock outcrop and put the Boers under fire. Within 15 minutes the rest of his troop followed.
Good presentation man
I have a M1917 Eddystone made. It shoots better than my springfield and my M-1. The heavy barrel is the real reason it shoots so well. Shooting steel gongs at 300 yards is an eye opener for my grandson with a rifle more than a centery ord.
I've always thought the 10 rounds over 5 was a huge bonus, so I've always wondered why they didn't try and keep that feature.
its because the 10 rounds wasn't a huge advantage after your first reload with stripper clips. The swiss ruben rifle held 12 rounds in 6 round stripper clips and they came to the conclusion it wasn't really a advantage. The U.S. developed this experimental bolt action that held 25 rounds in 5 round strippers and chucked it fairly quickly after testing.
I have a few of them and even built my custom hunting rifle in 7mm/06 and it's accurate and deadly and probably the best action to build on if you find one already sportered
jonathan seems to have enjoyed a sunny holiday, he looks quite tanned!
Britain’s cordite propellant with the proposed 7mm cartridge for the P13 caused the pressure and heat issues
Metallurgy in the UK was trying to formulate a better steel for heat and wear resistance before WW1 and tried using chromium in the many experiments.
Stainless steel was invented during these experiments and gave a big boost to many manufacturing cities , including Sheffield.
What I like about my 03-A3 is after loading 5 rounds in the magazine. I put a sixth round in the chamber and pulling the trigger while gently closing the bolt. The bolt itself decocks
Do the same with cock on closing, the bolt never cocks, thus absolutely precluding the (admittedly quite rare) "stupidity/clumsiness" accidental discharge. Decocking a cock on closing model is accomplished merely by opening the action normally. In my opinion, cock on closing makes a slightly more idiot proof battle rifle, while cock on opening actions are more easily refined for target shooting as they allow gentle highly tactile manipulation on the feed/lock cycle
Coolest, setup, ever 👉
All the rifles, just standing in the back 👌👌👌
The star of the show is, as promised, a very interesting piece of weaponry 👍
I could listen to this sort of stuff for ages. I was a bit distracted by the racks behind as I was looking for a rifle I donated to the armouries years ago. (BSA1215). A bit needle in a haystack, I know.
Hard to argue. While I love my 1903 Springfield, my 1917 is still more accurate and much more ergonomic making it great at the range. It’s heavier for sure, but not terribly so and the sights are a huge improvement over the 1903. Nothing beats my Jungle Carbine for pure fun though 😅
You could say that, Ian's channel sent me over here? You guys all seem to cross each other's paths, alot. Anyways, personally, I would consider the P-14/M1917 to be better than the 1903 Springfield or the SMLE? Basically the reason is better rear sights. Course, that's just my opinion. Great channel, you have.
Well Jonathan Ferguson in the Call Of Duty Vanguard video you did with the players custom weapons there is the wire stock that you had for the sten in the game
Honestly, the 1903 is so smooth on cocking that it eliminates any advantage cock-on-close has over cock-on-open. I think cock-on-close has an advantage over an actual German K98 which is a substantially rougher action, but the US refinement of the action turns that on its head. I own two 1903A3 actions as well as two Mauser 98's, one German the other Turkish. And, while not an Enfield, I do own a Japanese Type 99 so I have experience with a cock-on-close Mauser. There is no slowdown caused by the smooth camming of the 1903, but the Mausers cause a definite slowdown and there is a noticeable slowdown caused while closing the Type 99. I thus must conclude that the 1903's improved camming is superior to both.
If your cycling an empty weapon, sure I would agree. However add the reality of sticky primary extraction after firing that can occur with a dirty chamber in a battlefield environment and cocking on opening becomes a bit more difficult.
@@T30-z5w
It's not an issue because of the camming feature on any Mauser type action, that's exactly why it exists, I had an M1917 that the bore and chamber were so rough that one day a cartridge was stuck in the chamber so badly that it broke the extractor when I lifted the bolt handle.
The camming feature of a Mauser type action is there for that exact scenario, it's toggle, straight pull and other type of actions that have a problem with extraction of casings from dirty chambers.
It’s not just a matter of cock on close or open but also of the weight of the striker spring you have to cock. On a Lee-Enfield that spring is much lighter than on a Mauser.
great video
I have an original M1917 and it's big and heavy but it is certainly pleasant to shoot. Mine apparently didn't get heavily used and has a very good bore which is very accurate.
My SMLE MK3 STAR puts allot of rounds downrange fast, part action part ten round mag.
Love those aperture sights though
The background is awesome. Some kind of royal looking lapel pin or a necklace like from the armorer guy in John Wick would be a nice touch, I think. Background music would be nice too. Something stately maybe a light British Grenadiers tone. Drums and flutes. Hope my input helps.
My P14 still shoots like a dream.
One of the few people I click like before I even watch the vid
Always enjoy 👍
I love the M1917; it feels solid and robust. I don’t mind the extra weight as I’m not a GI lugging it around in combat.
The sights are phenomenally easier to see than the M1903’s; the latter can be difficult to align even in daylight.
Imagine if this wasn't the Rayol Armouries Museum in the background and it was actually Jonathan's gun nerd apartment.
I wish each episode he would randomly turn and pick up a bonus gun and give a quick breakdown
very nice
I love my p14. By far the best sights you could have on a standard issued rifle at the time. With the right loads you Just print 10 After 10 on the target.
The crooked bolt handle isn't there to put the bolt handle close to the firing hand, it's simply a bonus feature of it's intended design.
The reason it exists has to do with the noticeable absence of the third "safety" lug of a Mauser type action on that rifle, the bolt handle of the P14/US 1917 rifle doubles as the third lug known as the "safety lug" on Mauser type actions.
Things like the firing hand being closer to the bolt handle and not having to modify the bolt handle for a scope are several bonuses of that feature that people have incorrectly attributed as to why the bolt handle was designed that way when in fact it was to act as the safety lug of a Mauser type action.
The third lug of a Mauser type action which is found on the bolt just forward of the back of the receiver opening (when the bolt is closed) is there as a last resort to stop the bolt from embedding itself in the shooter's face in the event of the two main lugs failing, since the third lug has nothing to do with head spacing and therefore don't require an exact fitment there's always a generous space between the back edge of it and the opening in the receiver it's supposed to engage in the event of the two locking lugs failing, if you look at the crooked bolt handle of the P14/US 1917 rifle you'll see that when it's closed the bolt handle is recessed into an area of the receiver duplicating the effect of the third lug of a Mauser type action without the extra work of having to machine the third lug on the bolt, everything else like the firing hand being closer to the bolt handle and scopes being able to be mounted without modification to the bolt handle are just added bonuses.
Its nice to see 2 of the guns I used to own being represented behind you ;P Moschetto 1891 and M95
I thought this would be about the Turkish Mauser-Enfield frankengun. Would be nice to see a video of that in the future if you have one 😀
A very interesting bit of info but I gotta say what is that funky looking rifle on the far right of the screen?
At first I was like I didn't know that guy who played cranky Scottish Dr. Who was into guns.
Thank you for that. Always wondered why (regarding the two grooves). Looking for a nice 1917 to round off my collection. Subscribed. (Ex. Pat Brit in NY).
Do y'all have the SAR21 in the museum by any chance
Excellent video. Would you make a video on sniper rifles for 1st or 2nd World War please? And or the best since. Thanks for posting.
I dont know if you guys already have a video on it, or if it has been showcased in a GameSpot video or something like that, but would you guys have a De Lisle Carbine in the collection? I'd love to come and visit you guys, but alas, im on the wrong side of the Pond.
were they messing around with the em .280 idea at the same time?
No, this was 1910-1914. .280/7mm was 1947.
The quality of the Royal Armouries videos have jumped up recently and its great to see and hear x
Jonathan still recovering from that vangaurd gunsmith vid on GameSpot
what is the rifle on the rightmost part of the video on the racks? sort of reminds me of a Leader Dynamics T2
Sterling SAR87.
@@jonathanferguson1211 thank you Jonathan!
@@ferdinand12390 The resemblance isn't a coincidence; both were based upon the AR-18 :)
@@jonathanferguson1211 i like the AR18 platform, and i consider that the T2 made some improvements i liked a lot, like some simplifications and the captive bolt carrier, would you happen to do a video on the SAR87 someday?
@@ferdinand12390 I'm fairly sure that I will ;)
I own a P14 and a lee Enfield no4 mark 2. Both are awesome but would love a SMLE. The 14 is a but heavy but do find it is a but more accurate.
Do you have an example of an M21 sniper rifle (not XM21, specifically a post-1975 M21)? I've been looking of a photo of the receiver markings for ages to no avail.
I'm very curious about those black rifles off to your left shoulder. They look like something AR-18 related that was trialed by the Aussies before they selected the AUG. But they don't look exactly like what I think they are.
Every time I see the background I wonder if there is an Anschutz mod 54 over your right shoulder.
Out of curiosity, had Enfield introduced pyrometers during production of barrels by this point? If they hadn't, and were still using the eye ball to gauge the steel it might explain the metallurgy problems which IIRC Springfield had adopted [the use of pyrometers] prior to the 03 entering full production
can you talk about the canadian ross rifle?
All vids should have johnathin in white gloves. He's like a game cube boss!! 🎮
Great video! Whats the rifle thats hanging on the far right?
So impressive,amazing guns!as a manufacturer for CO2 cartridge for airgun, I love this vedio!
I completely agree, that the M1917 was the best rifle of the First World War. I love the controlled round feed of Mausers, but also love cock-on-close (I agree with Johnathan, they are faster), and the M1917 combined both of those features, with a thoroughly modern (for the time) cartridge.
Hi Jonathan
Guys here
Just a thought. The .276 Enfield appears to have been roughly comparable to the .270 Winchester that came out in the mid-'20's. It would be interesting to rebarrel a Model 1917 to .270 and see what it could do as an analog for the P13.
I'm guessing the size and shape and geometry of those base plates at the five round magazines suggests that extended to ten wouldn't have been such a challenge..?
"So if you've ever wondered... and I'm sure you haven't-"
Well... yeah. But thanks for telling us!
Lovely rifle!!!
If I ever manage to secure myself a visa to visit UK I swear I'll spend a whole day at the Royal Armouries and take so many photos I'll need a spare memory card. Maybe two.
It is brilliant. They do events like lancing and stuff. The medieval weaponry is most impressive though.
Arnt you a finn? Visas arnt so hard to get surely?
Interesting vid. :-)