When “Land of Hope and Glory” came on with the slo-mo firing of the Vickers, I couldn’t help grinning. Very well done, and in its way something of a tribute to all those who sweated behind the “Emma Gees”.
My great grandfather was in the new Zealand mounted rifles and served in ww1 during the Gallipoli and middle East campaigns and I've been researching their history tactics and battles and I know they set these things up a few times in cross fire positions and were highly successful with them so it's great to see just exactly how a expert gun crew would operate this weapons systems
@@britishmuzzleloaders So much for the 'Most Daper GunTuber!' Just don't end up looking like that bloke in the Swiss Alps or that guy from the swamps of South Carolina. 😁
I was assigned the M249 saw, and I also used the M240B as well as M2 machine guns. I am envious of you having a great range day with those great weapons. Looks like you had a lot of fun!
Whilst serving in the British Army infantry I qualified on the Bren gun and was also in the Regimental competition team and where it was allowed for top accuracy it was best to anchor the bipod to the ground by inserting a .303 round in the hole in the foot of each bipod, hardness of the ground permitting.
Those BRENs! Absolutely superb... Rather have one of those than a B.A.R. any day. I thought the MKVIIZ ( nitrocellulose powder)was the Emmagee load due to cordite being too erosive for sustained fire in machine guns. Awesome work by all, to preserve these weapons and their histories.
I really dont know why the US kept the BAR around for so long. It doesnt really do the job of a machine gun or a rifle properly so is just a sort of inadequate, clumsy inbetween weapon.
No, Mk VIIz was not adopted due to cordite during out barrels... it was adopted as a manufacturing alternative... Mk VIIIz was what you are referring to... a hotter load and boat tail bullet gave extra range in the Vickers.
I learnt to fire the bren in the early 80s along with the 303rifle in the army cadets and we was using 1950s rounds then 😂. And then I moved on to the 7.62 then 5.56.
Rob, fantastic video as always! I only ever used a GPMG, LMG (the 7.62mm version is 👌🏻) and HMG in my service, but I'd have loved to have gotten my hands on a Vickers gun. I do remember meeting a Korean War veteran who credited his survival to the utter reliability of the gun on more than one occasion, although he did note that war hadn't done anything to improve his accuracy, as more often than not they set their pieces to the correct elevation to graze the top of an opposing hill over which the enemy (chiefly the Chinese by the time he was there) would show themselves when attacking, and then just tap-to-traverse...
I know what you were feeling. As an ex-Australian Gunner(Artillery during the very late 70’s to late 90’s), that apprehensive, but excited feeling of shooting them, and the history of sitting, or lying behind these venerable weapons, has stayed with me, even now. Great video Rob.
Thank you so much for taking the time to film all this. That high speed footage, the loader. It's wonderful that this association exists. Almost forgot...I still want to see you at a Brutality match. That reminds me of the guy carrying the MG on a tripod for that challenge.
Really awesome Rob I'm glad you've had a chance to experience the collection and the old girls in action it's something that I'm extremely privileged to be part of, me and rich have some things in the pipeline which may be of interest to some of you guys.
Very, very cool. That's an experience to remember for sure. One of those Bren guns didn't make it back to the great white north in your suitcase by any chance? No one would know.... Great stuff, looking forward to seeing what you and these goofy nuggets from the south get up to. Make sure you bring them some proper Canadian rye or something!
What an awesome day! Thank you for showing us what fun you had and all the things available to learn. I had a moment of grumbling when I saw you shooting that Bren prone for the first time. At least one spent, ejected case looked like it came awfully close to bouncing into your eyes, and there you were with your glasses on your forehead. But overall what a fantastic time you all had. That's something many never get to experience. Good for you! Cheers!
Being aussie made Vickers guns I was disappointed not to hear my national anthem when the guns were firing 😎 that's stuff we can only dream of here in Australia. Thanks for letting me live vicariously through your video mate👍
Thanks for doing so. We've been a bit slow with content over the summer (machine gun shoot to organise is our excuse) but we'll pick it up again during the winter.
We fired one in comparison to the earlier Brens and the No 4 T rifle last year and it was on par with the No 4 T at 400 yards for an untrained shot and only slightly off for a trained shot. We now have an Indian-made version of the L4 in the collection so will be sharing more of that soon.
TY Rob. & Vickers team. Also gun jesus , who may own one legally in Arizona ? says the Bren to be the best LMG of WW II . You covered all the good bits well. Secrets of the Vickers are inside the spade grips ; oil bottle and brush.
Man, I'm envious... You had such a great opportunity, this kind of stuff is kind of a huge no go here in Canada. The general public wouldn't stand for it.
A vickers used by Sydney Godley (VC) from the 4th Battalion RF halted a German column at The Mons. All until the ammo ran out and he ditched it into the canal.
These guns are as important as any great historic house. To understand them they have to be fired. Exhausting work that someone has to do. Looked great fun, thank you for sharing. I shot the Bren just enough when serving to love them.
@@britishmuzzleloaders And all the loops to jump through with Firearm related laws. Again these machines are of significant historic importance. Defended and safeguarded the societies we all enjoy today. Took good friends to do that too. Freedoms are never a taken. Why we must support Ukraine.
i often wonder if guns like this would of came about had the whole small bore smokeless powder thing not happened...how much fun...i mean how interesting would a .577 vickers be (fantastic video as always)
That was one of the reasons that the MG hadn't really reached it's potential... There is a video of Maxim firing one of his prototypes... impressive amount of smoke.
Up until the 1990's surplus, British 303 ammunition was readily available in the UK and workers fairly well. I am not surprised that you had some stoppages great video.
We use PPU new-made stuff now for machine guns and had one or two stoppages with that but mostly because of feed. The RG had some low power primers in there.
Excellent video! I had the opportunity to handle and fire the Bren while on a small unit exchange with the Australian Army. I was a member of D Battery AMF(L), 2RCHA in the 80's, and the exchange was in 1985. The Bren in service at that time was chambered for 7.62mm NATO. They used 30 round FN FAL magazines. Quite the gun I must say!
The recoil from the Bren when used of a bi pod, pulled the firer forward and we often ended up with burnt forearms from spent cartridges ...Being able to double tap on the Bren was the sign of an experienced gunner ..
Your videos usually make me smile, but this one doubly so. It's a bit of a story: When I was in library school, we got taught the very, very basics of shooting a video - libraries basically need to know how to do *everything* - and this instruction included a BBC video on, well, making videos. At one point, the camera is narrowly missed by a falling tree whilst the narrator, in a dry BBC accent, says "The camera may even be set up and left in a dangerous location." Laughing at that was the first moment of bonding with my (now ex, alas) wife. Watching your "shaky cam" brought all that back with great clarity. :D
Great video! Always enjoy and anxiously await each of your videos. I seem to remember when the British MOD disposed of their obsolete Vickers guns, they ran over a good number of them with tracked vehicles in a Soccer stadium. This may explain why the guns you used were Australian! I cannot tell how many of the Vickers guns in the 16 gun lineup had the smooth Australian water jackets.
We’ve not heard the story about running over them in a football stadium. There are quite a few British made guns around but the Australian stocks were all imported into the U.K. in the 1990s so the majority in use are those.
24:52 - Very interesting. I`ve heard many times that the crank handle can crush the joints of the shooter's fingers if the hands are placed incorrectly on the grips. These rumors seem to be a little exaggerated.
They are. It can give your knuckles a whack that'll you'll remember next time, but there's nothing really to crush as it's moved forward again by the time you've felt the pain. Correct placement of the index fingers largely mitigates the likelihood of getting donked by it and is also a more comfortable way to place your hands for firing anyway, so it's largely a "training issue". It's notable in period images of the Vickers in use with British and Commonwealth forces that the No.1 usually has his hands placed correctly as they were thoroughly indoctrinated to the point of it being instinctive.
@@jonprince3237 And, besides, I always thought that if this was a serious problem, the engineers would have made some changes to the design. But this machine gun has been produced in different countries for decades and these models have many differences and modifications, but no one believed that there was a serious flaw in the design of the crank handle that needed to be changed.
Wonderful vid dear sir. but a question if you please??? How are you to get said Vickers home to Canada??? and then incorporate it into your muzzleloading??? seems quite daunting. ^~^
So very grateful for the video highlighting part of your holiday and the gents maintaining the collection. Did you get to make any detours to Bovington? There is a man associated with a certain museum there that has a mustache as well regarded as yours.
Very cool! I'm impressed. Never seen so many beautiful vickers and other Era machineguns in one place. I've been to several machinegun shoots around the states. There were just a couple here and there. Surprised they have groups like this in a country with such strict gun ownership laws...
You would be surprised what you can own in the UK with the correct permits. Mostly have to be kept in the lockup of a gun club you are a registered member of though, no taking them home.
Wait, the "Vickers Machine Gun Collection and Research Association" had to invite you? I'd figure you'd be a honorary Board Member of something so British and gun related. Anyways, thanks to you and VMGCRA for this video.
@@vickersmg While I have absolutely zero doubt that he is a long term supporter of yours, I would like to ask you a question. Would you mind if I tried to translate your response to my initial comment but in gun loving American? I think it might be fun for the both of us, if you don't mind of course.
@@vickersmg Ok, here we go. Rob has been a adamant 2A supporter since we have known him. We also support his position that the NFA be dismissed and let responsible gun owners own whatever weapon they deem fit, as the 2A says! Rob has shown what a responsible Machine Gun owner looks like and does. He takes his Vickers Machine Gun to shows, educates others, and teaches others about gun safety. Wooooo Yeee Haw! How does that sound for a gun review you rich Brit Nancy's!!!! Yall don even know bout Freedoms you Chip losers that we beat in 1776! I'd keep typing but I've got a Bud Lite to drink and a Wife to beat. Good luck to you Tea drinking Tommie's and your wife's that can't even wank your tiny pricks! Anywho, thanks for letting me give you two different American responses to your comment. I cannot thank you enough for the content in this video and the knowledge you have shared. Thanks again! Balljoint
Years ago a pal of mine bought a deactivated Bren Inglis if memory serves. He showed it to my farther who immediately took it to peices using AI drill. He said when he was in Italy during the war they put their Brens on tripods, I would imagine like the ones shown, to cover a road. They sighted them in and sand bagged them so they wouldn't move and waited for Jerry. Seem to recall something about a bend in the road being an important consideration. Anyway the Germans got to a certain position and all the Brens started shooting. As the Germans who weren't shot jumped over a stone wall the mines placed there detonated and the stone became shrapnel and most of them were killed or wounded. My father said it looked like a butchers shop. He said the Germans booby trapped everything before they left their positions and that the British had learned from it. No remorse, just matter of fact...I have a photo of my father stood beside his mate taken in 1944. His mate looks like elephant man, he was blown over a vehicle when he picked up a booby trapped Lugar
Nice stuff. I would take an L4 bren anyday. Those vickers I think had some leaky seals, but when were all 80 to 100 years old, a few leaks are to be expected. So the armorer can be excused for potato peeling duty for leaky seals.
Great video Rob. Thanks for coming along and spending the day with us.
Rich it was such a great time to finally meet up with you and boys. Thank you so much for having me out.
@@britishmuzzleloaders r
When “Land of Hope and Glory” came on with the slo-mo firing of the Vickers, I couldn’t help grinning. Very well done, and in its way something of a tribute to all those who sweated behind the “Emma Gees”.
Cheers!
Every single one of us in the Association here has that bit of the video as our favourite!
My great grandfather was in the new Zealand mounted rifles and served in ww1 during the Gallipoli and middle East campaigns and I've been researching their history tactics and battles and I know they set these things up a few times in cross fire positions and were highly successful with them so it's great to see just exactly how a expert gun crew would operate this weapons systems
Thanks for sharing!
My god, that was incredible! Well done!
It was a very special visit for sure!
It was a great day.
Hey, wait a minute! Somebody needs a shave! I knew something was off but didn't realize it until the end of the video.
Holiday mode, bud! 😀
@@britishmuzzleloaders So much for the 'Most Daper GunTuber!' Just don't end up looking like that bloke in the Swiss Alps or that guy from the swamps of South Carolina. 😁
I don't see what you are saying
Shaving most definitely optional when with us - Rich
The lack of uniform is more worrying - and may as well result in a prolonged tour of duty of peeling potatoes.
I was assigned the M249 saw, and I also used the M240B as well as M2 machine guns.
I am envious of you having a great range day with those great weapons.
Looks like you had a lot of fun!
I (we) did indeed! Cheers!
Whilst serving in the British Army infantry I qualified on the Bren gun and was also in the Regimental competition team and where it was allowed for top accuracy it was best to anchor the bipod to the ground by inserting a .303 round in the hole in the foot of each bipod, hardness of the ground permitting.
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome.
Thank you! Cheers!
So pleased you got this opportunity. I cannot think of anyone who deserves it more. Thank you for your service to firearms history
Very kind!
Always enjoyable to see the Vickers and Bren in action. Thank you!
Cheers!
Lovely hearing Machine Gun Guards in the background! Very interesting to learn about! I never knew this association existed!
Hopefully you’ve found us on UA-cam now. We’ve quite the website and patreon too.
Well spotted!
Why thank you, Sir!
Those BRENs! Absolutely superb...
Rather have one of those than a B.A.R. any day.
I thought the MKVIIZ ( nitrocellulose powder)was the Emmagee load due to cordite being too erosive for sustained fire in machine guns.
Awesome work by all, to preserve these weapons and their histories.
I really dont know why the US kept the BAR around for so long. It doesnt really do the job of a machine gun or a rifle properly so is just a sort of inadequate, clumsy inbetween weapon.
No, Mk VIIz was not adopted due to cordite during out barrels... it was adopted as a manufacturing alternative... Mk VIIIz was what you are referring to... a hotter load and boat tail bullet gave extra range in the Vickers.
@@britishmuzzleloaders
Gotcha! Thank you!
My absolute favorite bolt action rifle is the No4 MK2. Wish I still had my '54 production...
@@marksellers4875 No1 Mk3 * ;)
Rob, so happy for you to be invited to this most historical event. Thank you for sharing it with us! Just incredible!!
You are most welcome! It was a great day with great people!
2 of the greatest weapons of modern times - nicely done chap!
Indeed!
LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY!!!!!!!!
GRATUITOUSLY awsome!!!!!
Excellently done as always Rob.
Cheers Rowan! It was a great time with great people!
It's amazing to see the difference in the rates of fire of the Bren and Vickers
It was a great experience!
If you ever get near Charleston, a personal experience will be arranged for you on ours
Very kind!
I learnt to fire the bren in the early 80s along with the 303rifle in the army cadets and we was using 1950s rounds then 😂. And then I moved on to the 7.62 then 5.56.
@@OAPHarmerHerrStarmler they are still around in some places, used mostly for training cadets on good loading drill.
Nice!
Good afternoon from Syracuse NY USA brother thank you for sharing your facts and truth about British military history
Most welcome!
I'm a history buff my friend
When two of my favourite gun friends conspire to collaborate!
When you were a kid, did you ever think you would have not one, but two, favourite gun friends?
‘Gun friends’ (thumbs up)
Now, if only there was someone to write an article about it.... 😀
Rob, fantastic video as always! I only ever used a GPMG, LMG (the 7.62mm version is 👌🏻) and HMG in my service, but I'd have loved to have gotten my hands on a Vickers gun. I do remember meeting a Korean War veteran who credited his survival to the utter reliability of the gun on more than one occasion, although he did note that war hadn't done anything to improve his accuracy, as more often than not they set their pieces to the correct elevation to graze the top of an opposing hill over which the enemy (chiefly the Chinese by the time he was there) would show themselves when attacking, and then just tap-to-traverse...
Their reputation was well earned.
What a phenomenal historical examination. Thanks for sharing this.
Most welcome.
2:16 I can’t you how much I appreciate you show us th website of this great organization.
Well there's plenty there for people to read and we add more regularly, with extras through our patreon page at www.patreon.com/vickersmg
It's a fantastic resource!
Thats incredible what an honor would it be to be there, I hope you had fun.
Indeed!
I know what you were feeling. As an ex-Australian Gunner(Artillery during the very late 70’s to late 90’s), that apprehensive, but excited feeling of shooting them, and the history of sitting, or lying behind these venerable weapons, has stayed with me, even now.
Great video Rob.
Cheers!
Always interesting!
Cheers!
Bravo Rob and the Association. First class camera work and editing. The Bren must have reminded you of your C3 days as it did my L4 time.
It was a great experience!
Magnificent! A great effort all round.
Cheers Neil!
Thank you so much for taking the time to film all this. That high speed footage, the loader. It's wonderful that this association exists. Almost forgot...I still want to see you at a Brutality match. That reminds me of the guy carrying the MG on a tripod for that challenge.
That was me carrying the Vickers on the tripod. Still ache! - Rich
Yeah... That was Rich!
Appreciate everything you do & make, keep up the good work!
Thanks!
Wow amazing and fascinating look at the arms of yesterday 👍👍
Cheers!
That was a fantastic video. That Bren really chucks them spent cases!
I think eight feet was the furthest we found one in front of the tripod.
Cheers!
Outstanding video. Big thanks to the VMGCRA for having you out. Followed the link and subscribed to their UA-cam channel.
Thanks for heading over and finding us.
Great!
Bloody outstanding!!! What an extraordinary experience!! Looking forward to seeing the next installment!!! 🇺🇲☠️🇺🇲 🇬🇧🇨🇦
It was a great day!
Really awesome Rob I'm glad you've had a chance to experience the collection and the old girls in action it's something that I'm extremely privileged to be part of, me and rich have some things in the pipeline which may be of interest to some of you guys.
Thanks Jake. Maybe we'll run into each other at some point!
@@britishmuzzleloadersyour most welcome and i do hope so Rob.
Great video of a great day!
It was a great day, wasn't it... except when the camera died in the sun.... Sorry, old bean.
Would be interesting to see a shoot like this with a microphone placed down range to try and capture the sound of bullets passing or striking near by.
We’ve got a little bit of those from guys in the butts. We’ll pop some shorts on our channel.
The usual snap as it went overhead, I imagine...
Ive been watching this mans videos for years.
Thank you!
Very, very cool. That's an experience to remember for sure. One of those Bren guns didn't make it back to the great white north in your suitcase by any chance? No one would know.... Great stuff, looking forward to seeing what you and these goofy nuggets from the south get up to. Make sure you bring them some proper Canadian rye or something!
I can only wish.
What an awesome day! Thank you for showing us what fun you had and all the things available to learn. I had a moment of grumbling when I saw you shooting that Bren prone for the first time. At least one spent, ejected case looked like it came awfully close to bouncing into your eyes, and there you were with your glasses on your forehead. But overall what a fantastic time you all had. That's something many never get to experience. Good for you! Cheers!
It was a great time, indeed!
That was great to watch I bet it was fantastic to be there 👍
Yes it was! Cheers!
Fascinating. I’m a long time subscriber and I truly appreciate your work.
Thank you!
All I can say is Gee Whilikers, that was awesome!
It was a great day!
Being aussie made Vickers guns I was disappointed not to hear my national anthem when the guns were firing 😎 that's stuff we can only dream of here in Australia. Thanks for letting me live vicariously through your video mate👍
When the guns were made, our national anthem was the same as yours and Robs so Land of Hope and Glory is almost close enough!
@@vickersmg indeed true. Keep up the great work. And keep those beautiful ladies singing 👌
@@stevenlee798 thank you. Popped 100 rounds through one yesterday for a visit.
@@vickersmg please put my name on one of those rounds next time 😎
Well said Rich! Period appropriate.
Thanks for sharing Rob! Looked like a great time, one I wouldn’t mind having myself 😊
Stuart
Thanks Stuart!
It has been a while but man, do I love you content. Awesome Machine Gun. Just subscribed to the Vickers MG Collection.
Good man! Lots of great stuff there!
@@britishmuzzleloaders Yes it is. I love it.
Thanks for doing so. We've been a bit slow with content over the summer (machine gun shoot to organise is our excuse) but we'll pick it up again during the winter.
@@vickersmg I can't wait
DUDE you look JACKED.. Maybe you should be on the cover GQ Outdoors?
I've been called a lot of things.. jacked is not one of them,.... Haha!
The L4A4 was the best LMG ever. Extremely hard hitting.
We fired one in comparison to the earlier Brens and the No 4 T rifle last year and it was on par with the No 4 T at 400 yards for an untrained shot and only slightly off for a trained shot. We now have an Indian-made version of the L4 in the collection so will be sharing more of that soon.
I used one in the Falklands and a few times on the Ulster border, the enemy soon lost interest!!!!
There's a reason it was rechambered...
Excellent, sir, excellent!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks again
Cheers!
Thank you for posting
You are most welcome!
TY Rob. & Vickers team. Also gun jesus , who may own one legally in Arizona ? says the Bren to be the best LMG of WW II . You covered all the good bits well. Secrets of the Vickers are inside the spade grips ; oil bottle and brush.
Most welcome.
Very nice to see posts from this channel as usual. Thank you.
Cheers!
Love all your videos Sir but this is my favourite 😢 when you played Land of Hope and Glory I cried.
Thank you kindly!
Fascinating!
Cheers!
Elgar, nice touch!
Cheers!
19:09 "that the sound of the men working on belt gang"
Indeed!
All smiles on this day, well done fella’s!
Yup!
Bloody good video mate1
Thank you!
Great seeing you "out of uniform" BM. Great vid, as always.
Haha! Cheers!
Whenever I hear "Land of Hope and Glory" I can't help but think of Tim Brooke-Taylor.
Haha!
Man, I'm envious...
You had such a great opportunity, this kind of stuff is kind of a huge no go here in Canada. The general public wouldn't stand for it.
It was a fun time for sure!
Outstanding video, btw the surplus ammo is called RG as it was captured off the Argentinians after the falklands war. 😜
Ooof! 😂
Heard that one that day....
Fascinating
Cheers!
What what an experience for you. Thanks for sharing . Very informative 👍
It was!
A vickers used by Sydney Godley (VC) from the 4th Battalion RF halted a German column at The Mons. All until the ammo ran out and he ditched it into the canal.
Sure did. Along with Mr Dease....
These guns are as important as any great historic house. To understand them they have to be fired. Exhausting work that someone has to do.
Looked great fun, thank you for sharing.
I shot the Bren just enough when serving to love them.
Yes, Rich puts a ton of time and effort in to the Association. It's incredible, really...
@@britishmuzzleloaders And all the loops to jump through with Firearm related laws. Again these machines are of significant historic importance. Defended and safeguarded the societies we all enjoy today. Took good friends to do that too. Freedoms are never a taken.
Why we must support Ukraine.
Really interesting, thanks Rob and friends.
Thanks goes to the VMGCRA!
i often wonder if guns like this would of came about had the whole small bore smokeless powder thing not happened...how much fun...i mean how interesting would a .577 vickers be (fantastic video as always)
Well .5-inch Vickers vids coming soon hopefully.
Well the British did use .577 Maxims in Africa in the late 19th century. So, probably about that interesting.
Ummm... the original Maxim machine gun (the predecessor to the Vickers) was originally clambered in .577/450.
@@Sman7290 as in the black powder martini henry cartridge? or a modified version?
That was one of the reasons that the MG hadn't really reached it's potential... There is a video of Maxim firing one of his prototypes... impressive amount of smoke.
Up until the 1990's surplus, British 303 ammunition was readily available in the UK and workers fairly well. I am not surprised that you had some stoppages great video.
We use PPU new-made stuff now for machine guns and had one or two stoppages with that but mostly because of feed. The RG had some low power primers in there.
It's getting more and more scarce...
Great video, Sir!
Thank you kindly!
Excellent video! I had the opportunity to handle and fire the Bren while on a small unit exchange with the Australian Army. I was a member of D Battery AMF(L), 2RCHA in the 80's, and the exchange was in 1985. The Bren in service at that time was chambered for 7.62mm NATO. They used 30 round FN FAL magazines. Quite the gun I must say!
Nice!
Good stuff. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Vickers is an absolute masterpiece of a machine gun, best Maxim-type in my opinion. Great video.
Cheers!
What a great experience Rob! Loved it...
It was!
From a history nut damm good video 2 big thumbs up
Thank you!
Wow!!!!! Amazing!!!! Thank you so much!!!!
Thank you!
I'm surprised these guns weren't destroyed! Thankfully some of these are still kept functional for future knowledge.
Watch Rich's video on how he ramped up the 100th Shoot! Very enlightening!
The recoil from the Bren when used of a bi pod, pulled the firer forward and we often ended up with burnt forearms from spent cartridges ...Being able to double tap on the Bren was the sign of an experienced gunner ..
Not didn't.
Excellent Rob. Insightful.
Cheers!
Your videos usually make me smile, but this one doubly so. It's a bit of a story:
When I was in library school, we got taught the very, very basics of shooting a video - libraries basically need to know how to do *everything* - and this instruction included a BBC video on, well, making videos. At one point, the camera is narrowly missed by a falling tree whilst the narrator, in a dry BBC accent, says "The camera may even be set up and left in a dangerous location."
Laughing at that was the first moment of bonding with my (now ex, alas) wife.
Watching your "shaky cam" brought all that back with great clarity. :D
Great story!
Oooo! So jealous and happy that you got to see the old girls in action!
Me too!
Great video! Always enjoy and anxiously await each of your videos.
I seem to remember when the British MOD disposed of their obsolete Vickers guns, they ran over a good number of them with tracked vehicles in a Soccer stadium.
This may explain why the guns you used were Australian! I cannot tell how many of the Vickers guns in the 16 gun lineup had the smooth Australian water jackets.
We’ve not heard the story about running over them in a football stadium. There are quite a few British made guns around but the Australian stocks were all imported into the U.K. in the 1990s so the majority in use are those.
Cheers!
The Vickers was an absolute unit! 👍
Yep!
What a well-produced video! I learned a lot...thanks! 👍
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!
24:52 - Very interesting. I`ve heard many times that the crank handle can crush the joints of the shooter's fingers if the hands are placed incorrectly on the grips. These rumors seem to be a little exaggerated.
They are. It can give your knuckles a whack that'll you'll remember next time, but there's nothing really to crush as it's moved forward again by the time you've felt the pain. Correct placement of the index fingers largely mitigates the likelihood of getting donked by it and is also a more comfortable way to place your hands for firing anyway, so it's largely a "training issue". It's notable in period images of the Vickers in use with British and Commonwealth forces that the No.1 usually has his hands placed correctly as they were thoroughly indoctrinated to the point of it being instinctive.
Crosspiece grip (#VickersMG 'reenactorisms' series)
ua-cam.com/video/t1vWcl_DGq8/v-deo.html
@@jonprince3237 And, besides, I always thought that if this was a serious problem, the engineers would have made some changes to the design. But this machine gun has been produced in different countries for decades and these models have many differences and modifications, but no one believed that there was a serious flaw in the design of the crank handle that needed to be changed.
Rich's video is a good view on the subject!
12:40 ...And legend has it, on that day the mustachioed musketeer from the North became a Texan...
Mmmm,.... It was the Mexicans who used the Brown Bess..... 😎
Nice work with the bren. It is one of my bucket list guns to shoot. Great grouping as well.
Cheers!
I was waiting for a new video. The video is amazing. Thanks for the new video.
Welcome!
That crank handle should be called the knuckle breaker
Only if you don't hold things correctly...
Wonderful vid dear sir. but a question if you please??? How are you to get said Vickers home to Canada??? and then incorporate it into your muzzleloading??? seems quite daunting. ^~^
Yes... very daunting...
So very grateful for the video highlighting part of your holiday and the gents maintaining the collection.
Did you get to make any detours to Bovington? There is a man associated with a certain museum there that has a mustache as well regarded as yours.
I looked for him there... he must have been in the reserve collection that day... great museum, that!
Very cool! I'm impressed. Never seen so many beautiful vickers and other Era machineguns in one place. I've been to several machinegun shoots around the states. There were just a couple here and there. Surprised they have groups like this in a country with such strict gun ownership laws...
With the right attention it is possible, yes.
You would be surprised what you can own in the UK with the correct permits. Mostly have to be kept in the lockup of a gun club you are a registered member of though, no taking them home.
@@lordkenwyn6432 Nice to hear there be hope for you all across the pond!
Another great video Sir, I am green with envy lol. What a chance in a lifetime.
It was!
Wait, the "Vickers Machine Gun Collection and Research Association" had to invite you? I'd figure you'd be a honorary Board Member of something so British and gun related. Anyways, thanks to you and VMGCRA for this video.
Rob’s one of our long term supporters so great to have him along. Also helps he’s a great shot so got the averages up quite nicely.
@@vickersmg
While I have absolutely zero doubt that he is a long term supporter of yours, I would like to ask you a question. Would you mind if I tried to translate your response to my initial comment but in gun loving American? I think it might be fun for the both of us, if you don't mind of course.
@@balljointfd3s Go for it.
@@vickersmg Ok, here we go.
Rob has been a adamant 2A supporter since we have known him. We also support his position that the NFA be dismissed and let responsible gun owners own whatever weapon they deem fit, as the 2A says!
Rob has shown what a responsible Machine Gun owner looks like and does. He takes his Vickers Machine Gun to shows, educates others, and teaches others about gun safety.
Wooooo Yeee Haw! How does that sound for a gun review you rich Brit Nancy's!!!! Yall don even know bout Freedoms you Chip losers that we beat in 1776! I'd keep typing but I've got a Bud Lite to drink and a Wife to beat. Good luck to you Tea drinking Tommie's and your wife's that can't even wank your tiny pricks!
Anywho, thanks for letting me give you two different American responses to your comment. I cannot thank you enough for the content in this video and the knowledge you have shared.
Thanks again!
Balljoint
I don't crash any party....
OUTSTANDING INDEED SIR!!!!🧐🧐🧐
Cheers!
Years ago a pal of mine bought a deactivated Bren Inglis if memory serves. He showed it to my farther who immediately took it to peices using AI drill. He said when he was in Italy during the war they put their Brens on tripods, I would imagine like the ones shown, to cover a road. They sighted them in and sand bagged them so they wouldn't move and waited for Jerry. Seem to recall something about a bend in the road being an important consideration. Anyway the Germans got to a certain position and all the Brens started shooting. As the Germans who weren't shot jumped over a stone wall the mines placed there detonated and the stone became shrapnel and most of them were killed or wounded. My father said it looked like a butchers shop. He said the Germans booby trapped everything before they left their positions and that the British had learned from it. No remorse, just matter of fact...I have a photo of my father stood beside his mate taken in 1944. His mate looks like elephant man, he was blown over a vehicle when he picked up a booby trapped Lugar
Thanks for sharing!
Nice stuff. I would take an L4 bren anyday. Those vickers I think had some leaky seals, but when were all 80 to 100 years old, a few leaks are to be expected. So the armorer can be excused for potato peeling duty for leaky seals.
It was all good!
Love the BREN Mk.II. Buddy has one .. the best of its type imho
Nice!
Was amazing shooting with you mate… 😊😊😊
Yes it was, and great to meet you Kev!