Ian, i thank you personally for exploring the firearms from my cursed little country. Sadly many do not even know where croatia is on the map let alone anything further, but you are helping change that! Much love from croatia
You have a BEAUTIFUL country. My wife has visited, I have not, but of all places in Europe she traveled Croatia was one of her favorites. You have a special land, care for it wisely.
Great to see a pistol from my country My father had that pistol in the war of independece of croatia He said it was great to shot Great video Ian Amazing to see my country on your chanel
@@vulekv93 mf what?💀 most likely because he knows any country other than the US is not important(jkjk probably just that his phone or keyboard didn't autocorrect it to a capital C)
watching the disassembly of these pistols *really* makes me appreciate how incredibly simple it to strip an M9; even more impressive considering they work on the same locking system.
I want to see an actor trained to pull a 'Jet Lee' move on the long barrel version! Actually, the refinement of the second model makes it a pretty good gun. Especially for a companies first entry into the world of pistols. Great Video. Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
That was probably the problem. In late '80s no patent on the "92" expired yet, even on the original 1976 model. So the designer had to walk around any part of the 92 that was patented.
14:50 You touched on something i don't feel is appreciated enough here. It cannot be understated how domestic production of items can help inspire morale or pride where those may be lacking. Not only are you serving your country in the military, you are also being equipped solely by your country to do so? I can only imagine what it must feel like for someone from a nation that has struggled with independence for so long to be in that position. It also makes me realise that my own country's military hasn't really made domestic military equipment since WW2.
My grandpa and his parents immigrated to the US from Croatia when he was very young and he really wants one of these. I should pick one up for him. I want the vhs 1 on the poster behind you…
Ian knows the origin of the modern Croatian state and the origin of the Croatian armed forces better than many Croatians. Kudos to you for your effort to be credibly informed. Thank you
In 2012 or 2013, I was working for a forwarding agency, and we shipped full container of Croatian army surplus PHP's and Makarov's to the States. Funny, at the time I was thinking it will end up somewhere in the middle east or so, because I couldn't find any information about the importer online. I think the address was in NY or NJ...
I am in possession of a long variant with SN 1488. A couple things I would add to thus video from personal experience with it: if you treat it like a hi-power or cz-75, you can pull the takedown lever out with the slide still on the frame. This releases a small spring and detent to float around the inside of the frame and get lost if you aren't careful, and are very difficult to get back into place. Second, it is not drop safe, my truck has a hole in the tailgate to attest to this. Otherwise, it's a neat little pistol. One of my buddies is the only person I know who can shoot it accurately, but that's beside the point. Thanks for the video Ian, I'd considered reaching out to offer mine to you for a video, but this one with examples of both models is definitely better.
Croatian SMG's! Another bit of history that would be an excellent part of "SMG's of the Resistance." I know I've commented this a few times on relevant videos, but I would love to see Headstamp publish a book on SMG development in different regions of the world based on their wars and resistance efforts.
Couple of observations: these guns are much wider and larger than the p38. The extra weight makes then faster to shoot due to lower recoil. Second thing is the long barreled version is much more common in the US than the short barreled version. I wonder if more short barreled ones will eventually be surplused.
Even more amazing that in the 1980s the P38 was determined to be the perfect platform for a modern pistol. Real head scratcher in a world where the Glock, P226, 59 series, CZ-75, and even the Hi-Power already exist.
@@calebneff5777 Perfect might come with caveats of, a design they could produce and sell a derived version and at least theoretically make a profit. While most of those even if not entirely new, the Hi-Power and P38 have an advantage to start up manufacture, that are old enough designs definitely have no patient protection left, but still modern enough can work for military or police service.
It is much less tricky to remove the recoil spring if you actually line up the takedown notch on the left side of the slide with the end of the frame. Also as someone that owns a PHP MV9 I can say that the early short version is just like the long version.
And while they are out there in the USA they are so rare that they are not really available. So if you want one and are lucky enough to find one get it but good luck finding them. Now if this was 2019 it would be a different story.
Why do you even need to remove the spring like that? I can't work out what is preventing the slide from coming off even with the recoil spring in there.
@@TheFanatical1that is a good question! It looks like if the slide is too far back it causes the locking block to tilt down enough to lock the recoil spring in the frame or to cause it to bind a little and cause it to be fiddly and if it is too far forward the rails on the barrel cause the same problem. Keep in mind that I am just going off of observation from owning one for the past four years or there about and the fact that if you try to reassemble one with the recoil spring in place the spring blocks the rails on the barrel from interacting with the rails on the frame. So I could be wrong but I doubt it.
Those cut-outs in the forward frame-rails look like they could be retroactively done to the long-barrelled version, but maybe there were more pressing issues occupying the Croatians at the time?
Graphics programmes like AutoCad and 3 d Solids by Solid Works helps in the design of new firearms. The design of moving parts of the firearm can be put through their paces which allows for critical analysis of them.
From a practical standpoint, it really isn’t that much different than the Decock features that you see on Beretta’s and some SIG pistols. We have one of the smaller ones in our collection. Regards, Marky
As long as you know it's part of the design, and expect it to happen, it's not that bad. I have a Star 30MI, the safety ONLY blocks the hammer from striking the pin... you can dryfire repeatedly if you wanted to try. Doesn't lock a thing. That's disconcerting... I have one of the short-barrel versions, identical to what Ian showed. I can now see why some folks said the MV 9 was such a bear to reassemble- the earlier, long-barrel ones seem a lot worse. I see how he said the parts 'improved' in the later versions, but the slidestop and takedown lever on mine (which looks like the one he showed) feel rinkydink, like pot metal. It feels like I can snap those parts into pieces by hand, whereas the rest of the gun is a solid hunk of steel. I wonder, are the barrels interchangeable? Can you take a longer barrel and mount it on a newer short one?
When Ian was disassembling the second pistol and said "the rails of the slide....", did anyone else think that the next words would be "...go round and round"?
Thanks for doing this video Ian I’ve had one of the long barrel versions for years. I bought it surplus here in the US from Southern Ohio Gun back when they existed. I love it, great shooter, but like you mentioned kind of a bear to disassemble/assemble but not the worst either. Pretty great gun overall.
I have a short barrel PHP . Its a good gun and I love shooting it, but I don't shoot it much because replacements parts are impossible to find in the US. It always reminded me of a cross between the P38 and Beretta. XD9 mags can be used but you have to cut a small slot in them to work in this gun.
Lots of variation between the same models even- I've got 3 of the short barrel model and each has a unique and non interchangeable ejector design. Not to mention differences in external controls.
Would have liked to have seen the barrel and locking lug assembly sitting on the frame without the slide to get a better look at operation. Interesting as always Ian keep up the great work.
There is some internal geometry that gets snagged if you try removing the slide first. It’s possible to do, but an even bigger pain than removing the spring first.
Another great video. This gun looks like it would've been a major pain to disassemble in the field. What firearm gave you the most headache with disassembly and assembly? What gun took the most time to mess with ahead of time before recording?
It's worth noting that there is an in-between short version that has the ejector, hammer, sights etc from the short version but retains the takedown lever and method from the long version. I picked one up for $125 off gunbroker years ago and it displays aspects of both.
The only thing missing is the heavy reverb and pyro each time Ian mentions, "IM Metal!" Aside from the last time, because that would be, mmm, a bit contrived.
fascinating, i have one of the short pistols, however its built like the earlier long one. it has separate levers for the slide release and disassembly, and the slide does not lift off, you have to wrangle the spring. the sights and hammer match the later model, however the extractor is the old style. but most peculiar, the ejector on mine doesnt match either! its floppy and pinned in the mag well like the center mount old version, but its offset to the side, like the spring loaded new version! and it is numbers matching, so it appears to have come that way. my gun is #14130. also, for some reason, my slide is plum colored.
Yes they moved the ejector during production so you will see the long barrels with a center mount ejector, the short barrel with early disassembly levers will have both center or left mounted ejectors, and the final single takedown lever version will have the spring loaded left mounted ejector
@Jordan Flayer Thanks, I must have a later production one then. When I look at the finish, it makes me wonder if it was reblued before I received it . Or before it was imported because the bluing is perfect but I can see what looks like small pitting in certain areas of the pistol.
Feels like an out of body experience to hear Ian say he's in Karlovac when I'm there every now and then. Something something about a micro country that you never see in media or elsewhere then BAM Ian has a bunch of vids at HS headquarters
A great interesting video GJ. Was it a mistake on the designer's part that the pistol was not OR for the late 80's and early 90's equipment . Was the pistol capable of hosting a sound suppressor? Was this pistol better than the Zastava M57 or the Luger Broomhandle?Have a good one.
I must have an odd ball. I have the short barrel and frame, with the early take down system. Early hammer, early sights, early ejector, extractor, etc. It's a smooth shooter, but should be considering its weight.
Ian, i thank you personally for exploring the firearms from my cursed little country. Sadly many do not even know where croatia is on the map let alone anything further, but you are helping change that! Much love from croatia
While I know the Croatian flag. You made me refresh my former Yugoslavian geography.
Isus nas cijeni, vidi kako je sretan s našim pištoljima.
You have a BEAUTIFUL country. My wife has visited, I have not, but of all places in Europe she traveled Croatia was one of her favorites. You have a special land, care for it wisely.
I'm an American, and I know where Croatia is (despite the reputation we have for being ignorant about the rest of the world). I'm a big history buff.
It is only cursed because of game of thrones
In Elbonia, this served as a backend pistol for the HTML-5 rifle with the JS grenade launcher and CSS optics.
Often loaded and used with SpecialQaliber-Large ammunition.
With a Flash suppresser maybe.
Used to have SilverLight laser pointers, but those got discontinued after Industry Elbonia (IE) factory closure.
You can buy a surplus pistol for 30 cubic ells of mud.
JS is so multipurpose, you can use it for firearms and nukes.
Great to see a pistol from my country
My father had that pistol in the war of independece of croatia
He said it was great to shot
Great video Ian
Amazing to see my country on your chanel
kako ste brata
Pljucaš cinjenice
*Croatia
Zašto pišeš ime svoje domovine malim slovom?
He said it was great to shoot.
He said it was a great shot.
🇭🇷 ❤️
Nice pistol, my father owns a php.
@@vulekv93 mf what?💀 most likely because he knows any country other than the US is not important(jkjk probably just that his phone or keyboard didn't autocorrect it to a capital C)
Amazing carry option for a PHP developer. Is there a git repository with STL files?
Read the comments because I knew this comment would be posted sooner or later.
Waiting for the Python version ...
Thank you for this
This is the only PHP I will not be ashamed of using.
YESS! FINALLY! I was waiting for this since i met your friend Jordan in October!
watching the disassembly of these pistols *really* makes me appreciate how incredibly simple it to strip an M9; even more impressive considering they work on the same locking system.
& 1911
I want to see an actor trained to pull a 'Jet Lee' move on the long barrel version!
Actually, the refinement of the second model makes it a pretty good gun. Especially for a companies first entry into the world of pistols. Great Video.
Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
That was probably the problem. In late '80s no patent on the "92" expired yet, even on the original 1976 model. So the designer had to walk around any part of the 92 that was patented.
14:50 You touched on something i don't feel is appreciated enough here.
It cannot be understated how domestic production of items can help inspire morale or pride where those may be lacking.
Not only are you serving your country in the military, you are also being equipped solely by your country to do so?
I can only imagine what it must feel like for someone from a nation that has struggled with independence for so long to be in that position. It also makes me realise that my own country's military hasn't really made domestic military equipment since WW2.
My grandpa and his parents immigrated to the US from Croatia when he was very young and he really wants one of these. I should pick one up for him. I want the vhs 1 on the poster behind you…
That disassembly makes me love sig so much.
Thank you Ian.
Ian knows the origin of the modern Croatian state and the origin of the Croatian armed forces better than many Croatians. Kudos to you for your effort to be credibly informed. Thank you
This is a rare find! Close to Walther P38. If ever i come across one with no boost in price, I would get this!!
We have one of the smaller ones. They are certainly around in the United States.
Regards,
Marky
In 2012 or 2013, I was working for a forwarding agency, and we shipped full container of Croatian army surplus PHP's and Makarov's to the States. Funny, at the time I was thinking it will end up somewhere in the middle east or so, because I couldn't find any information about the importer online. I think the address was in NY or NJ...
I am in possession of a long variant with SN 1488. A couple things I would add to thus video from personal experience with it: if you treat it like a hi-power or cz-75, you can pull the takedown lever out with the slide still on the frame. This releases a small spring and detent to float around the inside of the frame and get lost if you aren't careful, and are very difficult to get back into place. Second, it is not drop safe, my truck has a hole in the tailgate to attest to this.
Otherwise, it's a neat little pistol. One of my buddies is the only person I know who can shoot it accurately, but that's beside the point. Thanks for the video Ian, I'd considered reaching out to offer mine to you for a video, but this one with examples of both models is definitely better.
Yes! thank you for the reassembly!😁
I got one of these back when they were dirt cheap several years ago. It's an odd looking pistol, but shoots just fine.
Croatian SMG's! Another bit of history that would be an excellent part of "SMG's of the Resistance."
I know I've commented this a few times on relevant videos, but I would love to see Headstamp publish a book on SMG development in different regions of the world based on their wars and resistance efforts.
Stay tuned for Croatian smgs 😜
Beautiful design
Couple of observations: these guns are much wider and larger than the p38. The extra weight makes then faster to shoot due to lower recoil. Second thing is the long barreled version is much more common in the US than the short barreled version. I wonder if more short barreled ones will eventually be surplused.
Astonished at how the P-38 has been reborn. 😮
Even more amazing that in the 1980s the P38 was determined to be the perfect platform for a modern pistol. Real head scratcher in a world where the Glock, P226, 59 series, CZ-75, and even the Hi-Power already exist.
@@calebneff5777 Perfect might come with caveats of, a design they could produce and sell a derived version and at least theoretically make a profit. While most of those even if not entirely new, the Hi-Power and P38 have an advantage to start up manufacture, that are old enough designs definitely have no patient protection left, but still modern enough can work for military or police service.
I'm kinda digging that short barrel version, even with the flaws.
It is much less tricky to remove the recoil spring if you actually line up the takedown notch on the left side of the slide with the end of the frame. Also as someone that owns a PHP MV9 I can say that the early short version is just like the long version.
And while they are out there in the USA they are so rare that they are not really available. So if you want one and are lucky enough to find one get it but good luck finding them. Now if this was 2019 it would be a different story.
Why do you even need to remove the spring like that? I can't work out what is preventing the slide from coming off even with the recoil spring in there.
@@TheFanatical1that is a good question! It looks like if the slide is too far back it causes the locking block to tilt down enough to lock the recoil spring in the frame or to cause it to bind a little and cause it to be fiddly and if it is too far forward the rails on the barrel cause the same problem. Keep in mind that I am just going off of observation from owning one for the past four years or there about and the fact that if you try to reassemble one with the recoil spring in place the spring blocks the rails on the barrel from interacting with the rails on the frame. So I could be wrong but I doubt it.
@@mikebabb2155 Interesting, thanks for the info
@@TheFanatical1 you are welcome!
"unless you're Gaston Glock." Got a guffaw out of me.
Nothing like Forgotten Weapons first thing the morning!
I need wholesome content to purge my eyes. Thank you Ian, as always for amazing content
The first version looks like a good contender for people damaging recoil springs often.
Those cut-outs in the forward frame-rails look like they could be retroactively done to the long-barrelled version, but maybe there were more pressing issues occupying the Croatians at the time?
Good morning everyone
Technically, it's past 2 PM in Croatia
Good afternoon
Good mooooooorrning Vietnam!!
Good morning team
Good morning, it's 3:24am here currently.
Graphics programmes like AutoCad and 3 d Solids by Solid Works helps in the design of new firearms. The design of moving parts of the firearm can be put through their paces which allows for critical analysis of them.
That hammer fall on safe feature would take me quite a bit of getting used to!
From a practical standpoint, it really isn’t that much different than the Decock features that you see on Beretta’s and some SIG pistols.
We have one of the smaller ones in our collection.
Regards,
Marky
As long as you know it's part of the design, and expect it to happen, it's not that bad. I have a Star 30MI, the safety ONLY blocks the hammer from striking the pin... you can dryfire repeatedly if you wanted to try. Doesn't lock a thing. That's disconcerting...
I have one of the short-barrel versions, identical to what Ian showed. I can now see why some folks said the MV 9 was such a bear to reassemble- the earlier, long-barrel ones seem a lot worse. I see how he said the parts 'improved' in the later versions, but the slidestop and takedown lever on mine (which looks like the one he showed) feel rinkydink, like pot metal. It feels like I can snap those parts into pieces by hand, whereas the rest of the gun is a solid hunk of steel.
I wonder, are the barrels interchangeable? Can you take a longer barrel and mount it on a newer short one?
Rare pistols. Glad i scored both models years ago..
There are technically 3 😜
When Ian was disassembling the second pistol and said "the rails of the slide....", did anyone else think that the next words would be "...go round and round"?
Very interesting pistol! Thanks, Ian!
The relatively quick improvements between the long version and the later generation short version are impressive.
Thanks for doing this video Ian I’ve had one of the long barrel versions for years. I bought it surplus here in the US from Southern Ohio Gun back when they existed. I love it, great shooter, but like you mentioned kind of a bear to disassemble/assemble but not the worst either. Pretty great gun overall.
Thank you , Ian .
🐺
Love that they added a step to the P38 slide removal
That's a nice one. It has a certain charme to it.
Very interesting information, thank you for your time posting this for us.
I have a short barrel PHP . Its a good gun and I love shooting it, but I don't shoot it much because replacements parts are impossible to find in the US. It always reminded me of a cross between the P38 and Beretta. XD9 mags can be used but you have to cut a small slot in them to work in this gun.
Hi Ian! I saw the Episode of you & the suppressed dart kit on the TV Show Sons Of Guns! Nice!
That mag though... Awesome stuff.
It should be noted that those aren’t actually php mags, they are later mags with a mag catch cut to fit the gun
Thank you. I'll take that info to the bank. But those mags... You know what I'm saying.
that hammer dropping on the safety is totally a walther thing. my walther p22 does the exact same thing.
Lots of variation between the same models even- I've got 3 of the short barrel model and each has a unique and non interchangeable ejector design. Not to mention differences in external controls.
Would have liked to have seen the barrel and locking lug assembly sitting on the frame without the slide to get a better look at operation. Interesting as always Ian keep up the great work.
Thank you for all you do
'lets replace our obsolescent pistol with a pistol based on another obsolescent pistol.'
They're all based on something obsolete. Every practical operating system for pistols was invented before 1950.
@@reubenpickering7777 Are there even any impractical pistols with novel operating systems?
Why does the spring have to come out the front first if the whole assembly comes off the front?
I am a little confused on that detail.
There is some internal geometry that gets snagged if you try removing the slide first. It’s possible to do, but an even bigger pain than removing the spring first.
Another great video. This gun looks like it would've been a major pain to disassemble in the field. What firearm gave you the most headache with disassembly and assembly? What gun took the most time to mess with ahead of time before recording?
PHP stands for "Pretty-good Home Page"!
-- Gun geek who's also a programing geek...
I have two short barrel versions that are identical to the long barrel version you show, except for the barrel length.
As flawed as they might have been I still think there's just something about these funky little pistols that's really cool
Mags starting to look a little XDish, cool stuff!
One of the joys of the P38 is the captive spring pair. Obviously more expensive, but so much better
Interesting variation on the P38. I wonder, did Walther ever experiment with a double stack magazine for the P38?
Unfortunately, No. I have a Beretta 92F for that reason, but I still love my three P38's!
wish Ian would make a video about the RT-20 antimateriel rifle... the thing is massive!
Soon 😜
It's worth noting that there is an in-between short version that has the ejector, hammer, sights etc from the short version but retains the takedown lever and method from the long version. I picked one up for $125 off gunbroker years ago and it displays aspects of both.
That spring in V1!!!
The only thing missing is the heavy reverb and pyro each time Ian mentions, "IM Metal!" Aside from the last time, because that would be, mmm, a bit contrived.
Thank you for your videos.
just look how far the company went from that small PHP, now we got HS2000 which is a massive contender to the glock
- That gun is weird - ... plain and simple.
To be more specific... - Huh??? -
The series about Croatian weapons is the best...
I kinda automatically like a gun whose designer believes the Walther P38 is the best pistol out there. Dated, to be sure, even in 1990.
Maybe dumb question, but why dose the spring has to come out befor you pull the slide?
I see nothing hindering you sliding it off with it in.
fascinating, i have one of the short pistols, however its built like the earlier long one. it has separate levers for the slide release and disassembly, and the slide does not lift off, you have to wrangle the spring. the sights and hammer match the later model, however the extractor is the old style. but most peculiar, the ejector on mine doesnt match either! its floppy and pinned in the mag well like the center mount old version, but its offset to the side, like the spring loaded new version! and it is numbers matching, so it appears to have come that way. my gun is #14130. also, for some reason, my slide is plum colored.
Yes they moved the ejector during production so you will see the long barrels with a center mount ejector, the short barrel with early disassembly levers will have both center or left mounted ejectors, and the final single takedown lever version will have the spring loaded left mounted ejector
I have one of the short ones around here someplace. Seems to work fine. Not the best no, but seems to work just fine.
As an XD owner, I enjoyed seeing a bit of it's family history. Now, if only I could afford to get it's big brother, the Hellion.
Gods, I HATE those scammers.
I was expecting something like the CZ99, and boy, was I wrong!
Now this is a pretty little pistol
Any chance for an RHS revolver video? If that thing aint forgotten, I don't know what is.
Love your videos. ❤️ From croatia.
The one on the left in the thumbnail looks exactly like a toy pistol I had as a child.
Very interesting pistol!
It started resembling the Beretta 92
Will my WordPress and Laravel code break if I transition to PHP MV-9. I'm still on PHP 8.
Would be curious if you did a video on the bergmann model 3a would love to know the history of this one told by you cheers
As a fan of the P38 is was so cool to see the similarities especially in the disassembly process.
Are you fucking retarded? "Fan of the P38" like are you retarded, how can you be a fan of a fucking gun you absolute brainlet.
Thanks for showing the reassembly. That spring on the first model is awful, glad they improved it.
Try reviewing the Bergmann model 3a, its a beautifull small pistol that can be chambered and fired with one hand
the other one looks like sig p226 and Walther P38 had a child.
Finally, a handgun for web developers.
mark II be like: "2 levers, 1 pin"
I wish that Ian would have stated the serial number ranges of the long and short version.
Long barrel versions went to about 5000 and change, then short barrels were 5000 and change to about 16k
@Jordan Flayer Thanks, I must have a later production one then. When I look at the finish, it makes me wonder if it was reblued before I received it . Or before it was imported because the bluing is perfect but I can see what looks like small pitting in certain areas of the pistol.
11:40 Nice, producing a copy of a Carl Walther pistol using barrels of Lothar Walther.
The look like a Beretta, Sig and hi power had a baby 😂😂
Feels like an out of body experience to hear Ian say he's in Karlovac when I'm there every now and then. Something something about a micro country that you never see in media or elsewhere then BAM Ian has a bunch of vids at HS headquarters
We have VHS rifle, PHP pistol. What's next? MP3 submachine gun.
"Vukovitch" is closer in pronunciation
Was that a bottle opener on the magazine (presumably to protect the feed lips from misuse)?
A great interesting video GJ. Was it a mistake on the designer's part that the pistol was not OR for the late 80's and early 90's equipment . Was the pistol capable of hosting a sound suppressor? Was this pistol better than the Zastava M57 or the Luger Broomhandle?Have a good one.
I must have an odd ball. I have the short barrel and frame, with the early take down system. Early hammer, early sights, early ejector, extractor, etc. It's a smooth shooter, but should be considering its weight.
Yeah that was the first style of shorter barrel model. The easier takedown lever didn’t show up until the last 1000 or so pistols
@@JordanFlayer Thanks. I couldn't think of a reason someone would "bubba" it, especially since it's number matching.
A personalized pistol for peter dinklage, nice
Is there going to be a video on the hs2000
I can't help but wonder if the long barrel fits in the improved slide.
Won't fit because of the ejector.
I really hope HS-95 is coming up next.
I bought a short barrel php for $250 at a pawn shop in Missouri 3 years ago did i get a good deal?
Looks really weird with the elongated frame (?) and the slide but it's quite a solid pistol!
I think they nailed the looks. Reminiscent of the Beretta 92 in ways. They're a heck of a lot better looking than a lot of 9mm out there.
@@dickJohnsonpeter Hey it's got character unlike some well renowned firearms
When will we see the DVD?
Has Elbonia ever express interest in it?
Another Croatian product, nice.
Were any of those imported into the US?
Yup I bought one 3 years ago for $250 at a pawn shop
Yes, a bunch of them.