So glad “This is Jonathan Ferguson, the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.” got to use his emotional support STG-44.
One has to wonder when he will be honoured by HIs Majesty King Charles III as Sir Jonathon Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries, which house a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.
This was jonathon fergusson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the royal armouries, which house a collection of thousands of other dead peoples stuff
@@sandgrownun66 That was back then. Nowadays it's cry emojis and skull emojis. Disgust of reference in form of example: "oh nah 😭 jonathan's sup gewehr is gone 💀" honestly it's sickening. I wish those that use it unironically excruciating pain of a unimaginable magnitude in the deepest part of hell. The thought of these people being the future essentially and perhaps using it as old hags is frightening..
That STG 44 is just heavenly to look at. It must be said it has quite impressive ergonomics for the first mass issued assault rifle. Hugo Schmeisser’s mind was a decade ahead of the rest in WW2
Yeah you can really see why the soviets picked them up off the battlefield and sent them back to Moscow and designed the AK after them. Kind of the perfect starter Pokémon to build onto.
@@TheSundayShooterThey did not have intermediate cartridges like the Stg. And they did not enter mass service. They are more considered automatic rifles.
@hikelfin5941 a common misconception but the STG-44 and AK-47 share only visual similarities. i recommend Brandon Herrera’s video on it if you want more info. the AK-47 actually shares more similarities with the M1 Garand than the STG-44.
@@MeanBeanComedy It mostly depends on the tools available. For example, the Czech vz. 27 was Czech-designed, but it was used by Germany after the occupation of Czechia. Since they had all the equipment ready to make that pistol, it was easier to just keep making that rather than shipping in a bunch of machines to convert the factory to make a P34. This was the case for a lot of pistols, rifles, etc. There are certainly cases of a Czech made K98 rifle too, it just depends on logistics. It's similar to non-weapons factories. Belt buckles are going to work pretty much the same everywhere, fabric factories for uniforms, canneries for food, etc. If it makes more sense to not convert a factory, they usually didn't convert the factory.
It is interesting to think about. Some of these weapons owned by collectors could have been made by a POW or forced laborer or something, that's crazy.
In terms of firepower German squads most of the time had the advantage due to their machine guns, which was their primary means of putting lead downrange, so the fact that the rest of the squad was ‚only‘ armed with a repeating rifle doesn’t matter quite that much, as their primary job was supplying the MG with ammunition.
Fun fact: the MP44 assault rifle got this label MP (Machinenpistol, German for SMG) because Hitler didn't believe in the assault rifle concept, contrary to his generals. So they relabeled it as a new model of SMG to have him accept the commission. Thus, the weapon kept its deviated label. Hitler was a WW1 veteran and to him, what mattered was a rifle shooting a heavy bullet over a long distance.
To be fair, before the term "assault rifle" was made, if one gives a StG44 to a soldier of interwar period, he would most likely identify it and used it as a SMG anyway given its size, magazine and weight - Lighter than a MG, larger magazine than a rifle but with shorter range, but still more powerful than pistol -> in 1918 that was the MP 18. And the first designation was Maschine-karbiner or Mkb 42, it was changed under Hitler's insistence, as it confused the troop of whether it was a short range or long range weapon, or an LMG instead. The best usage of StG44 was for assault purpose, for assault troops who normally wielded Maschinepistole, so the MP designation immediately tell unit commander how to distribute the StG44 - to fully equip an assault squad that was trained in assault tactics, armed with grenades, not instead given one per squad like MG42, nor a replacement for a basic Kar98k for some random basic soldiers.
Hitler took part in combat in WW I only once in Flanders in fall of 1914. After that he served as a messenger for his batalion's staff throughout the remainder of the war. He never again fought in the trenches. All stories telling us otherwise are made up by himself and taken directly from "Mein Kampf".
I must express just how much I truly appreciate the cluttered appearance of storage chaos all around the indoor range y'all use. It almost looks as if you're just shooting in a garage or basement, and as someone that DIY'd a single car garage into a machine shop the whole setup just makes me feel right at home lol.
I scooped up a 1943 P38 at a gun show for $700 years ago and I just couldn't help putting a few rounds through it. Pretty heavy compared to modern handguns but the handling is so nice. They made some awesome weapons.
I have to agree with Luke, I fired the Lee Enfield and the K98 together and found the K98 had quite a lot more kick but both were great fun too shoot. Love the video, always fascinating to watch
German ww2 companies were built around the light/heavy MG. The single shot rifles the regular soldier used was fine for the purpose of protecting the mgs flanks.This is why the Germans had such fine dual purpose light/Heavy mgs. Their hi rate of fire was great in offense and defense.
No they were terrible for anything but fighting in defence. Someone has to carry all that ammunition and guess what? Jerry forgot to build enough trucks.
Exactly. Under German tactical doctrine, the awesome MG machine gun was the squad’s firepower, and squad members were there to support it. Personal firearms were not very important; members were essentially ammunition carriers and grenade throwers. American doctrine was the opposite- the squad had a relatively poor machine gun, the BAR, and each squad member had an excellent personal rifle. Historians seem to believe that German doctrine was more effective.
I remember; an old work colleague once told me that he used to have a P08. (It must have been in the 70s) At the time he was working as a foreman in an industrial company on the night shift. There was not much going on during the night shift and only a small workforce. He then went into the warehouse with a phone book and thought to himself, I'll try it out secretly. What he didn't know was that the P08 shot very low. He noticed it when the light suddenly went out after the first shot. Unfortunately he had put the phone book on a main power cable for the warehouse. Explain that to your boss
Yeah, reliability isn’t really a concern with the M1 as it’s so reliable it’s pedantic to even bring that up. Also, the biggest difference with bolt guns versus self loading is fire superiority. Fire and manoeuvre tactics were the core of WW2 infantry doctrine and the m1 gave the American squad far more capability to suppress the enemy. Having a self loading rifle was a massive force multiplier for the infantry squad being able to rapid fire on the move easier and having the ability to fire much faster gave American GIs a distinct advantage. Many people often think “it shoots faster so it kills more enemies quicker” no the reason for the move to self loading semiautomatic rifles and later select fire assault rifles was for fire superiority not necessarily lethality but the ability to suppress your opposing force more effectively and thus out manoeuvre them. The greater lethality due to rate of fire is less of a factor as visual contact between individual soldiers where single combat can occur is relatively rare they’re just shooting in the general direction in most cases.
Will you enlarge the sample of German WW2 firearms in your testing? Would love to see you test the FG42 for example, designed for paratroopers. Also, would be interesting to see the ERMA EMP, a first generation SMG, though production ended in 1938.
FG use full power rifle cartridge so it it a BR. It's different consept. Ideally close to StG but different enough not to be true AR even if chambered to 8mm Kurz.
My father was equipped with Mauser and Schmeisser when he did his service in the Norwegian army in 1950. I was equipped with a Luger when I did service as medic in the same armey in 1980.
While there is debate over if the 9mm or 45 is better honestly I’d say if they weren’t good bullets, they wouldn’t be as popular as they are with militaries, civilians, and law enforcement for the past 100+ years
Someone who finally uses their brains. I hate when people say something that is used all around the world and has been used all around the world for a long time is bad
Some more explanation why sheet metal was better to use in the manufacturing process of small arms would be nice for newcomers. Before they started using stamped sheet metal, rifles and submachine guns were made out of a solid block of steel that would be milled ('carved') into shape. The downside of using the old milling process: more waste of scarce resources, guns being much heavier. When using stamped sheet metal, waste was reduced very much and the resulting firearm was much lighter.
@@indigohammer5732 The fact it used constant recoil, which means the carrier never makes contact with the back of the receiver but is always under spring tension with out bottoming out.. Read a book lol..
I owned a P-08 Luger 9mm pistol for years. Built in 1940. An absolute great pistol for its time. Unfortunately my car broke down, and I needed money for the repairs. So I sold it.
@@consciouscaveman6418 I also owned a International Harvester M1 Garand rifle. The rifle was Korean War vintage. Less than 15,000 rifles were made by International Harvester, and most of those rifles. Ended up in the hands of our allies. Like Turkey. Yet again I needed money, so I sold the rifle.
@@jonathancathey2334 Better to of love and lost. Heartbreaking but needs must. Where do you live lad? I live in Ireland so we can only legally own .22 rifles or shotguns but the laws are very strict.
@@consciouscaveman6418 I live in central Minnesota. Hunting for game as large as moose is common up north. Minnesota also has hunting season for black bears, duck, geese, and the most popular deer. In Minnesota you can hunt with bow and arrow, black powder firearms, pistol, shotguns, and rifles. Plus if you are interested, lots of fresh water fishing. Walleye fish is the absolute best in the area. Yes people do ice fishing.( Where people go out onto a frozen lake. Bore a hole in the ice, and use ice fishing rod to fish. Yes lots of people make or buy a ice fishing house. A small shack you use while ice fishing. Keeps you out of the cold and wind. Plus then you also have a place to store your beer/alcohol.)
Curious fact: in 1950 the Argentine Army became interested in the STG-44, commissioning its study to eventually incorporate it as a regulatory rifle, so cloned prototypes called C.A.M 1 (Carabina Automática Mediana 1 ) were manufactured in the Dirección General de Fabricaciones Miitares of the FMAP ´´DM´´ Fabrica Militar de Armas Portables Domingo Matheu Rosario Province of Santa Fe and a very rare and obsolete experimental Kurtz 7.92x33 cartridge produced by FM at the Fábrica Militar de San Lorenzo, Province of Santa Fe. Finally, after years of evaluation and despite favorable approval, the FN FAL 7.62 was chosen. A surviving CAM-1 can be seen in the Buenos Aires Weapons Museum.
Realistically, wartime production of both of the German firearms by the time both were available was pretty subpar and they were generally intended to be disposable. I’d take a company or battalion of M1s and M1919s.
The P08 also has a reputation for dirt getting into the action, if I remember correctly (because the whole top of the gun opens up with every round fired).
2:38 the Luger was originally not called the P08, it was only called that when it was adopted by the Reichswehr Heer in 1908. It was originally released for sale in 1898.
Reichswehr is post WW democratic Germany. Imperial Germany and it’s kingdom’s Universal Army pistol 1908, navy 1904, longer barrel and 100-200m back sight.❤
The naive discussion, with a British accent, is refreshing and fascinating. Also, it is interesting to see what one of His Majesty's Ranges looks like.
Funnily enough, most German soldiers were quite content with the Kar-98. In the Wehrmacht infantry squad, the emphasis was on the squad machine gun instead of the individual rifleman.
At 28:12 Please tell me that LUKE is not pointing that STG44 at Jonathan's face. I hope that it is an optical illusion caused by camera angle ! Otherwise, good review of these fine German weapons.
Two little fun facts about the Luger: Switzerland was actually the first country to accept it into service in 1900. And it is funny how you describe it as bending kind of like a knee because in german it is called a "Kniehebel" literally: knee lever.
Love the little nod to the other guy everytime Jonathan Ferguson, the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, picks up a weapon. WHO IS HE?
My dad has a luger and shooting it always spooked me a little because every once in a while a shell will land onto your head (or if you're really unlucky down your shirt) and thwap you or burn you. Those shells dropping hit a lot harder than you think they would!!
3:39 Yes, the 08 luger would have been in use by officers, NCOs, and machine gun crews. However, there were FAR more pistol varieties in use by Germany's armed forces during WW2. Think of the P-38, Walther PP and PPK pistols, Vis 35 Radom (and yes, even the Hi-Power, or Pistole 640(b)) to just name a few.
Oh, and....the Germans doctrine of primarily using bolt rifles in their infantry units is completely dependent for its effectiveness on a much higher issuance of GPMG's than in other armies of the time. They were able to obtain massive volumes of fire with the MG-38 and (later) with the MG-42 that it was not needed from their rifle-equipped soldiers.
'Spoiled for choice.' That's what Germany's problem was. No real standardized designs, too many chefs with too many fingers in the pie. The Russians picked a few designs and stuck with them. Like Stalin said, 'Quantity has a quality of its own.'
The Soviets were innovating and experimenting throughout the course of the war in arms and armaments, and switched production a few times. A few examples would be the PM> DS>SG machine guns, the PPD>PPSh>PPS SMGs, the USV>ZiS-3 field guns, and the M-10>D-1 howitzers. That they successfully managed switching production as many times as they did was remarkable. In the German case, production in the Reich proper was fairly unified and most of the major changes were in the direction of increased efficiency. In other territories, the decision to continue production of foreign arms caused problems, but the costs and time associated with retooling had to be weighed against the immediate, constant need for more guns. A handful of vz. 33 or wz. 29 on hand meant that troops in the rear and allied forces could be adequately equipped, freeing up standard rifles for the front.
The best game I've played that shows how good the MP40 is would be post scriptum or now known as squad 44. It's so accurate, great rate of fire and easy to maintain point of aim. Love it
That face Jonathan made when he was asked the radioactive "9mm vs .45 acp" question was *Priceless!* 😆😆😝 And he's a 9mm guy! He beat the fudd allegations!
I need to correct you here......In WW2 the Brits were using the Lee Enfield No4 which did have a peep sight not the open style sights of the No3 of WW1 fame or indeed K98. The peep sight which is placed behind the breech is regarded as the more accurate and superior of the two.
9:46 "Oh, that little guy? Don't worry about that little guy." 22:35 I think the Kar has more of a kick because it weighs less. Less mass makes a big difference.
I see History Hit and Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history again I watch again.
The Luger 9 mm Parabellum is one of my fav handguns , then Walther PPK, Walther P.38 plus the Mauser C-96 Broomhandle from that Era and earlier era its the Colt Single Action Army or just Colt SAA, oh yes the Luger grib is was made like that so you could basically point shot no need to aim when shooting in a hurry
The Germans used the light/heavy machine gun as their primary weapon. The other soldiers were there to protect its flank. On a offensive operation it was used as suppressive fire and the German infantry used hand grenades Submachine guns and bolt action rifles after artillery and morters and tanks softened up the enemy.
With the Luger I think it should have been mentioned that there was a dedicated Artillery variant, recognizable by its long barrel, detachable shoulder stock and drum magazine, that could be considered as a thought predecessor to the Bergmann & Schmeisser MP18, which in itself is a predecessor to the MP 38/40.
Like Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, as a German soldier in WW2, I would choose the stg 44, if I had the opportunity and ammo supply.
your missing the Walther P-38. They were far more common than a Luger. Proud to say I own a few mausers, a garand, a few nagants, an an m1 carbine. Getting more expensive and scarce these days. The STG 44 is currently being re-manufactured in the original 7.9 Kurz as well as a few modern calibers here in the US. Hope I get one of them some day.
This was great but soon as he fired the MP40 on full auto you guys slowed the speed down in slow motion, it would have been real nice to have seen a full speed shot of it as well but still great video. I have a Enfield and a K98, both are great in their own way but if I had to pick, none can compare to the accuracy of the K98 at long range it is a beast
@@mozzjones6943 You can get a lot of rounds down range with the Enfield real fast, I like watching stuff on how fast the good marksmen could shoot it but my Mitchell's Mausers Collectors Grade K98 is my fav with the story behind it being made by free people not slaves. Mine was Czech made on German tooling and they swore to keep enough on hand to arm every man woman and child and to never be taken over by invaders. They are both very special to me
I bet soldiers in ww2 not only didn't see the Luger as antiquated, but actually the opposite. I wouldn't be surprised to find that they thought the gun looked futuristic despite its age. I mean look at ray guns in pulp sci-fi, all having the skinny protruding barrel. Honestly if the Luger wasn't so iconic as to be instantly recognizable, it probably would have gotten turned into a blaster in Star Wars same as the Mauser and other guns. Every other nation was used to revolvers being the old antiquated weapon and American browning style self-loading pistols had become the norm, especially through gangster movies and the like.
This is a really great idea for a series. I assume that British small arms are soon to be released. I certainly hope this series continues with Russian and Japanese small arms. And please don’t skip Italy!!
Jon and Gun Jesus are my gods. On a related note, both of them have helped me share my passion for firearms and history with my family members that were previously extremely anti-gun. I own several historic firearms, but unfortunately there's a heavy stigma with telling somebody that "You're in to guns". Videos like this, and the breakdowns by Ian and Jon have helped me convey how far my (and presumably a lot of you reading this!) passion goes with them. My parents and brother have since realized that I appreciate the history, and mechanisms of firearms, and like I said before - videos like these help destigmatize firearms as a hobby and passion.
So glad “This is Jonathan Ferguson, the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.” got to use his emotional support STG-44.
One has to wonder when he will be honoured by HIs Majesty King Charles III as Sir Jonathon Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries, which house a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.
I chuckled seeing "Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK" listed correctly under his name at the start 😛
I came here for this comment. I am glad to see proper respect is being paid to this scholar and gentleman.
The reunion we were all waiting for 😍
This was jonathon fergusson, keeper of firearms and artillery at the royal armouries, which house a collection of thousands of other dead peoples stuff
HOLY HELL IT'S JONATHAN'S EMOTIONAL SUPPORT STG
Hell awaits those who write in all caps.
@@sandgrownun66 That was back then. Nowadays it's cry emojis and skull emojis.
Disgust of reference in form of example: "oh nah 😭 jonathan's sup gewehr is gone 💀" honestly it's sickening. I wish those that use it unironically excruciating pain of a unimaginable magnitude in the deepest part of hell. The thought of these people being the future essentially and perhaps using it as old hags is frightening..
@sandgrownun66 WAAAAA WAAAAAAAAH 😭 my estrogen is so high that I have the emotional responses of a woman waaaaa WAAAAH
@@sandgrownun66🤦🏻♂️
@@sandgrownun66😂
That STG 44 is just heavenly to look at. It must be said it has quite impressive ergonomics for the first mass issued assault rifle. Hugo Schmeisser’s mind was a decade ahead of the rest in WW2
Yeah you can really see why the soviets picked them up off the battlefield and sent them back to Moscow and designed the AK after them. Kind of the perfect starter Pokémon to build onto.
The Stg-44 was the first _assault rifle_ nominally and functionally. The machine rifles that came before it were not suitable for the role nor title
@@TheSundayShooterThey did not have intermediate cartridges like the Stg. And they did not enter mass service. They are more considered automatic rifles.
@hikelfin5941 a common misconception but the STG-44 and AK-47 share only visual similarities. i recommend Brandon Herrera’s video on it if you want more info. the AK-47 actually shares more similarities with the M1 Garand than the STG-44.
@@i_basl M1 Rifle (Garand) + Remington Model 81 + Stg-44 = AK
Simple as
Shouting, "HALT!" loudly increases the a German weapon's power by 25%
The more you know.
Is that Jonathan’s Emotional Support Sturmgewehr?
Yes
@@forexed8948🤦🏻♂️
@@gabriel-i4o4v ruclips.net/video/nVCQ4_mnyts/видео.html
@@gabriel-i4o4v he suffered seeing it so horribly cursed in call of duty
@@forexed8948 🤦🏻♂️
Luke: "It's got a good legacy"
Jonathan: *chokes* "ultimately" - His face was perfect.
Love that casio calculator watch from Jonathan :D
He's a Back to the Future fan.
@@MarkARhodie ahhh ! That's why :D
I recently got my first gshock, and have been loving it!
POV: your boss didn’t get into art school.
My favourite historic firearm, the STG/MP44. I wish I had this guy's job, working with such historic weapons.
I do like the fact that you talk about the fact that a lot of weaponry was produced by POWs, something we should never forget
Ye. Germany would take weapons factories when they invaded countries and force them to produce their weapons for the germans
@@CharlieFoxtrot128Would they make the same weapons they were making, or would they have to switch all the machinery over?
@@MeanBeanComedy It mostly depends on the tools available. For example, the Czech vz. 27 was Czech-designed, but it was used by Germany after the occupation of Czechia. Since they had all the equipment ready to make that pistol, it was easier to just keep making that rather than shipping in a bunch of machines to convert the factory to make a P34. This was the case for a lot of pistols, rifles, etc. There are certainly cases of a Czech made K98 rifle too, it just depends on logistics.
It's similar to non-weapons factories. Belt buckles are going to work pretty much the same everywhere, fabric factories for uniforms, canneries for food, etc. If it makes more sense to not convert a factory, they usually didn't convert the factory.
It is interesting to think about. Some of these weapons owned by collectors could have been made by a POW or forced laborer or something, that's crazy.
If a small country like Germany is forced to wage war against the entire world, it probably has no choice but to use all its resources.
In terms of firepower German squads most of the time had the advantage due to their machine guns, which was their primary means of putting lead downrange, so the fact that the rest of the squad was ‚only‘ armed with a repeating rifle doesn’t matter quite that much, as their primary job was supplying the MG with ammunition.
Just as, in the British army, the Bren was the central weapon of the section- every soldier carrying two Bren magazines.
Fun fact: the MP44 assault rifle got this label MP (Machinenpistol, German for SMG) because Hitler didn't believe in the assault rifle concept, contrary to his generals. So they relabeled it as a new model of SMG to have him accept the commission. Thus, the weapon kept its deviated label. Hitler was a WW1 veteran and to him, what mattered was a rifle shooting a heavy bullet over a long distance.
It's so interesting to see what the oldheads are willing to change on and what they're not.
To be fair, before the term "assault rifle" was made, if one gives a StG44 to a soldier of interwar period, he would most likely identify it and used it as a SMG anyway given its size, magazine and weight - Lighter than a MG, larger magazine than a rifle but with shorter range, but still more powerful than pistol -> in 1918 that was the MP 18.
And the first designation was Maschine-karbiner or Mkb 42, it was changed under Hitler's insistence, as it confused the troop of whether it was a short range or long range weapon, or an LMG instead. The best usage of StG44 was for assault purpose, for assault troops who normally wielded Maschinepistole, so the MP designation immediately tell unit commander how to distribute the StG44 - to fully equip an assault squad that was trained in assault tactics, armed with grenades, not instead given one per squad like MG42, nor a replacement for a basic Kar98k for some random basic soldiers.
Hitler took part in combat in WW I only once in Flanders in fall of 1914. After that he served as a messenger for his batalion's staff throughout the remainder of the war. He never again fought in the trenches. All stories telling us otherwise are made up by himself and taken directly from "Mein Kampf".
@@sthrich635 StG is nearly a metre long and 5kg. The rifle is huge.
I must express just how much I truly appreciate the cluttered appearance of storage chaos all around the indoor range y'all use. It almost looks as if you're just shooting in a garage or basement, and as someone that DIY'd a single car garage into a machine shop the whole setup just makes me feel right at home lol.
Im pretty sure this range IS just the basement of the royal armories lmao
@@CharlieFoxtrot128 Can't do outside no more
The council would probably go on
@@CharlieFoxtrot128🤦🏻♂️
@@0ate5y🤦🏻♂️
I scooped up a 1943 P38 at a gun show for $700 years ago and I just couldn't help putting a few rounds through it. Pretty heavy compared to modern handguns but the handling is so nice. They made some awesome weapons.
More terrible weapons puns please, complete with Jonathan's reactions. Great and informative video, thanks Luke & History Hit!
Good to see Johnathon loves a good dad joke 😂
My father had a Wehrmacht issued Walther P38. It did have the eagle stamp on it.
I have to agree with Luke, I fired the Lee Enfield and the K98 together and found the K98 had quite a lot more kick but both were great fun too shoot. Love the video, always fascinating to watch
The Luger is such a beautiful piece of engineering if it looks right .....
German ww2 companies were built around the light/heavy MG. The single shot rifles the regular soldier used was fine for the purpose of protecting the mgs flanks.This is why the Germans had such fine dual purpose light/Heavy mgs. Their hi rate of fire was great in offense and defense.
No they were terrible for anything but fighting in defence. Someone has to carry all that ammunition and guess what? Jerry forgot to build enough trucks.
Exactly. Under German tactical doctrine, the awesome MG machine gun was the squad’s firepower, and squad members were there to support it. Personal firearms were not very important; members were essentially ammunition carriers and grenade throwers. American doctrine was the opposite- the squad had a relatively poor machine gun, the BAR, and each squad member had an excellent personal rifle. Historians seem to believe that German doctrine was more effective.
@@peterblum613yes, this was their doctrine. But this is no argument for not inventing and distributing automatic rifles.
I remember; an old work colleague once told me that he used to have a P08. (It must have been in the 70s) At the time he was working as a foreman in an industrial company on the night shift. There was not much going on during the night shift and only a small workforce. He then went into the warehouse with a phone book and thought to himself, I'll try it out secretly. What he didn't know was that the P08 shot very low. He noticed it when the light suddenly went out after the first shot. Unfortunately he had put the phone book on a main power cable for the warehouse. Explain that to your boss
It really is incredible how much the STG established the baseline for the next near century or so of firearms design.
Please follow this series up with a Red Army, Italian and Japanese comparison please 🙏
Yeah, reliability isn’t really a concern with the M1 as it’s so reliable it’s pedantic to even bring that up. Also, the biggest difference with bolt guns versus self loading is fire superiority. Fire and manoeuvre tactics were the core of WW2 infantry doctrine and the m1 gave the American squad far more capability to suppress the enemy. Having a self loading rifle was a massive force multiplier for the infantry squad being able to rapid fire on the move easier and having the ability to fire much faster gave American GIs a distinct advantage. Many people often think “it shoots faster so it kills more enemies quicker” no the reason for the move to self loading semiautomatic rifles and later select fire assault rifles was for fire superiority not necessarily lethality but the ability to suppress your opposing force more effectively and thus out manoeuvre them. The greater lethality due to rate of fire is less of a factor as visual contact between individual soldiers where single combat can occur is relatively rare they’re just shooting in the general direction in most cases.
Will you enlarge the sample of German WW2 firearms in your testing? Would love to see you test the FG42 for example, designed for paratroopers. Also, would be interesting to see the ERMA EMP, a first generation SMG, though production ended in 1938.
Definitely need a video of British Weapons of WW2. Feel like they often get looked at less, but they played a significant role in the War.
Johnathan is such a lucky bugger 😊
Not just lucky, it's also years and years of studying and reading/keeping up with the latest news.
If you call the StG 44 too late, you should add the FG42 in your comparison. There was a fully automatic AR in service!
i ask the german paras about fg42 they said they never seen one
FG use full power rifle cartridge so it it a BR. It's different consept. Ideally close to StG but different enough not to be true AR even if chambered to 8mm Kurz.
That STG is beautiful 😍
My father was equipped with Mauser and Schmeisser when he did his service in the Norwegian army in 1950. I was equipped with a Luger when I did service as medic in the same armey in 1980.
While there is debate over if the 9mm or 45 is better honestly I’d say if they weren’t good bullets, they wouldn’t be as popular as they are with militaries, civilians, and law enforcement for the past 100+ years
Someone who finally uses their brains. I hate when people say something that is used all around the world and has been used all around the world for a long time is bad
Some more explanation why sheet metal was better to use in the manufacturing process of small arms would be nice for newcomers.
Before they started using stamped sheet metal, rifles and submachine guns were made out of a solid block of steel that would be milled ('carved') into shape.
The downside of using the old milling process: more waste of scarce resources, guns being much heavier.
When using stamped sheet metal, waste was reduced very much and the resulting firearm was much lighter.
The STG44 (MP44) was the first place Eugene Stoner and Jim Sullivan first saw constant recoil..That is why it is so controllable on full auto....
And the fact that it weighs a ton.
@@indigohammer5732 The fact it used constant recoil, which means the carrier never makes contact with the back of the receiver but is always under spring tension with out bottoming out.. Read a book lol..
@@hairydogstailso that's what constant recoil means. Learned something!
Fascinating. It still weighs a ton stankwain.
@@indigohammer5732 So does the milled AK and it is not very controllable..Constant recoil..
Where is the German Shepherd? THAT is a weapon for shure. With additional fluffiness :)
StG-44 & MP-40: "Let's take it to the range..."
While standing IN THE. RANGE. 😂
28:10 him pointing the stg at him jus struck a nasty nerve in me.
I owned a P-08 Luger 9mm pistol for years. Built in 1940. An absolute great pistol for its time. Unfortunately my car broke down, and I needed money for the repairs. So I sold it.
NEIN NEIN das panzerwagen can never breakdown Soldat
I'm sorry for your loss my man
@@consciouscaveman6418 I also owned a International Harvester M1 Garand rifle. The rifle was Korean War vintage. Less than 15,000 rifles were made by International Harvester, and most of those rifles. Ended up in the hands of our allies. Like Turkey.
Yet again I needed money, so I sold the rifle.
@@jonathancathey2334 Better to of love and lost. Heartbreaking but needs must. Where do you live lad? I live in Ireland so we can only legally own .22 rifles or shotguns but the laws are very strict.
@@consciouscaveman6418 I live in central Minnesota. Hunting for game as large as moose is common up north. Minnesota also has hunting season for black bears, duck, geese, and the most popular deer.
In Minnesota you can hunt with bow and arrow, black powder firearms, pistol, shotguns, and rifles.
Plus if you are interested, lots of fresh water fishing. Walleye fish is the absolute best in the area.
Yes people do ice fishing.( Where people go out onto a frozen lake. Bore a hole in the ice, and use ice fishing rod to fish. Yes lots of people make or buy a ice fishing house. A small shack you use while ice fishing. Keeps you out of the cold and wind. Plus then you also have a place to store your beer/alcohol.)
Curious fact: in 1950 the Argentine Army became interested in the STG-44, commissioning its study to eventually incorporate it as a regulatory rifle, so cloned prototypes called C.A.M 1 (Carabina Automática Mediana 1 ) were manufactured in the Dirección General de Fabricaciones Miitares of the FMAP ´´DM´´ Fabrica Militar de Armas Portables Domingo Matheu Rosario Province of Santa Fe and a very rare and obsolete experimental Kurtz 7.92x33 cartridge produced by FM at the Fábrica Militar de San Lorenzo, Province of Santa Fe.
Finally, after years of evaluation and despite favorable approval, the FN FAL 7.62 was chosen.
A surviving CAM-1 can be seen in the Buenos Aires Weapons Museum.
Would you want to go up against a company or Battalion armed with MP44? With your M1? Plus they have MG42s? Nightmare.
Realistically, wartime production of both of the German firearms by the time both were available was pretty subpar and they were generally intended to be disposable. I’d take a company or battalion of M1s and M1919s.
The P08 also has a reputation for dirt getting into the action, if I remember correctly (because the whole top of the gun opens up with every round fired).
I got to fire some of these. The luger and the Kar really have some kick! What amazed me was how easy the mp40 was to fire.
2:38 the Luger was originally not called the P08, it was only called that when it was adopted by the Reichswehr Heer in 1908. It was originally released for sale in 1898.
Reichswehr is post WW democratic Germany.
Imperial Germany and it’s kingdom’s Universal Army pistol 1908, navy 1904, longer barrel and 100-200m back sight.❤
Swiss etc other countries orig mod’s ; m/20 7,65mm is 🇫🇮Army model m/23🤓
@@454FatJack yep, glad to see another fan of Lugers
The naive discussion, with a British accent, is refreshing and fascinating. Also, it is interesting to see what one of His Majesty's Ranges looks like.
Funnily enough, most German soldiers were quite content with the Kar-98. In the Wehrmacht infantry squad, the emphasis was on the squad machine gun instead of the individual rifleman.
I'd watch a movie of Jonathan trapped in the Armoury during a Zombie Apocalypse.
At 28:12 Please tell me that LUKE is not pointing that STG44 at Jonathan's face. I hope that it is an optical illusion caused by camera angle ! Otherwise, good review of these fine German weapons.
agreed
I kinda cringed at that bit as well.
I think it’s just the camera angle. Looks like it’s just over Jonathon’s shoulder and a little bit past his head
psh idiot
Just felt uneasy watching that.. 😢
Two little fun facts about the Luger: Switzerland was actually the first country to accept it into service in 1900. And it is funny how you describe it as bending kind of like a knee because in german it is called a "Kniehebel" literally: knee lever.
Love the little nod to the other guy everytime Jonathan Ferguson, the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, picks up a weapon. WHO IS HE?
I had one of the Mausers that I used as a hunting rifle when I was a teenager. it was a real conversation piece. But was limited w/o a scope.
10:35 That last Luger round jumping up ... and bouncing on his head...
It’s very common for the Luger to eject hot brass right into your hair or down your shirt.
My dad has a luger and shooting it always spooked me a little because every once in a while a shell will land onto your head (or if you're really unlucky down your shirt) and thwap you or burn you. Those shells dropping hit a lot harder than you think they would!!
3:39
Yes, the 08 luger would have been in use by officers, NCOs, and machine gun crews. However, there were FAR more pistol varieties in use by Germany's armed forces during WW2. Think of the P-38, Walther PP and PPK pistols, Vis 35 Radom (and yes, even the Hi-Power, or Pistole 640(b)) to just name a few.
Man I'm so ready for this.
The best machine gun of the Second World War, the german MG42, would also have fit very well in the video.
Oh, and....the Germans doctrine of primarily using bolt rifles in their infantry units is completely dependent for its effectiveness on a much higher issuance of GPMG's than in other armies of the time. They were able to obtain massive volumes of fire with the MG-38 and (later) with the MG-42 that it was not needed from their rifle-equipped soldiers.
'Spoiled for choice.' That's what Germany's problem was. No real standardized designs, too many chefs with too many fingers in the pie. The Russians picked a few designs and stuck with them. Like Stalin said, 'Quantity has a quality of its own.'
The Soviets were innovating and experimenting throughout the course of the war in arms and armaments, and switched production a few times. A few examples would be the PM> DS>SG machine guns, the PPD>PPSh>PPS SMGs, the USV>ZiS-3 field guns, and the M-10>D-1 howitzers. That they successfully managed switching production as many times as they did was remarkable.
In the German case, production in the Reich proper was fairly unified and most of the major changes were in the direction of increased efficiency. In other territories, the decision to continue production of foreign arms caused problems, but the costs and time associated with retooling had to be weighed against the immediate, constant need for more guns. A handful of vz. 33 or wz. 29 on hand meant that troops in the rear and allied forces could be adequately equipped, freeing up standard rifles for the front.
The best game I've played that shows how good the MP40 is would be post scriptum or now known as squad 44. It's so accurate, great rate of fire and easy to maintain point of aim. Love it
That face Jonathan made when he was asked the radioactive "9mm vs .45 acp" question was *Priceless!* 😆😆😝
And he's a 9mm guy! He beat the fudd allegations!
I think it's crazy how much gun safety we practice today compared to WW2 not saying there wasn't gun safety
Check out the WW2 German regulations regarding firearms, they were extremely safety conscious.
I need to correct you here......In WW2 the Brits were using the Lee Enfield No4 which did have a peep sight not the open style sights of the No3 of WW1 fame or indeed K98. The peep sight which is placed behind the breech is regarded as the more accurate and superior of the two.
Great vid, always interesting to see these things actually fired. BTW you misspelled "manUfacturer".
Currently set up with a whisky sour on my balcony after at night in Cyprus 😂 couldn't think of a better end to a night 👍
9:46 "Oh, that little guy? Don't worry about that little guy."
22:35 I think the Kar has more of a kick because it weighs less. Less mass makes a big difference.
I see History Hit and Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history again I watch again.
The salute 11:53 :D
Seeing so much H&K in the STG44, and the MP5 in the MP40 with that front post and door bolt charging handle.........surprised he didn't do the slap!
The Luger 9 mm Parabellum is one of my fav handguns , then Walther PPK, Walther P.38 plus the Mauser C-96 Broomhandle from that Era and earlier era its the Colt Single Action Army or just Colt SAA, oh yes the Luger grib is was made like that so you could basically point shot no need to aim when shooting in a hurry
Germany definitely have the coolest weapons in WW2
The Germans used the light/heavy machine gun as their primary weapon. The other soldiers were there to protect its flank. On a offensive operation it was used as suppressive fire and the German infantry used hand grenades Submachine guns and bolt action rifles after artillery and morters and tanks softened up the enemy.
I do hope they make an episode where they fire Japanese WW2 era weapons.
Was that just the camera or did he fully flag that guys head and chest for like 15 seconds with the Stg 44?
It does look like that a few times lol
Not to mention he handed the weapon over to him without checking to see if it was empty first.
HMG has brought back the Sturmgewehr and also the 8mm Kurz
With the Luger I think it should have been mentioned that there was a dedicated Artillery variant, recognizable by its long barrel, detachable shoulder stock and drum magazine, that could be considered as a thought predecessor to the Bergmann & Schmeisser MP18, which in itself is a predecessor to the MP 38/40.
you look like a nicer and calmer Dr House
The P38 took over from the Luger later in the war and the P35 browning hi power also saw some use with German paras and SS
P-38 took over in 1938, by that point, the Luger was fazed out and replaced by about 12 different pistols.
@@chris.3711No. Lugers remained in production until 1944.
That Luger pistol is permanently attached to the Holocaust in my mind.
It certainly signals the ruthless arrogant SS officer.
It was used in the first world war and was adopted by other nations..Get over it..
Even though it was produced long before Nazi German and was essentially phased out by 1938.
@@chris.3711 I’m always willing to learn new things, it brings a smile automatically to my face
@@decariusb71it’s called the Luger P08 as it was adopted in 1908. It predates Nazi Germany
God I wish I could get a Borchardt C-93 pistol irl. Those things look so elegant and beautiful.
Will there be a video on British and Commonwealth weapons of the war? I feel that would be a good topic.
20 rounds on a K98 sounds like a COD gun.
Not a K98, a G98. Look for "Grabenmagazin" to see some pictures.
38:22 Looks like Jonathan is wearing a Casio Databank with a custom metal strap, nice!
... The cameraman violates firearms safety immediately at like 0:35 lol
Like Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, as a German soldier in WW2, I would choose the stg 44, if I had the opportunity and ammo supply.
'inches'? It is not the dark ages anymore, use standard units of measurement.
Really good video. I had fun 👍
The problem with the Luger and the P38 is the light weight barrel, aiming is kind of unstable with both of them.😊
Britons should be able to own any gun they want.
your missing the Walther P-38. They were far more common than a Luger. Proud to say I own a few mausers, a garand, a few nagants, an an m1 carbine. Getting more expensive and scarce these days. The STG 44 is currently being re-manufactured in the original 7.9 Kurz as well as a few modern calibers here in the US. Hope I get one of them some day.
Pointing a Luger at something, instantly makes anyone look like a stylish, badass villain... 🕶
I still find the Walther P-38 and PPK are two of the most beautiful handguns of all time. Now I own a Walther CCP, their cousin.
Abolish the NFA and theHughes Amendment!
Not gonna happen. Too many rich people would see the value of their investments drop.
The Emotional Support STG-44 gets some use.
Emotional Support STG44! Love the video! Jonathan presents such interesting information!
This was great but soon as he fired the MP40 on full auto you guys slowed the speed down in slow motion, it would have been real nice to have seen a full speed shot of it as well but still great video. I have a Enfield and a K98, both are great in their own way but if I had to pick, none can compare to the accuracy of the K98 at long range it is a beast
@@mozzjones6943 You can get a lot of rounds down range with the Enfield real fast, I like watching stuff on how fast the good marksmen could shoot it but my Mitchell's Mausers Collectors Grade K98 is my fav with the story behind it being made by free people not slaves. Mine was Czech made on German tooling and they swore to keep enough on hand to arm every man woman and child and to never be taken over by invaders. They are both very special to me
There's a nice video by 9hole review on the accuracy of the Kar98k sniper rifle. He fires it at 1,100 yards (ca. 1 km).
I bet soldiers in ww2 not only didn't see the Luger as antiquated, but actually the opposite. I wouldn't be surprised to find that they thought the gun looked futuristic despite its age. I mean look at ray guns in pulp sci-fi, all having the skinny protruding barrel. Honestly if the Luger wasn't so iconic as to be instantly recognizable, it probably would have gotten turned into a blaster in Star Wars same as the Mauser and other guns. Every other nation was used to revolvers being the old antiquated weapon and American browning style self-loading pistols had become the norm, especially through gangster movies and the like.
The Luger was pretty old by WW2. What about the Walther P38? Good enough for Doyle to use in the Professionals!
Germans sure knows how to build quality stuff
Confirmation bias
Firing the stg44, he didn't compensate for the sight over bore. The grouping was very good though.
Jonathan is living his best life here.
This is a really great idea for a series. I assume that British small arms are soon to be released. I certainly hope this series continues with Russian and Japanese small arms. And please don’t skip Italy!!
Jon and Gun Jesus are my gods.
On a related note, both of them have helped me share my passion for firearms and history with my family members that were previously extremely anti-gun.
I own several historic firearms, but unfortunately there's a heavy stigma with telling somebody that "You're in to guns".
Videos like this, and the breakdowns by Ian and Jon have helped me convey how far my (and presumably a lot of you reading this!) passion goes with them.
My parents and brother have since realized that I appreciate the history, and mechanisms of firearms, and like I said before - videos like these help destigmatize firearms as a hobby and passion.
Switzerland. When they adapted the Sig P210 the target competitors there claimed the Luger was more accurate.