I bought a Winchester 1911 about a month ago for $75 in a local gun shop. As soon as I asked the guy “how much are you asking for the widowmaker?” his eyes lit up and he said “you know what this is?”, and obviously I said yes. He then proceeded to say that he was afraid to sell it to anyone “not historically firearms-minded” for fear that they’d end up blowing their head off trying to figure it out..... I then told him I had $75 on me. I then left with a 102 year old autoloading shotgun. Win-Win.
Craig Furey very cool, glad for both of you. Gun is worth more for sure but finding the “right” buyer for a weird gun is likely worth the price hit. And of course you got a sweet deal too.
Now that is a hell of a deal! Anyway stupid knows no limits. I am sure someone dumb enough to look down the barrel while charging it will just find a different way to blow their head off.
Attempting to address an accusation of “glorifying weapons” is a no-win proposition in these times. C&R is a serious history channel, very well done. It speaks for itself, except to rampant hoplophobes and those with a political agenda.
I know a guy (85 ish years old now) who deer hunts every autumn with one of these. 60 + years of service and both rifle and hunter are still going strong.
My old business partner is almost 70 and hunts everything with his first gun, a Sears .22 - 20ga superposed. Nothing in North America he won’t hunt with that $60 gun, and he even shoots brown bears on Vancouver Island occasionally getting two in one day which is insane since those monsters are typically 800lbs with a 5/8oz magnum slug. 300 mag is my go to for that kind of hunting with me being brave and possibly using my .270.
"One prototype Thompson was created in this chambering, I imagine it was terrifying." I'm absolutely certain it would be and someone should try to remake that.
The closest thing to that is the experimental Thompson in .30 (U.S.) Carbine and Ian (Forgotten Weapons has a vid on it). The thing is like 12 lb (5.4 kg) and has like 10 or 15 shot mags. Looks cool, but using that stock feels weird when shouldering it since you bring the gun up to your cheek instead of going down to the stock like an AR-15, and the sights are very low to the gun. Here's the vid I was talking about: ruclips.net/video/lW-IjtiVthc/видео.html
there's a new "Thompson" (in prototype stage now!) about to be made in 5.56 NATO! Sweet looking and I want to shoot it. One of the guys at work apparently helped design it
My dad had a long-recoil shotgun of some kind when I was a kid. Once, when we were cleaning the guns, and he explained how it worked, I put the butt on the ground, squatted next to it, and cocked it by pulling down on the barrel with both hands, just to see it work. My dad was kind of shocked that it worked. Guess he didn't know about the Widowmaker. I didn't, until now, but as soon as I saw that grip on the barrel, I knew how it worked and why it got that nickname.
being in a balloon is probably the ONLY time a Villar Perosa would seem an appealing choice of weapon. Small enough to move within the basket, enough firepower to make an attacker want to keep his distance.
After sighting in at 60 feet, I could easily cover 5 shots with a nickel ruclips.net/user/postUgkxQt2uORDRfFOVSrO4idv4B90ThT6EOnEL ! Truly a pleasure to shoot! Scope was easy to adjust for eye relief. Only problem the varmints must have seen it delivered lol!Update: So impressed with shot groups at 30 yards I purchased a Hammers 3×9 with adjustable Objective scope! Now a true nail driver!
That comparison between the air service 1903 and the 1907 really demonstrated something I've always believed, which is that it doesn't matter how good the furniture of a gun is, if the action sucks it's going to suck, but if the action's good the gun will work, even with less than ideal furniture, add ons, and accessories. Also, this was my thought process while Othias was talking about the widowmaker: Othias: "So, if you think about it, you have one method that might work." Me: "Oh no... Please don't tell me you grab the checkering on the barrel and use that to charge it..." Othias: *Grabs the Barrel* "This is where these this checkering that we saw at the front comes in. I'm not kidding folks. You push... and now the barrel and the breach block are at the rear"
And to think I was just thinking to myself "Scott, you're 30 now, you need to go to sleep at a reasonable time" *ping* "Oh well how about a whole lotta nope to sleep"
In the 1980's/1990's we were trained to not load the .45 and AR-15 magazines to the max possible to save the springs. I have heard debate that this does not matter but it is how we were trained at the time. Major difference was that our magazines were used for long storage and the WW1 magazines were expected to be emptied fairly regularly but it would not surprise me if they were trying to save the springs by calling a 10 round mag a 9 round mag.
You are correct, "20 rds a jam and die, 18 rounds rock N roll and live". that was the old 20 rd mags, said to be held over from the original M-16 mags that were made differently out of steel they jammed. As it is I have loaded 20 rds in an M-16 20 rd mag and it did not jam or fail to fire, even after being stored loaded so who knows.
32:30 Oh when I saw how people would give the Model 11 that nickname I just started giggling from amusement. Oh such a weird design. And never heard about that balloon ace engagement, learned something new today. A fine episode as always Othais and crew.
There is one extended 401 rifle mag (8 rounds, I think) pictured on the “Vintage Semi-automatc Rifle” website in the 1910 forums supposedly made by the French.
For the 9-round burst thing, I could see that working if you train to fire in three 3-round bursts. That's a very natural grouping and pretty easy to drill into someone.
"If anyone knows of an actual confirmed fatality from using this gun as a butter churn, I'd love to know." I bet no one else in human history had ever said those words in that order before.
For quick ballon simulation on a budget - a free floating platform with long hang down. So nothing that Othais couldn't build himself in a rush and a great implement for the range where it is set up.
A friend of mine who works at my local gun store collects Winchester auto loaders, in particular the 1907 and oh my god the ammo prices are insane here in New Zealand! He paid like 350 bucks for a couple boxes of the stuff.
Ha ha, fellow Kiwi collector here stumbling on this comment years later. Funny how small the NZ collecting community is. As soon as I read this, I knew exactly which collector, you were talking about.
I have one of those Winchester 1911S.L. Widow Maker shotguns. It was originally purchased by my wife's grandfather and was presented to me about 1974 or 75 to rebuild. I could write a small book about this, but let me briefly add that it doubled. I had to get a gunsmith to fix this. He also had to provide new wood. The buttstock had been laminated from three pieces which were now separating so badly that I popped it apart simply by inserting a screwdriver and twisting. I read that the laminated construction was necessary because of the force of the locked breech and barrel slamming into the butt stock. There was also a crack in the forend as a result of the barrel and bolt slamming forward. There was nothing to stop it but the wood of the forend between the barrel and the end cap. I was warned by the gunsmith to never remove the forend because of the heavy spring under the forend necessary to return the barrel. I shot one round of skeet with it. The recoil is truly strange. First you feel a couple pounds of the locked barrel and breech slamming into your shoulder. After the empty is ejected and the elevator raises the next cartridge the gun seems to jump off your shoulder when the barrel returns to battery with that uber strong spring. Then there is a second jump forward when the bolt slams forward from the force of a similarly strong spring which runs down through the butt stock. I have not shot this gun since that time of about 1975 and I never will. It is among the guns that I intend to pass on to my son and I am seriously considering blocking the chamber and barrel before then to prevent anyone from trying to shoot it. I could go on. It is an interesting and dangerous gun.
Why.... Why now? I just came from my night shift and really need to rest. Here we go anyway... Come on beard of knowledge. I'm ready for some knowledge.
I have a WInchester Model 1911 that used to belong to my grandfather. Although the finish is mostly gone, it seems in excellent condition mechanically. The fore stock is split, which was common on these, I've read. And I have had no luck finding replacement furniture for it. Numrich has nothing, and even when you add "Winchester" and "shotgun" to the search terms, when you're looking for "1911" gun parts, all you get is results for the M1911 .45 auto. I seem to remember reading about someone killing themselves with one of these things as recently as 2012, in the usual way that earned this gun the name "widowmaker," in this case while trying to clear a jam, but I can't find the article.
The French DID issue larger magazines for the 1910, but these were handmade in France and therefore not mentioned in Wincherster factory records. There's at least one picture of a surviving French extended 1910 mag floating around the Internet. Capacity unknown, estimated 8 to 10 rounds. By the way, I own a 1910 and handload for it. If the plunger on your 1907 seems stiff and you can hear the spring grinding in there, the spring is kinked and needs replacing. The 1910 has a much longer and stiffer spring than the 1907.
My sister used a Winchester 1911 deer hunting. We heard her empty the gun and went to check on her. She was sitting on the ground and was tapping on the safety with an aspirin tin. Yeah, it was more than a few years back. She wasn't going to move without putting on the safety. It had cocked itself after the last shot and she had pulled the trigger on an empty chamber. The safety wouldn't reset without being cocked. We all had a good laugh.
In WW I air combat, the closer, the better. Even with a machine gun, it was very difficult to hit another aircraft beyond 100 yards. The most successful pilots would shoot at a much closer range. I would imagine it would have been almost impossible to hit another plane with that Air Service Rifle.
Sam Smith yup, intestinal fortitude to let someone empty their guns at you and you wait until 30-50yrds out before you let loose. This tactic would guarantee a near certain kill every time, either you or your target.
A Winchester 1910 with a German eagle and crested B proof marks, was recently featured in a academic study about some WW1 weapons at the Istanbul Military Museum ... If interested, I can send you the pics from the study
One thing that you need to remember in the four vs ten round discussion is if you are sitting in a balloon, that plane is coming at something like 75 meters a second (assuming a dive) so if your max range is 150-200 meters, you’ll only have 2-3 seconds max that the target is relatively stationary to get off well aimed shots. No chance of hitting anything once the pilot turns away and circles for another pass. Couple of aimed shots while he’s coming straight on than a quick reload before he comes around. More is better but the four round mag is probably not a hindrance other than having to stay calm enough to reload a new mag while he circles. Not an easy feet I’d imagine having just been shot at however
31:37 why not put like a wooden hang guard there instead of chequering so you don’t burn your hands? Or like an AR 15 style bolt catch on the left side that’s not attached directly to the bolt. Give it a pump action grip that’s attached by carriers that are not connected to the bolt so when you pump the action back and you let go of the pump handle it flies forward chambering the round but the pump handle does not reciprocate with thebolt
Many 07 and 10 were customized by their owners and were viewed as prized possessions. Most of the 05's i have seen were not customized to the degree the others were. Many types of early scope mounting systems were used on them in the 30's through the 50's. Long ago at an auction i saw a 07 that had a bayonet adapter brazed on for a French bayonet by the French after they purchased it. It is interesting that I have seen a few 05's in 32wsl with British proofs also.
@@dodsonarmsco that seems more than reasonable, but I prefer the idea of a navigator or gunner yelling "fly closer, I want to hit them with my bayonet!"
might explain the 4 rd story in the balloon , the 5th in a 5 rd mag is a little hard , but for a noodle fingered 112 lb frenchman it might have been impossible ?
These two Winchester self loader episodes have been great! Here's the .45ACP 1905 y'all mentioned: www.historicalfirearms.info/post/174416813584/winchester-model-1905-in-45-acp-the-collection-of
I grew up hunting with several people that used the .351. One guy in particular shot a lot of deer & I remember his wife cursing "that dam .351" as it ruined so much meat. One older gent had a 3 digit serial number 07 that he brought out on special occasions (he was a small town gunsmith). I fell in love with the gun & bought one in the early 80's that was in almost mint condition. I have killed 2 wild boar & not much else, but I would like to take a nice buck with it before I leave this world. FYI I saw a picture of an American from Ohio in Cuba during the revolution in the 1950's. His name was Morgan holding a cut down 07 with a snail mag. I also saw 2 snail mags. for sale on gunbroker that had been modified to accept the .351 round. I know one was returned to the seller as it did not work. I forget what make magazine, but it might have been for the p08 Luger. I also knew a guy who dove hunted with his widowmaker who he called "Old blondie" as it had been restocked by his gunsmith father in law. I remember that gun did not work very well, but his .351 went bang every time he pulled the trigger.
I always wondered if the Widowmaker might be mitigated with a forward pistol grip on the underside of the barrel. I think that would introduce other compromises and complications though
Balloons used for observation were an essential means for keeping an eye on enemy actions. Because of this, balloon busting and the protection of them was a really important offensive and defensive activity for both sides. The gas in the bags was flammable which made the ballon rather than the observer the target of the pilot trying to shoot them down. By the way, observation balloons we were the first successful use of parachutes as a means of escaping a damaged aircraft. All observation balloons were protected by a large number of ground based machine guns and “Archie” ( anti air craft artillery) Chances are the Winchester was given to the observer to give them a relatively light weight weapon to feel a little less like a totally vulnerable target rather than a belief that it was an effective tool to shoot down enemy aircraft. My money would be on the ground based machine guns doing in the aircraft rather than the observer with four rounds in a carbine. Patrick Bartholomew
Patrick Bartholomew seems likely. Aircraft are often given credit for taking out tanks in WWII which again is another typical fog of war ignorance. Also observer vs combat pilot is very romantic and seems more “fair” then a pilot being blasted by 30 ground rifles and four machine guns. It’s not an easy thing to kill a man, especially if he has a name and a face, (even after the fact).
If the goal is backup gun for short range, 100 yards or less, on fast moving targets from another moving vehicle, why not a shotgun? A tight choke and 00 buck seems like it would be pretty good in this role.
I think it's because European armies really didn't see shotguns as combat weapons. That was something the US introduced to the Western Front to a mix of surprise and horror to our allies and the Germans.
Actually, Othais has seriously questioned the “surprise and horror” line by pointing out that the German protests were likely an attempt at “whataboutism” in line with their protests over supposed British dumdums in an attempt to counter criticism over German use of poison gas and saw toothed bayonets. This kind of PR blame game was all the rage during WWI. For instance, thr Italians published outrage over Austro-Hungarian troops having finished off gassed Italian troops with trench clubs as a sign of A-H’s barbarism. Othais also pointed out that, due to only standard paper shells being available, WWI shotguns were not that popular with US troops as shells would swell and warp with moisture, leading to malfunctions. As for the original post, getting a hit with one of eight pellets, rather than a single bullet was probably a not great potential efficiency gain and again, you’d run into the paper shell issue, not to mention further complicating your logistics. Also, you’d essentially have to settle for a repeater, rather than an auto loader, if choosing a shotgun (bar the Browning Auto-5), further reducing the potential benefits of a shotgun. Finally, the close range was a necessity, not an objective. You’re not going to be likely to get hits on an(other) airplane at any kind distance from a balloon or especially a cockpit/observer’s seat with a handheld firearms, which was why it was very much a backup/emergency weapon. Instead, the main choice was basically always machine guns in standard rifle (or even larger) calibers, if practicable.
Btw, while Othais pointed out the fragility of WWI planes, especially their flammability. The targets you had to hit on them to be likely to do serious damage were actually quite small, compared to the plane itself: Pilot, engine or gas tank.
Buddy you ever try shooting a shotgun to 100 yards? With a full choke, double 0 buck has like a 40 inch pattern, at about 40 yards. It's not just about hitting the target, it's about making an impact. At the muzzle 0 buck each pellet has the energy of like 380 auto i think, but being individually so light and having a fairly unaerodynamic shape, they loose energy fast. You get 8 pellets per shot, really not that much. Unless your pilot gets you within 50 yards, which is maximum clench and not something you wanna be doing. It's why most aircraft eventually went to machine guns, initially the observers guns where just in case the enemy decided to shoot.
I remember reading the .351 model was used in the federal and some state prisons as a replacement for springfields in .30 government. (30/06) because of extreme over penetration worries. true or not i don't know .
If you are interested in facts about WWI air combat, I've done a lot of reading into the subject including balloons and Zeppelins. You both actually came to a few realisations that airmen in the First World War very quickly came to as well.
Just watched nearly the entire Primer series to date over the last week. Amazing work! You are the worthy successor to History Channel weapons shows. BUT: where is the Colt 1911 episode?? I can't believe you will be skipping the iconic American pistol! (it's still heavy and low-capacity though...)
Richard Reavis, sheee-it: The History Channel idiots couldn't shine Othias' shoes. They seldom had their facts straight. This man knows that of which he speaks.
My Grandfather who fought in WWI once told me that most of the men that he served with were indeed very young. In fact my Grandfather lied about his age and enlisted in the US Army at the age of sixteen as did many other young men who fought and died in that war.
If they’d make that 1905 in .45ACP work with both the standard M1911 single stacks as well as the later double stacks it would be great hit I’m sure. Based on Ian and Skallagrim’s videos on Canadian gun laws they should be comparable with higher capacity magazines since they take pistol mags which means pistol mag limits. Being in California I could at least get 10rd mags for them.
I must say, this is my favorite episode, May as an air cowboy in the Armee de l' air equipped with an American rifle over no manland in 1917! my imagination goes wild. Did the French also give her a savage 32 ? that would prolly make her the happiest southern belle in the air that day!
I inherited a Steven's single shot chambered in 401 WSL. I have no idea if it came that way from the factory, but I have found examples of the "Friendly" in a vast array of calibers, so it isn't completely crazy. Or it could be a re-reemed chamber, but it is a strange cartridge to rechamber a gun.
@@purebeef4698 We magna fluxed the barrel looking for cracks, and the powder settled in the old worn off markings. It is marked "401 SL" so it's original. I have searched the interwebs, and I can't find any other Friendly rifles chamber in 401.
One thing I have been wondering, with so many different blow back being made at around the same time, what was it about blow back action that could not be patented? Also how do you patent putting a piece of metal sticking out of the bolt? Bolt actions already existed, how is that different enough to patent?
52:00 : would you have time to fire 10 rounds with the plane coming at you. If you only have time to get off 4-6 rounds, the bigger .401 would be better. Do more damage if you hit the engine or pilot.
Maybe not, but I’d rather have enough ammo to get two bursts off before reloading. Those mags are quite stiff and I would like to spend as little time as possible messing with them when planes are flying at me.
great episode! great storytelling!!! not to rain on your parade but balloons were high value targets so they had A LOT of groundfire protection, rifles, mgs, AAA. while it makes a great david and goliath, patriotic story i think its far more likely the albatross fell to other groundfire than henris admittedly bravely fired 4 rounds. im not saying its impossible (we know a zero was brought down by a guy hanging under a parachute with a .45), it would just seem that its more likely that it was other groudn fire that ended the german. i suspect, like many other great war stories. it was fabricated for the newspapers.
Вооот,такой у меня был Винчестер мод.1910 года. Калибр .401..., карабин тяжеленький,даже сразу и неподумаешь,пока в руку невозьмешь,магазин (4+1),защелка магазина,с очень тугой пружиной,я даже поставил послабее. Нравился,что разборный,самозарядный и патрон довольно сильный,для такой автоматики (свободноскользящий затвор).
I bought a Winchester 1911 about a month ago for $75 in a local gun shop. As soon as I asked the guy “how much are you asking for the widowmaker?” his eyes lit up and he said “you know what this is?”, and obviously I said yes. He then proceeded to say that he was afraid to sell it to anyone “not historically firearms-minded” for fear that they’d end up blowing their head off trying to figure it out..... I then told him I had $75 on me. I then left with a 102 year old autoloading shotgun. Win-Win.
Craig Furey very cool, glad for both of you. Gun is worth more for sure but finding the “right” buyer for a weird gun is likely worth the price hit. And of course you got a sweet deal too.
Now that is a hell of a deal! Anyway stupid knows no limits. I am sure someone dumb enough to look down the barrel while charging it will just find a different way to blow their head off.
Jesse Sisolack I couldn’t agree more
Win-Win?
I think you meant Winchester-Winchester
I love those monents where you connect wih people
I convinced a friend to name his barn cats Paul and Wilhelm Mouser and I am not even one bit ashamed of that pun.
Nice dad jokes from the Gun-Father! I don't know if Gun Jesus can hang!
Good man
I had a Belgian Malenois dog, that I named Mauser. Most people thought it was Mouser, but he was named after Paul. 😉
You must have been into my Asbach chocolate stash then
Attempting to address an accusation of “glorifying weapons” is a no-win proposition in these times. C&R is a serious history channel, very well done. It speaks for itself, except to rampant hoplophobes and those with a political agenda.
I know a guy (85 ish years old now) who deer hunts every autumn with one of these. 60 + years of service and both rifle and hunter are still going strong.
My old business partner is almost 70 and hunts everything with his first gun, a Sears .22 - 20ga superposed. Nothing in North America he won’t hunt with that $60 gun, and he even shoots brown bears on Vancouver Island occasionally getting two in one day which is insane since those monsters are typically 800lbs with a 5/8oz magnum slug. 300 mag is my go to for that kind of hunting with me being brave and possibly using my .270.
John-Paul Silke, I sort of presume this might be from a tree stand?
"And that's really it"
*Video still has 53 minutes left*
"One prototype Thompson was created in this chambering, I imagine it was terrifying."
I'm absolutely certain it would be and someone should try to remake that.
The closest thing to that is the experimental Thompson in .30 (U.S.) Carbine and Ian (Forgotten Weapons has a vid on it). The thing is like 12 lb (5.4 kg) and has like 10 or 15 shot mags. Looks cool, but using that stock feels weird when shouldering it since you bring the gun up to your cheek instead of going down to the stock like an AR-15, and the sights are very low to the gun.
Here's the vid I was talking about:
ruclips.net/video/lW-IjtiVthc/видео.html
I dont care how hard it is to get .351 i would buy that just to say " fuck the world and the availability of ammunition" 😆
It was chambered in the .351 & was rejected due to the Army not wanting to "complicate" it's ammunition supply logistics.
there's a new "Thompson" (in prototype stage now!) about to be made in 5.56 NATO! Sweet looking and I want to shoot it. One of the guys at work apparently helped design it
I have a really good feeling this war will be over by Christmas.
can't forget to bring a Hun's helmet for little Jimmy
U sure, because Poland got ran over by the furhe.... wait, wrong war.
As a mental exercise, I suggest you try and figure out how to take this causal chain all the way to the Roman empire. It can be done.
@@nosuchthingasshould4175 For Spartaaaa ! :)))
@@feydrautha80
He said roman empire and you say greek polis :|
My dad had a long-recoil shotgun of some kind when I was a kid. Once, when we were cleaning the guns, and he explained how it worked, I put the butt on the ground, squatted next to it, and cocked it by pulling down on the barrel with both hands, just to see it work. My dad was kind of shocked that it worked. Guess he didn't know about the Widowmaker. I didn't, until now, but as soon as I saw that grip on the barrel, I knew how it worked and why it got that nickname.
being in a balloon is probably the ONLY time a Villar Perosa would seem an appealing choice of weapon. Small enough to move within the basket, enough firepower to make an attacker want to keep his distance.
I think on the back of a spotter airplane wouldn't be bad, give a mostly spruce and canvas airplane a drive-by shooting.
@@wesleygay8918 Wouldn't the best places to hit be the fuel tank or the engine? Cause bullets will go right through canvous
I hope Ian let's you do a video on his RSC-1917 and 1918...
that would be dope
* lets
... your friendly neighbourhood grammar nazi
yup
@@alexandruianu8432 there is no u in neighborhood
After sighting in at 60 feet, I could easily cover 5 shots with a nickel ruclips.net/user/postUgkxQt2uORDRfFOVSrO4idv4B90ThT6EOnEL ! Truly a pleasure to shoot! Scope was easy to adjust for eye relief. Only problem the varmints must have seen it delivered lol!Update: So impressed with shot groups at 30 yards I purchased a Hammers 3×9 with adjustable Objective scope! Now a true nail driver!
At around the 20 minute mark, you nailed why I like this channel so much. The human element that goes into the history of these firearms.
That comparison between the air service 1903 and the 1907 really demonstrated something I've always believed, which is that it doesn't matter how good the furniture of a gun is, if the action sucks it's going to suck, but if the action's good the gun will work, even with less than ideal furniture, add ons, and accessories.
Also, this was my thought process while Othias was talking about the widowmaker:
Othias: "So, if you think about it, you have one method that might work."
Me: "Oh no... Please don't tell me you grab the checkering on the barrel and use that to charge it..."
Othias: *Grabs the Barrel* "This is where these this checkering that we saw at the front comes in. I'm not kidding folks. You push... and now the barrel and the breach block are at the rear"
And to think I was just thinking to myself "Scott, you're 30 now, you need to go to sleep at a reasonable time" *ping* "Oh well how about a whole lotta nope to sleep"
And a Whole Lotta Love to this video...
Zeppelin references, gotta love 'em.
Ya just gotta love the grin on Mae's face when she shoots.
In the 1980's/1990's we were trained to not load the .45 and AR-15 magazines to the max possible to save the springs. I have heard debate that this does not matter but it is how we were trained at the time. Major difference was that our magazines were used for long storage and the WW1 magazines were expected to be emptied fairly regularly but it would not surprise me if they were trying to save the springs by calling a 10 round mag a 9 round mag.
You are correct, "20 rds a jam and die, 18 rounds rock N roll and live". that was the old 20 rd mags, said to be held over from the original M-16 mags that were made differently out of steel they jammed.
As it is I have loaded 20 rds in an M-16 20 rd mag and it did not jam or fail to fire, even after being stored loaded so who knows.
32:30 Oh when I saw how people would give the Model 11 that nickname I just started giggling from amusement. Oh such a weird design.
And never heard about that balloon ace engagement, learned something new today. A fine episode as always Othais and crew.
Indeed!
My dad had a .401 that he used for moose hunting from the 1920's until the mid 1970's when Dominion ammo pretty well disappeared.
"Defend my baloon", sounds like a good name for a Flash game!
Master of Helium when Flash games were still the thing.
Should've been a mission in Battlefield 1. Or even better: Verdun.
There is one extended 401 rifle mag (8 rounds, I think) pictured on the “Vintage Semi-automatc Rifle” website in the 1910 forums supposedly made by the French.
For the 9-round burst thing, I could see that working if you train to fire in three 3-round bursts. That's a very natural grouping and pretty easy to drill into someone.
Thought the same thing! 👍🏼
"If anyone knows of an actual confirmed fatality from using this gun as a butter churn, I'd love to know." I bet no one else in human history had ever said those words in that order before.
For quick ballon simulation on a budget - a free floating platform with long hang down. So nothing that Othais couldn't build himself in a rush and a great implement for the range where it is set up.
Great episode....learned much I did. Details and names in history are much apreciated.
Like Star Trek, the two to three episode arcs of C&rsenal are awesome. Those IV8888 shoots always look like they are a great time.
Really liked this video. The story of the guy in the ballon is impressive.
A friend of mine who works at my local gun store collects Winchester auto loaders, in particular the 1907 and oh my god the ammo prices are insane here in New Zealand! He paid like 350 bucks for a couple boxes of the stuff.
Ha ha, fellow Kiwi collector here stumbling on this comment years later.
Funny how small the NZ collecting community is. As soon as I read this, I knew exactly which collector, you were talking about.
“I keep forgetting I’m not big”...what a quote!!!
Amazing video Mae and Othais
I have one of those Winchester 1911S.L. Widow Maker shotguns. It was originally purchased by my wife's grandfather and was presented to me about 1974 or 75 to rebuild. I could write a small book about this, but let me briefly add that it doubled. I had to get a gunsmith to fix this. He also had to provide new wood. The buttstock had been laminated from three pieces which were now separating so badly that I popped it apart simply by inserting a screwdriver and twisting. I read that the laminated construction was necessary because of the force of the locked breech and barrel slamming into the butt stock. There was also a crack in the forend as a result of the barrel and bolt slamming forward. There was nothing to stop it but the wood of the forend between the barrel and the end cap. I was warned by the gunsmith to never remove the forend because of the heavy spring under the forend necessary to return the barrel.
I shot one round of skeet with it. The recoil is truly strange. First you feel a couple pounds of the locked barrel and breech slamming into your shoulder. After the empty is ejected and the elevator raises the next cartridge the gun seems to jump off your shoulder when the barrel returns to battery with that uber strong spring. Then there is a second jump forward when the bolt slams forward from the force of a similarly strong spring which runs down through the butt stock.
I have not shot this gun since that time of about 1975 and I never will. It is among the guns that I intend to pass on to my son and I am seriously considering blocking the chamber and barrel before then to prevent anyone from trying to shoot it.
I could go on. It is an interesting and dangerous gun.
I've really enjoyed both these episodes. I own an example of each a 351 and an extremely low serial number 401.
Which one do you like more?
Why.... Why now?
I just came from my night shift and really need to rest.
Here we go anyway... Come on beard of knowledge.
I'm ready for some knowledge.
I have a WInchester Model 1911 that used to belong to my grandfather. Although the finish is mostly gone, it seems in excellent condition mechanically. The fore stock is split, which was common on these, I've read. And I have had no luck finding replacement furniture for it. Numrich has nothing, and even when you add "Winchester" and "shotgun" to the search terms, when you're looking for "1911" gun parts, all you get is results for the M1911 .45 auto. I seem to remember reading about someone killing themselves with one of these things as recently as 2012, in the usual way that earned this gun the name "widowmaker," in this case while trying to clear a jam, but I can't find the article.
Oh boy it’s my favorite cause of sleep deprivation!
The French DID issue larger magazines for the 1910, but these were handmade in France and therefore not mentioned in Wincherster factory records. There's at least one picture of a surviving French extended 1910 mag floating around the Internet. Capacity unknown, estimated 8 to 10 rounds.
By the way, I own a 1910 and handload for it. If the plunger on your 1907 seems stiff and you can hear the spring grinding in there, the spring is kinked and needs replacing. The 1910 has a much longer and stiffer spring than the 1907.
2/2? Awesome! It is close to midnight and I got an hour video to watch!
That last part made me think of the old Marlin Camp 45. I would buy one of those again too.
My sister used a Winchester 1911 deer hunting. We heard her empty the gun and went to check on her. She was sitting on the ground and was tapping on the safety with an aspirin tin. Yeah, it was more than a few years back. She wasn't going to move without putting on the safety. It had cocked itself after the last shot and she had pulled the trigger on an empty chamber. The safety wouldn't reset without being cocked. We all had a good laugh.
In WW I air combat, the closer, the better. Even with a machine gun, it was very difficult to hit another aircraft beyond 100 yards. The most successful pilots would shoot at a much closer range. I would imagine it would have been almost impossible to hit another plane with that Air Service Rifle.
Sam Smith yup, intestinal fortitude to let someone empty their guns at you and you wait until 30-50yrds out before you let loose. This tactic would guarantee a near certain kill every time, either you or your target.
Great video I have a year 1 first batch production model 1907 "based off the serial number"and always wondered about the history of these guns thanks!
8:00 "And when we see the enemy,
we shoot them in the rear"
*Mae takes her first shot, and I immediately expect to hear someone yell*
A Winchester 1910 with a German eagle and crested B proof marks, was recently featured in a academic study about some WW1 weapons at the Istanbul Military Museum ... If interested, I can send you the pics from the study
"I keep forgetting I'm not big" Never change Mae ::P
One thing that you need to remember in the four vs ten round discussion is if you are sitting in a balloon, that plane is coming at something like 75 meters a second (assuming a dive) so if your max range is 150-200 meters, you’ll only have 2-3 seconds max that the target is relatively stationary to get off well aimed shots. No chance of hitting anything once the pilot turns away and circles for another pass. Couple of aimed shots while he’s coming straight on than a quick reload before he comes around. More is better but the four round mag is probably not a hindrance other than having to stay calm enough to reload a new mag while he circles. Not an easy feet I’d imagine having just been shot at however
I’ve been waiting for this gun and this video!
I have school in the morning and now I have to stay up longer and watch this.
Meee tooo
Go go Mountain Standard Time!
Dude I gotta give a speech tommorow which I wrote tonight
@keith moore true
At least it's educational.
13:27 you're welcome ;) That makes me really happy I could help!
31:37 why not put like a wooden hang guard there instead of chequering so you don’t burn your hands? Or like an AR 15 style bolt catch on the left side that’s not attached directly to the bolt. Give it a pump action grip that’s attached by carriers that are not connected to the bolt so when you pump the action back and you let go of the pump handle it flies forward chambering the round but the pump handle does not reciprocate with thebolt
Simple and adequate for the purpose
@C&Rsenal Do you think the French RSC 1917 or 1918 would be a better balloon rifle? Faster reloading, a more robust cartridge... Whaddya think?
The 1910 .401 WSL was a two shots per Whitetail or Black Bear to insure a clean harvest.
Many 07 and 10 were customized by their owners and were viewed as prized possessions. Most of the 05's i have seen were not customized to the degree the others were. Many types of early scope mounting systems were used on them in the 30's through the 50's. Long ago at an auction i saw a 07 that had a bayonet adapter brazed on for a French bayonet by the French after they purchased it. It is interesting that I have seen a few 05's in 32wsl with British proofs also.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that bayonet was not affixed for air to air use.
@@wesleygay8918 French used them for guarding prisoners and rear areas.
@@dodsonarmsco that seems more than reasonable, but I prefer the idea of a navigator or gunner yelling "fly closer, I want to hit them with my bayonet!"
Also 9 rounds in the .351 10-round mag is explained by how difficult it is to put that 10th round in there.
might explain the 4 rd story in the balloon , the 5th in a 5 rd mag is a little hard , but for a noodle fingered 112 lb frenchman it might have been impossible ?
Reminds me very much of the gun, that Pierce Brosnan (in his role as Eli McCollough) shot in a few scenes in the amc-series "The Son"
These two Winchester self loader episodes have been great!
Here's the .45ACP 1905 y'all mentioned: www.historicalfirearms.info/post/174416813584/winchester-model-1905-in-45-acp-the-collection-of
Like if a Ruger PCC took 1911 mags.
Forgotten weapons did a good video on that recently
I grew up hunting with several people that used the .351. One guy in particular shot a lot of deer & I remember his wife cursing "that dam .351" as it ruined so much meat. One older gent had a 3 digit serial number 07 that he brought out on special occasions (he was a small town gunsmith). I fell in love with the gun & bought one in the early 80's that was in almost mint condition. I have killed 2 wild boar & not much else, but I would like to take a nice buck with it before I leave this world. FYI I saw a picture of an American from Ohio in Cuba during the revolution in the 1950's. His name was Morgan holding a cut down 07 with a snail mag. I also saw 2 snail mags. for sale on gunbroker that had been modified to accept the .351 round. I know one was returned to the seller as it did not work. I forget what make magazine, but it might have been for the p08 Luger. I also knew a guy who dove hunted with his widowmaker who he called "Old blondie" as it had been restocked by his gunsmith father in law. I remember that gun did not work very well, but his .351 went bang every time he pulled the trigger.
I always wondered if the Widowmaker might be mitigated with a forward pistol grip on the underside of the barrel. I think that would introduce other compromises and complications though
Balloons used for observation were an essential means for keeping an eye on enemy actions. Because of this, balloon busting and the protection of them was a really important offensive and defensive activity for both sides. The gas in the bags was flammable which made the ballon rather than the observer the target of the pilot trying to shoot them down. By the way, observation balloons we were the first successful use of parachutes as a means of escaping a damaged aircraft. All observation balloons were protected by a large number of ground based machine guns and “Archie” ( anti air craft artillery) Chances are the Winchester was given to the observer to give them a relatively light weight weapon to feel a little less like a totally vulnerable target rather than a belief that it was an effective tool to shoot down enemy aircraft. My money would be on the ground based machine guns doing in the aircraft rather than the observer with four rounds in a carbine.
Patrick Bartholomew
Patrick Bartholomew seems likely. Aircraft are often given credit for taking out tanks in WWII which again is another typical fog of war ignorance. Also observer vs combat pilot is very romantic and seems more “fair” then a pilot being blasted by 30 ground rifles and four machine guns. It’s not an easy thing to kill a man, especially if he has a name and a face, (even after the fact).
I don’t think you have ever glorified the weapons to the detriment of the fighting men. Another brilliant episode of research.
Run that last bit by me again, a butterfly flaps its wings and an artiliary spotter brings down the Hapsburg Empire.
If the goal is backup gun for short range, 100 yards or less, on fast moving targets from another moving vehicle, why not a shotgun? A tight choke and 00 buck seems like it would be pretty good in this role.
I think it's because European armies really didn't see shotguns as combat weapons. That was something the US introduced to the Western Front to a mix of surprise and horror to our allies and the Germans.
Actually, Othais has seriously questioned the “surprise and horror” line by pointing out that the German protests were likely an attempt at “whataboutism” in line with their protests over supposed British dumdums in an attempt to counter criticism over German use of poison gas and saw toothed bayonets.
This kind of PR blame game was all the rage during WWI. For instance, thr Italians published outrage over Austro-Hungarian troops having finished off gassed Italian troops with trench clubs as a sign of A-H’s barbarism.
Othais also pointed out that, due to only standard paper shells being available, WWI shotguns were not that popular with US troops as shells would swell and warp with moisture, leading to malfunctions.
As for the original post, getting a hit with one of eight pellets, rather than a single bullet was probably a not great potential efficiency gain and again, you’d run into the paper shell issue, not to mention further complicating your logistics. Also, you’d essentially have to settle for a repeater, rather than an auto loader, if choosing a shotgun (bar the Browning Auto-5), further reducing the potential benefits of a shotgun.
Finally, the close range was a necessity, not an objective. You’re not going to be likely to get hits on an(other) airplane at any kind distance from a balloon or especially a cockpit/observer’s seat with a handheld firearms, which was why it was very much a backup/emergency weapon. Instead, the main choice was basically always machine guns in standard rifle (or even larger) calibers, if practicable.
Btw, while Othais pointed out the fragility of WWI planes, especially their flammability. The targets you had to hit on them to be likely to do serious damage were actually quite small, compared to the plane itself: Pilot, engine or gas tank.
Buddy you ever try shooting a shotgun to 100 yards? With a full choke, double 0 buck has like a 40 inch pattern, at about 40 yards. It's not just about hitting the target, it's about making an impact. At the muzzle 0 buck each pellet has the energy of like 380 auto i think, but being individually so light and having a fairly unaerodynamic shape, they loose energy fast. You get 8 pellets per shot, really not that much.
Unless your pilot gets you within 50 yards, which is maximum clench and not something you wanna be doing. It's why most aircraft eventually went to machine guns, initially the observers guns where just in case the enemy decided to shoot.
Love the omage to to Baldric's poem "The German Guns"!!!
Keep it up. Really enjoy these videos.
5 haters? Jesus I didn't know Conrad von Hotzendorf had living descendants...
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving
Just in time to watch while I ride out this hurricane!
The balloon story is a great example of shots on target is the most important thing in a gunfight.
I remember reading the .351 model was used in the federal and some state prisons as a replacement for springfields in .30 government. (30/06) because of extreme over penetration worries. true or not i don't know .
Pistol caliber carbine using 1911 mags? It was called the Marlin Camp Carbine. Marlin dropped it. It is now pretty much worth its weight in gold.
That gun looks so good
The four round magazine and receiver design makes for a very Art-Deco looking rifle. Almost Sci-Fi.
Balloons were quite nasty to attack, not because of anything the observers themselves have, but most had AA around them on the ground.
If you are interested in facts about WWI air combat, I've done a lot of reading into the subject including balloons and Zeppelins.
You both actually came to a few realisations that airmen in the First World War very quickly came to as well.
Just watched nearly the entire Primer series to date over the last week. Amazing work! You are the worthy successor to History Channel weapons shows.
BUT: where is the Colt 1911 episode?? I can't believe you will be skipping the iconic American pistol! (it's still heavy and low-capacity though...)
Richard Reavis, sheee-it: The History Channel idiots couldn't shine Othias' shoes. They seldom had their facts straight. This man knows that of which he speaks.
There was a belgian carbine in 401 , the Clement-Neumann, the ammunition ordered from the usa might have been also meant to feed those.
You might hate that cocking rod, but that's a very sealed action. I wonder how that thing handles the mud.
I actually have a 1910. It has some rust in it but it looks like it would be a good shooter.
My Grandfather who fought in WWI once told me that most of the men that he served with were indeed very young. In fact my Grandfather lied about his age and enlisted in the US Army at the age of sixteen as did many other young men who fought and died in that war.
There’s one of these at my local pawn shop that is dated 1910 but it has the longer magazine should I buy it they are selling it for 1,600
So my dad just inherited a widow maker from my late grandad, I'm gonna take it to the range as soon as I can get it safety checked.
If they’d make that 1905 in .45ACP work with both the standard M1911 single stacks as well as the later double stacks it would be great hit I’m sure. Based on Ian and Skallagrim’s videos on Canadian gun laws they should be comparable with higher capacity magazines since they take pistol mags which means pistol mag limits.
Being in California I could at least get 10rd mags for them.
When are you guys doing a video on the hotchkiss machine guns?
that thing seems to have a pretty violent bolt velocity even in the slow mo
I must say, this is my favorite episode, May as an air cowboy in the Armee de l' air equipped with an American rifle over no manland in 1917! my imagination goes wild. Did the French also give her a savage 32 ? that would prolly make her the happiest southern belle in the air that day!
I inherited a Steven's single shot chambered in 401 WSL. I have no idea if it came that way from the factory, but I have found examples of the "Friendly" in a vast array of calibers, so it isn't completely crazy. Or it could be a re-reemed chamber, but it is a strange cartridge to rechamber a gun.
awesome find , maybe the old fella had some surplus 401,my stevens is in 32
@@purebeef4698 We magna fluxed the barrel looking for cracks, and the powder settled in the old worn off markings. It is marked "401 SL" so it's original. I have searched the interwebs, and I can't find any other Friendly rifles chamber in 401.
WOW! The "Widow Maker". Such an appropriate name. I'd love to see it in action... 🤔
One thing I have been wondering, with so many different blow back being made at around the same time, what was it about blow back action that could not be patented? Also how do you patent putting a piece of metal sticking out of the bolt? Bolt actions already existed, how is that different enough to patent?
I’m sorta surprised you haven’t covered the nagant 1895 revolver yet. Is that in the plans?
Notification squad, assemble
*downs coffee*
HUZAAAH
REPORTING FOR DUTY SIR!!!!
I didn't really need to be awake at work tomorrow anyway
Looks like Mae had her hands full with this one. Whacked her pretty good. Always a pleasure seeing you, Mae.
The elevator is in backwards I think.
Great to see more vids!
I've got one of these it's a nice little rifle was a bitch to get reloading supplies for it but it shoots well
I've got a Winchester book in my loading room that has a 1910 chambered in 401 with a 10-round magazine
52:00 : would you have time to fire 10 rounds with the plane coming at you. If you only have time to get off 4-6 rounds, the bigger .401 would be better. Do more damage if you hit the engine or pilot.
Maybe not, but I’d rather have enough ammo to get two bursts off before reloading. Those mags are quite stiff and I would like to spend as little time as possible messing with them when planes are flying at me.
great episode! great storytelling!!!
not to rain on your parade but balloons were high value targets so they had A LOT of groundfire protection, rifles, mgs, AAA. while it makes a great david and goliath, patriotic story i think its far more likely the albatross fell to other groundfire than henris admittedly bravely fired 4 rounds. im not saying its impossible (we know a zero was brought down by a guy hanging under a parachute with a .45), it would just seem that its more likely that it was other groudn fire that ended the german. i suspect, like many other great war stories. it was fabricated for the newspapers.
I would absolutely buy one of those in .45 using 1911 mags. That would be awesome!
His voice is perfect for the job
One of those in .45 ACP that takes 1911 mags, I'd take one.
WOO! In on the first upload hour!
Вооот,такой у меня был Винчестер мод.1910 года. Калибр .401..., карабин тяжеленький,даже сразу и неподумаешь,пока в руку невозьмешь,магазин (4+1),защелка магазина,с очень тугой пружиной,я даже поставил послабее. Нравился,что разборный,самозарядный и патрон довольно сильный,для такой автоматики (свободноскользящий затвор).