A century of war: The cartridge that remains deadly on today's battleground

[@darrenjosephgregory]

Well done for getting Jonathan Ferguson the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history on the channel.

[@ManDuderGuy]

Couldn't agree more! Jonathan Ferguson the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history is the man!

[@AverageWagie2024]

I also confirm that this is Jonathan Ferguson the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history

[@richardm3023]

@@AverageWagie2024 I thought he was keeper of keys at Hogwarts.

[@readygames8587]

we love Jonathan Ferguson the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history

[@Lord_Ralph]

Jonathan Ferguson, keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, is fond of rims! Or maybe rimming?

[@JackSmith-gv5yw]

It's crazy to think that the Maxim machine gun was on the scene BEFORE the Mosin Nagant rifle!....and still in use today.

[@Dominator4794]

And Maxim belts can be use in PKM.

[@eccentricthinker142]

​@@Dominator4794 If it ain't broke...

[@maineiacman]

Maxims are best for defensive positions. The ability to fire indefinitely as long as it is supplied with ammo will never be obsolete.

[@loquat4440]

@@maineiacman The vickers that was a sort of upside down improved maxim is obsolete with the UK military forces. But the Russians hang on to things for longer periods of time. I heard that there were some forts on the chinese frontier that had maxims. But now the Russians and the Chinese are friends again I believe.

[@griz561]

@@loquat4440 there was some footage out of Ukraine of a guy on an improvised anti-drone gun made from two Maxims and a red dot

[@SpottedHares]

I think my favorite comment about old designs still in use "physics hasn't changed all that much in ever"

[@andrewince8824]

7.62x54R shares its status of 100+ years of service with 9x19mm Parabellum (Georg Luger, 1901), .45ACP (John Moses Browning, 1904) and .50BMG (J.M. Browning, 1921). .22LR, .32ACP and a number of other pistol cartridges arguably can claim a similar achievement however their military applications are limited at best. Certainly the most prolific legacy[?] cartridges include the Russian 7.62, 9mm luger, .50 bmg and .45acp because lets be fair, they work and while maybe not the best rounds we haven't exactly managed to find anything sufficiently better to replace them.

[@robertboykin1828]

i kinda like the 3006

[@armija]

​@robertboykin1828 Not bad round, but it is not in any serious military service atm. It is mostly now a hunting cartridge...

[@frosty3693]

And in at least two cases, .45ACP and 50BMG, the guns that the rounds were designed for an still in use, 1911 & M2

[@andrewince8824]

@@frosty3693 indeed. Even the original 9mm Parabellum pistol served for ages with some in service well into the 1970s. The M2 not only has proven the best machine gun for .50bmg, it spawned the most iconic "sniper" rifle of all time, the Barrett M82 Anti-Material Rifle. Ronnie Barrett was so struck by the power of the M2 that he wanted to shoot a few rounds from a rifle, the military got interested in the result and the rest is both history and folklore. The 1911, while not entirely as good as many modern pistols, still holds its own. It gave us another iconic pistol, the MK23, despite obvious drawbacks when compared to 9mm, SOCOM wanted that big round and the HK USP .45 was the best in testing. It's definitely of note that these long lived rounds seem to spawn long lived arms and those arms in turn inspire the next generation of equally iconic arms. In more recent history we've seen the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge dominate, indeed it was adopted into US service starting in 1958 with Colt acquiring production rights for the AR-15 (designated M16 in US service) in 1960. 1994 saw the platform revised into the M4 yet it also spawned the AR-18 which though a flop inspired the L85, STG-77, G36, HK 416, SIG 516, SIG MCX (currently seeing adoption as the M5 in a unique 6.8mm chambering), FN2000, Tavor and those are just the few I can remember. Without a doubt 5.56 will join the century club as it, like 9mm, .50bmg and 7.62x54R, has become so prolific yet its utility is hard to deny, certainly smoked plenty of terrorists these last few years and no doubt shall continue to do so even when you and I are old and grey.

[@frosty3693]

@@andrewince8824 The 1911 single action trigger still makes it useful in some ways. What do you mean 'when' we are old and gray?

[@Mikeyspud]

Thanks Jonathan Ferguson Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK.

[@Fester_]

And you are 'spud.' spud. Cool. I'm playing and jesting at the weekend,

Why didn't you use his full name?

[@arandomcommenter0135]

Out of convenience, i assume. It's ok, not everyone has the patience to type out Jonathan Ferguson, 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.

[@aaronwilkinson8963]

I was waiting to get on a helicopter at camp Bastion some time in 2010. We had some Afghans waiting with us. They had a PK machine gun with them and we had our GPMG with us. Their gun with a full drum of ammo was lighter than ours. Plus they had a drum and we didn't. The flaps on their gun would automatically open and shut when the gun operated. They would always work and never failed. The PK is the superior gun.

[@peabase]

I second that. In the Dutch army, I was made to carry a MAG after an instructor tricked us, supposedly wanting to see who could do the most push-ups. Later, as a reservist in the Finnish army, we got the PKM, which had by then replaced the crappy Valmet LMG. I felt the PKM was superior to the MAG all right.

[@MrBlaxjax]

Christ. GPMGs must be as old as the hills. I know if they ain’t broke don’t fix them etc but is the British army ever going to replace them with something lighter and more up to date? (Maybe they have. I’m definitely not an expert on the subject!).

[@matthewnewell4517]

GPMG is better built, more reliable, more versatile, available with a drum if you want it.

[@peabase]

​@@matthewnewell4517 Weight is an important consideration. Our ex-Volksarmee PKMs rarely break, and when they do, we just get another one from storage. We bought the PKMs for a pittance, since newly-unified Germany didn't like the sight of them and thought -- like pretty much the whole of Western Europe -- that the new Russian Federation would behave.

[@matthewnewell4517]

@peabase When you are in combat or in the field you can't just go back and get another weapon.

[@p99guy]

The .50BMG also falls into this category and is still a feature on most western combat vehicles. Its an upsized .30-06 cartridge. Its amazing just how many design elements from John M Browning still exsist on even new small arms, and most of the cartridges he designed are still in wide use.

[@craigthescott5074]

John Moses Browning was the Einstein of gun designers, nobody comes close to him and most likely nobody in the future will either.

[@Sira_Kackavalj]

@@craigthescott5074 Browning, Colt, Maxim, Mosin, Nagant

[@CommeradeZhukov]

I reload precision 7.62x54r ammo and the rim is actually a major benefit for accuracy because weapons that use it are headspaced off of the rim of the cartridge which is very forgiving to chamber tolerances and leads it to give you great reliability without sacrificing accuracy, the interior webbing near the head of the cartridge doesn't need to be as thick as a rimless cartridge which gives it greater case capacity relative to its size making it very efficient and also a much more stable powder burn, it also has far better consistency when the cartridge is fire formed to the chamber which also gives you better accuracy and minimal case stretching. I've had this cartridge right on par with new advanced cartridges despite its age old design.

[@Marcellogo]

Infact it weight LESS than 7,62x51mm despite being more powerful.

[@jackfrost149]

Thank you. I enjoyed the your presentation. Cheers

[@paulsimmons5726]

Just because a round is older doesn’t make it obsolete. Two of my favorite hunting rounds are the 7x57 and the 30-06. The 7x57 works on everything from pronghorns to pachyderms, can’t ask for more! And the 30-06, aside from being a great hunting round itself, is the parent case for so many of the modern rounds that are used by so many hunters today! Yeah, older designs should never be discounted for whatever is the newest gun writer’s dream cartridge!

[@liamferreira8912]

And mind you arm yourself with any serviceable weapon chambered in either of those calibres in a combat zone, you become a dangerous adversary

[@RVered]

Modern cartridges aren't all just fads. This old cartridge isn't obsolete, but it's inferior in performance to many modern ones because the new ones were designed with older ones as benchmarks to beat; If your new cartridge is inferior to an existing one, it won't sell or even reach production.

[@NikolaosKorelis]

I was always thinking that the should modernize thme m1 garand for iraq and Afghanistan instead of the M14 something older stockpile can serve some specific role on the battle especially in a offensive army like USA

[@liamferreira8912]

@@RVered Yes true that! Rounds such as the .277 Fury come to mind, which is in the same class as the 7.62mm NATO (you could even argue it’s a development of it).

[@loquat4440]

@@NikolaosKorelis The M14 for several reasons is superior to the Garand. The first is the M14 has superior bedding and will maintain its accuracy for longer without some sort of service being done to the bedding. The M14 is basically an improved garand. I do own a garand and a civilian legal M14 made by polytech. I never fire them any more with AR designs being better. I still have a PTR91 knock off of the G3 and I like it better than the M14.

[@acmelka]

Oh I used to have a 1895 dated Mosin Tula arsenal with the Tsarist crest. Makes me teary eyed thinking on it.

[@Balthorium]

I have a 1943

[@PilotAwe]

Where did it go?

[@tymz-r-achangin]

Easily got my thumbs up! Really like how he puts genuine effort into choosing his words in a more-correctly manner in order to be precise. So many people anymore who try to teach history or other matters are often distorting the realistic properties of things whereby using words that they clearly dont even know the actual meaning of them and how what theyre saying is actually hyped-up or otherwise bullschit.

[@seanphoenix8049]

The Mosin-Nagant rifles also had a set of claws that would hold the rounds in the magazine down below the top round so that the rims could not "rim lock". If you try to unload a M-N rifle, you must run the bolt, including turning the handle into battery in order to release these claws for each subsequent round. The rim of the round itself is beveled to assist in overcoming rim lock, if it were to happen.

[@LN997-i8x]

You can just open the magazine floorplate to unload it. Also the bevel on the casehead is going the wrong way to do what you describe. In reality, it's there to assist the extractor.

[@MrSloika]

The Mosin is the Rodney Dangerfield of military rifles, but like Rodney it does good box office nonetheless. The Mosin-Nagant was used by dozens of military, security forces, insurgents and guerrilla groups around the world over the last 100+ years. Even the US Army used the Mosin, designating it as 'U.S. Rifle, 7.62mm, Model of 1916'. In dozens of conflicts it was used by both sides. Someone once quipped that the Mosin had repeatedly fought against itself and won every time. BTW, I've fired the Mosin, Dragunov and SVT using mostly decades old surplus ammo and everything worked perfectly.

[@MikeBobby-l7o]

Mosins don't get the respect they deserve, hopefully that's changing. A huge part of that I think was the massive surplus batches that came into the US after the end of the cold war. Which lead people to assume they were terrible rifles because they were so cheap hence "garbage rod". Everyone loves to repeat the "you get what you pay for!" mantra but that just doesn't hold up when you are talking about rifles produced by the millions coming out of old warehouses. Now we see the price for mosins skyrocketing in recent years.

[@Klovaneer]

Garbage rod moniker is thoroughly underserved and should be applied to any cheap and beaten bolt action. Good condition mosins are far and wide but when they are, they are.

[@MikeBobby-l7o]

@@Klovaneer Exactly. I think allot of the bad reputation too comes from the fact that when imported into the US specifically lots of Mosins were cobbled together and not matching examples. Which lead to rougher fitment than was historically the case. Even so I recently got a cheap Type 53 Chinese mosin and it's ridiculously nice despite being beat up, smooth bolt, 3ish pound trigger with no slack and a crisp break. I'm not saying it's better than a really nice high end Mauser, but they certainly don't deserve the reputation they have.

[@NoFoesRemain]

Always love to see Jonathan Ferguson the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum here in the UK which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history on this channel.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

To my great shame, I've never visited the armouries despite being a Bradfordian by birth and still living very close to Leeds. I need to change this.

[@Raz0rking]

That Job title is awesome. "So, whats your job" - I am the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Amouries Museum.

[@donakahorse]

I own a finnish M39 Mosin Nagant that still shoots better than most everything else I own. The rim is an issue if you don't load them right, but if you load it wrong, they jam. nice presentation

[@Ntmoffi]

It really is a great rifle. I have a 43' made by Sako. Sadly my receiver is scrubbed so I have no idea when it was made.

[@donakahorse]

@@Ntmoffi it should be stamped on the bottom, take it out of the stock and take a look. if you haven't had it apart make sure to note where all, if any, shims come from.

[@Ntmoffi]

@@donakahorse oh yes I've looked. Nothing on the receiver except 2 little proof marks by the person that made it. Not even the remnants of a hammer and sickle on it.

[@donakahorse]

@@Ntmoffi that's unusual, maybe a captured rifle conversion?

[@Ntmoffi]

@@donakahorse maybe. Could be whatever at this point.

[@bush_wookie_9606]

Rimmed for the extractors pleasure

[@sidviscous5959]

"It'll love you for it."

[@5roundsrapid263]

It was basically 7.62 NATO 60 years early. I got the supplies to reload it back when it was cheap surplus. People thought I was crazy, but not now!

[@arandomcommenter0135]

"This is Jonathan Ferguson, 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. And today, Jonathan's breaking down the ancient yet effective in modern combat weapons and firearms of Real Life, Long Ago"

[@petiertje]

It is a successful cartridge, that's why it's stil a round today...

[@ivanmonahhov2314]

Hmm 130+ years has to be Russian, most likely the threee line cartridge

[@cheften2mk]

More like the Soviets just never bothered to replace it

[@Askorti]

@@cheften2mk Because they didn't *need* to. Could they? Sure could. But there was never big enough reason to do so.

[@piotrd.4850]

@@cheften2mk it's like with M-4/16 - plenty of better guns, just not "better enough" to warrant costly replacement.

[@piotrd.4850]

@@Askorti Especially, that with minimum changes to the propellant and round iself it could be modernized for fraction of cost.

[@LeeEn-gd4hg]

True is what a case 7.62x54R is lighter around 2-3g compare than the case from 7,62X51. That's A LOT!

[@In5idious1989]

fascinating topic but what on earth is going on with the loss of frames? I'd think RAM or BFBS would have this sorted by now.

[@maverick4177]

Ivan’s record player made a comeback during the Balkan conflict

[@medic7698]

I saw a SLR go full auto once in Norway when the seer froze in the unlock position. The bloke was firing from the standing position on skis (NATO planks) at the time. Frightening.

[@TheCatBilbo]

Shortly afterwards to be found still travelling backwards across a frozen lake...😊

[@andrewmcalister3462]

@@TheCatBilboNewton’s laws in action.

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

@@TheCatBilbo You have never be on skies, haven't you?

[@TheCatBilbo]

@@XtreeM_FaiL No, I have not.

[@scottclark7592]

@@TheCatBilbo neither have I , but i have seen cartoons! I agree with your assessment!

[@xlerb2286]

You summed up so much of the history of innovation across all fields with that statement "it wasn't a problem until it was" :)

[@NSGrendel]

*nods sagely* We've all experienced a rim lock at one time or another. I literally just had a massive Chinese takeaway for my birthday, so I'm currently experiencing one right now.

[@theprojectproject01]

I've seen a couple guys pep up the round by turning it into an Ackley Improved (Moving the shoulder forward, steepening the shoulder to 40 deg, and blowing out the body of the case to .010" taper from the base) and with those changes, it'll run neck and neck with the '06. They got it pretty damn good right from the get-go.

[@swanee22]

Interesting information. The Mosin Nagant kicks like a mule...would hate to have to use one for any length of time.

[@Aaronsmith-cu8ii]

Lots of old cartridges are still around and still doing their business

[@JZsBFF]

An obsolete round still beats NO round during any encounter.

[@juhanivalimaki5418]

In English?

[@SRDPS2]

counterpoint : "have round but better" ft mass production

[@johndane9754]

Well, if it hurts, it works.

[@momokochama1844]

no need to fix, what aint broken

[@benjurqunov]

Back in the day, I bought several cases of 7.62x54R. Eight cases are dated 1910. (The others from the 70's) At that time, The Tzar was still in charge ! About 80 I've fired. All flawless.

[@vasiliynikiforov1976]

Wow. You need same era Mosin rifle to shoot this cartridges.

[@Balthorium]

I managed to get a Mosin when they first came in for under $100. 1943

[@tombearclaw]

There is not a single WW1 rifle cartridge that would not be a capable cartridge today. The difference comes down to when/ how the US and NATO adopted a truly intermediate cartridge 7.62x39 makes a poor GPMG cartridge for medium and heavy MGs and vehicle mounts. If the US had been more forward looking and kept 30-06 as the GPMG cartridge and adopted 270/280 British as an intermediate option for the assault rifle and light machine guns, the 1903’s Garands and BAR’s would still be capable and widely available for use in modern conflicts

[@timfallon8226]

Less profit in that.

[@andycraig7734]

Yes, though I wouldn’t want to carry that BAR for long. I wonder if anyone ever made a stamped steel or forged aluminum BAR?

[@aerialcat1]

@@andycraig7734 FN built a version of the BAR chambered in 7.62 X 51 with a detachable barrel for the Dutch as I recall… the originals are very accurate but they overheat quickly so a quick change barrel would make a huge difference. As for making it lighter, it would lose accuracy and become less controllable.

[@DOOM_A-O]

7.62x39 hasn’t been used in any adopted machine gun except the RPD and RPK afaik. Certainly not a medium or heavy machine gun.

[@LuisNunes-ps4sl]

@@DOOM_A-O It was never meant to. The Soviets made the jump to SAW type weapon back in the 50s, like you said. The SKS, AK and RPD where a package.

[@BlownF150]

The overwhelming reason the 7.62x54R is still in use is its cost. It's simply the cheapest entry into full-power rifle cartridges and that legacy of production by Soviet, ME, and China factories has kept it relevant today. As far as performance the round was eclipsed by the 30-06 and 8mm Mauser in every metric that mattered, war-era loading of the 54R was quite a bit lighter than current production so it has always been a bit of an underperformer in terms of terminal performance

[@piotrd.4850]

Is there REALLY significant difference?

[@weinerdog137]

​@@piotrd.4850nope.

[@BlownF150]

@@piotrd.4850 Yes, pretty significant difference especially given the inconsistency of Russian-made ammo.

[@ФеофанЭтополедолжнобытьзаполне]

​@@BlownF150wow, dat gymnastics... "legacy of production" meaning "constant demand, generated by consumers from all over the world". "Every mertic that matters" to who? You? Your mom? Mauser is dead warfare-wise, so I guess none of those metrics did matter afterall. Just stop buying cheapest knock-offs and you'll find that consistency is also good.

[@BlownF150]

@@ФеофанЭтополедолжнобытьзаполне Apparently they don't teach much history where you are from. Metrics that matter? To the military that would be terminal performance, accuracy, reliability and durability which were all things the 30-06 and Mauser cartridges still do better than 54R and 7.62 NATO does better as well. I buy quality ammo or reload my own and factory 54R loadings are seldom consistent, just like most factory 7.62x39 ammo.

[@ScoutSniper3124]

I inherited an M44 Polish Mosin Nagant from my dad, still in the cosmoline when I got it. I cleaned out the grease and admire its beautiful blonde stock and pristine day it was made steel, the folding bayonet, it's just a beauty. But the best part was when I got it to the range, a true nail driver. With stock iron sights and Prvi Partizan 7.62x54R ammo the rounds overlapped on the target at 100M.

[@Ntmoffi]

Those Polish Nagants are a true gem.

[@chrisgs8727]

Polish m44 is one of the finest carbines ever made...I also have a unissued one..the quality is oustanding..

[@oculusangelicus8978]

I have the Trench warfare version of the Mosin Nagant M44, I bought it in 1987 when I received my FAC. I got it for a song, because it was a complete pig, and nobody wanted them, so I got mine for super cheap, $75.00 CDN. It was in it's own crate, completely covered in Cosmoline that had, by the time I cleaned it and removed all of the grease, had stripped the finish off of the wood stock. Because it is a complete pig, weighing a lot and it's sights being in leagues, not feet or meters, it is nearly impossible to hit anything with it. It has a very short barrel, and a fluted fold out bayonet that causes sucking chest wounds if use to pierce an enemy's upper torso, and gives of a flame, without a word of a lie, at least 2 feet in diameter, and three feet long slowing the round down significantly when compared to the long barrel versions of the Rifle. it was minted in late 1945, and never saw action during the war, it was mass produced even after the War with Germany was over, showing that Russia never really stopped it's military production after the end of WW2, because it considered the west an enemy also. I have a number of the rounds for the gun, only they are actually dedicated hunting rounds, with lead tips, made in Romania back in 1993. I finished the stock and stained the stock, which was made from poplar wood, a deep dark red, like a Siberian rosewood. and carved room for a brass star on the end of the stock where the steel Butt plate bends over the top of the stock and screws into the wood. Of all the Mosin Nagants I have seen from Surplus locations, Mine is in the nicest of condition being new old stock, never seeing action, has every hallmark and Russian government stamp in clear condition, and the only part of the Rifle that has any damage from corrosion is the actual cleaning rod that screws into place under the rifle barrel. I did have a surplus cleaning kit and a few stripper clips that were meant to quickly load the rifle from the top, open bolt but they were stolen from a bag of mine a number of years back when I was at a Rifle range. Now those items are hard to come by, but you can still load the gun singularly and an aftermarket .308 cal cleaning kit works better than the original did. The bullets are corrosive so the Rifle needs to be cleaned right away after firing to keep the barrel in good condition, although the newer rounds from Romania that I have are NOT corrosive. I never was able to find a shoulder strap for the gun, as they were all made from cloth, unlike the 19th century models which came with leather. I've tried to sell it a number of times but nobody seeks to be interested in it. and now that I have a son, he is now going to receive it after I pass away since I have little else to pass on down, except a French Gevarm military training rifle (.22 LR, blowback semi-auto) and a Yugoslavian Brno TGF Military Training Rifle (also .22 LR, bolt action) with an East German Sterling 4x 25 scope. Which has been by far the single most accurate Rifle I have ever owned. I can easily chose whatever part of a rodent I want to hit with my bullet, and hit it nearly 100% of the time save some outliers that are more to do with impulses of my nerves than anything to do with the Rifle. THAT Brno TGF is my pride and joy and I would put that rifle up against ANY purpose built Olympic shooting rifle out there. What is how accurate that Rifle is. And MY sone certainly will be receiving THAT when I pass.

[@Balthorium]

I have a 1943. Fairly accurate. Hit every shot in 100 yards within 5 from a standing position.

[@DCS_World_Japan]

I've always been fascinated by the .303, as the British managed to cram 10 rimmed rounds into a low-profile rifle while everyone else stuck with 5 rounds.

[@Hotdogger808]

What a brilliant piece of history, explained in superb detail.... many thanks from down under.

[@vbcountryboy]

The pkm still to this day is a very good mg, better than a gpmg except maybe in vehicle mounts. Modernized PKMs are not common but the platform could use a cosmetic facelift, it could easily shed a couple pounds in barrel length, bipod, furniture l, cartridge/belt, but it runs, it does eventually wear out but I’d rather carry a pkm than a gpmg. I actually love the m60e6 though too for what it’s worth. I’d take a brand spanking new m60e6 over anything for infantry work. Haven’t shot a negev7 though only the little brother and that with mags.

[@PassivePortfolios]

The 6.5 Swedish was the ultimate military cartridge during WW1 and WW2, in my opinion. Plus it was and is still used worldwide for hunting all sorts of game, quite effectively.

[@danielrobey1759]

While it didn't see widespread use in the world wars I'd agree that it was among the best available and it is still a personal favorite of mine. It's easily top 5 all time... had it seen widespread use I think it'd be regarded as the best ever.

[@asdfqwerty-u9n]

It didnt have stopping power so swedes had 8mm version of that cartridge

[@PassivePortfolios]

@@asdfqwerty-u9n the 6.5 Swedish had/has plenty of stopping power, and was used all over the world in military and hunting applications.

[@aramisone7198]

Serbia is using 6.5x39mm Grendel for a military rifle.

[@aramisone7198]

​@@asdfqwerty-u9nIt has more energy then 5.56mm.

[@FredThaSlayer]

I still have a stash of old surplus 7.62x54r ammo that's decades older than me 😂

[@craigthescott5074]

50 BMG has been around since 1918 and is still being heavily used today.

[@GG_1318]

ominous music is so goofy

[@badgerrrlattin35]

It really is kinda crazy. The 7.62X54R is contemporary with the American 30.40 Krag rifle.

[@simonphoenix3789]

wow that AVT is such a good looking rifle...

[@allanburt5250]

Excellent Jonathan iconic round 👏

[@vitkriklan2633]

8mm Lebel cartridge has been adopted in 1886 and has been made obsolete by rimless, straightwall cartridges just a couple years later and became a horrible burden for the french army in WW1. Yet they had to keep using it during the war for economical and logistical reasons. Ruzzians still use the 7,62x54R because they can't afford to change. Let that sink in.

[@mariegamer2146]

turn the music off mate

[@Howie262]

I’ve been told by bullet snobs it’s all about it’s case neck and bullet length which lends itself more akin to a 6.5 creedmore style round. Can build higher pressure with a low neck case and the longer bullet flys flatter and more efficient. I’m Mauser guy and I have to give credit where credit is due, bullets side by side 8mm chawnk vs 762x57r. You can see that bullet was way…. Ahead of its time before people knew about external ballistics and aerodynamics.

[@sskuk1095]

I wish he took a minute to talk more about why this round has never been replaced in service.

[@Rdeki]

The name of the cartridge is Three Line Mosin Caliber. There is no Nagant in it

[@vasiliynikiforov1976]

This cartridge was designed by colonel Rogovtsev, not captain Mosin.

[@Rdeki]

@@vasiliynikiforov1976 🤦🏻🤦🏻🤦🏻🤦🏻

[@DawidKov]

There is no Mosin in it either. Firstly, the round was before the rifle, and Mosin did not work on the round. Secondly, the rifle was not named after any person - it was just the "three line rifle model of 1891". Because it was the result of work done by several people, overseen by a commission from the army. Later, with the switch to the metric system, it was just the "7,62mm rifle model of 1891". Mosin's name was not part of the official nomenclature until 1924. And even after that it was usually not included in the manuals, or included subsequent to the name as a historical detail. But Nagant's work was indeed quite limited, mainly to do with the magazine, and initially they didn't even want to pay him, but the Russian government wanted the rifle produced at French factories, so they feared French patent law might get them in trouble, which is why they went through with a payment. His name being standard in the English conversations about the rifle is rather an over exaggeration of his input.

[@cuddlepoo11]

Always good stuff. Love the tshirt btw

[@philipvecchio3292]

A friend of mine brought an m1 Grand, a mosin nagant, and a 98k. The 98k was really smooth, the Garand was really nice with the 30-06. The Nagant was terrifying because those first two shot cleanly through the Stump. The Nagant Tumbled with crazy force and blew out the back of the Stump. Absolutely terrifying.

[@daemonharper3928]

I used to own a Nagant M44 carbine in 7.62x54r......it was a beast! Uncomfortable stock, powerful cartridge, terrible sights - the most fun though, flames shot out when you fired. It favoured .311 diameter bullets....I assumed because they were made with such crazy tolerances, from Arctic to dessert use. Trying to shoot 500 yards was hilarious.

[@JuhaEerikki]

500 yards; not accurate, or why hilarious?

[@davidleonard1813]

Because by beast he means it k8cked your shoulder like a mule, the jump of the weapon was wicked, and if it was anything like mine it was ww2 surplus beat up wood loose action. Something you shot at 100 or 200m. Or gave to your mate who was like I'd like to learn how to shoot, sure bro come Saturday I got the perfect rifle for you to learn on its short easy even teenagers use these in Russia😏🤭🤭🤭

[@irtnyc]

​@@davidleonard1813Teenagers for like five generations now yeah. Your comment is a gem.

[@irtnyc]

​@@JuhaEerikkiIt was accurate enough for some legendary Finns!

[@GR-cf4qh]

@irtnyc, Yeah, but the Finnish rifles were significantly better than their Russian equivalents. I've got 5 Mosin Nagants and by far the best shooting of all of them is my M39, even though it looks like it may have been run over by a T34 at some point.

[@dirtysniper3434]

Raaaahhhh Jonathan Ferguson on the news!!@@

[@guymarcgagne7630]

1- Function over fashion 2- Numbers matter (id est: use it or lose it) Nothing wrong with a reliable bolt action rifle with an effective range of 400 to 600 m, depending on sights/shooter, especially for defence or, instead of a pistol for auxiliary troops (in later iterations) Be well and stay safe

[@JohnRees-d6k]

Another great video. Thanks.

[@blackmancer]

pugwash!

[@BBQDad463]

Thank you for this video. Very interesting and very well-presented.

[@BullFernando-p2d]

Nice and shiny wood on these guns. Guns in mint condition.

[@ghriszlybare2547]

My first gun was a Mosin and i love the thing. Its not refined or pretty but its effective and reliable. I would trust that thing to carry me through the apocalypse

[@JimParvin-o9e]

I made the craziest shot in my life with that in the moisin nagant with the collapsed bayonet a long time ago while deer hunting in coke county in west Texas. It was on a running whitetail buck, and that 200 grain bullet caught that buck in the back of the head at a little over 300 yards with those crude iron sights. Even my hunting buddy said that it was purely a lucky shot! I told him that I would rather be lucky instead of good any day of the week.

[@garymitchell5899]

Well no, good is obviously better because the consistency is more likely to be successful.

[@ManDuderGuy]

Rad.

[@JimParvin-o9e]

@garymitchell5899 well, I was very good that time then! Howa bout them there apples 🍎

[@sam-yd1qy]

great to see Jonathan Ferguson the Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK which houses thousands of iconic weapons throughout history on this video

[@KayoMichiels]

"This is Jonathan Ferguson.... wait a minute..."

[@scottlehman9738]

Great video and information .

[@houghwhite411]

The fact that Mosin is still deployed in current conflict is cray cray

[@wilsonj4705]

9mm Parabellum being designed in 1901 ain't too far behind age wise and is the most popular handgun cartridge today

[@RomanVarl]

Amazing that Victorian-era cartridge still being used in the ongoing military conflict today

[@bonepie]

IT REFUSES TO GO AWAY

[@Brianbri-nq3cc]

Outstanding!💥👍

[@HannarrMontannarr]

Sure, the 7.62x54mmR is a better cartridge than the .303 british, which was not great. 7.62x54mmR wasn't even the best victorian era military rifle cartridge when it was adopted, the 7.65×53mm Mauser that entered service in 1889 was better and even it would be overtaken not long after it's introduction.

[@anubis1416]

.50 browning is probably the most common used 100+ year old cartridge.

[@michaelhursey9]

Very informative

[@kattskrall]

drop the suspenseful music guys

[@LuisNunes-ps4sl]

The two main reasons the 7,62x54 is still around, the DP and the PK. Two excellent portable machine guns that can eat a rimmed round all day without fail. With them around, the Soviets and the Russians never needed to seriously consider the logistical hassle of changing cartridges.

[@AsbestosEnjoyer]

I remember a joke post about the PKM that I saw some time ago, the part about the ammunition it uses went something along the lines of "the gun uses a rimmed cartridge from the time the tzar was still kicking around, purely for the amusement of the boys at ammo supply"

[@Scroll_Lock]

Why are people surprised by this? A chefs knife hasn't changed in an even longer time period.

[@2ndavenuesw481]

You could pick up a pair of WW2 Mosin-Nagant rifles with 880 rounds of ammunition for about $300 fifteen years ago.

[@keithad6485]

The BMG .50 Cal round is not far behind, over a century old and still very much in use with no plans to replace it in the near or medium term future.

[@TheEvertw]

These rounds prove the maxim "Quantity has a quality of its own". Given the huge installed base this round may see a lot of use yet.

[@michaelhill6451]

It just goes to show how stagnant firearms technology has been for more than 100 years. Since the advent of smokeless powder, there has been no fundamental advancement in firearms technology.

[@armadillolover99]

The premise of the description is false, most people who think of anything when they hear 7.62mm will think of 7.62x39 not 7.62x51

[@bashkillszombies]

You've got holes in your cartouches my dude.

[@bverheijden]

Is for easy extraction

[@ratagris21]

Deactivated rounds

[@corrodan2995]

Aditionally the 7.92 mauser round has been in service for almost 120 years.

[@albertseifert6562]

You just don’t mess with perfection…

[@ComiCBoY000]

Wow a rare Mosin indeed without most of the 1909 updates. Those front sling swivel on the front band may be the rarest Mosin part of all time.

[@timandsuzidickey9358]

Thanks !!

[@SQSNSQ]

Same round was also used in 1500 RPM ShKAS aerial machine gun, where it had some some issues, although, not rim-related. The high rate of fire and reloading would rip the cartridges appart, so they had to modify them by adding flutes on the side of the casing for easier extraction and enforced base of the casing. This rounds still could be used in all other 7,62x54R firearms, but ShKAS had to use only ShKAS-rated cartridges.

[@tonylam9548]

One of the biggest jump in weapon design were from edged /pointed weapons to powder driven weapons. Just as edged weapons were never completely replaced, soldiers in the field are still issued with knives, I bet 500 years into the future, with weapons we cannot even imagine now, a plain old 1911 45 ACP would still be a significant threat. Even if you have body armor. That just mean a few extra shots where you have armor to knock you over then the shot at where there are no armor.

[@jasonashley4579]

It kicks ass.

[@williamkoppos7039]

That is a beautiful Mosin Nagant. A real early bird. MN's have an Interrupter device to keep the rim of the cartridge underneath from interfering with the one above it.

[@drspock3454]

He's pretty good. Like gun Jesus with a britsh accent and a mullet

[@c1ph3rpunk]

The first rifle to fire it: the Mosin Nagant. The latest rifle to fire it: the Mosin Nagant. The next rifle to fire it: the Mosin Nagant.

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

SA farmer here. Firing a SLR/FAL the recoil does take your eye off the target even for a guy that spends a lot of time in gym. 5.56mm rifles there’s not much reset after each round. But that NATO round will vapourize the head of an antelope.

[@schinderiapraemeturus6239]

Ive been reloading brass case 7.62x54R with black powder substitute and cast powder coated bullets recently. I found that .308 cast bullets if you put a thick PC coat in them will come out .311-.312 and are quite accurate. Velocities run 1600-1700fps with 200gr, over 2000 fps with 130gr. Also have learned to hydraulically remove Berdan primers, remove the indents and reload them with FA-70 primer compound. As the bullet, powder and primer are all dyi..that makes these cost about 18 cents per round.

[@nickgood8166]

The 7x57 Mauser rimless is still a stonker. As used in the 2nd Boer War by the Boers in their 1895 Mausers. It's a better cartridge than the still used 7.62x54R Russian the 303 British, the US 30-06, the 8x57 Mauser and many other cartridges besides. Granted, in the Boer war, it had a round nosed bullet, as indeed did the 303. But that 7x57 cartridge with a modern bullet is still up there. I'd take it over a 7.62x51/ 308 Win in many roles, including long range shooting and hunting.

[@olgakarelova6965]

Actually, the original cartridge was re-designed in 1909. Specifically, the shape of the bullet was changed to a sharp-nose one with improved ballistics.

[@andrii31415]

Haha, that must be the best looking DP-27 in existence

[@StumpkillerCP]

The .50 BMG cartridge entered service in 1921. Not just the cartridge, but the eventual M2 heavy machine gun is still used 91 years later!

[@jondavidmcnabb]

You didn’t mention headspace at all in this video. Seems like something important to mention on a classic like this.