Q&A 21: French Edition

[@MongooseTacticool]

Ian's perfect gun? Left-handed bolt-action wood stock FAMAS chambered in Lebel, made by Germans on captured Belgian tooling?

[@romainlapie6362]

Did you know there there was indeed a wood stock FAMAS ? (it didn't leave the prototype stage though). And an another one was to chamber it to 7,62 ?

[@axilleastsoulas1036]

In a swiss factory with a Chinese guy stamping an all-sorts over it

[@jonathanbohm6489]

Found in French Indochina

[@joshrepcen3576]

😂😂

[@coaxill4059]

Yes except for the German part. Just French and Belgian, thanks!

[@theswissgunsmith2122]

Although I am a Swiss, I served in the French Army for 6 years, just at the right time to experience the transition from the MAS 49/56 to the FAMAS, and from the scoped MAS 49/56 to the FRF1, then FRF2. As a soldier, I loved the FAMAS for its convenience (apart from cleaning, which was a serious pain in the arse and always took forever, that is). The strap was just fantastic. You could comfortably carry hands-free across the chest, and free the weapon in a split second to shoulder it. The strap also could be set as double straps , to carry the weapon as a backpack. Good ergonomics too. That rifle was definitely user-friendly. Now, as a gun enthusiast, I was disappointed with the FAMAS's lack of accuracy. It is also worth mentioning that the FAMAS's operating system (lever-delayed blowback) was ammunition-sensitive. Would not cycle when using British ammo. The iron sights would also move easily when taking a bashing. Mine lost zero after a heavy landing on a parachute jump. It also rusted faster than you could oil it during jungle training.

[@jodc2760]

+The Swiss Gunsmith - Pendant la période de transition, conserviez-vous au sein du groupe de combat, un MAS 49-56 pour lancer les grenades ? C'est une configuration que l'on voit souvent au Liban 1982-1983 : tous le monde est armé d'un FAMAS (sauf tireur de LRAC, FRF1 et AA52) et un soldat conserve un MAS 49/56.

[@jodc2760]

+MrTangolizard , Before the M16A2 all 5,56mm assault rifle used the M193 (55 gr) ball, not the SS109. IE first batch of Galil / M16A1 / STG77 (Steyr AUG) / SIG 540 / AR18 / Beretta AR 70 /FN CAL ………...

[@Hybris51129]

These are always the best comments in any of Ian's videos.

[@Wetcorps]

thanks for the first hand account

[@ehfoiwehfowjedioheoih4829]

In English you just say “Although I am Swiss” You don’t say I am a Swiss

[@durandil]

As a french, I can assure you that french people are careful for foreigners trying to speak french. We like that.

[@wierdalien1]

Brendan is French foregin legion in the Mummy so it makes sense

[@Observer31]

that's nice attention to details

[@Vartuoosi]

The Mummy is a great movie with great attention to detail. Check out the imfdb article on the movie for all the firearms used in it.

[@jacobmccandles1767]

I was rather impressed with the work of the gun wrangler on that movie.

[@BrokenToews]

@@Vartuoosi I know this comment's old but the movie is timeless lmao, thanks to Ian's vid on the Lebel I noticed when I watched it for the hundredth time a few weeks ago that Fraser as well as his battalion continued to single load cartridges during the opening siege even after being overrun because their CO ran away and never gave the order to disengage the magazine cutoff

[@Ivan-vn1pd]

Ian thinks German and French cursive and script are difficult He has never known the true pain of trying to read Russian cursive

[@phoenixrising4573]

Mikhail Morev script is worse...

[@phoenixrising4573]

Steven Swingler yeah I took a year of university level of Russian, my script MIGHT be worse than that even.

[@NM-wd7kx]

@@Ivan-vn1pd and people complain about my handwriting...

[@StevenL00]

especially Russian doctor's notes...

[@Steelandbrass]

What about cursive cursive 🤔

[@theswissgunsmith2122]

The only weapon I was very happy with was the AA52 machine gun. It was extremely reliable, had a very good grip and trigger (borrowed from the MG42), and was extremely accurate and controllable. In its infantry squad weapon version ("fusil mitrailleur"), it could easily shoot a man-sized target at 600 meters and beyond. With experience and good trigger work, you could shoot single shots to adjust for range, then surprise the enemy with a deadly burst. Well worth the burden of carrying the 10kg package.

[@Zorglub1966]

Bonsoir, Après une rapide recherche, on ne trouve pas grand chose sur KZbin (en fait rien) à propos des capacités del'AA52. Est ce que vous connaissez des sources internet?

[@janwacawik7432]

Chatellerault stamp on Mosins actually reads "Shatyelro" and for some reason I find it awfully funny.

[@pierren___]

Shatt hell roh

[@VelociraptorADN]

Bonjour ! J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'introduction de la vidéo !! Good job guy!

[@BIGBOSS-fx3pn]

Ah mes amis bienvenus à Armes Oubliés !

[@1111Tactical]

Ian is such a Ouiaboo

[@stanleythedoggy]

FrankDaTank1218 Nice one!

[@shawngilliland243]

+FrankDaTank - what a great term you've invented!

[@FCCommunist]

I doubt he would disagree

[@jacobmccandles1767]

ha ha. Ha Ha. Aaahhh ha ha ha ha!!! I see what you did there, and I approve.

[@dylanmoore7466]

I love this

[@KurwaRomek]

Merci Monsieur Jésus des Flingues

[@yves-mariesellin6026]

😄

[@brasstard7.627]

The only French weapon thing I have is a MAS49 magazine pouch my grandfather brought back from Vietnam

[@derekmcmanus1423]

Cool family history though

[@garyneilson1833]

My only French weapon is an Escargot fork

[@Zorglub1966]

Corkscrew is much better

[@plmkoo6772]

Rice=safe

[@Fightosaurus]

Ian’s pad is classy af.

[@aaronludlo3331]

Much like Ian, it seems.

[@jdking25]

Who doesn't have a drinks globe?

[@falafelbomber]

He built it himself

[@gabedevoe6538]

I'm mentioning Forgotten Weapons in my common app essay and how it definitely helped me narrow down my major choice to mechanical engineering. I just wanted to say thank you for the guidance.

[@stephen4401]

Don't know how advisable that is with colleges the way they are now. I would be vague and not mention guns.

[@schnoodle3]

@@stephen4401 If he goes to Purdue like Ian they won't care. Half of the economy of Indiana consists of selling guns to Chicago. Some of gun stores even have MGs on sale. Got your class 3 and AMEX Black, it's yours.

[@k9foru2]

I think Othias over at C&Rsenal mentioned knowing of a handfull of detonations and no injuries from the Lebel chain firing in the tube.

[@Stoppahpowah]

I can say without a doubt that no channel has continually earned my devotion like yours, Ian. I've been subscribed for over 5 years and you keep on topping yourself. Keep it up!

[@ΔημητριοςΑνδριοπουλος]

Greetings from Greece!!Thank you so much for answering the question Ian!!Keep up the awesome job!! Waiting for your book!!

[@nindger4270]

Re: pronunciation and spelling Have you ever yet endeavoured To pronounce revered and severed, Demon, lemon, ghoul, foul, soul, Peter, petrol and patrol? Billet does not end like ballet; Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet. Blood and flood are not like food, Nor is mould like should and would. Banquet is not nearly parquet, Which exactly rhymes with khaki. Discount, viscount, load and broad, Toward, to forward, to reward, Ricocheted and crocheting, croquet? Right! Your pronunciation's OK. Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve, Friend and fiend, alive and live. Is your r correct in higher? Keats asserts it rhymes Thalia. Hugh, but hug, and hood, but hoot, Buoyant, minute, but minute.

[@nindger4270]

@sman7290 No, the problem is that English spelling and English pronunciation are distant relatives at best ever since the great vowel shift.

[@Zorglub1966]

The Great Vowel Shift. It sounds like a cataclysmic linguistic event!

[@nindger4270]

@@Zorglub1966 it kind of was and it's quite an interesting subject if you are interested in language at all.

[@Zorglub1966]

I am. Changes and languages histories are fascinating.

[@Zorglub1966]

I found this comparison between english and french English 25 consonnants 13 short vowels 5 long vowels 8 diphtongs 5 triphtongs 56 phonemes 12 different pronunciations for A 11 different pronunciations for U 9 different pronunciations for E Mute vowels The sound[u] can be written in 18 different ways And the tonic accent can change a word's signification French 23 consonnants 16 short vowels No more long vowels The number of diphtongs is debated No triphtongs No tonic accents 39 phonemes

[@TreacherousFennec]

French had the MAS44 as a replacement to RSC in any form, but fell of France to Germany in 1940 prevented them from adopting it, MAS44s could only roll out to servicemen after the St Etienne was liberated and Paris was taken back. It in fact saw a lot of service in Indochina War and was pretty much the standard issue in its updated form until the adoption of FAMAS in 1978-79.

[@LeFeuauxpoudres]

Just for that introduction, I clic on LIKE :)

[@Olivierfr123]

Merci pour votre implication sur le terrain des armes françaises

[@nate_thealbatross]

I've seen elsewhere that the MAS 49/56 is seriously underrated. Not exactly a modern rifle but after a war dominated by the M1 Garand it makes perfect sense.

[@HellbirdIV]

What a nice birthday present for me! Thank you Ian, I always love hearing more about French firearms history.

[@hamm6033]

I very much agree with your description of french firearms and the development process that makes them unique. Going to save for your book. A very interesting subject and I believe your the guy to do it right. I hope you include a list of your favorites and why at the end of the book.

[@Butttcheekius]

If it's any help with learning French Ian try listening to French tv, radio, films ect. Just to get more used to the rate of speech. You might just find you'll recognise some of the words even if you've got subtitles on. It's something I use since I'm learning as well currently.

[@wilhufftarkin8543]

As a non-native English speaker, I'd imagine that learning French would be much easier for a native English speaker. Learning English made me understand written French (and other Romance languages like Italian) much better because of all the Latin words that are common in English and French. On the other hand, as a native German speaker, learning English wasn't that hard for me because of all the Germanic core words in the English language.

[@kw9849]

Remington's spiral tube design ended up being the best way to have spitzer projectiles in a tube magazine, without needing excessive taper or a rim.

[@nindger4270]

37:15 I happen to know a small part of what Châtellerault did during WWII: they were making bayonets, specifically K98k bayonets, from 1941-44. I have one of those, the manufacturer code is "jwh". But they didn't make all that many of them (according to one table I found, the Châtellerault bayonets are the second-rarest of all the WWII production varieties), so they must have been doing other stuff as well.

[@chuckcochran8599]

I can understand and appreciate your devotion to French Small Arms, and your reasoning and justification. I can vividly recall the ads in the 70s and 80s in Shotgun News and other publications in which various French firearms were very affordable. Rather like the pricing when the surplus SKS's first hit the market.

[@bastianwollensack8806]

As a Mle 1935 A owner Can not agree more about your love of this beautyfull and avangarde masterpiece.....so sad no manufacturer produces this Amazing cartridge anymore...keep up the good work !!!

[@agentcrm]

Another great Q&A, keep up the great work. I think part of bullpup's being adopted was them moving away from battle riffles. The FAL / L1A1 is nearly 45 inches long with only a 22" barrel. The F88 (AUG) is 35" with a 20" barrel, so way more practical for vehicular use, there's also a 16" carbine version in service. The other option they could have gone for is the Aussie made Lithgow Arms / Thales F90 modern AUG version. Aus has adopted this in the last couple of years.

[@goremasterproduction]

One thing to remember regarding FN, the US contracts them not just for machine guns but also the manufacture of M4 carbines and M16 rifles, so France I think *could* have gone that route, but their choice is just fine as well as far as I can see.

[@charlessiegfried8555]

I’ve been waiting for something like this! Great.

[@hh-ck6ko]

First thing i thought when i saw the thumbnail: "French Q&A21? I've never heard about that weapon" I'm an idiot.

[@shawngilliland243]

+Tyrion Lannister - I nearly did the same thing - after all, it does look plausible; it could be the designation of a French firearm.

[@Lebedev92]

About french gun's book's, Jean Huon wrote several book's in english language as is famous "Proud Promise" about french semi-auto and assault rifles.

[@wereling]

Just wanted to say I really enjoy these Q&As. Particularly ones that are focused on a particular topic.

[@TheodoreRoosevelt3]

Finally, the video I've been waiting for.

[@leonardlallemand5459]

as a frenchman watching this video on 2023, i must say that Ian was a bit optimistic on the fact that "most" french soldier uses the valorisé FAMAS with an modern optic on it, despite the current replacement by the HK416, a LOT of the infantrymen are still being issued the old school F1 FAMAS and have no other choice than to put an rail and an optic on top of the overgrown carry handle that isn't meant to be used as a carry handle in the first place (the drill sargents will yell at you if you use it as a carry handle)

[@theswissgunsmith2122]

As for the FRF1, I found it substandard. In my not-so-humble, but very informed, opinion, it did not offer enough improvement on the scoped MAS 49/56 to justify such a huge cost. Any good quality hunting carbine of the time shot better and more consistently. The scope was unimpressive, and so was the bipod .

[@shawngilliland243]

+The Swiss Gunsmith - Thank you very much for sharing your experiences with us. :-) There is no substitute for experience.

[@jarmokankaanpaa6528]

There actually were some air cooled versions of the Maxim: the Germans had the the lMG 08 (lowercase "L" for "luftgekühlt" = air cooled) and the LMG08/15 (uppercase "L" for "Luft", "air") which were airplane guns, and the lMG 08/18 (lowercase "L", this time for "leicht" = light) for infantry. In Finland, Aimo Lahti developed an air cooled AA version, known as the 7,62 ITKK 31 and the improved 7,62 ITKK 31-40, which had an accelerator to increase the cyclic rate to 900 rpm, a close-fitting shroud as on the Lahti-Saloranta LMG, and a thicker barrel and barrel climb limiting muzzle brake on the 31-40 version. Of course, these weren't intended for continuous fire. One might also note that the French weren't the only WW1 participant using non-Maxim machine guns. The Austro-Hungarian Schwarzlose was a unique construction using a toggle-delayed blowback system and thus had a fixed barrel that avoided the necessity of maintaining the greased asbestos tape seals front and back on the water jackets of typical Maxim types with their reciprocating short-recoil barrels.

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

Thanks Ian. Am intrigued by the AANF light MG. Also AA52. Bit of a mystery. Now mainy phased out, replaced by MAG 58. Although i did see one on a coast guard vessel in Nice harbour recently.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

34:36 Wait! There _is_ one other theme in French rifles, and that is the two-piece stock. The Lebel, RSC, MAS 39, 44, 49, and even those FRF-1 and 2 rifles use two-piece stocks!

[@jodc2760]

+TheGoldenCaulk - the Berthier is a one-piece stock.

[@baseballdudicus]

Huge fan of the channel! I love these q&a videos because I can listen to them like podcasts. I know they take a long time to make, but I'd love to see more! I'm about to become a patron supporter, thanks for all you do!

[@josephd.5524]

A collage from Othias and Mae on white. That's all you need. C'est parfait.

[@natureman494]

I love how you and I share all our favorite guns from question one

[@piotraria6809]

What do you think about GIGN adoption of CZ Brens in 7.62x39? Do you think that french army would prefer heavier intermediete cardtige than 5.56 like 7.62x39, but it's obligated to use it by NATO?

[@Kookanoodles]

GIGN wanted a larger cartridge for its stopping power in close quarters, the choice went to the CZ Bren because of its compact size. The operational requirement behind this is that when you have a terrorist running at you with an explosive belt in a corridor, you want something powerful to stop him dead in his tracks. Not really a major concern of the French Army in general however.

[@yves-mariesellin6026]

Ah,mes amis ! Bienvenue à 'Armes Oubliées'! . I understand that 😀

[@timsansbury5642]

Years ago I fell in love with rhe MAS 49/56. My first was one of the butchered .308 Century Arms rifle. I loved it but, the quality of the conversion was problematic. Next I got a pristine '84 re-arsenaled 49/56. It's gorgeous and so fun to shoot. Last, I got my baby, a fairly low numbered MAS Mle 1944. I just love these rifles.

[@lupiniv3603]

merci de sauver notre patrimone a notre place ;) .nos lois sont tellement pourries

[@davidlacoste]

Presque aussi pourries que ceux qui les font.

[@TheHacknor]

So cute watching Ian's face light up talking about this

[@qsywastooshort7451]

Re: Gatling guns during the Franco-Prussian war, APX made weird 8mm Lebel guns in 1895. Concerning the Reffye, it didn't fire the 11mm Chassepot cartridge but a 13x87mm one, which had a completely adequate range from what I read. The real problem was the lack of traverse; meaning it would put 25 holes in a nice square a mile away which is not how you use a machine gun.

[@panzerabwerkanone]

"a combat rifle that has 35 years service life, it was time for a new rifle" So they chose a variant of the M16 that is going on 60 years of service life.

[@lyc0h]

Bonjour Ian. Je te trouvais déjà extrêmement clair dans ta prononciation de l'anglais, si bien que même en tant que français je suis ta chaîne depuis bien longtemps. Cette vidéo m'a surpris ! Tu ressembles a un mousquetaire, au passage. J'espère que tu traduiras ton livre en français et qu'il sera disponible sur notre marché. (I hope you will translate the book to french language and make it available on our market !)

[@floflo8018]

expected a FRF2 video... got one hour for Q&A ,not disappointed!

[@odinssverd]

Keep at it with the French. Perhaps find a tutor who can help with grammar. Vocab is easier than ever with the internet, but I recommend writing down words neatly on paper and reading them out loud from time to time. At least in your research you don't need an excessively wide vocabulary to read and understand. I was fortunate enough to learn French until the end of high school, and contemplating taking it back up in order to teach. By the way, French spelling is extremely regular compared to English. Learning the pronunciation gives you auditory memory, which consolidates the written memory; it's all connected. Good luck.

[@durandil]

About France and weapons : - The RSC 1918 was used a little bit after WW1, during the Rif War, but the semi-auto mechanism was desactivated because officers were worried the consumption of ammo - Until april 1939, it was easy to buy a gun in France, maybe as much as a baguette. But in 1939, the governement was aware the war against Germany would be soon, and they were afraid that communists start a revolution just after the beginning of the war. So they decided to make anti-gun laws (they said it would be temporary). Of course, the Vichy governement hardened them (sentence of death if you kept a gun). After the war, the new governement was a bit afraid of a civil war between the Armée Secrète and the FTP (Francs Tireurs Partisans, communists). They tried to get back all the guns. - France had 3 revolutions : 1789 (the Bastille Day), 1830 and 1848. After that, there was the Commune in Paris, at the end of Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The french democracy is a bit like "I have more than 50% ? Ok now I do what I want". Of course our politicians are scared to be shot down like the 2 presidents Sadi Carnot (1894) and Paul Doumer (1932), that's why they don't want to come back to before 1939. And of course, anti-gun laws don't prevent criminals to get some full auto weapons, mostly AKs from ex-Yugoslavia. It clearly means these laws are against civilians and not criminals.

[@jeffreytam7684]

39:15 I think it’s also important to remember that it was critical for any new cartridge to be functional in heavy machine guns. The Hotchkiss was still the standard HMG in 1940, chambered in 8 Lebel. An intermediate cartridge would’ve been nice in the rifle, but that would’ve necessitated a second new round for the HMGs to ensure long range effectiveness and penetration.

[@felinvirginia1]

When he's speaking french, it looks a like a french who is making fun of Chinese accent xD

[@sarrumac]

Exactly!

[@roanhielkema5714]

Why? Because French firearms are just about the coolest thing since Genesis. Oh, and France is a very nice place too.

[@oranjid]

Arrrrr! With that magnificent golden-touch bathrobe, dear Ian, flintlock pistols would be the right kind of accessory i believe. A true pirate. Thanks for all the vids as usual...guess what, now i am really looking forward for german edition q&a...anything on the radar? or did i miss anything? Keep up the good work !

[@ironraccoon3536]

0:13 The rubber band's gone rogue!

[@theophileification]

Damn! Saw the thumbnail, didn't read the title and got very excited. Well, it will come eventually.

[@ChaosPootato]

Hahaha that intro was spot on! Your accent is getting much better, the work you've put in really shows! Keep it up :D

[@ChaosPootato]

I would have expected one of the RSCs as your favorite french rifle

[@cheesenoodles8316]

Cool video and again I learned somethong new. My hope is the MAS 40 to 56 is covered in detail. Pictures in the field are always apreciated. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

[@The_Brozilla]

As a FAL/Cold War rifle collector, the markup of non parts kit build is real.

[@OriginalBongoliath]

That is what happens when demand is high and supply is low to non-existent.

[@emperorspock3506]

17:50 The best way to practise your listening (provided you don't have a native speaker to assist you) is TV/radio/KZbin/podcasts. If your listening comprehension is still low, focus on stuff that offers subtitles in the language that is spoken (TV channels often do, and things like 'news in easy language' are also common) first, then gradually broaden your scope as you progress (i.e. up to highly conversational unscripted shows where people don't care about good articulation). Variety is important. Speaking is always the hardest language skill to master, and you really need to regularly have meaningful conversations in the language to get any good at it (meaning that you'd have to assess if you really need this, because this is a large investment that might have very narrow uses if you don't live in a country where the language is spoken).

[@j.mangum7652]

27:34 The Felene' outfitting looks a lot like what we've seen done to DMR type rifles during Vietnam with the first generation Starlight scopes. And that was fifty years ago. Not very inspiring. But we've also put on just as bulky stuff more recently now and again over the years.

[@billassande7628]

My local gun shop has an 1873 for sale. It's in great condition.

[@lapa8474]

Do Finland edition

[@404Dannyboy]

Ian's French accent sounds exactly like mine which makes me happy for some reason.

[@ajmonkeymannerdy6983]

The Hon Hon is upon us.

[@Wambi45]

About the Félin program: In a squad, generally only a couple of guys are equipped with the complete optical suite, the rest of them only have Eotechs. That way, the squad keeps its mobility and ability to engage close range targets as well as longer range targets. In practice, The Félin guys fill the gap between the FAMAS and the FRF2/HK 417. That decision falls to the squad leader.

[@marcocammozzo7553]

Great job man! I really hope to see an in depth episode about the Mauser 1910, 1914 and 1934 pistols! Only you can do something good enough!

[@keithlarsen7557]

Largest US firearms maker is Sturm and Ruger... not despite they aren't involved in Government contracts, but BECAUSE they don't get involved in developing guns specifically for government contracts.

[@thatguy3428]

Keith Larsen That is also helped by their shift towards embracing the meaning of "shall not be infringed" after Bill Ruger's death.

[@conorfoster2337]

But they did get government contracts.

[@keithlarsen7557]

I should have rephrased that, they very rarely built guns specifically for contracts. They did build some for contracts such as silenced 22 pistols, but those were built on the basis of their pistol for the civilian market.

[@conorfoster2337]

@@keithlarsen7557 the mini14 has seen some use with police as well and I think some of the P series pistols as well

[@keithlarsen7557]

Like I said, I should have phrased it differently. Because they don't build guns specifically for government contracts.

[@alexandreboulay7547]

I think you forgot the thales F90 which wasn't adopted by france as military weapon (they'll get H&K416) but still thales is a french company that produces a military bulbup rifle.

[@chuckcochran8599]

I've been working on Gaelic for 20 years Ian, and yes, I've the same issue of being much better at reading and translating ovee hearing it spoken and translating. I think it's because we're starting later in life.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

4:14 As I like to put it: "Nobody copies the French and the French copy nobody!"

[@Sam-gz7om]

Yeah in France we like doing things differently, not because it's better just because it is different.

[@victorlacas6649]

J'espère qu'il y aura une version française de son livre. I hope there will be a french version of his book. By the way, nice french accent ^^

[@Shadowofthesoldier]

"Ah! Mes amis ! Bienvenue à 'Armes Oubliées' " Ok, I really wasn't ready for Ian speaking french :) But somehow, you managed to say that very nicely.

[@andrewwaterman9240]

Since we're talking about French stuff... In the late 50's Mattel sold a toy cap-firing automatic rifle they called the Firebolt. Except for its fanciful simulated perforated barrel jacket, the design seems to be based on, or borrows heavily from, the French MAS 54C rifle. I find it interesting that American toy designers would be following French small arms development so closely.

[@Lowlandlord]

Just to expand on how little improving the French small arms would have affected the Battle of France. During the Battle of France the French had more tanks (by like 2:1) than the Germans. Several French tank models were better than equivalent German tanks, or at least equal to (a Somua is better than a Panzer III in some ways but largely equivelant, a Char B1 is better for direct fire purposes between the armour and the weapons, worse for moving because of the size. Specifically after the upgrades packages of course. The most numerous tanks were actually two-man tankettes though). The problems were how they were used, cavalry tanks got partnered with slower tanks that GREATLY decreased the speed of the unit. Germans tanks also tended to outnumber allied in specific positions, because the Germans would group them up to achieve specific goals (which is something Napoleon was known for, being outnumbered by concentrating his forces so that he outnumbered the enemy in specific key positions). The brass decided it was impossible for German tanks to get through the Ardenne (and officers like LeClerc told them that bigger French tanks could get through, they ignored that), they didn't have the reserves to throw in to try and turn specific battles (which is also a problem the Germans had in Normandy, all their units were busy fighting on the front, they did not have any effective reserve units to bring to specific battles they might have otherwise won, allowing us to control the initiative of the battles). There were also all kinds of political problems, massive divisions within French society (not dissimilar to modern America), problems from the Great War and the Great Depression. The blitzkrieg also never really gave them the time to fight their style of war, once they broke they were never able to regroup properly, Rommel's (and Guderian, who tends to get less credit was actually the proponent of this sort of thing) push on the north went faster than the French, and their supply trains, could handle. Faster than the German supply trains could handle, Rommel received a lot of political flak for pushing that far that fast initially (less so after he accomplished so much). No one, not even the Germans, really understood how the war was going to go. The French and Brits were both big fans of infantry tanks, big slow tanks that had a lot of armour and a decent gun (for the time, many contemporary tanks did not even have main guns, they had machine guns, the Allied standard was around the 2 pounder, which was laughable against tanks by 1940 even), really meant to support infantry more than operate by itself. This is a theory of tank warfare that did not survive the war, what were called cruiser, cavalry or medium tanks is what proved dominant and that is what the Germans focused on. Add to that how the Luftwaffe dominated the Allied air force, which prevented us from hitting their supply lines and the bridges they needed for their tanks. There are battles where thousands were lost to a few dozen Germans, not because of cowardice, but because of poor positions, logistics and all the other things people don't think about enough. The "Miracle of Dunkirk" is played up as some great achievement, but it was an Allied defeat, hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers were removed from play, tens of thousands died, nearly twice that captured, to accomplish this. But because of how messed up the lines had become it was better than having lost them in France where they probably couldn't do much. It's like France and Britain were trying to play checkers while Germany was playing chess (and the Americans still had guys on horses, so who knows what they were playing). All of our successes at the end of the war came from learning experiences at the start, which were often dramatic failures. The Dieppe Raid, which was a total failure, made the Normandy Invasion possible and successful. But what rifles we used in either situation was hardly relevant, it was not about how many Germans were shot. War is in fact very rarely about how many people are killed, historically most battles end well before that becomes an issue and many battle have been won by the people that received more casualties.

[@NicverAZ]

Regarding your favorite pistol, did you ever look at the Manurhin MR73? Great story to tell, especially how the GIGN stormed that plane armed with nothing but these 6-shooters, lost zero men and killed all the terrorists. And... I'm the French guy you met at Rio.

[@lucajohnen6719]

@Ian I am pretty sure the GIGN adopted the CZ 805 Bren in 7.62x39 for use against armored criminals\terrorists because they were unimpressed by the AP capabilities of the 556

[@lucajohnen6719]

Wouldn't that make them the first non-Finish western adopters of the Russian cartridge

[@nindger4270]

Depends on your definition of "Western". NATO is often called "the Western alliance" and Poland has been a NATO member since 1999. You bring up an interesting point though, Ian and Karl have often been on record saying full power rifle cartridges are unnecessary for a general issue infantry rifle because you don't need the added range. I recently spoke to a former British soldier who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and was adamant about going back to more powerful cartridges not because of range, but because body armour is becoming so widespread these days.

[@lucajohnen6719]

@@nindger4270 with western I mean non Warsaw pact members, but that's actually interesting

[@aggese]

As a native English speaker you might not have noticed but English is not pronounced in the same way it is spelled.

[@Jonathan-ky4bi]

Oh we know...lol I can only imagine how it is to learn it as a second language.

[@Tuning3434]

Worchester!!!!

[@burlatsdemontaigne6147]

Tuning3434 ____ Never heard of it, do you mean Worcester?

[@Doinkus98]

Or does he mean worst ever?

[@KATAKOTO69]

I recently learned how Worcestershire sauce is pronounced and i was shocked, shocked i tell you!

[@Fedaykin24]

49:00 Colt Canada would be entirely credible, they are volume producing C8 and have recent large scale contracts for small arms. The Danish Army use Colt Canada C7A and C8A rifles and the British use it as the L119A2 in large numbers.

[@shawnc1936]

Fedaykin24 wiki says they made 200k plus in 34 years. (Colt Canada /diameco) so average 5900 per year? Not much really...

[@alexvogel610]

Speaking of the French secrecy policies, can you as a historian specializing in French arms get the ball rolling on declassifying and making available information on French small arms? Are you well enough recognized, or do you have the proper connections, to initiate action on that front? Can you ask Jacque at French archives what's available for you to submit a formal request for? Are there groups like ARES, or US museums, that could take that action?

[@vigolevigo7625]

When you speak about a particular gun, you should've put an image of the gun i' the video because even though i'm a fan of the channel and can picture a few guns you mention, it's still nice to have a little visual

[@LoneRanger869]

France did actually recently choose to go with the CZ BREN2 in 7.62x39 for their GIGN units. Ironically this is to REPLACE their H&K 416s. Not a huge contract by any means, but it is official adoption by a recognized major power.

[@tengu190]

You should get the Famas official optic the Scrome J4.

[@sandmanhh67]

That truly is a Chap Approved(tm) Totally Splendid Smoking Jacket.

[@AlbertShell]

Too bad you haven't had any experiences with the CZ805 BREN - I know it's not a forgotten weapon at all, but I would still be interested in your view on it should you try it out.

[@gobble96]

well, it only took 3 years but he finally made it out to CZ to try one out

[@kenhelmers2603]

Good Q&A - thanks Ian :)

[@michaelpee9471]

Ian more pics of what you are talking about please. I find that I stop and google search to get a better understanding.

[@DeliveryMcGee]

"Why French guns? Why not? (Also I literally wrote the book on the subject.)"

[@TheDarktone101]

Oooh Ian writes books too! So, you are gun Jesus and a writer! That's awesome dude 👍👍

[@paulmanson253]

Just occurred to me. One effective way to stay current in a language is to read newspapers in it. If someone from France were to give Ian a year's subscription to a particular newspaper, he will stand a better chance of obtaining a decent working knowledge of it. Anyone out there willing to send an international subscription to his post office box ? Bet he would like that. Those blasted literary tenses always drove me bonkers. Practise,practise,practise.

[@taskforcekarma6945]

My favorite French revolver is the Manurhin MR73.

[@shawngilliland243]

+Votive Karma - I think they're great, too. Still used by some French police, no?

[@didierpaya9069]

@@shawngilliland243 By GIGN "to win, one shot, only one shot"

[@feelousscout3]

If pre-order’s for the fancy schmancy copy of the book with the bells and whistles and autograph go nuts and sell out would you consider a second batch if there’s interest? I’m a big fan of yours and very eager to learn more about firearms but my work leaves me places without access to the internet often enough and I’m afraid I’ll miss it coming live before they’re sold out.

[@Vulf_Faolan]

Ian, about France adopting the 416. Do you think they would still have chosen the 416 if a new FAMAS had been available? You guys often talk about the advantages that an AR-15 style rifle gives, ergonomics in particular, and I'm sure some would argue that biting-the-bullet, throwing away your bullpup and moving to an AR-15 was probably a good choice. But do you think they would have done if they didn't have to? I guess what I'm asking is, do you think the 416 would have stood any chance at all of being the next French service rifle if it hadn't been the only real choice open to them? I often hear about Militaries not wanting to re-train their soldiers for a new rifle system and only adopting rifles that have identical or similar controls to the one they already have, and on that topic, I can't help but think about what England will do when their SA80's are eventually beyond repair.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

I really don't know what the decision would have been if a modernized FAMAS was an option - I don't know what the current preferences of the French military staff are.

[@Vulf_Faolan]

Dang. Thanks anyway, Ian. For all the potential advantages an AR-15 should give, it still seems like there are just as many (If not more) Not-AR-15's out there in service. I'd love to know where nations who issue these kinds of guns stand on the matter, but the places that still issue bullpups are especially interesting to me.

[@Sam-gz7om]

Unfortunately France doesn't produce any military small arms anymore.

[@Vulf_Faolan]

Here in Ireland we issue the AUG. Often when some weapon gets replaced, it gets replaced with one of similar or identical handling characteristics. The Browning HP was replaced by the HK USP, the UZI replaced by the MP7, and our semi-auto marksman rifles are just modernized FAL's because that's what we already know. This way the training always remains the same. It makes me wonder what will happen if the AUG ever goes out of production. Will we adopt the 416 too, or will we adopt another bullpup for the sake of familiarity. I'm curious what would happen in England and China too.

[@Vaasref]

The government adopted the 416 because of the EU forced its member to call for bids on a European scale. It also require to not favor domestic production. So I think a state run company is by default out of question on that matter. Anyway, I think it safe to assume that retooling to make new FAMAS would have made the bid too high to win.

[@radis_noi_r]

Excellent choix ^^" Thank you for your hommage on french firearms history. However it's a tragedy that this tradition of small arms innovation manufacturing has been jeopardized by the transition from the famas national rifle to the hk416

[@murphy7801]

Eu politique

[@GinSoakedBoy]

Ah, the 1873 Chamelot-Delvigne. A favorite of mine, too, as is the 1935 pistol.