Kraut Space Magic: the H&K G11

/ forgottenweapons
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I have been waiting for a long time to have a chance to make this video - the Heckler & Koch G11! Specifically, a G11K2, the final version approved for use by the West German Bundeswehr, before being cancelled for political and economic reasons.
The G11 was a combined effort by H&K and Dynamit Nobel to produce a new rifle for the German military with truly new technology. The core of the system was the use of a caseless cartridge developed in the late 60s and early 70s by Dynamit Nobel, which then allowed H&K to design a magnificently complex action which could fire three rounds in a hyper-fast (~2000 rpm) burst and have all three bullets leave the barrel before the weapon moved in recoil.
Remarkably, the idea went through enough development to pass German trials and actually be accepted for service in the late 1980s (after a funding shutdown when it proved incapable of winning NATO cartridge selection trials a decade earlier). However, the reunification with East Germany presented a reduced strategic threat, a new surplus of East German combat rifles (AK74s), and a huge new economic burden to the combined nations and this led to the cancellation of the program. The US Advanced Combat Rifle program gave the G11 one last grasp at a future, but it was not deemed a sufficient improvement in practical use over the M16 platform to justify a replacement of all US weapons in service.
The G11 lives on, however, as an icon of German engineering prowess often referred to as "Kraut Space Magic" (in an entirely complimentary take on the old pejorative). That it could be so complex and yet still run reliably in legitimate military trials is a tremendous feat by H&K's design engineers, and yet one must consider that the Bundeswehr may just have dodged a bullet when it ended up not actually adopting the rifle.
Many thanks to H&K USA for giving me access to the G11 rifles in their Grey Room for this video!
Contact:
Forgotten Weapons
PO Box 87647
Tucson, AZ 85754

[@Nscorpion5248]

Before taking off the plastic: oh this looks like a sci-fi gun After taking off the plastic: oh it's a steampunk gun

[@timh6792]

Looks more like a rolex watch

[@михаилволков-е1е]

Or a sewing machine

[@HSS_yt]

it's kraut steam magic

[@Jakewake52]

It has made me consider if you could syphon recoil into a pinwheeel and by proxy charge a battery for sci-fi stuff

[@spidermonk3uVvwy8-2]

That gun has more parts than my chance of not getting prediabetes

[@rageofheaven]

"We fire the whole bullet, thats 65% more bullet per bullet" - Cave Johnson

[@seanwilliams4692]

Regular guns: *cries in 65% less bullet per bullet*

[@Attaxalotl]

"I have yet to meet someone who can outsmart bullet"- Heavy.

[@justaregularoldpileofsnow6877]

@@Attaxalotl scout: yo what's up

[@dr2d2]

@@Attaxalotl Scout, Spy dead ringer and anyone who is uber charged

[@Attaxalotl]

@@dr2d2 ah.

[@atf2644]

This rifle was designed so that in the field you can disassemble it and create a steam engine for quick evac.

[@remyrichardson8614]

Steam engine? Nah, a luxury airliner.

[@musik847.1]

😂😂😂

[@christianschluter6458]

@TheDuckMeister You haven't checked the triggergroup ... did ya? Greetz from Germany!!!

[@Akumasama]

@@theduckmeister1600 Feels like they tried to.

[@NailKingTJ]

Steam engine...Dude u r so increative. That is designed to build a wrap engine so you can actually evac to another galaxy

[@fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

I'm surprised that Switzerland wasn't all over this one: if there's anyone who could be taught to field strip that monster it's probably a hardened watchmaker.

[@41tl]

"hardened watchmaker" .....lol.

[@nomnomxddd7341]

it doesn't have a winter glove trigger so no

[@hungryburger1170]

If this was given the Rogak treatment, it'd be covered in GERMAN GERMIN GERMAN GERMIN GERMAN

[@CyberVeggie]

Field stripping it is easy. Now if you can detail strip they might want you

[@Will-dn9dq]

Naw they make stuff that actually works😂

[@CloaksCosplays]

An old college friend described the G11: "Its a gun from the future from the past."

[@playplusconnect5975]

That is the best description of this by far.

[@maxanklowitz9888]

It could have replaced the p90 on SG1 stargate since it is as weird looking.

[@vonfaustien3957]

I rember the enclave in fallout packing these. I fit in pretty well with the sci energy weapons

[@jerrell1169]

Feldgrau Fox Believe it or not, it’s called the H&K G11. It’s from Fallout 2 though so maybe you’re thinking of the wrong game.

[@sillyeyelash291]

And he let you live?

[@campostheap7480]

*Pulls off front* Ah, it's just a barrel. *Pulls off back* Ah, it's just a time machine or something.

[@diana_gir1]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@farthuffington6466]

Business in the front, Cenobites in the back

[@Dorian-_-Gray]

*28:42*

[@tractorhead971]

It’s a modified windscreen wiper mechanism...

[@gibmelson7628]

Campost Heap germany west: what a country...🇩🇪🇩🇪! merkel👻, porsche, bmw, mercedes, münchen 👍🏻👹 and people from 800 other nations. a multistate par excellence .....

[@geoffreyguestion2843]

>takes it apart >is built like a watch Yup, it's German.

[@hrissan]

Geoffrey Guestion show that one to WW2 Russian rifle engineers, I’m pretty sure they would come up with a ways to greatly simplify it 😸

[@mwnciboo]

Why use 2 parts when you could use 50. Ronnie Barrett would simplify this, much like he did with the M240.

[@terrorcop101]

You sure it's not Swiss?

[@Ake-TL]

There’s german gear based warhammer with opening face revealing 4 flintlock pistols. Just wanted to share this fact

[@terrorcop101]

@@Ake-TL I think the thing you're thinking of was a wheelock.

[@HMYYT]

No matter how long you've been around guns, this is like learning about the rotary engine after 1 week in mechanical engineering school

[@Kittendownloads]

The rotary is simpler than a piston engine though

[@manzion7599]

This caseless firearm and the Wankel motor are both smart and well executed advancements. But that is not what humanity prioritizes. Perhaps each will return as SoTA year 2030.

[@penelopegreene]

Just keep their undersea electric pistol as your sidearm when you use it!

[@popupheadlights]

Wankel engines are pretty simple though a 2rotor only has 3 moving parts

[@popupheadlights]

@@manzion7599I can only hope and pray we get an rx9/rx7 revival.

[@elguusko5481]

Some fun facts about the G11: - The soldiers were supposed to carry additional magazines in a quiver, similar to the one you carry on your back to transport arrows. - The rate of fire slows down after extensive sustained fire. The reason is that the heat leads to thermal expansion of the rotating bolt which acts like a drum brake. At 22:17 you can see the gap between the bolt and the receiver which would get smaller. - Later models of the G11 have a predetermined breaking point in the receiver and bolt which would lead the explosion downwards in case the ammunition detonates. Apparently, it was a real pain to engineer those breaking points in as an afterthought. - H&K has/used to have a civilian division which produces a wide array of machines including sewing machines. Some of the engineers who usually develop the sewing machines worked on the mechanical system of the G11. EDIT: Because there are questions about the sources in the comments below: Some of the information are from a member of the WTS (Scientific Collection of Defence Engineering Specimens) which is part of the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement. They have a very nice museum in the city of Koblenz. I also used to know one of the engineers who worked for HK in the 80s, he told me some of the interesting things. Even though this infos are anectdotal, I have no reason to doubt the people who provided them. I should have mentioned the sources earlier, though. I didn't really thought about it considering this is a KZbin video.

[@gabrielgutierrez913]

Amazing facts, thanks mate.

[@Dedfaction]

'Spare magazines were carried in a quiver'. Stop, I can only get so erect. I

[@luisitobardajibenitez8013]

maybe they used civil engineers because they didn't know what you can and cannot do, so they just went for it.

[@angry_engineer]

this is one of the best comments i saw on youtube for a while. it must be pinned to the top.

[@werewolf74]

The moment he pulled the back of this off I immediately thought it looked like a sewing machine or a Swiss clock and suddenly I realized how the Germans and the Swiss have been innovative in both of those areas of technology....

I can’t believe that Ian’s vid of the G11 is one of the top results for the search “space magic”

[@MohamadDasyrian]

Thanks National Socialist quantum catboy

[@themanman7642]

Schrödinger 7 months ago??? femboy man

[@Icantbuttons]

Holy shit, it really is!

[@agularis]

Now do a G11 reload.

[@jamthatruth4174]

Yooo reload guy

[@tehfoxxy9630]

"We fire the whole bullet! That's 65% more bullet per bullet!"

[@2Axiom]

The cAkE iS A LiE

[@NefariousKoel]

That's a fancy drill bit launcher you gentlemen have.

[@redwolfexr]

@@2Axiom You mean the CASE is a lie...

[@2Axiom]

Ah yes, of course

[@Taolan8472]

If you were to design a rocketball round for a modern caliber, that would literally be firing the whole bullet. Rocketball rounds are an early concept of caseless ammo from before cased ammo had been popularized. You hollow out a miniball projectile and pack it with powder, then cap it off with your primer. Most rocketballs were small caliber meant for pistols and were woefully underpowered, but new materials and powders someone looking to do a caseless weapon could potentially revisit rocketball...

[@392redienhcs]

I remembered as a 6-7 year old boy I was peering through this new set of encyclopedia my mom bought and in one of the volumes was the G11 rifle dubbed as being "advanced warfare". I remembered that some of the things alluded to here were discussed: the rotating chamber, the 3-shot no recoil, the caseless ammunition. One of my earliest memories as a kid just gobbling up information like a sponge. Thank you for this trip down memory lane.

[@40nakedniggasonahugespacecraft]

What you're seeing is Advanced Warfare

[@Johnny_Matheson]

what you're seeing here is advanced warfare

[@SaltLight7]

Same thing for me. I remember seeing a diagram of the internals and was fascinated with every part of it. Ya know, I think that encyclopedia set is still at my parent's house. I might have to look for it the next time I visit them.

[@dominicphillips6046]

not surprising that the encyclopaedia had an entire volume dedicated to the G11

[@Lighthammer18]

Are you ever in a situation where someone asks you something and you just... know it.. and you have no clue why you know it or where you learned it? Happens to me all the time and I was also a infosponge as a kid.

[@TheMajorActual]

So, a watchmaker, a steam locomotive engineer and a chemist walk into a bar.....

[@davydovua]

And the bartender says, "You're lucky folks, we've got a new special coctail today called German Governmental Development Funding"

[@Betterhose]

I thought it was a virgin conception by HK from the "teutonic gods of germanness", as Ian called them in some other video.

[@darnit1944]

And Hecker and Koch came in. They said "Wan sum jobs?"

[@Lavourrin]

And they meet a guy who make plastic blocks for a living

[@paulnathanmullock6214]

Such a shame that they were conscripted into the army to fight the United States....

[@Bowfella]

"Yeah but how do you stop dirt from clogging the whole system?" Germans: **builds it like a fucking submarine**

[@Esablaka]

if it works why not?

[@SaladofStones]

clearly the g-11 is not an example to give of something working

[@Dancingcuban]

@@Esablaka Because submarines aren't designed to be field stripped by soldiers. If you have to choose, better to have a gun that is easy to clean, than a gun that is difficult to get dirty.

[@Esablaka]

@@SaladofStones But.... it worked? Or are there any reports about the gun not functioning? Atleast this video didnt mention anything about it.

[@Esablaka]

​@@Dancingcuban Well true. But I am pretty sure they had something in mind.

[@Reijack]

My heart goes out to the poor Bundesweher armorer that had to strip this thing for the first time "Oh, this is looks not so bad, maybe it is just a few- GOTT IN HIMMEL!!!"

[@TheAKgunner]

I'll bet he told his buddies at the beer hall "You would not believe this rifle. I know we Germans must overengineer everything, but mein Gott, this was too much! There are Swiss watches less complex then that nightmare!"

[@anamusingidiot2565]

German Zach

[@SeaPhantom]

"Hans!! Look at this gun! The internals look like the inside of a clock tower!"

[@TheAKgunner]

@@SeaPhantom "That's not a good thing, Schultz."

[@V-V1875-h]

@@TheAKgunner litterally

[@J_Squatch]

It's incredible to see all the cost and precision that went into this gun be almost entirely in the internals while the outside is just a plain, albeit rugged, plastic shell. Like a 5 gal bucket housing an atomic clock.

[@ladouille2312]

That’s actually quite normal for a prototype, design is taken into account quite late into development, prototypes are almost always ugly

[@LL-yd8zz]

The G11 sounds like the outcome if they asked a brilliant genius who never seen a gun to design a gun with explaining every little detail but without ever showing him one. And it worked.

[@privateprofile9659]

It's the Rotary Engine of guns.

[@Raulz]

@@privateprofile9659 Cool,works but less reliable than a 3$ Master Lock

[@ChaosBW]

Quite the opposite. This took a lot of engineering for both the gun and the ammunition. If you want to see the outcome of a gun being made with no knowledge of guns, check out home made guns.

[@mr.squishy5024]

@@Raulz The Wankel is not less reliable that a 3$ Master lock, it functions perfectly fine.

[@Azelai777]

Aliens?

[@thegodemperorofmankind3090]

This is why you dont leave german engineers unsupervised in a room alone for 30 minutes

[@torinodeguzman4243]

YOU UTTER FOOL GERMAN SCIENCE IS THE BEST IM THE WORLD!!!?

[@carlsjr.74]

@@torinodeguzman4243 hmm as German i wonder how other People think about us:P I say VW, HK Heckler & Koch has massive problems with the G36 in German Army, and Germany is the most BOOOOOOOORING Place on this Planet.

[@torinodeguzman4243]

@@carlsjr.74 did you get the JoJo reference

[@adityapermana9651]

DOITSU NO KAGAKU WA SEKAI ICHI!! *Extending right hand into the air

[@thegodemperorofmankind3090]

Torino Deguzman yes i got the reference stroheim

[@jascrandom9855]

On the Outside: 80's futuristic space Gun. On the Inside: Steampunk Clockwork Gun.

[@NightclubPegasus1]

You know what they say, "Get one that can do both".

[@edwardwood6532]

German engineers managed to complicate the wheellock mechanism, a clocked based blackpowder pistol from the mid 1500's. www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18036

[@marty2129]

Now that would be steampunk LARPer's/airsoft guy's wet dream: leave covers on = 90's most insane gun for airsoft remove covers = insane victorian clockwork automatic handcannon

[@uncannyvalley2350]

They had stealth jets and cellphones by 1942, possibly even time travel, ( see Joseph Farrell ) ...they dont make em like that anymore

[@terminalpsychosis8022]

@@marty2129 Realistically, this rotating sytem would be perfect for airsoft / piant. No cartridge. Ok, cleaning a paint ball misfire in that complicated clockwork could be a challenge. :-) Still, seems a very good design for anything that doesn't require a projectile case.

[@seanjacobs7021]

This is my "Aliens" of forgotten weapons episodes. I have it memorized but I keep watching it and it never gets old. This is the coolest functional firearm on this or any other planet

[@beep-beep]

I feel like the US ACR trials are just an occasional sick joke that the US Military likes to play on the world's top arms developers. "Thank you all for coming, it was fun playing with your toys, but we STILL like the M16!" **blows raspberrys and flips everyone the bird**

[@BTW4LK]

The Hiphopopotamus yeah, even Colt and AAI got shafted because “they didn’t meet requirements”

[@codygreene9067]

Essentially yes

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

Just what I was thinking. Imagine what it would cost to replace the M16! Doesn't bear thinking about!

[@lycossurfer8851]

Think of all the "Forgotten Weapons" episodes we wouldn't have if they did........

[@torbai]

In fact, none of the 4 testing rifles had superior accuracy than M16. That made the project coming to the end.

[@JBNimbleBand]

“Hey Fritz” “Yes Hanz?” “First one to turn the wall clock into a gun wins a pack of Becks” **1 hour later** “I present the H&K G11”

[@deusexmachia3548]

You'll have to pick a better beer for Hans to be motivated

[@arthurbarbosa8204]

Underrated comment. You deserve my like.

[@plt927]

2 minor notes on this: It's not a pack, its called a "Kasten" Don't even bother to try motivating any german with Beck's - Astra, Flens, Rothaus, Altenmünster, Paulaner or Erdinger are way better

[@JBNimbleBand]

@@plt927 thanks for the recommendations. I love German beer.

[@flaviapunktexe]

@@JBNimbleBand i love it too, but not Becks

[@LordSchnoz]

The internals of the G11 looks like what everyone that doesn't know anything about guns imagines the internals of a gun looks like.

[@lorax8172]

Most underrated comment

[@ximitify]

Now i can say its complicated.

[@Original50]

Some steampunk fashizzle there, eh?!

[@caderidley2309]

Maybe to someone who understands this system could look at it and think it looks real simple... I fear what ever looks complicated to them

[@eddietat95]

Where's the shoulder thing that goes up?

[@zepher_blackstoc2366]

Jonathan Ferguson was right when he said. “This gun is like if you gave a clock maker class A drugs and asked him to make a firearm.”

[@0DTEVIXCALLS]

What the fuck is "class A drugs" and how can I get some??

[@internetbodhi1009]

​@@0DTEVIXCALLS go to the rough part of town and ask for crystals

[@vos2693]

​@@0DTEVIXCALLS class A means heavily regulated drugs, like opiates, opioids, triptamines et cetera. Usage of these drugs leads to insanity and/or death and/or heavy addiction.

[@5n0wf1ak]

Caseless ammunition always makes me think of Cave Johnsons line in portal about the turrets "it fires the whole bullet, that's 65% more bullet per bullet".

[@JETWTF]

You forgot... "This is Cave Johnson signing out...….. Caroline.. where's my....."

[@stalker4474]

"This is like the AN-94, but simpler" (confused screams)

[@shred1894]

simpler in concept*

[@bobmartin9918]

@Alex Jongenelen ah nuu cheeki breeki iv damnke

[@richardtaylor1652]

The Russians managed to create something more complex than the Germans... What has happened to the world?!

[@billysmith4688]

i walways thought the g11 was fake, and treyarch made up a gun

[@bobmartin9918]

@@billysmith4688 nah it's very real and the working prototypes still exist.

[@stuckintoaster6182]

lock german engineers into a dark room with nothing and when you come back the door will open by itself

[@BloodmoonPyke]

Also it will serve you a traditional german breakfast and read the whole Duden on command

[@tHiNk413]

@@BloodmoonPyke But only after they developed a DIN for your toilet seat, your cats waterbowl and your cars steering wheel.....

[@Meekmillan]

StuckInToaster and America will say there was a never a door as they relocate the whole room to where they keep a stockpile of paperclips.

[@zacharieelfali3401]

And everything falls apart after a few hours of use and it costs a lung to replace.

[@ThomasNimmesgern]

@@zacharieelfali3401 What you described is Apple's business model.

[@DreamwalkerFilms]

Literally every aspect of this gun is a gigantic departure from everything in conventional firearms. Can you imagine how different the gun landscape would be today if this design had been pursued more?

[@ClassMRule]

here at aperture science, we fire the whole bullet. thats 65% more bullet per bullet

[@caderidley2309]

You're looking for a gyrojet, now that's all the bullet

[@morganpriest7726]

@@caderidley2309 ITS 100% BULLET

[@juj9305]

@@caderidley2309 ah yes

[@automatonm99]

Sounds right

[@dark2023-1lovesoni]

I realize it's a portal quote but it's surprisingly close to correct, in this context. The ammo was considered to be just over 50% lighter than 5.56, meaning a soldier could carry 510 of these rounds for the same 16.2lbs/7,35kg weight as 240 5.56mm rounds (also equivalent to 100 7.62x51mm rounds). Doubling a soldiers combat load also lets them fire the G11s 3-rnd hyper burst nearlt as often as they would fire single aimed shots with an M4/M16, meaning they can shoot 300% more projectiles/bullets per shot. Which works out to roughly 66% more bullets per shot.

[@danielwang2956]

In addition, at every full hour, three birds come out of the front of the gun and do a loop around the spare magazines

[@corwinconnell8500]

goddammit thats too funny

[@DanielSan1776]

That’s a good name I approve

[@ninjaman815]

Lol

[@boymahina123]

lmfao

[@torkdork69]

That's good. And instead of saying cuu cuuwww, they say pew pew.

[@hiTocopter]

"This was a pretty good gun. It met all the requirements for being a infantry rifle, even surpassing the current rifles. For obvious reasons, it was never adopted." Sounds about right.

[@Alraygun]

money

[@leonardo9259]

Great video, I learnt valuable things and changed my life Unsubscribed and reported.

[@nlynn98]

"and the U.S. government found there was no improvement over the m16 in combat trials"

[@hiTocopter]

@@nlynn98 Good for them...?

[@Mr.Mosquito89]

@@hiTocopter Someone missed the joke.

[@juleswoodbury58]

I wish I could see the face of a basic 17 year old boot who has to field strip and put it back together in under 2 minutes while an instructor is yelling at him.

[@petrkubena]

Well, as was pointed out in the video, field stripping this is the easiest thing and you should be able to do it in 15 seconds. 5 seconds if you are sufficiently motivated. Detail strip is another thing, but that would not be done by a "17 year old boot".

[@TheNoobGreG]

@@petrkubenathat’s why the drill instructor drops a pin into the clockwork of the gun, and you gotta get it out…with your teeth. They’ll find a way to make it stressful.

[@videre8884]

The enemy who jumps into your trench to ram a bayonet into your chest because you can't fire because the gun is jammed can then help you with this puzzle. He can also help you find the little pieces in the dark that you lost during the field dismantling.

[@borislavmarkov4171]

Looks like it does +20% damage against giant space insects.

[@atheistbiker]

"I'm doing my part!" "Would you like to know more?"

[@NegativeROG]

LOL!

[@RepublicanGuardMan]

Or -8000% damage against big scary aliens named after angels

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@RepublicanGuardMan Gotta scale it up to mech sized for those!

[@RepublicanGuardMan]

@@AnimeSunglasses youre better off using a scaled up ACR tho

[@Joaco_123]

Leave it the germans to teach a clock how to fire bullets.

[@Mystakaphoros]

*applause*

[@TheHylianJuggalo]

@Alan Hardcastle go sit in the corner and think about your life choices.

[@nordicberserk]

You win the internet.

[@spitefulwar]

Oberndorf is situated at the eastern border of the Black Forest, home of the cuckoo clock... ;)

[@TCMk23]

Comment of the year

[@maksphoto78]

"The recoil in the three-round burst is not felt by the weapon's user until after the third round has left the chamber." That's my favourite feature of this gun.

[@Ze_N00B]

"That's 200% more bullet, per bullet."

[@pacmanosaurus1971]

You will never feel recoil if you dont shoot three shots then😉

[@noobface66]

@@Ze_N00B See? Just try getting to that cradle now. You can't.

[@WitchyLadyLily]

I think Bungie needs to buff it a bit, but I still love the ornaments for it.

[@mahoganyballs2296]

Volume of fire is the whole point of the weapon.

[@dntdnt9999]

I freaking love the fact that each prototype of G11 has their looks reflective of the futuristic aesthetic of the respective time period.

[@AngryBoozer]

Yeah. Being 80s, it has that Robocop sci-fi feel

[@aidanwarren4980]

This looks like a space marine weapon. If I'm not mistaken, the guns in the Alien franchise all use caseless ammunition. Never thought I'd be confronted by firearm hauntology.

[@tumetal]

holy hell word salad... tell me - how are you able to **reflect** on the future? Furthermore, how are you able to reflect on a future that is simultaneously the present (*respective*) time period? Finally, how will you prevent yourself from commenting in the future?

[@MaskedDeath_]

@@tumetal The looks of the weapon reflects on how "future" was perceived in the time period when the weapon was designed. If this, too, is word salad, I can try to dumb it down more for you :)

[@Kay-bs3bl]

It's not even necessarily the future of the past (which by the way is also a tense in English grammar, meaning that particular concept is embedded in the language core functions.) Futurism *is* an aesthetic. The sentence simplified could just mean "the G11 is reflective of that particular aesthetic at that time in history". He wasn't even anally correct.

[@slipcurve1410]

"listen recruits! we're about to start weapons training, but first a 3-year course in clock-smithing"

[@ThePerfectRed]

It is just so mind-blowing how every single concept of this gun is completely different from what you know. It's like re-inventing the firearm from scratch.

[@averagejoe9040]

Well, at least it still uses powder.

[@lynansheng]

@@averagejoe9040 No, it uses brick. I'm pretty sure that 'shatter propellant brick into powder while feeding' would be a badness thing for this gun.

[@averagejoe9040]

@@lynansheng whether its solidified or not, its still gunpowder.

[@christofabt8958]

There is very little progress in cartridges. Have a look at a 6.5 Swedish from around 1895. More recent designs are very similar. The G11 would have been a real revolution.

[@RaptorJesus]

So what you're saying, it's the most German-Engineered thing a German Engineer ever German-Engineered?

[@SKy_the_Thunder]

The G11 (or fictional weapons based on the design) was very popular in early First Person Shooter games because its box-like shape made it very easy to model even with the restrictions at the time.

[@SKy_the_Thunder]

@Potato King I'm talking way back where models were so simplistic that it was hard to tell one handgun from another and they had to cut down the number of model faces as much as possible to make their games run at all. A box gun similar to the G11 is several dozen times less resource intensive than the AR-15 or AK families with all their details and rounded parts - it's just 1-2 boxes with some texture and a grip and scope. Easy to make and looks like a faithful adaption of the real deal.

[@HC-gn2gb]

I think fallout 2 was the first to feature it could be wrong

[@SHVRWK]

@Potato King Yeah but the SPAS-12 is a practical and functional weapon. It was even adopted by certain militaries.

[@edwardmarshall2035]

@Potato King didn't know they existed until fallout 2. Same with the pancor.

[@livingcorpse5664]

Same with the FAMAS in Metal Gear Solid.

[@emiel255]

When it comes to a technical level of how the gun works this is without a doubt the coolest weapon in existence

[@Jesse__H]

safe semi-auto three round burst and a special fire mode that sucks 45 rounds back into the gun high-tech stuff.

[@ericph9]

You put what I was thinking into words better than I ever could have myself

[@Betterhose]

As we speak about it: Why does the switch say 45, when the magazine holds 50 rounds ?!

[@cottonballs185]

@@Betterhose Because the user was expected to double tap and burst fire the weapon before switching it to party mode?

[@TheTaternator24]

That's how you reload

[@BlueSam034]

That's how you reload the gun 😀

[@pegzounet]

And so it came that german engineers were left unsupervised too long.

[@akkid89]

It's said their slide rules grew three sizes too long.

[@EvilElecBlanket]

These are the same folks who put the engine of a car in the worst possible place, and then spent the next couple of decades bending the laws of physics to prove they were right. The Germans are amazing, but...yeah.

[@Enthropical_Thunder]

@@EvilElecBlanket *looking you Audi*

[@jtilton5]

Some people are too damn smart for their own good.

[@roadrunner6224]

Mandernach Luca Porsche

[@johndoe-ss1fn]

German soldier here, Two years ago, i walked into The main armory of Our mountain warfare school, Had to Pick up some stuff, and my jaw nearly dropped when i saw they Had a g11 there, i talked to the armorer there and he let me take a look at it, i didnt dare to try to dissaemble it, But i think it is complete with The Guts judging from the weight, the gun was left over from troop trials in the mountains, that was a pretty awesome day for me, Oh and it was the version with The thinner handguard Ian showed in This Video shortly

[@markknife1]

Someone Bring this guy up!

[@jowaru5545]

Danke, dass du unserem Land mit deinem Dienst die Möglichkeit gibst unsere Ideale zu verteidigen. Ihr Leute von der Truppe kriegt viel zu wenig Respekt für euren Mut!

[@Tomlis96]

@@jowaru5545 Da schließe ich mich an. Vielen Dank für deinen Dienst @john doe

[@richarddo7881]

You lucky bastard :)

[@armedmage]

Know that at that moment, Otto Von Bismarck was smiling down at you from Valhalla raising his beer stein in respect.

[@BagpipekilR]

Absolutely fascinating operating system! The 60s-80s really were an amazing time for the design and development of almost everything! Thank you for taking the time to make this video!

[@tomwinterfishing9065]

Shockingly bad for architecture though!

[@oddforoddssake3751]

A G11?! It's a Christmas miracle! Thank you, Gun Jesus!

[@Appalachia_Ape]

On gun Jesus's birthday no less, what a selfless guy.

[@frankandree62]

gun jesus? spewed coffee everywhere. too funny. loved it.

[@AshleyPomeroy]

The actual Jesus may well have died for our sins, but he never showed us what the interior of a G11 looks like. Imagine if HK still had some ammunition lying around! Also, imagine if Jesus had had a G11. He would have crucified the Romans. For ten minutes, until the sand got in, at which point he would have a small club. I've just noticed, the dummy action has "jim's toy" engraved on the barrel at 27:33. I wonder who Jim was?

[@Bonno95]

I reckon Gun Jesus did this video as a birthday present to himself

[@mrdarthbob4926]

I came here to make the same comment. Well played sir, you beat me to it. Merry Chirstmas everybody!

[@matius5841]

"...plus, we fire the whole bullet. That's 65% more bullet per bullet." - Cave Johnson

[@kurtheil4922]

That is awesome

[@kameronbrooks2372]

Cave Johnson was one of the greatest minds of our time.

[@Leftyotism]

Durch Blut und Eisen, lol

[@Red_Lanterns_Rage]

"...I'm gonna burn your house down......with the lemons!" -Cave Johnson

[@Red_Lanterns_Rage]

@Dan The Man if you;re a gamer play Portal 2 if not.... it's a reference to something a character said in the game

[@mneeser872]

I am a German engineer, and everything about this weapon seems perfectly reasonable to me.

[@masterenos]

Well there's your problem

[@isaacserbin8763]

@@masterenos the only problem was timing and money. This gun should have been put into production. It should be done rn.

[@uwekirschling9757]

As a German technician it seems to me to have been over engineered (although my experience is more in bigger weapons systems.. Caliber 120mm and above)

[@Chris5685]

@@uwekirschling9757 *Removes the 962nd screw from the subframe of any German car, said subframe is still firmly attached to the chassis and every single part that is supported by it* Yep, Germans made this

[@ProPatriaRO]

As a Romanian engineer i agree.

[@LtVadim]

When you launch an interesting video in the background, listen it for a while, realizing "wow, what a nice story", check the time... and there is 20 more minutes to go!)) Brilliant!

[@mattf3678]

He failed to mention one of the first things I thought of when I ran across this gun years ago. The square ammo fills all that wasted space in the corners with usable powder. A standard magazine has a lot of empty air in it. A G11 magazine is a solid brick of send these down range.

[@aravindpallippara1577]

That's such a interesting point - effectively making the ammunition smaller for the same amount of powder and making it fit better into the magazine

[@BronsonJM]

Mind blown! Such a good point

[@twistedyogert]

How hard would it have been to adapt existing weaponry to use caseless ammo?

[@mattf3678]

@@mattrobson3603 Agreed. The mags are long and would be awkward to carry. This is a fascinating gun but regular bullets are superior.

[@marcusaurelius5560]

Yeah, like a stick of dynamite… wait

[@ultrablue2]

“And low, the angels came down from the heavens with a G11 caseless rifle for Gun Jesus, and we saw that it was good”

[@Kraakesolv]

*lo

[@Breakfast_and_Bullets]

"And St. John Browning wept in Heaven, for man had forgotten the cases of brass. And the LORD saith unto him, 'John, fear not. For the Case will remain. Mankind has not yet understood the G11 which I have given unto them, and they shall abstain, and the Prophets which I have appointed at H&K will be shunned, and called as witches.'"

[@jonharness5314]

"well where's your cleaning rod?" "Forget it, you're not getting into this thing anyway."

[@petrameyer1121]

It had special ammo to clean it. :)

[@HSS_yt]

@@petrameyer1121 then cleaning would be fun

[@duncanmcewen4922]

Great video. I read about the G-11 as a teenager in the 1980’s and always thought it sounded amazing. Frankly it still does. It is a shame that no one adopted it and that caseless ammo weapons have not been further developed. Thanks for showing so much of this very cool relic of what could have been.

[@Lilcyclop]

*G11 briefing* “Alright engineers, take everything you know” “ *AND THROW IT IN THE GARBAGE* ”

[@EzraMerr]

Hahahaha

[@Panga_]

More like: "apply everything you know at the same time" but yeah, both ways end up at the g11

[@planescaped]

"Take everything you know..." ... ... "And?" "And what?

[@AdamWhistle1]

To get this working, they kind of needed all those parts.

[@sidewalks29]

If I have a Country I will pick up this a make a Awesome 25/27/30mm AA cannon for our Troops.

[@MercenaryRandoms]

How to maintain this firearm: 1. Get a PhD in Mechanical Engineering

[@jonasben9649]

@@Marzsala its in fallout 2

[@epauletshark3793]

@@Marzsala a theoretical degree? Those exist?

[@motsu9497]

@@Marzsala what does that even entail what does having something theoretical open the door to I'm intrigued

[@martinhow121]

@@Marzsala A can of WD-40

[@SweetMattieG]

I accidentally read that as medical engineering.

[@dein45d]

This video made me feel like a dog watching the tv, things are happening and I’m excited but I don’t understand why............

[@devilbuster20xx37]

You basically described me watching Evangelion for the first time.

[@damienairalay552]

@@devilbuster20xx37 so true, I had to rewatch the End of Evangelion a couple times before I figured out what the hell actually, happened, lol. That being said it is one of my favorite animes,

[@mercuric5-nitrotetrazole678]

Arthur Mota lol won’t expect to meet Eva fan in the comment section of a gun channel lol

[@damienairalay552]

@@mercuric5-nitrotetrazole678 I'm just a history nut, and a fan of anime, metal, and...browsing the internet at 2 am. Lol.

[@damienairalay552]

I been a fan of this channel for years, and it was a good comparison, lol

[@philh8829]

What an absolute piece of art. Clearly watch makers were involved.

[@TakeshiTao]

Field strip procedure: super simple Detailed strip procedure: throw it away and get a new gun

[@edwardwood6532]

It works for Apple.

[@russell7489]

Detailed strip procedure during fire fight for ANY gun - bend over and kiss you ..... goodbye

[@edwardwood6532]

@@russell7489 Is there field strip strip procedure for a gun during a gunfight where you can come out of it ok?

[@tieck4408]

Clockworks, typewriters, etc you can just dip in solvents for effective cleaning. Maintenance might actually be easier.

[@jacobp.2024]

They should make a tediore version

[@michalniebyl3404]

An HK designer explains: "While working on the action for the G11 rifle we had the support of a local Schwarzwald company called Junghans. The major issue they were struggling with was how to stop the cuckoo from popping up every 60 shots fired."

[@tiagoabiramia]

😂

[@slowbuild4840]

@fullmetaljaco that sounds like something I wanna get into. The company still exists? Do you have more information on it? I like exotic and different things from places other than when I am.

[@God-mb8wi]

@@slowbuild4840 why don't you, y'know, look it up. of course the company still exists. it's just a watch manufacturer. if you like exotic things from places where you're not from, get a cassio or a timex or some other shit if you're not from either Japan or the US. don't spend a shitload of money on something basically worthless, unless it's tiffany or elgin or faberge. OR you could start collecting Soviet watches. dirt cheap and are copies of designs like junghans and other german/european manufactured expensive watches. they look nice and are generally reliable. and won't ruin you finantially.

[@philippos5547]

:-)

[@JorgeOrtizIII]

@fullmetaljaco I was looking at Junghans myself, but got a GREAT deal on a Nomos instead.

[@lyxar777]

Everyone else: "No cases to eject! Everything can be simpler!" Germans: "Not under our watch."

[@dr.animegirlseksgivermd.9659]

the watch or wall-clock?

[@joshuahadams]

@@DemetriusAniketos [Insert East Germany joke here]

[@gaeroot]

How do you eject a faulty round?

[@zidniafifamani2378]

@@gaeroot turn that charging handle 360°

[@gaeroot]

@@zidniafifamani2378 My point being that a faulty cartridge may not behave as a normal cartridge for ejection. Since its not cased either, it can be squashed in some odd location that you now manually have to extract. Imagine the DeserTech 7.62mm MDR having an issue with ejecting a stuck round but now you can't open anything or access the action either - that's the G11 in worst case. But idk, haven't worked with the gun so maybe such a scenario is not possible.

[@jotohomomoto]

I really love the engineering and history of military weapons on this channel and really appreciate the apolitical tone of the script.

[@confuseatronica]

If I owned this gun and could fire it- the first thing I would do is make a clear plastic "stock". How wild would it be to fire this thing and be able to see that automatic wristwatch factory of an action going off right by your ear. It looks like a 1890s mechanical computer powered by small bombs! Choose if you want to do 1 or 3 calculations each time you pull the trigger! For extra accuracy, paint the parts fake brass color and put fake watch jewels over the screw heads.

[@phantomSB1000]

RewardedRocki the G11 was extremely experimental,you’ll only see translucent bodies on H&K’s mass produced weapons.

[@milesgerschefske6231]

Clear bodied, and have all the internals redone in a copper or brass finish.

[@waynehindes3396]

After I watched this I had another video pop up on my feed. Was from like 6 years ago, shows someone firing one and have to say that it did not look at all pleasant. Thing shook and bounced around all over the place. Not sure if I can link it but it was from "Karkanistan" or something like that

[@13lochie]

Ah dude imagine the high speed slow mo.

[@sixstringedthing]

I like your thinking. Plate the internal parts with copper/nickel/brass, plate or paint the optic in brass, give the whole thing a bit of a paint job/aging treatment, then fit a transparent stock... Got yourself an awesome Steampunk Assault Rifle!

[@mostlymessingabout]

They should make the transparent version of this. It'll be brilliant

[@anamusingidiot2565]

“It’s a watch _and_ an assault rifle!”

[@1TieDye1]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIDaoJqrlNqhbdU

[@francescoguzzetta]

Swatch is making them

[@TCIR]

Just go to Home Depot and get some clear paint. SMH 🤦

[@mostlymessingabout]

@@1TieDye1 thanks man. That's amazing

[@watt6248]

"The redstone is simple"

[@Magnus_Ducatus_Chineva]

-mumbo jumbo

[@aksellstavik559]

@@Magnus_Ducatus_Chineva 0⁰00000000000000000⁰000ppppppppp in Agadir in Agadir last season with no loss for

[@supercoolboy8184]

@@aksellstavik559 r u austistic

[@chrizonlozanotventure7466]

@@aksellstavik559 r/ihadastroke

[@dyllankolinen]

Idk why this gives me “The game is fun” vibes but it does

[@williamkennison8920]

Ian, the ejection port not only serves to drop a dud round. It also serves to dump out expended primers allowing for a clean chamber as the next round is placed before going into battery. I've always been fascinated by the G11 since it showed up in the 70s And through the 80s. I wish I could have actually seen this beast in action.

[@ArjunaKunti]

This could be a telescoped cased cartridge design if we eliminate the barrel&mechanism recoil system then...

[@twistedyogert]

I wonder how easily it would be to adapt this to using telescoped cartridges. Basically, this would be the same as caseless ammo, but the propellant and bullet would be inside a casing.

[@TheCpirate9]

Forgotten Weapons: Christmas Special Thanks Ian. You're a blessing.

[@sErgEantaEgis12]

I like how the RCMP in Canada specifically bans the H&K G11 by name despite the fact only a 1000 exist and they're all locked up in a warehouse in Germany.

[@joeydubois]

trudeaus a muffin

[@sErgEantaEgis12]

@@joeydubois It was like this before him.

[@MarkLaLone]

@@sErgEantaEgis12 he's still a muffin tho

[@joshuahadams]

Might be because you pretty much have to fill out a novel’s worth of paperwork to get a regular automatic here. Throw in this with it’s weird ammo you pretty much would need to either get mailed in from H&K, if they still have the hardware to make it, or make it yourself, which would probably be even more paperwork to get caseless ammo production going. I think they said screw it and ignored it so they don’t have to go through all the paperwork.

[@adamabele785]

@@joshuahadams You can´t mail weapons of war in Germany nor any explosives like ammunition. You can not buy it, you can not rent it, you can not borrow it, you can not get your hands on it, you can not have it without breaking some laws unless you are a general and have the permission of the government to do so for testing. But you might be able to see it behind bulletproof glass.

[@virtualinfinity6280]

To those making fun of the complex action: You have to understand the context and the German military doctrine of the day. The G11 is a very cheap, mass produced weapon. It is largely made of stamped parts and the entire action is bolted together. If anything fails, you ditch the gun. Back in the day, the West-German military made the following general assumptions: 1. A war would start on German soil or at least extend to German soil very rapidly. 2. It would be an all-out conflict with the warsaw pact, with massive Soviet forces leading the push 3. The sole purpose of the German Bundeswehr was to fight delaying actions until NATO reinforcements appear in full swing All weapons developed and procured in Germany at the time followed that doctrine. The contemporary leopard 2 MBT for example, was estimated to have a combat lifetime of 9-13 minutes(!). This is the reason, why the Leopard 2 has a very powerful, precise and fast-fireing gun, very high mobility but comparatively bad armor. Armor was not a prime concern, because it would live long enough anway. The same applies to the G11. Masses of these guns could be produced in a very short time without the need of complex fabrication steps, but once fielded, a soldier could put out a massive amount of fire towards the enemy in his very short lifetime. Supply chains were expected to fail early in the conflict, so having a lot of ammo on the soldier straight from the start was preferable. The cited 600 rounds were actually a very big thing back then (altough I remember 500 rounds per soldier being contemplated). The accuracy of the G11 was quite outstanding, especially in the 3-round-burst case. The weapon was mostly sealed and could withstand very hard treatment and conditions. The G11 looks like a relic of a violent past and it really is - if you put it in the proper context, it actually makes a lot of sense.

[@piotrd.4850]

That explains a lot.

[@logion567]

And the best part is you have exactly zero worries of captured examples being used against your side. Both because the ammo is hard to replicate and good luck repairing it if it isn't already in perfect condition

[@maco3893]

I am a german M.A. of History and i have to say that your narrative about the german military doctrin in the cold war is not very accurate and without proper sources. And every calculation about the life time of any tank or any military unit in a WWIII on german soil is pure speculation. The core strategy in the cold war was that the Nato should defend germany with strong military forces against the armies of the warsaw pact as close to the border with the GDR.

[@mccarthy5825]

@@maco3893 I've been reading a book about Able Archer, and another by a RAND analyst who was responsible for planning nuclear strikes... And some other stuff regarding 7 Days to the Rhine etc One of the interesting things I have read, which you could probably clear up, is that due to the unbelievably massive amounts of Soviet armour that would pour through the border, there was a plan to detonate 'neutron' bombs(apparently they really weren't actual neutron bombs) over armour and troop concentrations. The idea is that the burst of radiation goes through the armour and renders the soldiers sick and the armour useless as it is radioactive. The idea is that destruction is minimised but its an effective area denial weapon. But the problem is the bombs radiation doesn't extend very far past its pressure/heat/light destructive force. Just as the OP said the plan seemed to be just slow them down as much as possible. Using nuclear shells in a howitzer and even special forces carrying nuclear demolition charges to destroy bridges, tunnels etc...a part of the book mentioned even using mustard gas shells in large numbers too. I get the idea that the American brass in charge were pretty OK about losing a massive chunk of Europe just to dent the Soviet advance before NATO could retaliate. Were they actually that willing to use nuclear weapons like that (risking escalation to strategic use) or was it, in your opinion, never going to get that far and stick purely to conventional means? Also do you think West Germany would have been tougher to push through than the Soviets and Americans believed?

[@jashirka]

Как у леопарда 2 была лучшая броня среди танков НАТО, разве что у м1а1 с урановой бреней, защита была лучше.

[@Darkstarsquad]

Am I the only one that can't help but remember Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man shooting this with a huge smile on his face.. Every time I see this weapon.

[@darkchild130]

You are not the only one

[@RyanHDR]

"Huh, surprisingly doesn't look too complicated..." *opens it up* "OH DEAR GOD IT'S A SWISS WATCH"

[@januskristensen4930]

It aint a watch its a swiss an 94

[@dave_riots]

@@januskristensen4930 The AN-94 is Russia's way of making an overcomplicated bird feeder. This is just a simplified Swiss watch.

[@januskristensen4930]

@@dave_riots I fuckin' know that

[@SaberToothLawnTigers]

WHAT A GLORIOUS CHRISTMAS!!!

[@adityaparam8736]

Kacper 89 should I report it for you?

[@danak8863]

2020 civilian me sees G11 and says "wow, that's pretty cool." 2008 Infantry NCO me sees Ian open it up "OH GOD NO!!!!"

[@kaltsssit]

Gonna need the WHOLE thing cleaned before you can turn it into the armory.

[@karstenschuhmann8334]

@@kaltsssit Well, there is no dirt in the gun breach because it is permanently engaged. This is the advantage of rotating bearings in contrast to linear bearings.

[@CircaSriYak]

OH LAWD NO

[@jeffreyskoritowski4114]

I wouldn't have to open that POS. That easy to break charging handle is a show stopper on its own.

[@Eye_of_a_Texan]

@@jeffreyskoritowski4114 It really wouldn't take much R&D to replace that with a better charging handle, but yeah, the whole thing looks like a headache from an organizational stand point. You don't want to change too much too fast. You'll confuse the lemmings.

[@Canonfudder]

Congrats to jim.. his toy is awesome. Also, wish Ian had referenced the Machinegun Version of the G11 that was planned. Solid Block magazine with x many rounds, inserted as a kind of shoulderstock..

[@ayushbaghmar6257]

Military : hey HK, what if this complicated clock malfunctions during a fire fight? HK : good question! So we have a package deal offering a 2yrs master's degree in mechanical engineering for every soldier...

[@markjacobson8878]

In the middle of a firefight? You do the same thing as you do with any other gun if it malfunctioned. Find a weapon that hasn't misfunctioned because if the malfunction is any more complicated than a misfire, you don't have time to deal with it.

[@FilmFlam-8008]

@@markjacobson8878 No. There are different types of malfunctions that can be cleared in less than 1-2 seconds. A stovepipe is not a misfire, but it is cleared just by racking the gun. A major, malfunction, sure, but most malfunctions can be cleared with your trigger hand still near the trigger. If your AK or M16 gets a stovepipe in a moderate range firefight, you are not dropping it to search around for a different weapon or pulling out your handgun.

[@VenerhiaStellarvore]

the thing about such mechanisms is not only that theyre complex but theyre also really sturdy, well built and held together AKA not alot of loose, non wanted friction and other windows for failures. its built compactly and really hard to disassemble because its that well made and even if it fucks up somehow, you could probably just swap the whole assembly with a spare one faster than how he did in the video. Also mechanicly wise, it doesnt seem that complex, farm implements got more complex mechanisms than that and theyre still in wide use to this day.

[@FilmFlam-8008]

@@VenerhiaStellarvore The issue is with the ammo as well. It is nowhere near as versatile as normal rounds. Much more fragile and prone to failures, especially in transportation. You can swap out an AK or AR 30 round mag in less than a second, while being very rough with it. Additionally, right tolerances is not always ideal when you talk about sand and other FME getting into and gumming up still. That is why the AK is generally more resilient than the AR, it can deal with much less tight tolerances.

[@keithsimpson2685]

I mean Germany literally has Free college. Real countries do.

[@Bhatakti_Hawas]

In this guns's case, there is no case I hereby rest my case

[@kylefitz.2639]

can I steal your case?

[@corsicacommander8371]

Cute

[@Ektalon]

Jai ShriRam Get off my case, man.

[@TestarossaF110]

what case?

[@icantthink]

I had to say something ... Just in case.

[@Mac_in_the_Hat]

Imagine a guy so nice that he gifts upon us such a video on his own birthday.

[@ariald869]

Good one

[@TUKByV1]

I see what you did there.

[@SgtKOnyx]

Gun Jesus isn't actual Jesus

[@deadpool8221]

@@SgtKOnyx prove it

[@bublgumclaymore]

Nice

[@uweweidner8229]

Ich durfte das G11 im Jahr 1990 in der Grundausbildung im Rahmen eines Truppenversuches mal schießen. Also ich muss sagen das Teil war Gut. Ich fand es Schade das es diese Waffe nie in die Truppe geschafft hat. Die war präzise , relativ Leicht und gut zu Schießen. Das war Technik auf hohem Niveau.

[@redj7930]

I'd say it's some of the most cutting-edge engineering work of mankind. I feel honored to see it out in the world. I think the futuristic design used on this gun is still too early for us today, but it could be me. My thinking is still stuck in the 2000s or even earlier. After all, people in the past would think complex products were cool. But when it comes to weapons, what we are popular now is a simple style with good performance and versatility. I will tend to use this gun as a prototype. Just like smokeless gunpowder and M1886

[@Kiiw3y]

So zufrieden ich mit dem G36 auch bin hätte ich lieber das G11 bekommen. Hast du das Gewehr im Rahmen des Truppenversuches auch zerlegen müssen? Das stelle ich mir bei dem Brocken anstrengend vor

[@jakethreesixty]

The best part is that H&K have _themselves_ referred to it as "Kraut Space Magic"

[@Aereton]

Keep the design but make it a futuristic impulse rifle and you've got the perfect weapon for a space faring scifi fascist regime. kinda like the Helghast in Killzone lol

[@TotallyNotAFox]

@@Aereton More like scifi communist, looking at our current government ^^

[@naggie6358]

@@Aereton behold, ladies and gentlemen of the internet, the simplest and fastest way to show that you can't win an argument

[@PedroThePanda64]

If only it was named the H&K KSM

[@TRak598]

Pretty much every nation enrolled in World Wars got a half assed codename. OFC Germany also got the whole shame of the war crimes commited in WW2, but one thing is not dependant on the other.

[@JonSmith-yq1dw]

Gun Jesus came down on the 25th day of the 12th month and gave a present so epic it made my Christmas look weak in comparison.

[@GrOuNdZeRo7777]

Gun Jesus brought us the ultimate piece of "German Engineering".

[@obobobobobi]

The inside mechanism looks like a cool German Clock probably came out of third reichs scrap book.

[@nc_classics_9610]

Jon Smith Hallelujah lets us rejoice and praise him. Hope Baby Gun Jesus comes soon.

[@kingarthur5110]

Literally the only gun you need a master's degree in engineering to clean.

[@germanvisitor2]

"I have a bachelor's degree in engineering." "You are not even good enough to clean my gun."

[@samhays836]

AN94 is a thing too

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

Sure most clock makers could service the gun.

[@ElBandito]

Or be a German.

[@cameronhanna367]

This thing is awesome, so long as the heat problem is workable I think we’re seeing the eventual future of fire arms here. Less moving parts and three times as much ammunition are huge selling points

[@soviet_salsa2983]

i have a feeling the armorers in the Bundeswehr let out a happy sigh when they found out they were not going to use the G11

[@hugopepe1722]

"good news, we will adopt the L85 instead!"

[@murkywateradminssions5219]

Yaaaaaaay *ohhhhh Scheisber!!*

[@hawkeye5955]

@@murkywateradminssions5219 : Scheiße

[@borufilm]

"The Porsche of assault rifles. This rifle goes from 0 to 3 rounds in under a second, and tears through Kevlar like butter." --JA2

[@hughneutron5303]

also way to over complicated for your average person

[@prestonsamson3674]

Nate Silva Russians: Easy, cheap, and easy to throw away. Germans: Super complicated, EXPENSIVE cuz y not oh and 3 rounds super quick.

[@plesnivyzajac]

it's unfortunate that you have to kill Mike in order to get it

[@CMDRSweeper]

@@plesnivyzajac In later mods to the game, Mike has replaced his trusty G-11 with an experimental US LMG that runs caseless ammo AKA the LSAT. The G-11 was a great rifle until you started to get into the Rocket rifles at the end of the vanilla JA2 game.

[@raulandrus]

plesnivyzajac yes... I mean... otherwise he kills you

[@witmoreluke]

The dummy assembly is inscribed with "Jim's Toy", which is just delightful. 23:27 Thanks Jim.

[@venerablebastard2064]

Nice catch!

[@phillycheesesteak1979]

Thanks!

[@overlordvera4014]

:soldier about to disassemble his g11 for the first time while talking to fellow soldier: ah, ive always enjoyed german craftsmanship. Nothing says quality li-:slips off butt stock cover:............ :slowly slips it back on: no.

[@LEsconz]

"WOW HOLD ON HANS, was ist das sheisse ?!"

[@john-paulsilke893]

German soldier takes one look, too simple, needs a twin turbo and a computer controlled efi system.

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

Look space to store 'meine handi' as well.

[@JamesAdams-bd9df]

This guy gets his hands on some of the most incredible stuff on the planet.

[@AuRennes.z2]

@Dávid Lakatos Precisely! I'd love to hear Doug describe the Quirks

[@howler6490]

Gen-you-wine steam punk action! Truly awesome bit of over-engineering made to look simple by Ian...well done sir. I would love to see one in action...

[@Huttares]

I wish I could have his job

[@tumetal]

Uh yea... that's the idea. It's kinda implied in the name of the channel. Good insight.

[@midnight_commander]

Pulls off the front: "what a cute little barrel." Pulls off the back: "holy christ that's complicated."

[@TRak598]

Every german firing system ever...

[@oopsiesidied]

@@TRak598 Every German technological advancement or project ever... XD

[@HansPeter_]

They had the Same Problem in ww2

[@fashionsoulsonlysouls5575]

Heh, ain’t that a cute lil’ gun

[@SgtJohnRemairez]

@@TRak598 I thought the 98 Mauser bolt action rifle was simplistic...

[@RussellBond-dk6dj]

I was at APG as part of the team that tested this beauty the major problems we had where with the ammunition not the weapon. It had severe fouling problems, otherwise I loved it very ergo dynamic and comfortable to shoot from any position .

[@zimbabweofficial1002]

When the G11 fails in the battlefield you simple pull it apart and use the built-in metal club (21:43) to eliminate the enemy

[@nichevo1]

That's not a club, that's a Terminator's left arm!

[@yangcheng-jyun8542]

I think disassembling even AK's bolt in combat situation is rather impractical......most of the malfunction on G11 seems can easily be solved by working the action

[@thkarape]

It kinda looks like one of the engine-based weapons from FFXV tbqh.

[@nichevo1]

@@yangcheng-jyun8542 I think it's highly necessary that they improvise a second chamber rammer in the detachable grip clean tool. It's totally foreseeable that there will be a gun that's been immersed for a week, or the magazine was or the stripper clip was or the soldier was who was wearing it, plus maybe heat and humidity and chemicals, and somehow or other there's always going to be a chamber that has to be cleared properly meaning mucking out a half sodden half deflagrated chunk of sensitive plastic probably still smoking and burning hot. The onboard chamber rammer/ejector solution better be *solid.* Even so some dogface would have it to do. If that entire cylinder containing the chamber could be QD/ejected from the action that could be a quick field serviceable repair that would save the gun/return the shooter to action. How deep is the data that these rifles are fit for purpose? German procurement thorough? Honest? Without bias? Like or unlike ours? 😇🙈🙉🙊

[@collinmclaren6608]

Looks like something a holy angel would wield in a war against heaven and hell.

[@EvilTim1911]

This is like the anti-AK in terms of design complexity

[@Sammie1053]

The more I think about it the more accurate this is AK: heavy, relatively inaccurate, made of wood and milled/stamped metal, mostly unchanged since the 1940s, requires practically no maintenance and yet will likely still function at the heat death of the universe. G11: lightweight, relatively accurate, made of precision machined metal in a polymer housing, finished development in the late 80s, is designed to be borderline disposable in part because maintenance is damn near impossible so the service life is guaranteed to be short.

[@TheRealL1R]

@@Sammie1053 >inaccurate weve got a fudd

[@casual_speedrunner1482]

@@Sammie1053 >inaccurate Someone takes their gun knowledge from video games it seems?

[@casual_speedrunner1482]

More like the anti-STEN. The AK actually has some pretty smart engineering and while simple enough that most people with cursory gun knowledge can maintain it, it's definitely got some complexity. Meanwhile, the STEN is just a fucking angry metal tube.

[@gipsydangeramericasmonster9632]

@@casual_speedrunner1482 an angry metal tube that hurts, but does the job well. Still prefer the stg

[@gamerguy425]

That room looks like every "hidden emergency armrory" behind a book case in action movies

[@sardekar]

DAS GREY ROOM

[@Klaaism]

Wonder if they have a black room

[@weSteh]

The room they go to when they are going to get even !

[@nekogudo1469]

Looks like the hidden armory of some scientist

[@xtflogicalohio3044]

I counted at least 2 or 3 G36 type wepons. maybe a 36K carbine as well

[@andrewsinclair7159]

The G-11 is futuristic, but it's the kind of future you travel back in time to prevent from happening.

[@tumetal]

nah

[@andrewsinclair7159]

@@tumetal yeh

[@tumetal]

yup nah...@@andrewsinclair7159

[@ArjunaKunti]

If they knew the costs they would probably terminate its development back in ~1978 after the first unsuccesful NATO trials.

[@silmeerman9471]

Funnily enough in the game cruelty squad it's a widely adopted rifle, and that game takes place in a dystopian sewege Infused garbage future

[@BallofJustice]

"Gorman, what do those pulse rifles fire?" "10mm explosive tip caseless, standard armor piercing round, why?"

[@rolfcziczkus4481]

Alien 2 :) @David Daivdson

[@erikrasmussen7953]

Well look where your team is. They're right under the primary heat exchangers.

[@jasonkauppinen3475]

@David Daivdson Well what do you expect soldiers to use? Harsh language?

[@SteadyDecline-zc8mp]

Pvt. Hicks: *pulls out a pump action ithaca m.37.* “I like to keep this handy, for close encounters.”

[@BallofJustice]

@@SteadyDecline-zc8mp I heard that

[@chrisdugas1226]

German scientists : * Thinks about a caseless-ammunition semi-auto rifle * *Proceeds to make this space gun thing* Me : * Thinks about a caseless-ammunition semi-auto rifle * *Ties 10 muskets together*

[@ashyoung42007]

*heaves musket pile into shoulder* The future of firearms.

[@bill_skills]

It's not only a semi-auto rifle, it can also be used as a shotgun

[@BattleManiac7]

@@bill_skills And with that mass and bulk, a battering ram XD

[@tashkent561]

@@BattleManiac7 No, it can also be used as artillery.

[@MrJustonemorevoice]

(Pulls off the front cover) "Well that looks pretty normal" (Pulls off the back cover) *Internal screaming*

[@KuntChitface]

HAHA

[@PeanutTrismegistus]

Thank you so much Ian. I know that the memes and everything are annoying and tiresome, but you are truly the best firearms channel on KZbin. This is a gift that we all wish we could reciprocate!

[@HE-162]

James Flowers he’s the best channel on KZbin period. Guaranteed a sizable portion of his viewers aren’t even gun people - this is as much engineering porn as it is gun porn. Hell, it might be more so.

[@TheGimilkhad]

@@HE-162 im not a gun person at all, never handled a proper one, the history and engineering and Ian's thoroughness are what keep me watching ever single video. I even recommended this channel to people with very little interest in firearms.

[@sergeantbigmac]

Ya as far as gun channels go, I think he might just have the largest percentage of 'non-gun' type people following. Its pretty impressive when a person can bridge those major divides and one of the many reasons I appreciate the work Ian does.

[@StanislavG.]

I'm a liberal and I think this channel is the best thing that's happening on KZbin.

[@brenokrug7775]

I think he actually enjoys the memes. No wonder Gun Jesus uploaded his most requested video on Christmas hahahaha

[@kollegahsterin]

Finally, 75 years late, we have ourselves the long expected *Wunderwaffe*

[@Jademyheart]

Whole bloody video was waffle!! Too much man ,just too much 😵😵😵😵👎👎😵😵😵😵

[@nottatan8316]

When can we expect the thundergun?

[@patrick-xu1go]

Iamtrash no no that’s from Mother Russia

[@duncanharrell5009]

But first we need the DG-3JZ

[@captain.kaboom]

Perkaholic No, Thundergun was supervised by Group 935 agents and is the Wunderwaffe DG-3 codenamed “Thundergun”. The Siberian Russian version was a reverse engineering of this that we got in Tag der Toten, the “Tundragun”.

[@zekekennedy1922]

it feels like this gun is one of the few guns that would actually be simpler if it was ran with circuitry

[@SankoshSaha_01]

I hate electronics

[@lordanonimmo7699]

The problem is that adding electronics you would also have to worry about one more thing,and would basically make the cadtridges more expensive or the weapon discardable.

[@GeorgeCowsert]

@@lordanonimmo7699 I think the intended joke was to replace some of the complicated and easy to damage mechanisms with electronics that simplify the process. It's one thing to see a massive watch-like mechanism and have to carefully keep track of pins and screws. It's another thing to just make sure a circuitboard is plugged in the right way around.

[@lordanonimmo7699]

@@GeorgeCowsert Yeah,but it is also one thing to such a electronic system to endure so much stress and heat that comes from a weapon.It would just be easier to broke.

[@GeorgeCowsert]

@@lordanonimmo7699 hey, the Minigun uses electricity to run and works pretty well. I'm just saying the G11 could've been actually usable if it used electronics.

[@lancervance8294]

This was one of my favorite weapons to use in an old PC game called Global Operations (2002) made by Barking Dog Studios (who then turned into Rockstar).

[@micabryt]

Excited to play it someday, Call of Duty Black Ops was my intro!

[@ascended8174]

This looks like something a scientist hiding in Kowloon would use when he’s running away from the Russian special forces

[@segalman]

lol😂

[@lt.x-02s-wyvern25]

@@segalman How would he even get his hands on it

[@venturatheace1]

"You're very well prepared for a deadman"

[@ascended8174]

@@venturatheace1 Just because I accept the inevitability of my fate, it does not mean I'm in any hurry to embrace it

[@segalman]

@@ascended8174 whatever you say english