France in the Cold War: AA52 Replaces the Hotchkiss

[@BaqTalk]

The barrel removed, and the stock closed is one of the most Star-Wars looking things I've ever seen.

[@tarmaque]

Now I just need a couple private hours with one and some silicon mold making supplies.

[@MrEvan312]

I just now got to that point and thought the same thing: it'd need little dressing up to look very at home as a form of blaster carbine.

[@DrSabot-A]

I can understand why, the receiver's overall shape looks VERY similliar to the DC-15A rifle blaster, even the sight assembly too

[@marcusfanning7513]

it reminded me of one of those fucked up modifications you can do to world war 2 weapons in call of duty lol

[@blake1814]

Could put it right into the movies and I would be able to tell

[@Actually_Robin]

More French stuff that looks like a bunch of WW2 guns welded together by a few marines on aderal.... I love it

[@christophersilsby7829]

When you get a bunch of GERMAN ARMY WEAPONS that were collected by the French people, you can use them to upgrade and get better ideas for your New weapon system, without paying to much for a prototype. Sometime this prototype will be close in looks to the production models because it works very well.

[@Payne427]

(Holds up a piece of round stock) "Hey! Bob! Can we do something with this?!"

[@sebastiannicolaikaupe5175]

The moment he took the barrel out, the rest of the gun immediately looked like some contraption right at home at a Star Wars set.

[@judgejimbobrowntown7600]

Lol good analogy

[@jordanmills6231]

best comment ever 🤣💀

[@jean-loupdesbordes4833]

I made a lot of bull's eye shots at 200 m with the 7.62 version during my military service in 72, it was my favorite gun, we also had training with the MAS 49/56 carbine but their setup was so shitty that it was difficult to get consistancy between two shots.

[@melee-dexterdexterious2878]

Probably wear and tear after long years of heavy usage was the culprit.. I don't think the French army high brass were so dumb to let this took place..

[@florentleider222]

J'étais à La Palice , aspirant service de santé, et je m'étais acoquiné avec un aspi de La Rochelle (du Train) et quand il y avait une séance de tir du Train, (merci à l'Aspirant Farine avec ses Ducks) j'y allais avec mon ambulance (!) et je m'amusais bien dans mon coin. A 200 m, avec l'AA52 je ne quittais pas un bidon d'huile, cette arme était super sympa. J'ai utilisé le 49-56 pendant mes classes (Souge) et après mon SM (TNV Versailles) , pas beaucoup de recul mais la précision, bah, une arme était bonne si H+ L = 40 cm à 200 m, pas top. Vieux souvenirs (classe 69/1 il y a 52 ans...

[@geekmansegraves]

I don't think I've seen a bone-stock gun look so perfect as a Star Wars heavy blaster.

[@Larken42]

Roger roger

[@gfarrell80]

I believe the Stormtrooper squad that was responding to the Tantooine space port in the original Star Wars actually had one of these as a prop gun.

[@geekmansegraves]

@@gfarrell80 i know of the Lewis Gun and MG-42 derived props. Guess it's time for a rewatch!

[@gfarrell80]

@@geekmansegraves I stand corrected, I gave it a re-watch and I don't think it is in there. Definitely looks like it could have played the part though.

[@asn413]

you beat me to it! Good call :)

[@theobuzat9091]

I asked for you to review this thing 2 years ago (in the 25mm Puteaux AT gun)... My life is now fufilled ^^ Thank you Ian, you're the best out there. We, the French gun lovers, adore your work and I wish it all the best. Merci

[@louierenault7344]

did we find more holy 8mm french

[@francislematt7079]

not until the 50bmg version of this (MAC 58) is covered by Ian

[@PedroHenrique-dh3bq]

@@louierenault7344 there's nothing holy about 8mm Lebel

[@djl5634]

To bad french people can't have firearms. Sad so many people gave up their own rights.

[@djl5634]

@@Someone-hd2vu yes it's sad. I love french military rifles. I own a mas 49 56 with the grenade launcher. Love it.

[@avilhelm1697]

7:45 that's now a star wars blaster. The French truly are pioneers in their field.

[@Zorglub1966]

It works with the MG34 too.

[@KyuMachi]

Thought I was the only one who saw it 🤣

[@ecarlate]

it was my favorite guns when i did my military time at the end of the 80's.... my unit still had the 7.5mm version lol... very reliable, lovely weapon, very precise, easy to control the trigger and shot single shot with it. for the stock, fire range officer had a joke with them, they were all put with stock at minimum and were laughing when soldier pull the charging handle back and took the stock in their face

[@alaincharlesleroy87]

In 1983 i also used it when i was in the french army, i had the ANF1 in 7,62 mm nato . Only a few AA52 in 7,54 mm for the milatary coatching

[@bastienrannou6346]

Parlez vous en français les gars du coup.🤣

[@Ozuhananas]

@@bastienrannou6346 Parler en anglais dans les commentaires d'uune vidéo anglophone permet d'interagir avec plus de monde, pas besoin de limiter uniquement aux francophones

[@jean-loupdesbordes4833]

@@bastienrannou6346 ça arrive

[@mardiffv.8775]

@@bastienrannou6346 Do both French and English = everybody happy. And....it gives foreigners the change to learn French with the English translation. Saying Hi from the Netherlands/ Les Pays Bas.

[@Meldonator]

Lots of fun memories. Had to operate one during my service. Not too heavy so it was ok for any terrain. The blank cartridges were a nightmare (plastic cartrudge without any powder...one shot one malfunction) I had to make special effects so got sore throat at the end of the day, my ammo carrier/observer also used to stay 10m behind me shooting on my back with his MAT 49 during exercise... Really glad I didn't have to rely on him :D

[@vincentkermorgant]

The 7.5 blanks had powder in them, quite a bit in fact. We used to cut open the plastic tips and start camp fires with the powder

[@bakbakpremierdunom3241]

Thanks thanks thanks Ian to cover my sweet loved ANF1, I served this gun for years in French marine corp, it was such a pleasant gun to shoot, and such an efficient weapons that with my ob50 (x3.2 scope) I could make singles at 600 metres and shot down the swinging targets for the frf2's shooter, which pissed them off every time we did go on the range together.

[@matthayward7889]

I wondered when Ian would get to cover this weird, very French machine gun. I always thought it stood out amongst the usual GPMG, PK, M60 etc. in my books as a kid

[@stoneylonesome4062]

It’s so weirdly French, it might as well be a Citroën.

[@alexb7641]

He was actually "covered" in this French machine gun. French women don't shave their pits, and french men don't clean their guns.

[@vincentkermorgant]

@@samholdsworth420 the english rotten teeth entered the chat

[@Man_fay_the_Bru]

@@samholdsworth420could be worse..could be italian

[@korbetthein3072]

Ah, the wonderful sounds of Euro-bickering. It warms the cockles of my cold heart.

[@wesleythomas1594]

Finally, the French machine gun I have been waiting for you to cover for years. The AA-52/AAT-52/AA NF-1 series of GPMGs are really interesting weapons. They were more widely used and exported than generally realized or acknowledged, indeed, it was by far the most exported French small arm of the post war period, especially as armor and aircraft guns since France exported so many armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) over the years, especially vehicles like the Panhard AML series of armored cars, the AMX-VCI MICV, the AMX-30 main battle tank, the superlative AU-F-1 (GCT) 155mm self propelled gun and others, as well as aircraft such as the Aérospatiale (later Eurocopter now Airbus Helicopters) Puma, Super Puma, and Cougar medium helicopters. According to an old buddy who was in the French Air Force back in the 80’s, the “Nana”, as the gun was fondly referred to, was pretty popular and a fairly reliable machine gun. It did have the unfortunate tendency to mangle brass due to its fairly violent initial extraction, and brass fired from an AA-52 or AA-NF-1 is identifiable by the markings from the flutes on the inside of the receiver and barrel extension. These guns first got into service starting in April 1956 with the FFA in Germany. The first AA-52s were not produced until February 1956, when MAC manufactured the first 200 guns. The French army would not officially take delivery of any AA-52s until the 5th of April 1956. Contrary to some earlier reports, the weapon was far too late to see any action during the French Indochina War of 1946-1954, and there seems to be no photographic evidence of any use in Indochina of the 100 pre-series guns built by MAC during the late summer and early fall of 1952. After doing much photo research of French units operating at Suez in October and November 1956 (especially refer to the lavishly illustrated and excellent "Suez, 1956" by Paul Gaujac, Lavauzelle, Paris CEDEX, 1986) it seems that none of the units deployed there were equipped with AA-52s, instead the MAC FM-24/29 remained ubiquitous in the LMG/squad auto role. The gun does not consistently show up in photography from the Algerian War of 1954-1962 until ca. June 1959; however, there is a photo in another source of troops of the 3ème RPC waiting to board Aéronavale Piasecki H-21s who are equipped with an AA-52 which may have been taken as early as November 1956; however, it seems more likely that this shot was taken during the Djeurf operation of April 1958 (see bottom of page 18 "Hélicoptères et Commandos-Marine en Algerie, 1954-1962" by René Bail, Lavauzelle, Paris CEDEX, 1983). In Algeria the AA-52 would gradually replace the FM-24/29 as the standard squad automatic weapon in the Para units, then spread into other units, gradually replacing the multiplicity of machine guns (.30 cal M-1919A4 medium MG, 8mm Lebel Hotchkiss Mle. 1914 HMG, 7.5x54mm Mle. 1931 “Riebel” fortress and armor machine guns employed as ground guns, the U.S. M-1918A2 BAR etc…) then in French service. They would serve through Afghanistan and Operations Serval and Barkhane in Mali, but, in a process not unlike the U.S.’ discarding of the M-60 GPMG, they are now being progressively replaced in the French army by the more or less contemporaneous FN MAG due to wear and tear, and the fact that the MAG is demonstrably the best GPMG in the world and hard to top.

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

The MAG is also much better for body builders.

[@wesleythomas1594]

@@JohnHughesChampigny I suppose, the AA-52 still weighs in at at à pretty respectable 22 pounds (with the light barrel it’s around 19.5 or so) with the heavy barrel, just a mere 4 pounds less than the MAG.

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

French engineers: "What system should we use? Nothing too rare." Hungarian engineer: "We have such sights to show you!" *Proceeds to flip the bird at Gebauer Ferenc and his engine-driven weapons.

[@joshmeads]

It's nice to see some coverage of this AA52. There is very little content on KZbin.

[@tohkai1959]

There's honestly plenty, in the form of ANF1 (re chambered for NATO 7.62) and it's used widely in cavalry regiments

[@joshmeads]

@@tohkai1959 search for AA52, there's barely anything, no videos on its workings, barely any firing, ect.

[@tohkai1959]

@@joshmeads because most are actually aanf1. I used that gun.

[@joshmeads]

@@tohkai1959 that's pretty cool, was it a good gun? Still there isn't much video on KZbin, no matter which name you search for.

[@joshmeads]

@@zoiders I'll have to check that out, I didn't seer it in the search.

[@enricopaolocoronado2511]

While I still like the PKM and the M60, the design of the AA52 has this alien charm to it due to the way it looks to me.

[@Nankech]

Would look great as a Star Wars rifle :)

[@notforsaletoday1895]

Seems like something Captain Rex would ditch for his duel blaster pistols.

[@kimmoj2570]

Just stay with PKM, MAG, MG3, etc.. That contraption does not have much reputation.

[@Gameprojordan]

@@kimmoj2570 obviously those guns are better, but there's just a sort of charm to these odd ball guns

[@kimmoj2570]

@@Gameprojordan Not really huge difference. Just the very edge of relibiality in harsh enviroments. Which is for squad/platoon/company level very important. The 1 weapon which can not fail, else squad or 2 men get killed. The 3 kings of GPMGs just run, whatever comes, maybe PK slightly above others. We Finns and their origin country surely have deep freezed them enough. PKM works in minus 30 celsius no problem. Reports from Afg seems to reinforce its reputation.

[@linusfehr4837]

One of my favorite MGs of all time. Love the simplicty, no airbrushing on this thing.

[@H2ORaccoon]

Of all the guns ever made, this is truly one of them

[@A.Chp-Schweppes]

I've served 18 years (2003 - 2001) in the French Navy and the AA52 and the AAN-F1 were still our (obsolete?) machine-gun on each side of the different ships' bridges I've been posted on. Training excepted, I only used the AA52 once off the coast of Somalia against a pirate dhow (boat).

[@Mr.T-Grimes]

I dont know if Ian has a scrip he goes off of, but I think the reason Ive enjoyed these videos for 5 years now is how he just sounds like a teacher that's *obviously* very good at his subject. Also the facial hair

[@AshleyPomeroy]

It's like watching someone who knows a lot about Lego taking apart a complicated Lego spaceship, and then putting it back together again - while dropping little historical tidbits.

[@joelnotsure2871]

FTR, I worked the camera on a bunch of early FW videos and Ian never used a script. Didn’t take reshoots or coverage, either. Never met such a natural. Given that his style hasn’t changed an iota since then, I’d bet money he still doesn’t.

[@randallraszick6001]

Gun Jesus will absolve you of your gun handling sins if you perform penance through training.

[@jhnshep]

Spent quite some time lugging around the AANF1, we always had two barrels, but only one bipod, changing the barrel would mean changing over the bipod, which was a pain when everything is hot.

[@bloakey]

I used to carry the original AA52. It was a lovely weapon chambered in 7.5. It also had nice little touches such as the hook on the strap for quick release and the 'mono pied' at the rear. Good weapon, good times.

[@jeanchristophedelaplanche8970]

In the 80' and 90', I often used this machine gun in the french army and I appreciated this AA52 , it was so reliable and easy to field strIpped

[@charlesstoeng9166]

Good weapon! Simple, reliable, and washable in the big dishwasher in the mess hall. Bit tricky to change barrel when hot. Any mistake immediately sanctioned with fried hands.

[@halkyuusen8626]

I wondered if the tiny latch right on the quick change barrel was accident bait.

[@Girder3]

HOT DAMN, I have been waiting for Ian to do a video on this machine gun for years!

[@parrotraiser6541]

With the obvious virtues of the weapon, it's surprising no-one else plagiarised it. The lever-delayed blowback looks very suitable for a powerful pistol.

[@makeintoschu]

Powerful pistols aren't a too popular thing. I would see this system in some PCC, though;)

[@randompanda876]

“The French copy no one, and no one copies the French”

[@makeintoschu]

@@randompanda876 besides Black Arrow.

[@vincentkermorgant]

There is a drawback to lever delayed systems: they require flutted chambers which , unless the barrel is cold forged, are more expensive. They are also a lot more pickier on ammunition than gas locked bolts

[@niksarass]

@@randompanda876 I have heard a few times but it is quite innacurate

[@petesheppard1709]

Maybe it's the era I grew up in, but those old stark, parkerized firearms appeal to me. While watching this, Chap's video popped up; nice to see how your videos complement each other. 😎

[@flavortown3781]

I love the design and look of the all stamped and forged guns on the mid 50s early 60s. The nuclear age has such a starwarsesque aesthetic

[@MrMopolopy]

During my time as a reservist, we didn't get acquainted with the ANF1 but instead, to my surprise, with the FN MAG !

[@theronraam23]

I only know of this gun even existing due to an excellent French zombie horror movie called "The Horde" in which a French Vietnam vet named Rene' weilds one and mows down literal hordes firing from the hip.

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Great film. Sort of a cross between your average Zombie film and _Attack On Precinct 13_

[@theronraam23]

@@JohnHughesChampigny underrated af

[@Atma_Weapon]

this thing looks like a star wars blaster without the barrel. on that note, i think battlefront 2 used this gun as a basis for one of the heavy blasters.

[@wizardapprenticeIV]

i think i know the one you are on about, i always thought it was a MHG-34. Admittedly they do look rather similar

[@matthewivans8590]

Scrolled down here to post this myself

[@jfbft5007]

I have use it during my first years in the french gendarmerie and we had one in the 80', in the garden of the Palais de l'Elysée, the french président résidence. Very faithful and reliable machine gun, easy to use and, for a machine gun, relatively accurate.

[@halldak1119]

Always a pleasure to learn about another French firearm from Ian

[@PawFromTheBroons]

I had one spit its firing pin with spent casing, once. Not the kind of malfunction you expect on the firing range. Too bad, we were really ripping it, much to the chagrin of those who were showing off, being just returned from a deployment in Chad.

[@RussellBond-b3z]

I know a guy that did 25 years in the French Forien Legion and he has nothing but good things to say about this weapon, he especially liked the ease of carry when broken down he bragged about it over our M-60

[@Grasyl]

13:27 The bolt head and the additional mass moving simultaneously. The additional mass has no force driving it, but the movement of the baldhead. The additional mass moves as soon as the bolt head moves backwards, but its forced by the leaver to move faster then the bolt head, therefore more force is "absorbed" as if the case would be if the additional mass would be moving the same speed as the bolt head.

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

Everyone is so used to locked breach weapons that it's just hard to talk about delayed blowback without confusion. As you say the bolt head starts moving back *immediately*, just very very slowly as it has to accelerate the additional mass faster.

[@dariuszgyukin774]

I've waited so long for this one, always looked interesting to me. Thanks Ian, keep it up :)

[@saiberunato]

The AA52 is one of the most neglected general purpose machine guns in official use by a major military. That and the South African SS-77 and Japanese Sumitomo Type 62. Wish you would profile those machine guns on your channel one day.

[@flatbunny]

Back in the day some friends and I used to play a tabletop RPG called Twilight 2000. It was set in post World War III Europe and you play as NATO and/or Warsaw Pact soldiers trying to survive in the apocalypse. The AAT-52 was the standard machine guns for France in the game and was still chambered in 7.5mm. Now in the game they state that "the weapons blowback extraction system tends to rip cartridge cases in half, leaving a ring brass in the barrel". It goes on the say that French troops learned to deal with this by greasing the cartridges and that troops unaware of the need to do this run the risk of the gun jamming. There was a 1 in 10 chance of it happening if you fired. No idea if that is true or not but it did add a bit of personality to the gun.

[@eeshsinger]

Wow, exactly 2 days ago I was researching about this very gun and now Ian's doing a showcase on it? Awesome

[@georgebarkemeyer2003]

Now mount it to a 2cv an you have a fighting vehicle of unsurpassed vibes.

[@a16thcenturypeasant98]

wait until you see the paratrooper vespa with integrated bazooka

[@brittakriep2938]

There had been a ,van' or ,truck' variant of 2CV with light armamenr, but i don' t remember if it was a .50 machine gun or a light recoilless gun.

[@randallraszick6001]

Vive la France!

[@kikichevy]

Yes! I love this gun. My dad was in the FFL in the early 80s, he was a machine gunner and used it. He loved the thing, great gun.

[@LilBurdJJ]

Have this gun ever featured in any Star Wars movies? Seems like a nice space rifle.

[@mysticprophecy5395]

Looks exactly like what the clones or stormtroopers use

[@madkaris7224]

Love this weapon, old but very efficient.

[@Panos-xo9rc]

At last,the AA52,but there is also the swiss MG51 for esoteric gpmg's.And the south african SS77.

[@MofomanV2]

Don’t forget the Japanese Type 62 GPMG

[@Panos-xo9rc]

@@MofomanV2 we pray to thou,gun Jesus.

[@ItsYoruBTW]

Funny when a new cod gun gets announced I immediately come to this channel for no reason

[@johnd0e25]

Your pronunciation of Mulhouse is hilarious :D Regardless of that, thanks a lot for the work you're doing in documenting our firearms history.

[@beargillium2369]

Thanks again Ian for your work, I for one very much appreciate the subtitles and the work put in there 👍

[@JethroDyx]

Can’t get enough of Cold War weapons

[@JohnDoe-vm5rb]

Ian talking about their cartridge conversion complacency at 3:50 makes me know how and why this gun is forgotten.

[@JohnHughesChampigny]

But it's not forgotten, it's still in service.

[@EgaoKage]

As someone who's designed and built several machines of various types, I find this machine gun, in particular, to be quite elegant in its design. Simplicity and functionality; bravo AA52.

[@robertmcnamara3523]

Here in argentina we have a couple of those for the Panhard AML-90 ligth tanks. It came as a AA Comander Mg and as a coax (i believe). The links are pretty scarce today!

[@haaxeu6501]

BTW this is apparently the weapon that was used by the door gunner of a French Panther naval helicopter to shoot down a Houthi drone recently (more like a low cost/low speed cruise missile).

[@The_Fubar]

Finally !!! I've been waiting for this so long

[@etienneguyot9069]

Used to carry an AA52 several time during army training in the 80's. Learned to disassemble and reassemble it quickly. But sadly never had the opportunity to fire it... Thanks Ian for this homage to a great machine gun.

[@avp5964]

Great video thank you, been waiting on this one!

[@korbetthein3072]

I've been looking forward to this episode for years! I've had trouble finding info on these guys, but a lot of it is in French, which I do not speak.

[@williamskora8920]

I love the simplicity of it.

[@stoneylonesome4062]

I’d kill to see Ian review and test drive a Citroën SM, given his appreciation for French quirkiness.

[@Kelvin_Foo]

It would have to be a Citroën DS, specifically the one that de Gaulle was riding in when someone tried to assassinate him.

[@stoneylonesome4062]

@@Kelvin_Foo I own an SM, and use to work on many, many DS’s when I worked for a garage in Southern California that worked on Citroën’s. Out of all the cars I’ve ever ridden in, there is none as comfortable as the SM (followed very closely by the DS). Even Jay Leno (who’s Citroën’s we would occasionally work on) can attest to that.

[@Kelvin_Foo]

@@stoneylonesome4062 that’s really cool! I bet there was a lot of specialist knowledge involved with maintaining the Citroën hydro pneumatic suspensions of the time. Were there 2CVs as well?

[@stoneylonesome4062]

@@Kelvin_Foo Yes, one of the main reasons Citroën failed in North America was their refusal to distribute schematics/manuals/information on the hydro-pneumatic systems used in their vehicles. Once you learn how it works and how to work on it, it’s actually quite easy to work on and makes perfect sense. However it requires special tools, and parts used specifically in the SM (DIRAVI steering system) can be difficult to come by, as is the information needed to work on it. I worked on very many 2CV’s. Not most garages in America work on them, but it’s literally no more difficult than a Volkswagen Beetle or a F.I.A.T. 500. The garage I was at specialized in the SM (as only a few mechanics in North America work on them), but we mostly worked on DS’s and 2CV’s as they are much more common. Just about any classic mechanic in Europe will know how to work on a DS or 2CV. It’s the SM that is a real specialized skill.

[@randallraszick6001]

DS and SM Citroens are magnificent vehicles. The French are very creative but their apparent "my way or the highway" attitude has been their Achilles heel. I say that as an owner of two MAS 49/56 rifles which I love.

[@zactizmgamez4589]

The UGM-8 From Vanguard

[@sebastianprime9051]

Yes 👍🏻

[@FlyingBootable]

Oh lawdy I can't imagine the response when Ian found out he was going to be able to visit the Gendarmerie arsenal. That's a good looking MG.

[@Jenny-rk9no]

There's a lever-delay built in the Winchester 63 .22lr system.The hammer is 2/3 the size of the bolt and rests on the firing pin in a rocker groove that definitely slows the bolt, it is a very smooth system, more than a .22 needs,and it is very forgiving of weird ammo loadings, unlike many autoloaders. But it's expensive and complicated, cheaper stuff replaced it.

[@michaelbevan3285]

We had some of these in the Irish military and they fitted Fouga jets and Panhard M3 armoured cars.

[@alaincharlesleroy87]

I used it when i was in the french army, i had the ANF1 in 7,62 mm nato . Only a few AA52 in 7,5 X 54 mm for the milatary coatching

[@alaincharlesleroy87]

@@Mferchier Yes thank , the 7,5x54 mm

[@genghiskhan6809]

It finally happened! I’d been scouring YT for months on end for info about this gun!

[@jasonarmstrong5750]

I could’ve sworn I saw a blaster prop like this in one of the Star Wars movies

[@rotwang2000]

Had the same thought.

[@ximthedespot4673]

There is a blaster based off of the MG42 in the Original Trilogy movies.

[@jasonarmstrong5750]

@@ximthedespot4673 don’t you mean the MG34?

[@ximthedespot4673]

@@jasonarmstrong5750 It could've been that one. Either way it's a pretty cool looking blaster, and the only blaster I could use successfully in EA Battlefront.

[@SpiderGeometry]

It looks sort of like the rebel blaster rifle, the A280, though I know that's based on a different weapon.

[@Snapphat]

wow, I was actually wondering the other day if you'll ever do a video on the AA-52

[@Zorglub1966]

Curiously, what it's called lever delayed blowback in english is called inertia amplification in french (same for the FAMAS).

[@VeraTR909]

It's like the reverse discription of the same concept, interesting

[@CaptainGrief66]

Never knew what these were called but I absolutely love them, they look quite dieselpunk, I love how chonky and small the receiver is

[@maxkronader5225]

France: It must be as good as a German GPMG, but not be German. St. Etienne: Got it! AA52.

[@vincentkermorgant]

Fun fact : the prototype of the AA-52 was using a MG-42 trigger unit but that got changed later on because you know... But you still can install a MG42 pistol grip and trigger on an AA-52

[@Helghastdude]

my first thought when i saw the AA52 for the first time many many years ago, "an Mg42 with a french touch"

[@genericpersonx333]

Not really a French thing to say "be as good as the foreign thing." French have very strong opinions how they like to fight their wars, and their ways of war tend to be very specific to the French, so most foreign weapons designed by foreigners for foreign armies really don't fit the French military very well. This is why they were so keen to develop their own weapons so much. If they find a foreign weapon they do like, they don't really have many issues admitting its foreign origins, like the M1 Carbine.

[@niksarass]

@@genericpersonx333 Your description really makes me think of the USA. Like ignoring the bullpup designs, but also foreign missiles even when they are better. Or the metric system.

[@maxkronader5225]

@@niksarass 1) The US has a tradition of the infantry rifleman being a marksman. This is inherently more difficult with the generally inferior triggers found on the average bullpup. The long mechanical linkage between the trigger and the trigger/sear assembly makes it costly and difficult to match the trigger quality of the average quality conventional layout rifle. 2) US doctrine is that fighter planes are the primary air defense system and SAMs and manpads are for the ones that leak through. That's why the US has a lot of really expensive and capable fighters, but not much of a SAM arsenal. 3) Enough simpering and whining about the metric system. The defense industry is primarily metric. We don't make 6 inch howitzers, we make 155mm. We don't make 3.188 inch mortars, we make 81mm. We don't make 4.72 inch tank guns, we make 120mm. Just because we don't cave culturally to your preference that we use kilometers and kilograms instead of miles and pounds doesn't mean we don't use metric when we deem it beneficial to our needs to do so.

[@mikethomas5510]

Coordinating with the Bloke, good stuff

[@pegoossens]

It seems Ians reputation has before such that he gets access to the most inaccessable stocks of French firearms. Next series he ll be reporting from the elysée on the presidents private stash

[@totoabicyclette7100]

This one has been barely fired : all the internal surfaces are pretty much intact. The last carrier and bolt I saw were all scratched down to bare metal around the guiding rails and on the sides. The first time I took one apart, I was shocked by the flimsy and quite grotesque-looking firing pin. In my memory, the thick cylinder at the back of the bolt is a spring-loaded buffer. Or am I wrong ?

[@hetzer223]

A few ideas from MG42

[@JdeMonster]

Without the barrel it really looks like a Star Wars gun

[@deck614]

The strange asymetric lever is called "levier amplificateur d'inertie" (easy to translate) ;) In 1988, I was trained on the 7.62mm version. Both are good and reliable machineguns.

[@neiloconnor9349]

Thanks for explaining the recoil mechanism.

[@TheHylianBatman]

Can't deny it's simplicity, I'll give you that. I also now understand a lever-delayed blowback system, so thanks for that.

[@O-soba_mask]

Je suis fier du boulot de mes compatriotes ! On est pas toujours au sommet mais parfois on brille ! Merci pour la description ! 🇫🇷

[@TheComradeBritish]

It's almost elegant in how simple it is. I imagine it could take alot of punishment in field conditions and still keep on chugging.

[@christiansenassociates9399]

It has a shoulder thing that goes up!

[@gordondelacroix253]

Ahhh finally My dad will be very happy to see one of the guns of his military service! Thank you Ian, very cool

[@luisnunes3863]

"A couple of cool guns to film for you..." And the AA52, Ian.

[@charleshaynes815]

Ian Hogg had substantial criticism of this gun writing in the ‘70’s. Attributing swollen and ruptured cartridge cases as representing a system operating at the edge of capacity and possible barrel droop when hot. Still It seems useful.

[@DC2022]

If you use the wrong barrel, it will have issue. you have heavy duty barrel with tripod mounting and vehicule mounting, SUBSTANTIALLY heavier than the one you use as a grunt carrying the SAW of the team. It was also recommended to not thow belt after belt like no tomorrow because you'll ruin your barrel in no time, as a MG grunt you're not the one who can do that. About cartridge issues can't remember seeing/hearing/reading this as a regular issue. On the other hand, firing pins had a tendancy to break in specific circumstances and... I forgot which one.

[@Obamavrat671names]

It looks like Chauchât added to StG 44 and MG 42

[@LoganJamesPenn]

What a unique looking gun. Looks semi-normal but then you get to the barrel.

[@calvacoca]

Thanks Ian 😊👍

[@SS-tr5ru]

It still saddens me that the French gave up on the famas. It’s a excellent rifle

[@rollolol6053]

Given that MAS went out of business and no one took up production for one single mid-size client, the FAMAS was bound to be replaced either way in the 2010s due to its age. One year ago I had to train on some from the 80s, and let me tell you they are showing their age. A big number of them are unserviceable due to wear and tear and limited spare parts. In comparison the HK-47 is heavier and worse in handling but hey, it's cheaper than continuing operating the FAMAS and it actually has rails, so here we go. The SCARH was also a contender but it was too expensive, it was only kept for the special forces.

[@winstonwolfe5733]

​@@rollolol6053hk416 is the new service rifle and was first operated by the SF. The SCAR H is used as DMR weapon by every unit. The SCAR H is chambered in 7.62 NATO and would not be used as a service weapon anyway.

[@GCho733]

It’s a dream come true to see obscure French equipment I knew from many years ago finally be acknowledged today.

[@feraldegenerate1743]

Finally! I've wanted to see a stripped down AA-52 for years! Thanks Ian!

[@wilsonlaidlaw]

I find it amazing as someone who lives in France, that the police ever felt the need to equip themselves with a medium machine gun. I suppose just in case of the next La Révolution.

[@christopherreed4723]

The Gendarmerie's "stash" is a reference collection, meaning it's not just a bunch of stuff they actually carried, but a collection of stuff that they might want to have a really good look at at some point...or let others look at. That said, remember that the Gendarmerie isn't "just" a police department, but one that operates in rural settings and on borders while *also* being France's military police and operating outside of France to provide security for French embassies (among other things). So, yeah, when dealing with drug smuggling cartels in the Pyrenees, or making sure your embassy in, say, Cote D'Ivoire doesn't get overrun during the latest revolution your "police" are quite likely to need something a little more potent than a pistol and harsh language. FYI, there was a very limited version of H&K's GPMG designed for (or by...info's a little hazy) GSG-9. Basically an HK21 with a scope and a more precise trigger pack. Purpose was to provide suppression of very specific and contained areas...one doorway, one window, one hallway etc, as part of their counter-terrorism missions. Very specialized, but they apparently needed it enough to create the variant.

[@jacksonperkins775]

This would’ve made a great base design for a Star Wars blaster.

[@bennythargrave]

**Jon Favreau has entered the chat**

[@nat040496]

That’s gotta be one of the most gorgeous guns i’ve ever seen. Looks straight out of Star Wars too

[@niklasaskham4208]

If only there was a comparison from the Swiss perspective. Bloke: hold my beer

[@frenchouiaboo816]

AA52 my beloved

[@ricardodavidson3813]

Perhaps you should have mentioned if it has a fluted chamber and if the ejected cases from this weapon are particularly bloated or deformed. This system is really on the limits of safe operation, the G3 and HK21 work on the same principle and although they are safe and reliable they are still pushing the limits. Fine for .30 carbine or 9 x 25 but dodgy on a full-power cartridge. 5.56 mm also has a high chamber pressure but the overall energy in much lower, perhaps less scope for something really bad happening, narrow cases are harder to blow open. Fluted chambers of course only affect a part of the cartridge contact surface to the chamber, there must be enough continuous contact to ensure that gases are contained until the pressure drops, so you either flute the front end and leave a continuous band at the rear (difficult to make) or flute at the rear and leave the neck continuous.

[@TroopperFoFo]

It's the base for the Fallout 4 assault rifle.

[@ElTyranos]

We had a lot of issues with those, they tended to fire by themselves. We had to deplete the ammo belt from the gun if we were not carrying it as we had accounts of some guns going into full auto while... resting on the ground.

[@Sssaaatttuuurrrnnn]

"I'm raring to go boss! Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!"

[@Martinlegend]

its so amazing to see the influence of the mg 42 design on so many Machineguns after the War

[@farchmarch7043]

La différence entre AA52 et ANf1: le calibre donc le canon; sur l’ANf1, calibre OTAN 7,62 mm, canon « lourd », plus endurant en terme de cadence prolongée… J’ai cramé des caisses entières de munitions, une arme très endurante et très précise pour du matériel de saturation: 600 mètres doigts dans le nez quand on la maîtrise bien.

[@michaeldelucci4379]

I've used it in one of my science fiction short story. I named it the M-12 Ten kilowatt Assault Laser. It's power sources is a rechargeable nuclear battery with a second one carried. The batteries can be overloaded with the explosive power of 1.6 kiloton each

[@madeconomist458]

8:55 A wild Shoulder-Thing-That-Goes-Up appears!

[@leontam221]

This is the gun to take down a Mafia hitman in New York.

[@daroldelio4752]

Great gun in sandy condition, just spray a bunch of oil and it will work forever. The mag 58 that replace this gun in the french army doesn't work at all in the Sahara. But a much superior weapon in normal condition.

[@ewaldseiland8558]

Is that so? To my knowledge he Israelis were quite happy with their MAGs, as were the Rhodesians

[@daroldelio4752]

@@ewaldseiland8558 we used the aaf1 and the mag58 in the desert and all the mag58 jammed after the first round even if we try to keep them clean. In France they are extremly reliable, we don't really know what causes the problem in sandy condition.

[@ewaldseiland8558]

@@daroldelio4752 Interesting, thanks