SIG KE-7 Light Machine Gun - More Complex Than Most

The KE-7 was the product of two Swiss designers, Pal Kiraly and Gotthard End, and was introduced in 1929 by the Swiss manufacturer SIG. It was a recoil operated design and fired from an open bolt. The guns were not adopted by the Swiss military, and were exported primarily to Latin America, Ethiopia, and China, being mostly made in 8mm Mauser. They were tested by many European nations, and were offered in a wide variety of calibers. The rate of automatic fire would vary depending on caliber, but was not less than 550 rpm. Magazines were typically 25 rounds - although this example has a 50-round magazine.
The gun could fire in either single shot or automatic mode. It didn’t use a selector switch, though - pulling the trigger back slightly gave single shots, and a further pull gave automatic fire. This was a relatively common feature of submachine guns at the time, although not seen so much in light machine guns.
Thanks to the Institute of Military Technology for allowing me to have access to this magnificent piece and bring it to you! Check them out at: www.instmiltech.com
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[@johnjuiceshipper4963]

"It has dual extractors, one of which was also an ejector." That's Swiss alright.

[@dwightehowell8179]

@@CallanElliott They aren't?

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

This gun has an unmistakable "they thought of everything" vibe. So in other words, it's Swiss.

[@philipcheng1618]

Except putting that annoyingly long magazine on top.

[@MrDgwphotos]

He does say that is not the standard mag.

[@Tobascodagama]

Looks like they didn't think about quick-change barrels, either. :(

[@TheRogueWolf]

I would guess that the extended magazine would be for sustained fire from a pillbox, where you wouldn't have to worry about needing to angle the gun upwards very much but would want to be able to put down more fire between reloads.

[@tancredbey606]

TheGoldenCaulk I wonder if it works in Arctic conditions

[@w543e]

"There is a lot of holy cow what is that going on with this gun" ~Tilts gun forward, piece falls off~

[@keenanmcbreen7073]

Extrajector falls out

[@biscuitsRgood]

Pretty sure DICE just watches forgotten weapons and picks guns theyve never heard of to put in battlefield

[@sultanalanzi7668]

Lol cant stop laughing

[@Logaweed]

He actually helped them with weapons and weapon design in BF1.

[@das_edelweiss8736]

Bruh, the KE-7 needs a extended mag 😤😤😤😤😤

[@bisque]

Bfv needs a garand..

[@falliblecrowdstudio4018]

But, they already forgot their Cycle the bolt backwards at the Empty Ammo!...😤😤😤😤😤😤😤

[@johndaniels8008]

That's a work of art. Incidentally, it also functions as a machinegun. It's like a steel puzzle.

[@terhazza]

And I thought Madsen was complicated...

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

When you try to make a clock, but accidentaly made a gun.

[@shyguy3300]

Classic swiss problems

[@YISP7]

We can't help us here man. It just happens :P

[@giloro85]

Still simpler than the movement inside a Patek Philippe

[@rusted2084]

and the g11 as well

[@tigahshark]

LMFAO😭😭😭

[@crunchysuperman]

I've been cutting metal for many years, and there's no way I would want to tackle something like this. What good machinists were able to do with the tech of nearly 100 years ago never ceases to amaze me.

[@dsfs17987]

it was a different philosophy back then - the part would travel from one machine to the next, where each machine did a specific operation on the part, today it is quite the opposite - the part stays on the same machine as much as possible, because tool changes are so easy to do also I bet the designers back then had a heavy background as machinists, so when they design the part they always keep in mind how are they going to hold it and what tool will remove the material, today - almost the opposite again - lots of designers have basically no idea how the machines work, their capabilities and limitations

[@wierdalien1]

jz1199 surely thats the difference between a desginer and an engineer

[@NKG416]

jz1199 so in other word machinist back then know their limit

[@dsfs17987]

in my opinion that difference is more in what is printed on the business card, no 'pure' designers or engineers, or even machinists do well in their trade, and that 'pure' kind is usually extremely difficult to work with, and their work attitude usually translates into a poorly performing and overpriced end product

[@DickHolman]

+I'm Bored No, it's more that the designers knew the limits of the machine-tools.

[@spiritof78]

Beautifully machined and morbidly complex, how Swiss.

[@blackroberts6290]

spiritof78 much Swiss, wow

[@phileas007]

Yes, but does it actually work?

[@blackroberts6290]

phileas007 it got sold on the international market, just like what Ian said. so it must be working. and it's Swiss for godsake, lol.

[@phileas007]

Yes, but to obscure, not very picky forces in small numbers. I'm still not convinced that it actually works reliably and handles poor ammo

[@CzornyLisek]

It not that complex rly. 2 springs, tilting lock, moving barrel. But parts on themself for sure are design and machined with bazillion of weird angles.

[@roninsct7017]

...the Swiss the only people who makes the Germans look minimalist...

[@roninsct7017]

@@Isometrix116 mostly Grrman but also some French and Italian..

[@sakesan6828]

And rumantsch small country four languages makes it complicate

[@sawyere2496]

@The Game they are isolated. Probably makes em pretty weird

[@EagleHawk175]

@@Isometrix116 actually the swiss people have a celtic origin

[@oiuii]

@Assault PaperclipI think a Austro-Hungarian watch maker made a pistol

[@decnet100]

This is pretty much the "our workers are used to machining clockworks from left-over pieces of cowbells using only hand files, they'd surely be outraged if we asked them to produce parts that don't pose a bit of a challenge" school of engineering.

[@pfitz9346]

It's amazing how as old as it is everything clicks and slams home. Nothing is stuck. The threads remove buttery smooth. Definitely that 20s Swiss machining.

[@Solnoric]

And some absolutely lovingly devoted maintenance during it's service life and preservation. Probably runs smooth as butter if you put live rounds through it.

[@anonymoushuman7794]

Hey, that's the AK47 i drew when i was 7!

[@aixide]

Meaning you drew AKs better when you were seven than I did a year and a half ago

[@parzavaal5335]

@@aixide when you fail at drawing a certain gun, you might've accidentally drawn a different one. I came back and I hate this comment

[@macsnakemoan801]

Lmao

[@thatquietasianguy9582]

Bruh lmao

[@parzavaal5335]

@Feo Savoyan why thank you

[@wheedle]

As a machinist, this gun is gonna give me nightmares...

[@hanktorrance6855]

The only thing missing is a 17 jewel movement, beautiful machine work and incredible complexity. But that semi / full trigger mechanism is pure genius!

[@Chickpeas12453]

This gun just seems so... beautifully designed and manufactured. It really seems amazing how perfectly they managed to build everything into the travel of the bolt/carrier.

[@bami2]

does it have a built-in clock?

[@MrJob91]

it does have a barometer to calculate bolt speed air density resistance

[@saltdetected1756]

no, but it does have _several_ altimeters.

[@brandonobaza8610]

bami2 The charging handle was a doorknob from a grandfather clock. Does that count?

[@rogersmithbigo]

Christopher Cox so that's how Swiss cheese gets its holes!

[@Sebastian_Astudillo]

The entire gun is a clock

[@Sir_Godz]

there are combustion engines with less machining out there. And if we refer back to the polish rifle which is the epitome of simplicity

[@jackmcslay]

I thought the most complex thing about this gun would be the progressive trigger and yet it's one of the simpler things in it.

[@worldtraveler930]

No Kidding!!! 🤠👍🇨🇭

[@johnbonaros589]

Switzerland is the quality constant of the Planet

[@YISP7]

Not in any section, but most of them^^

[@hobbitilius]

The machining on the bolt is absolutely gorgeous.

[@pj7362]

Beautiful craftsmanship. Hats of to the Swiss. I always have known them to such Craftsmen and women. But when you look at a piece like this I can fall in love with this piece .

[@evanburke2766]

Looks an rpk but made by the Swiss

[@hakari5014]

It looks like an RPK drawn by 10 years old kid. Distorted and unproportional.

[@vaclav_fejt]

An RPK is a distorted and unproportional version of KE-7.

[@evanburke2766]

Hakari true

[@Grobut81]

I was thinking more.. this is what would happen if an RPK and a Remmington Model-8 had a baby.

[@j.b.browning6205]

That's the thing about the USSR. They copied the shit out of everyone. And who's going to sue them over a patent?

[@SmallDisturbedChild]

I'd love to hear one of these fire, I can imagine it's action had a very distinct sound as it cycled with the way that bolt functions.

[@ParabolicBox]

I would love to have visited a Swiss machine shop from a century ago to see how these things are made. It interests me greatly as someone of the trade.

[@michaelrogers4157]

That would be very awkward for everyone. Just a dude standing around, checking out all the machining steps with a raging hard on. Or maybe that would just be me.

[@roryross3878]

Same, how many stations and how many different machines, how did the parts move from machine to machine etc.

[@BryanJohnson4891]

@@roryross3878Normal sized Swiss people exclusively make clocks. This was manufactured by a long dead race called the Swiss Alpine Giants. They all look like elderly men, and just as a Swiss watch maker uses minuscule tweezers to assemble a watch, they use minuscule (for their scale) tweezers to manufacture firearms.

[@heinrichmuller7974]

Sent to China & Ethiopia!!... This gun is bigger than most Chinese & weighs more than most Ethiopians.

[@SuperJogvan]

Looks like comrade Karl tried to fix the safety switch with his welder.

[@alexandercoury4196]

Love watchin this guy, so much good info on old firearms and sometimes he shoots’m, which is also rather informative. Love this guy.

[@oedus]

Ian, truly thanks so much for taking the time to understand and document how machines like this one actually worked. I just watched your video on the AK-53 and followed it with this one. The engineering that went into them is beautiful as it is impressive...

[@5skov]

The sounds it makes! Mechanical clicks and clacks galore! So in awe! Thank you!

[@dksdg]

As a machinist watching this for the 3rd time, I’m still in awe with no CNC and to not make very many….

[@Psiberzerker]

"Holey cow, what is that?" Shakes out a mystery part.

[@lizardodavinci]

This video somehow managed to be even *more* educational than your other ones, and that's saying something! Great detailed description of how everything interacts inside!

[@TheLondekZdroj]

I would never imagine an open bolt gun can be so complicated

[@mrbismarck]

This is basically Swiss porn.

[@THEfamouspolka]

I'm aroused

[@Hawk1966]

Really good porn at that!

[@Cannibal713]

Nice video. I really dig seeing these obscure firearms, and all the old weapons you show are in such awesome condition. Keep up the good work

[@Jesses001]

The main selling feature of an open bolt machine gun is simplicity. I guess someone missed that memo. Wow that is some insane machining.

[@BullittGT40]

Let's build a gun with the draw backs of an open bolt design bit at the cost of a closed bolt system. I can't imagine why this gun never took off

[@colonelsuryagruppenfhurerw9899]

Price Kills

[@clownworld4655]

When it comes to machine guns there is no real drawback of being open bolt other than marginally reduced accuracy which is heavily outweighed by not having your gun cook off rounds

[@820hurleyj]

Wow! Love looking at guns like this but I'm glad I never had to rely on one. Way too complex, but beautiful. Thanks, Ian!

[@brianreddeman951]

God that's one beautifully awesome piece of expensive engineering. The Institute of Military Technology has some pretty awesome odd stuff in their collection. Thanks for spreading these vids out over time (I'm assuming you did this all in one visit). Totally curious what you got queued up for the next one.

[@moregarythanminge2518]

Amazing machine work and design. Great video! Love the depth of the breakdown for unique features.

[@norcofreerider604]

Holy crap there is so much machining time involved in making that gun. "The machining... is glorious." - Gun Jesus

[@_captainjack_7138]

This is utterly fascinating. Well done Ian!

[@raider762]

Brilliant Swiss design. Looks solid and expensive. Not overly complex to service. Want one.

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

This just moved to the top of my X-mas list... soooo cool!!!

[@roberttauzer7042]

One of advantages of making a ludicrously complex guns is that when you make something really simple it comes out really, really good.

[@vahnn0]

The action on that gun is incredible, I was mesmerized watching the whole explanation of how it works.

[@D3faulted1]

I have been doing quite a bit of studying on machining back in those days, and it is amazing what they were able to do with those old horizontal mills. The engineering that went into the guns is impressive. But the engineering that went into making all the jigs, profile cutters, the production line, etc. Is outright mind blowing. So many cuts on those parts.......they would have needed dozens and dozens of mills set up.

[@polygondwanaland8390]

Ian, in regards to your comments on the quick change barrel, it works fine! Just carry a few spare KE-7 front ends and swap those!

[@kingfishercomputing9497]

Keep hold of the front hand grip and literally tip/shake the barrel onto the ground. Insert cold barrel and reverse. Quite quick and neat, especially for the era.

[@alwaystinkering7710]

My God, that's a work of mechanical art. It would be crazy expensive to make today. It looks indestructible too.

[@roryross3878]

Absolutely phenomenal machining, short of the wear on the wood parts this looks almost brand new! Swiss machining run rampant! Thanks for blowing my mind with this one Ian!

[@craigdouglas9806]

My God man! Thats a nightmare to take apart lol Im impressed how well youre mechanical applications are

[@shermonruler]

What determines if you wear gloves or not when handling a gun?

[@fjubben]

The location and the value of the firearm, I reckon.

[@ForgottenWeapons]

The policy of its owner. Basically, I use gloves at public museums.

[@HimmelGanger]

Ian has a more comprehensive answer on this in one of the Q&A videos, where he goes into why some require gloves and why others don't.

[@Joel-xi4rc]

Whether or not somebody has been murdered by the gun

[@Punisher9419]

Looks really reliable. Mostly closed off. And it's easy to take the barrel off. I love it. Plus I love anything that has been machined beautifully.

[@Mr2ndAmendment]

You don't have a single video not worth watching, and while all of them are very awesome to me, it's guns like this that are extremely fascinating to see. I'm just blown away by the complexity of this design, both in operation and especially in the manufacturing complication and cost. No MIM parts, casting, or CNC machines -this was all done by hand with experienced and exacting machinists, and it's a gun I think would be extremely difficult replicating today if anyone even attempted it. I've got experience on the M249, Mk48, and M240 and I'm just blown away that the bolt doesn't "ka-chunk" forward after the last round is fired -very cool. During this time we had the BAR of course, but I see this as a competitive option that could probably be argued as a better weapon through features alone. The barrel swapping situation is definitely not MG42-like quality, but I imagine an experienced gunner at a static position could definitely benefit from its design by having a quicker way to change barrels in an extended situation that required high volumes of suppressing fire. A couple spare barrels, a water tray, and some asbestos gloves could make this feasible in a stationary kind of situation, and regardless it's pretty awesome to see it. I was reminded of some other types of guns while watching you strip it down -the STG44/AR15 for the ejection port cover, the Mosin for the rear sight, the LWRC REPR for the charging handle, the PPSH for the barrel shroud, and even the Ruger 10/22 take down model for the breakdown. I know paratroopers were not a thing at this time, but the ability to break this down in half means paratroopers could definitely benefit from something like this that could be stuffed into a jump bag with some magazines. I'm wondering why they chose to put the sights so far forward like that when it appears they could have gone for a longer sight radius -maybe that's just what everybody was doing at the time so they just followed suit? I'm also imagining the rate of fire would be somewhat slow given the short recoil setup with the bolt design, and that probably is a good thing considering the chambering and 25-round mags. I'm perplexed we didn't look at this for adoption in some form for the US Military in .30-06, but I guess when you already got the BAR, you're not looking anymore. I imagine the end item cost due to the complex machining would scare most countries away from considering it, no matter how much they may have liked it. I imagine it probably weighed in the same neighborhood as a BAR, but I think there was potential for some type of lightweight model without the bipod. This is exactly why I come back to Gun Jesus every time -great job as always walking us through such an amazing weapon, I'd love to someday come across one and check it out. On to the Google machine to learn more about this bad larry, I want to figure out how many were made and who else may have used it. Thanks! -Mr. 2nd

[@Demothean]

I’m a machinist, and my brain nearly caught on fire looking at the complexity of the parts in the gun

[@aus71383]

I like the accelerator - sort of a linear cam lobe. Also found in the FAMAS, and I'm sure it's in many others as well. I'm incorporating this mechanism into something I'm designing and seeing it up close on video in a 90 year old gun is awesome. Thank you!

[@richardbottom9843]

I'd really love to see this baby in action

[@laughinsohard7888]

Play Battlefield V when it comes out on November 20th. This is the starter weapon for the Support class.

[@riograndedosulball248]

@@laughinsohard7888 no one wants to see games when we talk about shoot guns

[@laughinsohard7888]

Well, the closest thing most people will probably ever get to shooting this ancient artifact is probably in a video game. Not many videos can be found out there of people actually shooting the KE7.

[@ArcturusOTE]

@@laughinsohard7888 Not to mention if any surviving examples are in public hands and if they're even usable

[@artjomganul9072]

Just awesome as always!

[@elpoderdelasgalaxias]

Superb gun and superb video, as usual.

[@ThePatriotParadox]

Those posts are so beautifully machined, they look like would run on glass..... and the intricacies of operation is so uniquely brilliant. As machinist and an amateur engineer things like this built so well, uniquely beautiful and machined so well just get me fired up. Wish they still made firearms of this class and style. Insanely expensive to make I'm sure although it's obvious they took pride in their craftsmanship.

[@toprob20]

Wow Ian! Complicated stuff, but maybe the best explanation of a firearms mechanism I have seen from you.

[@christurley391]

Busy busy machine. Thanks for the video.

[@user-gw8ep3sn7r]

Just awesome! Great job.

[@pecker556]

I love seeing this old beautiful machining.

[@JackTheNoober]

This might be my new favourite weapon. Such a cool mechanics.

[@played3m0ut21]

This gun design is really something. Nice work SIG.

[@bigDbigDbigD]

Wow. Awesome build!

[@Tripp426]

This firearm is one incredible piece of mechanical engineering genius.

[@JACKSONLEWISOFCANADA]

wow its beautiful and both simple and complex all at once.

[@farouk5252]

The Swiss are bloody marvellous... Just look at that machining.

[@SavageShooter93]

In Switzerland even a seemingly solid block of steel is composed of 237 interlocking pieces.

[@criffermaclennan]

the engineering in that bolt alone is extraordinary

[@ShockAndAwe417]

That may be the biggest bolt carrier group I've seen on a shoulder-fired weapon haha. Beautiful machining indeed! I like the gold hue some of the metal parts have, like the ring near the chamber of the barrel.

[@lowkeythethiccstergod6939]

I have a steel-framed stainless P220St, and I can confirm that SIG machining is in fact glorious.

[@ulfedlund884]

thanx Ian .. !

[@astreetcone1497]

This gun is like a study in fine machining and I love it

[@mayomancer527]

man this action looks beautiful

[@steeltalon2356]

Glorious Swiss machining, indeed. Very cool.

[@spef7396]

Quality videos Ian, keep up the good work!

[@rocha250]

nice picture of ian :)

[@ThatGuyWhoLeaksStuff]

all pictures of Ian are nice :)

[@rocha250]

thats true dont you just love that beard and mustache lol

[@siem3113]

i like to think this is ian

[@tenhundredkills]

Creeper? Nah, just a enthusiastic admirer !

[@JohnDoe-fk6id]

That... is... GLORIOUS!

[@emilhajbert5326]

I love this

[@pvccannon1966]

Great workmanship, a lost art.

[@SGCXD]

Glorious lunacy of a design 😍

[@jacksonlewis4365]

very impressive engineering.... beautiful machining as you said but still an elegant gun that isn not stupid complex.

[@turbowolf302]

I would absolutely love to see one of these fire in slow motion. A good view of the ejection port to see all those little bits and bobs working

[@mikedertouzos908]

Its nice how compact you can break this baby down into for such a big heavy looking rifle.

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

Progressive trigger....something entirely than nowadays. Looked it from afar, and it looked like proto-RPK. With Suomi M31 and Thompson stuff thrown in. Edit: Overdesign goes to eleven.

[@vaclav_fejt]

Steyr AUG has that trigger.

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

Václav Fejt, that line was lame attempt of humor in expense of special snowlakes.

[@bwcmakro]

This thing looks really cool.

[@daveh777]

Wow. Just wow!!!👏

[@royroyv.7551]

One thing i have to look forward to every morning of my boring life is another Forgotten Weapon. Love the work Ian.

[@cam2351]

I was gonna stop before the video was over, after you went over the history, then I was like, nah, this is Swiss, it's GOT to be different, I'm going to check this out.

[@ChewbacaTW]

Man... I love me some Swiss machining.

[@RM-Hunting]

Darn... This is a goooood looking gun!

[@Dunkelzeitgeist]

15:51 I can only imagine how expensive *drops it* oh man I love these videos, brilliant explanations and great video

[@ianhale4466]

The most beautiful gun design in my opinion, especially best recoil operated gun

[@jonminer9891]

I have seen amazing automata that could actually write using a quill pen, so I know that machinery can be designed to do amazing things. When you marry watchmaking to firearm design, nobody does it like the Swiss. I wonder how much it would cost to manufacture this rifle today, all CNC of course. It could be done, but nobody would spend the time in the first place designing it. I am glad you were able to get it back together. Just don't try it on a battlefield with little pieces of lead flying past your head. Thanks for sharing! Stay healthy!

[@highlandoutsider8148]

this was amazing, what work went into that gun.

[@dockmasterted]

wicked awesome comes to mind!

[@bowlofcheddar1423]

The fact that he was able to explain how this gun worked in a comprehensive manner is incredible. This man needs a meddle

[@piushalg8175]

It shows all the beauty that good ingeneering is capabe of.