France in the Cold War: AA52 Replaces the Hotchkiss

  Рет қаралды 284,089

Forgotten Weapons

Forgotten Weapons

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 709
@BaqTalk
@BaqTalk 2 жыл бұрын
The barrel removed, and the stock closed is one of the most Star-Wars looking things I've ever seen.
@tarmaque
@tarmaque 2 жыл бұрын
Now I just need a couple private hours with one and some silicon mold making supplies.
@MrEvan312
@MrEvan312 2 жыл бұрын
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
@DrSabot-A 2 жыл бұрын
I can understand why, the receiver's overall shape looks VERY similliar to the DC-15A rifle blaster, even the sight assembly too
@marcusfanning7513
@marcusfanning7513 2 жыл бұрын
it reminded me of one of those fucked up modifications you can do to world war 2 weapons in call of duty lol
@blake1814
@blake1814 2 жыл бұрын
Could put it right into the movies and I would be able to tell
@Actually_Robin
@Actually_Robin 2 жыл бұрын
More French stuff that looks like a bunch of WW2 guns welded together by a few marines on aderal.... I love it
@christophersilsby7829
@christophersilsby7829 2 жыл бұрын
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
@Payne427 2 жыл бұрын
(Holds up a piece of round stock) "Hey! Bob! Can we do something with this?!"
@sebastiannicolaikaupe5175
@sebastiannicolaikaupe5175 2 жыл бұрын
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
@judgejimbobrowntown7600 2 жыл бұрын
Lol good analogy
@jordanmills6231
@jordanmills6231 2 жыл бұрын
best comment ever 🤣💀
@theobuzat9091
@theobuzat9091 2 жыл бұрын
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
@louierenault7344 2 жыл бұрын
did we find more holy 8mm french
@francislematt7079
@francislematt7079 2 жыл бұрын
not until the 50bmg version of this (MAC 58) is covered by Ian
@PedroHenrique-dh3bq
@PedroHenrique-dh3bq 2 жыл бұрын
@@louierenault7344 there's nothing holy about 8mm Lebel
@djl5634
@djl5634 2 жыл бұрын
To bad french people can't have firearms. Sad so many people gave up their own rights.
@djl5634
@djl5634 2 жыл бұрын
@@Someone-hd2vu yes it's sad. I love french military rifles. I own a mas 49 56 with the grenade launcher. Love it.
@geekmansegraves
@geekmansegraves 2 жыл бұрын
I don't think I've seen a bone-stock gun look so perfect as a Star Wars heavy blaster.
@Larken42
@Larken42 2 жыл бұрын
Roger roger
@gfarrell80
@gfarrell80 2 жыл бұрын
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
@geekmansegraves 2 жыл бұрын
@@gfarrell80 i know of the Lewis Gun and MG-42 derived props. Guess it's time for a rewatch!
@gfarrell80
@gfarrell80 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@asn413 2 жыл бұрын
you beat me to it! Good call :)
@jean-loupdesbordes4833
@jean-loupdesbordes4833 2 жыл бұрын
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
@melee-dexterdexterious2878 2 жыл бұрын
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
@florentleider222 2 жыл бұрын
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...
@walterbigsby6380
@walterbigsby6380 7 күн бұрын
​@@florentleider222that accuracy was considered adequate essentially universally by militaries
@avilhelm1697
@avilhelm1697 2 жыл бұрын
7:45 that's now a star wars blaster. The French truly are pioneers in their field.
@Zorglub1966
@Zorglub1966 2 жыл бұрын
It works with the MG34 too.
@KyuMachi
@KyuMachi 2 жыл бұрын
Thought I was the only one who saw it 🤣
@wesleythomas1594
@wesleythomas1594 2 жыл бұрын
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
@JohnHughesChampigny 2 жыл бұрын
The MAG is also much better for body builders.
@wesleythomas1594
@wesleythomas1594 2 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@ecarlate
@ecarlate 2 жыл бұрын
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
@alaincharlesleroy87 2 жыл бұрын
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
@bastienrannou6346 2 жыл бұрын
Parlez vous en français les gars du coup.🤣
@Ozuhananas
@Ozuhananas 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@jean-loupdesbordes4833 2 жыл бұрын
@@bastienrannou6346 ça arrive
@mardiffv.8775
@mardiffv.8775 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@Meldonator 2 жыл бұрын
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
@vincentkermorgant 2 жыл бұрын
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
@bakbakpremierdunom3241 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@joshmeads
@joshmeads 2 жыл бұрын
It's nice to see some coverage of this AA52. There is very little content on KZbin.
@tohkai1959
@tohkai1959 2 жыл бұрын
There's honestly plenty, in the form of ANF1 (re chambered for NATO 7.62) and it's used widely in cavalry regiments
@joshmeads
@joshmeads 2 жыл бұрын
@@tohkai1959 search for AA52, there's barely anything, no videos on its workings, barely any firing, ect.
@tohkai1959
@tohkai1959 2 жыл бұрын
@@joshmeads because most are actually aanf1. I used that gun.
@joshmeads
@joshmeads 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@joshmeads 2 жыл бұрын
@@zoiders I'll have to check that out, I didn't seer it in the search.
@matthayward7889
@matthayward7889 2 жыл бұрын
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
@stoneylonesome4062 2 жыл бұрын
It’s so weirdly French, it might as well be a Citroën.
@alexb7641
@alexb7641 2 жыл бұрын
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
@vincentkermorgant 2 жыл бұрын
@@samholdsworth420 the english rotten teeth entered the chat
@Man_fay_the_Bru
@Man_fay_the_Bru 2 жыл бұрын
@@samholdsworth420could be worse..could be italian
@korbetthein3072
@korbetthein3072 2 жыл бұрын
Ah, the wonderful sounds of Euro-bickering. It warms the cockles of my cold heart.
@The_Modeling_Underdog
@The_Modeling_Underdog 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@linusfehr4837
@linusfehr4837 2 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite MGs of all time. Love the simplicty, no airbrushing on this thing.
@Mr.T-Grimes
@Mr.T-Grimes 2 жыл бұрын
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
@AshleyPomeroy 2 жыл бұрын
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
@joelnotsure2871 2 жыл бұрын
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
@randallraszick6001 2 жыл бұрын
Gun Jesus will absolve you of your gun handling sins if you perform penance through training.
@charlesstoeng9166
@charlesstoeng9166 2 жыл бұрын
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
@halkyuusen8626 2 жыл бұрын
I wondered if the tiny latch right on the quick change barrel was accident bait.
@enricopaolocoronado2511
@enricopaolocoronado2511 2 жыл бұрын
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
@Nankech 2 жыл бұрын
Would look great as a Star Wars rifle :)
@notforsaletoday1895
@notforsaletoday1895 2 жыл бұрын
Seems like something Captain Rex would ditch for his duel blaster pistols.
@kimmoj2570
@kimmoj2570 2 жыл бұрын
Just stay with PKM, MAG, MG3, etc.. That contraption does not have much reputation.
@Gameprojordan
@Gameprojordan 2 жыл бұрын
@@kimmoj2570 obviously those guns are better, but there's just a sort of charm to these odd ball guns
@kimmoj2570
@kimmoj2570 2 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@A.Chp-Schweppes
@A.Chp-Schweppes Жыл бұрын
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).
@jhnshep
@jhnshep 2 жыл бұрын
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
@bloakey 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@H2ORaccoon
@H2ORaccoon 2 жыл бұрын
Of all the guns ever made, this is truly one of them
@Girder3
@Girder3 2 жыл бұрын
HOT DAMN, I have been waiting for Ian to do a video on this machine gun for years!
@jeanchristophedelaplanche8970
@jeanchristophedelaplanche8970 2 жыл бұрын
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
@petesheppard1709
@petesheppard1709 2 жыл бұрын
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
@flavortown3781 2 жыл бұрын
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
@Grasyl
@Grasyl 2 жыл бұрын
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
@JohnHughesChampigny 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@theronraam23
@theronraam23 2 жыл бұрын
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
@JohnHughesChampigny 2 жыл бұрын
Great film. Sort of a cross between your average Zombie film and _Attack On Precinct 13_
@theronraam23
@theronraam23 2 жыл бұрын
@@JohnHughesChampigny underrated af
@MrMopolopy
@MrMopolopy 2 жыл бұрын
During my time as a reservist, we didn't get acquainted with the ANF1 but instead, to my surprise, with the FN MAG !
@parrotraiser6541
@parrotraiser6541 2 жыл бұрын
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
@makeintoschu 2 жыл бұрын
Powerful pistols aren't a too popular thing. I would see this system in some PCC, though;)
@randompanda876
@randompanda876 2 жыл бұрын
“The French copy no one, and no one copies the French”
@makeintoschu
@makeintoschu 2 жыл бұрын
@@randompanda876 besides Black Arrow.
@vincentkermorgant
@vincentkermorgant 2 жыл бұрын
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
@niksarass 2 жыл бұрын
@@randompanda876 I have heard a few times but it is quite innacurate
@halldak1119
@halldak1119 2 жыл бұрын
Always a pleasure to learn about another French firearm from Ian
@Atma_Weapon
@Atma_Weapon 2 жыл бұрын
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
@wizardapprenticeIV 2 жыл бұрын
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
@matthewivans8590 2 жыл бұрын
Scrolled down here to post this myself
@dariuszgyukin774
@dariuszgyukin774 2 жыл бұрын
I've waited so long for this one, always looked interesting to me. Thanks Ian, keep it up :)
@saiberunato
@saiberunato 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@LilBurdJJ
@LilBurdJJ 2 жыл бұрын
Have this gun ever featured in any Star Wars movies? Seems like a nice space rifle.
@mysticprophecy5395
@mysticprophecy5395 2 жыл бұрын
Looks exactly like what the clones or stormtroopers use
@eeshsinger
@eeshsinger 2 жыл бұрын
Wow, exactly 2 days ago I was researching about this very gun and now Ian's doing a showcase on it? Awesome
@jfbft5007
@jfbft5007 Жыл бұрын
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.
@johnd0e25
@johnd0e25 2 жыл бұрын
Your pronunciation of Mulhouse is hilarious :D Regardless of that, thanks a lot for the work you're doing in documenting our firearms history.
@PawFromTheBroons
@PawFromTheBroons 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@stoneylonesome4062
@stoneylonesome4062 2 жыл бұрын
I’d kill to see Ian review and test drive a Citroën SM, given his appreciation for French quirkiness.
@Kelvin_Foo
@Kelvin_Foo 2 жыл бұрын
It would have to be a Citroën DS, specifically the one that de Gaulle was riding in when someone tried to assassinate him.
@stoneylonesome4062
@stoneylonesome4062 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@Kelvin_Foo 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@stoneylonesome4062 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@randallraszick6001 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@beargillium2369
@beargillium2369 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks again Ian for your work, I for one very much appreciate the subtitles and the work put in there 👍
@robertmcnamara3523
@robertmcnamara3523 2 жыл бұрын
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!
@kikichevy
@kikichevy 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@georgebarkemeyer2003
@georgebarkemeyer2003 2 жыл бұрын
Now mount it to a 2cv an you have a fighting vehicle of unsurpassed vibes.
@a16thcenturypeasant98
@a16thcenturypeasant98 2 жыл бұрын
wait until you see the paratrooper vespa with integrated bazooka
@brittakriep2938
@brittakriep2938 2 жыл бұрын
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
@randallraszick6001 2 жыл бұрын
Vive la France!
@Panos-xo9rc
@Panos-xo9rc 2 жыл бұрын
At last,the AA52,but there is also the swiss MG51 for esoteric gpmg's.And the south african SS77.
@MofomanV2
@MofomanV2 2 жыл бұрын
Don’t forget the Japanese Type 62 GPMG
@Panos-xo9rc
@Panos-xo9rc 2 жыл бұрын
@@MofomanV2 we pray to thou,gun Jesus.
@madkaris7224
@madkaris7224 2 жыл бұрын
Love this weapon, old but very efficient.
@RussellBond-b3z
@RussellBond-b3z Жыл бұрын
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
@totoabicyclette7100
@totoabicyclette7100 2 жыл бұрын
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 ?
@flatbunny
@flatbunny 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@haaxeu6501
@haaxeu6501 9 ай бұрын
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).
@JohnDoe-vm5rb
@JohnDoe-vm5rb 2 жыл бұрын
Ian talking about their cartridge conversion complacency at 3:50 makes me know how and why this gun is forgotten.
@JohnHughesChampigny
@JohnHughesChampigny 2 жыл бұрын
But it's not forgotten, it's still in service.
@EgaoKage
@EgaoKage 6 ай бұрын
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.
@avp5964
@avp5964 2 жыл бұрын
Great video thank you, been waiting on this one!
@JethroDyx
@JethroDyx 2 жыл бұрын
Can’t get enough of Cold War weapons
@FlyingBootable
@FlyingBootable 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@Zorglub1966
@Zorglub1966 2 жыл бұрын
Curiously, what it's called lever delayed blowback in english is called inertia amplification in french (same for the FAMAS).
@VeraTR909
@VeraTR909 2 жыл бұрын
It's like the reverse discription of the same concept, interesting
@korbetthein3072
@korbetthein3072 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@alaincharlesleroy87
@alaincharlesleroy87 2 жыл бұрын
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
@alaincharlesleroy87 2 жыл бұрын
@@Mferchier Yes thank , the 7,5x54 mm
@michaelbevan3285
@michaelbevan3285 2 жыл бұрын
We had some of these in the Irish military and they fitted Fouga jets and Panhard M3 armoured cars.
@jasonarmstrong5750
@jasonarmstrong5750 2 жыл бұрын
I could’ve sworn I saw a blaster prop like this in one of the Star Wars movies
@rotwang2000
@rotwang2000 2 жыл бұрын
Had the same thought.
@ximthedespot4673
@ximthedespot4673 2 жыл бұрын
There is a blaster based off of the MG42 in the Original Trilogy movies.
@jasonarmstrong5750
@jasonarmstrong5750 2 жыл бұрын
@@ximthedespot4673 don’t you mean the MG34?
@ximthedespot4673
@ximthedespot4673 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@SpiderGeometry 2 жыл бұрын
It looks sort of like the rebel blaster rifle, the A280, though I know that's based on a different weapon.
@etienneguyot9069
@etienneguyot9069 Жыл бұрын
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.
@CaptainGrief66
@CaptainGrief66 2 жыл бұрын
Never knew what these were called but I absolutely love them, they look quite dieselpunk, I love how chonky and small the receiver is
@Jenny-rk9no
@Jenny-rk9no 11 ай бұрын
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.
@maxkronader5225
@maxkronader5225 2 жыл бұрын
France: It must be as good as a German GPMG, but not be German. St. Etienne: Got it! AA52.
@vincentkermorgant
@vincentkermorgant 2 жыл бұрын
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
@Helghastdude 2 жыл бұрын
my first thought when i saw the AA52 for the first time many many years ago, "an Mg42 with a french touch"
@genericpersonx333
@genericpersonx333 2 жыл бұрын
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
@niksarass 2 жыл бұрын
@@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
@maxkronader5225 2 жыл бұрын
@@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.
@genghiskhan6809
@genghiskhan6809 2 жыл бұрын
It finally happened! I’d been scouring YT for months on end for info about this gun!
@williamskora8920
@williamskora8920 2 жыл бұрын
I love the simplicity of it.
@Snapphat
@Snapphat 2 жыл бұрын
wow, I was actually wondering the other day if you'll ever do a video on the AA-52
@The_Fubar
@The_Fubar 2 жыл бұрын
Finally !!! I've been waiting for this so long
@pegoossens
@pegoossens 2 жыл бұрын
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
@hetzer223
@hetzer223 Жыл бұрын
A few ideas from MG42
@neiloconnor9349
@neiloconnor9349 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for explaining the recoil mechanism.
@ElTyranos
@ElTyranos 2 жыл бұрын
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
@Sssaaatttuuurrrnnn 2 жыл бұрын
"I'm raring to go boss! Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em!"
@ItsYoruBTW
@ItsYoruBTW 2 жыл бұрын
Funny when a new cod gun gets announced I immediately come to this channel for no reason
@deck614
@deck614 8 ай бұрын
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.
@TheComradeBritish
@TheComradeBritish 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@mikethomas5510
@mikethomas5510 2 жыл бұрын
Coordinating with the Bloke, good stuff
@TheHylianBatman
@TheHylianBatman 2 жыл бұрын
Can't deny it's simplicity, I'll give you that. I also now understand a lever-delayed blowback system, so thanks for that.
@karlebert6079
@karlebert6079 Жыл бұрын
7:32 with the barrel removed it looks like a blaster from star wars. Maybe Ian can do a cameo
@gordondelacroix253
@gordondelacroix253 2 жыл бұрын
Ahhh finally My dad will be very happy to see one of the guns of his military service! Thank you Ian, very cool
@feraldegenerate1743
@feraldegenerate1743 2 жыл бұрын
Finally! I've wanted to see a stripped down AA-52 for years! Thanks Ian!
@GCho733
@GCho733 2 жыл бұрын
It’s a dream come true to see obscure French equipment I knew from many years ago finally be acknowledged today.
@luisnunes3863
@luisnunes3863 2 жыл бұрын
"A couple of cool guns to film for you..." And the AA52, Ian.
@madeconomist458
@madeconomist458 2 жыл бұрын
8:55 A wild Shoulder-Thing-That-Goes-Up appears!
@ricardodavidson3813
@ricardodavidson3813 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@mattrodda1975
@mattrodda1975 2 жыл бұрын
What's the disadvantage of lever delayed blowback? Seems like with some clever geometry you can get a simple system with a small number of parts. But I assume there's a big disadvantage if there's so few of them
@ArcturusOTE
@ArcturusOTE 2 жыл бұрын
One notable drawback is that the ejection pressure would be intense which sometimes call for a fluted chamber for easier extraction and in the early FAMAS' case, limits itself to steel cased ammo because using brass cased ones might cause case ruptures
@wilsonlaidlaw
@wilsonlaidlaw 2 жыл бұрын
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
@christopherreed4723 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@nat040496
@nat040496 2 жыл бұрын
That’s gotta be one of the most gorgeous guns i’ve ever seen. Looks straight out of Star Wars too
@LoganJamesPenn
@LoganJamesPenn 2 жыл бұрын
What a unique looking gun. Looks semi-normal but then you get to the barrel.
@charleshaynes815
@charleshaynes815 2 жыл бұрын
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
@DC2022 2 жыл бұрын
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.
@podmonkey2501
@podmonkey2501 2 жыл бұрын
The lever delayed system seems so simple and efficient.. I wonder why this system hasn't seen more widespread use?
@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215
@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215 2 жыл бұрын
I asked the same question some time ago. The consensus seemed to be that gas operation gives more flexibility and durability for ammunition differences by adjusting the gas tappet or by the gas system itself being designed to bleed off any excess gas, whereas any delayed blowback system has to be tuned to a specific set of pressures and is difficult to adjust to another setting.
@podmonkey2501
@podmonkey2501 2 жыл бұрын
@@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215 You know what I have long wondered? What if a delayed blowback mechanism, be it roller or lever delayed, was given a greater amount of travel than strictly needed? This would allow the action to be tuned for a range of loads. It could be tuned such that lower powered loads had enough energy to cycle the action far enough to cleanly eject and feed but not use all the available travel. In turn heavier loads would use that extra travel to smoothly decelerate, reducing the impact on the receiver. This is largely what a continuous recoil system does. I therfore think a continuous recoil configuration could be effectively combined with a delayed blowback action, hopefully avoiding the above mentioned drawbacks. A progressive rate recoil spring might be very helpful here.
@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215
@johannesmichaelalhaugthoma4215 2 жыл бұрын
@@podmonkey2501 Very interesting!! Let's try to ask Ian in one of the Q&A sessions.
@calvacoca
@calvacoca Жыл бұрын
Thanks Ian 😊👍
@briansmithwins
@briansmithwins 2 жыл бұрын
Delayed blowback seems like it would be lighter than the equivalent gas operated system but they always end up being just about as heavy in the real world.
@tristanc3873
@tristanc3873 2 жыл бұрын
You end up moving that weight from the gas system to the bolt to increase its weight. Ends up being a wash in that way.
@jean-loupdesbordes4833
@jean-loupdesbordes4833 2 жыл бұрын
As far as I remember I think there were two different barrels, the one ont top of vehicles was al lot more massive and heavy than this one.
@zepetv589
@zepetv589 2 жыл бұрын
The bolt and carrier of the AA52 are monstrous
@webfraek12
@webfraek12 2 жыл бұрын
A gas system allows you to have a rotating bolt that locks directly into the end of the barrel. The rest of the gun then only needs to be strong enough to transfer the recoil into your shoulder. With delayed blowback the receiver needs to be stronger to transfer the forces from the "locking" surface to the barrel.
@briansmithwins
@briansmithwins 2 жыл бұрын
@@webfraek12 As implemented by the French, yes. The German HK type of delayed blowback uses a barrel trunnion and steel stamped receiver w/o any inserts in the receiver. They are still very filthy though.
@JdeMonster
@JdeMonster 2 жыл бұрын
Without the barrel it really looks like a Star Wars gun
@EchosTackyTiki
@EchosTackyTiki Жыл бұрын
Ian has been replaced by a clone in this video. The real Ian would never pronounce our the first "T" in St. Etienne. Seize him!!!
@Dymitr_Nawrocki
@Dymitr_Nawrocki 2 жыл бұрын
Now it would be nice if Ian would have opportunity to make a video on MAC-58 wich is .50bmg version of AA-52 and compare two.
@leonardusrakapradayan2253
@leonardusrakapradayan2253 2 жыл бұрын
Now I’m imagining the US making a .50 version of the 249
@christiansenassociates9399
@christiansenassociates9399 2 жыл бұрын
It has a shoulder thing that goes up!
@swayingGrass
@swayingGrass 5 ай бұрын
I think the top cover actually look more like a Browning, with the tracks on the bolt carrier. It also doesn't seem to have MG42's distinctive "half-advance" system.
@jacksonperkins775
@jacksonperkins775 2 жыл бұрын
This would’ve made a great base design for a Star Wars blaster.
@bennythargrave
@bennythargrave 2 жыл бұрын
**Jon Favreau has entered the chat**
@O-soba_mask
@O-soba_mask Жыл бұрын
Je suis fier du boulot de mes compatriotes ! On est pas toujours au sommet mais parfois on brille ! Merci pour la description ! 🇫🇷
@Martinlegend
@Martinlegend 2 жыл бұрын
its so amazing to see the influence of the mg 42 design on so many Machineguns after the War
@SS-tr5ru
@SS-tr5ru 2 жыл бұрын
It still saddens me that the French gave up on the famas. It’s a excellent rifle
@rollolol6053
@rollolol6053 Жыл бұрын
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
@winstonwolfe5733 Жыл бұрын
​@@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.
@corditesniffer8020
@corditesniffer8020 2 жыл бұрын
7:30 If someone tried to draw a STG44 from memory
@michaeldelucci4379
@michaeldelucci4379 2 жыл бұрын
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
MAS Type 62: France Does the FAL, With a Twist
20:30
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 356 М.
Goryunov SG43: Russia Replaces the Maxim
21:08
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 283 М.
Cat mode and a glass of water #family #humor #fun
00:22
Kotiki_Z
Рет қаралды 42 МЛН
Quando A Diferença De Altura É Muito Grande 😲😂
00:12
Mari Maria
Рет қаралды 45 МЛН
REAL or FAKE? #beatbox #tiktok
01:03
BeatboxJCOP
Рет қаралды 18 МЛН
The French FR-F2: Best of the Cold War Sniper Rifles
17:10
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 447 М.
ZB47: A Truly Weird Czech SMG
23:04
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 172 М.
SS77: South Africa Builds a GPMG on the Shoulders of Giants
17:35
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 303 М.
China Lake 40mm Pump Action Grenade Launcher
15:10
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 1 МЛН
CEAM 1950B: A Roller-Delayed Missing Link in .30 Carbine
21:48
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 293 М.
Engineering Adaptability and the NFA: Lage Max11/15 System
16:39
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 327 М.
The St Etienne Mle 1907: France's Domestic Heavy Machine Gun
29:38
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 1,2 МЛН
North Korean Type 73: A PK That Uses Both Mags and Belts
22:10
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 544 М.
M60: Its Purpose, Mechanics, and Development
28:28
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 1,8 МЛН
The UC-9: Like a Sneaky, Extra-Boxy Uzi
17:42
Forgotten Weapons
Рет қаралды 535 М.