Freezing Rifle Test. (AK, AR-15, SCAR, FAL etc)

In today's Freezing Rifle Test (best rifle for snow), we allow moisture/snow into the actions of different weapon systems and allow it to freeze. In order to best test how these freezing rifles would behave under a worst case scenario. For many this is a very applicable topic. The results certainly surprised us.
00:00 Video Starts ;)
2:24 explanation of rifles used
4:25 weapons shown and test fired
10:01 rifles given water treatment
11:09 test begins
11:24 HK MR556A1 (HK416)
12:21 Steyr AUG
12:39 URGI (Newest SOCOM Rifle)
14:35 AKM (AK47)
14:58 AK-105
15:15 M4 Block II (GWOT Workhorse for SOCOM)
15:41 SIG MCX
17:29 KAC SR-15
19:34 FN FNC
20:20 Galil Gen 2
20:35 M-14 (Fulton Armory)
21:56 FN SCAR-H (SCAR 17S)
23:22 DSA OSW (FN FAL shorty)
23:56 LMT MWS (6.5)
25:20 EXTREME FREEZING TEST SECTION BEGIN
26:59 begin dousing weapons
27:58 Full disclosure of safety issues with second test (Every weapon except a few failed)
29:59 AKM (AK47)
30:01 AK-105
30:42 AK-105 (5.56x45 version)
31:12 Block II M4
31:20 URGI
31:48 KAC SR-15
32:18 SIG MCX
32:35 FN FNC
33:05 Galil
33:28 SCAR-H (SCAR 17S)
33:51 DSA OSW (FAL)
34:09 LMT MWS
34:12 final thoughts
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[@4g1vn]

AK: “I was born in the Arctic mountains of Siberia, the ice is like an old friend that embraces me after a long journey”

[@rs3741]

russia is not all about siberia. U'd probably surpised that most poppulated areas in russia are moderate and subtropical climate. Wow even subtropical! You're welcome

[@MrMDanny]

@@rs3741 bruh chill, the OP comment is fire, no need to throw wikipedia knowledge at people here

[@rs3741]

​@@MrMDanny didn't mean to break ur world

[@MrMDanny]

@@rs3741 too late, it's broken and the pieces of it are all around and I can't glue them back together. Why'd you do that

[@Vernich762]

AK and ice drink vodka…on ice

[@Wendigoon]

*me, watching from southern Appalachia* “Better get a couple more AUGs, just to be sure”

[@vockski3173]

Yeaaaaaaah I knew you were a gun nut!

[@blodus4521]

@@vockski3173 you should check out his first few videos

[@lawofliberty3517]

Ya def need a ak variant for Appalachian life. Tropical and arctic type stuff. All in one day🤣

[@kanenine5838]

Disnt expect to see you here. I just discovered your channel last week. Been binging alot. Lol

[@SL4PSH0CK]

@@blodus4521 oh Shiet coooool

[@theFirstAidKit]

When I was doing my military training with the Finnish military, we used the RK-62's, which is a Finnish AK-variant champered in 7.62x39. My rifle was old and most likely seen thousands and thousands of rounds. During one winter training I accidentally fell through the ice into a knee deep small puddle and the rifle got completely dipped into the muddy icy water. It was about -25C then. After about 15 minutes the rifle was completely frozen solid. I had to give it a solid whack against a tree to get most of the ice off, after which it worked perfectly and I shot 3 mags without a malfunction. AK-style rifles really are amazing in cold weather.

[@c_srb704]

why get a new rifle when you can just smack it on something? AK moment

[@legendaryjimbob7685]

Yep, sounds about right. Im guessing AK-style rifles were actually designed by the same people that designed old nokia phones. Those 62's were so funny, oh shit i dropped into puddle and its frozen solid, use it like baseball bat on tree and go back to shooting, what is this icing problem people have spoken about?

[@captainprice3398]

Ever used an FN-FNC? the Finns, swedes and Norwegians love the thing

[@LAZYB00GiE]

RK is the goat I have the "civilian" version of it

[@FinnishUncleSam]

Ah yes the rk-62. The right tool for every job. You can use it as a sledgehammer, shovel, deadly melee weapon, golf club, portable coat hanger. It does everything!

[@enclavegeneral2077]

I never doubted that the AK rifles would work in freezing conditions

[@outdoordrift]

AK is From Siberian Heart :D

[@underskillednunderpaid]

Enclave bad BOS good

[@captainrev4959]

Of course they were good in the cold. They were built in Russia. if your rifle can’t handle the cold in Russia, that’s a critical failure.

[@YoungPhysicistsClub1729]

"Will your rifle work in sub freezing temperatures?" me who lives in tropical country where civillians are not allowed to own firearms: "well well well, let's find out"

[@JonathanTaylorThomass]

Which country is?

[@ananonymousviewer5978]

@@JonathanTaylorThomass Australia? ?

[@Graymenn]

@@ananonymousviewer5978 not the sharpest knife in the drawer i see

[@parsasoli2015]

Same from islamic republic of iran

[@ananonymousviewer5978]

@@parsasoli2015I am from Syria an registering a gun here is almost impossible because of the war

[@kentfiero4945]

I’d be interested to see this same test run on popular handguns, glocks, sig, etc

[@mikeymikeymikey8923]

Great Idea

[@jeremyfortune7274]

They all run.. it’s been done numerous times. All the polymer guns are basically the same froze or not.

[@wereastray]

Fps russia did it just look it up

[@dangerranger4441]

Glocks will function;) worst case scenario. I’ll have a ak and a Glock. For extreme weather

[@calholli]

It's a good thing you thought of it... I'm sure it never crossed their mind.

[@gunner3548]

I have personally used the AK while serving in the military in my country. At -36°C it worked without problems. It's not so full of modern gizmos like the other rifles, but as long as it's firing and the sights are functional, it's all i need. Thank you for your work.

[@hausmaster9801]

A click is the loudest sound in the world when you need a bang and the AK always gives you a bang

[@joshbaker4448]

-36 c ya ok😂😂😂

[@drewpeacock7322]

What country

[@krisu788]

@@joshbaker4448-36 isn’t unbelieveable. We get those temps in Fin/Swe/Nor

[@jesse8031]

So how long do I need to wait at the bus stop to know if my super gun works? Meh. Life in Canada.

[@oofgaming5381]

I wouldn’t complain about a 2 hour long video one of the most entertaining KZbinrs to watch

[@ChainsawDude2008]

The trick, it seems, to keeping the ARs running is having an AK close at hand to beat the controls with

[@monotech20.14]

Or don't get your weapon wet in extremely low temps and if you do wipe it down and be prepared for your environment.

[@alexflim]

@@monotech20.14 There is thing called snow and firearms tend to get hot when used

[@aritakalo8011]

@@monotech20.14 it is impossible to not get rifle crusty in arctic. You shoot it, metal goes hot, melts snow laying on the outer surface, said moisture ingress rifle, continue march, weapon goes to -20 Celcius, all that ingress moisture freezes. On top of that as rifle hotband cold cycles condensation forms on all of the metal surfaces from ambient air moisture, unless one vacuum packs the rifle and good luck operating vacuum sealed rifle. Don't get snow on the rifle? Try that after one hears (either as training command or real sound) shrieking noise in the air. At that moment the thickest, nearest snow bank is your best friend, in which you dive with gusto. Hopefully remembering to atleast protect the muscle, probably by slamming one of your palms over it. Diving in with no support hoping the snow is plushy instead of hard packed or the shoulder is taking a scraping. In arctic it is best assume all your gear gets caked in snow. There is no such magic operator who can stop blizzard from doing it's thing and as said in arctic and war snow banks and snow caves are often friends.

[@juliancharbonneauadventures]

🤣

[@jonboy9734]

@Ahhh Haaa we don’t fight in cold weather so it’s not an issue.

[@warriorstrategies4204]

The AK's look frozen shut. *One round shot off, the snow and ice all fall off immediately and presents a clean AK...what an amazing piece of engineering

Would be amazing engineering if the iron sights weren't so compacted together. I can't see shit with it

[@BNatoAk]

The Bulgarian 556 seemed to fair as well as the 762 AK'S!

[@skylergreen4488]

Bc of the recoil lol

[@BNatoAk]

@@skylergreen4488 recoil? What recoil lol

[@juniorsilvabroadcast]

made in russia. it explains itself

[@davitdavid7165]

The way 80% of the snow dissapears after the first round is so satisfying

[@gdfusi0n623]

The AK just shed the ice like a dog shaking off water

[@Noone35791]

We use a modified version of the FNC here in Sweden. During an Arctic exercise above the polar circle we had issues with the rifle freezing up and the way to fix it was to keep the rifle at the same temperature at all times. We put the rifles towards the fabric of our tents in order for them not to get warm, start to “sweat” and then cause a malfunction. We also kept the rifles completely free of any kind of lubrication. We use CLP here and it doesn’t like temperatures below freezing. Before an offensive we would “warm fire” our weapons in order to make sure they we working before the assault. This was done during temperatures raging from -11C to -33C. Regards, Nic

[@Desmonti95]

Thats was so Cool to read man thanks for sharing that story

[@Valhalla_Heathen]

Lång leva Sverige! 🇸🇪

[@eurobeatboy6352]

@@Valhalla_Heathen *Länge leve

[@ArmorKingEmir]

thats good to know that Swedish army is next to useless during winter.

[@Noone35791]

@@ArmorKingEmir What of what I said made you think that’s the case lol? Our weapons always worked as we always took care of them according to the points provided above. We also, of course, conducted our daily weapons maintenance and cleaning, making sure they were in perfect working order. Read my first post again mate 😂

[@adriannoren5747]

I would definitely say that your tests are applicable to the real world. I’m a Swede so it’s below 0 celsius a couple of months a year. No you won’t drop your rifle in a lake, but what will happen is that you take a prone position in the snow, then mount up in a vehicle allowing the snow to melt, then out in the cold again. That’s how you will most likely experience freezing. If not mounting in vehicles you might get inside a tent that’s above 0 celsius then during the morning you move out and if you didn’t wipe your rifle dry, well it’s gonna freeze.

[@az12223]

"A couple of months" its almost half a year with snow dude.

[@MotRi1986]

@@az12223 that really depends on witch part of Sweden we talk about. In southern Sweeden especially close to the coast you have a relatively mild climate where you barley have any snow at all in northern part on the other hand you are lucky if you get a day or two with "real summer" each year.

[@andersmalmgren6528]

Yup, there is a reason we opted out from the AR platform for the FN FNC.

[@TheSuperManulCat]

So true. If we are talking about the swedish 10 or 20 men dome tents then we used to leave the weapons either outside of the tent (once you were out of the foxholes or not patrolling the camp) inside the wooden tent box or sleep with the weapon underneath the head pushed against the outside of the tent. The heat wouldnt get there and since the outer skirt is packed with snow, it stayed nice and icy.

[@kaylt.7864]

That PLUS when youre shooting its gonna be warm, melt any snow falling on it in a flurry, after its gonna re-freeze. Your respiration will also affect it to a lesser degree, probably not enough to create a stoppage on its own.

[@romansone2283]

As a Canadian that has worked outdoors all his life for a living this test is aczacly what matters, and is a very real life scenario. Damp/ ice/ cold combination I've seen countless pieces of machinery, hand tools, and people themselves malfunction in such situations. Thanks so much for doing these tests!

[@Josh-vv5pi]

I would be interested to see how bolt action rifles would do in this test. Like the Mosin, Mauser, Enfields, Remingtons and Rugers

[@ybzp2113]

Good idea ( Fucking translator)

[@AldoSchmedack]

Me too! ❤

[@hanspanzer1260]

110% Mosin and Enfield would fire

[@flarbles7631]

Almost like the AK was designed by one of the snowiest countries in the world lol. Paddle mags and no bolt catch prevent both parts from locking up a lot better. Open sights can get snow knocked out of them easier. Long safety selector allows for a lot more leverage. All of these features aren’t great for normal shooting, but they most definitely help in the cold. Where it’s designed to be used

[@yapomogu2713]

exactly!

[@afd19850]

Works pretty well in desert too!

[@jerstolp1]

We all know Aks just Work......

[@Agua-hd4jh]

Except for when mud

[@mikey69lover50]

Best comment!! 😝

[@calebbickham6680]

Here in Alaska we have all kinds of problems with our M4's. Lessons learned: keep your rifle outside in extreme cold, the warmth cycles of inside a vehicle or building then outside creates condensation in the rifle that freezes. Mags exposed to snow will freeze ammunition together and to the walls of a mag causing failure to feed once removed from the warmth. Leave the rifles as dry as possible with very little lube, even though the freeze point is stated as stupid low it usually starts gelling much warmer and it's enough to cause malfunctions. Also make sure you're wearing a face protection like a balaclava because you will give yourself contact frost bite on plastic stocks. It's great when you go to lift your head up after a qual and your cheek is stuck to the stock Edit: same applies for pistols. I've got a P220 10mm and and P320 9mm that I've got some data on but need to spend much more time and ammo to say conclusively, but my impressions are the hammer fired steel frame performs better than the polymer striker boi. I've mag dumped till both were hot then dropped in the snow, let it sit for a few seconds, then flipped for a few more seconds, then put them on a table until they froze. Round chambered in both. The P220 fired and blew shit out of the rails and cycled no problems, on reload the mag catch didn't work until a little extra pressure was applied then it seated and ran. The P320 fired the chambered round then failure to return to battery. I had to beat the slide forward till seated then it finished the mag. Reload, no amount of finagling would get the frozen mag catch to hold a mag but I kept my support hand under the mag and it successfully and awkwardly fed till the mag was empty. Keep testing your gear and yourself ladies and gentlemen.

[@Carolina_Leadslingers]

And use LAW Instead of CLP.

[@chucknoris7648]

I always wonder if you spray a little bit of wd40 into the internals like the mag well trigger group dust cover I wonder if that would keep the moisture out enough to keep them functioning. Wd40 is not the best lubricant but my work would be cool if you could test it out in a video.

[@coopers1716]

Now this is some cool info. Thanks for sharing Calube.

[@motorcitymadman146]

Yes Sir I leave my hunting tools in the truck when it freezing out.

[@JarlPeregrine]

Last winter we had a US 'elite' special forces team come up to northern Sweden for some winter training. One guy ended up with severe frostbite in his upper lip because he idiotically kept his stock on his cheek without wearing a balaclava. He not only then decided to tough it out, but the doctor assigned to the exercise didn't even recognise the injury when it became critical. Ended up being medically treated by the Swedes.

[@jesuschrist711]

the trigger not dropping the pin was probably top ten worst things a gun can do to you. a good lesson on safety when the bad gets worse. love how you stayed calm, and immediately called for help on clearing it.

[@viking420]

Used the HK416N during my time in the Norwegian Army, and we had very few issues with freezing. We obviously spent time removing snow and ice to avoid freezing, but the HK held up great after days or weeks outside in below -30 degrees celsius. The only issue I ran into from time to time was extraction failure when shooting blanks, which honestly is too be expected considering the much lower pressure than live rounds. One factor to consider is that we NEVER left any CLP on the weapon during the winter months, and most of the time field maintenance was done dry (without CLP) as the oil would freeze and lead to cycle failure.

[@Sean-xc2so]

Klikk!

[@WindHaze10]

Some say he can melt snow by mere presence or that he can make SA80 work just fine. All we know is, he's called the Garand Thumb.

[@dandylion1987]

I dunno man. Water makes the gas plug rust straight to the cylinder 😂

[@maxrieker1591]

Jeremy Clarkston intensifies

[@kammoperformance]

He's been the STIG the ENTIRE TIME

[@austin4702]

Rip Jeremy Clarkson. 😢

[@joeclaridy]

I thought you was talking about Chuck Norris

[@coffeeandlifting]

Lol, not to participate in the AK circle-jerk, but that was impressive. Truly a case where other systems merely adopted the cold, whereas the AK was "born in it... molded by it."

[@gavinm1347]

I was born in the dark, I did not see the light till I was a man 🦇

[@morgankwok4506]

Maybe it takes a clean room, well-ventilated 25.5C well-lit room for an AK to break

[@gorishokgo5825]

Ak was born in cold :))) lol it was born in some jail-gulag type manufacturing by jailed germans :)))) Hugo made it

[@user-ox5ww2vi9s]

@@morgankwok4506 FUCK, YOU FIGURE US OUT! Little green man went to you address, dont go anywhere, пожалуйста.

[@g8eddie372]

You're a big guy

[@jango268]

I'd love to see how a Canadian C7 fairs in these tests. Supposedly they're designed to work better in the desert and arctic conditions. I guess I'll find out once I'm shipped off for bmqs but I'd be interested to see it

[@mr.randomperson9900]

I’d assume especially since it’s Canada the focus would be on colder environments.

[@jango268]

@@mr.randomperson9900 my thoughts as well

[@Dagoroth55]

I was told our weapons are quite durable in the cold.

[@kozhinismail4731]

Canadian C7 should work

[@calebneff5777]

C7 is legendarily reliable. It's like the anti-L87.

[@Sebastian-yl7nq]

*Didn't expect the AUG to fail and it didn't!* _Simply a gorgeous firearm!_ I mean, what's there to expect from a gun made in Austria, surrounded by mountains. The only thing which failed during my time with the mountaineers was my trigger finger because of how cold it was

[@shooteveryday1841]

Use spray dry Teflon lubricant on your AR-15’s. It runs well down to -40F. since it’s hydrophobic, condensation is also repelled. Source: North Dakotan

[@MaxRay16]

CherryBalmz makes dedicated cold lubricant and their other stuff is the best

[@ChuckMothaEfenNorris]

But will it work during florida winter

[@aarongoss4639]

Can it be used in hot temps as well?

[@R1cECr1spy]

@@aarongoss4639 Teflon was/is used on non stick pots and pans that can handle cooking temperatures. I think it'd be able to run hot, in theory. I don't have experience using though.

[@bensears7499]

What about PAM, butter flavor?

[@jacobcarolan1172]

I’ve noticed that everything on an ak pivots. The safety, mag release, and the way that the mag pivots into the mag well. I’m guessing that helps break ice buildup away from the manual controls, everything on it is large enough to operate with heavy gloves. It’s almost like it was designed by people that live in a cold climate…

[@SlashRfnR]

weird huh? Slightly higher tolerances, no deep magwell for less contact, higher leverage action on safety, not so crowded inner space. It is crude but damn does it do it's job.

[@wcstrawberryfields8011]

Good observation

[@rootgotter355]

Even the dust cover hinges open!

[@Modi_]

the finnish rk62 is an even better example, its basically a classic ak which has been modified with the winter in mind.

[@joebenson528]

@@SlashRfnR It was designed for winter but they disregarded the Desert. Sand loves those open tolerances.

[@3vjames432]

“F you Kalashnikov group” *AR jams immediately after*😭 AK ftw

[@iamscoutstfu]

Ak is trash bro

[@sturdybutter]

Wow I’m shocked at how many expensive high end rifles failed. MCX, Galil, SCAR. Crazy.

[@bunnyman6321]

Yup

[@KeksimusMaximus]

Galil is expensive? It's just a copycat AK with a bottle opener and AKs are not what you consider expensive. Lmao, another jewish trick

[@sturdybutter]

@@KeksimusMaximus you’re asking if a Galil is expensive? Cause if you live in the US, like Garand Thumb does, then yes, they’re quite expensive. They’re also great firearms so idk what you’re on about. Some anti-Semitic shit by the sounds of it.

[@medotaku9360]

Scars are known to be pretty shitty outside of a flat range

[@tash6638]

@@medotaku9360ou’re wrong lol go watch inrangeTV mud test it performs exceptionally well with no issues even with excessive amounts of mud caked on. This isn’t really a test since there are so many variables with what mechanisms are freezing. You’re probably someone who can’t afford one anyways😂

[@Aikano9]

14:42 I really like the defrosting feature on the AKs

[@jordanl.8509]

Worked better than a lot of de-icing mechanisms on airplanes.

[@alexkart9239]

@@jordanl.8509 if only we could load the airplanes with 7.62 ammo 🤔

[@bleumamba7454]

@@alexkart9239 ayyyoooo😭

[@iamkyleclimer]

So what this video is telling me is I should get an ak👀

[@Aikano9]

@@alexkart9239 a GAU-8 Avenger firing 30mm sounds more fun.

[@VexChoccyMilk]

Here in Canada the Soviet-built SKSs are highly praised for their cold resistance. I'm sure there are other options on that table that work equally as well, but not that we have access to.

[@simonnizerontheroad]

Im also in Canada, I ran my x95 in -30°c in the Alberta Rockies and it never even hiccuped and yes we have access to better options than sks’s

[@VexChoccyMilk]

@ActiveMeasures Once you have a license, you can get them shipped to your door from an online store.

[@VexChoccyMilk]

@ActiveMeasures Or from a physical gun store.

[@VexChoccyMilk]

@@simonnizerontheroad Some, but not the ARs, AKs, SCARs, FALs, etc. Man, I hate our gun laws so much.

[@VexChoccyMilk]

@@simonnizerontheroad Literally every gun on that table is a prohib here. They did not test an ar-180b, a RDB, X95, T97, or any fun gun that is non-restricted.

[@tofton1977]

Hi, Belgian viewer here, i got one of my friends who made his military service during the late 70's using FAL and he told me that rifle never let him down, even during nightime manoeuvers by -20° celsius in the middle of the Ardenne forest!

[@airsoftmarksman9613]

I love these tests and great gun safety and management with the M14.

[@mmmmyes9124]

I'm getting so desensitized by Brandon's shooting that I got legitimately surprised when Mike hit the target 5 times with the first gun

[@volkoff6357]

Hilarious and relatable comment 😆

[@josie4065]

LMAO I just realized that

[@Saanonymous80]

He tried White Claw, but they froze

[@slipknnnot]

Who the hell is Mike ?

[@skydonkey9515]

@@slipknnnot Garand Thumbs real name lol

[@vincentcocchio3450]

The dedication of Garand Thumb to do that to his guns for us Get this man a medal

[@undeadwarrior88]

@Tommy Gaming 🅥 No

[@shadowguy525]

Somebody get this man an Achievement Medal!

[@joshuajames2425]

Gear is meant to be tested bruv

[@danielaramburo7648]

Ak, congrats! You passed the test. Ak: what test? To me it felt perfectly normal.

[@RealFakePhD]

This is the exact reason I carry all of my weapons in a "temperature-variability ready state". Even my concealed glock. The weapon is fully disassembled with each part in its own plastic bag in my cargo shorts pockets (I only ever wear shorts and crocs BTW). I figure once they start shooting at me I will have enough time to assemble my weapon since the snow will greatly impede their speed and they won't be able to push my location.

[@ejr-mb8ty]

Underrated comment

[@pillingthemsoftly4738]

KEK

[@DannnnH67]

🥶 winter cargo short uni 🥶

[@FUBARguy107]

Obviously since you are prepared and keep your gun in pieces theirs will fail in the cold while yours will operate perfectly thanks to your body heat. Nice!

[@strat458796]

“Only wear shorts and crocs” a mad man. Unbelievably based.

[@monodilo]

You just have to appreciate the amount of time, energy, and resources that went into this video. It really is a service to take these weapons in an unvarnished environment with optics, lights and lasers attached to see if they will function. Definitely over 100K worth of equipment on the table and he's stress/environment testing everything. I would never do this with my guns but I'm glad I can reap the benefits of such an extensive test.

[@LucidLegend1984]

its super helpful the grand thumb makes that in month

[@StevenMcTowweleeie]

underrated comment

[@serhiikovalenko4210]

Moreover, I am from Ukraine, we have frosts, but this does not work like that at first it rains the weather is positive, which means then it slowly drops to minus and the water from the rain is already glass and what is left there is less than you poured in the first test at the beginning of the video! so in real life, this is straightforward UNREAL!) about how I have combat AKS 74 and aks 74u! and also AKM RPK PKM access to them is permanent! in the ATO I tested all of them in plenty! and I will say that the best combat rifle is the 416 and 417! here I am 100% sure that both Americans and Europeans were on trainings 416 and especially 417 are the best !!!! condensation if from heat to cold they can withstand it is proven, unlike m4a1 !!! Moreover, I am from Ukraine, we have frosts, but this does not work like that at first it rains the weather is positive, which means then it slowly drops to minus and the water from the rain is already glass and what is left there is less than you poured in the first test at the beginning of the video! so in real life, this is straightforward UNREAL!) about how I have combat AKS 74 and aks 74u! and also AKM RPK PKM access to them is permanent! in the ATO I tested all of them in plenty! and I will say that the best combat rifle is the 416 and 417! here I am 100% sure that both Americans and Europeans were on trainings 416 and especially 417 are the best !!!! condensation, if from heat to cold, they can withstand it is proven, unlike m4a1 !!! The AK system is not as reliable as you are shown, and the reason why the AK concern removes the same nonsense is that, apart from an unrealistic scenario where water is poured in and the rifle just lies with it and not raised, and the water flows down like the rest is shit and rubbish! the sights on it are unreliable to tune it that is still crap and all the same is not right .. the kickback is twitchy .. the piston if you shoot 500 shots then do not clean it, give it to cool down starts to pick up ..!

[@tusk3260]

i really like the fact that you are showing us the water sprinkling on the guns so theres no cheating going on. Seen a bunch of guys cheating to make their m4 look good, For this you just gained another subscriber.

[@7hart2]

21:37 - I can never overstate just how proud I am of someone, very experienced, admitting that their comfort levels were breached to inexperienced shooters who may experience 'nordic' tastes for the first time.

[@AutismFamilyChannel]

Just talked to a cop who had a Dr. Pepper explode in his car and get on his gun. He washed it off but…when the gun heated up it started to gum up on the inside (where he didn’t see some soda collect) it was like molasses and jammed the gun. That was his duty pistol. You just never know the random stuff you will encounter.

[@X51RLs]

after such soda-shower you'd better put your gun inside a jug of kerosine or smth like that. And then re lubricate everything

[@jpg36c]

Is your cop friend called “Farva”

[@Apollo-Computers]

@@jpg36c lol sounds right

[@markkellyeatsvegetablesjun8065]

Someone spilled their liter of cola.

[@bulletfan28ify]

That’s what sugar does to your insides

[@ThunderBunnyEsq]

Looks like all of the AK variants will work no matter if you’re in Hoth or Tatooine. I guess it makes sense since the USSR had frigid areas like Siberia and Kazakhstan and hot sandy areas such as Turkmenistan. It is proven to defend motherland Comrade Thumb. Kudos to you and Micah really stressing the importance of safety when conducting the M14 test.

[@MrThatoneguy148]

AKs be like: "Nyet, mothers love is colder than this."

[@scarr6200]

Hahahah

[@Gruvy]

Alot of old rifles can pass the freeze test. Modern machining tolerances are tight and thats why those rifles dont pass. Pre 60s soviet tech was like build it, test it and deploy it. It had to function within the parameters.

[@razzor4708]

@@Gruvy unless you meet InRange TV and their mud\sand tests prove opposite.... if a lot of water poored in gun action intentionally, and cause it to froze by leaving gun for 1 hour in intentionally, that no solder will do - doesn't mean gun system is bad....InRange custom build fully polymer AR WWSD2020 was tested on Finish brutality -no malfunctions.... Mud\Sand test -is what can actually happened during combat...AK failed...as any soviet block weapon systems Do not underestimate power of Stoner

[@zachconant7031]

AR platform: “I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere” AK Platform: *sand people noises*

[@elirhoades103]

I really like this. Cool idea and shout out to you for doing this in the winter!

[@jbloun911]

Can we all appreciate the staggering amount of hardware lying on the table in front of Garand Daddy!?! Like $50k + worth of excellence.

[@ajax2turnt]

21:00 love the safety precautions you took most people wouldnt even think of the hammer not releasing because of the lack of education we need more people to learn about their firearms. Actually it would be a great video series, I would watch the whole thing because the more you know will make you a better and responsible firearm owner.

[@Milieboy]

Even as a Dutch firearms enthusiast, without owning a gun but watching lots of videos, thought ohh shit that's a dangerous situation when I heard that click and no hammer drop.

[@amazingasian4160]

Man I don't know nothing about guns, but in my head I was thinking " Its not working, be careful it might fire"

[@hardwirecars]

or you have bubbas like me that know exactly what he was worried about but because i had never seen it happen im not scared of it. thank god i dont live in cold climates.

[@hardwirecars]

@@amazingasian4160 you are in a good position you are the im ignorant of the workings but because of that i better be careful i wish more people were like you.

[@koborkutya7338]

agreed - would be nice to see someone acting out like he did with the M14, he was obviously caught off-guard and did it quite instictively, was so great to see

[@tallspy7150]

quite literally, this is the importance of knowing your gear and going out and shooting in all conditions. not just being a fare weather fudd. Great video.

[@joshuab7737]

Or just not dousing your rifles in water and letting it freeze.

[@nsob8897]

Got that right...I keep trying to get people to go out with me in the winter and it's always: "it's too cold outside"... I get pretty irritated with people thinking it needs to be between 40 and 73 degrees out before they'll even consider going. I'll go out when it's 95 above and when it's 30 below...and I get both where I live. No bullshit.. It's kinda sad that people won't even bother if they're going to be uncomfortable while they learn.

[@X9Unsponsored]

Completely agree. When the weather is bad get out and shoot.

[@aritakalo8011]

@@joshuab7737 well based on my conscript experience, one doses all of ones gear including rifle with snow. After couple rounds and the hot gasses, that snow melts and presto water doused rifle. All our rifles were all the time surfaced with condensation freeze. Unless we had just shot. Then it was giving of mist for a while, when the shooting heat melted and evaporating water vapor condensates in our to mist. It is just better assume one had at minimum a constant condensation frost layer inside the rifle. That is many why Arctic places use long strokes. No need for forward assist, it is in built and you need it. When in the cold the recoil spring is little stiff, the guide rails little frosty, metal parts little tight from thermal shrink and everything little sticky with cold moisture wanting to grab and hold things together. You need that forward assist. As you saw with our host here, slamming the back of the AK handle to make sure "it is fully rotated to full battery, so it will now operate". That isn't that rare sight to see soldiers (atleast us conscripts did it) in cold giving the long strokes handle little "love tap", even if the rifle seemed to operate fine. Better give the check tap, than go pull trigger and there is no boom, because will the autostart is not fully cleared or something like that.

[@joshuas390]

@@joshuab7737 WHO ARE YOU!?

[@chino_danny600]

My favorite gun test video EVER!! Garand thumb…. I mean flannel daddy, you’re the best!

[@michaelcalbi6968]

I'd like to see a part two to this with different assault rifles, like the tavor 21, sig 552, g36 (sl8), desert tech mdrx, etc. Thanks for the awesome video.

[@OriginalElbowTactics]

Greetings from the cold northern country of Finland. When I was in the army, we used our variant of AK called RK-62. It worked flawlessly in -25 to -35 celcius temperstures (that's -13 to -31 in freedomheit). 3 weeks in forest, they were dusty and snowy. Water was not introduced to them of course because we were not torture testing them. We were told to remove the mag and load the weapon repeatedly few times before using it to ensure everything moves smoothly.

[@LegitM00se]

That's really cool! When I was in the military, we were pretty meticulous with our weapons cleaning, and took measure to keep them out of the elements. Never got to really torture test or anything.

[@somerandomnoob6502]

"Freedomheit" lol

[@yurituev]

Hello from Russia. In the army we had AKS-74 and AK-74M. It was impossible to break them, freeze them, or do anything with them at all. I think even in hell they will shoot without problems.

[@OriginalElbowTactics]

@@LegitM00se we kept them clean also, but in training camps when we were several weeks out in the tents freezing our asses off our trainers said that in the war time there may not be possible to polish your weapon all the time so this is what you need to do to ensure it works as well as it can 😋

[@OriginalElbowTactics]

@@Matherofacts dip the gun into water barrel and just shake the exess water out, then let it freeze in -20C for few hours 😉

[@jfu5222]

As a cold weather infantry scout, and a native Minnesotan, I can tell you that shit breaks in the extreme cold. If there is a weakness, the cold will find it. Also anything with batteries will go dead more quickly. When I was a scout (before GPS) we would carry two compasses and switch one from inside our parka for the other every hour or two because they would freeze up.

[@PalleRasmussen]

I live in Greenland, forget about batteries working. Optics, etc. Cold kills everything.

[@somedudeinminnesota]

Ya man its been negative 30 something at night around ely...only stuff i shoot in this stuff is the sks and the 74

[@PalleRasmussen]

@@somedudeinminnesota I hear from Simo that a Mosin with iron sights works quite well too 😉

[@somedudeinminnesota]

@@PalleRasmussen don't even have one any more 🤷

[@T3TomTomAwesomeYTchannel]

I love ❤️ how the snow comes off when it shot

[@maxwell2.2]

these light conditions actually show flash really well. That would make an awesome comparison video

[@f-grade]

The FNC is meant for use in HEAT conditions, not COLD.

[@khakipeach2128]

the AK-5 is a slightly modified version of the FNC, and the AK-5 is meant for subarctic climates

[@iornlint]

@@khakipeach2128 he is joking, the FNC features heavily in the movie HEAT from the 90s

[@dylangreen9819]

Al Pacino wants you to know that the FN FNC has a great ass

[@RAINSMAN79]

Like Val Kilmer?

[@khakipeach2128]

@@iornlint ah I see now, that was pretty гetarded of me not to get

[@HwyPony]

Interesting fact, during the harsh Russian winter, the Germans weapons froze , they utilized standard issue weapons oil. While the Russians mixed their weapons oil with a little gasoline, theirs didn’t freeze up. Food for thought. Great video!!

[@paintballplayer700]

I'm OK not smearing my firearm with gasoline lol

[@kylewhite8434]

Why gasoline? There's gotta be a reason, higher/lower freeze point?

[@GrimnirWolf]

@@kylewhite8434 Oil doesn't exactly freeze but it becomes sticky and more viscous as it gets colder. It changes viscosity with temperature. Gasoline has a much lower viscosity in low temperatures and mixes well with oil. The fact that the gasoline is affected less by the cold temperatures helps it maintain a lower viscosity when mixed together with the oil thus allowing the parts to move freely. It's not so much about freezing, rather about viscosity.

[@avick718]

Так и появилась WD-40

[@patgray5402]

Considering the amount of Russian casualties on the eastern front, I don't think the Germans had too big of an issue lol.

[@erikruhl446]

I love the movie clip inserts. Well done per usual.

[@Kevo117]

Thanks for being out in the cold for us in this awesome video!

[@Redpill_to_MGTOW]

The amount of effort you put into this video needs to be acknowledged. You even time stamped each weapon in the dropdown menu for anyone too impatient to watch it all. Thanks for the obvious effort we can see, as well as the work behind it all that amounts to 10 times more probably.

[@joshturner9766]

@TheShotgunMessenger 100% mate lmao.

[@TAWier]

My first thought was rust and who's cleaning all of these guns.

[@User-dn4vi]

You’re beating him off right now

[@corruptVz]

adding time stamps is probably the most low effort thing to do. And it should be on every video.

[@petesheppard1709]

I highly applaud MIke's focus on safety. Like most others, I wasn't surprised that the AKs were easiest to get running, IF they froze up. A totally realistic test for the rifles would be to clean them, cold-soak them, then take them into a warm cabin. After they get good and wet inside and out with condensation move them back outside to re-freeze good and hard.

[@astang1072]

Yes. I see many people who get a “click” and go right for opening things up like there’s no such thing as hang-fires. Esp in that cold, hang-fire is quite possible.

[@HulaGarden]

you asked too much

[@TheTyrial86]

@@sosexyimsexy2567 Not today ISIS...

[@Sparks00psn]

Like covering it in cement at that point

[@THEESVN]

Alaska state trooper done a tesy just like that, you can fine it in the internet, tldr the AK won

[@bubbabeef]

Dude wasn’t lying about the comment section y’all are wild, keep it up 👍

[@o.k.2968]

Very useful and cool experiment!

[@per-andersstolt8566]

Im Swedish and the swedish army uses the FN FNC. During my time in the army we were out in -38c without problems. Great gun!

[@aydenfrac]

Did it rain for hours, then freeze? I believe that would be the situation that this experiment is representing. Freezing rain, then a temperature drop.

[@moery2435]

Doesnt the swedish army use a different version of the FN FNC called the AK-5C?

[@mrjon75]

I love 💕 FN.

[@ShopRat-cf9tr]

@@moery2435 Yes, that is the Swedish military designation, but it’s still a FNC. Just like the M4 is an AR-15.

[@ZSC001]

@@aydenfrac I mean, if there’s snow out, everything will get wet.

[@mivocre4086]

The m14 malfunction was probably my favorite part of the video, seeing how professionally you handled a safety hazard was awesome to watch

[@holden3083]

👍. Good test. Interesting results. Good to do this test on bolt guns & revolvers.

[@TomekHar]

Love the defrosting feature on the AKM and OSW (FAL shorty)

[@opinionator3884]

Served 4 years long ago in the US Army Arctic Light Infantry and this test tracks true to what I observed years ago. When we went to the field with M-16A1/A2, they froze and malfunctioned but the AKs always worked. The AK always felt loose and agricultural compared to the M16 but those loose tolerances kept it from freezing and made it useful no matter the weather.

[@jbloun911]

AK born in ice of Siberia

[@Leon_Orlov]

@@jbloun911 sounds like водка commercial

[@KeksimusMaximus]

I have another take - since ARs have way more closed systems, they perform better in muddy conditions. Ian from Forgotten Weapons tried that. Mud and small rocks will get into AKs 100% and they will jam hard. While ARs (with closed ejection port cover ofc) tend to not let in sand and rocks and they will work just fine after being literally submerged in some nasty mud

[@jbloun911]

@@KeksimusMaximus Summer - AR Winter - AK

[@RomantikongGinoo]

this torture test shows that incase shyt hit the fan dont ever use any sig products LOL

[@paulwinterscheidt]

There are a ton of variables that influence the cold weather performance of weapons. I've carried frozen rifles (M4, AR-10, and M40) for a living for 17 years in a place where we see seven months of snow and temps regularly well below zero. Besides poorly maintained weapons, I've found the biggest contributor to malfunctions is moisture. Condensation will form on and in a rifle in no-time flat and freeze just as quick when reentering the outside world. Snow will stick to a hot barrel and action, melt into the smallest nooks and crannies, and refreeze as quick as it takes aluminum to cool. My weapons are never oiled with more than wiping a lightly saturated cloth over the points of contact, and my firing pin channels are always bone dry. In the winter, my AR-10 is the only fussy rifle that I use the lightest film of graphite lube. If someone is running an adjustable gas block on their rifle, open that thing up in the winter and get the widest performance parameters you can get while it's cold.

[@justindunlap1235]

yep the condensation forming when you come inside is the hardest to get around. some hunting cabins in the mountains near me get around the issue by putting a gun cabinet or rack on the porch.

[@justindearmond1]

wouldnt more oil be a good thing? wouldnt that prevent the moisture from forming on and in the weapons? amateur at best here with firearms, i can shoot well enough to defend my family and have several weapons in various calibers, but have little shooting experience apart from limited range time and shooting at friends farms (middle of Kansas is awesome for things like that, everyone here is armed, more or less.), so forgive my ignorance.

[@fjcruzer1]

@@justindearmond1 it’s kind of a catch-22. More oil will help to repel moisture but in extreme cold conditions it can also thicken and gum up causing its own set of issues. That’s reason for the mention of graphite lubricant. Graphite lubricants are dry so they won’t have viscosity issues and are still generally water repellent, but dry applications don’t last as long as traditional wet/oil based.

[@gamingrex2930]

Can you share more about what happens when you open the gas block?

[@GetTheFO]

@@gamingrex2930 having a wider gas port opening allows for a more violent cycling of the action. In a dirty rifle it helps combat the friction of built up carbon and gunk as well as if build up has forming in the gas port itself. Same idea-ish for frozen moisture in the firearm; the violence helps break the action free and overcome the resistance.

[@lwsrider]

Great video! And very informative! I agree. We should test out weapon to see how it will perform under adverse conditions. I enjoy how your way of injecting a little humor into what is often a very serious situation. Keep 'em coming! Have you done similar tests with handguns?

[@jeffreystinger]

I LIVE IN MONTANA…..THE WINTER IS HORRENDOUS, APPRECIATE YOUR TESTING SIR….👏🏻

[@prairiepatriot2162]

It was my understanding that one of the non-negotiable requirements of the AK was that it work well in sub-zero weather. The AK was the product of lessons learned from battles like Stalingrad. With all of that being said it is no surprise that it's performance was superior in these conditions.

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

-40° f in battle of moskow

[@prairiepatriot2162]

@@carkawalakhatulistiwa Yeah, that's what I call cold weather, most things with moving parts fail at those temperatures.

[@vifvrTtb0vmFtbyrM_Q]

@@prairiepatriot2162 my prius works very well in -40

[@id_Usher]

AK was generally created as a very reliable system. I'd rather have an AK than an AR system rifle.

[@JohnDoe-mp1yn]

@@id_Usher so was the AR-15 in muddy conditions.

[@jontesson1]

Interesting! I did military service in Sweden (conscript) as "hunter soldier" in northern Sweden, something like an "arctic ranger". Our main personal weapon was AK5/modified FN FNC. Like many other military forces around the world training arctic warfare, we also for example trained going into a "isvak" i.e. going through a prepared hole in the ice on a lake in winter conditions, in full combat gear. This of course soaked everything completely in freezing water. If you are to travel any significant distance through northern Sweden in winter time, you may certainly be forced to cross frozen rivers or lakes, then the ice may fail and then you and your carried equipment becomes wet. So I think a complete "drenching" in water is not unrealistic situation in arctic conditions. The "maintenance" we did to our weapons after such baths was to remove the magazine, shake out excess water, check that the barrel was clear from snow/ice blockage and cycle the mechanism a few times. We did not, like in this clip, leave the weapons with large/unknown amounts of water inside.. That may be a bit too extreme, perhaps, but interesting test anyway! Of course the weapon was also often "subjected to snow" in similar way that has earlier been described in other comments. The AK5 was a reliable weapon in these conditions, the worst I remember was some quick "judo chop"/manhandling of the mechanism to get it running sometime.. I am happy that Sweden is now sourcing the AK5-replacement together with Finland, I hope this next weapon will also perform well under our very similar environment conditions!

[@SomebodyYouKnew]

Very interesting thanks!

[@fixerupperer]

Thanks very much for the real world military info.

[@jarhu86]

Having experienced frozen assault rifle in arctic conditions it's really hard to try and handle the weapon without exposing it to melting ice or snow. It's just impossible so the rifles need to be designed in a way to keep them in functional condition. I remember one day when people had been keeping their rifles beside them in warm tents over night and at dawn outside temp was down to roughly -35 C I think it was like one out of ten rifles had issues due to moisture on surfaces of rifles freezing near instantly after moving out of warm tent that probably had quite high air moisture (people drying their damp clothes). Many kept ear plug stuffed on the muzzle to keep snow out of the barrel. Never saw anyone ending up plug deep in the barrel as the plugs expand a bit to keep from penetrating deeper in. Oh, and cleaning was really important. You really don't want to "forget" to clean after firing and then notice that the impurities left over jam the weapon when frozen.

[@HungPham-hm9yk]

I wonder what kind of weapon system will be considered to replace the ak-5 tho? Is it gonna be an upgrade ak-5 or a sig sg 556 or hk-416 type? Do you have any further information for the competition to replace the ak-5?

[@sodcactus]

@@jarhu86 The way to handle it in Swedish army (rifle in warm tent) is to always have the rifles against the tent fabric so it doesn't get as warm, hopefully lessening the risk of condensation freezing inside when bringing it out.

[@LimeTimeHD]

You know this made me wonder how other platforms like lever guns and shotguns would perform in this same testing environment. That would be a great way to continue this series imo. Very entertaining and also informative.

[@williamflowers9435]

You got your wish (shotguns anyway)

[@askerissenguzhenov218]

Thank you for the video and such an unbiased assessment, can imagine how much time and effort did it cost.

[@noahzempel]

It's been my experience living in minnesota, that typically rifles will operate just fine as long as they aren't full of water. As someone who perfers to stay at extended ranges, I find I'm far more likely to encounter issues with optics feezing (even Gucci shit) and electronics failures. I would like to see a cold weather test on reflex sights, nogs, and other equipment prone to cold weather condition issues.

[@mnguy98]

Another Minnesotan here, something I've been interested in trying out is velocity tests in sub-zero temps vs. temperate conditions. I've heard some hearsay about how Army units in the far north were having problems with unburnt powder from their 14.5 M4s, whereas Marines with the 20" M16 had no such problems. I figured I'd try it with a few rounds from both, plus a 16" carbine and a FAL as a wild card to see if there is any noticeable difference.

[@DieselDog403]

Third Minnesotan here. I said on Facebook I've shot both my AR and AK plenty during our hard winters, including one of the coldest subzero days I dared to go shoot outside. When you get to 10 below, AR's start telling you they are unhappy. You can feel a slight difference in the cycle (and at this point, my Lancer mags are not worth trying to use FWIW). AK will chug along all day, it gives no shits. That said, I've never frozen my rifles, but they've been out in snowfall.

[@MRPosserLivestreams]

Yup, batteries drain extra Fast up here in the winter country.

[@noahzempel]

@@mnguy98 unburnt powder in 14.5 is gonna be a function of barrel length and not temp...temperature has a pretty small effect on velocity. Wind conditions are vastly more important to making a shot at longer distances. On my personal range it might be 5mph from the NW for the first 400 yards, and 15mph from sw from 800-1000+ yards.

[@seikatsu4life]

@@mnguy98 unburnt powder is only an issue if the ammo is routinely moving in and out of cold weather thus allowing moisture to build up within the cartridge. I've routinely had to qual with all infantry weapon systems at temperatures colder then -20f ambient. Generally speaking if the weapons/ammo are left out side lubricated with law they will function fine

[@apexbullets151]

huge props to the safety first attitude with the jams, dead triggers etc. moments like these are great teaching moments and should be used to teach proper gun safety and what to do in situations. One thing I don't see practiced enough is safety and I've seen so many people kicked off ranges because they cant even diagnose and safely fix a jam, misfire, etc in normal conditions.

[@caleb4a]

Dr. Garand Thumb, something that you should put in your Urban survival video, as a very helpful tip, is to keep your rifle as close to your body when transporting or moving long distances in the winter, if you were to take your civilian style AR or scar on a 10 mile winter hike in less than optimal weather per se, it would be very beneficial to have your body heat keeping your rifle as warm as possible for reliability purposes. Just food for thought. Love everything that you do, and appreciate it. Keep up the good work. 👍💪

[@BNatoAk]

When your AK's found out they were in a freeze test I'm sure they cracked a smile 😃

[@ashwassarkar8073]

AK obviously could not disobey the direct orders of the greatest Russian generals- November, December, January... Afterall its the motherland calls ❤️

[@iornlint]

Remember that your optics fog up when going from a cold to warm environment, consider keeping iron sights as a backup

[@arpanabinaswar1811]

Yeah Man , glad someone advised that in comment.

[@MaxRay16]

Cat crap works great

[@onefastr6]

Who are you reminding? Garand Thumb? I’m sure he’s aware lol.

[@iornlint]

@@onefastr6 I've seen more than one guntuber say that their micro style optic is reliable enough that backup irons are kinda redundant. It was a reminder to people who live in cold weather areas that this philosophy doesn't really apply to them

[@Nagger666]

Just keep your rifle in the cold and you don't have to worry about it

[@LanzoL.]

Mikhail Kalashnikov grew up in Siberia, Russia and it's cold af out there. That's why he knew what he was doing when he was designing and testing the AK series of rifles.

[@user-js4xl7pw7l]

True, winters here can get up to - 45° C, and including Oymakon - - 86°C

[@dustin3883]

Very cool and informative video! Fortunately, being down on the Texas gulf coast I don’t expect to ever to encounter these conditions 😅

[@imperialmodelworks8473]

As a Wisconsin resident, I'm going to find this very informative. A scorching ambient air temp of -7 today. ***edit*** (moved my M1A a little further back in the safe. That being said, odds are if your weapon is that wet in an environment this cold, you went in the river and you'll be suffering from hypothermia before you get a chance to engage anything. It's the only open water in the winter time here.

[@modernrambo2]

Cheese head gang

[@thentantt]

Minnesotan neighbor here. -14 rn. I feel your pain.

[@DR676767]

North Dakota -25 is a blizzard beast

[@henrik3056]

Wisco gang rise up

[@ruinordespair]

-4 in lake Delton today.

[@pystykorva7114]

This test warms my heart since we have our version of the AK issued here in Finland and sometimes it gets pretty cold. I never experienced any issues with it during my service in winter time.

[@landstroml]

Same here with the ak5 from sweden. Kinda sad that Finland is getting the takk23 as sniper now. M4 variant. Bad choice imo

[@landstroml]

My bad its just sako m23

[@pystykorva7114]

@@landstroml Wasn't there some sniper rifle project where maybe Sako builds the rifles and you Swedes are also getting some of those?

[@afd19850]

Sako M95 is one of my fave AK variants! Newer upgrades to Valmet are nice too

[@helmsscotta]

"Sometimes it gets pretty cold." 😍

[@Sunrie]

I would say this is pointless...but I'm looking at over a foot of snow in seven hours with more on the way... Love these videos and you make them fun

[@ostermalmi1]

Went to the army in Finland during winter. Around -20-30c through the day. Never a single malfunction due to freezing,snow whatever on RK-62 service rifle. (Our service AK variant)

[@sotakoira1390]

Malfunctions RK-62 can get from freezing in my experience are sluggish receiver causing problems, but that's fixed with couple reload motions and it's fine. Another problem is that rifle that has been going indoors outdoors couple times might accumulate condensation inside that evaporates on next shot and blows all kinds of stuff from under the lid and partly on your face. So I'd be happy to get AK or RK if I needed to use a rifle in arctic winter.

[@mitchellucchino2078]

Honestly I’d love to see this with WW2/Korean War rifles mainly to see how those guys dealt with freezing conditions on their equipment

[@aurelius8439]

I said the same on the Instagram page when he asked what would people like to see. After seeing the M14, I don't think it would be a good idea. Just looks too needlessly dangerous. We can predictably say that they would fail hard.

[@leepalmer1210]

Grandpa talked to me about sleeping with his 45 next to his skin inside his clothes and bag. , he said they never oiled them. Also only weapon that would fire reliably was M1 without any lube. Machine guns were not usable, m1 carbines were not reliable.

[@mitchellucchino2078]

@@leepalmer1210 I had family at St.Vith, i never got to ask how he got through it and everything

[@mitchellucchino2078]

@@aurelius8439 i mean we can and also cant infer a failure, mausers, K98’s, 1911’s, garands, springfields, mosins, Stens, and other weapons and platforms were used in freezing cold and sub zero temps during the war. Yeah most of these weapons are ancient today but they lasted in those harsh conditions then.

[@aurelius8439]

@@mitchellucchino2078 I think the specific conditions of this test we can infer the outcome. If you keep your firearms dry, then most WWII firearms could keep functioning. Wet? I think the test would be too dangerous to attempt. My godfather served in WWII. His battle buddy died at Arnhem trying to clear a frozen M1. Mortared it to clear a frozen action and had his head over the muzzle. Round cycled, fired and killed him.

[@fgutie35]

I have been looking at the comments, and it seems no one has mentioned "metallurgy" as a factor on the reliability of the weapon. Aluminum as well as steel that is treated in various ways, is impacted by cold temperature differently. I have noticed that even between my AK's, there is a difference in metal treatment depending on the origin of the weapon. My WASR-3(5.56) metal composition looks different from my VEPR's. Their steels are hardened differently and at different levels depending if it is the bolt, bolt carrier, trunnion, receiver or barrel. Just putting it out there that there's more to it, than the type of platform.

[@Warangelord]

Хотел написать о том же, но здесь есть ваш крайне точный комментарий. Спасибо! С любовью из холодной России! I wanted to write about the same thing, but here is your extremely accurate comment. Thanks! With love from cold Russia!

[@JPindanga]

@@Warangelord Sao Paulo City hits 34'C today hahahaha and rained close to sunset

[@Whitehorze]

Military forging vs cast/case hardened... A lot of people fail to understand why machines made back in the 30's, 40's, and 50's are still going while machines made today crack, break, and fail.

[@DKMelonMan]

That Nerd shit..bro recognize real science when you see it.

[@vettepilot427]

I think you’re on to something. The weapons that did the best were all-steel guns (steel receivers, bolts) as opposed to AR variants that use an aluminum receiver and steel bolt. It could be argued that the aluminum receivers shrunk more in the cold than the steel weapons, which contributed to the malfunctions, especially the difficulty in manipulating the controls and bolt releases. The exception to this was the M-14/M1A, but I suspect that there has been some trigger work done which would decrease reliability and cause the malfunction.

[@troublekidmexi]

Love your content. 💫

[@StormgodStudios]

Great job! I loved seeing you move from TV Show Host to Weapons Safety Expert when the trigger slipped and the bolt froze on the M14 . Great info. Super helpful. Well done keeping everyone safe.

[@johng4175]

My grandfather is an old marine and just lost his wife of many years would like to thank you for this video it is cheered him up and you have cheered our family up in a small way thank you

[@deanmiles3505]

Semper FI. Take care, Be safe.

[@frogmantactical]

Excellent tests. A serious issue we found in cold weather was condensation became an issue at times for the carbine M4. 🐸🔱

[@connoro331]

Very interesting. Did you specify the carbine because that’s the only length of M4 you had in those conditions, or did you see rifle lengths go unaffected while the carbines had issues? Thanks…

[@skepticalbadger]

@@connoro331 The M4 is a carbine by definition.

[@Truthbomb918]

M4/m16 has never been a good military rifle due to the direct gas. Has had problems in literally every warzone and ha cost the lives of a lot of soldiers

[@connoro331]

@@Truthbomb918 100% Agree. This is exactly why no major modern militaries use it at all. 🙄

[@kennykash6089]

@@connoro331 Holy misinformation here Batman. The US and many countries still use the M4. The M1A is also used by the US but to a much lesser extent. The M4 is also a great carbine. Two tours in Iraq as an infantryman, and it worked just fine (i.e., I'm still alive). It's very accurate, light, and a perfect gun for clearing a room. The problems from the initial M16s was due to them being rushed into service in Vietnam without cleaning kits. Once that was understood, the weapon has remained in service for many decades.

[@ScottishAlaskan77]

My father was in WW2, and we lived in PA. In the winter hunting with his m1, that was a problem. You keep it pointed in a safe direction and remove the trigger assembly and either warm it up by body heat or zippo it.

[@thejourneyretold]

Dude your hands must have been so dang cold! Thank you for the great content!

[@godemperor7457]

The AUG doesn't surprise me. It was designed with cold freezing weather conditions in mind due to it being built and designed in Austria, plus the exterior hand gaurd was built to accommodate snow gloves.

[@cactusmann5542]

But why did the "Siggy" screw up? Isnt Switzerland even colder? The AK worked of course because "Rodyna" but why didnt the sig work?

[@ichderjogi]

@@cactusmann5542 thats a USA designed SIG MCX, which has AR-15 like controls. A SIG 550 series gun from switzerland is more of a modified AK and *could* have done differently

[@cactusmann5542]

@@ichderjogi Yeah. I remember now. Rolex AK was the nickname....

[@nirfz]

@@cactusmann5542 Just wanted to say the temperatures in Switzerland and here in Austria aren't that different. ->both countries are right next to each other in the alps 🤷‍♂️.

[@matrix3509]

@@cactusmann5542 Sig US and Sig Switzerland are essentially two different companies. They are pretty much mortal enemies of each other. We don't actually get many guns designed by the Swiss arm of Sig here in the US. And by "two different companies" I mean that yes they are technically both owned by Sig, but they don't talk to each other.

[@MuddyMoccasins]

I would be extremely interested to see how a g3 would fare. Especially considering he included its competitor of the day the FAL.

[@hamburgeryummy4740]

That's one of the first guns I thought of too I think another good one would be the CZ bren iwi x95 and maybe some 300 blackouts God bless everybody

[@Legalizeasbestos]

Yeah roller delay might work really well actually. Assuming that he doesn’t pour water into the open action. Should be a pretty nicely closed system.

[@MuddyMoccasins]

@@Legalizeasbestos that exactly what I'm thinking. Only going off what I read I think it would surpas the AK's famed reliability (which is hyped up) with how violent the action is.

[@Genesis23OPB]

sig 510 too

[@javanbybee4822]

G3, SiG 552, FN FAL and a few others would be sick

[@hanspeter8011]

I love how at 20:05 he shoots the rifle and all of the frost that accumulated on the outside gets hurled away

[@kiPROBRos]

Excelent presentation weapons in new light.

[@xv1k375]

The way Mike switched from entertainment to no-nonsense at 21:15 was so great to see. Perfectly handled that malfunction and explained what had happened to the audience if you're not all that familiar with firearms.

[@Seren_Moth]

absolutely perfect

[@antondemeyer5755]

that's such a scary malfunction, I don't tink most people would understand what's at stake here. The fact that that hammer can drop at any moment without your knowledge is really frightening.

[@RomantikongGinoo]

this torture test shows that incase shyt hit the fan dont ever use any sig products LOL

[@_jw_2875]

@@RomantikongGinoo I trust In the Sig handguns more than I would in the rifles. Definitely better rifle manufacturers. Surprised they didn’t have the Sig Spear out there.

[@RomantikongGinoo]

@@_jw_2875 you do you brother just be careful of that sig handgun and dont drop it, coz it might go off and shoot you on the knee LOL

[@MaverickHeloPilot]

I would've been interested to see how a rollerlock design would've held up in this test (G3, Hk33)

[@owehernes9785]

I was issued a G3 during my service in the Norwegian army and I don't recall anyone had any issues during the winter in northern Norway.

[@jacobhaagerup7816]

When I served in the Royal Danish Army back in the mid 80s we were issued G3s. Those years also saw some pretty extreme ice winters (for this country) with temperatures around -20 C for weeks on end. During week long exercises the G3s generally performed well in those conditions as did the MG3s with similar rollerlocks. My recollection is that they always needed a lot of lube to work without malfunctions, so that might have helped and obviously we didn't dunk our rifles in water and leave them to freeze either.

[@MaverickHeloPilot]

@@jacobhaagerup7816 I would expect one would need to keep the roller bearings lubed well enough to avoid them locking up in the engaged position

[@MaverickHeloPilot]

@Dusty Lee yeah?

[@skyhop]

@@MaverickHeloPilot They're under unholy pressure during the firing cycle, they won't lock up. The only thing I'd be concerned with for the roller delayed guns is the bolt getting wedged in the back of the receiver with ice.

[@borisszelcsanyi2240]

Showed this to my close friend regarding the AUG, he is the son of the Owner/CEO of Steyr ARMS, an absolute humble dude..send him this video and told him he should forward it to his father, would be a nice advertisement for them...especially in terms of reliability under such extreme conditions... also told them to collaborate with you, maybe you can sometimes visit the manufacturing side and the shooting range, where you can test some new stuff...

[@longtranthanh8544]

The Block II surprised me in the first test. Can’t go wrong with mil-specs equipment.

[@ricksmith7232]

Easily the best guntuber. Always puts a lot of effort into creating informative, quality content. We need to see how handguns preform in these conditions

[@nopenope9945]

That's a very good point because if rifle fails a transition in the cold is going to be tough. If it was raining and freezing you think you'd pobably you'd keep it holstered under the rain gear so it wouldn't freeze in the holster or no because you already know the possibility of having to transition is higher and you don't want to sling drill then draw from almost concealment on top of that.

[@nsjohn130]

Yes this is what we need!

[@jebemmater6240]

Thanks for realizing the potential risk of the M14 failure in this case, it's really nice that you were aware of the potential dangers you'd face with the rifle.

[@Fishzterv.2]

A tetku?

[@LoadedL1A1]

If either of you had read the cold weather operating Manuel for theM1/M14you would know that pouring water on it wile praying it doesn't fire is not the safe way to do this and that rotating the triger guard down and forward is and also should have been preformed before shooting a rifle that has been cold, wet, loaded, and unfired for an extended period of time ... it is also recommended that the rifle be unloaded and dry fired to confirm function also the barrel should be checked for obstruction... Note it is possible for a bullet to become frozen to the barrel and the live case to be extracted with out its bullet allowing the next round to be loaded behind stuck bullet causing catastrophic results if the rifle is fired! Ice can also obstruct the barrel and or gas system.

[@vonhollen9413]

@@LoadedL1A1 Who’s Manuel? Never met him

[@rodneyhelms953]

I live in Northern Minnesota, I have had my M1A out in sub zero conditions and has never failed me yet! AR rifles has failed me many of times in same conditions.