Hiram's Extra Light Maxim Gun

[@chubbycatfish4573]

The grip makes me think of this as the world's biggest handgun.

[@Tobascodagama]

I could see BJ Blazkowicz dual-wielding these guys.

[@AtariNerd2600]

concealed cary might be hard

[@Genevasuggestions1]

Chubby Catfish best machine pistol

[@TheArklyte]

@@Tobascodagama sadly, no. Even with super strength and sheer badassitude required to use it this way, you wouldn't. The handle is too flimsy, you'll just tear it off:(

[@tomhewitt8017]

Depends on your forearm strength

[@buzzyinurface]

I love the use of brass back then. It makes the gun look so elegant

[@JenniferinIllinois]

The beauty of Victorian steampunk. 😉😉😉

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

Brass, or anything in-the-white is my weakness

[@MrOtzelot]

The polish and machining is just a remarkable resemblence of the craftmanship back in the day. You just gotta love those old horses.

[@ColburnFreml]

I want an AR with brass upper and lower. Of course without the carry handle or picatinny rail. Preferably, the lower would be of a Fightlight SCR type. It needs a flip up sight like similar to a lever action tang sight. It needs an octagonal barrel and a wood forend and buttstock.

[@dex6147]

Bronze is stronger and looks the same.

[@thomas316]

Finally, a version for the concealed carry enthusiast. 🤔

[@fenrirunshackled4319]

"Is that a maxim gun in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?"

[@lordsummerisle87]

Very clever but an air-cooled Maxim is clearly unsuited to British service -- no built-in tea-making facilities.

[@bretcalvin1534]

What til barrel jacket hot set cup on it to heat

[@FunkyNige]

Wonder if there were any instances of soldiers using the water reservoir (?) that supplied the jacket to make tea?

[@maggsstuckey487]

FunkyNige I think that’s exactly what he is referencing. I think they did use cooling water as tea water.

[@Waffleman00]

Vanilla I'm sorry but I highly doubt that ever happened.

[@Superbouncybubble]

@@Waffleman00 some cursory research using Google suggests that it may have been done at least a bit but since the barrel was lubricated with mineral oil that oil would get in the tea water making a nasty tea. However even oily tea was probably still a huge comfort to people in combat, especially trench combat.

[@exploreseafaring]

Too many calories in your standard Maxim? Well you need to try the NEW Maxim Extra Light!

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

Damn you, beat me to it. Have a like you magnificient person of uncertain parentage. ;-)

[@mchagnon7]

Machine gun bullets are bad for your health.

[@RupertAH]

Sounds like a name for a condom.

[@kieranh2005]

@@ReptilianLepton Lead painted? Weak stuff, for peasants only. A real Toff would use our new 'Arsenic green' paint for their entertaining and smoking rooms. (Contains actual Arsenic, may not be suitable for inhabited dwellings)

[@UXB1000]

Looks like a distant ancestor of the M1919, at least externally.

[@CAMSLAYER13]

It kinda is in a way

[@arcticarazon6941]

Ahmad Syahir It looks like a steampunk M1919

[@UXB1000]

@@williamkeith8944 Thank you kindly.

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

Or the child of an M1919 and a Vickers...

[@mattmcdonald4033]

For me its looks like m1919 that got fat

[@claycarmine7466]

A... light Maxim? So... a Minim? I'll go now

[@aixide]

Just recently I discovered that apart from the FN Minimi for 5.56 NATO, there's also the 7.62 FN Maximi

[@coaxill4059]

@@aixide Yup! I knew a guy who took one of those into combat. It's lighter than the FN MAG and I think it has a higher fire rate too. He was a big guy and told me he could run around with one of these things knocking down small shacks and houses while his supporting squads had to lug around M240s and struggled to keep up. He had nothing but good things to say about the Maximi.

[@HomeDistiller]

All it needed inside the barrel shroud were 4 flanges on the barrel that would push air in and out the holes as the barrel reciprocated

[@mfree80286]

2 would do, even, and I was wondering if they actually already had such a thing given the hole layout. Even just a leather round would "fan" air as it reciprocated.

[@Leatherman154]

Phone goes off in pocket. Slows down feed and hides behind CNC machine to watch Forgotten Weapons. Keep the machine running they said.

[@Zretgul_timerunner]

Dont we all sadly we cant hide behind ours so its off to get a so called smoke Xs

[@lovecraftcat]

[CNC produces a maxim lock unprompted]

[@Leatherman154]

N1 G28 G91 Z0. G90 M50 G00 X0. Y0. Z.5 G00 X-117. Y-30. Z35. G00 X0. Y0. Z.5 GOTO 1

[@Zretgul_timerunner]

@@Leatherman154 ha Good one

[@villekoskinen2101]

"But you'll look sweet, behind the seat, of a tricycle made for two."

[@alsandar2611]

Ian: This one goes all the way up to 2000 meters ... well yards in this case. Sight: 16, 17, 18, 9, 20 Me: Interesting balistics

[@jerrybear3081]

Now you have to find a tandem Maxim trike...

[@DinnerForkTongue]

And mount two Pechenegs to it.

[@mattdickson2]

Dinner-fork tongue oh you dirty bastard that's brilliant

[@bills6093]

Somewhere in an old barn there is a weird two man tricycle and the family has no idea what they own...

[@mattdickson2]

Dinner-fork tongue wait wait WAIT WHY NOT JUST MOUNT ONE LIGHTENED DshK?

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Where in earth did they think they were going to be fighting? Somewhere well paved obviously. Let's hope the enemy stays on the road too. Oh... He appears to have retreated to a tree line in the woods. Now what? He said, twiddling his entrenching tool.

[@OrangeAmped]

I DEMAND that Ian and Karl operate one of those team tricycle things on video.

[@GorillaRep]

With the hats.

[@SangTheCryptek]

I was just thinking that this thing looks a lot like the fake gun used in the factory scene of Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows. I check out the IMFDB article and lo and behold, this gun is referenced there.

[@BleedingUranium]

Oh cool, I knew it looked familiar! Aesthetically, it's basically just this gun with a top-mounted SMG mag.

[@timdinch5598]

You would have thought, they would have solved the cooling problem by accident. The whole premise was to make a much lighter gun by saving weight where ever they could. Drilling holes in the barrel shroud have been obvious even in 1895.

[@newperve]

"Whatever happens we have got, the Maxim gun and they do not."

[@TheArgieH]

A quote from "The Modern Traveller" by H.Belloc and BTB. It did not end well for Commander Sin and Colonel Blood, despite the possession of a Maxim gun. Not exactly a PC tale, but very funny though!

[@LessAiredvanU]

One of the reasons why Maxim's sold only in batches was not so much the cost of the gun, which was rather expensive anyway, but the cost of the ammunition - as often mentioned, the King of Sweden was impressed by a trial and enquired how many bullets the gun could fire in a day (changing barrels and replenishing water supplies). When told he then asked how much a belt of cartridges was. When this information was furnished he was reputed to have said that his Kingdom would be bankrupted within a fortnight if the machine kept firing.

[@flightlevel_300]

could this tricycle drive under the power of the recoil?

[@otm646]

Rout this sucka!

[@ThePac7278]

My phone notification said "Hiram's extra light" and I thought "Why is Ian promoting beer?" LoL

[@LonelySpaceDetective]

"Hey guys, thanks for tuning in for another video on ForgottenBeers.com..."

[@Greger88]

Yay! Starting the day with a fresh, just a few seconds old forgotten weapons video is a good start.

[@mereth13]

That bicycle is brilliant, hilarious, and completely impractical all at the same time.

[@allangibson8494]

Actually it would be utterly practical if the enemy was behind.... I wonder if they tried selling it to the French?

[@kreigwulfe2679]

Is it just me, or does brass on a firearm make it look better?

[@ironmonkey1512]

I wonder if that is why they didn't drill holes in the top, because it would be 'unsightly'

[@M.M.83-U]

Yes it make! And on blades too.

[@Terabit3]

Yes. It makes it look substantially better

[@MostlyPennyCat]

It makes anything look better and yes, the top holes were not put in because of how it would look.

[@georgesheffield1580]

Brass was available ,easily worked ( machined) , good heat absorbing qualites.

[@USSEnterpriseA1701]

Ian: You might be wondering why this internal spring arrangement wasn't more widely implemented. Me completely guessing: Because it makes it a royal pain to take apart in the field. Man, I'm getting good at guessing the answers to these questions. I do have to credit C&Rsenal's rather excellent series on the Maxim and family and of course their animations guy for giving me enough understanding of how the thing works to have made that guess.

[@Atma_Weapon]

wow. maxim really didnt think this through very well in retrospect. still, a great effort by a great company. thanks again ian.

[@51WCDodge]

good photo of Maxim. You can't see the strings! South East London must have been an exciting place to live at that time with Maxim trying all his new guns out.

[@CKinnerley]

First time I visited the NFC (about 8 years ago) the ex-army WO showing us around pointed out a pistol calibre very early maxim - "the first SMG". Didn't strike me as significant at the time as FW has taught me loads more about small arms since then. I'm sure a video will show up here eventually.

[@edwalmsley1401]

That sounds pretty cool

[@fieldcommanderkurt]

there is one of these at the american heritage museum in stow, Massachusetts, literally bolted to the lobby floor when you walk in. i didn't open it up because i'm pretty sure they don't want to put it back together again. beautiful example too; it seems to not be missing any parts. you can walk around the whole thing and see it from every angle. stunning museum as well, can't possibly recommend it enough!

[@jackandersen1262]

Adjusting tension of the fusee also allows you to work with less than perfect locks.

[@stevelewis7263]

" I know what you're thinking, did he fire 500 or 600, well PUNK do you feel lucky"

[@Arbiter099]

Seeing how this is the Maxim machinegun, the most reliable rapid firing weapon in the world firing a variety of full powered rifle smokeless cartridges which would blow your head clean off, you have to ask yourself one question, do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

[@howey935]

Haha very funny both of you 😂😂👍👍

[@MILITARY-TUBE]

Without the barrel and pistol grip it looks like a box for an another gun :)

[@dreamingflurry2729]

More like an ammo-can :D

[@MILITARY-TUBE]

@@dreamingflurry2729 :D

[@aewhatever]

Haha I was thinking the same thing

[@Arbiter099]

This guy's cousin, the late war MG08/18 is also cool as hell, hope it gets an episode someday

[@andrewwaterman9240]

That brass feed block should be polished and displayed under a glass dome on a desk.

[@JackedRado71]

You’re like my morning cup of coffee everyday. Keep up the good work Ian

[@alexgilks5617]

Saw this at the Royal Armories in Leeds. so cool seeing all the guns Ian has done videos on. would recommend going

[@MostlyPennyCat]

Being a Royal Navy family, this sort of display thing is so common to me, mounted on marine plywood, it should have a base of green felt instead of white. Whatever was being displayed invariably had brass bits and that very British way of marking letters. It's so weird, I even know what that thing smells like. _fetches his Brasso_

[@arthurmorgan2418]

2:36 *that looks like a great way to die in the first 3 seconds of the war*

[@JK-uj9hs]

I want to see that two person bicycle/maxim mount is some over the top action movie.

[@loupiscanis9449]

Thank you , Ian .

[@jasonthompson4436]

Great to see your vids from the Royal Armouries here in my home town. Hope the loiners made you feel welcome.

[@davidgreen40]

Maxim Ultra Light. Same great rate, same great taste.

[@Switcharoo12]

The brass work is beautiful!😮

[@full95one]

I saw the thumbnail and title and I really thought this was going to be a functional .22 cal maxim.

[@silverfingerthesilverstack5062]

I dont live that far from Leeds, come and visit and see my collection Ian, I have 30 pre 1945.

[@richardthorpe8889]

Finally proof that Ian is a vampire. He is siting on the wall and what we see as his backdrop is actually the suspended ceiling. All joking aside. really interesting machine gun. Thanks for showing us.

[@steelshepherd6843]

That was one crazy bike...I would imagine o pair of those could alternate sustained fire while the other reloads and cools, before the pedal away on holiday for a picnic...

[@petermallia558]

That weapon is absolutely beautiful, it's aesthetically pleasing to the eyes with all the brass work. The British had an enormous amount or 303 after WWI, a ridiculous amount of point 303 ammunition.

[@stallen1066]

Incredible piece of history.

[@slowpokebr549]

Hiram Maxim was well known to have performed feats of strength. He reportedly was pretty stout and liked to fight as well. I imagine he could hold that gun out at arms length for an impressive amount of time and make it look easy.

[@warriorwolf77]

Gotta love a gun with brass

[@Alpha.Phenix]

Heavy Bolter: ''Grandfather, is that you?''

[@pegoossens]

a trycicle with 2 mounted machine guns. Now we know what Ian wants for christmas

[@John-rr4zz]

The bloke on the back ain't peddling. No protective armour shield , no tread on the tyres and no mudguards. no tea making facility and no umbrella for rain or sun protection. Back to the drawing board.

[@kawaiiarchive357]

9:50 it's the tie-down strap of doom.

[@SFH_Jenkins]

1: "What is this gun?" 2: "literally a block of metal, with a grip and a barrel." 1: "interesting... What should we call it?" 2: "extra light?" 1: "okay, let's do it!"

[@mrstacyj9496]

love their magazine - never miss an issue

[@andyrihn1]

That tricycle setup is so cute. Right up there with Villa-Perosas mounted on the handlebars

[@robertreynolds9228]

Maxim is one of my hero's.

[@MisterOcclusion]

“Extra light weight”. Uses 15 pounds of brass

[@chloehennessey6813]

Can you tell us the history of “letting your machine guns talk”? I saw it on the range when I got to shoot an Army M240B. The Sergeant on the range had the two of us squeeze off bursts sequentially with each other.

[@Kentucky_Caveman]

I thought at first it was a pencil sharpener from the thumbnail.

[@aimeefiske9870]

with old long exposure cameras he would have had to hold it for quite a bit actually

[@andrewince8824]

Perforations in the jacket would be an improvement. He could even have used a rod with a loop style support for even better weight loss/cooling. Lots of options.

[@americanrebel413]

Cool looking gun, thank you.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

ah yes, the oft forgotten assault tricycle

[@Zretgul_timerunner]

"Perfect for the 15 year or younger to be draftees." Diffrent times folk very diffrent times

[@LoneWolf051]

Maxim was truly the ultimate Steampunk gun designer

[@stephenbond1990]

Are you going to do the colt 1895 as a comparison?

[@tommywilson9836]

Hiram Maxim must have been a beast of a man. 47lbs!? That's pretty heavy to straight arm!

[@calamusgladiofortior2814]

"I say, Mr. Browning, do you even lift, brother? Your new machine gun is no match for these guns, sir."

[@tommywilson9836]

@@calamusgladiofortior2814 Hahahaha holy crap that made me laugh. Well said Mr. Williams.

[@DBCisco]

Air cooled MGs worked excellent in aircraft and the light weight was perfect for them.

[@kdkerr2]

Ian mentioned a black powder Maxim and I thought the Maxims were only manufactured for smokeless cartridges because black powder tends to fowl guns so badly. However after reading Maxim gun WikiPedia article I noted that the Brits did have some in cal. .577/.450 Martini-Henry.

[@alexm566]

The Maxim was invented 4 years before the French discovered smokeless powder in 1898. Kinda explains why they lasted so long if they were made originally to handle blackpowder.

[@jimb01]

maxims on a tricycle, too cool

[@МаксимБромберг]

Happy Birthday!

[@jackandersen1262]

To be fair, there was the Hotchkiss machine gun, but that just simply used thermal mass to maintain barrel temperature, and using that would defeat the purpose of the extra light Maxim gun.

[@sponduli]

Every time Ian releases a new video his forehead grows another line

[@kimlochridge9551]

do you have a video on the maxims that were black powder and details on how they keep then functioning using dirty black powder? keep up the great work .

[@interloop]

Looks like a 40k gun. It probably has a machine spirit.

[@fredgomes9374]

*Insert concealable weapon joke here*

[@kylep3440]

You see ivan when front sight is bullet you never miss

[@zaikolebolsh5724]

By the thumbnail i thought it was a weird lighter

[@kabob0077]

A Maxim shaped lighter would be pretty cool.

[@TheodoreRoosevelt3]

That bike is super cool

[@samuelschwager]

A work of art :)

[@MisterOcclusion]

One would think that use of brass would have been minimized if weight reduction was desired

[@AsbestosMuffins]

yes, fast moving cavalry, the perfect guys to rock up, setup a HMG, hold a position, then gallop away

[@David_Rafuse]

Yep, Sgt Edward Holland VC of the Royal Canadian Dragoons did just this at Leliefontein, South Africa, but with a Colt "Potato-digger": "Sergeant Holland did splendid work with his Colt gun, and kept the Boers off the two 12-pounders by its fire at close range. When he saw the enemy were too near for him to escape with the carriage, as the horse was blown, he calmly lifted the gun off and galloped away with it under his arm." - The London Gazette, 23 April 1901

[@BoneistJ]

I feel like to someone with a drill, drilling more holes is the most obvious solution.

[@Rayya68]

where would we be without maxim?

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Prolly stuck with a lot of Gatlings.

[@Rayya68]

@@DinnerForkTongue and maybe no lmgs and ars,just gatling hmgs

[@thelastjohnwayne]

All of the brass is so pretty

[@stefanavic6630]

Mmmm, Maxim Extra Light. A smooth clean hit in just 27 pounds.

[@MumrikDK]

The temperature throttling laptop of the gun world.

[@PJA264]

This looks like something straight out of Columbia or Rapture. All it needs is some unexplained gears or tubes.

[@stevelewis7263]

Apparently it was Maxim's favourite carry gun

[@balrajsingh-zp4wq]

Very nice weapon veere thanks for this video

[@Innomen]

4:57 No dude, humanity had been building fires for millennia at this point, and you can watch heat rise. It's completely inexcusable that guy didn't think to drill those holes top and bottom because ovens, kilns, certain camp fire configurations, and not to mention all the foundry and smoke stack type stuff all around this guy. Yeah, no. There is some very specific reason for the lack of top holes we just don't know, or it really is a monumental organizational failure.

[@SlavicCelery]

If only they thought about perforating the jacket more They could have shaved off at least a pounds of weight.

[@sheadjohn]

it is very light for such a large block of steel and brass.

[@CodeyMcewen]

I see you have a couple adds. How's the KZbin union going?

[@ParalyzedTortoise]

@Codey Mcewen I’m pretty sure that KZbin can enable adds on your video even if you’re not monetized, the money will just go to KZbin. I highly doubt it was a conscious decision, either a mistake or some KZbin fuckery.

[@ФилиппЛыков-д8е]

"Whatever happens we have got The Maxim gun... How 'bout a Colt?"

[@steinnbjorn7627]

Now everyone knows that the gun from anyone's childhood drawings is lightened maxim machinegun

[@AnimeFan_2013]

That fuckin tricycle bike machine gun is actually really awesome. Into consideration!

[@BillM1960]

The tricycle is my favorite part, sorry, I love that tricycle built for two!

[@88porpoise]

A bicycle built for two ... men to hold off hordes of charging natives

[@rogerwilco2]

We should adopted the bicycle version here in the Netherlands.