History of WWI Primer 087: Belgian Mauser 89/16 and Wartime Production Documentary

[@mr.stotruppen8724]

"Making parts to fix machines so they can make parts to fix other machines." Yeah, that sounds like a machine shop in a nutshell.

[@brettd2308]

I honestly love that 39 minutes is "a little brief" for this channel. I can't get enough of this history.

[@nirfz]

In the military history museum in vienna you can see one of the belgian fortress turret covers (looks like solid 30cm of steel in thickness) wich got hit by an austro-hungarian fortress-siege-artillery-shell (the thing you showed at 05:20 ). The shell is still in there, cracked it open and the tip of the shell protrudes out on the inside. And they also got such a cover from the fortress of Premysl, where you can see some slight craters on the outside, from russian artillery but almost nothing on the inside.

[@Jarastlad]

Already thankful about the first video, thanks again for this one. During my time at the University of Liège as an Archaeologist, I worked on the forts of Liège and poliorcetics altogether and this analysis helps a lot in understanding how the city managed to lock up Europe for longer than the Germans had anticipated. Thanks for all the history from Belgium !

[@chiaroscuro3552]

Honest question. Do you think the Germans miscalculated the time to reduce the forts/Belgian resistance? Or were more surprised by Belgium's decision to fight at all. I've only recently started learning some of this history more thoroughly. In US school the curriculum covers our civil war and then send to ignore the rest of the world until WWII.

[@Jarastlad]

@@chiaroscuro3552 Probably a bit of both. The King and the Kaiser were related (cousins) and I guess the last political possibility of avoiding the war with Belgium could have been won there. On the other hand, the German simply underestimated Belgium because of its size and military capability (it's a frequent thing in History ... although Sun Tzu made it pretty clear not to, but oh well). The forts were the first of their kind, with huge amount of m³ of concrete, turrets systems, communication lines ... they were considered by the allies as the "Key" to Europe. The forts were an amazing deterent to the german advance, but the 420 shells were too much even for that sort of buildings. They tore through it and some even exploded as the powder cache was hit. The war was undergoing some drastic changes at that time and this story is a perfect example. To be honest I didn't learn much about the civil war in the US, but we had the basics. On the other hand, we never learnt about the history of China or India. You can't study everything ! ^^ Now the thing is, you don't need school to impose you any teachings : learn by yourself ! I'm certain there is PLENTY of material enough to learn all about WWI on the net itself. Also : visit your local library, you'd be surprised.

[@borkwoof696]

That sounds like you had an amazing time

[@Jarastlad]

@@borkwoof696 Uni was a great time (I specialized in Bronze age metal analysis so pretty far from WWI), but now I drive trains for a living. So you know, life and it's querks ^^

[@51WCDodge]

@@chiaroscuro3552 The area that is now Belgium is not a stranger to fortresses , almost every town is fortified , it was an area known as the Cockpit of Europe, everyone fought there. The most famous enginner to fortify the towns was Vaubin, another name for the area is Vaubin's playground. The fortifications of Ieper for instance. The German's had prepared in advance with the Krupp M Gerat 420cm howitzers, AKA Big Bertha and some smaller (!) 320mm Skoda guns, speciffically to breack the forts. As it was there were only two prototype M Gerats, but they were sent into action and destroyed the forst of Pontisse and Loncia at Liege. As an od daside , the far eastern bit of Belgium is German specaking.

[@Dondon6x7]

Gotta love it when you "go straight over to Mae"!!! Cute giggle after the casing bounced off of her glasses. :D

[@jsullivan9238]

Having hunted Elk with the 89/16 Uni Carbine and agree with everything you two said. :)

[@manmcman8721]

Looks like we aint sleeping early tonight boys

[@Khalrua]

my lucky ass works nights

[@nedhimself]

Man McMan sleep is for the weak

[@Khalrua]

@Huckleberry i work and watch with my dual screen setup, woop wooooop

[@jabben00]

Making the night shift bearable, thank you guys!

[@mcdoctorglock]

Can't wait for the Argentine version. I had one, many moons ago, and really liked it. It was (more or less) a gentile shooter, with the cartridge's power being well below that of 30.06, one of the nicest triggers, and the action being very smooth. I have to admit, the markings were some of the cleanest and easiest to read that I've ever seen on an old milsurp. It also sported a deep, rich bluing except for the bolt body. Here all along, I thought the turned down bolt handle, smooth trigger, and polished bolt body were the result of one of the past owner's tender loving care. Maybe I was wrong? At the time, ammunition for it wasn't readily available, so I had to get the big book of cartridge conversions. I modified 30.06 casings by cutting them down, reforing the shoulders and trimming the inside of the neck. I actually found several old loading manuals that had good info and loads with still common powders. Ballistically, the rifle was obsolete; I believe (don't flame me if I'm wrong, it was over 20 years ago) but I thing the cartridge had a case capacity greater than .308, but you wouldn't dare load it that high unless you wanted a grenade in your hands. It seemed to be slightly more in the range of .30-30 for bullet weight, velocity, and powder charge. It was fun for a while, but eventually I got tired of loading for a dozen or so oddball (to me and my locality) rifles and moved on. Anyway, you guys do such awesome work. I wonder if you will ever find the time to look into the history of some of those fine pistols made by Astra and Star?

[@derekbrogan4241]

Can't wait for the 4 hour long m1 garand episode

[@HBTNFTB666]

Yes! My birthday and a new Primer, like I want it!

[@Candrsenal]

Happy birthday

[@mushroomsamba82]

12:27 good thing Mae was wearing her safety squints

[@Moredread25]

I like when these episodes are a bit shorter; it makes them easier to watch in one go.

[@oldesertguy9616]

That stock wood is gorgeous!

[@insertjjs]

WW1 Germany ruins beards WW2 Germany ruins mustaches WW3 Germany ruins hair?

[@desroin]

Sorry :(

[@nirfz]

Weren't the french the first to use gas shells? (tear gas) Or is this just because the germans were more effective with it?

[@choppytoaster4788]

WW4 Germany ruins eyebrows

[@planescaped]

WW5 Germany finally wins and reinstates hair, beards, moustaches, eyebrows, and bratwurst.

[@nirfz]

​@Huckleberry Well, two things: 1 The post said: "WW1 the germans ruined beards" i suppose the reason for this sentence was because people had to use gas masks. But you need a gas mask to fight when teargas is around you. So for me that means the one who used gas first is to blame. 2 If two people start hitting each other and one changes from using hands to a piece of wood, and the other then chooses a bigger piece of wood: Who of them is to blame for using anything else than their hands?

[@jayque300]

Love you guys! Thanks for all the knowledge!

[@Blastmaster1972]

Our great-grandfathers were such good shots that they didn't need a longer sight-radius! ;)

[@Heinrich_Hyper14]

33:42 But ze Gasmasken are looking so cool!

[@thurin84]

especially the german gm17. its made of leather for christ sake and has windowframes in the eyepieces!!!!

[@thurin84]

great episode guys and gals!!! no worries if theyre ever late. were just happy to get a show about gats!!!

[@alexc3504]

I'm three days late for watching this... I've been busy at work. Eating > C&Rsenal unfortunately. I will watch this tomorrow.

[@insertjjs]

I have figured out when they plan on releasing the episode on the 1911. It will be on 11/5/19! Or the 45th week of '19 in the 11th month, so 45 19/11

[@douglasclark9550]

Congratulations on your January "special guest." If the bairn is a boy and arrives on or around the 23rd January you might consider John Moses as a fitting name. Also this must be about the only bairn with heavy machine gun trigger time before he or she is born. Keep up the good work!

[@usualsuspect5173]

Good show...

[@mrg315]

that's an energetic ejector!

[@strub6732]

Did not see this till I was leaving for work this morning. Grabbed headphones lucky it was a slow morning.

[@dxmachinanz7426]

This makes a quiet dayshift worth it

[@sapper12b68]

Great work guys loving my new shirts

[@jus10reed]

I really hope that Othias Claus is bringing us a Hotchkiss for Christmas...

[@scossum148]

Wow! A box with a seven-pack of genuine C&Arsenal T-shirts on my doorstep and another Belgian Mauser episode!!! Oh happy day! :)

[@robertwalker9130]

The dogs pulling the machine guns at 26,40 was quite a surprise .

[@tacticalmattfoley]

I'd like to know the history of the barrel jacket. Why a barrel jacket? Why did manufacturers decide to eliminate it?

[@TenaciousTrilobite]

As the barrels would heat up from firing, the metal would expand and push on the stock, causing accuracy issues. Free-floating the barrel in a tube was an early way to fix this issue, but it added a lot of weight and tended to cause rusting by trapping moisture. Eventually they fixed the issue by leaving reliefs for heat expansion in the stock itself.

[@pickeljarsforhillary102]

I missed my funeral to watch this.

[@davidporowski9512]

PickelJars ForHillary Me Too! I was scheduled to die the same day I Voted( just not Democratic )

[@blueband8114]

I thought the colour settings on my phone had gone haywire, your shirt in Bright.. another great episode. Though i have never thought any different.

[@samiam619]

Did you notice it matched Maes’ shirt? OTOH, her shooting segment might have been 2 weeks earlier...

[@Zencer45]

2 exams tomorrow, good video to have in the background

[@LOUDcarBOMB]

Today is my birthday and this is really cool to see released on it, kind of like a pseudo gift.

[@Candrsenal]

Happy birthday

[@LOUDcarBOMB]

@@Candrsenal Thank y'all for doing all of these episodes. They're excellent and don't forget to go vote if y'all haven't.

[@richardshortman5645]

Brownells deserves the props. Always helped the crufflers.

[@sharkfinbite]

The turned down bolts are used also because of another advantage along with it being more suited for cavalry and artillery guys carrying it around. From what I hear it obstructs vision less than a straight handle. You can slightly keep your eyes aligned on target when cycling the action. It's still not that great but better than having a flat out entire handle blocking your view when firing. People started using bent handles a lot for a reason later on after the war. Not all the guns had this in ww2, though. When it comes to this feature not every situation or job will make the bent handle a good feature to have. It depends on the situation, whom (what this person will do on his job), and where he will use it in. I am pretty sure if you're in a arctic you want to use a straight bolt because gloves/mittens protecting your hands from ice bite will make it harder grab the bolt handle if the handle design is already tricky to grasp with your normal hands. Gloves already make doing more refined precise finger and hand manipulation difficult on certain stuff already. Imagine doing this in a war situation with think glove fabric. Yikes...Also if you have a model of gun that might do something requiring you to struggle opening then yeah. You want to make it a straight bolt. Small minor inconveniences add up over time to become a big issue. It's okay to be willing to use either type of handle when it is necessary. (Basically, a bolt's handle is one of those small features that should never be underestimated or forgotten in how important it is when using a rifle. It's a good idea to change or adapt it to whatever you about to put them through.)

[@skjporkchop]

Not exactly applicable to this video, but I've begun reading King Leopold's Ghost due to your suggestion. I am enjoying it so far.

[@planescaped]

21:49 that's a group photo I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley...

[@Ntmoffi]

'Wow this rifle extracts beautifully!' *The next case extracted hits Mae directly in the face*

[@bobbyhood101]

Glorywhole and that's why you don't cycle the action from the waste, I love Mae no criticism ment ,I'm thankful that she wares her eye protection a hot case to the eye would have been dangerous! Love to mae ,your videos are great, thanks to the whole crew at c&rsenal for your hard work!

[@IDontLikeAltRock]

Who else waiting patiently?

[@AAX11111]

>Patience HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Im foaming at the mouth!

[@chaosrookie3231]

I guess that bullet casing didn't like Mae that much lmao.

[@sawyere2496]

Boink

[@carlcarlton764]

More Belgium. Two bottles of Leffe Brun are ready to go along with the show. :)

[@LavitosExodius]

Whelp Mae also managed to show us all why Eye Pro is always needed.

[@redimperator2527]

seems like it will be pretty neato

[@planescaped]

I hope the Belgians at least spread rumors that King Albert shot a Hun during one of his trips. XD

[@mircea8064]

Great show guys! Could you recommend a good book about the mechanical side of small arms and how it evolved in time? Thanks in advance.

[@cptreech]

Basically, we'd rather have 98k or an Enfield Pattern 1917 but this is a good gun in, arguably (argue away), a nicer cartridge than 7.92 Mauser or .30-06. I'd like to handle one of those '30's conversions that did away with the barrel jacket.

[@FireflyActual]

Well, the Ottoman 1890 and the Argentine 1891 are the same action and fire the same cartridge, but don't have the barrel jacket. Those 30s short rifle conversion are actually quite plentiful on the European auction market, more so than most other Belgian Mausers.

[@johncoffin9354]

Grasping grooves, semi-pistol... In every image, the Belgians have their LEFT hands smack up against the front of the magazine. I suspect they were pulling the gun into their shoulders that way.

[@jayben00]

Nice tiger maple semblance

[@FlaresnakeAnon]

The third part is the ottoman order, right?

[@FireflyActual]

Seems like it. This could be a big one for the team at C&Rsenal, as they haven't done an Ottoman rifle yet (not counting the Gewehr 88s that were gifted to them by Germany).

[@trwsandford]

Do one on the VZ-98/22!

[@afrog2666]

"look how slick it is, it opens itself" lol

[@tmcgill2219]

So based on this can I presume that my model 1916 carbine marked Manufacture d’armes D’Etate was originally built as some earlier model carbine?

[@mattparker9726]

add more Mae! 😍😍😍

[@danieljennerman7549]

Guest in January? Spectacular? Could it be none other than Ian McCollum?

[@51WCDodge]

To give Greener thier due. The Belgium contract would have been 'Commercial' you may NOT sell or pass to another any firearm, with some odd exceptions, in UK that is not proof marked. The German's had prepeared for the Belgium fortresses, the Krupp M Gerat 402mm howitzer AKA Big Bertha, and Skoda 320mm. howitzers. The two protype Bertha's were sent to Liege in 1914 and destroyed the fortresses of Pontisse and Loncia Apparently two of the Krupp guns ended up at Aberdeen being used to test ariel bomb casings.

[@AfrikaKorp42]

I'm looking at buying one made by Hopkins and Allen. How rare are those just asking?

[@M80Ball]

Been releasing them at the same time for a while. People still make the comments about not getting any sleep.

[@ck5718]

I don't get why the Belgian Government relied on these small gun manufacturers. Why did the Belgian Government at that time not just buy an established pattern that was still in production, say the Swedish Mauser, American 1903s, Norwegian Krag-Jørgensens (or at least the dumped Krags of the US) or the Mosin Nagant, after all an Belgian Engineer was part of the design process of that.

[@vvermaelen8408]

Hello where did you get that footage and photo's from the Belgians soldiers ww1? thank you with kind regards

[@XKCDism]

I love you guys

[@its_italo]

Does anyone know if this gun has the same bolt as a k98?

[@TenaciousTrilobite]

It does not

[@charlesinglin]

Well, I guess I'm not going to get anything done tonight that I planned.

[@JGR_JoeysGameReviews]

Where part 3?

[@festerallday]

'client does not support streaming'. Ugh. Now I have to wait.

[@Thebluebridgetroll]

Me: *starts video* *looks at live chat* Me: Crap! I missed the beginning! *starts video over, looks at live chat again* Craaaaaap. *starts over again*

[@elidas1008]

Why is it war were declared instead of war was declared? Non native speaker here

[@TenaciousTrilobite]

It is a reference to a scene from the show Futurama. You are correct that "war was declared" would be the proper way to say it

[@51WCDodge]

Quick add on- In Britian Gunsmiths , machinists and others with vital skills were exempt military service. In order to avoid the contempt of the public and being given White Feathers as cowards there was a special issued lapel badge with the King's Crown surrounded by the words ON VITAL WAR SERVICE.

[@codymoncrief8478]

Germany: *invades* Belgium: "Let's break all our stuff! That'll show them!"

[@SgtKOnyx]

I mean it technically did

[@JenniferinIllinois]

War were declared quick in this episode. Hehehe...

[@jsma9999]

May Thank you for wearing Glasses, Love the round Hope that make into a OUTTAKES Or Minute of May,There still in royal Navy I think-beards

[@garypeck4612]

Singular! War WAS declared, not WERE declared, unless it multiple wars.

[@tmcgill2219]

That’s a running joke on this channel. Not sure how it got started.

[@IDontLikeAltRock]

10 minutes fellas

[@alexvogel610]

Ha! I know who that guest is!

[@Леонид2012]

1911 when?

[@chekovsgunman]

the what now?

[@tangero3462]

Y'all touched a nerve in me mentioning that gun show nonsense. Holy damn does that drive me nuts when I see it. Now, don't get me started on Cabela's new policy of not removing trigger locks ever, not even to remove spring pressure on old guns. Grrrrrr....

[@lappol1]

look guys i would really believe you if you just told me that the safety does in fact work.

[@ADHR26]

Anyone get their shirts from this years fundraiser?

[@samiam619]

ADHR26 I did. Or at least my wife says it came. Home for Thanksgiving...

[@UncleWillie]

Sleep is over rated any how

[@andythem320guy9]

Special guest...hmm... Is Indy going to keep his promise to come and shoot guns?

[@andythem320guy9]

The world may never know. Until the episode.

[@Mathos1001]

That Martini looks cocked. I'm not sure that's good for the spring.

[@thomasdubbeldeman3864]

Oké for this video you thit french music but for part 3 of this series i want some flemish music

[@SpruceReduce8854]

Unfortunately, I think the next episode is the Ottoman version

[@thomasdubbeldeman3864]

@@SpruceReduce8854 what There is a Ottoman version of the belgium mauser realy

[@SpruceReduce8854]

@@thomasdubbeldeman3864 Yep. www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/WWIGuns/comments/4wu55m/ottoman_mauser_1890/

[@thorpypoo]

The Bundeswehr allows beards so we can't really blame the Germans for militaries banning beards. It is possible to seal the mask with a beard from what they tell me. It's really just a fashion issue. Just like Uniforms for example, suddenly in the last 15 or 20 years we started seeing rank moved from collars or shoulders to chests (torso really).

[@willblucat3335]

Sleep is for the uncommitted.

[@samiam619]

William H. Not when the cops/company asks why you fell asleep!

[@willblucat3335]

@@samiam619 lol

[@LadyAnuB]

When will we see sporting a mustache worthy of a poilu?

[@Ivo--]

Only 40 minutes? I'm disappointed

[@Drexus76]

commented

[@WasatchGarandMan]

AYO WHERE MA /EARLY BIRDS/ AT?

[@dxmachinanz7426]

This is a good Tuesday

[@BluePlainsOrangeFeels]

me wHere hAre TwO, duMmi CrAcKerz .... We dunO nuthizN' wrUng

[@pieshka4509]

Really is a shame about the facial hair, them Belgians had some really impressive mustaches

[@МаксимАрхипов-г7с]

Кто бывает из оружейников?канал неплохой.

[@Glrk10]

Pink is not your color. Nor hers

[@drewgates1167]

Gas warfare....schnitzel and wurst.

[@davidbrennan660]

More potato.....just more potato..... .