WW2 Service Pistols - Allied & Axis Sidearms

[@sledgehammerk35]

My big takeaway from this… nearly everyone loves John Browning’s designs. The man was an absolute genius.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

No-one was better at getting the maximum amount of function from the minimum amount of parts than John Browning. He was a genius all right!

[@stevetournay6103]

The .303s in all the Battle of Britain Hurricanes and Spitfires were Brownings, too, though I think I recall they were of Colt design.

[@steveh1792]

@@stevetournay6103 Colt-modified manufacture of the Browning design.

[@blank557]

Browning became a common name for describing "pistol" in Europe.

[@craigthescott5074]

John Browning was the Einstein of weapon designers nobody was even close to him.

[@garylawson5381]

I carried a Colt 45 in 1979 and 1980 as a TOW missile gunner while stationed in West Germany, that is until our new Commander decided he didn't like enlisted soldiers carrying the same weapon as his officers. Thanks again Dr Felton!

[@josephvandyck5469]

Your CO was an ID 10 T.

[@DB-yj3qc]

I carried a M1911 in Desert Storm with 3 AD. My C.O. in 5/8 Inf 8 I.D. carried a M16a2 and his M1911 and had his Officers carry M16a2 too. The S### show of Desert Storm was the Bn and BDE snagged up most of the 45 ACP ammo.

[@stevenunyabidness]

god forbid you simplify supply and logistics one iota.

[@Legitpenguins99]

@bennypa1n shooting is harder than it looks my friend. Correction: accurate shooting is alot harder than it looks.

[@nortoncomando3728]

They carried M16 rifle on the TOW jeeps but the Mortars carried the 45 in early 80s

[@ankoku37]

My grandpa was in WW2 and like many soldiers he sent back a lot of "souvenirs," and he always said his favorite was the Luger he found. Years passed and he finally showed it to me when I was an adult and it's a Walther P38. I decided not to correct him. Dude was 89, he didn't need his time wasted with that.

[@christopherkucia1071]

I had a great uncle who died about 4 years ago, 2nd wave of Normandy beach in the 29th inf. Received a Purple Heart in Romany and then was officially taken out of combat recording his second during the battle of the budge. A rifle man I think. He brought back a Walter P38 which I was able to shoot for myself once! Really quite amazing! I was surprised how well it shot and how easy it was to shoot (recoil and what not) it was late war too and had very rudimentary construction with machine marks and stuff…. He also brought back a very small Italian pocket pistol, I’m unsure if he was in the Italian campaign. Frank Calitri, look him up!

[@morpheophantasm8332]

​​@@christopherkucia1071 great respect for your great uncle ! P38's and Beretta 92's best looking pistols of all time imo . Sexy even lol

[@davidbriggs7365]

@@christopherkucia1071 If your uncle was with then 29th Division, then no, he did not serve in Italy. However, the Germans purchased a whole lot of Italian designed and manufactured pistols.

[@JnEricsonx]

My grandpa brought back a Japanese pistol. Nambu. Wouldnt know what it was called for decades.

[@Breadfan1280]

My grandfather killed some Wehrmact outside of St. Vith in 1944 and took a 1936 dated Polish Radom off of him. He carried it in his waistband for the duration of the war and brought it home. It’s now in my possession since his passing in 2017

[@dlife7427]

Does it have German markings or just original all Polish 1936? How awesome, I hope you cherish it.

[@alanaldpal950]

Knock knock… who is there…. ATF…. ATF who….. 🙃

[@tonys1636]

If you are in the UK I hope it has been deactivated and securely stored out of sight. Otherwise you may now get a visit from a couple of armed firearm officers and on a firearms charge as ammunition can still be obtained illegally in the UK or legally in some parts of Europe for it. It will then be destroyed.

[@monkeytennis8861]

​@@tonys1636clearly American

[@nickjohnson710]

​@@tonys1636clearly a American....use some common sense

[@stc3145]

A random fact about the Norwegian 1911. To get the license to produce them in Norway they had to get it from FN in Belgium who had rights to all 1911s in Europe. They refused, but in 1914, Belgium wasn’t around anymore thanks to some Germans and production rights reverted back to Colt in the US who granted Kongsberg the license to produce them in 1915.

[@browngreen933]

Good info, thank you Germany!

[@farhanatashiga3721]

And FN never raised a fuss about it from 1918 onwards?

[@peabase]

Where did Belgium disappear in 1914? I studied history at the University of Leuven (the library of which was famously torched by the Germans), but we were never told of this disappearance. Likewise, did a great many European countries disappear and miraculously reappear during and after WW2? At least a part of Belgium -- the Ypres salient -- remained unoccupied in WW1, where the small but spunky Belgian army put up a spirited defence together with the other Allies.

[@datadavis]

@@peabase lets say they had their hands full with more pressing matters than 1911 licensing issues.

[@peabase]

@@datadavis I bet, but Belgium didn't do a disappearing act. It's as preposterous a thought as Norway disappearing in WW2.

[@DK-gy7ll]

@7:10 something to add, while John Browning is often credited with designing the P35 Hi-Power, the fact is he died in 1926 while the design was still in its infancy. His protege at FN, Dieudonné Saive actually did the lion's share of the development and is mostly responsible for the final design. Saive was a talented gun designer in his own right and later developed the FAL rifle.

[@TimDutch]

So Saive designed the right arm, and the side arm of the free world :)

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

I'm glad you beat me to posting your comment. Saive is the true father of the Hi-Power. But, the dead guy gets the glory.

[@waynesarf8065]

Well, it does suggest that the great man was wise in his choice of pupils. @@WALTERBROADDUS

[@pb68slab18]

The HP at the time of JMBs death was nothing like the pistol we know today. In fact, it was striker fired. And believe it or not, we have the French to thank for it. They kept changing the requirements, but the FN guys led by Saive, made the changes work, until the 2 sides had enough of each other.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@pb68slab18 it's one of my pet peeves as a former Hi-Power owner to give Saivé his due credit. Instead of being treated as Alexander Graham Bell's, Watson or something. It's not like the guy was just the coffee guy. What very few people do give John Browning credit for however is the over under shotgun! That last design of his was a game-changer. As much as any of his others.

[@rvlyssup]

My grandfather was a Captain in the USAFFE, his service issued weapons were a Remington Rand 1911 and an M1 Paratroop Carbine. Although he declined the United States government's offer of citizenship for his service, he got to keep his weapons after his clandestine service against Japanese occupation of the old country. When Marcos declared martial law, his paratroop carbine was confiscated but he got to keep his 1911. He also recieved full US military honors when he passed away including a flag presented to my grandmother. Unfortunately one of my uncles squandered it all by pawning them to finance his bad habits. I've been a proud American since 1997 and tried to procure at the very least, his burial flag. I am extremely proud of all my relatives service to my adopted nation! 🇺🇸

[@jvleasure]

My son shot my Remington Rand 1911A1 for the first time this morning. Treat yourself, but avoid Auto-Ordnance/Kahr Arms 1911 and carbine copies. Junk. I am proud to own the uniform of a Filipino Scout and Death March survivor that must have taken the US up on citizenship. He lived in CA and entertained President Reagan with a meal at some point.

[@chrisdubois7688]

Glad to have you, my American brother

[@dianeduffcroop8158]

My father was a US Navy Corpsman. He used to say he went from blue to green so many times he couldn't tell the difference between the colors! The worst battle he was in was on Peleliu. He was in the 3/5 D company. My dad was never without his sidearm which was a Colt 45. He fired it on a number of occasions and on three of those occasions he killed Japanese soldiers that were coming up on his position while he was treating downed Marines. My dad slept with that weapon either under his pillow or by his chest for years. I have the weapon now and I treat it with reverence. Never firing it. Never will. RIP Dad...😢❤

[@krakrtreacysr907]

I'm actually watching The documentary right now about the marineso on peleliu. The old breed.. k company.... God bless your father a real hero

[@griz312]

@@krakrtreacysr907I’ve read Eugene Sledge’s “with the old breed” and it’s unofficial companion “islands of the Damned” by RV Burgin (Sledge’s NCO). Both are an absolute nightmare fuel and are vivid with close quarters combat.

[@c.j.cleveland7475]

Nothing but praise for your dad and I'm glad he had it when he needed it. It was my understanding that corpsman weren't supposed to carry a sidearm because, as corpsmen, they were "non-combatants". That probably changed after finding out that the Japanese didn't care who you were, they were going to kill you. Just curious.

[@828enigma6]

Thank you for your Dad's extraordinary service.

[@HootOwl513]

@@c.j.cleveland7475 The Japs didn't respect the non-combatant status of Corpsmen or Medics. To them the bright red and white cross was a great target. Empire of Japan was non-signatory to the Geneva Convention. Docs had to protect themselves and their patients.

[@happilyham6769]

The 1911 is a perfect example of 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it'

[@BigDave131]

The 1911 is a good pistol, but I wish it were a double-action pistol.

[@skeven0]

Indeed glad C&Rsenal finally started doing their first batch on deep dives episodes on the 1911 (like hour+ per each variant) and they shoot everyone of them even the super rare firearms from the whole of WW1

[@thomasb1889]

@@BigDave131 Double action has some issues with accuracy which with the recoil of the 1911 single action is the better choice.

[@billbonnington7916]

I've fired a number of these, and many modern revolvers, the 1911 is by far my favourite and the one that I was most accurate with.

[@shooterqqqq]

@@BigDave131 Nonsense. The 1911 has the best trigger action of all pistols. It can be safely tuned to two pounds.

[@Outlier999]

Many British and Canadian soldiers also used the Canadian version of the Browning Hi-Power M1935 semiautomatic pistol.

[@toughspitfire]

I mentioned this in a comment too but many the Hi-Powers were sent as aide to China during the war too, though I'm not sure the exact number. The biggest differences I believe when it came to the Chinese version was them having adjustable rear sights and being able to use a stock.

[@Gerhardium]

We were issuing Inglis manufactured pistols new in grease paper almost to the Afghanistan deployment.

[@rudidedog243]

There was also a wooden holster that could be used as a shoulder stock manufactured for the Browning HP, many of these ended up in China too.

[@anthonycapuano8554]

We're still using the Browning hi piwer

[@toughspitfire]

@@anthonycapuano8554 We've actually just officially adopted the replacement for the Hi Power, its the Sig P320. Will be some time though before the Hi-Power is completely phased out.

[@superkjell]

The rarest versions of the Kongsberg Colts are the "lunchbox colts" - made by the workers in secret and smuggled out of the factory in lunchboxes and then given to the Norwegian resistance. These pistols have no markings and are really sought after

[@mrdynamic8678]

The same with lunch box browning high powers

[@gunnargundersen3787]

Skål for Norge

[@dinsdalemontypiranha4349]

The Polish workers in the Radom factory when Poland was occupied by the Germans did the same thing until their scheme was discovered, at which point the workers involved in this were all executed in front of all of the workers at the Radom plant as an example not to do this again.

[@shawnnewell4541]

My dad was in the US Army in WWII and used a Browning pistol, not a Colt. He also slept with it under his pillow for a year after being discharged in 1946. So, yes, WWII vets also suffered PTSD.

[@nidgem7171]

Too right they did. Must be getting on for 20 years ago I listened toa BBC radio program which included a now 80 odd years old exLancaster Air Gunner talking about his experiences Including being heavily staffed by a night fighter which killed many of his crew mates. 60years or so later the emotion in his voice & his descriptionof trying to adjust after the war (he never really recovered) ... Yep He had PTSD untreated, unsupported all those years. It was heartwrenching recognising what he and many like him endured only to be ignored afterward.

[@SteveDonaldson-r5k]

They used to call it 'shell shock'.

[@KamikazKid]

I'm sorry, but keeping a pistol under your pillow is not evidence of PTSD. I don't have PTSD & I sleep with one under my pillow.

[@shawnnewell4541]

@@nidgem7171 I asked my dad about it because at the end of the Vietnam War there was a lot of talk about it and quite a few WWII vets and Korean War vets weren't too sympathetic toward them.

[@SteveDonaldson-r5k]

@@KamikazKid Who have you made enemies with?😮

[@erikg.4217]

Excellent video sir, thank you! My unit, a special boat unit in California, was still being issued WW2 dated 1911's in the mid 1990's. One pistol was found to be made by Union Switch and Signal, and another fellow had one issued to him made by Singer Sewing Mach. Co.

[@kutter_ttl6786]

A Singer 1911 sold at auction in 2017 for $414,000. I dunno if your friend was aware just how rare of a pistol he was issued.

[@erikg.4217]

Hi @@kutter_ttl6786 Oh, we were tempted, bunch of sailors, sticky fingers and all. Toyed with the idea of swapping out slides, since the frame is the serialized part, but thought better of it. Leavenworth is not a paid vacation.

[@PMCKnivesAndTools]

There used to be a huge, famous Singer Sewing Machine factory in my hometown of Clydebank, Scotland, which was retooled to produce war materiel during ww2.

[@DefunctYompelvert]

Apparently most the Singer 1911s went to B17 bomber crews stationed in Hawaii

[@mitchmatthews6713]

Totally interesting! The US Army used the 1911 even before entering WW1, as it was used by Pershing's troops entering Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa. Cheers, Mark!

[@RW4X4X3006]

And to the troopers who weren't issued one, they'd save their money and order/purchase a commercial model from a local hardware store or mercantile , as my grandfather did while down on the border in Texas with Pershing.

[@toughspitfire]

Actually the Browning Hi-Power was also produced in Canada with the Inglis company in Toronto and is sometimes called the Inglis High power. During the war it was issued to Canadian troops alongside revolvers and would eventually remain Canada's service pistol until 2022. Many Hi-Powers produced in Canada were also shipped to China in their fight against the Japanese, alongside Bren guns chambered in 8mm Mauser since that was the standard round used by Chinese forces. This would in fact make the Hi Power one of the few weapons produced and issued by both sides during the war.

[@SteveDonaldson-r5k]

I carried a hi - power in the RAF for years, 80's to 90's. No idea where they were made. Lovely weapon to use, but I couldn't hit a barn door with a pistol!

[@HootOwl513]

I own an Inglis 1944 FN Browning HP. I bought it in the mid-'90s. It had a decal on the front strap with the Nationalist Chinese, Canadian and Russian flags inside a maple shaped leaf. So I suspect it was a former Lend-Lease item surplussed by the Nationalist Chinese on Taiwan. Good plinker. Not a shoulder stock model. Really the whole story of Belguan refugees escaping the Nazis with Hi Power blueprints and establishing a pistol factory in a washing machine plant in Ontario and making pistols for the ''Free World'' -- seems more like a story Mark Felton would tell, rather than this weak multi-national anthology.

[@toughspitfire]

The Russian flag surprises me since I haven't heard of Canada sending Hi-Powers to the Soviet Union. I wonder if that decal was just used in general by Canada for foreign aide, since China and the Soviet Union were the main focus.

[@sly2792004]

It was produced in lots of countries

[@lib556]

@@sly2792004 During the war, all BHPs for the good guys were made in Canada. The wartime BHPs are only just being phased out in Canada. UK and Australia replacing theirs a little earlier.

[@kleverich]

The worldwide influence of John Browning just amazes me.

[@17cmmittlererminenwerfer81]

11:51 - impressed that you used the correct 48 star flag for the US at this period. Nice video!

[@gregj4564]

Small correction to the Polish pistol: "Radom" is a name of the city where the pistol was produced. The actual name of a pistol is "ViS". The pistol was originally called "WiS", formed from the first letters of the constructors' surnames (Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypinski), but at the request of the Department of Armament it was changed to "ViS" ("vi" means strength or force in Latin).

[@frenchfan3368]

Yes, it is officially called the VIS but it is also commonly called the Radom. Both terms are interchangeable. There is nothing wrong with referring to a firearm by the location of where it is produced. The Springfield rifle is obviously referred to by the city in which it was produced; Springfield, Massachusetts. On another note, there is nothing wrong with referring to the MP-40 as the Schmeisser. Yes, we know that Schmeisser was a slang term used by Allied troops during the war. If they used the term back then, why can we not use the same term today even it may not be the "official" name?

[@battlejitney2197]

I carried a 1911A1 for a time in the Army, until they transitioned to the M9. Yes, the Beretta is lighter, easier to clean, and holds more NATO ammo but there’s just something about the Colt that feels great. It’s solid. Reliable. Hard-hitting. Historic. Uniquely American.

[@peabase]

I have family associations with quite a few of these handguns. My grandfather carried a Mauser C96 in the Continuation War. A machine gunner in the Winter War, he was shot through the shoulder and being deemed unfit for further combat duty, he was made company clerk and issued a C96. He said it was accurate enough with the shoulder stock and his aching shoulder could stand the recoil. He once shot an elk (moose for the Americans) with it. My godfather was a fighter pilot who carried the Browning Hi-Power as his service weapon. Interestingly, I was supposed to be issued with the Hi-Power DA when I deployed to Kosovo, but because of problems with the type, I was given the Walther P1 instead. My British commander called it a toy gun till I put him to shame at the shooting range. My uncles, Continuation War vets too, all had booty Tokarevs and Nagants, which "disappeared" when gun laws were tightened.

[@michaelkovacic2608]

Incredible story, thanks for sharing. I'm thinking about getting a P38 myself.

[@peabase]

@@michaelkovacic2608 You're better off with a P38 than a P1. I hear the P1 suffers from cracked frames.

[@toontech]

My Dad brought home a Radom P-35 (and 1908 Luger) from WW2. He 'liberated' it from an officer at the end of the war in Linz, Austria. Has a holster and extra clip. Mint condition, super accurate. Stamped with 1939 with the Polish eagle.

[@Styxswimmer]

How much you want for it

[@Wooargh]

My grandfather brought back so many souvenirs. He had a painting which he found in a gallery somewhere. He got bored of it and used it as a dartboard then threw it away LOL

[@matthewcohen3521]

Fun fact about the P38; unlike nearly every other semi-automatic pistol ever made, ejected casings are flung to the left, not the right.

[@scottmclennan6114]

My Dad was in the Australian Army and used a Webley .455 while he was in New Guinea. He brought it home with him and I remember finding it when I was a kid and playing cowboys with it. Lucky I didn’t find the bullets until much later!!

[@starwarfan8342]

The Peaky Blinders made that gun legend

[@phlodel]

@@starwarfan8342 The .455 Webley was a legend long before it was in a silly movie/TV series.

[@j3dwin]

My father was a weapons platoon leader in the 82nd during Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge. He was under fire from one of two German foxholes so he gambled and charged the left one. He guessed wrong as a German soldier pointed his P-38 at my father from the right foxhole. An unknown fellow paratrooper shot that soldier and my father grabbed the pistol as the German slid back down. He collected another P-38 for both of his sons (long before I was born) but they were stolen from his belongings after he was critically wounded by a bomb dropped from a single captured allied aircraft.

[@xprettylightsx]

May God Bless him for his service. May God Bless you and your family.

[@johnrogers9481]

@@xprettylightsx. why, MAY?

[@abercrombieblovs2042]

Because that's how it's said.@@johnrogers9481 It's "May God bless him for [x]", not "I want God to bless him for [x]"

[@robertmaybeth3434]

What kind of scum steals from a wounded soldier?! Ought to have turned their barracks upside down and got his hard earned pistol back!

[@j3dwin]

@@robertmaybeth3434 My father suspected that it was one of the hospital staff. Paratroopers that fought together would never steal one another's belongings.

[@larry648]

As a former American soldier, we still love our 1911 45 ACP. It’s funny how it was replaced by an updated Walter P38, the Beretta 92.

[@ut000bs]

The 92 is the worst-feeling pistol in my hand that I know of. It just doesn't seem to fit. Maybe it's just my love of the 1911. lol Seriously, though. I would not buy one for that reason. I carry a Glock or sometimes a Colt Python.

[@JohnJHawke]

One day at the gun range, i fired a turkish 9mm glock copy, an FN .40 and a colt .45. They were all nice, but i think i preferred the feel of the FN .40 the most. I fired an m1911 on another occasion and really enjoyed it. Great pistol.

[@lib556]

As someone already commented, to not mention Canada's production of the BHP during the war is an oversight. After FN was taken over by the enemy, all 'good guy' BHPs during the war were made in Canada. Canada adopted it at the end of the war and BHPs remained our sidearm until last year (the same WW2-produced pistols). Canadian BHPs were issued to the UK paras and others.

[@s.foostenveld29]

The story Goes that former Belgian FN employees smugled the original plans out of Belgium into the UK with were the transfered to Inglis in Canada. My (late) dad caried one as a Bren gunner during his service in the Dutch army. Later I myself got to carry a BHP also during my own service time, mostly accompanied by a full clip of live ammo since we did mostly guard duties. At night shifts we’d stick a loaded pistol in our coats when hitting the Town for a snack to not offend drunk people.

[@robertsolomielke5134]

Canadian Inglis BHP's also went out with 'sterile' markings to various overseas markets. I heard Nationalist Chinese got them for dealing with Maoist forces. *edit , Also 7.92mm Bren guns.

[@lib556]

@@robertsolomielke5134 The Chinese contract was quite significant and noteworthy.

[@oolooo]

Not the main standard arms but still used:Colt M1917 , Smith and Wesson M1917 , Bodeo 1889 , Colt New Service , Smith and Wesson Triple Lock/Hand-Ejector , Steyr-Hahn 1912 , Orbe Hermanos and Garate Anitua revolvers in French service and the ever populer Nagant 1895 .

[@josephvandyck5469]

Excellent research and delivery are the hallmark of any topic Mark covers. Thank you for that. As a historian, did you ever get to fire any of these weapons? To me, that truly brings history alive. When I was deployed to Iraq, working with Iraqi forces, we captured a lot of nice WW2 weapons. This is where I got to fire an MG 42 and an STG 44. I additionally fired a ppsh, numerous AK variants and my first 2 bullpups. The Steyr AUG of the Aussie forces and the SA 80 of the Brits. Was a little weird as I grew up with the M16/M4 family of weapons. Great video. Thank you Mark once again.

[@c.j.cleveland7475]

Man, that STG 44 must have been fun to shoot. It's too bad that there wasn't a way to bring that back with you! 😁

[@KillBoyPowerHead77]

Dear Mr Felton indeed Vis as we called this pistol was mentioned in many uprising songs in Warsaw (to lift a spirits of course). Cheers from Poland!

[@dinsdalemontypiranha4349]

Yet another awesome video Dr Felton. Thanks! A minor point: You mentioned that Radom pistols were made in Warsaw for use in the Warsaw Uprising. In addition to that, during the German occupation of Poland, Polish workers in the Radom plant developed a system that allowed them to create Radom pistols that the Germans didn't know existed (long story). They supplied these pistols to the resistance. Eventually the Germans caught on and changed the production system to eliminate this, and of course, the Polish workers at the Radom plant who were involved in this scheme were all executed as the Germans made all of the Radom employees watch as an example not to do this sort of thing again.

[@MPGunther1]

Thank you, Dr. Felton! As always, your informative videos are far above anything being shown today.

[@TrustyEngineer]

1:15 - Sir! I am so delighted, that you start the list with great Polish weapon wz. 35 "Vis" - its name stands for "strength in Latin. It is called by people outside Poland as "Radom", but this is simply a name of city, where Fabryka Broni (Weapon Factory) is localized. The fact, that you have mentioned German requsition, underground manufacturing and 90' revival really makes my heart warm and proud. Great work here. Thank you! P.S. Polish underground production was really assembling the parts taken from factories seized by Germans.

[@paultapner2769]

I am always fascinated by the shots of that man on the firing range. How he holds guns properly, unlike action movie characters, is always fascinating to see.

[@6thmichcav262]

He also got several pieces of brass in his face. Always wear your eye pro, kids; the old gunnery sergeant in the sky only issues one pair of eyes!

[@Rick2010100]

In Germany are today mainyl 4 typs of private gun licenses: a)hunter, b) professional sportshooter, c) job use (police, security, etc.) and d) collector. I have a hunter license wich which entitles me to own 2 handguns and unlimited long guns (rifles and shotguns). I already have two handguns, but a hunting friend who passed away left me his Luger pistol. I went to the police and asked for a gun license supplement for collectors. The officer was critical at first, but when I showed him the Luger he was thrilled and immediately extended my firearms license.

[@whitechapel8959]

My great great grandfather had a Reichsrevolver he used in WW2 he had from WW1, it was customized with a top break action as he crossed it with the Webley design to modernise it.

[@winnermartins6448]

Always a pleasure listening to your commentary

[@JFox337]

My grandpa was a downed B-17 gunner and spent the last year of the war in German captivity near the eastern front. When the war ended he obtained two German Lugers from surrendering Germans. He sold the two pistols for $500 each to an American GI before heading back to the states. He used this money as a down payment on his house.

[@larrymosher5045]

That is the best story,I read so far.thanks for sharing.

[@r2gelfand]

Never knew Husqvarna built weapons. I have had 3 Husqvarna lawn mowers!

[@Atomkraft2000]

The logo is a weapon sight from the muskets they started producing in 1689.

[@mathiassvensson7911]

My father served in the swedish airforce and had the Husqvarna m/40, great looking gun!

[@saint-simon1134]

No wonder why they make the best chainsaw

[@ARIXANDRE]

I love the weaponry side of wars. After that exciting "where are "Hitler/Eva Bodies", can't wait for more videos like this one, Mr. Felton!

[@roddydykes7053]

Those were interesting as well, nice to get back to classic Felton

[@BrianHayter-zl2uc]

Me too❤️👍

[@bullnukeoldman3794]

Trained on an M1911 in the Navy, 1969. Still own two, one a full-size and the other a newer "Defender" model. Old design but simple, reliable and easy to maintain. Fired an M9 when first available in '85 but preferred the old M1911.

[@carlosfaliveni2442]

I love german pistols , I have three pistols Walther made in the seventies, Luger p08, and a Mauser c 96 cal 7, 63. Always learning with Mark Felton.

[@halnywiatr]

The history of the Polish Radom ViS Wz35 is worthy of an entire video on its own.

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

Sometimes it’s hard to believe I live in the UK! Growing up in the US my Mates had and used a Nambu and a Radom as “toy” guns when we played cowboys and Indians! Later I carried and bought a 1911! The Kimber 1911 I had before moving back the the UK was unbelievable accurate! I inherited a P-38 AC 43 and should have had a late war model. A few war FNs as well. Still the one I miss other than the Kimber is a perfect Walter P5, derived from the P-38 it was an incredible small 9x19 handgun; easily out shooting most of my oil field mates at the range and getting me a free lunch on many occasion. The P-38 was really a jewel.

[@monroetoolman]

My grandfather brought a Beretta home from the N. African campaign and immediately sold it to another GI upon returning to the states. He wasn`t fond of it as he thought it underpowered and inaccurate, but thats what he could get his hands on.

[@johndilday1846]

Outstanding details in your presentation, Dr. Felton! I am a lifelong gun enthusiast, and you gave a great overview of the firearms used by the major combatants in the war. I would give you extra thumbs up if I could. Your videos keep getting better and better.

[@rockbutcher]

I really liked my Browning Hi-Power that I carried in the Canadian Infantry. Mine was manufactured in Canada.

[@NoNameNo.5]

The first pistol I ever bought was the Colt 1911 .45. Beautiful, classic, efficient, lethal…I have added various German (HK) Chez (Cz) Austrian (Glock) and Italian (beretta) to my collection. God Bless America.

[@77WOR]

Incredible historic research and extremely valuable and well done and orchestrated. Your sound quailty is supurb. Thank you for NOT including distractonary music or cartoonish effects. Well done mate.

[@GypsyHunter232UK]

I still have my old mums service pistol from ww2. She was a tank commander in the battle for Stalingrad and had the Marakov pistol..she ended the war with the rank of lieutenant.

[@davidrivero7943]

Married to Colt 1911 . Brownings High power is my Mistress . There are some other beauties in this exceptional video, thou. TY , Dr.

[@JoJoJoker]

The Browning High Power is arguably the best WW2 military pistol. It was John Browning’s final design based on his extensive lifelong design expertise.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

That's a bit of a myth actually. Is prototype is actually nothing like the final design of the pistol . Deiudonné Saive gets most of the design credit.

[@frenchfan3368]

​@@WALTERBROADDUS Dieudonné Saive and/or John Browning; the Browning HP is hands down the best handgun of the Second World War. No wonder both sides used them .

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@frenchfan3368 that's why my first pistol purchase was a Hi- Power. A bit of a boat anchor. But, a well tested weapon.

[@JoJoJoker]

@@WALTERBROADDUS feels nicer in the hand than the 1911 and relatively small for its age and features.

[@edwindeas9457]

Mark, I love your work. From a Former USAF NCO to a Former RAF Officer/pilot, please remember that the Canadian John Inglis Co., Ltd produced 1,000's of Belgian Browning/F.N. GP-35 9x19mm Para. Autoloading Pistols for both the Nat'st Republis of China, as well as the British SAS, SOE, & Airborne Assault Forces during WWII. the GP-35, just like the Colt M-1911A1, was an excellent sidearm & widely used by the Alliies, as well as the Axis. GOD Bless you and keep up the good work. Eddie Deas ( Fmr SGT, USAF; 832nd TAC Hosp., Luke AFB, AZ. (USA).

[@jebbroham1776]

The 1911 is a legendary sidearm. I've always had one, in one model or another throughout my life.

[@petercarter9034]

Very interesting, I have several of the guns mentioned in my militaria collection, Luger, Walther P 38, Colt 1911 and Walther PP

[@angelogarcia2189]

I have a type 14 nambu from the early 1930s. It shoots great

[@claytondennis8034]

As soon as I saw the French semi auto, I thought it looked like the P210. This list includes a lot of the best hand gun designs ever.

[@torbenweber4281]

the swiss SIG 210 used the Petter systeme, so the SIG 210 is based on the french semi auto

[@chrisjones6736]

One minute in!! A personal best when it comes to picking up a Mark Felton presentation.

[@hungarygator5220]

As a collector, I really enjoyed this video. The one quibble I have with it is by WW2, the Honved (Hungarian Army) was issuing the Femaru M37, not the Frommer Stop - the production of which ceased in 1929. I have no doubt there were still plenty of Frommer Stops around and some of the troops were equipped with them (as well as the Frommer M29 which immediately followed the Stop) but as of 1937, the new model is all that was being issued.

[@marksadler4104]

I fired a "Grey Ghost" Walther P38, (as most mentioned in this video). Termed as such as they were produced from bits of components obtained by and produced by the French Resistance. Used a Webley mkvi .455 in veteran small arms competition during the 90s at Bisley UK in my day as a member of the HBSA.....it's HQ is at the Imperial War Museum

[@jamesellis2784]

Name of rolls Royce . ?. Model .

[@TimDutch]

The Dutch did not use the Hi-Power but the FN 1910. We also used the Luger in smaller numbers, besides a couple of revolvers.

[@GazalAlShaqab]

Yes! And the Dutch Lugers were even marked in Dutch: "RUST" for "SAFE" (but "geladen" on the chamber, still in German). If I recall well, the Dutch army tested the Luger twice (1899-1900 and 1904-05) and adopted it in 1910 (especially for KNIL, colonial troops in Indonesia).

[@hendriktonisson2915]

What rifles and machine guns did the Netherlands military use during WW2 and what cartridges did these weapons use?

[@TimDutch]

@@hendriktonisson2915 The Dutch used the 'geweer m.95' a Mannlicher but different then the one the Austrians used during ww1. The Dutch light machine gun was the Lewis gun, with a magazine capacity of 97. Both weapons used the 6,5 x 53,5 R cartridge. The heavy machine guns used by the Dutch were the Schwarzlose 1910 and the Vickers machine gun. The Schwarzlose used 7,9mm rounds. The KNIL used different weapons.

[@TimDutch]

@@GazalAlShaqabIndeed, used by the KNIL and the Dutch navy.

[@hendriktonisson2915]

@@TimDutch Thanks for the info! What rifles and MGs did the KNIL use and why did KNIL use different weapons?

[@patmarek1222]

The Polish pistol was actually called Vis 35 (vis meaning strenght in Latin). Radom is a shortened designation of the weapons manufacturer which was indeed based in the city of Radom.

[@gavinbennett1849]

Watching some boring Sunday night telly with my wife , and luckily for me a new dr Felton video pops up , though she didn't really quite see the interests of ww2 sidearms

[@brucequam7416]

I can see a great mash-up with Dr. Felton introducing the firearms, and Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons taking them apart to show how they work. It would be inordinately long, though.

[@Sportserjeff]

I served in the Navy from 1980 to 1989, stood many watches with a 1911 on my hip. I noticed that there were many manufacturers of them. They were very reliable. But due to their age they weren't too accurate.

[@ichibanmanekineko]

With the regards the Radom P35 it is pronouced Rah-dom. This is due to it being manufactured in the town of Radom which is pronounced in the aforementioned way. Many guns are still produced in this town today. Thanks for the video :)

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

I have owned several of these pistols and revolvers and your review of the pistols of WWII was an excellent piece of research.

[@i-a-g-r-e-e-----f-----jo--b]

Thanks for the great channel Dr. Mark! There were some really old Colt .45s on my ship for security watches. I bet they were pre-WW2 and that was in the 1980s, lol.

[@rogerhudson9732]

My father, a RA motorcyclist was issued with a .45 American revolver that used moon clips to fire the .45 ACP round. Best automatic P35 FN .9mm Browning on which the Czech CZ 75 was modeled.

[@scottscott4674]

My dad traded a large German officer's pistol with a swastika for a small WWI pistol used by the French resistance called a Ruby. I think he wanted a small pistol he could hide.

[@paulstuhrenberg9165]

Bad trade 🙁

[@scottscott4674]

Yeah.@@paulstuhrenberg9165

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

If I recall right the Ruby was a Spanish-made piece. The Germans imported quite a few during WW2 as they were chronically short of small arms, especially for occupation forces. Ruby's weren't the best around but they weren't bad either.

[@Jerseyboondocks]

​@@paulstuhrenberg9165lol well, yeah true

[@scottscott4674]

Interesting. The way my dad told the story it was recovered from a French resistance fighter. I got it checked out/cleaned and it's a nice pistol (though small caliber) now.@@wayneantoniazzi2706

[@jamescherney5874]

I have my Uncle's.45 that he used while an MP at Los Alamos when they were building the bomb. It still shoots accurately and reliably.

[@ffjsb]

I was lucky enough to qualify with both the M1911 and the Baretta M-9 during service in the ARNG. Both are great weapons, but I preferred the M-9 due to it's much larger magazine capacity.

[@actio4marchal203]

My mother was a fan of the Walther P38. (She owned one!) And said: "Those dirty Boches made the best gun in the world!"

[@kebabsvein1]

Entered Norwegian service in 1917. The first 95 units were marked m/1912 and after that m/1914. 100 trials pistols were manufactured in 1915/16 and weren't completed until 1917. The first 5 units were delivered by February 1917.

[@tier5958]

When I bought my house, there was found a variety of ww2 memorabilia stashed inside the basement. Among them was the Hungarian Frommer Stop pistol with its case. Thanks for including it.

[@krisfrederick5001]

"You make keep your side arm Colonel..." -Major Winters to a German officer surrendering. One of the most powerful moments of Band of Brothers. To me. And he never fired it.

[@Youcannotfalter]

The truth is Dick Winters did take that pistol off that German.

[@allanfranklin9615]

​@@YoucannotfalterTou arecorrect. That scene was the Hollywood version. Winters kept the gun for the rest of his life, never firing it.

[@hendrikg3616]

A small thing on the Danes: Yes, in 1946 they ordered the High Power and named them M1946 but they only ordered 1700 units. Starting in 1949 they switched to SIG Sauer P210 and named them M/49. They switched to the SIG Sauer P320 some years ago.

[@SM527]

Great stuff. Just a couple of small points. Mauser ceased production of the P08 Luger in 1943 but Kreighoff continued to turn out a few until 1945. The official FN/Browning name for the 9mm auto pistol is "M1935 GP".

[@SentinelSays]

Sidearms are the last line of defence in the field when SHTF. In my army career I carried a rifle, before going through my commission and rising though the ranks, then generally carrying my Browning as my person PDW. Towards the end, we transitioned to the Glock, but I never had to use that in anger, whereas my browning did save my ass on a number of occasions. To me, the key criteria a sidearm has to have is reliability above all else, something that a few on this list have left on the factory floor! Great video Mark.

[@brendanoneill1466]

WOW, that was really informative. I have fired the Colt 1903 and 1911 as well as a 9mm Luger. (a rare bird). All of these firearms are fascinating and have amazing stories. Thanks for sharing.

[@thEannoyingE]

My great uncle was in the Canadian Army, serving in England and Scotland during the Second World War. He carried both a bolt action rifle, and a Canadian semi-automatic pistol, the equivalent of the US 1911 pistol.

[@44WillysMB]

I was surprised by no mention of the Smith & Wesson 38 Victory revolvers.

[@tomhenry897]

Short version Just listing all the German pistols would take an hour

[@heiner71]

@@jimkilloran9038 , you are imagining things.

[@johnfisk811]

There were many service issue handguns which were substitutes for the standard but the standard was the one which would have been universal if only there were enough.

[@DarrinR.-pq8md]

I have a .40 S&W Browning Hi-Power and a 357 mag S&W 3" Detective Special. Both are perfect for concealment and have massive stopping power.

[@chris.3711]

I have a 1918 production 1911 that was refurbished for WWII. Utterly amazing gun.

[@FayazAhmad-yl6spFZ]

My grandfather was gifted a Mauser pistol by a German general fought the Boer War in the 1930s in kilimanjaro region Tanzanian. Russian TT pistol bullets are used in this pistol. This pistol is in its original condition with a company polish in the possession of my cousin.

[@AlexandruNicolin]

I think the High Power was by far the most advanced WW2 pistol. If it weren't for the magazine disconnector that made the trigger pull less than ideal, it would have been the best for sure.

[@jimbob465]

Even with the mag disconnect, it was the best sidearm of the era.

[@brianwatkins2974]

Nearly all of the production under German occupation (which was the majority of WW2 pistols), did not have the magazine safety. It was deleted early on. Agree that the BHP was the best of WW2!

[@davidwallwork3623]

When I bought a High Power in 1965, the first thing I did was remove the magazine disconnector. Lovely accurate Pistol.

[@mikewinings4120]

The other beretta was a model 1935,in 7.65/.32 auto I have one and is very crude, In finish and machining ,love the history!

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

I’d love a documentary on sidearms in the ww1 and 2 how it changed tactics and strategy in warfare at the time.

[@DSS-jj2cw]

I remember our combat engineer companies C.O and 1st SGT both carried Colt 1911s. The 45s blueing was almost gone and they looked quite old

[@CCM2361-]

Another sidearm used by the US Army in WW2 was the WWI vintage Colt 1917 revolver (also made by Smith & Wesson) chambered in .45acp. These were mostly used by rear echelon troops & military Police stationed in the US.

[@dennisp.2147]

And the S&W Victory model revolver chambered in either .38 Special or British.38/200 (.38S&W) frequently issued to pilots.

[@darkoflight4938]

Ah! I remember the Husqvarna pistol from my time in the Swedish military back in 1987. Heavy, old, cumbersome and the Swedish 9mm 39B submachinegun ammo broke those guns apart. Changed later to the Glock 17 & 19. The Sig Sauer p210 was not that Sauer back in 1937 it came to be, known then as just the SIG p210. SIG purchased the J.P. Sauer and Sohn company in the 1970´s. Another great video, thank you sir for this!!!!

[@mryax1024]

Hey Mark wanted to see if you’ve done videos on WW1 and WW2 medics? How each countries medics and field hospitals were like. Or anything like that

[@EdAb]

Excellent video. Canada not only used several different revolvers during WWII, but also used a Canadian designed variant of the M1935 Hi-Power, which was made by Inglis in Toronto.

[@MZeki-gw2xg]

Good video, I was surprised that the .45 Webley was replaced by the .38 enfield while all other countries were going for 9mm or .45 as an average

[@tomhenry897]

45 was hard to handle and took more training Why the switch to 38 or 9

[@hannibalharkonnen7612]

Once FMJ bullets became standard the various 45’s of the world started getting phased out.

[@MZeki-gw2xg]

@@tomhenry897 thanks👍, I didn’t know that

[@brittakriep2938]

According to German weapons magazines, the recoil of .455 Webley was to strong for many soldiers, the .38- 200 cartridge, basicly a .38 S&W was introduced, and british authorities claimed, there was not so much difference in stopping efficience.

[@MrPh30]

200 grain bullet in the .38 Enfield , and in .38 Special ammo also used in UK . Charles Askins also used a .38 SW 200 a time for his ww2 service.

[@dascubaguy]

Good timing. Just been looking through some of these at The Royal Armouries Leeds today.

[@aroncells3120]

Don't forget Mark one of Britain's best ever agents side carry was a Walter PPK, 007 😊. Great video as always Mark thanks

[@davidkiss9993]

For Hungary it was the 1937M Frommer in .380 ACP which has been used as its standard sidearm. Of course there were other privately purchased or WWI vintage pistols in circulation, but the official sidearm was the 1937M Frommer.

[@michal_nogiec]

Thank You for another piece of a great work. Our excellent, polish variant of M1911 pistol - the Vis wz. 35 has a very interesting history of its proper name. It was designed by two famous polish firearm experts: Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypiński. The manufacturer-proposed name WiS, derived from the pistol's designers' initials, was finally changed to VIS - meaning "strength" in latin. Mysterious 'i' letter in the middle simply stands for british 'and' conjunction. It is clearly visible as stamped on the right cover of the grip. If it comes to the correct pistol designation by Polish Army, I dare to correct it as Vis wz. 35, where 'wz.' is an abbreviated Polish word 'wzór' (en. model, mark) and 35 is a year of implementation.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

I was lucky enough to handle a pre-war Vis pistol and the quality was outstanding! The Poles were a class act as far a firearms production was concerned in those days. Here in the US "Radom" is the popular name for the Vis pistol.

[@michal_nogiec]

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 I realize that. Radom is a city in central Poland where the factory has been located. It still exists, nowadays known from GROT production and development.

[@anatolib.suvarov6621]

Not to be a nitpicker, but the primary sidearm of the U.S. Military in WWII was the M-1911A1. The A1 is a modernized version of the original M-1911. It has a larger, and longer tanged hammer, a stronger hammer spring, better sights, both front and rear, and finger relief cuts on both sides of the trigger housing. It has a more curved, and stronger back-strap/spring housing, and a larger firing pin. Also, M-1911s when reworked had their blue finish removed and were refinished in Parkerization, as all M-1911A1s were parkerized. By 1936, or so all M-1911s still in inventory had been Depot/Arsenal reworked up to the A1 standard, and re-marked accordingly. The only original M-1911s still around left U.S. Military service before the 1930 MWO (Maintenance Work Order) was issued, and reworking began. Original, straight M-1911s are fairly rare nowadays!

[@DefunctYompelvert]

Read an account of an army national guardsmen who found a pristine original 1911 in his unit’s inventory which he carried until 1996 when he was forced to trade it in for an M9. Some must have slipped through the cracks

[@mnguy98]

There was one variant of the C96 made by the Shanxi arms factory called the Type 17, which was essentially a C96 scaled up to fire the .45 ACP cartridge. This was ordered by General Yan Hsi-Shan, who issued Thompson submachine guns to his troops and wanted to reduce the logistical problems of differing ammunition types.

[@hkschubert9938]

My dad wore the 1911 Colt from 1942 to 1964. I did also from 1974 to 1981. My current duty pistol is the CZ97B which I love.